What the Folk? The Charming Yet Totally Malappropriate Story of Folk Etymology
Etymology is a funny thing. Even if you're not a word nerd, you might have wondered why so many English idioms we use are Just. So. Weird.
Healing Art in Hospitals Today
As hospitals today continue to grow and expand, who is thinking about nurturing patients and visitors with healing art and beautification projects?
A Non-Punitive Response to Juvenile Crime
It wasn’t until recently that federal juvenile justice policy swung sharply toward prosecution and tough sentencing.
A Belief in Ghosts: Poetry and the Shared Imagination
An essay from poet Dorothea Lasky on poetry, ghosts, and the shared imagination.
Gloria Naylor
The critically acclaimed novelist Gloria Naylor has died at age 66.
Inventing Rituals for the Digital World
How do we recognize our digital milestones?
Suggested Readings: Homesickness on Mars, Single-Serving Studies, Super-Raccoons
Extra Credit: Our pick of stories from around the web that bridge the gap between news and scholarship.
Early Photographs of African American Soldiers at The National Museum of African American History and Culture
The Prickitt album in the NMAAC is a rare coincidence of names and photographs of Colored Troops fighting for the Union in the Civil War.
When Science Fiction Becomes Real: Octavia E. Butler’s Legacy
Ten years after her death, the writing of Octavia E. Butler has a persistent influence—one that spans well outside of the science fiction genre.
High Holy Days in Mumbai
Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, and Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, are the "High Holy Days" of the Jewish calendar.