Esther's Classic Literature Blog

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 ... Read More

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 ... Read More

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 ... Read More

It's the anniversary of the big San Francisco earthquake, the catastrophic event that engulfed the city in fire and smoke as chaos reigned. It's been called the "deadliest earthquake in ... Read More

Whether you've just purchased the book, you've had the book for decades, it's been passed down in an inheritance, or you're just curious to know before you buy--discovering the value ... Read More

Seamus Heaney is a Nobel-Prize winning Irish poet--born on April 13, 1939. In his Nobel Lecture, he said: "Only the very stupid or the very deprived can any longer help ... Read More

On April 11, 2007, Kurt Vonnegut died. It was a tragic loss. But, you can measure the effectiveness of a writer by what he leaves behind--the power of his words, and ... Read More

I find myself getting into more and more debates related to our education system-particularly related to reading and writing. We're often talking about the basics of reading and writing, but ... Read More

Like today... it's hard to sit inside and work, when the sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and I can see the trees weave their meandering dance--back and forth ... Read More

I once took a class in fiction-writing class (took quite a few of them actually)... but in this one the professor talked about how to flesh out the character, make ... Read More