In Brendan Slocumb’s sophomore novel, “Symphony of Secrets,” a professor is tasked with deciphering a rediscovered opera, only to uncover a historical betrayal. Brendan Slocumb’s first novel, “The Violin Conspiracy,” displayed his deftness at crafting character-driven stories featuring amateur sleuths with a deep reverence for music history — and everything to lose. With his pitch-perfect […]
We never learn the name of the protagonist in Anna Metcalfe’s debut novel, Chrysalis , a detail that feels fitting in a book that is in part about how much—or little—we can ever truly know about the people who populate our lives. We experience the protagonist from the perspective of three different onlookers: Elliot, a […]
Justin Tranter still remembers seeing Billy Porter perform “Beauty School Dropout” on The Tonight Show in 1994. Dressed in an elaborate orange wig and zebra-print suit, Porter belted out the classic Grease song, filled with extravagant vocal runs that show off his spectacular voice. How To Effectively Convey A Story Through Song | Songwriting Tips […]
Naï Zakharia The author’s latest book, “The Wager,” investigates the mysteries surrounding an 18th-century maritime disaster off Cape Horn. Credit…Naï Zakharia When you purchase an independently reviewed book through our site, we earn an affiliate commission. THE WAGER: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder , by David Grann There were multiple moments while reading […]
I remember being holed up in my room as the world around me went into a deep slumber; this was early 2020, and the pandemic was reaching our doorsteps. I spent my time in solitude, rediscovering that side of me that had always been enamored with poetry. The highest form of literature, as many call […]
On April 14, Canadian-born DJ and songwriter Kid Koala (born Eric San) will release his latest album, Creates of the Late Afternoon , a lively, eclectic offering that’s sure to get fans out of their seats and moving. Behind The Song: Eric Clapton, Layla Narrated by Amanda Mertz, American Songwriter goes behind the song of […]
I never met David Bartholomae, the longtime University of Pittsburgh professor of English who passed away on April 4 at the age of 75, but he changed the trajectory of my life. Bartholomae is a legendary figure in composition studies, most known for his essay “ Inventing the University ,” in which he argues that […]
How does one make a life as a writer? So much about it is unknowable: How do you put words in the right order so that they reveal something essential, but not in an annoying way? How do you keep your tenses straight? How do you make money ? Do I need to have at […]
UChicago faculty member Ling Ma’s first book “ Severance ” (2018) received multiple accolades and funding, including the Kirkus Prize , the Whiting Award and the New York Library Young Lions Fiction Award as well earning her a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts. Her second book, “ Bliss Montage ,” (2022) has […]
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“When I write plays, I hope that they’re useful,” confesses “Cost of Living” playwright Martyna Majok . “I write them partly to feel less alone myself. And I hope that in going to the theater and experiencing it, that people can feel less alone in their circumstances.” She won the Pultizer Prize for drama for […]
