The longest word in the English language is not antidisestablishmentarianism. Nor is it supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. It is, in fact, the chemical name of titin, the largest known protein. And now you can listen to all 189,819 letters of it being pronounced. Bonus points if you work it into your next conversation.
That’s a Mouthful
Get a Room
From one great publication to another: The Atlantic gushes over the “phenomenal” New York Review of Books.
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Babies (And Their Parents) Prefer Paper
E-books may be gaining market share in a lot of demographics, but there’s one age-group in which paper still reigns supreme: toddlers.
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The Etiquette of Books
“Books: As with food and clothing, they’re a commodity that elicits status anxiety for many people, particularly the insecure. And wherever there is status anxiety, there are potential minefields. We need to tread with the lightness of meringue.” Henry Alford explains the etiquette of books for The New York Times.
Wild Wells
Recommended Reading: Wells Tower’s short story “Wild America” at The Oxford American.
Just Another Award
“Four years after first announcing the decision to open the prize to Americans, the Booker is virtually indistinguishable from its competitors. It is exactly what many feared it would become: corporate and daft.” Alex Shephard writing for The New Republic about why the Man Booker Prize isn’t interesting anymore. Still, should you want to know who’s shortlisted this year, here’s our roundup.
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Honorée Fanonne Jeffers on Telling Human Stories Through Poetry
Honorée Fanonne Jeffers discusses her collection of poetry, The Age of Phillis, which imagines the life of poet Phillis Wheatley.
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