Explicit Diaries

Prison Money Diaries

Beth Schwarzapfel | Marshall Project | 4th August 2022

American prisoners explain what they earn and spend behind bars. It varies a lot from prison to prison, but the average hourly wage for prison work is just 52 cents. Or you can find ways to "live off the land", which is to say, live by your wits: "We’re not supposed to be gambling, or bartering canteen items. But as long as nobody is getting stabbed over unpaid debts, they’ll turn a blind eye" (5,090 words)

Explicit Content

Suzannah Lipscomb | History Today | 4th August 2022

A guide to cursing in Shakespearean England. Words relating to what we might now call bodily functions were scarcely considered rude at all. Words relating to sex were considered naughty rather than obscene. Anything invoking God counted as stronger stuff. The worst insults were those against character and reputation. Shouting "knave", "thief", "harlot" or "cuckold" was asking for a fight (760 words)