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Katy Kelleher

Katy Kelleher is the author of The Ugly History of Beautiful Things, a book of essays about coveted objects and their dark backstories. She publishes a semi-regular newsletter on Substack, Color Stories. She currently lives and hikes in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Scent Makes a Place

How the desert taught me to smell

January 3, 2025

There’s No Such Thing as “Just a Song”

What we can learn from the history of maritime folk music.

May 29, 2024

What Should We Do With an Old Sea Shanty? 

Grappling with the complicated legacy of an unexpectedly popular musical genre.

November 20, 2023

The Strange Life of Glass

This essential substance has a history—and future—that’s far from clear.

April 25, 2023