When Popular Fiction Isn’t Popular: Genre, Literary, and the Myths of Popularity – There is a lot in this piece by Lincoln Michel to think and talk about. He goes well beyond simply arguing that the distinction between so-called genre and literary fiction is artificial; instead he takes on the whole ... more >
Sherlock Holmes, Pro and Con – An interesting essay by Terry Teachout that actually reads more like a paen to deep thoughts in literature than a meditation on the positives and negatives of Sherlock Holmes. Teachout discusses the persistent popularity of the Holmes character, including the longevity of the original stories, despite ... more >
The Politics of Pantyhose – Aside from the author’s sometimes eye-rolling attempts at a clever turn of phrase, there are some interesting points made about the historical uses, impositions, and transitions of hosiery, first from male to female dress, and then in the shifts from utility to luxury to wardrobe policing (for modesty, ... more >
Rethinking Pink: A New Feminine Aesthetic in Tech Toys for Girls – Sparkle Labs’ Amy Parness writes about the persistent use of pink and blue in the marketing of items to boys and girls. Although retailers like Amazon have actually eliminated the boys/girls categorization, the distinction, Parness argues, is discouraging girls from pursuing ... more >
The Key to Rereading – An interesting piece on re-reading that raises a lot of interesting issues related to the way the mind engages and re-engages with text. Until the article’s author, Tim Parks, falls right into the trap of distinguishing genre fiction as basically non-intellectual, in that he leaves no ... more >
Malaysians Seek Escape in Pulp Fiction as Government’s Grip Tightens – This is such an interesting piece (putting aside some of the usual pejorative language around mass market fiction, especially that aimed at women) about the rise of a new species of pulp fiction in Malaysia that coincides with more ... more >