Did you know that medieval “doctors” (aka chirugeons, aka physicians, aka barbers, aka chymists, aka… witches?) used to carry around little astrology handbooks to help them plan their doctoring? They were called “girdle books” because they were so important in Read more >
Just when you thought your TBR pile couldn’t get any bigger, this week brings us new titles from Rebecca Solnit and Elizabeth Strout, as well as a celebration of Black cinema, a look behind-the-scenes of The Godfather, and a survival Read more >
On the occasion of its 170th publication anniversary, here are the very first reviews of Herman Melville’s leviathan-sized opus of obsession, revenge, and meticulously detailed whaling practices. * “To convey an adequate idea of a book of such various merits Read more >
This week, the winner of the Planeta Prize, a Spanish 1-million-euro literary award, was announced: Carmen Mola, a famously private crime thriller writer. All that was known about Mola, often referred to as Spain’s “Elena Ferrante,” is that she was Read more >
On this day in 1948, the acclaimed poet and playwright Ntozake Shange was born Paulette Williams in New Jersey. Shange earned her BA in American Studies from Barnard College and her MA in American Studies from the University of Southern Read more >
I’m not kidding. If you have a little money left over this month in your literary memorabilia budget, you can now spend it on any one of 400 articles of clothing belonging to the late, great literary icon Gabriel García Read more >
Though we live in a world that dreams of ending that always seems about to give in something that will not acknowledge conclusion insists that we forever begin. -Brendan Kennelly, “Begin” Brendan Kennelly, one of Ireland’s most beloved poets, Read more >
On Friday, Michael Caine appeared on the BBC radio program “Kermode and Mayo’s Film Review,” to talk about his new film Best Sellers, in which he plays a cranky, alcoholic novelist who goes on a book tour with his publisher, Read more >
Today, T. S. Eliot’s The Waste Land first appeared in print in The Criterion, a quarterly British literary magazine founded and edited by Eliot. The poem’s final form was heavily influenced by Ezra Pound, who made extensive cuts and revisions to Eliot’s Read more >
Cool resource alert: Variety has reported that Solange, through her Saint Heron studio, is launching a community library of “esteemed and valuable” books by Black creators. Readers can borrow any book from the collection of rare, author-inscribed and out-of-print literary Read more >
When critics panned the Broadway production of Eugene O’Neill’s Days Without End, he left Broadway for twelve years. Finally, in 1946, one Nobel Prize richer, O’Neill returned with The Iceman Cometh—in his opinion, the best show he’d ever written. In Read more >
Oh, Richard Gere! You undoubtedly know him well from American Gigolo. You loved him in Pretty Woman and swooned over him in Runaway Bride (he knew how Julia Roberts liked her eggs!). You tried really hard to forget him in Autumn in Read more >
Today, the Baillie Gifford Prize, the UK’s most prestigious annual prize for nonfiction, announced their 2021 shortlist. “I’m not sure I’ve ever been on a judging panel on which I’ve felt so invigorated and excited by the shortlist as I Read more >
The T.S. Eliot Prize has just announced this year’s shortlist. Each year, the award seeks to celebrate the author with the best new collection of poetry published in the UK and Ireland. Described by Andrew Motion, the former English Poet Read more >
So, by now I’m sure you’ve noticed the red flags flooding your social media feeds. And if you haven’t, then you probably are better off than the rest of us, who are perpetually Very Online and need to, I don’t Read more >
It’s always impressive when someone devotes their life to a cause. Virginia Beach school board member Victoria Manning has: alas, the cause in question is trying to get books banned from classrooms due to their “pornographic nature.” The Daily Beast Read more >
Here’s some nice space news that has nothing to do with billionaires! NASA is sending an unmanned spacecraft named Lucy on a 12-year journey to the Jupiter Trojan asteroids (which are not actually near Jupiter, but “are thought to be Read more >
MacDowell, the storied artist residency, has announced that it has temporarily removed reference letters as part of the application process. The trial phase for removing reference letters will begin with the next application cycle, which begins this November 1st. For Read more >
Today, the National Book Foundation announced the host of its 72nd National Book Awards: Phoebe Robinson, standup comedian, actress, author, and founder of Tiny Reparations Books. Among other accomplishments, Robinson is the New York Times-bestselling author of You Can’t Touch Read more >
1. Supply Chain Issues Drape yourself in paper chains and take a really, really long time to respond to questions. 2. Woke Franzen Dark rimmed glasses, button-down, binoculars for bird-watching, good opinions. 3. Group Chat Subpoena Absolutely destroy the party Read more >
