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
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…
Bikini Shakespeare? Thanks, YouTube
Ah, YouTube. While it's undoubtedly a place to be entertained, discover amazing talent, and even learn, it's also home to pretty much the worst in lowest-common-denominator promotional content of every stripe. Several readers emailed the eNotes tipline to let us know about "Bikini Shakespeare", a series that combines poor readings of the Bard's work…
National Book Critics Circle Award Finalists Announced
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…
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Are Public Libraries Still Relevant?
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
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…
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History Belongs to the…Revisionists? A Cleaned-Up “Huck Finn” Is Coming
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…
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Worst and Best Books-to-Film
Ahhh the holidays! For lots of us, a few days off means lazing in bed and catching up on some reading and movie-watching. You may be tempted to do a bit of both by renting or buying a film based on a book. Some are wonderful, some are...well... stinkers. Here are five films you should avoid…