What, Prithee, Is a Poetess?
The loss and recovery of a poetic genre shows how the canon of literary history treats women writers the moment they start to gain attention and approval.
Overlooked: How the New York Times Covers Librarians’ Obituaries
In 2004, two researchers analyzed the New York Times obit section between 1977 and 2002 in an attempt to understand how the obituary section portrayed American librarians.
Charles Knowlton, the Father of American Birth Control
Decades after Charles Knowlton died, his book would be credited with the reversal of population growth in England and the popularization of contraception in the United States.
Linda Nochlin on “Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists”
Art historian and critic, Linda Nochlin changed the field of art history, shifting both the field and the viewer’s gaze.
The High School Hair Wars of the 1960s
Following the introduction of the mop top by the Beatles, the battle over how long school boys could wear their hair in the 1960s and 1970s went to the courts again and again.
Bioethics: Key Concepts and Research
Two experts in bioethics have curated a reading list of over 20 JSTOR sources on selected issues like: gene-editing, research and treatment, reproduction, disability, genetics, genealogy and race.
The Murky Linguistics of Consent
In many #MeToo stories, crucial signals, verbal and non-verbal cues, are sent but not received. Why is that?
How the Victorians Politicized Lace
Scholar Elaine Freedgood tells the story of how, in the face of encroaching industrialism, handmade lace enjoyed a frilly revival.
How Prohibition Encouraged Women to Drink
During Prohibition, American women “made, sold, and drank liquor in unprecedented fashion,” writes historian Mary Murphy.
Why Verdi Wrote an Opera about Sex Work
Giuseppi Verdi's 1853 opera La Traviata was a shocker when it was first performed. Nineteenth-century audiences didn't expect to watch a sex worker die of tuberculosis at the opera.