Tracing F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Minnesota Roots
Source: The New York Times
Read about the city that influenced Fitzgerald and his work.
Arts & Entertainment
How a Volcano Helped Inspire Frankenstein
Source: Slate
Mary Shelley began writing Frankenstein two hundred years ago at a time when a powerful volcanic eruption had caused changes to Europe’s climate. Read to find out how this event affected the author and influenced her famous horror story.
Rings, dwarves, elves, and dragons: J.R.R. Tolkien’s Old Norse influences
Source: University of the Highlands and Islands
J.R.R. Tolkien’s masterpieces of fantasy, including The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, sprang from the rich storytelling traditions of the far north.
Richard and Mildred Loving Interview
Source: History vs Hollywood
Like Romeo and Juliet, Richard and Mildred Loving married despite overwhelming opposition to their relationship. But this mild-mannered Virginia couple’s love changed the law of the land. Watch an interview from the time of their Supreme Court victory.
Driehaus exhibit flips through pages of satirical magazine Puck
Source: Chicago Sun-Times
A Chicago museum exhibits the lifestyle and political cartoons from Puck magazine, a source for satirical commentary during the Gilded Age.
Poems of the American Revolution
Source: Academy of American Poets
Throughout history, poets have attempted to interpret the nation’s founding.
Geology And Ancient Fossils Inspired H.P. Lovecraft To Write His Best Horror Story
Source: Forbes
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.
Oscars: “The Look of Silence”
Source: Deadline
Movies can be more than just entertainment. One recent documentary shines a light on state-sanctioned oppression and murder in Indonesia.
100 years ago, ‘The Rite of Spring’ incited a riot in a Paris theater
Source: The Verge
The years just before World War I marked a turning point in the arts, a shift from the romantic to the modern. Learn how a groundbreaking ballet’s modernity shocked and angered the audience at its premier.
Dark Shades for a Children’s ‘Hamlet’
Source: The New York Times
Designer David Habben analyzes and explains the visual techniques he used in creating the poster for a children’s production of Hamlet.