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Writers

Daniel Alarcón established his literary reputation with the publication this year of his widely praised novel, Lost City Radio. Irish writer Colm Toibin described it as “gripping and tense…with echoes of Orwell and Huxley.”

Crossing the Divide

Novelist Daniel Alarcón’s writings evoke the gritty, compelling landscape of urban Latin America

Creativity Manhattan style, from left: Le Clercq, Windham, Johnson, Williams and author Vidal, with Virginia Reed (rear).

Salad Days

Karl Bissinger’s 1949 photograph of the author and a few friends at lunch in a Manhattan restaurant garden invokes the optimism of youth

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Masters of the Storm

Kennedy Warne, author of “The Amazing Albatrosses,” talks about dangerous waters and albatross love

"The Places in Between," by Rory Stewart

The New Civil Service

An excerpt from Rory Stewart’s “The Places in Between”

Louis Castro (bottom row, left) played 42 games as a second baseman for the Philadelphia Athletics during the 1902 season. Because his birthplace is questioned by baseball historians, he may or may not have been the first Hispanic player in the Major Leagues.

Debating Louis Castro

Was he the first foreign-born Hispanic in the Major Leagues?

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Welcome to Around the Mall

Introducing Around the Mall—a new Smithsonian.com blog covering scenes and sightings from the Smithsonian museums and beyond

Prague

Almost a Fairy Tale

Jonathan Kandell, author of “Americans in Prague,” talks about one of Europe’s most beautiful cities

"I think most Americans don't realize how close we came to losing the Revolutionary War," says Ferling.

Forget Independence

John Ferling, author of “100 Days that Shook the World,” imagines an alternate history

"We keep on talking about doing a book together," says Madeleine Nash, of working with her husband, Thomas (above, at the South Pole).

Extreme Persistence

Madeleine and Thomas Nash braved high altitudes and frigid temperatures for “Chronicling the Ice”

Saffron-robed monks enter the Bayon, which stands in the precise center of the King Jayavarman VII's temple city of Angkor Thom.

Jewel of the Jungle

Traveling through Cambodia, our writer details the history and archaeology of Angkor’s ancient temples

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“Mad, Stark Mad”

Thirty-five years after “defecting” to the Barbary Coast, the bestselling novelist still loves his city by the bay

The first thing Terry Smith did after moving to Washington in 1977 was buy a boat and sail it on the Bay.

A Great Adventure

Terry Smith, author of “Beyond Jamestown,” sailed in the 400-year-old wake of colonial explorer Capt. John Smith

"We can no longer work in Iraq," says Haidar Hilou, an award-winning screenwriter.

Welcome to Rawda

Iraqi artists find freedom of expression at this Syrian café

Zuni or not, every woman is obliged to pitch in for the Sha'lako corn-grinding ceremony. During the religious festival, says Morell (far right), "people are expected to set aside all feelings of ill-will and hostility."

Mystery and Drama

Virginia Morell, author of “The Zuni Way,” on the mystical ceremonies of the Zuni pueblo

An Old Bailey trial, circa 1808

Capturing a Narrative

In this interview, Guy Gugliotta, author of “Digitizing the Hanging Court,” talks about the Old Bailey’s influence on Dickens, Defoe and other writers

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Writer Turned Scientist

In this interview, Mary K. Miller, author of “Reading Between the Lines,” describes becoming a shift supervisor in the lab

"War Thoughts at Home" is only one small part of a much larger research project, says Stilling.

Frost Bite

A recently discovered poem by Robert Frost has brought fame—and controversy—to an English student

Ten Days, 1973

Q and A: James Rosenquist

"No one ever found any dead vultures," says McGrath. "There were simply less and less of them."

Fantastically Repulsive

In this interview, Susan McGrath, author of “The Vanishing,” describes getting up close and personal with vultures

Author of "Bernini's Genius," Arthur Lubow.

Admiring the Masters

In this Q & A, Arthur Lubow, author of “Americans in Paris,” compares the Paris of today with the one that inspired Manet, Monet and Renoir

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