Literature
The Hobbit You Grew Up With Isn’t Quite the Same As the Original, Published 75 Years Ago Today
The Hobbit was first published 75 years ago today - and it wasn't exactly the way you remember it
September 21, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
This Story Has a Picture With It, So It Must Be True
A recent study found that statements accompanied by pictures are more likely to be taken as true than those without
September 18, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
Picture-Perfect Bonsai
In a new book, botanical photographer Jonathan Singer focuses his lens on the potted plants
September 13, 2012 |
By Megan Gambino
Ten Famed Literary Figures Based on Real-Life People
Who were the sources for characters such as Robinson Crusoe or Dorian Gray?
September 13, 2012 |
By Jeanie Riess
The Unknown Story of "The Black Cyclone," the Cycling Champion Who Broke the Color Barrier
Major Taylor had to brave more than the competition to become one of the most acclaimed cyclists of the world
September 12, 2012 |
By Gilbert King
What's the Perfect Book to Get Over a Breakup?
Alain de Botton has provided a valuable service: giving reading prescriptions for a "shelf-help" approach to everyday problems
September 10, 2012 |
By Megan Gambino
As Long As Books Have Existed, Invisibility Has Been a Dream
We just have to look to literature to learn that there’s always been a real danger to the prospect of being invisible
September 2012 |
By Mark Strauss
Martin Amis Contemplates Evil
England’s most famous living novelist has moved to America—and tilted the literary world
September 2012 |
By Ron Rosenbaum
D-Day Spies, Lost Antarctica, Eating Dirt and More Recent Books
A new history blows the cover on British spies in World War II
September 2012 |
By Chloë Schama
"Pattern and Snarl" – A New Poem by Amit Majmudar
Read the latest poem that was "inspired by a delight in design and pattern"
September 2012 |
By Amit Majmudar
Teen ‘Sick-Lit’ Should Leave Parents Feeling Queasy
The newly defined genre of "teen sick-lit" is awash with tear-jerking stories of ill adolescents who seek only to find the love of their life during their final days, but researchers say it reinforces negative stereotypes of the ill
August 29, 2012 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Fake Science: A 100% Fact-Free Alternative
Who needs accurate information when you can simply make it up? A fake scientist explains
August 28, 2012 |
By Joseph Stromberg
“Paleo” Isn’t Extinct Yet
After a long hiatus, the series Paleo returns in webcomic form
August 27, 2012 |
By Brian Switek
Data Mining the Classics Clusters Women Authors Together, Puts Mellville Out On a Raft
A new macroanalysis method compares thousands of books in order to identify systems of influence, school of thought or other groupings that human scholars might have missed
August 27, 2012 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Is Portland, Oregon the Best City for Bikes in the Country?
With dedicated bike lanes and businesses catering to cyclists, the Oregon city is a true pedaler's paradise
August 22, 2012 |
By Alastair Bland
Today We Celebrate the Short, Unhappy Life of H.P. Lovecraft
"Weird fiction" fans toast today to the birth of Howard Phillips Lovecraft, aka H.P. Lovecraft
August 20, 2012 |
By Rachel Nuwer
From the Page to the Plate: Bringing Literary Dishes to Life
Authors like Roald Dahl or James Joyce never could have predicted that their words could be spun into these tantalizing meals
August 20, 2012 |
By Jeanie Riess
Through the Lens of Cosmo Covers: Remembering Helen Gurley Brown
With her magazine, the longtime editor sold sex as well as the latest, often provocative fashions
August 17, 2012 |
By Emily Spivack
The Scene of Deduction: Drawing 221B Baker Street
From pen-and-ink sketches to digital renderings, generations of Sherlock Holmes fans have undertaken to draft a version of the detective's famous London flat
August 14, 2012 |
By Jimmy Stamp
The History of the Exclamation Point
Everyone likes to complain that we're using too many exclamation points these days. Here's where the punctuation came from.
August 09, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
