Ghostly road

A Belief in Ghosts: Poetry and the Shared Imagination

An essay from poet Dorothea Lasky on poetry, ghosts, and the shared imagination.
procrastination folders

The Psychological Origins of Procrastination—and How We Can Stop Putting Things Off

The psychology behind procrastination involves how we perceive of value, 
Oracle bone pit

How to Read the Bones Like a Scapulimancer

In Shang Dynasty China, fortune-telling with oracle bones was the key to political power.
clothing donations

Fast Fashion Fills Our Landfills

Americans dispose of about 12.8 million tons of textiles annually. Fashion has a major impact on the environment. So what is the industry doing about it?
Guignol poster

Stage Death: From Offstage to in Your Face

Death on stage has a long, gory history. From Ancient Greece to 19th century Paris to The Walking Dead. Why does theatre like death so much?
Ballroom dance

Dancing with the Amateur Stars

Amateur ballroom dance enthusiasts value dance not just as a hobby, but as an indelible component of their identity.
Sidney Robertson Cowell

A Bag of Old Songs from Elsewhere

Sidney Robertson Cowell might be starting to get the attention her rich life, first-rate writing, and broad work as an ethnomusicologist deserve.
Philando Castile shooting video

Viral Black Death: Why We Must Watch Citizen Videos of Police Violence

We should acknowledge and absorb the pain captured in videos of police violence, just as antiracist activists bore witness in the past to lynchings.
Kindness and politics

The Politics of Kindness in 2016

Kindness matters. It’s just that our politicians have their own reasons for their own kind behavior.