Featured Archived
Seasons Episodes
Table of contents
Introduction 0 Why Write for the Public? 1 What to Expect, from Pitch to Publication 2 How to Write a Pitch 3 How To Tell a Great Story, Part 1: Structure 4 How To Tell a Great Story, Part 2: Style 5 Navigating Ethics and Reducing Harms 6 Habits of Thriving Public Anthropologists 7 Cultivating the Craft of Writing 8
Table of contents
Introduction 0 Why Write for the Public? 1 What to Expect, from Pitch to Publication 2 How to Write a Pitch 3 How To Tell a Great Story, Part 1: Structure 4 How To Tell a Great Story, Part 2: Style 5 Navigating Ethics and Reducing Harms 6 Habits of Thriving Public Anthropologists 7 Cultivating the Craft of Writing 8
Announcement

After ten years of exploring humanity in all its diversity, SAPIENS has concluded its publishing chapter.

While the magazine has closed, its living archive endures—open to all and preserving the many ideas, voices, and discoveries that deepen our understanding of what it means to be human.

One

An anthropological poem journeys to the eye of the storm to understand how “race” has no biological basis—and is instead rooted in discrimination. What future for our species?

What Will Italy Become Without Its Elders?

The coronavirus has swept away a generation of wisdom-keepers, WWII survivors, storytellers, parents, and grandparents in Bergamo, Italy. An anthropologist mourns with her community—the hardest hit in the country—and asks all of us the most difficult questions of this pandemic.

The National Lynching Memorial Speaks to My Black ’Bama Body OR Imma Be Here Forever, You Gon’ Remember This

A SAPIENS poetry contest winner immerses themself in a new memorial dedicated to the lynching of more than 4,400 people between 1877 and 1950 in the United States.

Stringing Together an Ancient Empire’s Stories

Anthropologist Sabine Hyland attempts to uncover the messages held in twisted and colored Andean cords called khipus.

What Do Monuments Reveal About Their Makers?

An archaeologist ponders memorials—from the Monti gate to the Taj Mahal—and finds clues about the reasons people want to be remembered.

Do You Dream What I Dream?

An anthropologist investigates what unites and distinguishes the human universal of dreaming.

Excavating Long-Buried Stories From the Nazi Era

In a discussion with Reinhard Bernbeck, he delves into the origins and ethics of conducting archaeological investigations of the Nazi period.

Japan’s Wartime Past Looms Large Over Militarization Efforts

A community’s memories are shaping its resistance to the Japanese government’s plan to build a new defensive missile system.

The Oldest True Stories in the World

Evidence gathered in recent years shows that some ancient narratives contain remarkably reliable records of real events.

In Spain’s Silence, Francisco Franco’s Memory Echoes

The dictator’s ghost has been haunting Spain for more than 40 years. It is high time for the country to confront its history.