The Mystique of the American Diner, From Jack Kerouac to “Twin Peaks”

Freedom, fear and friendliness mingle in these emblematic eateries.

Yes, Gone With the Wind Is Another Neo-Confederate Monument

How the classic film helped promote a Reconstruction myth that was central to the maintenance of Jim Crow.

The Vanishing Pugilist and the Poet

The marriage of twentieth-century avant-gardists Arthur Cravan and Mina Loy was blissfully happy—until his mysterious disappearance.

Old West Theme Parks Paint a False Picture of Pioneer California

As the nation debates monuments and public memory, it’s important to understand how other cultural sites help people learn (false) history.
Middle school building.
partner

The Invention of Middle School

In the 1960s, there was no grand vision behind the idea of a middle school. The problem that the model sought to solve was segregation.
Illustration of the harmful effects of alcohol on a Seneca village

America's First Addiction Epidemic

The alcohol epidemic devastated Native American communities, leading to crippling poverty, high mortality rates — and a successful sobriety movement.

The Tater Tot Is American Ingenuity at Its Finest

The genius move that turned potato scraps into a frozen-food empire
Picture of Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey in the film, "Dirty Dancing."

The Back-Alley Abortion That Almost Didn't Make it into 'Dirty Dancing'

For the 30th anniversary of "Dirty Dancing," we spoke to the film's screenwriter about her revolutionary decision to include a depiction of an illegal abortion.
Lin Manuel Miranda and fellow actor dressed in colonial era clothing

How to Love Problematic Pop Culture

Revisiting the contradictions in "Hamilton" – and in the pushback to criticisms of the beloved musical.

Every Song of the Summer Since 1958

Each year there is one undeniable 'song of summer.'

Generations of Village Voice Writers Reflect on the End of Print

The end of an era.

The Secret Queer History of Kombucha

Discover the unknown history of this fizzy, fermented drink.
partner

When ‘Free Speech’ Becomes a Political Weapon

What we can learn from liberal anti-communists.

How a Recording-Studio Mishap Shaped '80s Music

You know that punchy percussive sound popularized by Phil Collins and Prince? This is where it came from.

Spectacle of Hate

From cross-dressing to white robes to Tiki torches, what we can learn from white supremacists’ long history of carefully cultivating their own aesthetic.

The True American

A review on the many publications about Henry David Thoreau's life for the bicentennial anniversary of his birthday.

Take a Hike!

Why do people hike?

Charlottesville and the Trouble with Civil War Hypotheticals

Only by the most specific, immediate definition can we consider the Confederacy to have lost the Civil War.

How Chop Suey Saved San Francisco's Chinatown

For Chinese immigrants, surviving in America has always required intense strategy.

Conservatives Say Campus Speech Is Under Threat. That’s Been True for Most of History.

There’s never been a golden age of free speech at American universities.

Alexander Hamilton: Statesman, Dueler, Birthday Party Theme

Projected to earn $1 billion and earning Tony-Award glory, 'Hamilton' the musical is still going strong in backyards and classrooms across the country.

The 19th-Century African-American Actor Who Conquered Europe

And why you might never have heard of Ira Aldridge.

How Ice Cream Helped America at War

For decades, the military made sure soldiers had access to the treat—including spending $1 million on a floating ice-cream factory.

The Role of HBCUs and the Black Press in the Rise of the American Tennis Association

Historically black colleges and universities hosted all but six ATA tournaments from 1927 to 1968.
partner

The Vietnam War That Never Goes Away

Popular theater productions and Hollywood movies about the Vietnam War have a continued place in popular culture and memory.

The NFL’s Pending Hall of Fame Problem

If everyone is breaking records, then who goes to Canton?

We Need to Talk About Digital Blackface in GIFs

Are you part of the problem?

The TV That Created Donald Trump

Rewatching “The Apprentice,” the show that made his Presidency possible.

The Umpire Strikes Out: Baseball Music and Labor

The classic baseball hit "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" has a lot more to do with U.S. history than one might think.
Charlie Chaplin and other actors in a silent film.

Curing (Silent) Movies of Deafness?

In many ways, silent film was an art form entirely different from the "talkies" we enjoy today.