The Marginalian
The Marginalian

Reads from August 2013

The Comic Book Universe, Distilled in Infographics
The Comic Book Universe, Distilled in Infographics

What a physical history of saying “Good Grief” has to do with superhero undergarments and the pizza toppings of the Ninja Turtles.

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If William Shakespeare Had Written <em>Star Wars</em>
If William Shakespeare Had Written Star Wars

“In time so long ago begins our play / In star-crossed galaxy far, far away.”

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Outer Space Humor: Vintage Illustrated Astro-Jokes from the Zenith of the Space Race
Outer Space Humor: Vintage Illustrated Astro-Jokes from the Zenith of the Space Race

“A visitor from Jupiter, watching a typical Western on television, remarked to a friend: ‘How come the hero has a biped riding on his back?'”

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Synesthesia and the Poetry of Numbers: Autistic Savant Daniel Tammet on Literature, Math, and Empathy, with a Side of Borges
Synesthesia and the Poetry of Numbers: Autistic Savant Daniel Tammet on Literature, Math, and Empathy, with a Side of Borges

“Like works of literature, mathematical ideas help expand our circle of empathy, liberating us from the tyranny of a single, parochial point of view.”

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The Book of Mean People: Toni Morrison’s Children’s Allegory about Kindness and the Importance of Considering Context Before Making Judgments
The Book of Mean People: Toni Morrison’s Children’s Allegory about Kindness and the Importance of Considering Context Before Making Judgments

“Big people are little when they are mean. But little people are not big when they are mean.”

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The Alice in Wonderland Cookbook and Lewis Carroll’s Guide to Dining Etiquette
The Alice in Wonderland Cookbook and Lewis Carroll’s Guide to Dining Etiquette

“As a general rule, do not kick the shins of the opposite gentleman under the table, if personally unacquainted with him; your pleasantry is liable to be misunderstood — a circumstance at all times unpleasant.”

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A Moving Meditation on Gender Identity
A Moving Meditation on Gender Identity

“This culture wants little boys to dream only of baseball, trucks, and trains. This culture has no room for little boys who want to be gorgeous.”

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BBC’s Rare 1981 Andy Warhol Interview
BBC’s Rare 1981 Andy Warhol Interview

The iconic artist on happiness, creative process, the allure of repetition, and the importance of going through the world with kindness.

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How to Apologize for Standing Someone Up: A Lesson from Lewis Carroll’s Hilarious Letter
How to Apologize for Standing Someone Up: A Lesson from Lewis Carroll’s Hilarious Letter

“I am obliged to use an umbrella to keep the tears from running down on to the paper.”

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Bedroom via Kitchen: What Food Preferences Reveal about You and Your Romantic Partner
Bedroom via Kitchen: What Food Preferences Reveal about You and Your Romantic Partner

“You can learn a lot about a person from the way he or she eats.”

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