In a pleasant Scottish brogue, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle talks about how he started writingSherlock Holmes (“I began to think of turning scientific methods, as it were, onto the work of detection”) and the character’s popularity (“I’ve even had ladies writing to say that they’d be very glad to act as [Holmes’] housekeeper”). Then the […]
Arthur Conan Doyle Interviewed on Sherlock Holmes and Spirituality Read More »
In 1958, Ian Fleming, author of the James Bond series, interviewed crime writer Raymond Chandler for the BBC. This is the only recording of Chandler’s voice. Listening to their conversation is like eavesdropping on two master genre writers talk shop.
Interview with Raymond Chandler 1 of 4 Read More »
In a 1987 interview, Arthur Miller talks about his marriage to Marilyn Monroe. In addition to thoughtful insight into Monroe’s psychology, he discusses the reception of After The Fall, a play he wrote about his relationship with Monroe.
Arthur Miller Interviewed About Marilyn Monroe In 1987 Read More »
The tree has entered my hands, The sap has ascended my arms, The tree has grown in my breast- Downward, The branches grow out of me, like arms.Tree you are, Moss you are, You are violets with wind above them. A child – so high – you are, And all this is folly to the
A Girl – by Ezra Pound Read More »
Edna St. Vincent Millay reads her poem “Love is Not All.” Her high-faluting accent and theatrical style may seem dated today, but in the 1920s, Millay’s reading tours regularly sold out to rapt crowds.
Edna St. Vincent Millay reads Love is Not All Read More »
While many stereotype Sylvia Plath as moribund and depressed, this interview reveals a sharp, enthusiastic person with an adroit ability to turn a phrase. “Poetry,” she says, “is a tyrannical discipline. You’ve got to go so far, so fast, in such a small space that you’ve just got to burn away all the peripherals.”
Sylvia Plath Interview Read More »
In this recording from 1950, Ernest Hemingway describes his novel Across the River and Into the Trees. He sounds drunk, which may explain the interesting vocal modulation and bursts of random yelling. Best part: “[she] enjoys herself very much, looking out of the upper windows and studying the action OF THE PIGEONS.”
Ernest Hemingway Recording Read More »
A lot of people swear by Goodreads. I swear at it. Often. It\’s a font of unsourced quotations, some of them fake, just like Wikiquotes. Take the line that tops the list of George Eliot quotes: \”It is never too late to be what you might have been.\” There\’s no proof she ever said it.
4 Fake Quotes By Famous Authors To Watch Out For Read More »
Pretty women wonder where my secret lies. I\’m not cute or built to suit a fashion model\’s size But when I start to tell them, They think I\’m telling lies. I say, It\’s in the reach of my arms The span of my hips, The stride of my step, The curl of my lips. I\’m
Phenomenal Woman by Maya Angelou (read by Maya Angelou) Read More »
Le Recueil des Histoires de Troye, a 1464 work by Raoul Lefèvre, tells a chivalirized version of the history of the city Troy. The Greek heroes, Hercules and Jason, are recast as ideal knights and founders of the Burgundian dynasty. It was translated by William Caxton into English soon after it was written and found
The First Book Ever Printed in English Sells for Over a Million Dollars Read More »
