Islands of the Imagination
A short history of islands as sites of political escape and reinvention, from the myth of Atlantis to modern seasteading.
Just Wilde About Hair
The evolution of Oscar Wilde’s hair offers insight into how he constructed and revised his public identity.
Chinese Lion Dance Finds New Life in Newfoundland
A small Chinese Canadian community reshapes a performance tradition across generations, redefining how the art form is practiced and understood.
10 Prose Poems That Think Outside the Line
Poems that blur the boundaries of form, by Claudia Rankine, Louise Glück, Victoria Chang, Arthur Rimbaud, Layli Long Soldier, Mary Ruefle, and more.
The Revolutionary Beginnings of the Republican Party
Popular resistance to the Fugitive Slave Law and “Slave Power” helped forge a new electoral force.
Race, Fertility, and the Science of Slavery in Antebellum America
Pseudoscience about mixed-race women’s fertility helped justify slavery in nineteenth-century America.
How a Giant Squid Attack Became an Urban Legend
A WWII survivor’s account shifted over decades, turning a murky sea encounter into a widely repeated legend.
A Reader’s Guide to Poetry for National Poetry Month
Read poems, learn poetic forms, and discover writers in this National Poetry Month roundup.
The Real Antifa
Scholars find Antifa groups are small, decentralized, and largely defensive, challenging common political and media portrayals.
The Red Chador’s Provocative Public Performance
Anida Yoeu Ali’s Red Chador challenges stereotypes of Muslim identity through performance art in highly visible public settings.