:root {
    --alabaster: #F5F3ED;
    --mocha: #5C4A3D;
    --espresso: #2A2621;
    --espresso-alt: #5C4A3D;
    --taupe: #B5A89D;
    --bronze: #A67C52;
    --text-dark: #2A2621;
    --text-light: #F5F3ED;
    --text-muted: #6B655C;

    --font-heading: 'Cormorant Garamond', 'Playfair Display', serif;
    --font-body: 'Manrope', sans-serif;

    --transition-smooth: all 0.4s cubic-bezier(0.25, 0.46, 0.45, 0.94);
}

* {
    margin: 0;
    padding: 0;
    box-sizing: border-box;
}

body {
    font-family: var(--font-body);
    color: var(--text-dark);
    background: var(--alabaster);
    line-height: 1.7;
}

a {
    color: inherit;
    text-decoration: none;
}

img {
    max-width: 100%;
    display: block;
}

.essays-nav {
    position: sticky;
    top: 0;
    z-index: 1000;
    background-color: rgba(245, 243, 237, 0.95);
    backdrop-filter: blur(10px);
    box-shadow: 0 2px 10px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.05);
    transition: var(--transition-smooth);
}

.essays-nav-inner {
    max-width: 1024px;
    margin: 0 auto;
    padding: 1rem 1.25rem;
    display: flex;
    justify-content: space-between;
    align-items: center;
    gap: 1rem;
}

.brand {
    font-family: var(--font-heading);
    font-size: 1.5rem;
    font-weight: 600;
    letter-spacing: 0.02em;
}

.nav-actions {
    display: flex;
    gap: 1rem;
    font-size: 0.85rem;
    text-transform: uppercase;
    letter-spacing: 0.06em;
}

.nav-actions a {
    padding-bottom: 0.2rem;
    border-bottom: 1px solid transparent;
    transition: var(--transition-smooth);
}

.nav-actions a:hover,
.nav-actions a:focus-visible {
    color: var(--espresso-alt);
    border-color: var(--espresso-alt);
}

.page-wrap {
    max-width: 860px;
    margin: 0 auto;
    padding: 4.5rem 1.25rem 5rem;
}

.essays-hero {
    margin-bottom: 2.5rem;
}

h1,
h2,
h3 {
    font-family: var(--font-heading);
    line-height: 1.15;
    color: var(--espresso);
}

h1 {
    font-size: clamp(2.2rem, 5vw, 3.4rem);
    margin-bottom: 1rem;
}

.hero-copy,
.article-excerpt,
.article-content p {
    color: var(--text-muted);
}

.hero-copy {
    max-width: 62ch;
    margin-bottom: 1.25rem;
}

.essays-list {
    display: grid;
    gap: 0;
}

.essays-list {
    --collapsed-mobile: 3;
    --collapsed-desktop: 2;
    --card-min-height: 20rem;
    max-height: calc(var(--collapsed-mobile) * var(--card-min-height));
    overflow: hidden;
    transition: max-height 0.35s ease;
}

.essays-list.expanded {
    max-height: none;
    overflow: visible;
}

.essays-controls {
    margin-top: 1.25rem;
}

.essays-disclaimer {
    margin-top: 1.4rem;
    font-size: 0.82rem;
    color: var(--text-muted);
    line-height: 1.55;
    max-width: 74ch;
}

.view-more-btn {
    font-family: var(--font-body);
    font-size: 0.82rem;
    text-transform: uppercase;
    letter-spacing: 0.08em;
    color: var(--espresso-alt);
    background: transparent;
    border: 1px solid rgba(92, 74, 61, 0.45);
    border-radius: 999px;
    padding: 0.55rem 1rem;
    cursor: pointer;
    transition: var(--transition-smooth);
}

.view-more-btn:hover,
.view-more-btn:focus-visible {
    background: rgba(92, 74, 61, 0.09);
    border-color: var(--espresso-alt);
}

@media (min-width: 768px) {
    .essays-list {
        max-height: calc(var(--collapsed-desktop) * var(--card-min-height));
    }
}

.article-card {
    background: transparent;
    border: none;
    border-bottom: 1px solid rgba(42, 38, 33, 0.15);
    padding: 3.5rem 0;
    border-radius: 0;
    transition: all 0.4s ease;
}

.article-card:first-of-type {
    border-top: 1px solid rgba(42, 38, 33, 0.15);
}

.article-meta {
    font-family: var(--font-body);
    font-size: 0.75rem;
    text-transform: uppercase;
    letter-spacing: 0.1em;
    color: var(--taupe);
    margin-bottom: 1rem;
    font-weight: 600;
}

.article-title {
    font-family: var(--font-heading);
    font-size: clamp(2rem, 4vw, 2.6rem);
    margin-bottom: 1rem;
    transition: transform 0.4s ease;
}

.article-excerpt {
    font-family: 'Lora', serif;
    font-size: 1.125rem;
    color: rgba(42, 38, 33, 0.8);
    margin-bottom: 1.5rem;
    max-width: 800px;
}

