writing

David Letterman receives the 2017 Mark Twain Prize.

The honor for comedic excellence has been turned down a couple of times and rescinded once.

You’re not the only person who has Googled “NPC meaning” of late.

The cover of Octavia E. Butler’s ‘Parable of the Sower.’

When Octavia E. Butler wrote her science fiction novel ‘The Parable of the Sower,’ she vowed to include only things that could actually happen.

Kay Powell has written some stunning obituaries.

Forget about the funny pages. If Kay Powell wrote for your paper, you dove straight into the death notices.

"Bitter Bierce" had a sharp sense of humor. It may have gotten him killed.

Novelists have used everything from real killers to newsworthy hostage situations to literal white whales to craft their fiction.

You’ll want to add ‘The Deep,’ My Heart Is a Chainsaw,’ ‘Our Share of Night,’ and ‘The Between’ to your reading list.

If you want to expand your horror reading beyond Stephen King, look no further than this list, which features everyone from Mariana Enriquez to Stephen Graham Jones and beyond.

Their (often literal) blood feud is a relatively modern creation. So how did vampires and werewolves end up at each other’s throats?

Victor Hugo, Anne Rice, and Thomas Hardy were all believers.

Some, like Harriet Beecher Stowe and Victor Hugo, believed they had communicated with spirits directly; others, like Nathaniel Hawthorne and Thomas Hardy, had ghostly encounters they couldn’t explain.

The novelist endured a crash in East Africa. Then his 'rescue' plane went down, too.

Incorporate these words into your conversations this fall.

Try spicing your fall with a few of these rustic charmers, drawn from the pages of Washington Irving.

Whether you’re a nostalgic kid-at-heart or a parent shopping for kids of your own, here are some fun retro back-to-school products from the 1970s, ‘80s, and ‘90s that you can still buy today.

The eruption of Mt. Vesuvius destroyed Herculaneum—but may have preserved a lost library of Epicurus's writings.

Historians were struck by the tantalizing possibility that this library might contain missing works of some of history’s greatest writers—works thought to have been lost forever.

Invented by Louis Braille in 1824, the tactile braille system has helped blind people read and write for nearly 200 years.

Add more to your TBR pile this Pride Month with these celebrated fiction and nonfiction works.

The Stonewall Book Award celebrates LGBTQ+ literature and includes standouts from authors like Alison Bechdel, Rivers Solomon, and Michael Cunningham.

There's a multitude of pencil types out there.

Almost every syllabus, teacher, and standardized test requires a No. 2 pencil. Are there other choices out there?

Writers strikes have a major impact on TV and film production, as the most recent strike—which began on May 2, 2023—has made clear.

Agatha Christie's work is under fresh scrutiny.

Some passages from Agatha Christie’s library are being eliminated in an effort to address concerns over alleged xenophobia and racist descriptions.

These award-winning books are worth adding to your reading list.

Here are some of the most unforgettable books to earn the Women’s Prize for Fiction from celebrated authors like Zadie Smith, Téa Obreht, and others.

The celebrated author decided she wanted to adopt a new writing identity for a mystery novel. It didn't turn out well.

Amelia Bloomer popularized the pants that would come to bear her name—but she didn't invent them.

Amelia Bloomer’s impact on the women’s rights movement went much further than inspiring a fashion revolution.

The '80s video game 'Legend of Zelda' was definitely named after "America's first flapper." Learn more incredible facts about Zelda Fitzgerald here.

Hughes was often called "The People's Poet."

Langston Hughes was a poet, novelist, playwright, and reporter who helped define the Harlem Renaissance. Find out more about his life and work.

Zora Neale Hurston in a portrait by Carl Van Vechten.

Writer and folklorist Zora Neale Hurston’s literary legacy is a class apart. Here are some facts you might not have known about the author of “Their Eyes Were Watching God.”

All 25 Recipients of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor

25 of the Most Confusing Acronyms and Initialisms

11 Fascinating Facts About Octavia E. Butler’s ‘Parable of the Sower’

America’s Greatest Obituary Writer

Ambrose Bierce, the Dark Humorist Who Disappeared

12 Novels Inspired by Real Events

11 Contemporary Horror Authors to Read (Who Aren’t Stephen King)

When Did Vampires and Werewolves Start Hating Each Other?

9 Authors Who Believed in Ghosts

When Ernest Hemingway Walked Away From Two Plane Crashes Just Hours Apart

11 Delightful Words From Washington Irving’s Autumn Stories

12 Retro Back-to-School Products For Kids and Grown-Ups

The Lost Library of Herculaneum: Unravelling the Scrolls That Mount Vesuvius Almost Destroyed

10 Brilliant Facts About Braille

15 Incredible Books by Stonewall Book Award Winners

Are There No. 1 Pencils?

8 TV Shows That Were Creatively Altered by a Writers Strike

Agatha, Edited: Mystery Author Agatha Christie’s Work Is Being Reworked to Remove Objectionable Content

13 Must-Read Books by Women’s Prize for Fiction Winners

When Joyce Carol Oates Tried—and Failed—to Fool the World As 'Rosamond Smith'

9 Fascinating Facts About Amelia Bloomer

12 Fascinating Facts About Zelda Fitzgerald

8 Fascinating Facts About Langston Hughes

10 Fascinating Facts About Zora Neale Hurston