Culture

As the 150th Kentucky Derby kicks off, the achievements of jockey Oliver Lewis and trainer Ansel Williamson at the first Derby have been largely forgotten.

In Jack London’s novel, Martin Eden personifies debates still raging over the role and purpose of education in American life.

In the midst of the Depression, Conroy helped encourage a new generation of working-class writers.

From villain to antihero, nationalist to freedom fighter, the comic book character has always been a reflection of the Jewish cultural identity.

On the hostess Langston Hughes called the “Joy Goddess of Harlem.”

As the legend of the singer–poet–sex symbol grows, fans rarely acknowledge his conservative streak.

This tale of two girlhoods, Shirley Temple’s and Lindsay Lohan’s, sheds light on what “woman” means in the world of eroticized youth.

How preparation for a big purchase turned into an adventure through history.

The star of the 1920s silver screen who appears on Taylor Swift’s new album abruptly left Hollywood at the height of her success.

How Keith Haring got his halo.

Black cowboys made up as much as a quarter of working ranch hands during late 19th century. That legacy has been obscured.

Connie B. Gay and the roots of country music militarization.

Black women activism within documentary films in the 1960s United States.

When does our taste in music stagnate?

The world-spanning art of the Harlem Renaissance.

Larry David is the last of his kind—and in several ways.

Sinclair Lewis and the small-town science of yearning.

Allison Rudnick on the rise and fall of the 19th century "Literary Poster."

On Cormac McCarthy.

Connie Hawkins overcame scandal and setbacks to star for the Pittsburgh Pipers, leading them to an ABA title, paving the way for NBA reforms.

From the beginning of the recording industry, many voices have been suppressed and significant cultural history has been lost to prudery and censorship.

In 1968 Gaye shifted his musical vision to give voice to impoverished Black urban communities and the rising dissent against involvement in the Vietnam War.

The first Black woman to play the Grand Ole Opry and hit Billboard’s country music charts.

Beyoncé is following in the footsteps of many Black musicians before her.

“We await our moment, in pursuit of the picture that Corky envisaged, a portrait of a community that is too large and too brilliant.”

Climate change, colonization, and the Navajo Nation.

Caricatures of Irish immigrants—especially Irish women—have softened, but persist in characters whose Irishness is expressed in subtle cues.

Luis Valdez on his friendship with Cesar Chavez, his works in the National Film Registry, and a lifetime of activism.

When you dig beyond all purpose, digging becomes the purpose.

A reconsideration of Robert Frost at 150.