When History Doesn’t Do What We Wish It Would

In Ed Park’s new novel, Same Bed Different Dreams, "the past is slippery, elusive, and alive," writes Krys Lee in The Atlantic. Lee is a professor at Underwood International College in South Korea and the author of How I Became a North Korean. She received a MFA from Warren Wilson College in North Carolina. Park is …

‘The Best Historical Fiction of All Time’

The Books of Brilliance blog has compiled a list of the 25 or so best historical fiction books of all time. I've read a number of them, including Pillars of the Earth, Outlander, War and Peace, A Tale of Two Cities, Gone With the Wind, and Cold Mountain. I'm putting all of them on my …

History of Conservative Media Icons Going Back to the 1930s Suggests What the Broadcast Future Holds

Historical fiction of sorts -- HBO's "Succession" about the family of a media mogul like Rupert Murdoch -- and the ouster of Tucker Carlson from Fox News are the subject of my Substack e-newsletter. Fox News Decline, Tucker Carlson's Ouster Just As HBO's 'Succession' Moves Toward Conclusion. Additional analysis comes from Rachel Maddow on MSNBC, …

Who Goes Nazi?

The American broadcast journalist Dorothy Thompson (1893-1961), who was personally kicked out of Nazi Germany by Hitler, wrote a classic essay for Harper's magazine in 1941 speculating on who among 12 friends and acquaintances -- archetypes, actually -- at a dinner party might become Nazis, or collaborators in a crisis, if, for example, the Germans …

Continuing Relevance of George Orwell’s ‘1984’

There are so many references to George Orwell's classic novel 1984 in discussions of current events: Russia's war in Ukraine utilizes propaganda that "war is peace"; "Ukrainians are actually Russians"; and "Ukrainian Jews are Nazis" as it seeks to win the hearts and minds of people as well as make advances on the battlefield. The …

Documentary About Sir Walter Scott, Scottish Historical Novelist, Who Created Popular Mythologies

Write Like: "Sir Walter Scott (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832) was a Scottish historical novelist, poet, playwright, and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European and Scottish literature, notably the novels Ivanhoe, Rob Roy, Waverley, Old Mortality, The Heart of Mid-Lothian and The Bride of Lammermoor, and the narrative poems The …

The Alternate History Subgenre, Explained

Joshua K. McCoy on Gamerant.com seeks to distinguish alternate history from science fiction and fantasy. He says it's much more grounded in real history, but speculates on what would happen if certain details are changed. He defines it as "fan fiction for history. As such, it's one of the oldest disciplines in fiction." He asserts …

Traveling Back in Time to the 1100s

"What are you reading this summer? Do you have any books to recommend? I wanted something to expand my vision and transport me beyond the concerns of contemporary American life. I found the vehicle in Ken Follett’s bestselling historical novel, “Pillars of the Earth,” a book that has sold 26 million copies. Many members of Goodreads.com designate …

Warm-Up Quotes from Ken Follett’s ‘Pillars of the Earth’ to Reflect Upon

Pick one or two and reflect: 1."The book gave Jack a feeling he had never had before, that the past was like a story, in which one thing led to another, and the world was not a boundless mystery, but a finite thing that could be comprehended." 2.""You never know," Jack said speculatively. "There may …

Teachers, Principals, Carefully, Cautiously Address Disputed 2020 Election

To explain the disputed 2020 election and the attack on the capitol, public and private school teachers have struggled. How can they characterize it without upsetting parents on either side of the partisan divide? Words have to be chosen carefully less they are accused of injecting their own opinions, using inflammatory language, manipulating students, or …