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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,...
Marisa
Dec 18, 2024

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!
Marisa
Jul 28, 2023

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...
Marisa
Jul 25, 2022

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.
Marisa
Dec 21, 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 26, 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...
Marisa
Jul 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...
Marisa
May 13, 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.
Marisa
May 10, 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
Apr 11, 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...
Marisa
Mar 18, 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 11, 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...
Marisa
Feb 9, 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...
Marisa
Jan 14, 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!).
Marisa
Jan 3, 2021

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...
Marisa
Dec 14, 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...
Marisa
Dec 10, 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...
Marisa
Nov 25, 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...
Marisa
Oct 16, 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...
Marisa
Oct 15, 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...
Marisa
Oct 8, 2020
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