Seeking a poem that relies on the concept of namesaking (ie being named after another person). Maybe in its subject matter, or is by the poet to his/her namesake. It's for my sister, whose daughter is named after our grandmother, to use in a present for our grandmother, so Willa Cather's "The Namesake" is entirely inappropriate (being about a boy soldier!). Could also be a song, or short prose. Ideally a classic poem, ie out of copyright or if not, by someone relatively famous for their poetry. Any ideas?
posted by aeschenkarnos on Nov 5, 2009 - 3 answers

I'm looking for ways to rate abstracts for relevance and quality so that I can filter out the best ones. [more inside]
posted by Herkimer on Nov 5, 2009 - 6 answers

Which books help me get into the psyche of war criminals, suicide bombers, etc? [more inside]
posted by hasna on Nov 3, 2009 - 21 answers

Which books can a physicist and a liberal arts type trade to gain a deeper appreciation of literature and science, respectively? Ideally, these would be books we could both read and enjoy. [more inside]
posted by Diagonalize on Nov 2, 2009 - 40 answers

Where can I publish some old literary crit essays that are burning a hole in my pocket? [more inside]
posted by duncecap on Nov 1, 2009 - 6 answers

Innovative Books: I am looking to compile a list of the most innovative uses of the book format. Books that break the mould in their layout and design, perhaps books that use online systems to extend their content value or push their form into new places. I am most interested in narrative and theory, but any book that is interesting (artist books etc.) would be really appreciated. [more inside]
posted by 0bvious on Nov 1, 2009 - 29 answers

I am looking for recommendations for a sequence of novels that might lead an adult fan of very trashy action to the real gold. [more inside]
posted by hifimofo on Oct 29, 2009 - 11 answers

[Englishmajors-filter]: Looking for works of literature that deal with conspiracy, real or imagined. [more inside]
posted by ms.codex on Oct 25, 2009 - 36 answers

I'm looking for a list of American Literary Time Periods along with the essential works for each time period (all genres)? Define the time period, if possible, with a list of qualities which embody the literary essence of that time period, both in content and style. Extra credit for other source to accompany your answers. Thanks all.
posted by boots77 on Oct 18, 2009 - 5 answers

Recommend some great literature in the Steinbeck tradition. [more inside]
posted by Go Banana on Oct 14, 2009 - 18 answers

Has J.D. Salinger ever written or spoken how to pronounce the name "Zooey" in Franny and Zooey? Are there any recordings of him pronouncing it? Separately, did he create that name or is there precedence for it (whether as a nickname for Zachary or on its own, spelled the same way)? [more inside]
posted by davebug on Oct 10, 2009 - 3 answers

I need help remembering the most famous Shakespeare references in modern literature. [more inside]
posted by Viola on Oct 9, 2009 - 40 answers

I need a book recommendation for my girlfriend; her favourite book is Yann Martel's "Life of Pi". Any ideas? [more inside]
posted by mizike on Oct 7, 2009 - 28 answers

I'm looking for allegorical depictions of Fame in 20th/21st century fiction and movies. [more inside]
posted by ms.codex on Oct 6, 2009 - 3 answers

Bookfilter: I have searched everywhere, I have exhausted all resources. You are my last hope. I had a book as a child, it was in Russian, but the stories in it were middle-eastern/Arabic/Persian... I know that the name of the book was Three Oranges (Tri Apelsina in Russian) [more inside]
posted by icarus on Oct 5, 2009 - 13 answers

I like biographies of ordinary/non-famous people with interesting stories to tell, or stories from before they became notable. Can anyone recommend any? [more inside]
posted by mippy on Oct 5, 2009 - 40 answers

I'm looking for the title of an action/adventure short story collection that I read in middle school (early 90s). It included The Most Dangerous Game and Leningen Versus the Ants. [more inside]
posted by anonymous78 on Oct 2, 2009 - 9 answers

Can you recommend American female novelists who've had their debut novels published within the last 3 years or so?
posted by Kattullus on Sep 26, 2009 - 30 answers

Going bonkers trying to remember the title of a favorite children's book that I read growing up in the late 1960s. The story takes place in NYC and the main characters are 2 children, a boy and a girl. The children stand in the first car of a subway train and as the train moves faster and faster through a Bowery tunnel, the children travel back in time to NY when it was New Amsterdam. They meet Peter Stuyvesant and other characters in Manhattan when it was a Dutch colony. Sound familiar to anyone?
posted by suzeQ on Sep 20, 2009 - 1 answer

What are the world's most acclaimed short stories? [more inside]
posted by Bleusman on Sep 20, 2009 - 66 answers

What are the great patterning works of literature? In Book by Book, Michael Dirda presents a list of what he calls “patterning works” which he describes as books that “. . later authors regularly build on, allude to, work against.” and which he says “ . . . ought to lie at the heart of any structured reading program.” [more inside]
posted by jason's_planet on Sep 17, 2009 - 73 answers

My wife and I are interested in writing and illustrating kids books and getting them published. I realize there are plenty of neat books great illustrations, so what's the best way to find out what we'd be getting into if we were to pursue this as a hobby, or even as a main source of income?
posted by filthy light thief on Sep 15, 2009 - 17 answers

When did it become passé to use quotation marks to denote direct speech in contemporary fiction? [more inside]
posted by war wrath of wraith on Sep 14, 2009 - 36 answers

Books on everyday civilian life during the US Civil War? [more inside]
posted by imjustsaying on Sep 12, 2009 - 8 answers

