Lit Hub Daily: February 14, 2023

TODAY: In 1895, Oscar Wilde’s final play, The Importance of Being Earnest, opens at the St. James Theatre in London.  

• Stephen Marche considers Tom Scocca’s “On Smarm,” one of the most influential essays of the 21st century: “What upset Scocca was not necessarily fraud itself but a fraudulent tone, particularly among writers.” | Lit Hub

• 26 books for Valentine’s Day, recommended by indie booksellers around the country. | Lit Hub Reading Lists

• Beyond jealous husbands and self-sacrificing wives: Jess deCourcy Hinds considers how to (healthily) support a writer spouse. | Lit Hub

• From the dildos of whalers’ wives to Magic Mike Live, it’s Lit Hub’s Guide to Sex in the 21st Century. | Lit Hub

• What is it about campus novels that makes us love them so? | Lit Hub Criticism

• Asale Angel-Ajani discusses the push and pull of mother-daughter relationships and her debut novel, A Country You Can Leave. | Lit Hub In Conversation

• This month’s LIT HUB ASKS: 5 WRITERS, 7 QUESTIONS, NO WRONG ANSWERS features Patrick Bringley, Priya Guns, Sonora Jha, Melinda Moustakis, and Martin Riker. | Lit Hub Questionnaire

• Mark Dawidziak asks, why does the mystery of Edgar Allan Poe’s death still haunt us? | CrimeReads

• “Before learning to read and write, I already made up stories. Including one I invented with a somewhat passive friend of mine, a never-ending story.” A lost interview with Clarice Lispector. | The New Yorker

• Walt Hunter on why AI fails to write good poetry. | The Atlantic

• In 1955, the Ford Motor Company solicited help to name their newest car from an unlikely source… poet Marianne Moore. | Pentagram

• A conversation with David Sedaris about death, regrets, and shopping at thrift stores. | Tricycle

• “No one denies that children need to be ready for the challenges that await them after their school careers. But is this all we hope for in our educational engagements with young people?” Douglas Yacek considers the American educational philosophy. | The Point

• Melissa Gomez goes behind the scenes at Octavia’s Bookshelf, a new Pasadena bookstore inspired by Octavia Butler. | Los Angeles Times

Also on Lit Hub: 18 new books to borrow from your local library • Paz Pardo on living in a world of continuing calamities • Read from Sonora Jha’s latest novel, The Laughter

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