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Arts & Culture

The Anamorphose

Is a “Garden” the World’s Greatest New Artwork?

Francois Abelanet’s extraordinary turf “sculpture” on a Paris plaza epitomizes a grand tradition of artful illusion

Pumpkin pies

Thanksgiving in Literature

Holiday readings from Louisa May Alcott, Mark Twain, Philip Roth and contemporary novels that use Thanksgiving as the backdrop for family dysfunction

Jean Dujardin as George Valentin and Berenice Bejo as Peppy Miller in Michel Hazanavicius's film The Artist.

The Artist: Making Silents Safe Again

Old techniques from the latest Oscar contender can change the way you look at modern movies

Pond Walk, by Nancy Elizabeth Wallace

Ten Great Science Books For Kids

From dinosaurs at the Smithsonian to a walk around a pond, here are some of our favorites from 2011

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The Consequences of Fun

A member of the Algonquin Roundtable would have loved going to Vegas

What was the secret to Grandma's turnips?

Inviting Writing: Thankful for Traditional Recipes

Nothing fancy, just warm and tasty and filled with tradition

Children's books for the youngest readers

Best of Children’s Books 2011: For the Very Youngest Readers

The first section of Smithsonian’s 2011 Best Children’s Books begins with selections for the youngest readers in your family

Our shelves are always full of children's books.

Welcome to Just One More Story: A Blog Highlighting the Best in Kid’s Books

Our goal is simple: to offer up an unfolding guide to irresistible reads—books that will keep kids up at night, reading by flashlight under the covers

Lisa's vintage stove is a little too vintage.

Cooking Through the Ages: A Timeline of Oven Inventions

How much has technology really changed since the first ovens, wood-fired hearths?

Missionary sisters circa 1920

News from the Preservation Front

Why we need to save orphan films as well as blockbusters

Artisanal baker Eli Rogosa

Q&A With a Back-to-the-Roots Grain Grower

Baker Eli Rogosa talks about how supermarket flour differs from flour made from heritage grains such as einkorn

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Because You Never Know Where the Night Will Take You

Flannery O’Connor, chronicler of the American South, knows what real lady when she sees one

Opening scene from Good Night, Nurse

More on Fatty Arbuckle: His Films and His Legacy

Notorious for a career-ending scandal, the comedian deserves to be remembered for his work in movies

Boiling the wort

Brewing Beer is More Fun With Company

There has probably never been a better time to take up home brewing; supplies and information are readily available at bricks-and-mortar stores and online

Martin Sheen in "The Way"

Martin Sheen’s Pilgrimage in “The Way”

The new movie by Emilio Estevez and featuring his dad, Martin Sheen, is a stunning depiction of famed religious pilgrimage

Paella from Valencia

Paella: Rice With Everything

The subtleties of preparation, the exact timing of when to add water and for how long it should lie before being served are the subject of fierce debate

Vegetarian bacon tastes good, the author promises.

Inviting Writing: Thankful for a Tolerant Spouse

“The veggie bacon definitely smells the worst. And the corn dogs taste the worst.”

One of the introductory classes in Let There Be Light.

Saluting Veterans in Film

Veterans have generally been treated with dignity and respect in Hollywood films, but there are always the exceptions

Luncheon of the Boating Party (1881) by Pierre-Auguste Renoir

Where’s the Lunch? Looking at Renoir’s Luncheon of the Boating Party

“It’s like a painting about the most perfect meal that ever was—but you can’t tell what most of it was,” says a Phillips Collection curator

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