South African scientists have discovered that 400-year-old tobacco pipes excavated from the garden of William Shakespeare contained cannabis, suggesting the playwright might have written some of his famous works while high.
Stephen King threw away his original drafts of “Carrie” because he couldn…
Stephen King threw away his original drafts of “Carrie” because he couldn’t write from a woman’s perspective. His wife retrieved them and launched his career.
George R.R. Martin’s idea for Game of Thrones began with his pet turtles…
George R.R. Martin’s idea for Game of Thrones began with his pet turtles. He said, “I decided they were all knights and kings…and I made up stories about how they killed each other and betrayed each other and fought for the kingdom. So, Game of Thrones, actually began with turtles.”
A staff writer for The New Yorker came to the office every day …
A staff writer for The New Yorker came to the office every day from 1964 to his death in 1996 — and never published a single story.
A writer tested how hard it was for unknowns to get published by querying…
A writer tested how hard it was for unknowns to get published by querying the National Book Award winning novel “Steps”. All thirteen agents and fourteen publishers rejected it, including Random House, which had published the book but didn’t recognize it.
Agatha Christie’s novel “Elephants Can Remember” reveals distinct signs of Alzheimer’s…
Agatha Christie’s novel “Elephants Can Remember” reveals distinct signs of Alzheimer’s onset, e.g., 20% fewer words or ⅕ of her vocabulary lost; 6 times more use of nonspecific words such as “thing”, and a sharp drop in “idea density”. That novel’s last line is “Maybe it’s OK not to remember.”
John Swartzwelder, a contributor to The Simpsons, liked writing and chainsmoking…
John Swartzwelder, a contributor to The Simpsons, liked writing and chainsmoking in a coffee shop so much that when California banned smoking in public places, he simply purchased his regular booth, installed it in his home, and continued his work as if nothing had changed.
Author Phillip Roth attempted to edit a Wikipedia entry…
Author Phillip Roth attempted to edit a Wikipedia entry for his novel ‘The Human Stain’ because the article misattributed the inspiration for one of his characters. The ‘English Wikipedia Administrator’ told Roth he was not a credible source and that he needed a secondary source.