classic literature

ESSAY / On speech and literature’s silent female subjects

When Gayatri Spivak ends her groundbreaking essay “Can the Subaltern Speak?” (1988) with a definitive statement “the subaltern cannot speak”, a section of literary criticism took that dictum literally—accepting the “cannot” to represent mutism or an inability to speak.

VIEWS / There's a Jo March in every woman

Whether it was in the past or in the present, Jo March instilled herself in every woman. 

The comfort of rereading old books

I often feel overwhelmed by the sheer quantity of new books that I still want to read—so many stories, so little time—and understand that this is an ambition that rereading can only delay.

A gripping portrayal of one of Greek mythology’s most strong-willed women

We witness her ferocities that are little associated with the common understanding of a “just” ruler. We see her as a loving mother, while also finding the fallibilities of motherhood flawlessly seamed into the storytelling.

March 9, 2024
March 9, 2024

On speech and literature’s silent female subjects

When Gayatri Spivak ends her groundbreaking essay “Can the Subaltern Speak?” (1988) with a definitive statement “the subaltern cannot speak”, a section of literary criticism took that dictum literally—accepting the “cannot” to represent mutism or an inability to speak.

November 29, 2023
November 29, 2023

There's a Jo March in every woman

Whether it was in the past or in the present, Jo March instilled herself in every woman. 

July 2, 2023
July 2, 2023

The comfort of rereading old books

I often feel overwhelmed by the sheer quantity of new books that I still want to read—so many stories, so little time—and understand that this is an ambition that rereading can only delay.

May 12, 2023
May 12, 2023

A gripping portrayal of one of Greek mythology’s most strong-willed women

We witness her ferocities that are little associated with the common understanding of a “just” ruler. We see her as a loving mother, while also finding the fallibilities of motherhood flawlessly seamed into the storytelling.