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A Guide to Healthy Eating
On December 26, 2018 by ElyseIf your holiday festivities were anything like mine, they were filled with delicious meals and celebratory drinks, quickly followed by a painfully tight belt buckle and a fervent promise to eat better next year. But before we resolve in 2019 to say goodbye to snacks, sweets and other indulgences, the early 20th-century press has a
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Dear Santa
On December 12, 2018 by ElyseThe holiday season is upon us—and has been upon us since before you unwrapped your first piece of Halloween candy—which means Santa Claus and kids all over the world are making their lists and checking them twice. The children of yesteryear were no less excited than their modern-day counterparts about a stranger breaking into their
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Insults from Ipswich
On November 28, 2018 by ElyseThese days, everyone from presidents and celebrities to CEOs and your cousin’s girlfriend’s ex-best friend can—and often do—trade barbs over social media in full view of their fans and detractors. However, my newly discovered favorite gossip rag shows that publicly airing grievances, dirty laundry and other entertaining unpleasantness isn’t a 21st-century fad but rather the
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Missing Person’s Report
On November 14, 2018 by ElyseMore than 100 years ago, a young woman disappeared under mysterious circumstances. However, the police can’t help solve this cold case. If you’re an historian who sits in front of your television night after night watching reruns of “Law & Order: SVU,” dust off your archival gloves and put on your “Rocky” soundtrack because this
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‘Til Death Do Us Part
On October 31, 2018 by ElyseMuch has been written about the divorce rate in the Western world, and psychologists and nosy relatives alike have spent many hours pondering its causes. Although science tells us criticism, contempt, defensiveness, and stonewalling are the most reliable harbingers of a relationship’s end, not all doomed marriages die of natural causes. In fact, if the
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Five Tips for Getting Your Fan Letter to the Top of the Pile
On October 17, 2018 by ElyseFan mail has been around as long as the postal system itself, and as celebrities of any era could tell you, admirers aren’t shy about making their opinions known. Thanks to developments in technology and communication, it’s easier than ever to reach out to those in the public eye. But given the volume of fan
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A History of Manspreading
On October 3, 2018 by ElyseOdds are, those of you who frequently ride public transportation have at some point been the perpetrator or victim of manspreading. The practice of taking up more than one seat by sitting with your legs wide apart has been the subject of fierce public debate, spurring poster campaigns in New York City and Seattle and
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A Cinderella Story
On September 12, 2018 by ElyseNo, not that Cinderella story. If you’re here for an insightful analysis of the teen flick starring Hilary Duff and Chad Michael Murray, you’re most welcome but likely to be disappointed. However, if you can forgive the lack of teen angst, read on. Today’s fairy tale comes to us from a 1911 newspaper blurb. Our
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How to Pull Off the Greatest Practical Joke Ever in Four Easy Steps
On September 5, 2018 by ElyseStep 1: Infiltrate the West Virginia State Poultry Association’s chicken show. For the uninitiated, this is a big deal. The annual exhibit brings together “the best of the blue blooded aristocracy of the barnyard” and awards prizes “worth shipping stock a considerable distance to compete for.” With a sales pitch like that, I’m crushed I