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Culture Watch Mystery Reviews: Female Sleuths, Violent Crimes and Exotic Cultures
Serena Nanda Reviews: The mysteries take place in the diverse and complex societies of Jedda, Saudi Arabia; Capetown, South Africa; and the Happy Valley in Kenya. Race, class, ethnicity, tribal and gender identities all play important roles in both the crimes and the investigations. The deep cultural contexts of the crimes are not dull academic explanations but subtle, authentic and fascinating descriptions. Central to each of these novels are women investigators, some official and some not, whose individual personalities and interactions with the local 'police cultures' add an extra dimension of interest and suspense to the stories. more »
Rabbits In Waistcoats and Playing Card Gardeners; A World of Logical Nonsense: Alice in Wonderland at the Morgan
Alice became a publishing sensation, as the combination of text and illustration brought to life a story that has endured for 150 years. Lewis Carroll's pseudonym is derived from the author's real name, Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, by way of Latin: Charles >Carolus>Carroll; Lutwidge>Ludovicus>Lewis. The show includes the original manuscript of Alice as well as original correspondence, unique drawings, handcolored proofs, rare editions, vintage photographs, and important objects associated with the story — some never before exhibited. more »
America's Favorite Dish: Pyrex, Shaped Not Only By Designers and Engineers But By Women Consumers
The company hired Sarah Tyson Rorer, an editor at Ladies' Home Journal, and Mildred Maddocks of the Good Housekeeping Institute, to promote the brand through cooking demonstrations at department stores. In 1929, Corning hired full-time home economist and scientist, Lucy Maltby, to manage the company's new consumer services office. By 1931, Maltby had established a Test Kitchen at Corning Glass Works, designed to evaluate new products before they were put on the market. more »
Culture Watch Book Reviews — Against All Odds: Resisting Oppressive Cultures, Political Violence and Natural Catastrophe
Reviewed by Serena Nanda: Wadjda is the story of a quietly but ingeniously, rebellious ll year old girl in Saudi Arabia, determined to buy and ride a bicycle. In Hold Tight, Don't Let Go, Magdalie makes one unsuccessful effort after another to survive after the Haiti earthquake, particularly after her decision to refuse to sink to selling sex. Malala recounts her experiences as she and her father fight the Taliban for the right of girls to go to school in Pakistan. Hawaii, The Lost Kingdom, introduces us to Hawaii’s last queen, Lili’ukalani, not widely known to Americans, perhaps because her fight for independence was ultimately unsuccessful. more »