April 1st is all about foolery. Have you heard lies or jokes? What about pranks? Mark Twain once wrote: "The first of April is the day we remember what we are the other 364 days of the year."

In The Fool Errant, Amy Lowell wrote: "The Fool Errant sat by the highway of life / And his gaze wandered up and his gaze wandered down, / A vigorous youth, but with no wish to walk, / Yet his longing was great for the distant town."

Desiderius Erasmus wrote "Let the foolish world then be packing and seek out Medeas, Circes, Venuses, Auroras, and I know not what other fountains of restoring youth."

Walt Whitman wrote: "We two, how long we were fool'd, / Now transmuted, we swiftly escape as Nature escapes

Take a look at quotes about fools in literature...

• "A fool sees not the same tree that a wise man sees." -- William Blake
• "However big the fool, there is always a bigger fool to admire him." -- Nicolas Boileau-Despréaux
• "But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty." -- 1 Corinthians 1:27
• "A fool must now and then be right by chance." -- William Cowper
• "He who lives without folly isn't so wise as he thinks." -- François, Duc de La Rochefoucauld
• "[Politicians] never open their mouths without subtracting from the sum of human knowledge." -- Thomas Reed
• "The ultimate result of shielding men from the effects of folly, is to fill the world with fools." -- Herbert Spencer
• "Sometimes one likes foolish people for their folly, better than wise people for their wisdom." -- Elizabeth Gaskell
• "Looking foolish does the spirit good." -- John Updike
• "Let us be thankful for the fools. But for them the rest of us could not succeed." -- Mark Twain
• "It is better to be a fool than to be dead." -- Robert Louis Stevenson

Of course, literature does "matter"! Literature (great literature especially) has meaning, and it makes a difference... As Ezra Pound once wrote: "Great literature is simply language charged with meaning to the utmost possible degree."

So, the AP headline that caught my eye was this: New book asks whether literature still matters. To someone who is (and always has been) passionate about books and literature, there's an obvious answer. It begs the question of whether such a topic is even worth writing a whole book about. But, Marjorie Garber is a Harvard professor; she's got more than enough lit credibility to offer up an interesting and insightful read (I'm guessing). "Language does change our world," she writes. "It does make possible what we think and how we think it."

That statement reminds me of one of my favorite quotes by James Baldwin: "You write in order to change the world, knowing perfectly well that you probably can't, but also knowing that literature is indispensable to the world... The world changes according to the way people see it, and if you alter, even by a millimeter, the way... people look at reality, then you can change it."

Ignorance is certainly a part of this whole idea and discussion. If an individual is never exposed to literature, why would they want to explore it, make it part of their lives, or allow it to embellish their lives with meaning. They don't know what they are missing!

Ezra Pound wrote: "Properly, we should read for power. Man reading should be man intensely alive. The book should be a ball of light in one's hand." And E.M. Forster wrote: "What is wonderful about great literature is that it transforms the man who reads it towards the condition of the man who wrote."

Does literature offer meaning to you? Does it matter (in your opinion)?

In 1847, the author (Charlotte Brontë) published a sensational novel under the mysterious pen name: Currer Bell.

Jane Eyre is one of the most memorable orphans in literary history; her story gives us a little of everything: bookish innocence, coming-of-age, abuse, impossible romance, the mad woman in the attic, adventure--even arson, suicide and the supernatural. Jane describes herself as "poor, obscure, plain and little"; but in the long run, she's strong-willed and tenacious. She's a survivor!

All those juicy elements have contributed to the book's controversial history--the novel sparked strong feelings and social debate, which is part of why the novel has stood the test of time. It's also why the novel has been repeatedly adapted to the big screen (with mixed results). The latest Jane Eyre version just opened in limited release. As LA Times reports, "The new Focus Features film based on the 19th century Charlotte Brontë novel debuted in only four theaters this weekend and generated the highest per-theater average of any film this year in limited release. The movie grossed a distributor-estimated $182,317 overall, averaging $45,579 at two theaters in Los Angeles and two more in New York."

Star Tribune describes the new film as "unapologetic melodrama shot through with inspiration." Colin Covert further says: "Diehard Twilight fans looking for a deeper, darker romantic mystery would do well to check it out." Nice touch to compare Jane Eyre with the Twilight series... We could probably link in Emily's Wuthering Heights too.

In Jane Eyre, Charlotte writes, "It is in vain to say human beings ought to be satisfied with tranquility: they must have action; and they will make it if they cannot find it." Which quotes are the most memorable? Which action(s)? And how much do you remember about the novel (quiz yourself)?

If you have the opportunity, take a look at this newest film. Let me know what you think? How does it compare (to the novel, other adaptations, etc.)?

