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Top Books by State: Vermont

By Adrienne Rivera. Mar 17, 2024. 6:54 AM.

Topics: Poetry, Pulitzer Prize, American Literature

Today, we continue our literary road trip through the United States by taking a closer look at some books set in the great state of Vermont. This New England state, home to hot, humid summers and long, frigid winters, possesses a landscape of great natural beauty. Known for agriculture and forestry, Vermont's landscape has served as an inspiration to writers and artists for years. Join us today as we take a closer look at Vermont in our Top Books by State series: 

     
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Best Quotes from Ernest Hemingway

American novelist, short story writer, and journalist Ernest Hemingway is widely considered one of the most important and influential writers in American literature. Throughout his decades-long career, he produced seven novels, multiple short story collections and novellas, and non-fiction pieces, which include three decades of war coverage and travel journalism. Several of his novels, including For Whom the Bell Tolls, The Sun Also Rises, and A Farewell to Arms, have earned the unofficial status of Great American Novel and are considered classics outside of America. Hemingway is known for his simple, clear style that conveys complex meaning without overly complex structure or wording. He is the recipient of both the Pulitzer and Nobel Prizes. Today, we look at some of the best passages in Hemingway's classic style.

     
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Best Quotes from Philip Roth

Philip Roth was born in New Jersey in 1933 to second-generation Jewish parents from Austria and Ukraine. He graduated from Weequahic High School in 1950, and his time there inspired much of his fiction, including his popular and critically acclaimed Portnoy’s Complaint. He earned a BA from Bucknell College and an MA from the University of Chicago. He began studying for his PhD but dropped out. He taught writing at numerous institutions before retiring from teaching in the early 90’s. His publishing career began in the 50’s with short stories and novellas. His first collected work, Goodbye, Columbus, won the National Book Award in 1960, securing his place as one of the best American writers of his generation. He won a second National Book Award for Sabbath’s Theater and a Pulitzer Prize for American Pastoral. He also won three PEN/Faulkner Awards throughout his career. He passed away in 2018 at the age of eighty-five. Let’s take a closer look at some of the best passages from Roth’s impressive body of work:

 

     
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Top Books by State Series: Texas

By Adrienne Rivera. Mar 7, 2023. 10:07 AM.

Topics: Pulitzer Prize, American Literature

The next stop on our literary road trip throughout the United States is Texas. Texas is America’s second-largest state and is accordingly full of a variety of cultures, foods, and histories. Today’s books focus on people living in Texas during different but equally tumultuous times. Join us in the next edition of our Top Books by State series by taking a look at these books inspired by different times and people throughout Texas’ rich history:

     
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Best Books by State: Nebraska

By Adrienne Rivera. Feb 21, 2023. 10:07 AM.

Topics: Pulitzer Prize, American Literature, Movie Tie-Ins

Today we continue our Best Books by State series by looking at some books set in Nebraska. Nebraska was once a frontier country, considered the gateway to the American West. The Midwestern state was historically home to many Native American tribes and is part of numerous historical trails once used to traverse the western frontier. The Great Plains state is now an agricultural center and home to large cities. Today we examine some notable books and short stories set in Nebraska as we continue our literary road trip through America:

     
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The Best of Cormac McCarthy

By Adrienne Rivera. Feb 16, 2023. 10:07 AM.

Topics: Pulitzer Prize, Awarded Books, American Literature

Cormac McCarthy (born Charles McCarthy) is an American writer known for his gritty, stylistically complex works of fiction in the southern gothic, western, and post-apocalyptic genres. He attended the University of Tennessee and served in the US Air Force. McCarthy published his first novel, The Orchard Keeper, in 1965.

     
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Top Books by State: Mississippi

Today in our Top Books by State series, we're taking a closer look at one of the vibrant states of the American south: Mississippi. From the Mississippi River Delta to the Gulf Coast, Mississippi is a state rich with history and natural beauty. The Delta is considered the birthplace of the blues. Numerous locations throughout the state have important sites relating to the Civil War. Mississippi is also home to a rich literary history as the home state of authors such as Eudora Welty, Tennessee Williams, and John Grisham. Join us today as we explore some of the best books to come from the state of Mississippi:

     
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Top Books by State: Louisiana

Today we continue our Top Books by State series with a close look at some of the best books from Louisiana. Louisiana is an eclectic mix of small town, big city, and bayou, making it a popular destination for American and international tourists alike. Perhaps best known for its annual Mardi Gras festival, New Orleans is a vibrant mix of culture, reflected in its music, food, and people. Its Cajun and Creole cultures have their roots in French, African, and French Canadian cultures respectively and there is also an influence from Haitian immigration. Let's take a look at some of the best books to come from Louisiana:

     
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Chronicling the American Presidency: Bob Woodward

By Adrienne Rivera. Mar 25, 2020. 9:00 AM.

Topics: American History, Pulitzer Prize

While not many print journalists bear the distinction of being a household name, there are likely few people who have not heard of investigative reporter Bob Woodward. WoodwardHarvard educated and a Navy veteranhas spent the majority of his career at The Washington Post, where he currently serves as associate editor. He initially applied for a position as a reporter at the Post and was given a two week trial period. He was not hired on a continual basis due to a lack of experience, since he applied right out of school. Woodward applied again after one year of working as a journalist at the Montgomery Sentinel. Not even a full year later, Woodward, along with Carl Bernstein, was assigned to cover a burglary at the soon to be infamous Watergate Building. This would make him a household name.

     
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The Six Wives of Norman Mailer

By Neely Simpson. Jan 31, 2020. 9:00 AM.

Topics: Pulitzer Prize, American Literature

"Notorious philanderer," "egomaniac," "pugnacious" and "pompous" are a few of the milder epitaphs that have been used to describe controversial and larger-than-life Norman Mailer. His New York Times obituary was even titled, "Norman Mailer, Towering Writer With Matching Ego, Dies at 84." Known in the literary world as one of the greatest writers of the twentieth century, Mailer won two Pulitzer Prizes in literature and one National Book Award. He is credited with having pioneered creative nonfiction as a genre, also called New Journalism. During his life he became as famous for his relationships with women as he did for his literary work. He was married six times and fathered eight children. Here is a brief look at the six wives of Norman Mailer.

     
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