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T. S. Eliot and the Science of Naming Cats
T. S. Eliot and the Science of Naming Cats
By Kathleen Cooper
September 25, 2014

One of the 20th century’s major poets provides keen insight into proper feline monikers.

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Philip Roth vs. Saul Bellow
Philip Roth vs. Saul Bellow
By Mike Mariani
September 23, 2014

What can the differences between the two teach us about post-World War II American literature?

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Behind the Lit: Edgar Allan Poe Marries His 13-Year-Old Cousin
Behind the Lit: Edgar Allan Poe Marries His 13-Year-Old Cousin
By Freddie Moore
September 22, 2014

179 years ago today, it was OK to marry your underage first cousin — and Poe did exactly that with Virginia Eliza Clemm.

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How Roald Dahl Prepares Us for the Hardships of Adulthood
How Roald Dahl Prepares Us for the Hardships of Adulthood
By Nicholas Laskin
September 18, 2014

The renowned children’s author undoubtedly has a way with words, but he’s also a master of confronting the difficulties of life.

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Ken Kesey’s Exhausted Heroes
Ken Kesey’s Exhausted Heroes
By J. Francis Wolfe
September 17, 2014

Randle Patrick McMurphy of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and Hank Stamper of Sometimes a Great Notion: two men of incredible strength whom Kesey brings to their knees. Why?

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“The Classics” are Not Timeless
“The Classics” are Not Timeless
By Eric Williams
September 15, 2014

Readers should embrace classic literature, but we shouldn’t worship The Classics.

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The Books You Read in Public vs. Private
The Books You Read in Public vs. Private
By Freddie Moore
September 12, 2014

Let’s be real: No one wants to get caught reading Fifty Shades of Grey on the subway.

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The Great Authorial Hook-Up Chart
The Great Authorial Hook-Up Chart
By Adina Applebaum
September 09, 2014

Get from Oscar Wilde to Roald Dahl in 12 romances.

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Behind the Lit: Andre Malraux, the Original Tomb Raider
Behind the Lit: Andre Malraux, the Original Tomb Raider
By Ben Simmonds
September 08, 2014

Best-known today for his novel Man’s Fate, Malraux first traced the steps that Angelina Jolie, as Lara Croft, would walk almost a century later.

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We Should be Inventing New Words All the Time
We Should be Inventing New Words All the Time
By Joseph A. Todd
September 04, 2014

Creation is the only way to overcome the inadequacy of language.

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The Biggest Little-Known Influence on H. P. Lovecraft
The Sun Don't Shine on a Moonshine Still
The Sun Don't Shine on a Moonshine Still
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