Fishes, flowers & fandangles

Chapter one describes “The Quandary Over Plant Sex” in its historical context. The sexual role of pollen wasn’t discovered until the late 17th century, suggesting a deep cultural b...

This chapter focuses on a single flower scent—the tuberose—strongly associated with the fragrance of Victorian decadence. Contrasting with the more delicate scent of the violet exp...

Learn the engaging art of Japanese sumi painting, where simple sweeps of the brush capture the essence of nature. The Japanese art tradition of Sumi-e uses brushes and in...

During the latter half of the eighteenth century, opposition to the sexual theory intensified among social and religiously conservative asexualists who felt threatened by the polit...

Flowers may be baroque by virtue of being excessive or surprising. They are an important aspect of interwar elegance and conspicuous consumption. Flowers were used as a statement o...

The much-anticipated sequel to Butch Heroes, an ingenious retelling of history that combines portraits and texts to recover—and celebrate—queer subjects from around the world. ...