What’s the true history of Christmas? Find out in these holiday stories from our scholars
Dive into the rich cultural history, myths and religious traditions surrounding this popular holiday.
Halloween’s celebration of mingling with the dead has roots in ancient Celtic celebrations of Samhain
Ghosts, ghouls and skeletons have become synonymous with Halloween. A USC Dornsife scholar and folklorist explains how Halloween continues an ancient Celtic tradition of the celebration of the dead.
Magic, medicine and eternal love: Why mummies still mesmerize
One hundred years ago, the excavation of King Tut’s tomb brought us a mummy with a “pharaoh’s curse.” Our fascination with mummies goes back much farther, however. USC Dornsife scholars explain why we’re still so wrapped up in these eerie remains.
Japanese Americans were imprisoned in camps during WWII — and now we finally know all of their names
A USC Dornsife scholar has completed the first comprehensive list of Japanese Americans forcibly imprisoned during WWII. It’s part of a larger memorial project honoring the victims of Executive Order 9066.
Book bans reflect outdated beliefs about how children read
USC Dornsife’s Trisha Tucker notes that nearly 1,600 books were targeted in 2021 — the highest number of attempted book bans since tracking began more than 20 years ago.
In memoriam: Charlotte Furth, 88, was among first U.S. scholars to enter China after communist revolution
During her 30-year career at USC Dornsife, the trailblazing historian’s achievements include a groundbreaking book on the history of Chinese women’s reproductive care.
USC researchers identify first Roman military amphitheater in Israel’s ‘Armageddon’
Excavation led by USC Dornsife scholars yields clues about the lives of ancient soldiers stationed outside Megiddo in the province of Judea.
Alum lends a hand to preserve one of California’s critically endangered languages
Lewis Lawyer wrote the first published book on the grammar of Patwin, spoken by Indigenous people for hundreds of years and now undergoing a revitalization effort.
English professor charts out hidden love story between 2 iconic, early 20th-century women
The relationship between modernist authors Hilda Doolittle (known as “H.D.”) and Annie Winifred Ellerman (pen name “Bryher”) spanned two world wars, four decades and even a few marriages (to other people).
Let the ideas flow: Water has inspired the imagination since before the written word
It’s vital to human life and one of our deadliest foes. USC Dornsife experts look back at how water has helped get the creative juices flowing throughout the ages.
What happens when ideas are put on trial?
From Socrates to the Salem Witch trials: Students explore when humanity runs ideas and beliefs through the legal wringer, and how these spectacles have changed our culture.
The patriotic Virgin: How Mary has been marshaled for religious nationalism and military campaigns
Many religions have been used to prop up nationalism, and Catholicism is no exception. A USC Dornsife scholar who is also a Jesuit priest explores how the Virgin Mary had been enlisted to stir up patriotic fervor.
USC alumna’s transformative $15 million gift puts history department on a path to preeminence
Elizabeth Van Hunnick’s endowment gift, one of the largest to a university history department, is intended to support the development of more informed leaders.
Cicada Creates a Buzz
Some people have a flair for playing instruments. Ho-Chun “Herbert” Chang PhD ’23 has a knack for inventing them.
Luis J. Rodriguez, Reginald Dwayne Betts among winners of L.A. Times Book Prizes
The Book Prizes ceremony at USC’s Bovard Auditorium is a prologue to this weekend’s Los Angeles Times Festival of Books at USC, the nation’s largest literary and cultural festival.
Sacred hares, winter witches, pagan worship: The roots of Easter Bunny traditions are ancient
The Easter Bunny typically evokes memories of fun and colorfully painted eggs, but this mythical rabbit has prehistoric origins and is a longstanding cultural symbol that keeps returning each spring.
Exploring identity, heartbreak, romance and sexuality — in a doctoral project
USC Dornsife creative writing PhD candidate Jean Chen Ho talks to Pulitzer Prize winner Viet Thanh Nguyen about her acclaimed first book, Fiona and Jane, and how her research into a violent event in L.A. history illuminates today’s spike in anti-Asian racism.
On St. Patrick’s Day, meet St. Brigid — Ireland’s sensible female patron saint
The Irish government recently declared a national holiday for this lesser-known Irish saint. A USC Dornsife scholar and medieval historian explains her fascinating life and history.
Acclaimed Greek writer Christos Ikonomou wins USC Dornsife’s inaugural Chowdhury Prize in Literature
The college’s Department of English, with the support of the Subir and Malina Chowdhury Foundation and in collaboration with Kenyon College and the Kenyon Review, will award the $20,000 prize during a gala at USC in April.
5 books that could improve your life in 2022 (and beyond)
Ring in the New Year with these USC scholar-recommended reads that promise a little self-transformation.
Prayer apps are flooding the market, but how well do they work?
A scholar of Christian spirituality argues that prayers are meant to bring together a faith community — something apps aren’t likely to achieve.
The first Thanksgiving is a key chapter in America’s origin story — but what happened in Virginia 4 months later mattered more
In the settlement of Jamestown, a more typical incident of distrust, displacement and repression can tell more about the colonial era than the Pilgrims’ experience.
What’s a ‘miracle’? Here’s how the Catholic Church decides
The Catholic Church has set in place rigorous criteria for determing if a person can be named “Saint,” including performance of a miracle. But how does the Church determine what is a miracle?
Why Dante and his Divine Comedy remain relevant 700 years after his death
Redemption. Romance. Body horror. USC scholars explore these concepts and other reasons why the medieval author and his master work resonate with modern readers.