What We Are Reading. Today: ‘Women Architects at Work’

What We Are Reading. Today: ‘Women Architects at Work’
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Updated 23 June 2024
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What We Are Reading. Today: ‘Women Architects at Work’

What We Are Reading. Today: ‘Women Architects at Work’

Authors: Mary Ann Hunting and Kevin D. Murphy

In the decades preceding World War II, professional architecture schools enrolled increasing numbers of women, but career success did not come easily.

“Women Architects at Work” tells the stories of the resilient and resourceful women who surmounted barriers of sexism, racism, and classism to take on crucial roles in the establishment and growth of Modernism across the United States.


What We Are Reading Today: Thailand’s Political History

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Updated 31 March 2025
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What We Are Reading Today: Thailand’s Political History

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  • Moving into the twentieth century, it traces the emergence of the Thai nation state, the large-scale investments in modern infrastructure

Author: B. J. Terwiel

“Thailand’s Political History” tackles some of Thailand’s most topical and pressing historical debates.

It discusses the development and evolution of the Siamese state from the early Sukhothai period through the fall of Ayutthaya to the rise of the Chakri dynasty in the late 18th century and its consolidation of power in the 19th.

Moving into the twentieth century, it traces the emergence of the Thai nation state, the large-scale investments in modern infrastructure.

 


What We Are Reading Today: ‘E.D.E.N. Southworth’s Hidden Hand’

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Updated 31 March 2025
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What We Are Reading Today: ‘E.D.E.N. Southworth’s Hidden Hand’

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  • Southworth’s fiction tackled issues that were often considered taboo, including domestic violence, poverty and capital punishment

In her upcoming book, “E.D.E.N. Southworth’s Hidden Hand: The Untold Story of America’s Famous Forgotten Nineteenth-Century Author,” Rose Neal, who has a Ph.D. in English, revives the legacy of a now-obscure novelist who was once a household name.

Born in 1819, Emma Dorothy Eliza Nevitte, Southworth — better known by her initials, E.D.E.N. — was one of the most prolific and widely read American writers of the 19th century.

Christened with a long name, Southworth once joked: “When I was born, my family was too poor to give anything else, so they gave me all those names.”

She would later shorten it to the distinctive E.D.E.N., under which she built her literary empire.

With more novels to her name than Nathaniel Hawthorne, Herman Melville, and Mark Twain combined, Southworth once captivated audiences with feisty heroines who rode horses, fired pistols, and even became sea captains.

Her most famous novel, “The Hidden Hand,” was so popular that readers named their daughters after its fearless protagonist, Capitola.

“Despite being one of the most beloved and well-known writers of the 19th century, as domestic sensational fiction declined in popularity, Southworth was entirely forgotten, as was an entire generation of women writers,” Neal writes. “For Southworth, it was partly because she had done so well at hiding her own progressive ideas. Nevertheless, she should be rediscovered and given her rightful place in American history.”

Southworth’s fiction tackled issues that were often considered taboo, including domestic violence, poverty and capital punishment.

Although she was raised in a slave-owning family, she wrote for The National Era, an abolitionist magazine, and encouraged her longtime friend Harriet Beecher Stowe to publish “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.”

She also supported the early women’s rights movement and advocated for better education and living conditions for those in poverty.

Neal’s journey to uncover Southworth’s story began unexpectedly as she pursued her master’s degree. She asked her colleagues whether they were familiar with this author she had unearthed. “They had never heard of Southworth or any of her novels,” she writes.

“How did a novelist as popular as Southworth slip into the dustbin of history?” she wonders.

With this biography, Neal pieces together Southworth’s story through her novels, letters and other documents, setting the record straight on a woman whose influence was far greater than history has acknowledged. Like her heroines, Southworth was bold, determined and ahead of her time.

The book comes out in May and is available for pre-order.

 


REVIEW: ‘Stories from Sol: The Gun-Dog’ offers a gritty, narrative-driven adventure

REVIEW: ‘Stories from Sol: The Gun-Dog’ offers a gritty, narrative-driven adventure
Updated 31 March 2025
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REVIEW: ‘Stories from Sol: The Gun-Dog’ offers a gritty, narrative-driven adventure

REVIEW: ‘Stories from Sol: The Gun-Dog’ offers a gritty, narrative-driven adventure

LONDON: In an era in which retro gaming is somewhat mainstream with remakes, reboots and remastered games emerging on a daily basis, “Stories from Sol: The Gun-Dog” on Nintendo Switch takes things to the next level.

Going further back in time than most, it is a throwback to classic PC-9800 visual novels, blending deep storytelling with a minimalist approach to gameplay. If you enjoy immersive narratives and do not mind slow pacing, this game delivers a compelling experience — though it may not be for everyone.

“Gun-Dog” is all about story. Its deep, character-driven narrative demands patience, rewarding players willing to engage with a text-heavy experience. It starts by setting the scene of the Solar War and our protagonist being unable to prevent the loss of his crewmates. Four years later, they (you can choose your own name) are re-assigned to the Jovian patrol ship Gun-Dog which has orders to investigate mysterious signals coming from the edge of Jovian Space.

On board, the assortment of characters includes a love interest, a rival from the past and others who all seem to be hiding something. While choice is limited to movement, item interaction and conversation, the game excels at making you feel like your actions matter, especially when decisions come with a countdown clock to force your hand.

This is not an action-packed adventure. The game moves deliberately and offers little in the way of fast-paced mechanics. Exploration is limited, but the weight of each choice — especially in high-pressure moments — keeps engagement high. With sparse visuals and bit-crushed music, “Gun-Dog” leans into its retro inspirations. Interestingly, putting it on mute might give the best experience; the soundtrack can be more of a distraction than an enhancement.

“Gun-Dog” is a game for those who love slow-burn, text-heavy adventures with minimal gameplay distractions. If you are looking for deep lore, strong characters and a narrative experience, it is worth the time. Just be ready for a slower ride than that offered by most modern games.


What We Are Reading Today: Moths of the World

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Updated 30 March 2025
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What We Are Reading Today: Moths of the World

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  • Moths of the World is an essential guide to this astonishing group of insects, highlighting their diversity, metamorphoses, marvelous caterpillars, and much more

Author: David Wagner

With more than 160,000 named species, moths are a familiar sight to most of us, flickering around lights, pollinating wildflowers about meadows and gardens, and as unwelcome visitors to our woolens.

They come in a variety of colors, from earthy greens and browns to gorgeous patterns of infinite variety, and range in size from enormous atlas moths to tiny leafmining moths. 

Moths of the World is an essential guide to this astonishing group of insects, highlighting their diversity, metamorphoses, marvelous caterpillars, and much more.

 


What We Are Reading Today: Oxygen: A Four Billion Year History

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Updated 30 March 2025
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What We Are Reading Today: Oxygen: A Four Billion Year History

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  • Donald Canfield covers this vast history, emphasizing its relationship to the evolution of life and the evolving chemistry of Earth

Author: Donald E. Canfield

The air we breathe is 21 percent oxygen, an amount higher than on any other known world. While we may take our air for granted, Earth was not always an oxygenated planet.

How did it come to be this way? Donald Canfield covers this vast history, emphasizing its relationship to the evolution of life and the evolving chemistry of Earth.

He guides readers through the various lines of scientific evidence, considers some of the wrong turns and dead ends along the way, and highlights the scientists and researchers who have made key discoveries in the field.