Tag Archives: Donna Tartt

The Hawking index is not what you think

Posted on December 16, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

Mathematician Jordan Ellenberg created an imaginative means of quantifying a metric that book publishers and writers had long suspected: most people don’t finish the books they buy. He called it the Hawking Index, named after Stephen Hawking’s “A Brief History … Continue reading →

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The first duty of the novelist is to entertain.

Posted on April 5, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

“The first duty of the novelist is to entertain. It is a moral duty. People who read your books are sick, sad, traveling, in the hospital waiting room while someone is dying. Books are written by the alone for the … Continue reading →

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Frosted Murakami

Posted on July 16, 2015 by Brian D. Butler

A big h/t to Brooklyn writer/blogger/cartoonist Kate Gavino for these wonderful literary breakfast cereals.

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