On Books and Libraries
June 3, 2019
Alberto Manguel— I would argue that public libraries, holding both virtual and material texts, are an essential instrument to counter loneliness. I would defend their place as society’s memory and… READ MORE
Category: Literature
How the Iowa Writers’ Workshop Saved Kurt Vonnegut’s Fledgling Career
May 7, 2019
David O. Dowling— In mid-1960s suburban Cape Cod, Kurt Vonnegut—whose ink sketches and signed monographs now command up to $5,000 each—was unknown and his books were out of print. “I… READ MORE
Who Was Ben Hecht?
April 11, 2019
Adina Hoffman— Ben Hecht was “a genius,” Jean-Luc Godard declared in 1968. “He invented 80 percent of what is used in Hollywood movies today.” He “wrote stories—and he made history,”… READ MORE
From Automatic Writing to Artificial Intelligence: On Translating Can Xue’s Fiction
April 9, 2019
Annelise Finegan Wasmoen— Across interviews and essays, the experimental writer Can Xue characterizes her fiction in two ways that speak to what are also questions about translation: as, at once,… READ MORE
David Garrick and the Club
April 8, 2019
Leo Damrosch— When I got the idea of telling the story of a famous eighteenth-century club that called itself simply “the Club,” I knew that there were incredibly rich resources… READ MORE
How Old is the Hebrew Bible?
March 19, 2019
Ronald Hendel and Jan Joosten— The age of the Hebrew Bible is a complicated and controversial topic. For traditionalists, the age of a book is the age of its author… READ MORE
Reading as a Social Activity
February 25, 2019
Abigail Williams— On 15 April 1802, Dorothy and William Wordsworth took one of the most significant walks in literary history. They set out in blustery weather, across the fells near… READ MORE
Ep. 69 – Ben Hecht
February 21, 2019
A look at the life of Ben Hecht, screenwriter, reporter, playwright, novelist, and Jewish activist whose influence is still felt today. YaleUniversity · Ben Hecht Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher… READ MORE
The 50th Anniversary of Portnoy’s Complaint
February 4, 2019
Bernard Avishai— Irving Howe famously said that the cruelest thing one could do with Portnoy’s Complaint was “read it twice.” But why reread it when the first time was unforgettable? Back… READ MORE
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