Last night, I was talking with someone who is in their early 20s about the troubles developing around the use of the word "tranny," and they got very passionate, saying, "I HATE GENDER! Fuck gender!" ...

Kambale Musavuli (left), who is a native of the Democratic Reublic of Congo, is a human rights advocate. His friend Ishmael Beah (right) is a Sierra Leonean human rights activist and author of “A Long ...

As someone who deals with depression, anxiety, multiple eating disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Erin M. is no stranger to the word crazy. Others have often directed the word at ...

For some, it’s an unsettling reality in the current racial climate, where many Americans disavow having any racial prejudice or bias, even if their words or actions reveal otherwise. Thanks to the ...

This story was first published March 20, 2011. It was updated on June 12, 2011. From the moment it was published in 1885, Mark Twain's "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" caused controversy. It ...

The George Saunders story “Escape From Spiderhead,” included in his much praised new book Tenth of December, is not for the squeamish or the faint of heart. The sprawling, futuristic tale delves into ...

The study of word origins (that is, etymology) is every bit the serious academic discipline you might expect it to be — except when it's not. As it turns out, people have a propensity to make false ...

Did you know that kids growing up in poverty hear 30 million fewer words by age 3? Chances are, if you're the type of person who reads a newspaperor listens to NPR, you've heardthat statistic before.

Mark Serrels is an award-winning Senior Editorial Director focused on all things culture. He covers TV, movies, anime, video games and whatever weird things are happening on the internet. He ...