Surveying literature, art & culture from an altitude of 5,000 feet while traveling at 53 miles per hour
Close
  • New
  • Popular
  • Longform
Main Menu
Happy Birthday, Penguin, and Thanks for Inventing the Modern Paperback Book
Happy Birthday, Penguin, and Thanks for Inventing the Modern Paperback Book
By Cassandra Mehlenbacher
July 30, 2014

Today marks the 79th anniversary of Penguin Books’ launch, which ushered in a paperback revolution.

Read More
World War I 100 Years Later: Incredible Images and Facts
World War I 100 Years Later: Incredible Images and Facts
By Tom Griggs
July 28, 2014

Revisit the Great War a century after its start.

Read More
Fat Man and Little Boy
Fat Man and Little Boy
By Mike Meginnis
July 17, 2014

Fat Man searches for his brother, Little Boy, amongst the wreckage of World War II Japan.

Read More
We Looked Deeply into the Trite: More Origins of Literary Cliches
We Looked Deeply into the Trite: More Origins of Literary Cliches
By George Dobbs
July 14, 2014

He looked deeply into her eyes, and she said, “You’re off the case.” Then everything went black. (Because it was all just a string of cliches.)

Read More
Behind the Lit: Rimbaud Abandons Poetry for Gun-Running
Behind the Lit: Rimbaud Abandons Poetry for Gun-Running
By Alfredo Madrid
July 08, 2014

While Parisian literati clamoured for him, the poet remained in a self-imposed African exile, having turned his back on writing for a decade.

Read More
The Race to Destroy Priceless Manuscripts as Idiotically as Possible
The Race to Destroy Priceless Manuscripts as Idiotically as Possible
By George Dobbs
July 07, 2014

Fire, knives, booze and more — on your marks, get set, go.

Read More
Behaving Yourself in Britain: The 1942 U.S. Government-Issued Guide to England
Behaving Yourself in Britain: The 1942 U.S. Government-Issued Guide to England
By George Dobbs
July 03, 2014

On the eve of America’s entrance into World War II, the U.S. military wanted to ensure its men got along across the pond without too many “boners.”

Read More
WTF is QWERTY?
WTF is QWERTY?
By George Dobbs
July 02, 2014

A brief history explaining why your keyboard is so damn weird.

Read More
A Primer on Modern Japanese Literature in 10 Minutes
A Primer on Modern Japanese Literature in 10 Minutes
By Brent Crane
July 02, 2014

From 1910 to 2003, from Tanizaki to Murakami and beyond, a quick tour through a century of literature from the land of the rising sun.

Read More
The Real Life Inspirations Behind Moby-Dick
The Real Life Inspirations Behind Moby-Dick
By George Dobbs
July 01, 2014

Whale attacks, cannibalism and tyrannical captains — this wasn’t Herman Melville’s fiction.

Read More
 
Featured
Eat Prey Drug: Summerland
Eat Prey Drug: Summerland
The Biggest Little-Known Influence on H. P. Lovecraft
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
  • About
  • Shop
  • Privacy Policy
A Black Balloon Publication ©