Douglas Adams is one of the most famous sci-fi writers in history, famous for his Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and other books. Perhaps you'll recall Arthur Dent and his escape from Planet Earth, or maybe you'll always think of the exploding whale or the dolphins in So Long and Thanks for All the Fish.

The works of Douglas Adams are known for all those unique characters and unforgettable episodes. He invites us to see the world from a different perspective. In Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, he wrote, "Don't you understand that we need to be childish in order to understand? Only a child sees things with perfect clarity, because it hasn't developed all those filters which prevent us from seeing things that we don't expect to see."

Of course, another of his famous characters is Doctor Who, a character about whom Adams wrote three series. Now, according to guardian.co.uk, part of the series (Shada) will now be released as a novelization next year. Editorial director Albert De Petrillo said: "Douglas Adams's serials for Doctor Who are considered by many to be some of the best the show has ever produced. Shada is a funny, scary, surprising and utterly terrific story, and we're thrilled to be publishing the first fully realised version of this Doctor Who adventure as Douglas originally conceived it."

So, what's your favorite work by Douglas Adams? Is there an adaptation that you've particularly enjoyed? Or perhaps you've avoided reading sci-fi in the past? Would you consider reading the new version?

St. Patrick is a legendary figure in Irish history and literature--so famous that a day is named after him. Medieval stories surround St. Patrick, describing how he drove the snakes out of Ireland, converted all of Ireland to Christianity, how he explained the Trinity with a shamrock, and how his coming was foretold by Druid priests:

"With a head like an adze and a curved stick he will come,
Chanting his evil songs in his house with a hole,
From the table in the front of the house,
And his people will say, "So be it, so be it."

In St. Patrick of Ireland Philip Freeman sifts through the fragments of myths, legends, and time-worn manuscripts to re-create the story of Patrick. Freeman quickly reads between the lines of Patrick's letters to get at the real drama of his life and works. Along the way, he focuses on the man behind the legend. Read the full review: St. Patrick of Ireland.

Cover Art © Simon & Schuster.

I love the still quietude that hangs about the house--just before the sun comes up and life suddenly turns to such busy chaos. It's a time to pause and reflect, and be thankful for that brief breathe of time.

Some days, the earth shakes, and we are reminded once again about how quickly disaster can strike (full of sound and fury, but also with such terrible finality). Where were you when the earthquake shook Japan? Where were you when we've experienced the other assorted tragedies? But also, what does tragedy do to you? Does it make you rethink life? Does a life-wrenching experience cause you to re-evaluate literature?

Samuel Goldwyn once wrote: "We want a story that starts out with an earthquake and works its way up to a climax." A good book can turn your world upside down; it can change everything. Emily Dickinson once wrote, "If I read a book and it makes my whole body so cold no fire can ever warm me, I know that is poetry. If I feel physically as if the top of my head were taken off, I know that is poetry. These are the only ways I know it. Is there any other way?"

Frederick Douglass wrote: "It is not light that we need, but fire; it is not the gentle shower, but thunder. We need the storm, the whirlwind, and the earthquake." (Do you know his story? Slave, orator--he continually feared for his life, after he escaped from slavery.)

Sometimes--it would appear--we need our perceptions to be shaken. We face brutal challenges--the pain and fears. As in Ursula Le Guin's story: "The eye altering alters all." There's a sense of improved awareness (at least for a period of time). We are part of a shared experience and together we gather strength. As I curl up, I find solace in the words of men and women who have long since been interred into the earth. I'm reminded that we're not alone. Upon the well-worn pages, I read passionate outpourings, with strange familiar slants to the words.

Even in the darkest moments, I feel somehow safe (even comforted) while buried in a book--wrapped in the clutches of a wonderful full-fledged tome by one of the great literary masters. We may never experience the full extent of the devastation so far across the ocean, but we are still touched. What is your story to tell? Which books offer you comfort during this time?

The International Women's Day is a global celebration, which recognizes the economic, political and social achievements of women past, present and future. In some countries (China, Russia, Vietnam and Bulgaria), the day is a national holiday. It's the 100th year, and the announcement of a Mary Wollstonecraft statue seems particularly appropriate today!

Mary Wollstonecraft was a social critic, famous for Vindication and the Rights of Women and other works. She struggled all of her life against madness; she repeatedly attempted to kill herself. She wrote: "Why I am mad thus I cannot tell; and till I can form some idea of the whole of my existence, I must be content to weep and dance like a child--long for a toy, and be tire of it as soon as I get it."

Despite her many troubles in life, her prose delved deeply into the female situation, offering a voice of reason to debates on domesticity, education and sexuality. Besides being the "mother of feminism," she's famous as the mother of Mary Shelley (author of Frankenstein), and for inspiring other women like Virginia Woolf. Mary Wollstonecraft died shortly after giving birth to her daughter, but she left behind a lasting legacy. She once wrote, "I am then going to be the first of a new genus. You know I am not born to tread in the beaten track--the peculiar bent of my nature pushes me on.

