Drugs and Creativity
Gila Lyons has a strikingly vulnerable essay at The Millions about her decision to start taking anti-anxiety medication. Typically, artists who suffer from mental health issues opt to ride against…
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The Millions
291 posts
Are Science and Literature at Odds?
What role can a knowledge of scientific concepts play in understanding literature? It comes as no surprise that “biological science remains more-or-less completely un-talked about in English seminar,” as M.M.…
The Obsessive, Nerdy Joys of Copyediting
This conversation at the Millions between Edan Lepucki and her copyeditor Susan Bradanini Betz is a beautiful paean to the editing process—and enlightening for anyone who wonders what precisely a…
I Can’t Believe This One Weird Trick to Make Book Titles More Clickable
What if classic authors had been raised in the era of Upworthy headlines and titled their books accordingly? At the Millions, Janet Potter rewrites book titles as clickbait. Who wouldn’t,…
When Grammar Becomes Dangerous
Those who are careful about their grammar run the risk of seeming pretentious. Strict adherence to grammar rules is sometimes written off as stuffy and elitist. There is a greater…
I am the fictional lead
Adam Dalva found his story in the pages of Donna Tartt’s novel The Goldfinch (reviewed by The Rumpus here). In his essay featured on The Millions, Dalva explores the uncanny…
A Young Holden Caulfield
Last month, three of J.D. Salinger’s unpublished stories were leaked. One of these stories, “The Ocean Full of Bowling Balls,” includes a young Holden Caulfield, and describes his brother’s death,…
A Labor of Love
In an essay in The Millions, Dominic Smith sets out to answer the question, “How many novelists are at work in America?” Despite panic about the death of the novel,…
Rejection Woes
Over at The Millions, several esteemed editors discuss their journals’ rejection policies. Magazines represented include The Paris Review, Hobart, The Rattling Wall, The Harvard Review, and others. It is wonderfully…
Lit-Mags in Pop Culture
“Does anybody outside of our circle care?” asks The Millions’ Nick Ripatrazone in a post about literary magazines. “What is the wider cultural influence of literary magazines?” To try to…
“Please Let It Go Okay”
Teaching is a complicated profession, especially in the field of creative writing where emotions run high. Does teaching hurt your writing? What if you’re an able writer but a mediocre…