Virtual Literary Salon

The Most Memorable Books From My 2024 Literary Salons

5 days ago

The Most Memorable Books From My 2024 Literary Salons

Last Thursday I hosted the last virtual literary salon of the year and it felt like crossing a finish line of sorts after planning,...

6 Things You’re Going to Love About my Online Book Discussions

Marisa

Jul 28, 2023

6 Things You’re Going to Love About my Online Book Discussions

Looking for a bookish community? My online book discussions are just what you're looking for!

Part One: Making Time to Read as a Parent

Marisa

Jul 25, 2022

Part One: Making Time to Read as a Parent

I often hear from people, in conversations and in DMs, about how difficult it can be to get back into (and maintain) reading once having...

The Original Nutcracker Story: Tchaikovsky's Ballet vs. Hoffman's Tale

Marisa

Dec 21, 2021

The Original Nutcracker Story: Tchaikovsky's Ballet vs. Hoffman's Tale

Discover the enchanting differences between Tchaikovsky's ballet and Hoffman's original Nutcracker story.

A Historic Glimpse of the French Literary Salons

Marisa

Jul 26, 2021

A Historic Glimpse of the French Literary Salons

What is a literary salon? Literary salons have their origins in the Renaissance idea of gathering for debate in the courts of Italy and...

Marisa

Jul 13, 2021

Six Facts About the Brontës

With three literary geniuses in the family—Charlotte, Emily, and Anne—the Brontës certainly secured themselves a (rightful) place in the...

A Jane Austen-inspired Cocktail Recipe from Toronto’s Famous Last Words Bar

Marisa

May 13, 2021

A Jane Austen-inspired Cocktail Recipe from Toronto’s Famous Last Words Bar

I am so thrilled to bring you a cocktail from the amazing literary-themed bar in Toronto, Ontario, Famous Last Words (FLW)! Over the past...

Could she have meant that?! Sexual Innuendos in Jane Austen’s ‘Emma’

Marisa

May 10, 2021

Could she have meant that?! Sexual Innuendos in Jane Austen’s ‘Emma’

Uncover the 'sexy' side of Jane Austen's Emma with a deep dive into the novel's sexual innuendos--including Kitty, a fair, but frozen maid.

School Textbooks Reflect our Societal Values

Marisa

Apr 11, 2021

School Textbooks Reflect our Societal Values

I recently wrote a post about What Makes a Literary Classic in which I was thinking about what we culturally consider a ‘classic’ and how...

Marisa

Mar 18, 2021

Literary Cocktail: Miss Cathy's Whip

"Wuthering Heights is the name of Mr. Heathcliff's dwelling, 'wuthering' being a significant provincial adjective, descriptive of the...

The French Kiss Cocktail and a Romance Novel: A Perfect Match!

Marisa

Feb 11, 2021

The French Kiss Cocktail and a Romance Novel: A Perfect Match!

'Tis the season to read steamy romance novels and clink a glass (or two) with a valentine! This month Le Salon is diving into a close...

Marisa

Feb 9, 2021

Classic F#@*ing Literature

Not typical classroom vocabulary, but a historical lesson nonetheless! That oft used F word can be a noun, an adjective, a verb, an...

Literary Cocktail: Pairing The Clover Club with 'Anne of Green Gables'

Marisa

Jan 14, 2021

Literary Cocktail: Pairing The Clover Club with 'Anne of Green Gables'

"...so I won't tell you what [Marilla] said we could have to drink. Only it begins with an r and a c and it's bright red colour. I love...

Finding Their Voice: The Female Bildungsroman

Marisa

Jan 3, 2021

Finding Their Voice: The Female Bildungsroman

Is there such a thing as a female bildungsroman? I break it down for you (including some suggested reading!).

Creating Christmas Traditions with Charles Dickens

Marisa

Dec 14, 2020

Creating Christmas Traditions with Charles Dickens

Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol (1843) continues to be read, watched and performed after more than 175 years, and is enjoyed by all...

Literary Cocktail: A Christmas Carol's Smoking Bishop

Marisa

Dec 10, 2020

Literary Cocktail: A Christmas Carol's Smoking Bishop

“A merrier Christmas, Bob, my good fellow, than I have given you, for many a year! I’ll raise your salary, and endeavour to assist your...

Tipple in a Teacup: The Lady and Leaf Cocktail

Marisa

Nov 25, 2020

Tipple in a Teacup: The Lady and Leaf Cocktail

Today I have a cocktail recipe that will be both your after-dinner dessert and your cup of tea (pun intended)! I have the absolute...

Mary Shelley’s “hideous progeny”: Authorial Intent of 'Frankenstein'

Marisa

Oct 16, 2020

Mary Shelley’s “hideous progeny”: Authorial Intent of 'Frankenstein'

Battle of the Editions: 1818 vs. 1831 Many are aware of the myth of how Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1818) came about: one stormy summer...

Tracing the Vampiric Roots of Bram Stoker's 'Dracula'

Marisa

Oct 15, 2020

Tracing the Vampiric Roots of Bram Stoker's 'Dracula'

When we think of the vampire of popular culture, we tend to conjure images of aristocrats, seducers, wanderers. Even the sparkling...

A Feminist Legacy: Looking at the Lives and Sorrows of Mary Wollstonecraft and Mary Shelley

Marisa

Oct 8, 2020

A Feminist Legacy: Looking at the Lives and Sorrows of Mary Wollstonecraft and Mary Shelley

Charlotte Gordon’s biography Romantic Outlaws: The Extraordinary Lives of Mary Wollstonecraft and Mary Shelley is an excellently...

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