Relationships and Going Places

"Chinamania: Whistler and the Victorian Craze for Blue and White," a small thematic exhibition on view at the Freer Gallery until Aug. 2011, explores the significance of Chinese export porcelain in Victorian England, where it began as an object of serious aesthetic inspiration but soon proliferated as a status symbol. more »

The plan was that once a week I would write about some aspect of nature that I saw around me. I called it Ferida’s Backyard. I figured that should make it easy. All I had to do was look out my kitchen window to find a subject. But, as happens with most things that seem simple, it soon became apparent that there was more to this than I had expected. more »

"You might be surprised that I’m promoting civics using online media. I’m not an expert. But even a retired cowgirl like me knows that we need to use these tools to educate if we are going to inspire and interest today’s young people. more »

Pew Analyzes a recent debate over the strength of potential links between the recent decline in marriage rates and the national economic downturn. Two trends are heading in the same direction, but are they related? more »