Arts & Culture

PONTIN | Whodunit?

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Our suspects are nearly always heightened, hyperbolic variations on what we would consider to be “normal people,” a far cry from what we recognize in our own social circles and in ourselves. They are distant royalty, accomplished and esteemed academics, famed members of the one percent. It is not long, however, before an ironic relationship begins to reveal itself. Even amidst a churning sea of captivating individuals, the detective somehow always emerges as the most intriguing.

Culler

Renowned English Prof. Jonathan Culler to Retire After More Than 50 Years

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Since coming to Cornell, Culler has written and edited a total of 16 books; over 200 articles, essays, and translations. He has also been awarded multiple fellowships and was elected a fellow at renowned humanities research institutes such as the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. One of this books, “Literary Theory: A Very Short Introduction”, has been translated into 27 languages worldwide.

Arts & Culture

Let us Remember: Julian Barnes Attempts Historical Fiction

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The Noise of Time is a novel of threes. It begins with three mysteriously unnamed characters meeting on a train platform, and it is parted into three sections. Each of these sections is allocated a different setting — the lobby just outside two elevator doors, a plane seat and a car seat. In each of these sections, the main character never moves. Instead, he reflects.

Academy of American Poet

MEISEL | No More National Poetry Month

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For the past twenty years the Academy of American Poets, with support from a number of big-name publishers and bookstores, has christened the month of April “National Poetry Month.” The Academy now claims that National Poetry Month is the largest literary celebration in the world. Each year it amasses plenty of support, due in some part I imagine to the simplicity and ease with which one can engage with poetry. If you’re running short of ideas, the Academy’s website suggests memorizing poems, showing other people your favorite poems and even asking your representatives in local government to issue proclamations in support of National Poetry Month (that last one is very real). It also suggests specific books to buy and particular essays to write, quite a number of which lead back to the Academy of American Poets. I find it pretty difficult to think about National Poetry Month from a critical standpoint.