Dana Greene, author of Jane Kenyon: The Making of a Poet, answers questions on her new book. Q: Why did you decide to write this book? I like Kenyon’s poetry. […]
Tag: literature
National Reading Month Reading List
This year for National Reading Month, we are highlighting our latest and greatest publications in the field of literary studies. (Psst see if you can spot the nod to Dr. […]
Q&A with Jonathan R. Eller, author of Bradbury Beyond Apollo
Jonathan R. Eller, author of Bradbury Beyond Apollo, the final book in his trilogy biography of Ray Bradbury, answers questions about his reasoning for writing a trilogy, academic and literary […]
Octavia Butler and a new direction
Octavia Butler accomplished many near-impossibles. She succeeded as a woman in science fiction. She succeeded as an African American woman in science fiction. She also broke out of the genre’s […]
“I don’t write utopian science fiction”
Excerpts from Octavia E. Butler, the new Modern Masters of Science Fiction book by Gerry Canavan: “If we humans are, as Lauren believes, and as I believe, a part of Earth […]
200 Years of Illinois: Tarzan the Everlasting
This October marks the 104th anniversary of the debut of a pop culture titan. Born of woman, raised by apes, Tarzan swung into American consciousness via the pen of underemployed […]
Ask the Bolshevik: A Nobel confusion
Dear Bolshevik, As a part of the highbrow academic publishing community, what do you think about Bob Dylan winning the Nobel Prize in Literature? I know you’re not putting out […]
Sarah Whitney on Jodi Picoult
In the new UIP release Splattered Ink, Sarah Whitney explores postfeminist gothic, that blockbuster-laden, Oprah-sanctified genre literary that jars readers, rejects happy endings (and beginnings), and finds powerful new ways to talk […]
Trivia Friday: Writin’ Illini
Answers below. 1. The forty-nine bells on the McFarland Carillon know 500 pre-programmed songs thanks to a computer, or can be played from a keyboard. On September 20, 2008, some […]
Report from Airstrip One
“There will be no curiosity, no enjoyment of the process of life. All competing pleasures will be destroyed. But always—do not forget this, Winston—always there will be the intoxication of […]
The Other Hawthorne’s Weird Tales
Julian Hawthorne hustled. An independent contractor par excellence, the son of Nathaniel Hawthorne reported on foreign wars and domestic politics, published novels, penned short stories, dreamt up theosophist blarney, raked […]