Rereading Saul Bellow
[2000] The Adventures of Augie March (1953) The transformation of the novelist who published Dangling Man in 1944 and The Victim in 1947 into the novelist who published The Adventures… More
Bright Eyes, Brown Skin: Talking Openly to Children About Racial Differences
Bright eyes, brown skinA heart shaped faceA dimpled chinBright eyes, cheeks that glowChubby fingers, ticklish toesA playful grinA perfect noseVery special hair and clothesBright eyes, ears to listenLips that… More
Writing Melitte
In my young adult novel Melitte, I did not let readers know that she was a slave until the third chapter. I wanted them first to identify with the… More
Writers Like Me
I am a 46-year-old writer of “literary” fiction. I’ve had three novels published — the first for young people, the last two for adults. All have won minor prizes,… More
The View From Tehran
Most Iranians, I believe, share a broad outlook on American foreign policy: they think that Iran is valued only for its vast energy resources and its role in regional… More
A Requiem for Freddy
His liver destroyed by Hepatitis C, Robert Hagenson didn’t receive a transplant, but a type of early parole—in a body bag. His sudden deterioration and death hit many of… More
The Novelist and the Curious Cabbie
I was standing on the curb, uptown, my hand raised for a cab. It was evening, and the sky was clear and the air cool. I had plenty of… More
Acceptance Speech by Philip Roth for the Saul Bellow Award
The backbone of 20th-century American literature has been provided by two novelists—William Faulkner and Saul Bellow. Together they are the Melville, Hawthorne, and Mark Twain of the 20th century.… More
Summer Snow
*The following is a true account. Everything actually took place at the end of summer of 1982.On July 8, 1982, I turned fourteen years old. It was the middle… More
Support for the freedom to read with exclusive designs by Todd Parr, Mike Curato, Art Spiegelman, and more!
