Stephen Gilbert, Ratman Writer

Stephen Gilbert fought the Nazis and advocated for nuclear disarmament. But mostly, he is remembered for a story about rats.

Jack Craig: Watching the Watchmen

In 1967, reporter Jack Craig received an unusual assignment — report on the NFL championship game on TV but focus on the telecast, not the game.

Marilyn Hudson, Book Lover

Marilyn Hudson read up to one book a day and an estimated 15,000 books lined her home. But this wasn’t what made her one of Southern California’s most important champions of literature.

The Curious Journey of H.A. and Margret Rey

We take a look back at Curious George creators H.A. and Margret Rey.

Fiddler on the Roof

Here are 10 facts about the award-winning musical, "Fiddler on the Roof."

Terry Southern, American Satirist

Here are 15 things to know about the man who helped script "Dr. Strangelove" and "Easy Rider."

Rose Wilder Lane, Pioneer of Liberty

We take a look back at Libertarian pioneer Rose Wilder Lane.

Osamu Tezuka, God of Manga

Osamu Tezuka, hugely influential illustrator and author, was born Nov. 3, 1928. Here are 20 things you should know about the Japanese artist and his creations.

Bram Stoker, Father of Vampire Fiction

We're remembering Bram Stoker on his birthday with a look at his most famous creation, Count Dracula.

Astrid Lindgren and Pippi Longstocking: Brightening Gloomy Childhoods

Astrid Lindgren wrote dozens of books during her career, but she’s best remembered for giving the world Pippi Longstocking.

Yukio Mishima: Man of Words, Man of Action

Novelist Yukio Mishima committed ritual suicide on this day after failing to inspire an insurrection against the Japanese government. Forty years later, Japan still grapples with his legacy.

Thomas Merton, In and Out of Solitude

We look at the life and work of Thomas Merton, one of the most influential Catholic writers of the 20th century.

Narnia and Beyond: The Fiction of C.S. Lewis

The recent big-screen debut of "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" brings renewed attention to Narnia and the other creations of author C.S. Lewis. We offer a reading list for fans of the movies.

Zora Neale Hurston: Genius of the South

In the summer of 1973, a young writer made a pilgrimage south to Fort Pierce, Florida, to visit the final resting place of an artist whose novels, plays and essays had inspired so much of her own writing. She arrived at the Garden of Heavenly Rest to find the segregated cemetery abandoned, weed-choked and overgrown with brambles, and it took her some time to locate the unmarked grave she sought. But find it she did, and before leaving she placed the stone she and a fellow scholar had paid for with their own money. The marker was modest, but its message was not.

Karel Capek, Beyond The Robots

Karel Capek, who introduced the world to the robot, was one of the 20th century’s most versatile writers. On his 120th birthday, we take a look at how his work weathered Europe’s geopolitical storms.

New J.D. Salinger Book? Maybe Next Year

When J.D. Salinger died, some readers believed we’d see a flood of posthumous releases. A year after his death, can we still hope for them?

Paddy Chayefsky, Keeping it Real

Paddy Chayefsky was the leading screenwriter during TV’s golden age and remains the only solo scribe to win three Academy awards. On his 88th birthday, we look back at his life and work.

The Betty Friedan Mystique

Betty Friedan , author of the landmark The Feminine Mystique , died five years ago today on her 85th birthday. We took a look back at her life and the impact of her work.

Charles Dickens: 8 Great Characters

Charles Dickens wrote characters we love... and some we love to hate. In celebration of Dickens, we present eight of his greatest.

Frederick Douglass: An American Narrative

Frederick Douglass celebrated his birthday on Valentine's Day. Two centuries after he was born, we're looking at his early years fighting for the abolition of slavery.

Being Ralph Ellison

Ralph Ellison wrote one of the great American novels and then struggled to produce another for the rest of life. Here’s how it happened.

The Tennessee Williams Revival

Playwright Tennessee Williams continues to inspire decades after his death.

The Many Faces of Jane Eyre

We remember Charlotte Brontë with a look at notable adaptations of her classic novel "Jane Eyre."

