Topic

Literature & Books

A collection of 24 issues

Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz: The Self-Taught Nun Who Challenged an Empire for Her Right to Think

Meet Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, the 17th-century Mexican nun, poet, and scholar known as 'The Tenth Muse.' A self-taught genius in a man's world, she built a massive library and fiercely defended a woman's right to an intellectual life, leaving a legacy that still inspires today.

The Two-Faced Words of English: Unpacking the Linguistic Paradox of Contronyms

Contronyms are words with contradictory meanings. A single word like "cleave" can mean to split apart or to cling together, while "bolt" means both to secure and to flee. These linguistic quirks reveal the fascinating evolution of language, shaped by etymology and the power of context.

From Stressed to Desserts: Discovering the Hidden World of Anadromes

Did you know 'stop' spells 'pots' backward? These are anadromes: words that form an entirely new word when reversed. Unlike palindromes, these linguistic gems offer a delightful twist, revealing the hidden, often surprising, connections woven into the fabric of our language.

31 Years in the Red: How Arkham House Published Lovecraft & Bradbury Without Making a Dime

Founded in 1939 to preserve H.P. Lovecraft's work, Arkham House published literary giants like Ray Bradbury. Fueled by founder August Derleth's own money, the legendary horror press incredibly operated for over three decades without a single profitable year, a true labor of love.

The Awkwardest Houseguest: How Hans Christian Andersen Ruined His Friendship with Charles Dickens

In 1857, Hans Christian Andersen visited his idol, Charles Dickens. A planned two-week stay stretched to five, marked by weeping fits and social blunders. The strangest moment? When Andersen demanded Dickens's son shave him daily, a "custom" that ended their friendship for good.

The Houseguest from Hell: When Hans Christian Andersen's Visit Drove Charles Dickens Mad

When fairy tale author Hans Christian Andersen visited his idol Charles Dickens, his five-week stay became a nightmare. His bizarre behavior, including asking Dickens's son for a daily shave, destroyed their friendship and left the Dickens family utterly exasperated.

The Question That Ended Censorship: How a Snobbish Remark Freed 'Lady Chatterley's Lover'

In 1960, Penguin Books was on trial for publishing D.H. Lawrence's 'Lady Chatterley's Lover.' The case hinged on one famously out-of-touch question from the prosecutor about wives and servants, which made the jury laugh and marked a pivotal moment for free speech in Britain.

Forget Dracula: Meet Sava Savanović, The Serbian Vampire Who Terrified a Nation

Long before Dracula, Serbian folklore had Sava Savanović, a miller-turned-vampire. His story, written 17 years before Stoker's novel, inspired the 1973 Yugoslavian horror film *Leptirica*, a movie that has haunted generations and cemented its own terrifying legacy.

That's Not Crying: The Truth About the Man on the Cover of 'A Little Life'

The iconic cover of Hanya Yanagihara's 'A Little Life' is widely believed to depict a man crying in agony. In reality, it's Peter Hujar's 1969 photograph 'Orgasmic Man,' a raw portrayal of sexual ecstasy, chosen for its profound ambiguity between pleasure and pain.

Beyond Conquest: The Surprising Bilingual First Book Printed in the New World

The first book printed in the Americas (1539) wasn't just in Spanish. "Breve y...doctrina Christiana" was a bilingual catechism in Spanish and Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs, revealing a complex story of cultural interaction, not just simple conquest, at the dawn of New World printing.