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Author: The Refresh

Seven Real-Life Vixens of Historical Fiction

Seven Real-Life Vixens of Historical Fiction

By: Jenni L. Walsh On this day in history, May 23rd, American outlaws Bonnie and Clyde, after twenty-seven months on the run, went down together in a hail of bullets. In that moment, Bonnie Parker’s name and story became one for the ages, and also my novel, Side by Side, and its prequel Becoming Bonnie. Who else were historical fiction’s vixens? These 7 novels feature women who broke the rules, created mysteries, incited scandal, and more.   Wu Zetian The…

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You Oughta Know: Female Singers From the ‘90s

You Oughta Know: Female Singers From the ‘90s

By: Lauren Jonik Music has always been one of my passions. When I began my writing career in earnest, it made sense that I gravitated to music journalism. Through a string of coincidental occurrences, I found myself first writing music-related features for a Los Angeles-based publication and then, heading their local music section. The catch? I didn’t live in LA. In fact, I hadn’t even been there yet. But, in the mid-1990s, I had developed a strong longing to live…

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Elizabeth, Rebecca and Dorothea: Pioneers in Medicine

Elizabeth, Rebecca and Dorothea: Pioneers in Medicine

by: Lauren Jonik Every week, we’ll be shining a light on women from history that you should know about. History is not just about the past—it is a lens through which we can examine and better understand the present day human experience. The struggles to have our basic needs met, to live meaningful lives, to be emotionally and spiritually fulfilled, to feel connected to others and to discover our own resilience and beauty are common to all people throughout all…

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Butterfly Biologist-Turned-Science Writer: An Interview with Dr. Helene Engler

Butterfly Biologist-Turned-Science Writer: An Interview with Dr. Helene Engler

Lauren Jonik: Butterflies are such exquisite creatures. What exactly does the work of a butterfly biologist entail? Dr. Helene Engler: The methods depend on your questions. I use a butterfly net to catch them and track them. I also catch butterflies between my two fingers at the base of their wings so I don’t hurt them. I use a permanent marker to mark their wings, but not all species are sturdy enough for this. One can study local populations in…

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Hepatitis B: Living with a Mystery

Hepatitis B: Living with a Mystery

by Katherine Clarke So often, when I tell people I have chronic Hepatitis B, they become very serious. Of course they do — it’s a serious disease. But I know without asking them that they are really thinking of Hepatitis C. (The confusion is understandable. The names differ by one letter, but the illnesses are very different.) And when they ask, “but don’t they have a cure for that, now?” I sigh, because there are 800,000-1.4 million people in the United…

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