Best known for her raw and vivid portrayal of the racial struggles that defined the American south of the early 20th century, African-American novelist Zora Neale Hurston’s work now holds a unique place in the canon of American literature, despite the fact that much of her work went unrecognized during her lifetime. Born one ofContinue reading “The Works of Zora Neale Hurston”
Category Archives: Authors
Allen Ginsberg and the Beat Generation.
The Post-War American literary movement, the Beat Generation, was born in the “Harlem of the West”, or, the Fillmore District of San Francisco, a rich and diverse arts district where rent was inexpensive and there was no lack of culture; the young, hip and artistic communed at gritty jazz clubs, informal poetry readings, and bohemianContinue reading “Allen Ginsberg and the Beat Generation.”
The Life and Lessons of Henry Hazlitt
Considered among the leading economic thinkers of the twentieth century, American financial journalist and writer Henry Stuart Hazlitt is perhaps best known for introducing the ideas of the Austrian School of economics to American thought. Through both his prolific literary career and editorial reviews of the revolutionary works of leading economists including Ludwig Von Mises and F.A. Hayek,Continue reading “The Life and Lessons of Henry Hazlitt”
Women Authors of Young Adult Speculative and Science Fiction – Part II
This week we invite you to continue exploring the works of the women who define contemporary young adult speculative and science fiction, a topic we began to discuss in Women Authors of Young Adult Speculative and Science Fiction – Part I. With novels topping the New York Times Best Seller list for months at aContinue reading “Women Authors of Young Adult Speculative and Science Fiction – Part II”
Women Authors of Young Adult Speculative and Science Fiction – Part I
Women authors have historically played a significant role in the literary sub-genre of young adult speculative and science fiction. Truly emerging as a genre in the mid 1960’s with the publication of Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time, the genre has evolved to include such contemporary authors as Suzanne Collins and J.K. Rowling, whose novelsContinue reading “Women Authors of Young Adult Speculative and Science Fiction – Part I”
The Lives of the Sisters Brontë
Raised in the mid 19th-century in the parsonage of Haworth in a small village in the countryside of Northern England, Charlotte, Emily and Anne Brontë created what have come to be considered some of the greatest works of literature, despite the isolation and often devastating conditions that defined their short lives. The sisters experienced griefContinue reading “The Lives of the Sisters Brontë”
Jules Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea
19th century French novelist Jules Verne has often been referred to as the “Father of Science Fiction” as well as a ‘prophet of scientific progress’ for his uncannily predictive depictions of scientific innovations and inventions long before their time. Born the son of a prominent lawyer in the seaport of Nantes, Verne was raised withContinue reading “Jules Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea”
The Life and Works of Alfred Lord Tennyson
Described by T.S. Eliot as “the saddest of all English poets”, Alfred Lord Tennyson is considered, to this day, to be one of Britain’s greatest poets. Heavily influenced by the strictly metered and often melancholic style of the English Romantic poets, Tennyson’s verse illustrated a mastery of rhythm and descriptive imagery drawing on both theContinue reading “The Life and Works of Alfred Lord Tennyson”
First Edition Novels by Thomas Pynchon
20th century American novelist Thomas Pynchon was known for his brilliant, yet maddeningly complex works including postmodern novel Gravity’s Rainbow, the powerful and popular The Crying of Lot 49, and V. Born in Long Island, his ancestry reached as far back in America to William Pynchon, who founded Springfield, Massachusetts in 1636. Ever since, his ancestors have accumulated wealthContinue reading “First Edition Novels by Thomas Pynchon”
The Adventurous Life and Works of Jack London
Jack London was the most successful writer in America in the early 20th century, and his books have been cherished by travelers, environmentalists, and activists for decades. Born and raised in the Bay Area, he was the first American novelist to achieve worldwide celebrity status from his fiction alone. His works surrounded radical topics at the time,Continue reading “The Adventurous Life and Works of Jack London”