Richard III might not have actually been a hunchback after all. NPR has the scoop.

Are our modern dictionaries less precise than those of the past? James Somers certainly thinks so. He has written a lengthy blog post decrying the differences between modern dictionaries and the 1913 edition of Webster's. Dictionaries weren't always so utilitarian — there was room for artistic expression even in this genre.

J.R.R. Tolkien, author of The Lord of The Rings, translated Beowulf. His translation had never been published. Until recently.

Speaking of Beowulf, There's a new Beowulf board game in the works. The Washington Post has more.

Dana Huff writes that we need to allow students the freedom to fail so that they have the freedom to learn.

Jennifer Isgett writes at Empathic Teacher about an exercise she requires her students to complete: they must find an online analysis of a poem and then analyze the analysis. This approach helps students develop their critical reading skills. Read more at Empathic Teacher.