Lit Hub Daily: March 29, 2023

• And we think egg prices are bad now: Lizzie Stark recounts the 1848 Egg War of San Francisco, when miners paid—in today’s dollars—hundreds per dozen. | Lit Hub History

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• Joshua Bennett reflects on the surreal experience of performing poetry at the White House. | Lit Hub Poetry

• How illustrated children’s books played a part in social evolution. | Lit Hub

• Why do we devalue the sense of smell? | Lit Hub Science

• The (glowing) art of book design: Jason Booher breaks down the creation process for Carlo Rovelli’s newest book cover. | Lit Hub Design

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• Rapid-fire book recs from Clint Smith. | ELLE

• If you’re feeling amenable to second chances, Bethanne Patrick recommends seven books the critics were wrong about. | The Atlantic

• Forget Lord of the Flies: Yellowjackets is remaking a Greek myth. | JSTOR Daily

• “The writer told the court he was suffering depression at the time of signing the deal and had drunk several glasses of wine.” A Dutch court has ruled that, despite his protests, Michel Houellebecq’s appearance in an arthouse porn was completely above board. | DutchNews

• “Do you have a hard time letting go and moving on with your day after reading sad books.” On why we get “book hangovers.” | Readers Digest

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Also on Lit Hub: Books that explore what happens after things go wrong • Katherine Rundell shines a light on John Donne • Read from Sharon Dodua Otoo’s newly translated novel, Ada’s Room (tr. Jon Cho-Polizzi)