Posts by author
Mary Allen
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A Reader’s Imaginative Freedom is Absolute
Reading is a private activity, even as it allows us to commune with the mind and imagination of an author we will probably never meet. Yet because reading a great book can be so overwhelmingly gratifying and transformative, many of…
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Not All Genres are Created Equal
Science fiction has a hefty brilliance to contribute to the literary world, but people often scoff at it as light, genre fiction. The Atlantic explores why science fiction is just as, if not more, relevant than non-genre fiction. Science fiction, I’ve always felt,…
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The Evils of Irony
At one time, irony served to reveal hypocrisies, but now it simply acknowledges one’s cultural compliance and familiarity with pop trends. The art of irony has lost its vision and its edge. The rebellious posture of the past has been…
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Missing Borges
Bibliographers are willing to commit crimes to follow their mad desire to own things. Book thefts, forgeries, Borges, and even more intrigue on the Paris Review.
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Rotten Apples and Other Writerly Customs
Nearly any creative writing course, teacher, or mentor will give you the same advice—writing is a solitary act and is different for every writer. However, some of us writers are a bit more different than others. Brain Pickings shows us…
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How to Make a Life in Literature
Have you been wondering what the point of the AWP conference might be to the 11,800 who attended this year? The Atlantic gives the ins, outs, and mishaps of the conference, along with tenuous or even doubtful optimism for the future…
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The Language of Poetry
In honor of National Poetry Month, we are taking time to consider how poetry makes us better readers of all different types of literature. George Quasha suggests that learning to read poetry is akin to learning to speak a new language:…
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A Box Full of Old Emails
We know many people collect old letters, especially from loved ones who have passed, but what about old emails? What will happen to our electronic footprint after we are gone? And should we care? NPR’s All Things Considered investigates the…
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Envision a Library Full of Blood
From Portland, Oregon, Black Cake Records is compiling an audio archive of contemporary poets reading their work. As they put it, “We envision a library full of blood. We want the very best blood, & we want it everywhere.” Check…
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The Authors Guild Expands
Award-winning author CJ Lyons will be the first self-published author to serve on the executive council of the Authors Guild. The Authors Guild is currently expanding to include representatives from indie books and self-publishing authors. Find out more here.
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BookTube: A Guide
Think books couldn’t possibly have a place on YouTube? Think again. A prominent scene of vloggers (video bloggers) has developed on YouTube. BookRiot provides us with a helpful beginners guide to BookTube.
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The Best Stories Leave an Aftertaste
In her deeply personal essay on The Millions, Allison K. Gibson explains some of the intense literary cravings she experienced during her pregnancy. Some of them were unexpected, even violent, but all were led entirely by intuition. “Now I had…