Today, we celebrate Mary Wollstonecraft, her daughter, and the many women writers who tell their stories. Now a far more prominent marker will also remind us of Wollstonecraft's contribution. As The Guardian reports, plans are underway for an international sculpture competition. Perhaps her visage will be chiseled by one of the world's most prominent artists/sculptors.

The extraordinary tale of Jekyll and Hyde is rather unforgettable--all that psychological angst, violence, identity switching. It's the stuff that movies were built upon, so it's not really surprising when we see another Jekyll adaptation every few years.

The backstory of the Jekyll original is fraught with some bit of mystery, frustration and violence. As history tells it, Robert Louis Stevenson woke from a horrible nightmare, and immediately wrote Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde based on his vivid recollections. When his wife read it, and didn't like it, he threw it into the fire, and then proceeded to re-write the work for the next three days. Given the enduring popularity of the work, we can only be thankful that the work evolved as it did. Could it have come to life in any other way--almost like a Frankenstein monster (from the ashes)...?

Stevenson writes: "I am painfully situated... my position is a very strange--a very strange one. It is one of those affairs that cannot be mended by talking." Perhaps, we can mend it by writing... What do you think of the infamous Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde?

Cover Art © W.W. Norton & Co.

Every once in a while, we have the opportunity to celebrate books! If we were really obsessed, we'd be thinking about books every other moment, or at least every day. But, we seem to forget. Books gather in stacks or on shelves (or boxes). So much else creeps in that takes up our time.We have lots of reasons for why we don't read...

Why should we remember? Why are books important? How have books changed your life?

Here's a holiday for books! It's called World Book Day, and you may see the signs of celebration in libraries, book stores, bookstores, etc. The promoters claim that the World Book Day is the "biggest annual celebration of books." And, it just keeps on getting better... The goal is to "encourage children to explore the pleasures of books and reading by providing them with the opportunity to have a book of their own."

Have you thought about giving a gift of a book? Perhaps the celebration of books today gives us all more reason to pause and reflect on our own reading habits, but also offers us a chance to give a gift of reading to friends or family. We can all do more to encourage literacy/reading...

J.D. Salinger once wrote: "What really knocks me out is a book that, when you're all done reading it, you wish the author that wrote it was a terrific friend of yours and you could call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it."

Here's more information about World Book Day:

• World Book Day
• Literacy Trust: World Book Trust
• Book Aid International

So much of literary history is linked with women and mothers--even when there's a notable absence, that's something! Memorable moments can often be traced to moments of reading or storytelling on a mother's lap. Women have peopled the famous plays, novels and stories. They are the stuff of our favorite myths and legends--making their indelible mark upon our imaginations. They were all there, beautiful.

So, for March, we re-imagine women in literature and history. It's Women's History Month. So, who should we think of? Jane Austen, who supposedly covered up her writing whenever visitors arrived? Charlotte Bronte (or one of her sisters: Emily or Anne)? Kate Chopin, who never wrote another novel when The Awakening was banned? What of Aphra Behn, the famous spy and plagiarist? Or Mary Shelley, who ran off with Percy, told ghost stories, and created one of the greatest monsters in literary history? Or Virginia Woolf, who eloquently described the plight of Shakespeare's fictional sister (but also encouraged us to re-imagine/re-think the history of women writers)? These women (and more) have gone before--it's upon their graves (and the body of their works) that we continue to build our literature--full of passion, drama, intrigue. It's what we're made of... Beautiful imagination...

Here are a few quotes:

• "I, with a deeper instinct, choose a man who compels my strength, who makes enormous demands on me, who does not doubt my courage or my toughness, who does not believe me naïve or innocent, who has the courage to treat me like a woman." - Anaïs Nin
• "Being a woman is a terribly difficult task, since it consists principally in dealing with men." - Joseph Conrad
• "I do not wish them to have power over men, but over themselves." - Mary Wollstonecraft
• "And the crazy part of it was even if you were clever, even if you spent your adolescence reading John Donne and Shaw, even if you studied history or zoology or physics and hoped to spend your life pursuing some difficult and challenging career, you still had a mind full of all the soupy longings that every high-school girl was awash in... underneath it, all you longed to be was annihilated by love..." Erica Jong

Discover more resources for the month of March (Women's History Month... and beyond)!

• Women's History - Jone Johnson Lewis
• A Woman Young and Old - William Butler Yeats
• The Rights of Women - Anna Laetitia Aikin (Barbauld)
• Vindication on the Rights of Women - Mary Wollstonecraft
• On the Education of Women - Daniel Defoe
• We As Women - Charlotte Perkins Gilman
• Herland - Charlotte Perkins Gilman

Read more about the characters and writers in literary history.