E.M. Forster once said that if he had to choose between betraying his country and his friends, he hoped he'd have the courage to betray the former. This preference for personal loyalty over patriotism reveals the core of Forster's values, the liberalism that he brought to his fictional explorations o

Bloomsbury, Elegant, Homoerotic, Political, Sincere, Witty

In 1994 Dennis Potter knew he was going to die. The writer of such television theater masterpieces as "The Singing Detective" and "Pennies from Heaven" had just been diagnosed with untreatable cancer of the liver and pancreas. In a strange move, he agreed to talk with the BBC about his life and immin

Contemplative, Contemporary plays, Dense, Political, Profane, Witty

Applying the strategies of Deconstruction to Post-Colonialism, Gayatri Spivak seeks to undermine the power of centralized discourses in the interest of clearing a space for marginalized voices. Known for her ample erudition and opaque theoretical texts, Spivak combines abstract philosophical specu

Deconstruction, Deconstructive, Dense, Intimate, Political, Post-colonialism, Self-reflection, Silence

As an inquisitive woman with a critical eye, and as a member of the Chinese Communist Party who portrayed its flaws in her fiction, Ding Ling found herself in a precarious position. Her progressive vision moved her to both revere and criticize the Communist Party -- her critiques earned her ten years

Clever, Feminist, Pioneering, Political, Rebel, Women's literature