Every two years, the ASU English Department takes a day to celebrate Geoffrey Chaucer; the so-called father of English poetry was pivotal in bringing vernacular Middle English into the realm of literature, where French and Latin dominated during the Middle Ages. While his accomplishments might be old news (circa the…
Mystery writers Nevada Barr and Keith McCafferty have never met, but they are members of a two-person society of mutual admiration that spans nearly three years and several states. Barr is a celebrated novelist who’s written 18 books featuring a national parks ranger named Anna Pigeon. McCafferty is a Field…
If you’ve picked up a children’s book lately, you may have noticed that they’re a little outdated, not to mention out of touch. Seriously, do you know anyone who owns a farm with one red barn containing one chicken, one pig, and one cow? We didn’t think so. Fortunately for…
I am living in 1927, in London, Scotland, Paris, and Florida. I ride in Rolls-Royces, wear the jewels from the ancient crown of Poland and Catherine the Great, I am married, divorced, widowed, divorced, I have millions and I have pretty close to nothing. I am a silent screen actress,…
South Mountain Community College invites literary buffs to perfect their storytelling craft with a weeklong series of events led by acclaimed storyteller, three-time Emmy Award winner, and Circle of Excellence Oracle Award winner Bobby Norfolk…
It’s that time of year again; time to dedicate a couple of days sifting, flipping, and sniffing through hundreds of thousands of used books and taking home a bag-, cart-, or truck-full of discounted books. It’s time for the VNSA Book Sale, where the shoppers will find themselves in a…
If you’re looking to have your literary voice heard, Four Chambers Press is looking to help make that happen by teaming up with Lawn Gnome Publishing for open mic auditions…
You may not know it yet, but Tom Zoellner’s new book is one you need to read. Like its subject, Train, is by turns lyrical, powerful, romantic, transporting, and rich. The author of A Safeway in Arizona: What the Gabrielle Giffords Shooting Tells Us About the Grand Canyon State and…
Gretchen Rubin’s follow-up to her bestselling book The Happiness Project was 2012’s Happier at Home: Kiss More, Jump More, Abandon Self-Control, and My Other Experiments in Everyday Life, which chronicled her attempt to delve further into the realm of happiness, specifically in areas at home. The paperback version of Happier…
In her new novel, Palmerino, Melissa Pritchard reinvents the life and loves of 19th-century British writer Vernon Lee, born Violet Paget, who is best (although not widely) known today for her supernatural fiction, her inquiries into aesthetics, and her habit of dressing a la garconne, or like a man. Part…
Do you know a person or a business who cares about the human condition? Arizona Humanities, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, is accepting nominations for three humanities awards that will recognize outstanding contributions in 2014…
Since the official announcement earlier this year, central Phoenix has been buzzing about a new Changing Hands Bookstore. The second location would bring the Valley’s favorite indie bookseller to more of the masses and breathe new life into the otherwise stagnant area of Camelback Road and Third Avenue. Located in…
We blame Junie B. Jones for the way we ended up. At least a little. As kids, we shamelessly admired her unwavering opinions, trouble-making ways, and complete lack of hesitation for name-calling. To put it simply: She’s our favorite brat. Always has been; always will be. Barbara Park, the author…
By Tina Riddle Famous for her vampire fiction, Anne Rice has set out to redefine the supernatural genre of werewolves. In her new series, The Wolf Chronicles, which launched in 2012 with The Wolf Gift, she introduced a new hero, Reuben Golding. After being bitten by a mysterious beast, Golding…
Inspired by Business Insider’s map of the most famous book from every state, we put together our own list of 10 books every Arizonan should read, or at least have on the nightstand. We can get number one out of the way right up front — it’s Barbara Kingsolver’s The…
Jake Friedman moved to Phoenix a mere two years ago, but he’s already making his mark in the local writing scene. After working with Hayden’s Ferry Review, the Central Phoenix Writing Workshop, and Uptown P.E.N. (an open mic night at Practical Art that he still hosts regularly), this literary buff…
“People think everything interesting in Phoenix happened yesterday,” says author and Arizona State University Regents’ Professor David W. Foster. Foster, a professor of Spanish and women and gender studies at the university’s School of International Letters and Cultures, recently wrote Glimpses of Phoenix: The Desert Metropolis in Written and Visual…
Carla Norton’s first novel, The Edge of Normal, is a twisted tale of sexual depravity set in the middle of an unsuspecting community. It’s written with the self-assurance and attention to detail that marks a seasoned crime writer — and that’s largely because while this is Norton’s first novel, it’s…
The New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences at ASU West will host comic strip creator and graphic novelist Alison Bechdel at 7 p.m. Tuesday, September 17. At the free event, Bechdel will give a talk, take questions from the audience, and sign books…
On August 19, Governor Jan Brewer named writer Alberto Rios the state’s first Poet Laureate. According to the press release from the governor’s office, the official purpose of the position is “to commemorate Arizona literary artists whose work and service best represent Arizona’s values, independence and unique Western history and…
There’s no denying that 50 Shades of Grey has sparked quite the open discussion about BDSM in the bedroom. The number one bestselling book, which sold more than 70 million copies in just one year, has spawned fan-based fetish events worldwide and in one of the largest countries to be…
Harry Potter turned 33 on Wednesday (yeah, don’t you feel old?). To honor the birthday of the boy who lived and his creator, J.K. Rowling, Scholastic Publishing unveiled a line of newly designed book covers commemorating the books’ 15th anniversary in U.S. print…
