“The injunction not to look directly into the sun isn’t just medical — it’s always political.”
History
Posted inNonfiction, Quotes
Before the Avon Lady, There Were a Bunch of Monks With a Bottle of Vinegar
Meet the lifestyle and wellness hawkers of 13th century Italy: the Monks of Santa Maria Novella.
Posted inEditor's Pick
When Medieval Monks Couldn’t Cure the Plague, They Launched a Luxe Skincare Line
Whether you were European royalty desperately seeking a cure for impotence or a working-class neighbor looking for the latest deodorant, Santa Maria Novella was the place to go.
Posted inNonfiction, Story
‘The Stakes May Be the Survival of Civilization’
The first report from the National Endowment for the Arts in 1966 was a passionate defense of the government’s role in the arts.
Posted inEditor's Pick
The Forgotten Black Woman Behind Betty Boop
The comic character Betty Boop is enjoying a renaissance, with new cartoons, a new trademark red lipstick, and women’s fashions on offer. Gabrielle Bellot explores the original inspiration for Betty Boop — a black jazz singer named Baby Esther Jones — whose signature voice and scat-inspired patter inspired not only Betty’s look, but her signature […]
Posted inArts & Culture, Nonfiction, Story, Uncategorized
A History of American Protest Music: How The Hutchinson Family Singers Achieved Pop Stardom with an Anti-Slavery Anthem
“Get Off the Track!” borrowed the melody of a racist hit song and helped give a public voice to the abolitionist movement.
Posted inArts & Culture, Nonfiction, Quotes
Of the Parade, But Not In the Parade: The Mardi Gras Flambeaux
Louisiana Rien Fertel explores the complex history of New Orleans’ flambeaux — the men who carry the torches that light the way for Mardi Gras parades — in Oxford American.
Posted inNonfiction, Quotes
An Emotional Tour of History: Naming Lakes After the Fallen
Des Kappel is the toponymist in charge of naming the 90,000 remaining land features and lakes in the Canadian province of Manitoba. Kappel’s work is often an emotional tour through history as he collects letters and photos of war casualties for his database.
Posted inNonfiction, Quotes
Where to Hide Dead Bodies and Thieves: the Laundry Chute
Dead bodies, thieves, skulls, and historical bits of ephemera that fly out of pockets on the passage down are just some of the hidden secrets that laundry chutes reveal.
Posted inEditor's Pick
The Holocaust’s Great Escape
A remarkable discovery in Lithuania — an escape tunnel from the Nazi killing site at Ponar — brings a legendary tale of survival back to life.