A pocket history of the Victorian corset

Whilst jogging this morning, I found a five-dollar bill. It was neatly folded in half, then half again, and resting comfortably on the...

I’ve had some messy careers. Not careers I went at in a messy fashion—I’m actually very organized—but careers that brought a...

“Strange days have found us.” That’s what Jim Morrison of the Doors sang. I have my own version that goes “Another strange holiday has...

Welcome to readers, writers, and seekers of curious lore. In case you've been living in Patagonia for the past year and haven't seen my...

Of his chronicler Dr. John Watson, Sherlock Holmes said: “Some people without possessing genius have a remarkable power of stimulating...

"Free like the air, free like the wind; free like the stars in the sky." Those are lines from a flamenco song about Gypsy life on the...

Art by Rachel Byler One of the less celebrated but deeply satisfying joys of being a writer is making up names. I’ve always had a gift...

It’s generally known (by those with Internet access) that the traditional story launch “once upon a time” comes from Charles Perrault’s...

“I firmly believe that with the right footwear one can change the world.” Bette Midler said that and I’m the last to argue with her....

“As the coach forced its slow way through London traffic, Amelia relaxed into the cushioned depths of the seat. Her parents had owned a...

I love a good hat. As to what a “good hat” is, that’s a matter of debate, aesthetics, and occasion. Frederick the Great said a crown was...

Tonight’s the night when lovers of kelpies, selkies, kilts and crowdie, tartans and toories, come together in praise of Robert Burns....

I react badly to novels in which nobody eats. Might as well have characters who don’t breathe. Food is such a fundamental part of our...

For years, I’ve made a casual study of how people react to great art. It’s not like I follow people with a microphone when they’re...

Material culture. The totality of physical objects made by a people for the satisfaction of their needs. (Merriam-Webster Dictionary)...