Ugliness: A Cultural History

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By Gretchen Ernster Henderson ’97

Published Feb. 2, 2016

We have all used the word “ugly” to describe someone we have seen or known, but what do we really mean by the term? In Ugliness: A Cultural History,Gretchen Henderson ’97 dismantles the history of the term and its long-standing grasp on our cultural imagination, in everything from conversations to works of art, literature, and music. Henderson is a novelist and a lecturer at Georgetown University.

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PAW’s December 2025 cover, with a photo of Michael Park ’98.
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Judge Michael Park ’98; shifts in DEI initiatives; a night at the new art museum.