The politics of interracial friendship
There have been instances of interracial friendship even in the worst of times. Explore some of these noteworthy friendships, which have served as windows into the state of race relations in the United States.
Religion: was Shakespeare raised Catholic?
In this OUPblog post, Lena Cowen Orlin, author of the “detailed and dazzling” ‘The Private Life of William Shakespeare’ asks, was Shakespeare raised Catholic, and what role did his father, John, play.
Public trust in model-based science: moving beyond the “view from nowhere”
Never more than during the COVID-19 pandemic, the public has been reminded of the importance of science and the need to trust scientific advice and model-based public health policy. The delicate triangulation among scientific experts, policymakers, and the public, which is so central to fight misinformation and mistrust, has shone a light on a well-entrenched “view from nowhere” that science is often identified with. Why trust experts and their model-based policy anyway?
Returning to some of the shortest words in English
The Oxford Etymologist discusses the origin of English’s shortest words, including pronouns, prepositions, and conjunctions.
24 hours in revolutionary Paris: 9 Thermidor [timeline]
The day of 9 Thermidor is universally acknowledged as a major turning-point in the history of the French Revolution. Discover the outline of the key events on 27 July that ultimately led to Robespierre’s death.
Cut out characters and cracky plots: Jacob’s Room as Shakespeare play
“Why, within the world of the novel, is Jacob unknowable? He is the hero of a Shakespeare play.” Emily Kopley uses Virginia Woolf’s letters with her brother to examine her first experimental novel, “Jacob’s Room”.
Birth: when was Shakespeare’s birthday?
In this OUPblog post, Lena Cowen Orlin, author of the “detailed and dazzling” ‘The Private Life of William Shakespeare’ asks: just when was Shakespeare’s birthday?
How well do you know Mary Shelley? [Quiz]
How well do you know Mary Shelley? Take this short quiz to find out and put your knowledge to the test.
Pulling the whole length of one’s leg
Today, most English speakers will recognize the idiom: to pull one’s leg means “to deceive playfully, to tease.” Its origin has not been discovered. I usually stay away from guesswork, but in a blog, vague conjectures may not do anyone any harm.
A summer playlist inspired by Oxford World’s Classics
To help curate your summer playlist and reading list, here are 10 songs and Oxford World’s Classics we recommend you add to your rotation:
Spelling Reform and after
In this blog post, the Oxford Etymologist discussed the English Spelling Reform movement.
Individualization of war or de-contextualization? A social critique
A look at how examining the regulation of war through a social lens can provide important insights into the relationship between international humanitarian law and international human rights law.
Pronouns and joint possession
I’ve been noticing compound possessives like Kace and I’s texts or at Paul and my home. Both examples struck me as a little odd.
Classical music, privilege, and ghosts of the French Revolution
The word privilege is a lightning rod in United States culture. For some, it indexes systemic inequities shaped by race, ethnicity, class, gender, and sexuality, while for others, it represents a “woke” vocabulary used to enforce political correctness. Perhaps unsurprisingly, accusations of privilege have reached the classical music world.
Are all our fingers toes?
The etymology of finger is debatable, and toe fares only a bit better.
Recalling hymn tunes by Ralph Vaughan Williams
Hymn tunes of Ralph Vaughan Williams find consensus: undisputed quality. The foremost English composer of his generation is credited with composing, adapting, or arranging more than 80 tunes set to important hymns of our faith.