What’s an expert?
Ammon Shea wonders what makes an expert?
Vilipendious Pig-dog! Balatronic Dastardling! Contemptibly Obscure Words
Mark Peters looks at the 263 words in the Oxford English Dictionary with contemptible in the definition.
Spinster – Podictionary Word of the Day
The podictionary word of the week is “spinster”.
Shakespeare’s Undirected Letters: Critical Confusion in King Lear
An excerpt from Alan Stewart’s new book ‘Shakespeare’s Letters’.
Conundrum: A Cold Spoor Warmed Up
Anatoly looks at the possible origins of the word “conundrum”.
Foreign Policy Throughout History:
An excerpt from From Colony to Superpower
An excerpt from George C. Herring’s new book, From Colony to Superpower.
Venice, Italy
Ben’s place of the week is Venice, Italy.
Why Does the Transition Take So Long?
Donald Ritchie looks at the gap between the Presidential election an inauguration day.
Was it Al-Qaeda?
Elvin Lim reflects on the terrorists attacks in Mumbai.
The Friendless Poor of London: An Excerpt From
The Making of Mr. Gray’s Anatomy
An excerpt from The Making of Mr. Gray’s Anatomy.
Spa – Podictionary Word of the Day
The podictionary word of the week is “spa”.
Why has Scottish Devolution Worked?
Rab Houston, author of ‘Scotland: A Very Short Introduction’ looks at why Scottish devolution has worked.
Monthly Gleanings: November 2008
Anatoly’s November gleanings.
Literary Anecdotes: A Quiz
Test your literary skills with our anecdotes quiz.
The Sinister Side: Titian’s Diana and Actaeon
James Hall looks at Titian’s Diana and Actaeon.
Batman, Turkey
Ben’s place of the week is Batman, Turkey.