Voyager 2 Heads into the Unknown
Forty-one years after its launch, Voyager 2 has officially crossed out of the solar system and into interstellar space. What has it discovered along the way?
Nelson Mandela’s Lasting Image
Since his death in 2013, Nelson Mandela has achieved icon status. Why is his image so ubiquitous, reproduced everywhere from tourist kitsch to high art?
The Periodicals That Shaped American Boyhood
19th-century "story papers" gave boys stories they liked, while also encouraging readers to contribute their own material and tell their own stories.
Down the Research Rat Hole
While writing her forthcoming book about Polynesia, the author discovered the work of Teuira Henry, a scholar and folklorist who studied ancient Tahiti.
Photography Changed Americans’ Ideas about Nature
Many of our ideas about nature, wildlife, and conservation have their roots in the birth of nature photography.
Our Best Stories of 2018
Victorian librarians, Mister Rogers, queer time, and Jane Austen's subversive linguistics, oh my!
Breast Milk as Medicine
Human breast milk has been recommended as a cure-all since the 17th century.
“Silent Night,” Cookie Dough, and Alpha-Gal Allergies
Well-researched stories from America Magazine, Mosaic, and other great publications that bridge the gap between news and scholarship.
Is Fan Fiction a Helpful Literacy Tool?
Some teachers are adapting to the internet age by trying to understand the "new literacies" of today's students.