James Joyce – Michael A. Kahn

Benny and the Greatest Bowel Movement in Literature

Posted on July 26, 2020January 24, 2023 by Michael Kahn

Several years ago, as an interminable mediation of a high-profile trademark case stretched into the wee hours of the night, I stepped outside my crazy client’s breakout room to get another cup of coffee and found the mediator–the late and beloved Dick Sher–seated at a table in the lunchroom sipping his own cup of coffee…

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5 Essential Habits of Successful Writers — A Guest Post

Posted on October 25, 2019 by Michael Kahn

Our guest blogger today is Daniela McVicker, a freelance writers and a contributor to RatedByStudents. Daniela has a master’s degree in English Literature and is truly passionate about teaching. She works with students to help them reveal their writing talents and find one true calling. So join me as we learn more from Daniela. I’ll…

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From the Odyssey to the Unforgiven

Posted on July 15, 2016July 18, 2016 by Michael Kahn

Critics have long debated whether the correct number is six or nine or eleven, but they do agree that all literature–no matter the genre–can be reduced to less than 12 basic story lines. Whether you label Homer’s The Odyssey a quest story, a revenge tale, a picaresque adventure, or an astounding melange of all three, its impact…

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Lesser Is Better . . . and Wonderful: Why to Read Why I Read

Posted on February 11, 2014December 29, 2017 by Michael Kahn

If you love to read books, you will love Why I Read: The Serious Pleasure of Books by Wendy Lesser, founder and editor of The Threepenny Review. As the New York Times reviewer wrote, “Wendy Lesser is a serious reader — a quality reader — and this book is a serious pleasure.” Having just finished the book,…

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The Joy Of The Dead

Posted on August 16, 2013 by Michael Kahn

Sometimes we revisit a beloved book or movie many years later only to discover that what had once seemed so magnificent now seems, well, kind of meh. Such was the case for me with the novel Catcher in the Rye and the movie Bringing Up Baby. Oh, there were wonderful moments in each, but nothing that came close to…

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