What makes a great first line of a book? How do the best authors put together an initial sentence that draws you in and makes you want to read more? We’re talking about the openings of such novels as George Orwell’s 1984 (Bookshop|Amazon), E.B. White’s Charlotte’s Web (Bookshop|Amazon) and Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice (Bookshop|Amazon). As writer Alice McDermott observes in her essay collection What About the Baby? Some Thoughts on the Art of Fiction (Bookshop|Amazon), the most compelling first lines convey a sense of authority and the idea that you can relax into a story told with confidence and verve. This is part of a complete episode.
Knitters are creating temperature blankets, also known as weather blankets, by assigning colors to daily temperatures and stitching them into finished pieces. Makers involved in The Tempestry Project extend the practice by representing the weather...
Nikki in Charlotte, North Carolina, shares the story of a man who casually told passersby You dropped your pocket, prompting them to check for something that wasn’t there in the first place. That silly saying reminds her of playing pool and trying...