.article-cta {
    font-family: var(--font-body);
    font-size: 0.8rem;
    text-transform: uppercase;
    letter-spacing: 0.1em;
    color: var(--espresso);
    font-weight: 600;
    display: inline-flex;
    align-items: center;
}

.article-cta::after {
    content: '→';
    margin-left: 0.5rem;
    opacity: 0;
    transform: translateX(-10px);
    transition: all 0.3s ease;
}

.article-card:hover .article-title {
    transform: translateX(10px);
}

.article-card:hover .article-cta::after {
    opacity: 1;
    transform: translateX(0);
}

.article-layout {
    max-width: 760px;
}

.article-header {
    border-bottom: 1px solid rgba(42, 38, 33, 0.12);
    margin-bottom: 1.5rem;
    padding-bottom: 1.2rem;
}

.article-header .article-meta {
    margin-bottom: 0.8rem;
}


.article-content {
    font-family: 'Lora', serif;
}

.article-content p {
    margin-bottom: 1.1rem;
}

.article-content a {
    text-decoration: underline;
}

.italics {
    font-style: italic;
    opacity: 0.9;
}


.article-content h2 {
    font-size: clamp(1.5rem, 3.4vw, 2rem);
    margin: 1.9rem 0 0.8rem;
}

.article-content ul,
.article-content ol {
    margin: 0 0 1.1rem 1.4rem;
    color: var(--text-muted);
}

.article-content li {
    margin-bottom: 0.35rem;
}

.article-image {
    margin: 1.3rem 0 1.5rem;
}

.article-image img {
    width: 100%;
    border-radius: 8px;
}

.article-image figcaption {
    margin-top: 0.5rem;
    font-size: 0.86rem;
    color: var(--text-muted);
    text-align: center;
    opacity: 0.8;
    margin-top: 0.5rem;
}

.article-image figcaption a {
    text-decoration: underline;
}

.article-hero-image {
    margin: 0 0 1.5rem;
}

.article-hero-image img {
    width: 100%;
    border-radius: 8px;
}

.article-content blockquote {
    margin: 1.5rem 0;
    padding: 0.8rem 1rem;
    border-left: 3px solid var(--espresso-alt);
    background: rgba(92, 74, 61, 0.08);
    color: var(--text-dark);
}

hr.divider-pause {
    border: 0;
    height: 1px;
    /* Fades the line out seamlessly at the edges */
    background: linear-gradient(to right, transparent, var(--taupe), transparent);
    margin: 4.5rem auto;
    width: 45%; 
    position: relative;
    overflow: visible;
    opacity: 0.6;
}

hr.divider-pause::after {
    content: '';
    position: absolute;
    top: 50%;
    left: 50%;
    transform: translate(-50%, -50%);
    width: 8px;
    height: 8px;
    border: 1px solid var(--bronze);
    border-radius: 50%;
    background-color: var(--alabaster);
    /* This creates a beautiful 15px "halo" of negative space so the line doesn't touch the ring */
    box-shadow: 0 0 0 15px var(--alabaster); 
}

.article-footer {
    margin-top: 2rem;
    padding-top: 1rem;
    border-top: 1px solid rgba(42, 38, 33, 0.12);
}

.essay-pagination {
    margin-top: 1.35rem;
    display: grid;
    grid-template-columns: repeat(2, minmax(0, 1fr));
    gap: 2.5rem;
}

.essay-nav-link {
    display: flex;
    flex-direction: column;
    gap: 0.35rem;
    padding: 0;
    border: 0;
    text-decoration: none;
    color: var(--text-dark);
    background: transparent;
    min-width: 0;
    width: 100%;
    transition: opacity 0.25s ease;
}

.essay-nav-link.next {
    align-items: flex-end;
    text-align: right;
}

.essay-nav-link:hover,
.essay-nav-link:focus-visible {
    opacity: 0.75;
}

.essay-nav-label {
    font-family: var(--font-body);
    font-size: 0.72rem;
    text-transform: uppercase;
    letter-spacing: 0.14em;
    color: var(--taupe);
    font-weight: 500;
}

.essay-nav-title {
    font-family: var(--font-heading);
    font-size: clamp(1.45rem, 2.2vw, 1.95rem);
    font-style: italic;
    line-height: 1.2;
    display: block;
    max-width: 100%;
}


.fade-in-up {
    opacity: 0;
    transform: translateY(30px);
    transition: opacity 1s ease-out, transform 1s ease-out;
}

.fade-in {
    opacity: 0;
    transition: opacity 1.5s ease-out;
}

.visible {
    opacity: 1;
    transform: translateY(0);
}

@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
    .fade-in-up,
    .fade-in {
        opacity: 1;
        transform: none;
        transition: none;
    }
}

@media (max-width: 640px) {
    .page-wrap {
        padding-top: 3.3rem;
    }

    .nav-actions {
        gap: 0.75rem;
        font-size: 0.75rem;
    }

    .essay-pagination {
        grid-template-columns: 1fr;
        gap: 1.45rem;
    }

    .essay-nav-link.next {
        align-items: flex-start;
        text-align: left;
    }

}