Art
How Long Did It Take to Write Some of the World's Most Popular Books?
Amateurs may think that inspiration drives artistic production, but professionals know the muses are rarely to blame for creative clogging.
literature
Books
Vladimir Nabokov's Scientific Butterfly Illustrations
At the end of Vladimir Nabokov's poem "Pale Fire," he describes how "White butterflies turn lavender as they / Pass through its shade where gently seems to sway / The phantom of my little daughter's swing."
Art
The Poisons, Potions, and Charms of Shakespeare’s Plays
Potions, poisons, and symbolic herbs are frequent plot devices in the plays of William Shakespeare, and reflect the medical knowledge of his time.
In Brief
A Digital Re-creation of a Lost 18th-Century Shakespeare Museum
One of the first museums created for the enjoyment of the middle class was the Shakespeare Gallery, opened in 1789 by John Boydell.
Art
Imagining the Thoughts of Women Readers in Paintings
One recurring image in the paintings of Western art history is that of a woman sitting in solitude, seemingly lost in the pages of a book.
Art
22,000 Images from Leading US & UK Authors, Including Wilde & Thoreau, Released Online
Around 22,000 images from collections on 25 authors are now available through the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas.
Art
The Lonely, Private Paintings of Tennessee Williams
NEW ORLEANS — On the patio of his cottage in Key West, with his most celebrated writing years behind him, playwright Tennessee Williams took refuge in painting.
News
Historian Cracks a Code and Discovers a Possible Portrait of Shakespeare
"I know a bank where the wild thyme blows," William Shakespeare wrote in a stanza from A Midsummer Night's Dream.
Art
Using Fiction to Map the Emotional Geography of Victorian London
The Stanford Literary Lab has plotted quotes from over 700 19th-century authors who mentioned locations in London in order to compose concentrations of dread or happiness.
News
The Library of Congress Is Uploading 75 Years of Poetry and Literature Recordings
Yesterday selections from the Archive of Recorded Poetry and Literature at the Library of Congress became available to stream online for the first time.
Opinion
The Problem with the "Medical Humanities"
A work of literature or art can be effective in different ways — most of which are by nature invisible.
News
Mysterious Engravings Question Authorship of Shakespeare's Works
William Shakespeare was a commoner who wrote witty plays attended by Queen Elizabeth. Sir Francis Bacon was a noble who served as her Attorney General. Right?