Literature

Azar Nafisi is the recipient of the 2015 Benjamin Franklin Creativity Laureate in the Humanities and Public Service.

Azar Nafisi on Why the Arts and Humanities Are Critical to the American Vision

The author of "Reading Lolita in Tehran" and recipient of a Smithsonian award, discusses why in education art matters as much as science

It's time for the Romance Novel to get its due as an influential genre in the literary canon.

Why Can’t Romance Novels Get Any Love?

The genre is long overdue to be the focus of serious study from academics

Miguel de Cervantes is best known for creating Don Quixote, a whimsical knight.

Did Archaeologists Just Find Miguel de Cervantes, 400 Years After His Death?

A centuries-old crypt could hold the answer to the mystery of Cervantes’ missing remains

From left: Princess Tiger Lily, Indian Chief and Peter Pan as depicted in the 1953 film.

The Racist History of Peter Pan's Indian Tribe

Even in the early 20th century, though, critics saw Tiger Lily and her fellow "Picaninnies" as caricatures

A Lost John Steinbeck Short Story Was Rediscovered, Published

The short story deals with the racial politics of the mid-20th century

The ruins of Tokat Castle in northern Turkey.

Archaeologists Think They’ve Found the Dungeon Where Dracula Was Kept

Vlad the Impaler was likely held captive in Turkey's Tokat Castle

The power of science fiction comes from the license to dream.

What Idea From Science Fiction Would You Most Like To See Become Reality?

Astronomers, writers and an astronaut weigh in with some interesting answers

Artist Roman Muradov's interpretation of a scene from Tolstoy's Anna Karenina for Google Doodle.

Google Doodle Honors the Genius of Leo Tolstoy

On what would be his 186th birthday, see the author's famous works digitally brought to life

Maya Angelou by Ross Rossin, 2013.

Maya Angelou Was One of the Most Influential Voices of Our Time

Maya Angelou was poet, novelist, educator, producer, actress, filmmaker, dancer and civil rights activist

Larry Kramer and his dog, Charley, in 2011.

Larry Kramer Waited 30 Years for His Play About the Early Years of AIDS to Be a Film

Kramer hopes "The Normal Heart" inspires a new generation of activists

Dracula’s Castle Is for Sale

Bran Castle can be yours for a rumored $80 million

Patrick Stewart on His Craft, 21st-Century Science and Robot Ethics

The actor whose leading roles in “Star Trek” and X-Men have taken him into the far future, reflects on where present-day society is headed

A tea party. Inspired by Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland: "Alice looked all round the table, but there was nothing on it but tea."

What it Takes to Cook Some of Literature's Most Famous Meals

Dinah Fried's new photo book brings the words of authors such as James Joyce and Lewis Caroll to life

Noah's Ark on Mount Ararat, by Simon de Myle

Ten Ancient Stories and the Geological Events That May Have Inspired Them

If you dig deep enough, say scientists, you can find some truth to legends and creation stories

Richard Halliburton in Hong Kong.

The Last Adventure of Richard Halliburton, the Forgotten Hero of 1930s America

Seventy-five years ago, the idol of America’s youth set out on what would be his final journey

As Ernest Hemingway once wrote, "Paris is a moveable feast." Here's how to explore the City of Lights on his terms.

A Guide to Hemingway's Paris

From writing haunts to favorite bars, follow the ex-pat author's steps through Paris

A room furnished according to Poe's "The Philosophy of Furniture" for a 1959 exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum

Edgar Allan Poe, Interior Design Critic

What scared the author of 'The Pit and the Pendulum'? Bad design.

Have patience, says this bouquet of two roses and two carnations.

Send Your Valentine a Secret Message in the Language of Flowers, Updated for Modern Lovers

Certain flowers had well-understood meanings back in Victorian times, and now a London startup is trying to revive floriography for current times

The Holmes of BBC/Masterpiece's Sherlock, played by Benedict Cumberbatch, uses a mnemonic device straight out of ancient Greece—the mind palace.

The Secrets of Sherlock’s Mind Palace

The BBC/Masterpiece sleuth employs a memory technique invented by the ancient Greeks

Hustle through America's Huckster History with a Smithsonian Curator as Your Guide

A blow by blow of the flimflams and tales of hustlers throughout history, art and literature

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