Austen Fans, Modern Belief, and Environmental Politics
New books and scholarship from Oxford University Press, Princeton University Press, and the University Press of Colorado.
What Does History Smell Like?
Scholars don't typically pay that much attention to smells, but odors have historically been quite significant.
Our Long Relationship with Leather
A recently-discovered skeleton wearing leather boots inspires a walk through our history of wearing animal hides.
Ten Poems about Travel
Poetry about all kinds of travel—from grand adventures to family vacations—by Elizabeth Bishop, Rita Dove, and more.
Finding the Value of Housework
Can housework be anything other than drudgery? Maybe part of the problem is that we consistently devalue unpaid work.
How the Brownie Camera Made Everyone a Photographer
Eastman Kodak used folklore to sell a modern technology, and ended up creating new communities and forms of expressions along the way.
Why Champagne?
We use champagne to celebrate New Year's Eve and other major events. But how did the sparkling wine get such cultural cachet? (Hint: marketing helped.)
Saturn’s Rings, Anger, and Snowmen
Well-researched stories from Forward, Wired, and other great publications that bridge the gap between news and scholarship.
The Metamorphosis of a 17th-Century Insect Artist
Maria Sibylla Merian's work in the natural sciences was overlooked for centuries. Now a rare butterfly has been named in her honor.
Did the Great Recession Make Us Sick?
Mass layoffs, high unemployment, and home foreclosures resulted in declines in mental health. There may also be long-term effects that linger.