Author: jwheeler1967

Lead Editor at eNotes.com, Associate Faculty English Collin College, Richland College

Ten Presidential Ponderings: Memoirs, Biographies, and More

jwheeler1967 February 22, 2011

"American history is a quagmire, and the more one knows, the quaggier the mire gets." — Sarah Vowell Sometimes it's fun to get into the muck of politics, so we thought that for President's Day this year, we would offer you some titles that offer insight, personality, behind-the-scences intrigue, and sometimes humor in consideration of…

Literature’s Top 10 Lovers

jwheeler1967 February 15, 2011

You didn't think we here at eNotes would let Valentine's Day go by unnoticed did you? As soon as we came down off our sugar highs, we began composing our list of favorites. Here, by demand and consensus, are ten of Cupid's best pairings (at least in literature). 10. Petrarch and Laura. Ahh...Laura...the original "woman…

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Top Ten Love Poems for Your Valentine

jwheeler1967 February 8, 2011

It's almost that time again. Valentine's Day is coming up and you'd like to do something a little more romantic for your beloved than the typical Hallmark greeting card. Fortunately, we here at eNotes are prepared to be your very own Cyrano. Here are some of the best love poems ever penned. 1. "She Walks In Beauty" by…

Ten Worst Novel Cover Art of All Time

jwheeler1967 February 1, 2011

Authors rarely have any say in what cover art is chosen to adorn their works. The interpretations can often be down-right ridiculous. Here, for your viewing pleasure/horror are the worst-of-the-worst, the baddest-of-the-bad, and the silliest-of-the-silliest. Here we have Jane Eyre, apparently channeling Jane Russell. Jane's supposed to be homely?? That'll never sell. And perhaps her…

National Book Critics Circle Award Finalists Announced

jwheeler1967 January 25, 2011

This past Saturday, the finalists for the National Book Critics Circle Awards were announced. Among the finalists are Johnathan Franzen for Freedom and Siddhartha Mukharjee for The Emperor of All Maladies. Along with the Pulitzer Prize (2010 winner, Tinkers by Paul Harding) and the Man Booker Prize (2010 winner, The Finkler Question by Harold Jacobson), the NBCC…

Are Public Libraries Still Relevant?

jwheeler1967 January 18, 2011

I confess. There is a public library within walking distance of my house. I have lived here two years and have never ventured inside. This is not to say I never visit libraries, but the ones I tend to haunt are university collections. If I want a novel or another non-fiction work outside of my…

Well, Good Luck With That: No Jobs in Humanities

jwheeler1967 January 10, 2011

Last week, the Modern Language Association (MLA) held their annual convention in Los Angeles, California. Some 8,000 professors, graduate students, and others in the humanities field were in attendance. They shared papers, listened to lectures, and awaited word from the organization's executive director, Rosemary Feal, about the state of the job market for those involved…

Books

History Belongs to the…Revisionists? A Cleaned-Up “Huck Finn” Is Coming

jwheeler1967 January 3, 2011

The pitifulest thing out is a mob; that's what an army is--a mob; they don't fight with courage that's born in them, but with courage that's borrowed from their mass, and from their officers. But a mob without any MAN at the head of it is BENEATH pitifulness. ~ The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Chapter 22 by…