Dolly Parton’s dad couldn’t read – it inspired her to send books to millions of children

August 28, 2026 · 12:00 am 3 sources

Image: Nature

Coverage

Wires & papers of record

• Briefing Chat: How Dolly Parton left her mark on science
  Nature · August 28, 2026 00:00
  Nature, Published online: 28 August 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-02732-w Nature reporters discuss the country-music icon's advocacy for vaccines and public health — plus, promising trial results for an mRNA cancer therapy.

Coverage

• There Are So Many Conspiracy Theories About Dolly Parton and Vaccines
  WIRED · August 28, 2026 09:30
  Influential right-wing conspiracy theorists and MAGA-aligned pundits are falsely claiming that the Covid vaccine killed Dolly Parton, the vaccination advocate and philanthropist.
• Dolly Parton took control of her career by making men the butt of the joke
  This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. · August 28, 2026 16:54
  Whether ad-libbing her way through a duet or joking about her glamorous image, Parton turned sexist assumptions into a source of power.