Hot Off the Interweb

March 24, 2012

The Private Lives of Great Writers

The extent to which an author’s personal life sheds light on their work is debated by Salon.  Weighing in on Jonathan Franzen’s controversial New Yorker essay, the article explores just how relevant Edith Wharton’s looks and Saul Bellow’s marital problems are to appreciating their novels.

Beyond The Art of Fielding

The American novelist’s interest in sports is thoroughly examined in Slate.  Focusing on Chad Harbach’s bestseller as well as books by Philip Roth, John Updike, Don DeLillo, and David Foster Wallace, the insightful essay looks at how sports are used to explore courage, resilience, and loyalty.

The Composites

Police sketch software is used to create portraits of famous characters in literature on this seductively strange website.  Using descriptions straight from the novels, artist and writer Brian Joseph Davis’ depictions include Rochester from Jane Eyre, Emma Bovary, and Ignatius J. Reilly (pictured).

Ladies’ Night on Movie Night

Celebrate Women’s History Month with one of these 40 films featuring some seriously cool ladies both real and fictitious.  Pop some corn and take your pick from titles including Persepolis, La Vie en Rose, The Life and Times of Rosie the Riveter, Amelie, and The Color Purple.


Happy 150th Birthday, Edith Wharton

January 24, 2012

January 24 is the 150th anniversary of Edith Wharton’s birth. A native New Yorker, her birthday is being celebrated throughout the city. Some of her most well-known work includes The House of Mirth, Ethan Frome, and The Age of Innocence. Yesterday’s New York Times has a wonderful article about her and her connection to the popular BBC series Downton Abbey. And check out the accompanying slide show, as well – it’s somewhat sobering to know that Wharton’s childhood home at West 23rd Street is now home to Starbucks.

Laura


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