Retrospect Journal

by Retrospect Journal 04/04/2021 0

Academic

Eastern State Penitentiary and the Punishment of Isolation in Nineteenth-Century Penal Imprisonment

Written by Melissa Kane. Eastern State Penitentiary is probably best known for holding Al Capone. The prison has a longer history, playing a key role in the emergence of the so-called “Pennsylvania System” of punishment and reform.

by Retrospect Journal 04/04/2021 0

Features

Dark magic and Witchcraft – a reasonable fear? The Rationale behind Witchcraft Belief in Early Modern Europe

Written by Nikita Nandanwad. Witchcraft trials have traditionally been viewed as campaigns of irrational religious belief. Yet, recent scholarship has demonstrated the complexity behind witchcraft trials and the ways they were informed by conceptions of gender.

by Retrospect Journal 04/04/2021 1

Features

The Power of Books- A History of Censorship, Banning and Burning

Written by Sophie Whitehead. Book censorship is a well-known practice often associated with overbearing political regimes. But the history of book censorship is extensive, and the politics behind censorship have remained the same for hundreds of years.

by Retrospect Journal 28/03/2021 0

Features Interviews

Classics in Conversation

Pt. 2 of “Classics in Conversation” explores the extent to which young adult fiction can play a role in making the discpline more accessible, and whether it really is just the study of “dead white men”.