Mental Floss

WRITING

Read about Emily Dickinson, from her famous poems about love, hope, and death, to her legacy at the Emily Dickinson Museum in Amherst.

Ellen Gutoskey




A stone in memory of Christopher Marlowe at Kings School, Canterbury

Christopher Marlowe is more than a footnote in William Shakespeare’s life—here are 10 facts about a man we should know more about.

Scott Beggs




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Mark Twain is widely considered the author of the first great American novel—'The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn'—but his rollicking tales aren’t the only legacy he left behind.

Emily Petsko








Wikimedia Commons // Public Domain

Henry David Thoreau’s account of his time in the woods is much more than just fodder for motivational posters—it’s a work of transcendentalist philosophy that shaped how people see the natural world today.

Joy Lanzendorfer


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More than 200 years after her death, English novelist Jane Austen continues to be celebrated for her sharp, biting prose on love's various entanglements.

Jake Rossen






Hunter S. Thompson in Gonzo: The Life and Work of Hunter S. Thompson (2008)

Like any real-life legend, there are many myths surrounding the life and work of Hunter S. Thompson. But in Thompson’s case, most of those stories—particularly the more outlandish ones—are absolutely true.

Jennifer M Wood
Wikimedia Commons

You’ve probably read (and re-read) 'Charlotte’s Web' and 'Stuart Little,' but E.B. White wrote books, essays, and poems for both children and adults.

Suzanne Raga