Andrew Hazlett discovers that following the keyword “humanities” on Twitter is not the best way to keep tabs on the discipline.
Oh, The Humanities
The Best Book for Every State
This week in book-related internet graphics: “A Map of the Best Book for Every State,” complete with the promise that “every last one will let you understand a time and place in a more profound way than you maybe thought possible.”
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The Science of Poetry
Recommended Listening: David Naimon interviews Ursula K. Le Guin about her latest poetry collection, Late in the Day. Pair with Paul Morton’s Millions interview with the author.
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An Encounter with a Stranger
Over at Longreads, you can read the first chapter of Alexander Chee’s The Queen of the Night – one of the most anticipated books of 2016.
Tabloid Fodder
“Sitting down to read The Actress, Amy Sohn’s newest novel, is even better than standing in line at the grocery store while the person in front of you disputes the price of a carton of orange juice, giving you extra time to read the tabloids. The Actress might be as licentious as a tabloid, but it is far more intelligently written. And, you probably won’t be reading it while standing in line inside a grocery store.”
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Mieko Kawakami on the Finality of Being Born
David McNeill profiles author Mieko Kawakami, whose recently translated novel, Breasts and Eggs, has shaken the world of Japanese literature.
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The 2010 Booker Longlist Odds
With the Booker longlist out, that means betting is underway. Bookies are calling David Mitchell, Tom McCarthy, and Andrea Levy the favorites right now, with Damon Galgut the longest shot to win the prize.
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Hey, thanks for the notice! Big fan of The Millions (and the new design).
I don’t want to beat a dead (or dying) horse, but the “humanities” Twitter stream continues to crank out amusing/depressing commentary…
Case in point: “mann there supposed to be cute girls in humanities classes. the women look like chernobyl victims in here. this class must be hard. shit”
On the other hand, you also get kids tweeting things like: “Humanities is probably going to be the best class ever. :) I’m pumped!”
The thing that baffles me is that so many schools are apparently cramming everything from archaeology to philosophy to history to art criticism into *one* course. How the hell is that supposed to lead to anything worthwhile?