diff --git a/app/Models/Article.php b/app/Models/Article.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..928563b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/Models/Article.php
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace App\Models;
+
+use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Model;
+use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Relations\BelongsTo;
+use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Factories\HasFactory;
+
+class Article extends Model
+{
+    use HasFactory;
+
+    /** The name of the database table storing this Model's records. */
+    protected string $table = 'articles';
+
+    /** The attributes on the Model that can be mass-assigned */
+    protected array $fillable = [
+        'title',
+        'subtitle',
+        'author_id',
+        'slug',
+        'body',
+        'published_at',
+        'header_image_url',
+        'path_to_markdown_source',
+        'processed_at',
+    ];
+
+    /** The person that wrote the article. */
+    public function author(): BelongsTo
+    {
+        return $this->belongsTo(Author::class);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/app/Models/Author.php b/app/Models/Author.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a7971b0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/Models/Author.php
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace App\Models;
+
+use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Model;
+use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Relations\HasOne;
+use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Relations\HasMany;
+use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Factories\HasFactory;
+
+class Author extends Model
+{
+    use HasFactory;
+
+    /** The name of the database table storing this Model's records. */
+    protected string $table = 'authors';
+
+    /** The attributes on the Model that can be mass-assigned */
+    protected array $fillable = [
+        'display_name',
+        'profile_image_url',
+        'user_id',
+        'biography',
+        'primary_link',
+        'secondary_link',
+        'mastodon_handle',
+    ];
+
+    /** The application-level User account of this writer */
+    public function user(): HasOne
+    {
+        return $this->hasOne(User::class);
+    }
+
+    /** All the Articles this person has written */
+    public function articles(): HasMany
+    {
+        return $this->hasMany(Article::class);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/database/migrations/2024_02_05_014414_create_articles_table.php b/database/migrations/2024_02_05_014414_create_articles_table.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4c77c9b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/database/migrations/2024_02_05_014414_create_articles_table.php
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+<?php
+
+use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Schema;
+use Illuminate\Database\Schema\Blueprint;
+use Illuminate\Database\Migrations\Migration;
+
+return new class extends Migration
+{
+    /**
+     * Run the migrations.
+     */
+    public function up(): void
+    {
+        Schema::create('articles', function (Blueprint $table) {
+            $table->id();
+
+            $table->string('title', 255);
+
+            // The URL-encoded version of the title, more or less. Also acts as
+            // the unique, public-facing identifier for the article
+            $table->string('slug', 255);
+
+            $table->foreignId('author_id')
+                ->constrained(table: 'authors', indexName: 'articles_authors_id')
+                ->onUpdate('cascade')
+                ->onDelete('cascade');
+
+            $table->string('subtitle', 255)->nullable();
+
+            // The HTML-formatted version of the body, ready for browser display
+            $table->longText('body');
+
+            // The dateTime when the article was made public to the world. If
+            // it's in the future or doesn't exist, the article hasn't been
+            // published yet
+            $table->dateTime('published_at')->nullable();
+
+            $table->string('header_image_url', 255)->nullable();
+
+            // The path on the server disk to the original markdown file.
+            $table->string('path_to_markdown_source');
+
+            // The dateTime when the original markdown file was parsed and the
+            // HTML body was generated (among other things)
+            $table->dateTime('processed_at')->nullable();
+
+            $table->timestamps();
+        });
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Reverse the migrations.
+     */
+    public function down(): void
+    {
+        Schema::dropIfExists('articles');
+    }
+};
diff --git a/database/migrations/2024_02_05_014822_create_authors_table.php b/database/migrations/2024_02_05_014822_create_authors_table.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..44b17c1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/database/migrations/2024_02_05_014822_create_authors_table.php
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+<?php
+
+use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Schema;
+use Illuminate\Database\Schema\Blueprint;
+use Illuminate\Database\Migrations\Migration;
+
+return new class extends Migration
+{
+    /**
+     * Run the migrations.
+     */
+    public function up(): void
+    {
+        Schema::create('authors', function (Blueprint $table) {
+            $table->id();
+
+            // Since we're separating authors and Word Salad User's as entities, this will strictly control how their
+            // name appears in authorial contexts.
+            $table->string('display_name', 100);
+
+            // The link the author's profile picture
+            $table->string('profile_image_url')->nullable();
+
+            $table->foreignId('user_id')
+                ->constrained(table: 'users', indexName: 'authors_user_id')
+                ->onUpdate('cascade')
+                ->onDelete('cascade')
+                ->nullable();
+
+            // An introductory paragraph or two of the author
+            $table->text('biography')->nullable();
+
+            // A URL to the author's primary home on the web, a special shout out, whatever
+            $table->string('primary_link', 120)->nullable();
+            $table->string('secondary_link', 120)->nullable();
+
+            $table->string('mastodon_handle', 200)->nullable();
+
+            // created_at and updated_at timestamps
+            $table->timestamps();
+        });
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Reverse the migrations.
+     */
+    public function down(): void
+    {
+        Schema::dropIfExists('authors');
+    }
+};