Edgar A. Poe: Mournful and Never-ending Remembrance
Edgar Allan Poe is recognized as one of the greatest American writers, but his life was fraught with financial and emotional devastation. He seemed to live larger than life, but many of the Byronic exploits he bragged about were blatantly fictional.

Little Red Riding Hood Uncloaked
Forget everything you ever thought you knew about fairy tales, and "Little Red Riding Hood." In this book, Catherine Orenstein explores the history of the fairy tale, from the French court, Charles Perrault, Hans Christian Anderson, the brothers Grimm, Bruno Bettelheim, Italo Calvino, Gwen Strauss, and Anne Sexton.

Discovery of Atlantis
In "Discovery of Atlantis," Robert Sarmast discusses the origins of the Atlantis legend, starting with the first written records by Plato more than 2,000 years ago. He takes a look at Plato's famous works, "Timaeus" and "Critia," explaining how these two works were influenced by even older manuscripts, which have since been lost.

The Real Trial of Oscar Wilde
"The Real Trial of Oscar Wilde" offers a look at some of the most dramatic moments in Oscar Wilde's life, but the records for those trials have remained unpublished since 1895, deemed "unfit for publication." Now, HarperCollins introduces the first published transcripts of Wilde's trial, complete with an introduction and commentary by Merlin Holland, Wilde's grandson.

Mark Twain Inspirations
If you're wondering about some of the inspirations of Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens), here's what he had to say about it! Read more about the quotes and sayings, and other stuff from Mark Twain.

Tolkien in the Land of Heroes
Heroes come to us in our greatest myths and legends. They are persons of extraordinary strength and courage, often sacrificing their lives and freedom to save the land and people. Anne Petty explores the history of heroism in Tolkien's Middle-earth with her new book, "Tolkien in the Land of Heroes."

The Skin of Our Teeth
"The Skin of Our Teeth," by Thornton Wilder was published in 1943 to critical and controversial acclaim. The play is a hilarious romp through human experience, taking in many of the prominent voices in literary history; but the play has a darker side as well.

Brave New World
In a futuristic society based on pleasure without moral repercussions, Aldous Huxley places a few oddball characters to stir up the plot. With eugenics at its core, this novel harkens back to Shakespeare's "The Tempest," where Miranda says, "O brave new world, that hath such people in it."

Arthur Miller: His Life and Works
In his newest biography, award-winning Martin Gottfried explores the life and works of Arthur Miller, a controversial figure in American theater. With more than 400 books, articles and theses written about just one of Miller's plays, Gottfried discusses why Miller's plays have been as popular as they've been hotly debated.

Autobiography of Mark Twain
Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) has been likened to Walt Whitman as one of the most quintessentially American writers this country has produced. While this book does not contain Mark Twain's complete autobiography, the stories do leave us with more of a flavor for the man and the legend.

My Last Duchess
"My Last Duchess" is a great example of dramatic dialogue, a poetic form used to narrate and dramatize Victorian concerns. Read more about Robert Browning's famous work.

Death Be Not Proud
In "Death Be Not Proud," John Gunther explores the process of death: discovery, fighting, living on, and then dying. The process becomes just a little bit easier, as humor, human kindness and courage all are woven in. More than just about dying, this memoir becomes a study of living.

Pirate Hunter
Pirates appear in some of our greatest adventure literature, with Robert Louis Stevenson and others helping us to imagine the pirate life... In this new book, Richard Zacks explores the pirate life and adventures from the viewpoint of Captain Kidd, a man who has been called a pirate for several centuries.

The Book Festival Comes Home
The National Book Festival, hosted by First Lady Laura Bush, will take place on October 4, 2003. This is the third year for the event.

Banned Book Week: Open Your Mind to a Banned Book
Since 1981, we have celebrated Banned Books Week (BBW) every year. The week gives us an excuse when we can read all those famously banned and burned books (even though we shouldn't need an excuse). The Bible, Grimm's fairy tales, Huxley's "Brave New World," and Mark Twain's "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" have all been banned. Even dictionaries have been removed from classrooms and libraries.

Defining Terms: Myth, folklore, legend, etc.
Fairy tales, myths, legends, and folklore are terms that may seem to mean the same thing, but they have profoundly different meanings. Read more about it...

Sherlock Holmes Discovered: The Hound of the Baskervilles
Read Kate O'Leary-Cole's review of "The Hound of the Baskervilles."

Robin Hood: A Mythic Biography
In this mythic biography, Stephen Knight traces the origins of the legend, providing invaluable insights into why Robin Hood is still such an essential and evolving legend in our culture and literature. Here, Knight presents many of the truths and fallacies of Robin Hood, as he explores our conceptions and representations of the legend.

The Poet and the Murderer
Imagine discovering an unknown poem by a great poet like Emily Dickinson. It may shed new light on her life and works! Who would want to think that such a poem could be a forgery? But it was.