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April 24, 2019
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Christopher Clausen

Christopher Clausen is the author of Faded Mosaic: The Emergence of Post-Cultural America.

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Between Two Worlds

The familar story of Pocahontas was mirrored by that of a young Englishman given as a hostage to her father

by Christopher Clausen | Friday, June 01, 2007
The Most Important Election in History placeholder image

The Most Important Election in History

Is it possible to elect a president without invoking that phrase?

by Christopher Clausen | Monday, September 01, 2008
Sesquicentennial Excess placeholder image

Sesquicentennial Excess

Must we erase evidence of later commemorations at Civil War sites?

by Christopher Clausen | Monday, June 01, 2009
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THIS WEEK’S ARCHIVE PICK

2nd Look

What Is a Dog?

by Chloe Shaw

We admit that unofficial, national fill-in-the-blank days can sometimes feel contrived. (National Pizza with the Works Except Anchovies Day, anyone?) But National Hug Your Dog Day (April 10) is too good not to celebrate, especially if it means we can revisit one of our favorite essays: Chloe Shaw’s “What Is a Dog?” from our Spring 2018 issue. After losing a beloved hound named Booker—described as a “wolf meets horse meets dinosaur meets tongue”—Shaw confronts the joys and inevitable sorrows of loving a pet. “A dog is a second chance. A dog is death and life. A dog is plush red carpet and fresh warm pee.” A dog is worth celebrating, and not only on April 10.