Blog

The reach of Katherine Mansfield

Though Katherine Mansfield died young, her influence endured in the writing of Cather, Welty, Bowen, and McCullers (who read her collected stories until the pages fell out).

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Waiting for The Blue Hour

The Blue Hour, a Jean Rhys biography named for her favorite perfume, was due out early this year, but so far there are only rolling tumbleweeds.

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Flaubert’s letters to himself

In college I kept a journal — now destroyed, obviously, along with most incriminating photos — in which I evinced a penchant for copying out overwrought quotations from Flaubert’s letters. I’ve forgotten most of them, but a particular favorite (from a letter to his lover) was: “What a heavy oar the pen is, and what a strong current ideas are . . .

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