Posts by author
Mary Allen
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Of Novelists and Politics
In 2015, to be an influential fiction writer means only to wield influence within a niche audience of people who are already of the same mind… American political discussion is fond of one-note oversimplification of complex issues. So where do…
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The Whiteness of Literary Landmarks
From Alice Walker: Standing there knocking on Flannery O’Connor’s door, I do not think of her illness; her magnificent work in spite of it; I think: It all comes back to houses. Of all the preserved writers’ houses of the…
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The Price of Instant Gratification
In their continued quest to conquer the world, Amazon has quietly launched a new program, called Amazon Flex, which hires contract delivery drivers on demand, much like Über. Read more over at WIRED.
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Why Choose?
The birth of the ebook has been a source of fear among literary consumers for years now, but it seem, based on current sales trends, print is making a comeback. Flavorwire puts up an argument for both, asking authors and…
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Strunk & White: The Grammar Police
It’s “whom,” motherfucker. William Strunk and E.B. White’s The Elements of Style is foundational reading for most aspiring writers. But you’ve never seen it like this. Go check out your new favorite unpublished screenplay, “Strunk & White: The Grammar Police.”
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Let’s Talk About Abortion
Book Riot discusses the lack of female protagonists who’ve had abortions in literature: For millions of women, abortion is not a statistic or a political platitude. Although public discourse around abortion tends to stick to abstractions, there is no one…
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Funny Women
Love our “Funny Women“ column as much as we do? Find out who “Funny Women” editor Elissa Bassist thinks is hilarious, courtesy of Vela Magazine.
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A Newly Blooming Blume
Missing favorite childhood author Judy Blume? Well not for long. She is returning with her first new novel in a decade. And its for adults! Find out more here.
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Finding Home
Growing up all over the place makes you skilled at adapting, but it also makes you hungry to belong, something that in part motivates my writing: carving out a space I know, trying to understand what I’m witnessing around me.…
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Wimpy Bookstore with Strong Ideas
How does a child experience a book? It’s such a different experience reading on a tablet or a smartphone. A physical book has a heft, a permanence that you don’t get digitally. So our hope is that the bookstore will…
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Texting with bell hooks
Ever find yourself in a risky situation where you are being asked to give your number to a not-so-awesome-but-also-frightening-and-possibly-aggressive person? Here’s your solution! Give out this number instead and avoid the danger. And spread a little feminism along the way.