A Young Jack Kerouac's Reading List
Back in 1940 – two years before penning his first novel whilst in the Marines, and eleven before completing the…
Alison Bechdel's Top 10 Books
In 1983, cartoonist Alison Bechdel started self-syndicating Dykes To Watch Out For, a comic strip that offered one of the…
George Saunders' Reading List
As one of the most acclaimed writers of our time, George Saunders has received MacArthur and Guggenheim Fellowships, and had…
Ralph Steadman's Reading List
When Ralph Steadman met Hunter S. Thompson in 1969, it was the start of a decades-long artistic partnership. Together, the…
Johnny Depp's Essential Reading List
In addition to playing a litany of literature-inspired roles over a truly eclectic movie career, American actor and musician Johnny…
Michael Stipe's Top 10 Books
As lead singer and lyricist for iconic alt-rock band R.E.M., Michael Stipe brought a distinctly emotive tenor, poetic lyricism, and…
Kurt Cobain’s Literary Influences
For one of grunge rock icon Kurt Cobain‘s final interviews before his tragic death by suicide in 1994, he was…
Jim Morrison's Literary Influences
“Nietzsche killed Jim Morrison,” John Densmore, drummer of the Doors, wrote in his 1990 autobiography Riders on the Storm. Before…
Tom Waits' Favorite Reads
The son of two schoolteachers, junkyard poet and piano man Tom Waits has been a voracious reader all his life. In the 2009 biography Lowside…
Patti Smith's Lifelong Reading List
In her acceptance speech for the National Book Award for 2010’s Just Kids, punk poet Patti Smith had a special message for publishers:…