Literature and the Arts

Literature and Arts delivers a richly detailed painting for the imagination. Art and Architecture stretches a large canvas across areas from urban planning and architecture to famous painters and photographers. It also covers the museums and galleries where their greatest works are displayed. Did you know the Ch’ing period lasted nearly three centuries and incorporated western designs in its porcelain pieces?

Mythology and Folklore has mystified us for centuries. Classical Literature refers to great masterpieces from the Greeks, Romans, and other ancient civilizations. Such historical works include Homer's Iliad. What did Pegasus create? With a slash of his hoof, he created the Hippocrene, a sacred spring for the Muses on Mt. Helicon. Hence, he has often been associated with the arts – especially poetry.

From the furniture designs of Gustav Stickley to timeless Spode chinaware, Smart QandA has answers to questions about Design and Crafts. Haute couture and high-end fashion changed the way people dressed in the 20th century. Christian Dior, Calvin Klein, and Donna Karan were among the trendsetters who defined the look of success and affluence.

Journalism and Publishing answers the question: What is the first book printed by Gutenberg? From Joseph Pulitzer to Art Buchwald, discover the history of books, newspapers, and magazines. Learn how revolutions in publishing transformed the world. Language, Linguistics and Literary Terms answers why the 20th century was called the Age of Criticism. Such major disciplines as psychology and anthropology, along with ideologies like Christian theology and Marxist dialectic, were found to have valid applications to works of literature.

From J.R.R. Tolkien to Sylvia Plath, Literature in English can help answer questions about fiction, non-fiction writing, and the books we love to read more than once. From the humorists to the critics, find answers about literary figures of interest, including Tolstoy, Hugo, Li Po, and other masters of non-English works.

Conductors, actors, and musicians reign in Performing Arts. We answer questions about their life, their work, and what made them great. What was Maureen Stapleton’s first stage success? When did Yo Yo Ma first perform at Carnegie Hall? Who was Lillian Gish? Walk across our stage and find out.

Finally, explore those who spent their lives answering questions in Scholars and Historians. Without them, many of our questions would remain unanswered.