Columns

10 of Our Favorite Moments From the Harry Potter Series

July 31st, 2018

July is a big month for fans of the Harry Potter series: July 31st is both J.K. Rowling and Harry’s birthdays. So while we all eat pink cakes proclaiming “Happee Birthday” in green to celebrate, we thought we’d take a moment to reflect on some of the series’ best moments. This is no easy task, as the magical novels are packed with scenes that made us laugh, cry, reflect, cheer, sigh, and smile. But we think you’ll agree that the following moments are, above all, memorable.

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Your Favorite Book Sucks: 'The Yellow Wallpaper'

July 30th, 2018

'Your Favorite Book Sucks' is an ongoing column, written by different people, that takes a classic or popular book and argues why it isn't really all that great. Confrontational, to be sure, but it's all in good fun, so please play nice. Charlotte Perkins Gilman would be 158 years old this July. Which got me thinking about her classic tale, “The Yellow Wallpaper.” If you were an English major in college, I’d wager you’ve read this story no less than three times.

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The Complex Exploration of Sex and Identity in Christopher Buehlman's 'The Necromancer's House'

July 26th, 2018

Sexuality is a complicated thing, and it seems to be getting more complicated every day. That’s not some moral indictment, as I’m a very open-minded guy. It’s just an expression of shock and confusion over these evolving times, especially the last five years or so. In this age of #metoo and debates about whether or not straight actors should play trans roles, all I can do is sit back and listen to those in the know.

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Taking the Stage: How Storytellers Saved My Ambition to Write

July 24th, 2018

Photo by Kimberlee Kessler As a child, my parents brought me to see storytellers. I wasn't poor by the standards that you would probably consider poor, but I lived in whatever financial class defines families whose summer activities involve the free neighborhood pool, an occasional Jackie Chan movie from Blockbuster, and going to whatever summer events the library is holding. The storytellers were my favorite.

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5 Ways for Writers to Stay Motivated in the Heat of Summer

July 23rd, 2018

Perspiring in your underwear at your writing desk, you curse the ancient air conditioner that died a week ago. The repairman’s phone number goes straight to voice mail for the third time. That bastard is probably at the beach. Mouth-watering scents of barbecued sirloin drift in through your window. You hear your next-door neighbour laughing with her friends in the backyard. Before you can get back to work, someone texts you with an invite to a pool party. How is a struggling writer supposed to get any work done in the summer?

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The 85 Best Things About Cormac McCarthy

July 20th, 2018

July 20th is Cormac McCarthy's 85th birthday. In honor of the man and his work, we bring you 85 things you might not know, might want to know, and that you might find useful, especially if you like stumbling around drunk in Tennessee. Which, if you haven't done it, is worth your time. 

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The Top 10 Shark Books (that are in my house) Just in Time for Shark Week!

July 19th, 2018

This, like most best-of lists, would be more accurately titled Top Ten Books I Happened to Read, because who are they kidding, right? But I’m going one better with Top Ten Books I Happen to Own because in a desperate attempt at one-upmanship, I even took a picture of the books on my list to prove they are mere inches away from me right now. Which means I had to re-buy some books, track down others. Think of the money and effort wasted to prove some sort of listicle integrity here. Normally all of this would be embarrassing, but not during Shark Week.

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7 Tips For Your Summer Road Trip From Jack Kerouac

July 17th, 2018

Images by Ben C. On July 17th, 1947, Jack Kerouac went on his first cross-country road trip — a trip which would inspire him to start the book, On The Road. Since then, Kerouac’s magnum opus and beatnik odyssey has done more than just influence a generation of readers and writers: it’s also motivated people to travel.

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A Call to Save Steepletop: Why Edna St. Vincent Millay’s Home Matters

July 16th, 2018

Ever since discovering a battered volume of Edna St. Vincent Millay’s poetry in a second-hand bookstore, I’ve been contemplating a pilgrimage to Steepletop, her country estate in the eastern New York town of Austerlitz where she lived from 1925 until her death in 1950. The site, which includes the poet’s house and gardens and surrounding acreage, opened to the public for tours in 2010.

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When To Utilize An Ensemble Cast and How To Do It Well

July 16th, 2018

The ensemble cast is often associated with superhero films and sitcoms, but it has a long history in literature as well. If you want to look at the classics then War and Peace is a great example, but contemporary books/series like A Song Of Ice and Fire, How It Went Down, and A Visit from the Goon Squad all employ ensemble casts.

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