Posts by author
Lauren O’Neal
-
Weekend Rumpus Roundup
Happy Monday! 🙁 Before you get back to the grind, savor these last bits of the weekend. A comic by Yumi Sakugawa, which she described on Twitter in the following way: “My random idea for a metaphysical nudist desert retreat…
-
Science: Still Confusing, Still Important
Some scientific experiments can sound ridiculous, especially to us writerly types—like, for instance, a study measuring mosquitoes’ attraction to limburger cheese. There’s even a fake prize dedicated to mocking such studies: the “Ig Nobel,” which the aforementioned mosquito story won…
-
The Questionably Healthy Habits of Highly Creative People
Do you work better during the morning or the evening? With a shot of espresso or a mug of green tea? An intriguing little Slate series documents the work habits of writers and other creative people, from Ernest Hemingway to David…
-
Is The Great Gatsby Worth Seeing?
Want to see the new film version of The Great Gatsby but afraid it won’t live up to the book? At The Millions, five English professors pass judgment on the success of the adaptation. Read it to find out what additional…
-
Yo Mama So Old She’s a Scandinavian Root Word
These etymological origins of words related to insults are so strange and wonderful that some of them almost seem made up. For example, it seems there used to be enough people writing “snarky epic poems” in Scandinavia that their title, skald, became…
-
Is Neuroscience the Future of the Humanities?
As science and technology dominate our lives more and more each day, those of us in the humanities find ourselves increasingly on the defensive. One way to demonstrate the humanities’ relevance is with neuroscience. Brain scans not only show us…
-
The Next Letter for Kids: Kristen Kittscher
The next Letter for Kids, going out tomorrow, is from Kristen Kittscher! Kristen is the author of The Wig in the Window and The Tiara on the Terrace, the first two books in a mystery series for middle-grade readers. She grew up all…
-
Props from a Fellow Funny Woman
Poet, memoirist, and Beat figure Hettie Jones is, like most of us, unhappy about sexism in the publishing industry. In a blog post on the subject, she discusses VIDA statistics, Deborah Copaken Kogan’s Nation essay, and (drumroll!) Elissa Bassist’s amazing Funny…
-
The Buzz on Spelling Bees
For Merriam-Webster’s website, Peter Sokolowski details the history of spelling bees and the etymology of the term itself: This kind of spelling duel was carried over to America, and Benjamin Franklin himself recommended the practice in 1750, with the addition…
-
Of Maus and Men
Arguably, no other story has been made to express absolute black and absolute white as clearly as World War II. So how can an artist integrate the textures of grey that make a story truly poignant? In an essay for…
-
Doing the Math(s) On Across-the-Pond Vocab
If Americans roll their eyes at each other for pretentious uses of British English like “flat” and “queue,” Brits are just as likely to look down on compatriots who use Americanisms like “take-out” and “shopping cart.” But are the UK’s…
-
Literary Salon: Genuine Storytelling
The new media landscape might tear writing as we know it apart—or it might give us opportunities to find thrilling new niches. Tomorrow night in NYC, join writers and editors from Columbia University, Tin House, and more to hear how…