https://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/books/RSS feed for BooksenFri, 17 Jul 2026 18:30:12 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/this-19th-century-diary-written-by-an-enslaved-maryland-man-is-a-crucial-record-of-his-life-and-family-historyand-the-only-one-of-its-kind-found-in-the-united-states-180989146/Adam Francis Plummer’s chronicle is believed to be the country’s sole known example of a multigenerational journal begun by an enslaved person. It’s now on view at the Smithsonian’s Anacostia Community MuseumFri, 17 Jul 2026 18:30:12 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/this-19th-century-diary-written-by-an-enslaved-maryland-man-is-a-crucial-record-of-his-life-and-family-historyand-the-only-one-of-its-kind-found-in-the-united-states-180989146/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/vintage-read-posters-adorning-libraries-and-classrooms-for-decades-go-on-auction-as-the-american-library-association-turns-150-180989057/Taylor Swift, Serena Williams and famous fictional characters lent their iconic faces to encourage people to pick up a bookWed, 01 Jul 2026 19:30:37 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/vintage-read-posters-adorning-libraries-and-classrooms-for-decades-go-on-auction-as-the-american-library-association-turns-150-180989057/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-lost-memoir-of-a-hiroshima-survivor-was-rediscovered-now-it-will-be-published-as-a-book-and-adapted-for-film-180989019/Nearly 80 years ago, Kiyoshi Tanimoto documented the aftermath of the Hiroshima bombing during World War II. His manuscript was recently found in a U.S. libraryThu, 25 Jun 2026 17:24:06 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-lost-memoir-of-a-hiroshima-survivor-was-rediscovered-now-it-will-be-published-as-a-book-and-adapted-for-film-180989019/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-odyssey-one-of-the-worlds-oldest-stories-gets-a-modern-spin-with-ai-generated-audiobook-narration-by-the-voice-clone-of-an-oscar-winner-actor-michael-caine-180989006/Meanwhile, other actors are pushing back against the use of artificial intelligence in creative projects, including through a new “human consent” registry toolWed, 24 Jun 2026 18:56:21 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-odyssey-one-of-the-worlds-oldest-stories-gets-a-modern-spin-with-ai-generated-audiobook-narration-by-the-voice-clone-of-an-oscar-winner-actor-michael-caine-180989006/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-first-edition-of-emily-brontes-wuthering-heights-contained-incorrect-page-numbers-missing-punctuation-and-three-misspellings-of-the-word-heights-180989005/The haunting story set against the Yorkshire moors would become one of the most renowned novels of the 19th century. Now, a rare first-edition copy is heading to auctionWed, 24 Jun 2026 11:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-first-edition-of-emily-brontes-wuthering-heights-contained-incorrect-page-numbers-missing-punctuation-and-three-misspellings-of-the-word-heights-180989005/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/every-generation-teenagers-redefines-pop-culture-through-favorite-music-fads-movies-trends-180988821/When new government policies allowed kids more time to grown up, the teenager was born. And every decade or so, they’ve changed the ways they entertain themselves … and everyone elseWed, 17 Jun 2026 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/every-generation-teenagers-redefines-pop-culture-through-favorite-music-fads-movies-trends-180988821/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/no-american-regional-cuisine-until-one-virginia-housewife-thought-compile-diverse-collection-recipes-180988811/Mary Randolph, an in-law of the Jefferson family who was influenced by enslaved cooks and traditions of European immigrants, didn’t change Southern cooking with her 1824 cookbook … she originated itFri, 12 Jun 2026 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/no-american-regional-cuisine-until-one-virginia-housewife-thought-compile-diverse-collection-recipes-180988811/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/moment-divine-inspiration-helped-melvil-dewey-bring-obsessive-order-infinitely-disorganized-stacks-library-180988856/The Massachusetts student let his mind wander during a Sunday sermon and created the decimal-based system that greatly simplified the search for any book you were looking for.Thu, 11 Jun 2026 11:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/moment-divine-inspiration-helped-melvil-dewey-bring-obsessive-order-infinitely-disorganized-stacks-library-180988856/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/harriet-beecher-stowe-wrote-work-fiction-that-seemed-so-real-changed-history-country-180988826/To fight against slavery, the author collected true stories then picked up a pen and distilled them into “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”Mon, 08 Jun 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/harriet-beecher-stowe-wrote-work-fiction-that-seemed-so-real-changed-history-country-180988826/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/in-a-plea-to-preserve-them-one-photographer-has-captured-1200-american-movie-theaters-and-counting-180988888/For more than 40 years, Benita VanWinkle has photographed vintage movie houses in all 50 statesThu, 04 Jun 2026 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/in-a-plea-to-preserve-them-one-photographer-has-captured-1200-american-movie-theaters-and-counting-180988888/