Anita Loos, Screenwriting Pioneer

Born on this day in 1888, Anita Loos was among the most important screenwriters in American movie history. We look back at her influential career...

The Afterlife of Roberto Bolaño

Roberto Bolaño died in 2003, but in the years since has become the biggest writer to emerge from Latin America in decades. On his birthday, we look back at his life and work.

Lorraine Hansberry: Young, Gifted and Black

Playwright and author Lorraine Hansberry is best known for "A Raisin in the Sun." Today we celebrate her life and work.

Raymond Carver, American Storyteller

Influential writer Raymond Carver was born on this day in 1938. On what would have been his 73rd birthday, we look back on his life and new revelations about his work...

Grimmy Winners: The Best Obituaries of 2010

The Society of Professional Obituary Writers recently presented its Grimmy Awards for obit writing at the organization’s conference in St. Petersburg.

Sherwood Schwartz: The Brains Behind Gilligan and the Bradys

We remember veteran TV writer Sherwood Schwartz with some facts about his career and some video clips of his hit shows "Gilligan's Island" and "The Brady Bunch"...

Plainspoken Judge

As a Minnesota Supreme Court justice, John Simonett was known for writing decisions even non-lawyers could understand.

A Seuss-tacular Story

On the 2nd of March back in 1904, a child who’d grow up to work wonders was born. His name was Ted Geisel, but we call him Dr. Seuss.

She Sounded the Alarm

Jennifer Merendino blogged about her cancer journey to spur women to get mammograms and to sound the alarm about environmental toxins.

Chicago's Biggest Shoulders

We look at two Chicago legends: former mayor Richard J. Daley and author Studs Terkel.

Lorraine Hansberry's "A Raisin in the Sun"

The play that "changed American theatre forever," according to The New York Times , started with a few short lines from a long poem.

The Obit Writer Writes Her Own Obit

Newspapers often prepare obituaries in advance for prominent people. Obit writer Gerry Hostetler left one at the office when she retired – her own.

A Reader Thanks Jean Craighead George

When I was in middle school, I was lucky enough to be part of a special English class for kids who, like me, were avid and insatiable readers.

Michael Crichton's Hat Trick

In 1994 Michael Crichton became the only creative artist ever to have number one hits simultaneously on TV, in literature, and at the movies.

Rod Serling: The Twilight Man

Ingenious premises, twist endings, the uncanny – nobody did these better than The Twilight Zone and its creator, Rod Serling.

What's the Catch? Catch-22.

Much like M*A*S*H would do a few years later, Catch-22 used comedy to comment on the absurdity and horror of war.

F. Scott Fitzgerald at the Movies

Could F. Scott Fitzgerald possibly have guessed we'd be anxiously awaiting Baz Luhrmann's lavish film adaptation that opens in theaters today?

Phil Hartman's Greatest Hits

Today we remember Phil Hartman, a great comedian gone much too soon.

The Year's Best Obituary Writing

The Society of Professional Obituary Writers recently awarded this year's Grimmies for the best obituary writing...

He Made Muppets Sing

Jeff Moss, the first head writer for "Sesame Street," helped to bring to life classic characters like Cookie Monster and Oscar the Grouch.

The Voice of Dorothy Kilgallen

Dorothy Kilgallen was one of the most outspoken journalists of mid-20th-century America.

Hold the Possum, Pass the Sweet Potatoes: The Wisdom of Dr. John H. Hayes

"Don't spend your days setting yourself up as a target on other people's firing ranges" and other homespun advice from a doctor of theology.

Kids Love Berenstain Bears

The Berenstain Bears have captivated generations of children.

XOXO, Signed with Love

While more and more people are penning their own obituaries these days, it’s difficult to imagine doing it on, well, deadline.

Remembering Novelist Tom Clancy

We remember best-selling spy novelist Tom Clancy.

Louis Terkel, Better Known as Studs

Studs Terkel was known for his innate curiosity about people – all kinds of people doing all sorts of things – and for his interview style that elicited the most private thoughts from his subjects.