Five TEERRRRIIFFIICCC Traits of Spiders Learned From “Charlotte’s Web”

The idio-idio-idiosyncrasies of spiders are highlighted in this children’s book by the New Yorker journalist.

by Rich Watson 

E.B. White was one of the first writers for The New Yorker before he ventured into children’s literature. His book Charlotte’s Web has become a twentieth-century classic tale of friendship.

It also made a heroic figure out of a misunderstood and often feared creature: the common household spider.

The Real Dorothy From “The Wizard of Oz” Was Only Five Months Old

The inspiration for the literary character never lived long enough to even walk.

by Rich Watson 

L. Frank Baum’s book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz has lead to an evergreen merchandise blitz based on iconic characters, one of the most celebrated motion pictures ever made, and a permanent residence in American culture.

Before all that, though, it was nothing more than a tribute to a relative’s infant child, who died way too soon.

BRW: Behind the Blind 5

This past spring I wrote a 25,000-word fan fiction story. It’s inspired by a Marvel comic book from the eighties. I have no idea at all why I did it. I wasn’t eager to write a fanfic, about superheroes or anything else. The urge just came to me out of the blue. 

In my previous blog I wrote shorter fanfics inspired by movies and TV. (Here’s an example.) I did it then as a means to generate material for the blog. Often, I cared less about whether or not a given movie was any good and more about what I thought or experienced while watching it. Also, posts like these were more creative than a thumbs-up or thumbs-down review.

My point is, I’ve never had a strong yen for fanfic for its own sake. This felt different.