Name this short story about an immigrant student working as a babysitter for an American professor. [more inside]
posted by Bizurke on Sep 9, 2009 - 3 answers

I've taken responsibility for a very small children's library and I'd love your ideas for making it awesome. [more inside]
posted by serazin on Sep 3, 2009 - 14 answers

Another forgotten book from childhood. Time travel/survival. Dinosaurs. And yes, it vibrates. Help? [more inside]
posted by rokusan on Aug 26, 2009 - 9 answers

NinteenthCenturyLiteratureFilter: Why do upper-class types in classic novels always seem so incredibly frail? [more inside]
posted by the luke parker fiasco on Aug 26, 2009 - 17 answers

Please help me read The Master and Margarita. [more inside]
posted by cranberrymonger on Aug 19, 2009 - 7 answers

What are some or how can one best find science-fiction novels that are good by general literary standards? [more inside]
posted by colinmarshall on Aug 18, 2009 - 74 answers

I like mind-blowing books. Please give me your best suggestions. [more inside]
posted by aheckler on Aug 11, 2009 - 75 answers

Having recently discovered Anais Nin's Delta of Venus and Little Birds, I'm looking for classy, somewhat highbrow, non-amateur, published erotic literature along the same lines. [more inside]
posted by Lush on Aug 7, 2009 - 16 answers

Recommendations for erotica [more inside]
posted by ninebelow on Aug 6, 2009 - 8 answers

Name that poem! Several years ago I came across a poem on a website that collected a lot of 'classic' English language poems, the sort of stuff you'd find in a Norton anthology. This one was written by a woman, and it was about thinking of someone who was separated by distance. I think there was some mention of 'cold wine' and 'crisp toast'. It was very modern and conversational, so it's definitely not from Browning, Millay, etc.
posted by mattholomew on Aug 4, 2009 - 3 answers

Suggest absorbing fiction about mysterious England. [more inside]
posted by Doctor Suarez on Aug 2, 2009 - 53 answers

I leave for a week in Guatemala later this month. I have a pretty good handle on what to do/see and where to stay/eat, but I'm wondering what I should read. [more inside]
posted by rebekah on Aug 2, 2009 - 7 answers

My uncle recently mentioned to me that he's never read any book written by a woman. Apparently this is because he doesn't think they'll be any good - he seems to think women can only write romance novels. I find this both horrific and hard to believe, but he seemed serious. So, Hive Mind, I need your help in drafting a list of the very best books written by female authors. Help me teach him the error of his ways! [more inside]
posted by badmoonrising on Jul 29, 2009 - 92 answers

Litfilter: Obsession [more inside]
posted by sundri on Jul 23, 2009 - 30 answers

Is there any way of determining what percentage of ships arrived safely at their destinations - or did not - during a given period in history? [more inside]
posted by AngerBoy on Jul 16, 2009 - 14 answers

I'm trying to learn French. I'm in France, which is a great start. I find I can just about manage with Tin Tin books so reckon that comics (BDs for the more francophone amongst you) or children's fiction will be a good way to relax whilst getting extra practice. Can you recommend some comics or kids books that are in French and not overly complicated linguistically? (I have tried Asterix, but the puns just fly past my confused brain).
posted by handee on Jul 15, 2009 - 26 answers

Romeo & Juliet: I seem to remember a portion in the play where someone exhorts "wit" to help them out, or says they're running out of wit—but I can never find it when look through the stuff. Is it just a false memory, or maybe something mentioned very much in passing? [more inside]
posted by Non Prosequitur on Jul 9, 2009 - 8 answers

Is there any kind of critical consensus about the claim made by Henry Binder and Hershel Parker in the 1980s that previous editions of Stephen Crane's Red Badge of Courage were prepared with cuts demanded mostly by the original publisher and that the edition most people have read is thus much less darkly ironic than it should be, and that Binder's new presentation is a more accurate representation of Crane's original intent?
posted by mediareport on Jun 23, 2009 - 2 answers

I demand to know your favorite short story anthologies. [more inside]
posted by zoomorphic on Jun 23, 2009 - 30 answers

Erotic films and literature of the BDSM variety? Particular preferences inside. [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Jun 21, 2009 - 9 answers

People talk about "writing the Great American Novel." What do you think are valid examples of the G.A.N.? What novels, American or otherwise, did you enjoy reading and wish you had written?
posted by Busoni on Jun 20, 2009 - 70 answers

It's summertime and that means detective stories. I've read ALL of Simenon, Agatha Christie (Miss Marple, Hercule Poirot), Dorothy Sayers, John Sandford, Denise Hamilton, Lee Child, Edward Wright, Henning Mankell. Tried but didn't like Tony Hillerman. Any suggestions for another engaging series? Thanks.
posted by holdenjordahl on Jun 8, 2009 - 63 answers

I crave a great novel that's as addictive as a popcorn movie. Please recommend me some literary page-turners. [more inside]
posted by Beardman on Jun 5, 2009 - 104 answers

What are some books that people are particularly likely to be assholes about? [more inside]
posted by I Foody on Jun 2, 2009 - 140 answers

I'm trying to find a prep course for the Literature Subject Test of the GRE (which is not the same as the general GRE) in NYC. [more inside]
posted by miss-lapin on May 27, 2009 - 6 answers

Who are the best translators (living or dead) of English-language poetry into Spanish, and what are the best anthologies of English-language poetry translated into Spanish? [more inside]
posted by Mummy of a Lady Named Jemutesonekh on May 25, 2009 - 0 answers