Since it’s close to Halloween, I thought I would share this morbid little tidbit about Sir Edward Burne-Jones’s fellow Pre-Raphaelites, Dante Gabriel Rossetti and Elizabeth Siddal, and how he had her grave dug up so he could get the book of his poems that he had buried with her. (more…)

Filled with photos and personal stories, The Word Made Flesh: Literary Tattoos from Bookworms Worldwide has not only direct quotes, but tattoos that involve portraiture, illustrations and even simple punctuation marks. It’s a beautiful tribute to the written word. (more…)

When I was ten years old, I decided I would no longer eat pork. Partly brought on by the appreciation for the animal itself, I realized that I’d never much liked pork to begin with. Rather than say to people something like, “Well, I hate pork chops, but sometimes I end up eating sausage when my mom makes red beans and rice,” it was easier to eliminate it entirely. (more…)

When I read the description for The Unreal Life of Sergey Nabokov, I was intrigued – how does the younger, gay brother of a literary icon conduct his life? How dark is that shadow? The minutiae, the great secrets, and of course, loves of a person’s life are endlessly interesting to me, so I hoped that this book would scratch that itch. Because only limited details of Sergey’s life are documented,…

When Electric Literature was no longer releasing their print volumes with five stories each, and were instead focusing on their Recommended Reading project, I had two issues left in my paid subscription. They were kind enough to send me numbers 2 and 3, which I did not yet have. I wanted to make sure I had this particular issue of the lit mag for two reasons: Colson Whitehead and Lydia Davis.

(m…

I had a dream about this review. Not the actual writing of it — watching myself with a notebook or laptop would be too dull to note — but instead the thematic turmoil involved. (more…)

How do I even begin to tell you how wonderful Life on Mars is? Tracy K. Smith’s poetry fills me with peace and such joy, even when she writes about how inhuman we can be. (more…)

Season Five of Downton Abbey ended last week, but the fun isn’t over yet! Here to discuss the good, the bad, and the ugly of this past season are Stephens, who pens News in Asia each week for Persephone Magazine, and fellow Downton Abbey recapper for the very funny blog Happy Nice Time People (seriously, go check it out!) and author of the recent novel Blood Diva (as VM Gautier), Marion Stein. (m…

The Internet has been buzzing since Sunday night with discussion about actress Patricia Arquette’s Oscar acceptance speech and her followup remarks that were made in the press room afterwards. In case you haven’t been online much, here’s a recap. (more…)

Thirty years ago, an ecological event closed off an area of land referred to as “the forgotten coast.” Saying that it was an environmental catastrophe, the government named the bordered off area “Area X.” But the government didn’t set up those borders; in fact, something else created the invisible barrier that for a long time was impenetrable. When passage into Area X opened inexplicably, a…

Snap Synopsis: A widowed mom tries to hold it together when she realizes her son’s night terrors might be real.

Trigger Warning: The dog dies. (more…)

Have you ever felt like there’s just too much television to watch? I have, and it turns out, that’s not just in my head. According to the research department at FX networks, there were “328 scripted first-run prime-time programs aired on ad supported or subscription-based broadcast, cable and streaming networks in the U.S.” in 2014 alone. That’s a whole lot of television. It feels like in the…

In case you’re wondering why #BeautyAndTheBeast is trending outta nowhere, it’s because Emma Watson announced on Monday that she’s signed on to portray the beloved character of Belle in a live-action version of Disney’s 1991 animated landmark, Beauty and the Beast. (more…)

“Do you ever get tired of stallions?” asked Celestia, flopping down next to her Luna on the chaise lounge. “I mean, do you ever feel like this palace is practically seething with testosterone-fuelled rivalry? Sometimes I’m just so over it.”

“It’s bad enough being a princess, with all the gender garbage that goes along with that” Celestia whinnied, nuzzling her sister’s flank. “It’s even worse…

Get ready, everyone, because the future of sexual pleasure is here. And it’s a doozy. (more…)

In case this is your first time reading anything written by me — your humble narrator — let it be known: I’m wildly cynical. So it should come as no surprise that findings from what’s being touted as “the largest study to date” about infidelity have me simultaneously scratching my head and rolling my eyes. (more…)

On CBS’ The Big Bang Theory, Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting plays Penny, a busty, scantily-clad blonde bimbo who is lusted after by a group of brilliant male nerds.

But lest you think this very premise is rooted in entrenched sexism, Cuoco-Sweeting has let the world know, via an interview with Redbook, that: (more…)