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Natalia Mehlman Petrzela

Natalia Mehlman Petrzela is an associate professor of history at The New School, where she studies the politics and culture of the modern United States. The author of Classroom Wars: Language, Sex, and the Making of Modern Political Culture, she also hosts the “Past Present” podcast.

Latest from this author

Natural Disasters & Environment

Why Fear of Big Cities Led to the Creation of Summer Camps

Millions of children pack their bags each year and head to camps ranging from the rustic to the super-luxurious. But it was not always so.

Sleeping Beauty

Inventions & Science

The Modern Origins of the 8-Hour Sleep Cycle

The advent of electricity changed the way we sleep.

Observances & Traditions

The Complicated Pasts of 6 Trailblazing Women

'Well-behaved women seldom make history.'

The Curious History of Leftovers

People were once ridiculed for eating leftovers.