The Philosophy of Posthumous Art
For some creators, death isn’t the end of their career. How should we think about completing and releasing their work afterward?
Asthma Tropes and the Kids Who Hate Them
Children with asthma respond to the movie executives who see them as weak people helped by magical inhalers.
The Photographers Who Captured the Great Depression
The Farm Security Administration had photographers fan out across the country to document agricultural conditions. But they brought back much more.
The Dressy Ghosts of Victorian Literature
Realism was exceptionally well suited (heh) for elaborate descriptions of spectral clothing.
Emily Brontë’s Lost Second Novel
The author of the English literary classic Wuthering Heights died tragically young, leaving her second novel unfinished.
How Dolly Parton Is Literally Like a Cougar
The mountain cat’s cries, like Dolly Parton’s famous songs, carry the diverse voices of rural Appalachia.
The History of Black-Owned Record Labels
Decades before Motown ruled the radio, labels like Black Swan and Black Patti put out records that didn't stereotype African American music.
The Theory Journal: Still Trendy after All These Years?
A wave of academic periodicals devoted to theory started appearing in the 1970s. Criticism wasn't far behind.
How Women Fought Misogyny in the Underground Press
Men dominated the underground papers of the 1960s. Feminist journalists like Robin Morgan and Sheila Ryan called them on their sexism.
How Teenage Girls Invented Fandom
They were mocked for their obsession with movies. But the fan culture they constructed help build Hollywood.