Before John Wilkes Booth shot and killed Abraham Lincoln, he was a talented and popular actor. This article takes a look at his life prior to his assassination of the president.
Author Archives: Chandler Gifford
Geology And Ancient Fossils Inspired H.P. Lovecraft To Write His Best Horror Story
H.P. Lovecraft, author of “The Outsider,” was fascinated by geology and paleontology. This article explains that his story “At the Mountains of Madness” was based in part on scientific observations from expeditions to Antarctica.
Elie Wiesel Taught the World How to Confront Atrocities
Elie Wiesel, Holocaust survivor and Nobel Peace Prize winner, passed away on July 2, 2016. Read to learn more about the impact of his life’s work.
Sorry, Strivers: Talent Matters
Which are most important to becoming successful: talent and intelligence or practice and hard work? This opinion piece suggests that natural ability and intellect win out over strong work ethic. What do you think?
Rare Walt Whitman letter, written for a dying soldier, found in National Archives
During the Civil War, poet Walt Whitman made a habit of visiting sick and wounded soldiers in hospitals. Read to find out how a volunteer at the National Archives recently discovered a letter written by the poet on behalf of a dying Union soldier.
Researchers say Anne Frank perished earlier than thought
In 2015, researchers at the Anne Frank House took a close look at the end of Anne’s life at the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. This article explains how they discovered that Anne died at least a month earlier than the date that had previously been determined.
Is There an App for That?
How does technology affect young people? Are they too dependent on their smartphones and social media? This article discusses the findings of renowned psychologist Howard Gardner, who set out to answer these questions.
California’s gardens tell an immigrant story
Most of the laborers who maintain lawns and gardens in California are Latino immigrants. Read to learn more about the history and culture of these gardeners, or jardineros.
8 awesome adaptations of the classic horror tale The Monkey’s Paw
Read and view this slideshow to find out about some adaptations of W.W. Jacobs’ well-known horror story, “The Monkey’s Paw.”
Surviving Genocide in Rwanda
Immaculee Ilibagiza is a Rwandan woman who survived genocide in 1994 by hiding with seven other women in her neighbor’s small bathroom for three months. Read to learn more about her terrifying experience and the hardships she endured.
Why are zombies still so popular?
Ever wonder why so many people love movies and TV shows about zombies? The author of this article has an interesting theory on why stories about the “zombie apocalypse” are appealing to such a wide audience.
Today’s Teens: More Materialistic, Less Willing to Work
Adults often complain that teenagers in the 21st century are lazy and overly concerned with material possessions. Do these opinions have a basis in reality, or are they unfair generalizations? Read to learn about the findings of a study published in 2013 that sought to answer this question.
From Ghana to Greyhound: One immigrant’s story of getting by in New York
Edmund Marfo came to the United States from Ghana in 1998. Read about his experiences as an immigrant and his enthusiastic approach to his job managing Greyhound Bus Lines’ arrival and departure gates of New York’s bustling Port Authority.
Fatal crashes involving teen drivers decline sharply in U.S.
A study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that the number of fatal crashes involving teenage drivers in the U.S. has dropped significantly. Read to find out what researchers believe are the reasons for this positive trend.
German Propaganda Archive
View this collection of Nazi propaganda posters compiled by Randall Bytwerk, a professor at Calvin College, whose goal is to shed light on how Germans were persuaded to accept Hitler’s dictatorship.
Gordon Parks exhibit offers intimate glimpse into segregation-era life for African Americans
In 1950, just before the Civil Rights movement, Gordon Parks took a series of photographs of Fort Scott, Kansas, his hometown, for Life magazine. Now on display in an exhibit at Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts, art lecturer Toni Pepe Den reviews the images.
Congress Passes 13th Amendment, 150 Years Ago
Read about the journey of the passage of the 13th Amendment, which ensured that slavery would not exist in the United States.
This Car Changed America
Released in 1908, Ford’s Model T greatly influenced the country.
Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Funny Civil War
In the second year of the Civil War, Nathaniel Hawthorne published an article in Atlantic Monthly outlining his unconventional views on the war. American Studies professor Cynthia Wachtell offers her opinion about the piece.
Faulkner of Oil Country: Rick Bass Talks New Novel
Author Rick Bass discusses the inspirations for his stories and novels.