Read this review of nature writer David Gessner’s biography of two other authors whose work he argues remains relevant today.
Category Archives: The Individual and Society
Walt Whitman, Emily Dickinson and the War That Changed Poetry, Forever
In this blog entry, David Ward looks at the influence of the Civil War on poetry, specifically the works of Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson.
10 Things You May Not Know About Nathaniel Hawthorne
Did you know Nathaniel Hawthorne served as an American diplomat and had a daughter who has been proposed for sainthood? Learn these and more little-known facts about the famous author.
Aziz Ansari Goes to India
In this essay, actor and comedian Aziz Ansari contemplates his American and Indian identities.
Artwork of Erie Canal from its 1825 opening found
Read about a Vermont historian’s journey to inform others of the impact of the Erie Canal and to distribute the artwork of an Episcopalian minister who recorded what it looked like when first built. Be sure to click through the slideshow of images at the top.
College move-in day: What would Henry David Thoreau say?
Columnist Danny Heitman compares the relative luxuries of his daughter’s LSU college dorm room to what famed author Henry David Thoreau experienced at Harvard in the 1830s.
9 Core Behaviors of People Who Positively Impact the World
Author and success coach Kathy Coprino outlines nine traits of individuals who have significant positive impacts. The behaviors she uncovers can be applied not only to business leaders, but to people in all fields.
Modern History Sourcebook: Harriet Robinson: Lowell Mill Girls
Read this first-person account by a woman who worked in the Lowell, Massachusetts, textile mill in the 1830s and 1840s. She describes the role women played in society at the time and recounts one of the first strikes in U.S. history.
Using data from social networks to understand and improve systems
Researchers at MIT are looking at how data collected from individuals and groups can be used for functions such as predicting sociopolitical change or measuring the effectiveness of policies in the developing world.
A Masterly Emily Dickinson Movie
Film critic Richard Brody reviews a new biopic about poet Emily Dickisnson, who was born in Amherst, Massachusetts, and lived most of her life there.
Why Are Millennials Narcissistic? Blame Income Inequality
Researchers have found that the shift from blue-collar jobs to white-collar jobs has probably triggered a more individualistic society.
Invention of the Telegraph
Read about the successes and setbacks Samuel F. B. Morse encountered while inventing the telegraph.
The British View the War of 1812 Quite Differently Than Americans Do
Historian and author Amanda Foreman analyzes the British perspective of the War of 1812.
Why We Need the Wild
Professor David Gessner of the University of North Carolina Wilmington reviews the nature writing in Jason Mark’s recently-published Satellites in the High Country, and he touches on some transcendental ideas in the process.
English Speakers Increasingly Use Self-Centered Words Like ‘Get’ And ‘Choose’
A psychology professor at UCLA charted the frequency of certain words used in books published in a 200-year time span. Her findings reflect a shift from a rural, sharing society to an urban, individualistic society.
Indian removal
From the 1810s to the 1830s, Andrew Jackson was instrumental in negotiating treaties that pushed the Native American tribes of the eastern United States out west.
Walt Whitman’s war
Self-published in 1865 and then consolidated into other volumes of poetry, Walt Whitman’s Drum-Taps, a collection of 69 poems, is now seeing new life 150 years later.
The Gold Rush of 1849
In the middle of the 19th century, the California Gold Rush transformed the country.
Why we quoth ‘The Raven’ evermore
Editor Ron Charles critiques a new book about Edgar Allan Poe and ponders over the writer’s popularity with audiences and his scorn from academics.
Happiness Is Not Only an Individual Matter
Psychologist Paul Dolan argues that making societal improvements will improve individuals’ happiness.