Kurt Cobain
[Text] Kurt Cobain’s Letter To William S. Burroughs

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“I realize that stories in the press regarding my drug use may make you think that this request comes from a desire to parallel our lives. Let me assure you that this is not the case. As a fan and student of your work, I would cherish the opportunity to … Continue reading

Helen Gurley Brown
Revolutionizing the Self-Made Woman

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The legacy of Helen Gurley Brown, former editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan magazine, is remembered after she passed away at the age of 90 on August 13, 2012. Gail Sheehy, a journalist who knew Brown very well, recalls the type of person she was–claiming that Brown turned her back on the conventional … Continue reading

Helen Gurley Brown
Cosmopolitan’s Editor-in-Chief on Men, Money & Success

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Joan Burnie, a columnist and associate editor at Cosmopolitan UK, describes what it was like to meet the former editor-in-chief of the magazine Helen Gurley Brown who passed away at the age of 90 on August 13, 2012. Burnie describes each of her visits to the office as “royal” and … Continue reading

Julia Child
A Food Stylist on Her Friend Julia Child

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Sara Moulton, a friend of American chef Julia Child and a food stylist on Child’s show, “The French Chef,” talks about the kind of person that Child was. Moulton describes her as an inspiration and talks about the most important lessons she learned while working for Child, such as learning that cooking is all … Continue reading

Kurt Vonnegut
[Text] Vonnegut’s Letter to Students: ‘Practice Any Art…Make Your Soul Grow’

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“You will find that you have already been gloriously rewarded for your poem. You have experienced becoming, learned a lot more about what’s inside you, and you have made your soul grow…” When English teacher Ms. Lockwood assigned her students at Xavier High School to correspond with a well-known author … Continue reading

Julia Child
Getting ‘Mastering the Art of French Cooking’ Published

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Senior editor and vice president of Knopf Publishing House Judith Jones talks about discovering American chef Julia Child’s cookbook. The book, which Jones named “Mastering the Art of French Cooking,” was something that no other publisher would have worked with it during that time. According to Jones, other publishing houses … Continue reading

Hunter S. Thompson
Hunter S. Thompson: ‘Carter Would Cut My Head Off’

Hunter S. Thompson: “Carter Would Cut My Head Off”

In this 1977 interview with the CBC, author and journalist Hunter S. Thompson describes President Jimmy Carter as “one of the three meanest men I’ve ever met.” Contrary to the President’s public image as a well-intentioned man, Thompson states that only famed boxer Muhammad Ali and Sonny Barger, the former … Continue reading

Kenneth Goldsmith
[Blog] ‘Seven American Deaths and Disasters’ Changes How You View History

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Author: Phoebe Goldenberg Kenneth Goldsmith thinks his work is “mimetic and uncreative.” If you were to pick up his most recent book, you would probably agree–and question the judgement of his publisher. His book, published on March 12, 2013, called, “Seven American Deaths and Disasters,” lacks colorful embellishments. Goldsmith has merely … Continue reading

John Steinbeck
Steinbeck’s Son on Why His Dad Was Criticized

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Thom Steinbeck, son of beloved American author John Steinbeck, discusses his father’s decreasing ability to endure all the criticism, his basic love for writing, as well as why his Nobel Peace Prize win contributed to his retirement: “He thought basically that the Nobel Prize technically ended his career ’cause he … Continue reading

J. D. Salinger
Former Lover on Romance With Famous Recluse J.D. Salinger

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J.D. Salinger, one of America’s best known contemporary writers, is equally famous for his reclusive behavior. After 60 years of silence, a former lover, Jean Miller, finally shares the private details of her romance with the mysterious author of “Catcher in the Rye,” including his initial attraction to her and … Continue reading