TODAY: In 1874, Lucy Maud Montgomery, author of Anne of Green Gables, is born. “So it goes in 2020, my eighth year of holding the revolving-door position of ‘authorized biographer’ for Bette Ford.” Lives may end, but do biographies? | Lit Hub Biography “The dominant caste controlled all resources, controlled whether, when, and if a Black
Literature
We Have Ways of Making You Talk is a weekly show exploring the war in close up, hosted by comedian Al Murray and historian James Holland as they discuss all matters Second World War. In the first of our Thanksgiving Specials, Al and James are joined by historian and weapons expert Marty Morgan. Marty talks
Darien Gee is the guest. She has two books out this year. The first is called Other Small Histories, a poetry collection available from Poetry Society of America; the second is a collection of micro-essays called Allegiance, available from Legacy Isle Publishing. From the episode: Darien Gee: I think that imposter syndrome thing is probably
TODAY: In 1960, Richard Wright dies. “If one of them was awarded the prize, the winner would read a statement that rebuked the male-dominated awards hierarchy.” On the time Adrienne Rich turned down a National Book Award. | Lit Hub Biography “Finish reading an especially difficult book, and its cover functions more like a trophy
The coronavirus pandemic is dramatically disrupting not only our daily lives but society itself. This show features conversations with some of the world’s leading thinkers and writers about the deeper economic, political, and technological consequences of the pandemic. It’s our new daily podcast trying to make longterm sense out of the chaos of today’s global
In this week’s Dispatches from The Secret Library, Dr Oliver Tearle explores the literary history of a distinctive word During the eight years I’ve been running this blog and combing every book, website, and trivia list I can find for eye-catching literature-related facts, one of the most satisfying I’ve discovered is that Emily Brontë, who
This week on The Maris Review, Emily Temple joins Maris Kreizman to discuss his book, The Lightness, out now from William Morrow. *On chasing down that elusive Feeling: ET: I sometimes think, as an adult, about how we’re both released and shut out in a cruel way from that obsessive, overwhelming desire [of teenagedom]. And for
November 25, 2020, 12:08pm Yet another musician turns to print! In a November 24 email to her fans, Lorde announced her first book, GOING SOUTH. The book’s release date was not announced, but it is now available for preorder on the musician’s website. GOING SOUTH chronicles a trip Lorde took to Antarctica in early 2019,
November 25, 2020, 12:24pm This year has been nothing less than a series of surprises, revelations, and great reminders of the insidious tapestry of the United States. Antiblackness, police brutality, corrupt healthcare systems, eviction crises, transphobia, poverty (i.e. capitalism), general precarity—these have been the longstanding conditions and circumstances for millions of people in America (and
Emergence Magazine is a quarterly online publication exploring the threads connecting ecology, culture, and spirituality. As we experience the desecration of our lands and waters, the extinguishing of species, and a loss of sacred connection to the Earth, we look to emerging stories. Each issue explores a theme through innovative digital media, as well as
Through the Looking-Glass, the sequel to Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, was first published in 1871; according to Alice Liddell, the young girl who inspired Lewis Carroll to write the Alice books, Through the Looking-Glass had its origins in the tales about the game of chess that Carroll (real name Charles Lutwidge Dodgson) used to tell
November 25, 2020, 1:34pm Dear reader, maybe you’re home for the holidays (and, since your dad has just started asking what exactly it is you are doing with that BA in English, you are trying to remember why you made the drive). Maybe you’ve opted out of Thanksgiving this year and are staying inside your
TODAY: In 1845, Portuguese writer José Maria de Eça de Queirós, whom Zola considered to be “far greater than Flaubert,” is born. “The summer of 2020, I spent countless hours helping irate customers cancel their orders of popular anti-racism books.” Katherine Morgan on selling books to white “allies.” | Lit Hub With winter at the doorstep, find
November 24, 2020, 2:59pm On November 16th, Allegheny County Jail’s incarcerated population got a memo from ACJ warden Orlando Harper letting them know that, due to the security issue of potential contraband, they are no longer allowed to receive books from the outside. Instead, said Harper, incarcerated individuals now “have the ability to read over
TODAY: In 1877, Black Beauty: His Grooms and Companions, the Autobiography of a Horse by Anna Sewelis is published. Talking to Peter Blackstock, the editor behind back-to-back to Booker Prizes. | Lit Hub “My favorite cover illustrations aren’t likely to be your favorites.” Artist Bruce McCall about his favorite New Yorker covers. | Lit Hub Art “When American troops returned
‘Now is the winter of our discontent’: Richard III’s opening speech from Shakespeare’s history play of that name is among the most famous speeches in all of Shakespeare’s work. Memorably spoken by Laurence Olivier in a 1955 film of Richard III – for which Olivier added some extra lines from 3 Henry VI, which focuses
November 23, 2020, 1:26pm This coffee table book looks pretty good. How much would you pay for it? $50? $200? $20,000? The Vatican Museums, Italian art publisher Scripta Maneant, and Callaway Arts & Entertainment have teamed up to create a limited edition book trilogy, The Sistine Chapel, that present the entirety of the Sistine chapel
Sponsored by the National Book Committee, the National Book Awards honored writers in ten categories in 1974. In March, the National Book Committee announced the finalists. In poetry, the nominated books were Diving into the Wreck by Adrienne Rich; From Snow and Rock, from Chaos, by Hayden Carruth; Points for a Compass Rose, by Evan