For many readers, Game of Thrones is the first foray into the magical world of epic fantasy novels. It’s also the first introduction to the phrase: “The sequel is coming,” and the corresponding question: WHEN???? The Winds of Winter is, in fact, coming (or so Mr. Martin says), but as it’s likely it will be… Read more »
“I just heard about this new thing called ‘New Adult.’ What is it and what’s the difference between NA and YA?” – Somewhere Between Young and New I remember in my day there was no such thing as New Adult. None of this transitional jibber-jabber. One day you’re an adolescent and the next day you’re… Read more »
Welcome to our first official installment of #5onFri or “Five on Friday.” This is a weekly column by members of the DIY MFA community, showcasing books (and other writerly things) that we love. Got an idea for a #5onFri? Submit it as a guest post pitch. To kick off our #5onFri series, first I thought I’d share… Read more »
As an American-born Chinese, I grew up in a small, southern town in North Carolina and spent my summers off in Shanghai, China. In our house, when my sister and I weren’t watching Nickelodeon, we were watching Chinese dramas like Huan Zhu Ge Ge, or “Return of the Pearl Princess.” Even though I couldn’t understand… Read more »
What would you do if you followed updates on Facebook about a close friend who quit his job, traveled to the west and got tangled up in all sorts of mischief (including getting kidnapped by a religious cult and train hopping with a farmer’s daughter) – only to find out the whole thing was a… Read more »
When you combine 19th century Parisian history, classical music and dancing skeletons, what do you get? Saint-Saëns’s Danse Macabre, a spooky children’s picture book about how French composer Camille Saint-Saëns became inspired to create the orchestral piece “Danse Macabre,” or “dance of death,” after a visit to an underground cemetery. Published in August 2013, Saint-Saëns’s… Read more »
Recently, I read the novel Great, a modernized YA adaptation of The Great Gatsby set in the East Hamptons., as opposed to the fictitious East and West Egg. The Great Gatsby is my favorite novel, so I read with trepidation. Taking a story that everyone knows and making it your own isn’t a small endeavor…. Read more »
Here at DIY MFA, we love to share exciting new books and up-and-coming authors with our audience – you! That’s why I started New Spin, a bi-monthly DIY MFA column that covers everything that falls within alternative storytelling and new approaches to reading books: literary mash-ups, books that put a new spin on classic stories… Read more »
“Cow goes moo. Frog goes croak, and the elephant goes toot. Ducks say quack and fish go blub, and the seal goes ow, ow, ow. But there’s one sound that no one knows – what does the fox say?” What started out as a comedic song for “Tonight with Ylvis,” the Norwegian television show hosted… Read more »
Every month or two, DIY MFA’s Wendy Lu will be hosting “New Spin,” a column that covers everything that falls within alternative storytelling: literary mash-ups, books that put a new spin on classic stories, and “meta-books” that use new media, graphic illustrations, and interaction between words/design for an enhanced reader experience. Supernatural, eerie, weird. These… Read more »
