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BOOKS



Robert E. Nylund, Wikimedia Commons // Public Domain

A writer’s home is a kind of autobiography, and visiting the place where a great work of literature was written gives you a deeper understanding of both the book and the person who wrote it. Put these places on the list for your next literary pilgrimage.

Joy Lanzendorfer






Warner Bros.

This isn’t a trick: J.K. Rowling has a very special treat in store for Harry Potter fans this Halloween. A series of games and riddles posted to Rowling’s website Pottermore.com this week culminated in Friday’s big reveal that the Rowling will release a n

Abbey Stone
The cover of Vonnegut's 'Slaughterhouse-Five.'

Based on his experiences as a POW during the Allied bombing of Dresden in 1945, 'Slaughterhouse-Five' propelled author Kurt Vonnegut, who had been largely ignored and classified as a sci-fi paperback writer, to fame and literary acclaim.

Nick Greene




Hans Christian Andersen (Left), Culture Club/Getty Images // Charles Dickens (Right), Rischgitz/Getty Images

No matter which popular author you disdain, you're bound to find yourself in good company: There's no love lost between these writers.

Stacy Conradt




Getty Images

Whether you're a wizard, squib, or just plain muggle, you're probably celebrating the Chosen One's birthday today. And what better way to do it than by examining the origins of some of the wonderful words J.K. Rowling used to create the world of the Boy W

Erin McCarthy
joy grabiec

If you’ve ever been on the Internet, chances are you’ve stumbled across a thought-provoking essay by hyperprolific writer and English professor Roxane Gay. We wanted to find out how she finds time to watch Law & Order.

Jen Doll
Cimmerian // iStock via Getty Images Plus

“It was not my first published story, nor my last,” the writer recounted in a 1960 lecture, “but I have been assured over and over that if it had been the only story I ever wrote and published, there would still be people who would not forget my name.”

Erin McCarthy








PECK: AF ARCHIVE/ALAMY ; WHALE: STEPHEN FRINK COLLECTION/ALAMY

Herman Melville had everything a young author could dream of. Then he wrote Moby-Dick and ruined everything.

Lucas Reilly