Science fiction may help foster a sense of global solidarity by evoking awe, study finds New research suggests that regularly engaging with science fiction—whether through films, books, or other media—can help people feel a stronger connection to humanity as a whole. The researchers found that science fiction’s ability to evoke awe, a powerful emotion triggered […]
The Novel I’m Searching For “Five years after the pandemic, I’m holding out for a story that doesn’t just describe our experience, but transforms it.” Novelist Lily Meyer, a contributing writer at The Atlantic, writes that early literature about the COVID-19 pandemic aimed at giving people a sense of control by mentioning details of how
I haven’t yet read this month’s starter book, Salman Rushdie’s memoir Knife, although I certainly do intend to. The book describes an attack by a knife-wielding man as Rushdie was about to begin speaking at a literary event. first degree Lucky by Alice Sebold is another memoir about a personal attack: Sebold’s rape at the
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My reading intentions for March were interrupted by the sudden death of my cousin in New Hampshire, an event that hit me more heavily than I thought it would. Waiting to hear about funeral arrangements and then the actual traveling knocked me out of commission for about two weeks. I therefore have only two books
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The Institute of Museum and Library Services has long received bipartisan support. But after years of trying, President Donald Trump has delivered it a crushing blow. Source: The DOGE Axe Comes for Libraries and Museums | WIRED
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The Real Cognitive Neuroscience Behind Severance I haven’t caught up with the second season of Severance yet, but I will because I’m interested in both the dichotomy of inside vs. outside stories and the use of science fiction elements to portray aspects of human existence. In this article two neuroscientists explore the question “Can a
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Many Americans see baseball as a sport for men and softball as a sport for women. It wasn’t always this way in the US – and it isn’t that way in the rest of the world. Source: Women are reclaiming their place in baseball
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5 Books About Baseball Feature image (Turner Field, Atlanta, GA) by Joshua Peacock on Unsplash ’Tis the season! In honor of opening day, here are five books (2 novels and 3 works of nonfiction) about the boys of summer and the game they play. What books would you add to this list? Play Ball:
A Twist of the Kaleidoscope: Three cases for literary criticism If, like me, you review books on your blog, you’re a literary critic. In this article Kasia Bartoszyńska discusses three books about literary criticism to answer the following questions: Has academia ruined literary criticism? Is this the end of literary studies? Has contemporary culture reduced
It’s been one of those weeks in which I’ve relearned the lesson that sometimes, you just have to go with the flow. I now live on the West Coast of the U.S. This past week, one of my cousins, who lived on the East Coast, died quickly and unexpectedly. It’s a good way to go,
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