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10 Novellas That Will Change Your Life
Short books you can read in one sitting—and think about forever
Mar 21
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Liza Libes
94
22
16
Are Literary Agents Writers’ Friends?
Why originality struggles to survive in the modern publishing industry
Mar 19
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Liza Libes
20
1
Why Modern Movies Feel So Empty
Contemporary cinema no longer believes in Goodness, Beauty, or Truth
Mar 16
•
Liza Libes
76
25
16
Why Literary Critics Keep Misreading Books
Pale Fire to Mansfield Park: Nabokov, Edward Said, and the Problem of Interpretation
Mar 11
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Liza Libes
69
14
11
How the College Essay Declared War on Critical Thinking
Elite Universities Are Still Asking the Wrong Questions
Mar 2
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Liza Libes
81
16
15
February 2026
Can Literature Save Us From Bad Ideas? | Ricardo Lugo
Watch now | The Pens and Poison Podcast EP 11
Feb 26
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Liza Libes
and
Ricardo Lugo
21
7
3
44:24
The Ultimate Guide to Russian Literature
Want to love Russian literature but don't know where to start? You've come to the right place.
Feb 23
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Liza Libes
178
55
38
When Literature Lost Its Way
How the Literary Academy Abandoned Humanistic Inquiry
Feb 16
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Liza Libes
140
26
27
What the Ivy League Is Really Selling
Not a better education, but elite social formation.
Feb 12
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Liza Libes
56
27
10
I Did Everything Wrong—and It Worked
How I Reached Six-Thousand Subscribers as a No-Name Writer (And a Thank You to Pens and Poison Readers)
Feb 10
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Liza Libes
59
12
5
January 2026
“Sex-Positivity” Broke Contemporary Literature
Contemporary Literature Can No Longer Speak Honestly About Sex
Jan 26
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Liza Libes
212
34
33
Harry Potter Changed My Life
What Harry Potter Understands that Modern Literature Does Not
Jan 22
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Liza Libes
80
22
24
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