The BBC is turning to P.G. Wodehouse to steal fans of Downton Abbey. This Spring will see the premiere of “A six-part BBC run of Blandings, based on Wodehouse's much-loved accounts of the fictional life and times of Blanding Castle's 9th earl. Set in 1929, with a starry cast, Blandings will follow the fortunes of the amiable, befuddled Emsworth, played by Timothy Spall, and his beloved pig, Empress.” If you’re not already familiar with Wodehouse, we recommend reading Ed Park’s review of his letters from our Dec/Jan issue.
At Slate, Ron Rosenbaum considers whether one should go to grad school, and reflects on his work as a Shakespeare scholar outside the academy.
What’s the happiest word in the English? According to a new study conducted by linguists at the University of Vermont, out of ten thousand of the most commonly used English words, ‘laughter’ was deemed the happiest, while ‘terrorist’ came in last.
“Hey shitbag, try some of my moonshine”: London Review of Books editor and Bookforum contributor Christian Lorentzen on going home for the holidays.
