Stephanie Bastek

Stephanie Bastek is the senior editor of the Scholar and the producer/host of the Smarty Pants podcast.

The Forgotten Radical

Lydia Moland on the children’s writer who had a change of heart

By Stephanie Bastek | Friday December 2, 2022

Roughing It

Ted Conover on life off-grid

By Stephanie Bastek | Friday November 18, 2022

The Abortion Underground

Laura Kaplan on the vital work of Jane

By Stephanie Bastek | Friday November 11, 2022

Tulsa 2022

RJ Young on the commemoration—and commercialization—of the massacre’s centenary

By Stephanie Bastek | Friday November 4, 2022

For the Love of Horror

Joe Vallese collects 25 queer reflections on formative films

By Stephanie Bastek | Friday October 28, 2022

The Fantasy of Real Life

Ling Ma on telling stories that see our world sideways

By Stephanie Bastek | Friday October 21, 2022

Welcome to the Osmocosm

Harold McGee explains the science behind a universe of smells

By Stephanie Bastek | Friday October 14, 2022

Fifty Years of Song

Joy Harjo celebrates her life in poetry

By Stephanie Bastek | Friday October 7, 2022

Ordinary Madness

Kate Summerscale on the fixations and fears that make us human

By Stephanie Bastek | Friday September 30, 2022

Know Your Earworm

Susan Rogers on figuring out why you love your favorite songs

By Stephanie Bastek | Friday September 23, 2022

Once in a Lifetime

By Stephanie Bastek | Friday June 27, 2025

Family Values

By Stephanie Bastek | Friday June 13, 2025

Lingua Obscura

By Stephanie Bastek | Friday May 23, 2025

The Shipping News

By Stephanie Bastek | Friday May 9, 2025

Coming Home

By Stephanie Bastek | Friday April 25, 2025

Muscle Memory

By Stephanie Bastek | Friday April 11, 2025

The Root Cause

By Stephanie Bastek | Friday March 14, 2025

Something New in the West

By Stephanie Bastek | Friday February 28, 2025

● NEWSLETTER

Please enter a valid email address
That address is already in use
The security code entered was incorrect
Thanks for signing up