Mark Twain is a Slob by Willa Cather
If there is anything which should make an American sick and disgusted at the literary taste of his country, and almost swerve his allegiance to his flag it is that controversy between Mark Twain Keep Reading
Shakespeare Sucks! by Leo Tolstoy
I remember the astonishment I felt when I first read Shakespeare. I expected to receive a powerful esthetic pleasure, but having read, one after the other, works regarded as his best: “King Lear,” “Romeo and Juliet,” “Hamlet” and “Macbeth,” not only did I feel no delight, but I felt an irresistible repulsion and tedium, and doubted… Keep Reading
Robert Louis Stevenson on Walt Whitman’s Style
A note from the editor Note from editor: I am going through and updating some of these classic articles/essays on writing. Some of these, are just so amazing. They are pieces of literary history. This particular piece is Robert Louis Stevenson’s review of Walt Whitman’s writing style. It’s a unique look from one famous mind… Keep Reading
Twain’s Letter About Edgar Allan Poe
To W. D. Howells, in New York: STORMFIELD, REDDING, CONN., Jan. 18, ’09. Dear Howells, I have to write a line, lazy as I am, to say how your Poe article delighted me; and to say that I am in agreement with substantially all you say about his literature. To me his prose is unreadable—like… Keep Reading
The Poetry of Ezra Pound by T. S. Eliot
"All talk on modern poetry, by people who know," wrote Mr. Carl Sandburg in Poetry, "ends with dragging in Ezra Pound somewhere. He may be named only to be cursed as wanton and mocker, poseur, trifler and vagrant. Keep Reading
Mark Twain Plagiarized Oliver Wendell Holmes
Once again we have found a quip from Twain that we feel needs to be highlighted in the pages of history. Twain is one of our favorite writers, especially when it comes to writing about writing. Keep Reading
How to Make an Epic Poem by Alexander Pope
HOW TO MAKE AN EPIC POEM by Alexander Pope It is no small pleasure to me, who am zealous in the interests of learning, to think I may have the honor of leading the town into a very new and uncommon road of criticism. As that kind of literature is at present carried on, it… Keep Reading
My Interview With Mark Twain by Rudyard Kipling
You are a contemptible lot, over yonder. Some of you are Commissioners, and some Lieutenant-Governors, and some have the V. C., and a few are privileged to walk about the Mall Keep Reading
Is There a Santa Claus 1897
The following, reprinted from the editorial page of the New York Sun, was written by the late Mr. Frank P. Church: We take pleasure in answering at once and thus prominently the communication below, expressing at the same time our great gratification that its faithful author is numbered among the friends of The Sun: Dear… Keep Reading
Authors who Built a Modern Christmas
Authors over the years have played a big role in creating the modern day Christmas. Some authors published and publicized Christmas, setting up traditions Keep Reading
Evidence of Witches
For Halloween: The accounts and evidence against witches (those killed for being witches) are far more terrifying than the prospects of them being true witches. Keep Reading
The Short Story by Robert Saunders Dowst (1918)
A story is a fiction with a plot, as distinguished from a tale, which is a string of incidents that happened to happen to the characters. In the story the events are linked together by the natures of the people concerned; personality influences event and event influences personality Keep Reading
OF HAWTHORNE AND THE SHORT STORY by Edgar Allen Poe
The reputation of the author of "Twice-Told Tales" has been confined, until very lately, to literary society; and I have not been wrong, perhaps, in citing him as the example, par excellence, in this country, Keep Reading
The Short Story
The intro to the book is a classic (the book is too of course), and it is filled with insights into the contemporary authors of that time, Poe, Hawthorne, Stevenson, and the like. Keep Reading
The Sources of Hallowe’en
If we could ask one of the old-world pagans whom he revered as his greatest gods, he would be sure to name among them the sun-god; calling him Apollo if he were a Greek; if an Egyptian, Horus or Osiris; if of Norway, Sol; if of Peru, Bochica. Keep Reading
Walt Whitman on Thanksgiving
A large family supper party, a night or two ago, with voices and laughter of the young, mellow faces of the old, and a by-and-by pause in the general joviality. Keep Reading
Walt Whitman on the Significance of Edgar Allan Poe
n diagnosing this disease called humanity—to assume for the nonce what seems a chief mood of the personality and writings of my subject Keep Reading
Interview with Mark Twain
This interview is from Hartford Daily Courant from May 30th 1888. Twain would have been 53 years old. He had just finished a new book. SHERIDAN’S MEMOIRS. Mark Twain Has the Book in the Works – The General Completed the Story Two Weeks Ago. AN INTERESTING INTERVIEW. A reporter for THE COURANT found Mark Twain… Keep Reading
Charlotee Bronte to William Wordsworth “Thanks A Lot”
So from time to time we love finding things like this. It’s a little piece of history, and it makes us chuckle to think that context is everything. We think writers should know history, and I think it makes us feel closer to long dead famous writers who might have experienced a little adversity too.… Keep Reading
On Riding a Bicycle by Mark Twain
We once in awhile, these days, like to publish an historic piece of writing that we find interesting. Twain's take on writing a bicycle qualifies. We hope you enjoy this piece. It is in the public domain, and it made us laugh. Keep Reading