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Conspiracy Theories About Classic Literary Characters

By Emily Temple on

This week, we read a pretty fascinating article over at Salon, in which Greg Olear argues that Nick Carraway, the narrator of Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, was gay and in love with the novel’s eponymous character. Though a Google search indicates that Olear’s not exactly the first person to think of this, we have to admit that we’d never considered the idea before, and his arguments are pretty persuasive. The article got us to thinking about the other theories and alternate interpretations that are floating around about some of our favorite classic literary characters. An investigation, and perhaps a few sides of characters you’ve never seen before, after the jump. … Read More

Books

The Seven Deadly Sins in Literature

By Emily Temple on

Today marks the release of Jami Attenberg’s The Middlesteins, a portrait of a woman obsessed with food and the efforts (or non-efforts) of her family to get her eating under control. We can say pretty confidently that the book made us never want to overeat again, and we got to thinking about the other books that make us want to give up our vices. After all, any sin you can dream up has probably been written about, usually by someone French. After the jump, find examples of the seven deadly sins in literature (whether actually deadly or just unfortunate). Indulge in a little naughtiness-by-proxy, and then let us know which sinful characters we missed in the comments. … Read More

Books

Literary Mixtape: Odysseus

By Emily Temple on

If you’ve ever wondered what your favorite literary characters might be listening to while they save the world/contemplate existence/get into trouble, or hallucinated a soundtrack to go along with your favorite novels, well, us too. But wonder no more! Here, we sneak a look at the hypothetical iPods of some of literature’s most interesting characters. What would be on the personal playlists of Holden Caulfield or Elizabeth Bennett, Huck Finn or Harry Potter, Tintin or Humbert Humbert? Something revealing, we bet. Or at least something danceable. Read on for a cozy reading soundtrack, character study, or yet another way to emulate your favorite literary hero. This week: everyone’s favorite king of Ithaca, Homer’s Odysseus. … Read More

Film

Famous Mythological Battles on Film

By Alison Nastasi on

Described as “Caravaggio meets Fight Club,” Tarsem Singh’s mythology tale Immortals hits theaters on November 11. Man of Steel’s Henry Cavill takes on the role of Greek warrior Theseus, who leads a battle against the Titans — all set to The Cell director’s stunning visuals and taking a few cues from Zack Snyder’s otherworldly 300. Many movies have been inspired by sparring gods from ancient tales far and wide. Some of the stories about mythological scuffles that have been handed down to us over the years have been adapted into screen stories of modern warfare, while others have recalled the violent crusades more literally. Click past the break for a look at several celluloid versions of famous mythological battles. Leave your favorites below. … Read More

Books

10 Writers' Unruly, Manly Manes

By Kathleen Massara on

We were a little bit late in reading Jorian Polis Schutz’s analysis of manly manes in the last issue of Cabinet, titled “Barbers and Barbarians,” but we’re glad we did. Schultz writes, “The savage impulse must withstand the perennial opposition of forces for shortness — for there is always a national mythology of hair to grow out of and into.” This got us thinking about great writers’ hairstyles through time, from ancient Greek poets to the conceited French intellectuals of today. If hair doth make the man, then the following writers stand against the grain in these times, acting as iconoclastic reminders that one can still be manly (perhaps even more so) with an irrepressible hairdo. So let your hair down and enjoy the following modern scribes’ tangled tresses. … Read More

Books

Artists Remix Classic Book Covers

By Kathleen Massara on

For the past seven years, Katie Cromwell and Jensen Carp at Gallery 1988 have been showcasing pop culture-themed artwork to a new generation of LA residents. This month Cromwell and Carp are exhibiting (and selling) 45 limited-edition posters inspired by novels we all know and love, curated by OMGPosters and Rob Jones. At Flavorpill, we can appreciate a good remix, so we’ve picked our favorites from the lot for your viewing pleasure. From James Flames’ homage to the Velveteen Rabbit (complete with cute floppy ears and a leaky eye) to Big Brother’s penetrating gaze (from Doublenaut’s tribute to Nineteen Eighty-Four), there’s something that will appeal to a wide range of bibliophiles.

If you’re in LA, we strongly suggest you stop over at Gallery 1988 on Melrose and LaBrea before the exhibition closes at the end of this month. If you’re not but still want to see more pictures, check out Marina Galperina’s post at Animal New York. … Read More

Books

The James Franco Reading List

By Paul Hiebert on

In addition to being an actor/artist/director/model/writer/student, James Franco is also an avid reader. How he finds time to do it all, we’re not sure. Apparently, his next project, after finishing his four Master’s degrees and acting in a bunch of upcoming films like Rise of the Apes, is to earn his PhD from Yale. If all goes according to plan, someday soon hordes of young men and women will have the option of enrolling in a class taught by Professor Franco.

In anticipation, we’ve put together a potential reading list that might appear on his syllabus. All of the following ten books have been either explicitly endorsed by the energetic young man or seen accompanying him on breaks in-between shoots. … Read More

Books

Big Brother Book Club: Dawkins, Desai, and others

By Kristen O'Toole on

Waiting for the F train at Broadway/Lafayette, we spotted The Selfish Gene, Richard Dawkins’ first book, about “selfish genes” and “altruistic individuals.” Our curiosity was piqued, and we checked our borough library for a copy. All five were checked out, and two were overdue! Considering the book was first published in 1976 and the 30th anniversary addition over two years ago, what’s up with the sudden Selfish love?

On the N train going over the Manhattan Bridge, we saw folks reading Lambda winner Autobiography of a Family Photo by Jacqueline Woodson, Homer’s Odyssey, and Sherman Alexie‘s collection of poetry The Summer of Black Widows, in which “The elders knew the spiders/carried stories in their stomachs… We lived in the shadow of a story trapped in the ceiling lamp… Before sleep, we shook our blankets and stories fell to the floor.” … Read More