On occasion, I get into some rather interesting conversations about the classics, and whether it's snobbish and unrealistic to expect readers to appreciate works by William Shakespeare or Charles Dickens. After all, those works are from a far-off time and place. I've heard that the struggle to get any understanding or enjoyment only serves to discourage readers (and students in particular) from reading at all.

While it's true that some works of literature are more difficult to read than others, I've worked with students who have gained a great deal of insight (and yes, even appreciation) as they made their way through required reading. I've been reading classics since my earliest reading days, and I haven't forgotten how difficult some books have been to forage my way through. I also know that I cherish some of those very books--for the wonderful treasures that I was able to unearth in those pages.

So, I can't bring myself to believe that it's at all unrealistic to encourage (and even demand) that students appreciate/love the classics: Shakespeare, Dickens, Chaucer, Whitman, Thoreau, Hawthorne--as age appropriate (but even so, why discourage students from trying books that are deemed to difficult for them to grasp?). The classics offer insight into the development of literature, into our written word, and into human nature. The times are different; the language may be fraught with archaic terminology; but many of the truths and themes are the same. We learn and grow; love and laugh; come into this world and pass away; cherish life and destroy it.

So, what does it mean to be a snob? Are you one? Am I one? Must you necessarily be a snob if you enjoy a good book--a classic, a book that was first published 50 years ago (or more)?

Take a look at Am I a Snob?, as Sean Latham explores not only the origins of the term but what it has come to mean for writers. Then, join the discussion: "Do you see yourself as a literary snob or literary elitist?"

Are you addicted to books? You may go to any lengths to find a particular book. Bibliomania is "a gentle madness," a joy that's been enjoyed by bibliomanics, bookworms, book lovers, book hunters, and other readers throughout history. Read about what famous writers have said about thier passions for books; and then discover why you can derive such a pleasure from reading the classics! Read about Bibliomania.

Mark Twain is famously associated with the grand Mississippi, as a riverboat pilot and writer. On May 12, 1883, Life on the Mississippi was first published, in all its unforgettable wit and wisdom. Read more about Mark Twain and his adventures on the Life on the Mississippi, Mark Twain wrote: "When I find a well-drawn character in fiction or biography I generally take a warm personal interest in him, for the reason that I have known him before--met him on the river."

What do you think of fiction that is so obviously drawn from "real" life? Is it inevitable? Is it good? Bad? Does the translation make a huge difference to you?

Cover Art © Library of America.

The oceans cover an immense expanse--ranging over three-fifths of the world. Beyond the boundless nature of these bodies of water that surround the globe, the seas have inspired some of the greatest tales and legends in literary history. Whether you like to imagine mermaids, magical lands beneath the waves, or you simply enjoy watching the waves and walking on the beach, the sea offers something for everyone. Read lines about the sea. Dream of the sea...

• The Odyssey - Homer
• Sea Dreams - Lord Alfred Tennyson
• The Little Mermaid - Hans Christian Anderson
• As I Ebb'd with the Ocean of Life - Walt Whitman
• The Rime of the Ancient Mariner - Samuel Taylor Coleridge
• The Welsh Fairy Book - W. Jenkyn Thomas
• By the Sea - Christina Georgina Rossetti
• The City in the Sea - Edgar Allan Poe
• Dover Beach - Matthew Arnold
• The People of the Sea
• Sea Literature

"Why does the sea moan evermore?" Read about sea literature.

Some of the most memorable events in my life have involved being caught reading a book. Not that reading a book is ever a bad thing... Reading can be such a tantalizing draw. How does reading provide a diversion in your life? Do you read in a comfortable chair, out in the yard, or in the garden? Do you enjoy reading on the beach? Here are some ideas for how you can get caught reading for the month of May: Get Caught Reading. How can you possibly resist?

Some of my earliest memories of my mother are of her reading. It seemed a normal part of existence: to ravenously devour a book, to sleep with a book beside the bed (or in one's hands), to have a book forever at hand. But, the role of mothers in literature runs far deeper than my initial introductions to reading...

How have mothers influence the lives of writers? How have women writers balanced the demands of motherhood with the need to write? And, what have authors written about their mothers?

Walt Whitman wrote:

"I see the sleeping babe nestling the breast of its mother,
The sleeping mother and babe--hush'd, I study them long and long."

What are your early memories of reading? Do you have a favorite passage that expresses motherhood in literature? Have you been by a writing and/or reading mother?

It's May Day! I love this day. Not only was my baby sister born on this day--greeted with Aurora Borealis in the sky upon the advent of her birth--but it's also the first day of May. The flowers are blooming; the birds are singing; and it seems the perfect opportunity to curl up with a good book and read for a while.

In May Day, Sarah Teasdale writes:

"A delicate fabric of bird song
Floats in the air,
The smell of wet wild earth
Is everywhere."

What are you reading today?

I remember the first time I read To Kill a Mockingbird--I was transfixed. It was a requirement and all that (sometimes a sure sign that students will hate it), but many things about that book have stayed with me. The characters are always memorable (of course), as is the situation: the controversial defense of a black man for a crime he did not commit. But, I still love that quotes, from Atticus: "You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view... 'til you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it."

Literature allows us to get into the thoughts and feelings of characters in ways that are much more difficult in "real" life. Maybe we're just busy; maybe the other person's life really doesn't seem that interesting or worth consideration... But, through great fiction, we can gain an understanding of even the worst characters--as we climb into their skins with all those human foibles and idiosyncrasies.

So, today, we can celebrate that famous novel, as we applaud its author. Harper Lee was born on April 28, 1926. Happy Birthday Harper Lee!

He was known for his way with words; his colorful, enigmatic, and unforgettable characters; and so much more...

When the name is mentioned, do you ever need to pause to think about who this fellow is? You may not remember the title of every one of his plays; and you may not remember the lines from his sonnets; but you probably know the title of at least something he wrote. And, you likely read at least one of his plays in high school or college (maybe both places, depending on what your major concentration was).

The man we know as Shakespeare was born on April 23, 1564. He died on the same day in 1616. So, what's the deal with this guy? Why is he so famous? His exploration of words touches us in ways we probably don't even realize. So, how much do you know about Shakespeare?

• Shakespeare - Matthew Arnold
• Sonnet on Mrs. Kemble's Reading from Shakespeare - H.W. Longfellow
• Biographical Dictionary of English Literature
• O Mistress Mine - William Shakespeare
• Forgotten & Interesting Words
• Globe Theatres

Read more about William Shakespeare!

On this day in 1841, Edgar Allan Poe's The Murders in the Rue Morgue first appeared. The story has been called the first detective story. Of course, some have called Oedipus Rex the earliest form of the detective story. Read more about Edgar Allan Poe:

• Edgar A. Poe: Mournful and Never-ending Remembrance
• Edgar Allan Poe -- Collected Works
• Romanticism & The Supernatural
• Books About Edgar Allan Poe
• Edgar Allan Poe Quotes
• Midnight Dreary