Sex and Suffering: The Tragic Life of the Courtesan in Japan’s Floating World

Singing the Lesbian Blues in 1920s Harlem

When Gertrude “Ma” Rainey — known as “The Mother of Blues” — sang, “It’s true I wear a…

Pin-Up Queens: Three Female Artists Who Shaped the American Dream Girl

The Last Laugh: Why Clowns Will Never Die

It’s no secret that clowns make people uncomfortable. Believe it or not, that’s the…

Cassette Revolution: Why 1980s Tape Tech Is Still Making Noise in Our Digital World

Everything You Know About Corsets Is False

By Lisa Hix

Untangling the Tale of the Seven Sutherland Sisters and Their 37 Feet of Hair

Black Is Beautiful: Why Black Dolls Matter

By Lisa Hix

Velvet Underdogs: In Praise of the Paintings the Art World Loves to Hate

Sea-Monkeys and X-Ray Spex: Collecting the Bizarre Stuff Sold in the Back of Comic Books

By Lisa Hix