Esther's Classic Literature Blog March 2007 Archive

With April Fool's Day, just a few days away, this is just a warning: Beware the literary pranksters! Read more about humor, jokes, and literature. April Fool's Day Literary Insults Devil's Dictionary Mark Twain's ... Read More

There always seems to be something going on with the legacy of Papa Hemingway (Ernest Hemingway). Now, according to a story by AP, via Yahoo, 30 letters are going on ... Read More

Robert Louis Stevenson created Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in 1885 from a particularly striking nightmare. Famously, Stevenson threw the first version into the fire after his wife read it. ... Read More

Virginia Woolf killed herself on March 28, 1941. She is one of the most important women writers in English literature, famous for works like A Room of One's Own, Mrs. ... Read More

James Joyce is a curious, fascinating, enigmatic and sometimes very difficult figure to study or to come to grips with--as far as his life and his works is concerned. A ... Read More

Tennessee Williams was named Thomas Lanier Williams when he was born in Columbus, Mississippi on March 26, 1911. The Glass Menagerie was his first successful play, and since that work ... Read More

The Bell Jar is the only novel by Sylvia Plath, and it is famous not only because it offers shocking insight into her mind and art, but also because it ... Read More

Ernest Hemingway is famous for his economical use of words. He once said, "I am trying to make, before I get through, a picture of the world--or as much of ... Read More

One reader wrote me to ask advice about how to manage the reading load for next semester. Whether you're in the midst of a program (high school or college), or ... Read More

He may not be considered one of the greatest classic writers of all time, but he certainly had his avid fans in his genre of fiction... Louis L'Amour was born ... Read More

Spring is a time of rebirth and renewal. The snows of winter melt away, flowers bloom, and all the world seems new again. Read about how writers have employed the ... Read More

Ah, another twist on the story of those "boring" classics that nobody wants to read, right? In a recent article from thisislondon.co.uk, we learn: "Around 50 schools have refused to ... Read More

Can it be? March 21st is the first day of Spring--tomorrow. What will you be reading as Spring encroaches upon winter? What is your favorite work of literature about Spring? ... Read More

A study from the Department of Education apparently indicates that 1/3 of the people in Washington D.C. (our nation's captitol) are functionally illiterate. According to the story, from AP (via ... Read More

Look at the most memorable novelists and poets in literary history. Becoming a better writer (or even a great writer) has always been a matter of learning: a writer must ... Read More

St. Patrick is a legendary figure in Irish history and literature--so famous that a day is named after him. Medieval stories surround St. Patrick, describing how he drove the snakes ... Read More

W.B. Yeats is one of the most famous Irish poets in literary history; indeed, he's one of the greatest writers of the 20th century. For his poetry, dramas, and prose, ... Read More

I love it when those who are the purveyors of knowledge state what has always seemed to be rather obvious to me. In a new article, from The Guardian, James ... Read More

"I sing what was lost and dread what was won, I walk in a battle fought over again, My king a lost king, and lost soldiers my men; Feet to the Rising and ... Read More

In an interview, James Joyce said: "The only demand I make of my reader is that he should devote his whole life to reading my works." He is one of ... Read More

Here's a refreshing new idea on the whole slant on encouraging reading. According to an article from AP, via Yahoo News, a teacher is using a dog to get his ... Read More

"My Last Duchess" is one of the most famous (and most anthologized) works by Robert Browning. But what is it about? Who is the last duchess, and why does her ... Read More

The story of Beowulf and his monsters is a long and complicated record of terror, blood, glory, and death. The setting draws us to a place and time that's foreign ... Read More

Victoria Sackville-West was born on March 9, 1892. She was the only child of Vita Sackville-West became a novelist and poet, and she would become known for The Land, for ... Read More

Mark Twain managed to get himself invovlved in just a little bit of nearly anything you could imagine. He was an inventor; he founded his own publishing house; and he ... Read More

March is Reading Month! To read is to make out the written words and sentences on a page. Reading can be an escape into another time and place; it can ... Read More

Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806-1861) was a famous Victorian poet long before she began her relationship with Robert Browning when she was 39 (first carried on through letters). With works like ... Read More

In a recent story from Reuters, via Yahoo, there was news of another suicide bombing. Some 30 people were killed, but what makes it of interest to this site is ... Read More

If you've ever wanted to read Death Be Not Proud, by John Gunther, here's a study guide to help you come to a better understanding of the memoir. Gunther writes, ... Read More

>Sexy, jazzy, and more than just a little bit troubled--women like Edna St. Vincent Millay, Dorthy Parker, Zelda Fitzgerald, and Edna Ferber made their marks on the world of literature ... Read More

The story of Samson and Delilah is one of those famous romances-turned-betrayal. Samson was a man who had strength beyond reason, but he loved the wrong woman, and she betrayed ... Read More

Women's History Month is the perfect time to celebrate the accomplishments of women writers, but it's also important to remember famous heroines, who have played such a major role in ... Read More

Today, we celebrate books! Find out what's happening for World Book Day--in libraries, book stores, bookstores, etc. The promoters claim that the World Book Day is the "biggest annual celebration ... Read More