“Before he became a founder of realism and an unlikely literary sex icon (‘Do not suppose,’ an Italian count wrote to his wife, ‘that the ugliness of his face will protect you from his irresistible power’), the young Balzac was proofreading legal filings.” For NPR’s Monkey See blog. To read the post, click here.

Categories: Print • Tags: Andrew Shaffer, Balzac, Baudelaire, Literary Rogues, Poe, writing