The 15 Best Small Towns to Visit in 2025
From a barbecue capital in Texas to the site of the first offensive victory for American forces in the Revolutionary War in New York, these spots are worthy of a visit this year
You Can Now Visit the Small House Where Charlotte, Emily and Anne Brontë Were Born
The newly renovated Brontë Birthplace in Bradford, England, was the three sisters’ home until 1820, when the family moved to a nearby parsonage
How Did Vikings View Pregnant Women? New Research Reveals That They Were Sometimes Depicted With Weapons
Researchers studied Old Norse literature and archaeological evidence to shed new light on women’s experiences of pregnancy during the Viking Age
See Flannery O’Connor’s Little-Known Visual Artworks That Had Been Collecting Dust in Storage
From childhood cartoons to thoughtful self-portraits, the acclaimed Southern writer was always a keen observer of her surroundings
You Can Buy Novelist Charles Dickens’ Personal Travel Writing Desk and Silverware Set
The ornate desk features a silver plaque with a personal inscription that references the English writer’s family nickname, “Venerables”
See the Imaginative Illustrations on the Endpapers of Children’s Books Like ‘The World of Pooh’ and ‘Blueberries for Sal’
A new exhibition celebrates the often-overlooked endpapers of more than 50 works of children’s literature ranging from the mid-20th century to the present day
This Complete Set of Shakespeare’s Four Folios Could Sell for $6 Million
In the 17th century, the Bard’s plays were preserved for posterity in the First, Second, Third and Fourth Folios. Now, all four volumes are being sold as a set
Meet This Year’s Winners of the Portrait of a Nation Award, Including Steven Spielberg and Temple Grandin
Portraits of the honorees, who have made “transformative contributions to the United States,” will be added to the permanent collection of the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery
Rare Watercolor by ‘Wuthering Heights’ Author Emily Brontë Will Go on Public Display for the First Time
“The North Wind,” painted while Emily and her sister Charlotte were studying in Belgium, is now heading to the Brontë family home in Yorkshire
We Rediscovered Robert Caro’s Abandoned Novel About an Intrepid Journalist Buried in His Archives
A deep dive into the legendary biographer’s papers leads to the surprising revelation of a work he has all but forgotten
High-Tech Imaging Allows Researchers to Read Handwritten Medieval Arthurian Tales Hidden in the Binding of a Property Record
The stories are part of a French sequel to Arthurian legend, and its binding was repurposed in the 16th century
Advanced Imaging Reveals Crossed-Out Words in the Poems of Alfred Tennyson
The 19th-century English poet was a “prolific reviser” who tested out many variations of his work before publication. A new study sheds light on his creative process
Flannery O’Connor Wanted to Shake Her Readers Awake. Her Family Wanted Her to Write the Next ‘Gone With the Wind’
This year marks the writer’s 100th birthday. Through fiction anchored in her Southern background and Catholic faith, O’Connor revealed how candid confrontations with darkness lead to moments of reckoning
‘Politically Repurposed’ Copy of Famous Shakespearean Love Sonnet Discovered Inside a 17th-Century Poetry Collection
The rare handwritten copy of “Sonnet 116” features several additional lines, which may have been an attempt to insert British royalist ideas into the romantic ode, according to researchers
Eight Never-Before-Seen Short Stories by ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ Author Harper Lee Will Be Published This Year
After Lee’s death in 2016, typescripts of her early fiction were discovered in her New York apartment. The previously unseen drafts offer new insights into her creative development
Are ‘Gripping,’ ‘Brilliant’ Book Blurbs on Their Way Out?
In a provocative essay, a major publisher announced that its authors will no longer be required to solicit glowing reviews for their book jackets, arguing that blurbs don’t reflect a title’s true merit
Discover Why ‘The Raven,’ Edgar Allan Poe’s Narrative Poem About a Distraught Lover and a Talking Bird, Remains an American Classic
Published on this day in 1845, the work used alliteration, internal rhyme and repetition to draw in readers, lending it a dark and melancholic tone
Man Finds Rare Trove of Winnie-the-Pooh Drawings and Manuscripts in His Father’s Attic
The papers connected to author A.A. Milne—including original drafts, illustrations, letters, poems and corrected proofs—sold at auction for more than $118,000
Why Was Zora Neale Hurston So Obsessed With the Biblical Villain Herod the Great?
The Harlem Renaissance author spent her last years writing about the ancient king. Six decades after her death, her unfinished novel has finally been published for the first time
George Orwell Gets His Own £2 Coin Featuring an All-Seeing Eye
Inscribed with quotes from “Nineteen Eighty-Four,” the Royal Mint’s latest release honors the author on the 75th anniversary of his death
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