Sorry, but Jane Eyre Isn’t the Romance You Want It to Be
Charlotte Brontë, a woman whose life was steeped in stifled near-romance, refused to write love as ruly, predictable, or safe.
Did Kongolese Catholicism Lead to Slave Revolutions?
The legacy of Kimpa Vita, a Kongolese Catholic mystic, was felt from the U.S. to Haiti.
The Divide in Feminist Ethics on Mothering
In the 1960s, two groups of feminists had very different views about motherhood. Unsurprisingly, race and family played a role.
When Harriet Beecher Stowe and George Eliot Were Penpals
These 19th-century novelists might seem to have little in common. But for 11 years they wrote each other letters, forging an unusual literary friendship.
Elizabeth Bishop
Exploring the text and subtext of Elizabeth Bishop's poems, inspired by a new biography called Elizabeth Bishop: A Miracle for Breakfast.
Mary Shelley
Someone discovered a handful of previously unpublished letters written by Mary Shelley, stashed in private house in a small English village.
Mary Somerville, Queen of 19th Century Science
Mary Somerville, one of the first women scientists and science writers, came to be known after her death as the "queen of 19th century science."
What Love Tokens Can Tell Us About Poor Women in Early Modern England
Poor English women imbued everyday objects with an emotional power that they gave and received. These were known as love tokens.
Poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning Was Both a Celebrity and a Superfan
As celebrity culture developed in nineteenth-century England, authors were at turns celebrated and celebrators of artists they admired.
From Enemy to Icon: The Life of Emma Goldman
While alive, Emma Goldman was considered an enemy of the state. In death, she became a celebrated American icon.