March is National Reading and Grammar Month here in the United States. It is built around the birthday of Dr. Seuss, as March 2 is honored with a National Read Across America Day. Libraries and schools from coast to coast held reading parties and celebrated the written word; but...
The classic novel, “Ulysses,” by Irish author James Joyce, celebrated its 90th birthday on February 2. Widely-regarded as one of the greatest novels of all time, it even initiated the creation of an international holiday, Bloomsday, celebrated annually on June 16th. It is a staple of many an English Literature course,...
To “rush through the yellow light” is a reference to a common practice for the more daring Chinese journalists who write about sensitive topics before the state flashes the red light of censorship. That’s what happened to “The Fat Years,” a dystopian thriller by Chan Koon-Chung, which is now...
In his own time, Shakespeare was seen as merely one among many talented playwrights and poets, but ever since the late 17th century he has been considered the supreme playwright; and to a lesser extent, poet of the English language. No other playwright has been performed on the world...
Newswires around the world were abuzz last Wednesday after government officials in New Zealand seized a copy of “Bloody Mama” from a local business; the book has been banned there since 1971. There are currently 1319 books officially banned in New Zealand and another 728 titles that are restricted....
The Canterbury Tales, written at the end of the 14th century by Geoffrey Chaucer, is a collection of stories presented as part of a story-telling contest by a group of pilgrims as they travel from Southwark to the shrine of Saint Thomas Becket at Canterbury Cathedral; the prize being...
Published in 1994, Snow Falling on Cedars, by David Guterson, became an instant bestseller and also won the 1995 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction. In 1999 it was adapted into a filmthat was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Cinematography. In 2007 it became a stage play by Kevin...
Ernest Hemingway’s distinctive writing style influenced 20th-century fiction, as did his life of adventure and his public image. Hemingway wrote seven novels, six short story collections, and two non-fiction works between the 1920’s and the 1950’s, ultimately winning the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1954; three non-fiction works were...
“Brave New World” was criticized when first published in 1932 for having a weak plot and characterization. “Nothing can bring it alive,” one review quoted; but it is now considered a classic. In 1999, the Modern Libraryranked “Brave New World” fifth on its list of the 100 best English-language...
Censorship has a variety of points along its dark spectrum- from the outright removal of books to mere challenges; both fiction and non-fiction works are frequent targets of the flames of ignorance for various reasons. Sometimes a book comes along that, by virtue of being so controversial, causes lines...