I WANT to talk about the historical interpretation of literature — that is, about the interpretation of literature in its social, economic, and political aspects. To begin with, it will be worth while ...

John McMurtrie introduces Literary Journeys: Mapping Fictional Travels Across The World of Literature with the famous Robert Frost quote: “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the road less ...

THE tendency to consider centuries as natural periods in the history of culture, and their termini as milestones, indicates a mental habit that is far from logical, but it is one that men do not ...

The strangely short history of a publishing niche. Ad Policy The smallest book in the world is on display at the Frankfurt Book Fair, 1961. (Photo by Keystone / Getty Images) As an English professor, ...

If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in ...

I n 1993, in an essay published in the Annual Review of Sociology, the sociologist Wendy Griswold suggested that “the sociology of literature was more like a field of flowers than a field of battle.” ...

Literature hews to standards outside of the democratic logic. A canonical work does not attain that status by majority consent. Claims of merit do not require a reader’s consent to be authoritative.