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September/October 2023
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Features
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Tales of Andalusia
From fabled palaces to ancient medinas, snowcapped mountains to wild seacoast, our writer goes in search of Moorish Spain
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On Common Ground
When members of the Choctaw Nation heard about a tragedy half a world away, they didn’t hesitate to help. The Irish never forgot their generosity. Some 175 years later, the bond remains
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Nectar of the Gods
How one of the world’s oldest alcoholic beverages could become the drink of the future
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Out of the Deep Blue Beyond
The Caribbean reef shark is a target for fishing—and a magnet for ecotourists who just might save it
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Ecuador's Gold
Can the most coveted chocolate in history help revive forests around the world?
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Bird by Bird
Top nature photographers across the country capture a birder’s-eye view of their favorite feathered neighbors
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Songs of Survival
Imprisoned by the Nazis at the Terezin concentration camp, some of Europe's top composers found solace in creating new work. Now one musician is determined to make sure their repertoire lives on
Departments
Discussion
Your feedback on quilts, Los Alamos and more
Imagining an African Atlantis
A new exhibition envisions a world in which the Middle Passage created lives instead of claiming them
Before Lady Liberty
How a goddess embodied the hopes—and myths—of the nation’s first two centuries
Big Brother
The rebellious American character who paved the way for Uncle Sam
Desert Dreams
Revisiting the radiant landscapes Charlotte Butler Skinner called home
Beyond Fairy Tales
The profound and long-forgotten influence of the first book to take children seriously
History From Scratch
Cutting-edge tools are rescuing ancient graffiti from obscurity—and preserving them forever
Type Casting
Spelling out the genesis of one of history’s most indelible inventions
Life in the Fast Lane
Before he changed aviation forever, Glenn Curtiss achieved an unparalleled speed record on land
Facing the Past
How do we know what ancient humans looked like? Inside the high-tech world of forensic art
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