The Legend of The Music Tree
What is so special about a particular tree harvested from a forest in Belize? Ellen Ruppel Shell finds out in this meticulous essay.
But then, there it was: a Paul Bunyan–size log, wedged deep in a gully and covered in undergrowth. In an instant, Novak knew this tree was truly extraordinary. But he had no idea how to get it out of the jungle.
This Wonder Bird Flies Thousands of Miles, Non-Stop, as Part of an Epic Migration
“The more scientists learn about the Hudsonian godwit, the more they’re amazed—and worried.”
An Extraordinary 500-Year-Old Shipwreck Is Rewriting the History of the Age of Discovery
“In the frigid Baltic Sea, archaeologists probing the surprisingly well-preserved remains of a revolutionary warship are seeing the era in a new way.”
The Enduring Nostalgia of American Girl Dolls
“Far from avoiding difficult subjects in American history, the brand seeks to address shameful chapters in the nation’s past through the eyes of its pre-adolescent characters.”
A Brief History of the Crock Pot
If you’ve ever come home from a long day at work to the wonderful smell of dinner waiting in your crockpot, you have Irving Nachumsohn to thank.
The Priest of Abu Ghraib
“I wish to end the delusion that good is gained by evil means, or that even maintaining my own economic and physical security is something to be defended by means of violence. I believe that idea to be a lie.”
The Story of Dyngo, a War Dog Brought Home From Combat
“As we made our way down the hall from my apartment to the front door of the building, he would drop his nose down to the seam of each door we passed and give it a swift but thorough sniff—Dyngo was still hunting for bombs.”
Becoming Anne Frank
“Why did we turn an isolated teenage girl into the world’s most famous Holocaust victim?”
The Counterfeit Queen of Soul
In the 1960s, Mary Jane Jones modeled herself after Aretha Franklin, but she had the emotion and range of an original soul singer. After a crooked James Brown impersonator forced her to perform as Franklin, she got famous from her own talent, until she gave up show bizness to raise her sons.
Putting Enslaved Families’ Stories Back in the Monticello Narrative
Author Andrew M. Davenport highlights how the work of an oral history project, Getting Word, has informed a shift in the visitor experience of Thomas Jefferson’s primary estate, Monticello.
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