SPOTLIGHT

The Patron Subjects

Who were the Wertheimers, the family that sat for a dozen of John Singer Sargent’s paintings?

By Jean Strouse Thursday, November 14, 2024

SPOTLIGHT

The Patron Subjects

Who were the Wertheimers, the family that sat for a dozen of John Singer Sargent’s paintings?

By Jean Strouse Thursday, November 14, 2024

Viral Days

God Enraged

The Bible’s many catastrophes see the divine as a source, not a solution

Asturias Days

Lift Your Glass

Read Me a Poem

“The Courage Of Shutting-Up” by Sylvia Plath

Poems read aloud, beautifully

Smarty Pants Podcast

The Queen of American Folk Music

Resurrecting the legacy of Odetta, voice of the Civil Rights Movement

Sepia-toned image of army trainees ill with influenza on twin-sized cots in a large, crowded room. Doctors and nurses sit or stand nearby.
Viral Days

The First Wave

Remembering the Influenza Pandemic of 1918–19

Web Essays

Witness to an Unfolding Disaster

On this 50th Earth Day, a painter meditates on the changing relationship between her art and our imperiled planet

Asturias Days

Along the Quay

A fisherman stands holding an oar on a narrow wooden raft, floating in a calm sea, sunlight breaking through clouds in the distance.
The Guest List

Take Me Away From Here

Nine books to transport you to other lands as you face the growing number of days at home

Read Me a Poem

“Nod” by Walter de la Mare

Poems read aloud, beautifully

Asturias Days

All in Your Head

Read Me a Poem

“A Prayer for My Daughter” by W. B. Yeats

Poems read aloud, beautifully

Web Essays

My Cousin Manya

One survivor’s story

Book Reviews

Heart of Semi-Darkness

A writer’s delectable quest for rare flavors

Asturias Days

Poco a Poco

Read Me a Poem

“To David, About His Education” by Howard Nemerov

Poems read aloud, beautifully

Portrait of the Artist

Dottie Lo Bue

House and home

Book Reviews

Masters of Horror and Magic

The German folklorists who helped build a nation

Smarty Pants Podcast

American Horror Story

Jeremy Dauber on our obsession with fear

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