history
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The Sweet Sound of Cat Pianos
The Public Domain Review takes a trip through the world of imaginary musical instruments, including sound houses, steam-powered bands, and the infamous cat piano.
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The History of Whiskey
NPR reviews Noah Rothbaum’s new book, The Art of American Whiskey, and takes a closer look at the evolution of whiskey labels.
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Exorcisms, the Devil, and Helpful Grammar Tips
The Codex Gigas…contains the Old and New Testaments of the Bible, as well as an assortment of other texts that tackle everything from practical instructions for exorcisms to seventh-century grammar tips written by Isidore, the scholar-turned saint of Seville. Atlas…
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Dan Weiss’s Morning Coffee
(Dan Weiss is out on tour with his band The Yellow Dress. He’ll be back on August 3rd.) The historical quagmire of a plantation tour. When your father’s dark side is really, really dark. Also, the dark side of the Nobel prize.…
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A Postcard from History
Jessica B. Harris writes about her collection of historic postcards and the unique slice-of-life perspective offered by the 19th century postcard form. Harris has cultivated her postcard collection for decades with a focus on “depicting Africans in their homeland and…
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Fantastic Matriarchs and Where to Find Them
Given the current debate within SF about politics in genre and whether it is desirable, [Sylvia] Townsend Warner is a peculiarly apposite subject. A lesbian, a feminist, and an active member of the British Communist Party, her work from the…
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The Myth About Badgers
In the seventeenth century, country folk believed that the badger had legs on one side shorter than the other – the consensus was that the short legs were on the left. The Public Domain Review looks at Pseudodoxia Epidemica, a…
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Why Muslims Felt Excluded in India
Part of [Gandhi’s] genius was he was able to broaden out the appeal of the independence movement…But the way he did it was by using Hindu iconography and stories, mythology…He was personally very unprejudiced about this..But for Muslims, ordinary Muslims,…
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The Quest for Literary Immortality
In Those Who Write for Immortality, [Heather] Jackson includes a checklist of factors relevant to literary survival. Did the writer have family and friends to ensure that her work stayed in print? When was her biography written, and by whom?…
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A Library for Lumberjacks
Lumberjacks of yesteryear cut trees from remote camps before shipping the lumber to sawmills. One mill owner built his lumberjacks a rolling boxcar library so the workers could enjoy books even while in distant logging camps. The Bonner mill library…
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The Rumpus Interview with Jami Attenberg
Author Jami Attenberg discusses her new novel, Saint Mazie, how to write about fun, guilt-free sex, and the secret to writing productively.
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The World’s Oldest Book on Tea
Tea has a myriad of shapes. If I may speak vulgarly and rashly, tea may shrink and crinkle like a Mongol’s boots. Or it may look like the dewlap of a wild ox, some sharp, some curling as the eaves…