In light of Howard Jacobson’s victory for The Finkler Question, Laura Miller at Salon explains why the Man Booker Prize is the best of the literary awards.
In Praise of the Booker
A Medieval Guide to Children’s Table Manners
Children have been naughty for centuries—if you want proof, check out this recently digitized medieval manuscript from the British Library.
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Up with Me
If you’re an insomniac, you probably feel an odd kinship with people who work the night shift, especially if you live in a large city which is easy to explore on sleepless nights. At The Rumpus, Jess Lowry recalls her own late nights in Manhattan.
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Pride and Fiscal Prudence
According to the BBC, Jane Austen will replace Charles Darwin on the Bank of England’s new £10 notes.
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The History of the Blurb
What if Petrarch had blurbed The Divine Comedy, or Shakespeare, “author of Tony Award-winning sensation Hamlet,” had reviewed Don Quixote? Tom Rachman imagines these blurbs and more for The Rumpus, and his piece pairs well with our brief history of the blurb.
Grit & Grace
At The New York Times, Stanley Fish on True Grit as “a truly religious movie” in its understanding of the Christian idea of grace.
Book Cover Beauties
Snazzy speculative book covers for some Jules Verne classics. (via)
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Virginia Woolf Gazes Backward
Lauren Groff takes a closer look at Virginia Woolf's second novel, Night and Day, which has a noticeably different tone than her other books.
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Blogs Worth Reading
Largehearted Boy has put out an updated installment of his “Blogs to Read.” This year, he modified his approach to include collectively authored sites, “to better include the collaborative websites I read every day.” The Millions is included as are a number of other excellent sites.
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