Literature | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/literature/RSS feed for LiteratureenFri, 17 Jul 2026 18:40:24 +0000Was There Ever an Original Version of 'The Odyssey,' and Do We Need to Worry About What Homer Would Think?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/was-there-ever-an-original-version-of-the-odyssey-and-do-we-need-to-worry-about-what-homer-would-think-180989143/The earliest surviving fragments of the epic poem—the subject of Christopher Nolan's latest Hollywood blockbuster—date back more than 2,000 years. But oral storytelling about a hero named Odysseus is much olderFri, 17 Jul 2026 18:40:24 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/was-there-ever-an-original-version-of-the-odyssey-and-do-we-need-to-worry-about-what-homer-would-think-180989143/Vintage ‘READ’ Posters Adorning Libraries and Classrooms for Decades Go on Auction as the American Library Association Turns 150https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/vintage-read-posters-adorning-libraries-and-classrooms-for-decades-go-on-auction-as-the-american-library-association-turns-150-180989057/Taylor Swift, Serena Williams and famous fictional characters lent their iconic faces to encourage people to pick up a bookWed, 01 Jul 2026 19:30:37 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/vintage-read-posters-adorning-libraries-and-classrooms-for-decades-go-on-auction-as-the-american-library-association-turns-150-180989057/The ‘Odyssey,’ One of the World’s Oldest Stories, Gets a Modern Spin With A.I.-Generated Audiobook Narration by the Voice Clone of an Oscar Winnerhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-odyssey-one-of-the-worlds-oldest-stories-gets-a-modern-spin-with-ai-generated-audiobook-narration-by-the-voice-clone-of-an-oscar-winner-actor-michael-caine-180989006/Meanwhile, other actors are pushing back against the use of artificial intelligence in creative projects, including through a new “human consent” registry toolWed, 24 Jun 2026 18:56:21 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-odyssey-one-of-the-worlds-oldest-stories-gets-a-modern-spin-with-ai-generated-audiobook-narration-by-the-voice-clone-of-an-oscar-winner-actor-michael-caine-180989006/The First Edition of Emily Brontë's 'Wuthering Heights' Contained Incorrect Page Numbers, Missing Punctuation and Three Misspellings of the Word 'Heights'https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-first-edition-of-emily-brontes-wuthering-heights-contained-incorrect-page-numbers-missing-punctuation-and-three-misspellings-of-the-word-heights-180989005/The haunting story set against the Yorkshire moors would become one of the most renowned novels of the 19th century. Now, a rare first-edition copy is heading to auctionWed, 24 Jun 2026 11:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-first-edition-of-emily-brontes-wuthering-heights-contained-incorrect-page-numbers-missing-punctuation-and-three-misspellings-of-the-word-heights-180989005/Harriet Beecher Stowe Wrote a Work of Fiction That Seemed So Real That It Changed the History of the Countryhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/harriet-beecher-stowe-wrote-work-fiction-that-seemed-so-real-changed-history-country-180988826/To fight against slavery, the author collected true stories then picked up a pen and distilled them into “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”Mon, 08 Jun 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/harriet-beecher-stowe-wrote-work-fiction-that-seemed-so-real-changed-history-country-180988826/Born in 1810, Margaret Fuller Was Labeled a Child Prodigy. She Later Used Her Intellect to Ask Important Questions About Women's Role in Americahttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/born-1810-margaret-fuller-labeled-child-prodigy-later-used-intellect-ask-important-questions-about-women-america-180988800/Her writing posed the novel premise: What does it mean to be a woman? Her early death meant she never saw the movement she inspiredThu, 04 Jun 2026 11:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/born-1810-margaret-fuller-labeled-child-prodigy-later-used-intellect-ask-important-questions-about-women-america-180988800/Shakespeare Referenced Dozens of Bird Species in His Work. This Artist Has Made It Her Mission to Paint Them Allhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/shakespeare-referenced-dozens-of-bird-species-in-his-work-this-artist-has-made-it-her-mission-to-paint-them-all-180988862/Missy Dunaway’s colorful illustrations combine natural history, folklore and literature to depict the Bard’s birdsFri, 29 May 2026 18:36:22 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/shakespeare-referenced-dozens-of-bird-species-in-his-work-this-artist-has-made-it-her-mission-to-paint-them-all-180988862/See the Stunning Medieval Manuscript Telling Tales of King Arthur, in Ink and Polished Gold, That's Headed to Auctionhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-the-medieval-manuscript-telling-tales-of-king-arthur-in-ink-and-polished-gold-thats-headed-to-auction-180988835/The manuscript was made by a skilled, anonymous artist between 1290 and 1310. It's the oldest of only three privately owned Vulgate Cycle manuscriptsWed, 27 May 2026 19:29:28 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-the-medieval-manuscript-telling-tales-of-king-arthur-in-ink-and-polished-gold-thats-headed-to-auction-180988835/