NPR reviews the theory that Shakespeare wasn't Shakespeare, and that his plays were in fact penned by Edward de Vere, the 17th Earl of Oxford. There's a fair amount of circumstantial evidence, including de Vere's travel itinerary through Italy. The argument has a long history, and even prompted a riot in the 19th century. Mark … Continue reading Contested Will

Even before it was gentrified, Brooklyn was no stranger to America's literati. Walt Whitman "lived in Brooklyn for over half his life and twice as long as he lived anywhere else," says Whitman's Brooklyn. The site is chockablock with illustrations of the other borough, circa 1850, and is packed with tidbits about Whitman and life … Continue reading I Sing the Tourist Electric!

A judge in Indiana has overturned the state's law which would have required bookstores to register as adult businesses if they sold sexually explicit materials. Plaintiffs--including Indiana bookstores, the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression, the Indiana ACLU, and the Indianapolis Museum of Art--claimed the law was so broadly written that it would include literature … Continue reading No Registration for Indiana Bookstores