Black and white photograph of Manzanar Relocation Center in 1943.

The Book That Plunges You Into Messy American History

In her new novel, Karen Tei Yamashita challenges readers to join her in deciphering a shameful moment from the nation’s past.
Shadows of Liberty, 2016 (Titus Kaphar)

A Strikingly Complex Portrait of a Founding Father

A new exhibition makes George Washington seem like anything but a saint. That’s a good thing.
Collage of a museum, a gold frame, and a reinterpreted former Confederate statue.

The Real Fight for the Smithsonian

Its museums, more than any others, shape the nation’s narrative. No wonder the country argues about it.
The Israeli flag covering the word "antisemitism."

How “Antisemitism” Became a Weapon of the Right

At a time when allegations of antisemitism are rampant and often incoherent, historian Mark Mazower offers a helpfully lucid history of the term.
Illustration of lady liberty balancing housework and child care, holding cash instead of a torch.

The World That ‘Wages for Housework’ Wanted

The 1970s campaign fought to get women paid for their work in the home—and envisioned a society built to better support motherhood.
Judith Jones

The Woman Who Made America Take Cookbooks Seriously

Judith Jones edited culinary greats such as Julia Child and Edna Lewis—and identified the pleasure at the core of traditional “women’s work.”