Recovering the Malay Manuscripts of South Africa
Descendants of those trafficked from Southeast Asia to South Africa by the Dutch, Cape Malay Muslims use surviving kietaabs to connect to their heritage.
The Two Worlds of Patrick White
In writing and life, the Australian Nobel Laureate was ever preoccupied by the search for spiritual meaning and the fraught relationship between God and blundering humanity.
Jura: George Orwell’s Scottish Hideaway
Discover the austere island retreat where Big Brother was born.
JSTOR Daily: What I Learned
Go behind the scenes with our writers as we celebrate JSTOR Daily’s tenth anniversary!
Becoming Beatrice
Dante adored her so much that he cast her as his guide in the Divine Comedy. But who was Beatrice Portinari?
What’s so Chinese About Science Fiction from China?
Commentators have latched onto science fiction to explain all manner of social phenomena in China, from unemployment and the economy to air pollution.
A Brief History of the Muses
Scholar Alison Habens tells us more about the Greek goddesses who provided divine inspiration for ancient poets.
How to Be a British Villain
In classic British detective stories, villains might be atavistic monsters, foreign menaces, or conniving professionals—all tied to aristocrats’ anxieties.
Quebec, Louis Hémon, and Maria Chapdelaine
Louis Hémon’s Maria Chapdelaine grew from his views as a French immigrant writer on the rural life of early twentieth-century Quebec.