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From Page to Pez: Literary Characters that are also Candy
image via jayorama.com
June is National Candy Month, and sure you could read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory or some other candy-coated book, maybe even indulge in a chick lit novel with Necco hearts on the cover—and while those are both fine, bookish ways to mark the holiday, why not step it up this year and eat your favorite literary character?
Pez has been making candy in Austria since 1927. Its famous dispensers have been around since 1948, with Santa and Mickey making their monumental debuts in the 1950s. But these days, if you can name that cartoon character, you can find its Pez dispenser—from Tom and Jerry to Batman to Mulan to Monsters, Inc.
Some of those lovable candy-popping heads started as books. So below we honor those that have gone from the page to the Pez.
Posted by Diana R. Wallach
EXCLUSIVE William Shakespeare’s Star Wars Sonnet: “Hark! With this tale, encounter Jango Fett”
Episode II in the William Shakespeare's Star Wars series, The Clone Army Attacketh, goes on sale on July 7th! To celebrate, author Ian Doescher will be releasing exclusive sonnets each week, dedicated to the new characters you'll encounter in this latest tale set in a clash-strewn galaxy far, far away.
Posted by Ian Doescher
Your Best (Bookish) Week in NYC: June 22nd – 26th
Summer is officially here, but don’t let the heat get you down. There are still plenty of cool ways for you to have the best bookish day in New York City. Whether you check out the historic sites of Dorothy Parker’s childhood on the Upper West Side, or visit the lions at the New York Public Library, make sure to tweet at us to let us know where you went.
Posted by Jennifer Morell
How To Plan Your Geeky Picnic
Posted by Kristina Pino
5 Inspiring Commencement Speeches from Authors
(image via syracuse.com)
As George Saunders put it in his 2013 address to Syracuse, the university commencement address is a tradition in which “some old fart, his best hears behind him, who over the course of his life has made a series of dreadful mistakes, offers heartfelt advice to a group of shining, energetic, beautiful young people.”
It’s a little strange that a person, based almost entirely on their celebrity status, is somehow qualified to offer life advice to the next generation. But it comes as no surprise that authors often offer the best words of wisdom. Here, we've collected the five most inspiring commencement speeches given by authors.
Posted by Sarah Weber
Father’s Day Book Club for Fictional Dads
I must confess that I am a huge fan of the fictional Book Club posts that Jamie Canaves does for the Quirk blog. (Check out the latest for Orange is the New Black!)
So, in the spirit of Father’s Day and taking a cue from the indomitable Jamie, I assigned some perfectly on-point Quirk book selections for my favorite pop culture dads.
Posted by Brett Cohen