Sadie Stein, contributing editor at the Paris Review, fills us in on the possible real-life inspiration for the "Pride and Prejudice" heartthrob Mr. Darcy.
books
Heidi Julavits – ‘To Who(m)’
Author Heidi Julavits gives us an icebreaker fit for a stand up act at a grammar police convention.
Amelia Gray Imagines Competitive Grieving
Pen/Faulkner Award finalist Amelia Gray reads a dark new parable from her new collection "GUTSHOT."
Cynthia Barnett Drops A Little Rain Knowledge
Environmental journalist Cynthia Barnett showers us with facts about precipitation, like why it always "pours" when it rains, and how our prune-y fingers may have been an adaptation to cope with a wetter world.
The New Yorker’s ‘Comma Queen’ Comes out From the Margins
Mary Norris has spent over three decades working as a copy editor at The New Yorker. She shares a tale from her new memoir, "Between You & Me: Confessions of a Comma Queen," about a love note passed to her by her literary crush.
Meghan Daum – ‘Pony Cough’
Essayist Meghan Daum, whose new anthology "Selfish, Shallow, and Self-Absorbed: Sixteen Writers on the Decision Not to Have Kids" is out on March 31, does a little horsing around with her icebreaker.
Jon Ronson Takes on the Public Shaming Renaissance
In his latest nonfiction book, Jon Ronson tackles the phenomenon of public shaming. He tells Rico that we're in the midst of a shaming Renaissance, with the internet as our new pillory.
David Duchovny’s ‘Holy Cow’ Origins and Tips to Avoid Awkward Exits
Actor David Duchovny -- of "X-Files" and "Californication" -- recently published his first book, titled "Holy Cow." He explains why a pig makes for a better main character than a clam, and takes on your etiquette questions.
Mark Adams Chronicles Modern Quests to Find Atlantis
"Meet Me in Atlantis" author Mark Adams teaches us about the great mystery-of-a-city, and about the tribe of modern-day folks who refuse to give up the search.
Tim Youd Types up Tribute to Writers
Sadie Stein, contributing editor at the Paris Review, tells us about artist Tim Youd. He pays tribute to writers by retyping classic novels using the original typewriter model the author worked with ... for the purposes of art, not after-school punishment.