Literally Blogging

Are there such things as fairies? Of course, duh. That’s not up for debate. What is in question is your knowledge of fairy tales! Not those stupid saccharine Disney versions either…the real world of literary fairy tales, full of darkness and depravity and gore.

Give it a try, if you dare! Answers will appear tomorrow.

Little Red Riding Hood had a ‘real’ first name. What was it?

In Beauty and the Beast, beauty ends up in married bliss, but what is the fate of her two evil sisters?

A mega-famous fairy tale character is known in different lands as Rashin Coatie (Scotland), Aschenputtel …read more

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Few expressions of literature reflect our humanity more than poetry. It has a way of succintly and directly, through metaphor and symbolism, rhyme and meter, that exposes our most innermost selves. It speaks to the individual and it speaks to society. April is National Poetry Month and the 30 days of April barely seem long enough to explore all that poetry is.
If you haven’t explored poetry, thinking it too stuffy or perhaps too vague, take some time to rethink that stand. Poetry has a way of speaking to our hears and souls the way few forms …read more

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About three months ago, I found a wonderful book club online. Well, maybe book club isn’t the best description. It is like a giant wish list that… well, that’s not really it either. Let me try again. This book club had resources to help me find books that I might be interested in… but that wasn’t all. The name of this site is Book Browse and it is a great Web site for readers who need a little organization and love to hear about new books.

Let’s face it. When you go to your “Local Bookstore,” …read more

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No, I do not understand string theory. And furthermore, I do not wish to understand the complex mathematics that go into the study of it. But I still found The Elegant Universe,” fascinating, and with the author’s ability to explain physics, and then make it matter to Joe Average, I would have to say string theory is really pretty interesting stuff. I think it will be safe to assume that Dr. Brian Greene’s new book, The Fabric of the Cosmos,” will be just as interesting.
Backtracking a little bit, I have to state that I believe nonfiction is …read more

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I know a lot of people who love to read, also have some visual challenges. And audio books aren’t cheap – not by a long shot. There are some options online but some of them are pretty pricey as well. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have a library of audio books for a reasonable price each month?
I found the perfect solution. It was a moment of pure serendipity. Picture someone stumbling into a doorway and falling flat on their face in the entry hall. That is, in a cyber-kind-of way what happened to me. …read more

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Hidden in the collections of Philadelphia libraries is an unexpected treasure — a rich trove of more than 7,000 medieval and Renaissance miniature paintings showing religious scenes, classical tales, historical events, and medieval romances. Many have never been on public display, or even studied by scholars. (From Leaves of Gold)
This is a collaborative project of the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Philadelphia Area Consortium of Special Collection Libraries. That is quite a mouthful! And it is also quite a collection. I was sure, to be honest, what an illuminated collection was. Now I wish …read more

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The Nebula Awards are the most coveted (arguably) award with authors of speculative fiction – that is to say, science fiction and fantasy. This year’s winners are Lois McMaster Bujold, Eileen Gunn, Ellen Klages, and Walter Jon Williams, and Anne McCaffrey. The award is given by members of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA). The Hugo is the only other award that is dedicated to science fiction, and the winners are selected by the fans of the books.

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First, I want to give a big welcome to my wonderful friend Adelle Tilton, who is now writing here at Literally Blogging! You’ll love Adelle…trust me, you just can’t help it! Hooray for Adelle!
And now, on to our topic. I was listening to Bang Go the Bells in the car the other day, a song so glorious it’s nearly impossible to believe that Babylon A.D. never produced another noteworthy song. In my opinion, anyhow. Of course, I am the Rock Goddess, so my opinion is right.
It’s not an original story; the road to fame is littered with the broken bodies …read more

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I just finished reading The Year of Magical Thinking. I was attracted to the book because of the topic of grief and bereavement, but I don’t see it as a book that is only suited for those who have lost a husband or faced a potentially fatal illness in a child. It is a beautiful work of nonfiction – the creative expression of what Ms. Didion experienced during her first year of widowhood is called “taut,” by Publisher’s Weekly, “lacerating yet peculiarly stirring,” by The Washington Post, and “a stunning book of electric honesty and passion,” by Random …read more

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I found a really creative site today. It’s a lot of fun and it provides a lot of information. The name of the site is Gnooks, which I am assuming is pronounced, “nooks.” It is a rather unique way of researching literature and authors. It also has a forum and a nifty little shopping tool.
But the best part of Gnooks, in my opinion, is the Literature Map. This isn’t a traditional map. When I found the site, and entered in an author’s name (I chose Willa Cather) I expected to find a dot on …read more

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