In Episode II of Daughters of the Unwritten, Giulia Costantini explores the rural landscapes, folk traditions, and ancestral knowledge systems that existed beyond institutional authority. From Southern Italian folklore to the enduring wisdom of marginalized communities, Marginal Geographies examines how place itself became a keeper of memory, ritual, and resistance.

Memorial Day arrives each year with its familiar national choreography: flags placed in rows, folded lawn chairs, highway traffic, sales advertisements, family cookouts, social posts thanking the fallen, and the annual declaration that summer has unofficially begun. Publicly, it is a day of remembrance. In practice, remembrance is often brief, ceremonial, and quickly absorbed into leisure. We nod toward the dead and then continue moving.

The Easter Bunny did not begin as a children’s character.

It began with the hare.

Long before it was softened into something playful, the hare was a powerful symbol in many ancient cultures. Unlike rabbits, hares are wild, fast, and deeply connected to the cycles of the earth. They were often associated with fertility, intuition, and the liminal space between worlds.

In her powerful 1928 essay How It Feels to Be Colored Me, Zora Neale Hurston reflects on identity, individuality, and the experience of moving through the world with confidence and self awareness. Written during the Harlem Renaissance, Hurston’s voice is bold, thoughtful, and unapologetically her own. In this timeless piece, she challenges assumptions about race and identity while celebrating the richness of personal perspective.

Read the full essay and discover why Hurston’s words continue to resonate nearly a century later.