Melissa Chim

A woman turns down a dapper ‘snake’ in a ‘vinegar valentine’ from the 1870s. Wikimedia Commons

February 9, 2026

Valentine’s Day cards too sugary sweet for you? Return to the 19th‑century custom of the spicy ‘vinegar valentine’

Melissa Chim, Excelsior University

Victorians found a way to anonymously tell people they didn’t like exactly how they felt.

If you picture Santa Claus as plump and jolly and pulled by reindeer, you may have this poem to thank. Clement Clark Moore/New-York Historical Society

December 16, 2021

‘Twas the night before Christmas’ helped make the modern Santa – and led to a literary whodunit

Melissa Chim, General Theological Seminary

‘A Visit from St. Nicholas’ is one of the most famous American poems. But who wrote it?

The ‘Malleus Maleficarum,’ a medieval handbook, was used to try and execute supposed witches. Its influence lasted for centuries – including at the Salem Witch Trials. Jonathan Wiggs/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

October 21, 2021

How do you spot a witch? This notorious 15th‑century book gave instructions – and helped execute thousands of women

Melissa Chim, General Theological Seminary

Witch trials relied on a medieval text called the “Malleus Maleficarum” – a book this reference librarian can hold in her hands.

3

6

Valentine’s Day cards too sugary sweet for you? Return to the 19th‑century custom of the spicy ‘vinegar valentine’

‘Twas the night before Christmas’ helped make the modern Santa – and led to a literary whodunit

How do you spot a witch? This notorious 15th‑century book gave instructions – and helped execute thousands of women

Contact Melissa for