The following essay by George Ade (1866-1944) was suggested by Rob Lopresti. Golly, he’s smart. —JLW THE FABLE OF THE MAN WHO DIDN’T CARE FOR STORYBOOKS by George Ade Once there was a blue Dyspeptic, who attempted to Kill Time by reading Novels, until he discovered that all Books of Fiction were a Mockery. After […]

It is never too early for young readers to learn that crime does not pay. I therefore present this classic caper of a heinous felony and its devastating aftermath. Think of it as “The Getaway” for kids. —JLW THE TALE OF PETER RABBIT by Beatrix Potter Once upon a time there were four little Rabbits, […]

The Encyclopædia Britannica contains the following entry: E. C. Bentley (British author) born July 10, 1875, London, Eng. died March 30, 1956, London British journalist and man of letters who is remembered as the inventor of the clerihew and for his other light verse and as the author of Trent’s Last Case (1913), a classic […]

AUDIO-BRIEFING by Steve Steinbock Nope. It isn’t Friday. But it’s Agatha Christie Week. And that’s giving me an excuse to plug a few mystery short-story listening opportunities. If you happen to be in the English Riviera, you can take part in a variety of events (plays, films, gallery presentations, tours, lectures, etc.) as part of […]

Here are Chapters IV and V of “The Queen of Spades”. Since there are more than the usual number of footnotes, in the interest of brevity I have forborne from making the usual general comments at the column’s end — in any case, I’m sure the Gentle Reader is perfectly capable of interpreting things for […]

Here is Chapter Two of Pushkin’s famous story of greed and corruption, “The Queen of Spades”. I have made some comments at the end of the column. The illustration shows Placido Domingo in the rôle of Hermann in a production of Tchaikovsky’s opera, Pique Dame, which was based on Pushkin’s story. —JLW THE QUEEN OF […]

My friend David Beckwith is the author of the nonfiction book A New Day in the Delta, released earlier this year by The University of Alabama Press. He and his wife Nancy live in Florida — Vero Beach and Key West — and one of the many things I like about them is that they […]