Swedish folk musicians, 1922

The Tricky Politics of Swedish Folk Music

In the early twentieth century, folk music in Sweden was connected with right-wing nationalists, leaving a complicated inheritance for today’s music fans.
Woman Drinking Coffee by Léon Étienne Tournes, part of the collection of the Gothenburg Museum of Art

The Swedish-American Coffee Tradition

For many Swedish immigrants to the United States, coffee was a key to hospitality and a way to signal prosperity.
A Porsche Cayenne SUV

SUV: Stigmatized Urban Vehicles?

Skeptics in Sweden voiced concerns from the get-go. Even automotive industry journalists wondered why anybody needed an SUV to go to the opera.
Finland's President Sauli Niinisto (L) greets Sweden's Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson as they are welcomed to the White House by U.S. President Joe Biden on May 19, 2022 in Washington, DC.

Neutrality: Not All It’s Cracked Up To Be

While Sweden has claimed a position of neutrality for more than two centuries, its policy of non-alignment was somewhat ambiguous during the Cold War.
wo Sami people near their “lavvu”, a temporary dwelling similar to a Native American tipi.

318 Words for Snow: How to Preserve the Indigenous Languages of the Arctic

How scientists, linguists, and activists are working together to preserve indigenous languages in the Arctic—as well as the region's biodiversity.
Poet Tomas Tranströmer in black and white

Tomas Tranströmer’s Final Interview

Read poetry and essays on Tomas Transtromer.