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How well do you know the macabre motifs of Halloween’s favorite writer? Try matching the Edgar Allan Poe quote to the spooky short story.
Kat Long|
Countless authors have used bitter rivalries and petty squabbles as inspiration for some of their greatest works. Here’s proof that the pen is indeed mightier than the sword.
Colin Scanlon|
A deep dive into the origins and meaning of the classic nursery rhyme “Little Miss Muffet.”
Ellen Gutoskey|
Feminism as we know it today didn’t exist in Austen’s time—but there is still a great deal of feminist inspiration to be taken from the author’s novels, life, and legacy.
Faye Keegan|
See if you can tell which gust of wind came from which book.
mentalfloss .com|
Birds and bees get all the action—and Samuel Taylor Coleridge was jealous. Here are the possible origins of the euphemistic phrase.
Nick Greene|
The medieval hero known as Wade was thought to have encountered elves in his adventures. But they might have been wolves instead.
Ellen Gutoskey|
From the birthplace of the Bard to a seemingly ordinary stone on a London Street, Shakespeare’s influence on history and culture can be found in unexpected places.
Rebecca Pahle|