I offer a short reflection on the famous Valladolid Debate of 1550—and on what it has to say about contemporary discussions of sovereignty, jurisdiction, and human rights.

Eighty years later, Orwell’s essay remains as relevant as ever.

The word is having a resurgence among Zoomers. Here’s a short history of it.

I review Guillermo del Toro’s latest adaptation of Mary Shelley’s classic novel—and find it lacking.

There’s plenty this favorite of mine can tell us about both art and history.

I’ve noticed a pair of rhetorical crutches recently take over our language. Both should be avoided.

One of the fun challenges of my archival work is deciphering early-modern Spanish handwriting—and making it accessible to broader audiences.

Let me tell you about my least favorite word—one I never use, one I strike out of every piece of writing that comes across my editing desk. That word is interesting.