Paperback Writers and Paperback Makers
From Shakespeare to penny dreadfuls and pulp fiction, celebrate International Paperback Day with this history of the affordable format.
Blog Posts
Four Facts About the Real Hemingway
We at Uncle John’s like an efficient read, so it’s no surprise that Ernest Hemingway is a favorite at the Bathroom Readers’ Institute. He’s a titan of American literature who wrote about big things like love, war, and manliness. He did it all with famous economy and precision — but how much of it was […]
Lewis’s Adventures in Wonderland
On July 4, 1862, Alice first encountered the White Rabbit, The Mad Hatter, and Queen of Hearts, and all the other residents of Wonderland. But did you know she was dreamed up by a math professor telling a story at a summer picnic? Read all about how Lewis Caroll concocted a fantasy classic. Charles Dodgson was […]
Interview with Contributor to Strange USA!
Brian Boone, contributor to Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader and the Strange series, sits down with the WGVU Morning Show to share the historical oddities, roadside rarities, unique eats and amazing Americans in the exciting new release—Strange USA. Click here to listen to the interview!
They Almost Fought in the ‘Star Wars’
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…by which we mean Hollywood, in the 1970s and then again in the 1990s, a young filmmaker named George Lucas put together an ambitious space-set sci-fi saga. Star Wars would eventually expand to a dozen movies, a bunch of TV shows, some cartoons, and bragging rights […]
It Was the Best of Summers, It Was the Worst of Summers
Summer is here again, but only time will tell if it will be a good or a bad one — or go down in history for some reason. Let’s go with Uncle John on a time-traveling trip through some of the most notable summers of all time (for better or for worse). The Summer of […]
Six Bizarre Basketball Records
The 2023 NBA finals are finally here, so Uncle John thought he’d pull together some of his most bizarre basketball records. Here are some of the greatest—and weirdest—things to ever happen in hoops. Least dribbles with the most points: In December 2016, the Golden State Warriors beat the Indiana Pacers 142 to 106 thanks to […]
4 Celebrated Inventors for AAPI Heritage Month
In 1978, President Carter established the first week of May as Asian Pacific American Heritage Week. In 1992, Congress expanded and renamed the concept, creating Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Here are some notable and ingenious members of the AAPI community who improved and revolutionized life in the U.S. (and the modern world) with […]
Sneak Peek at Strange USA
If you’re a fan of Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader, you’ll find all sorts of interesting facts in the Strange series that’ll keep your trip to the john just as exciting. Don’t believe us? Take a look at this sneak peek of Strange USA below. Introduction God bless the strange USA! The editors of Portable Press […]
An Earth Day Origin Story
Good news: This entire article is 100 percent planet-friendly! Here’s how we got a holiday celebrating the environment and arguing for its preservation. SILENT SPRING Author and biologist Rachel Carson won a National Book Award for The Sea Around Us, one of three 1950s bestsellers about the ocean. As the years wore on, she observed continually […]
James McIntyre: World’s Worst Poet
Give new meaning to the term cheesy, with the poetry of Scotland’s James McIntyre. Widely regarded as one of the worst poets of the 18th century, McIntyre could only write about one topic: cheese. “This cheese guy may be a bad poet, but it seems he could write bad poetry about only one subject.” – […]
Pre-Order Alert: Strange USA
We can’t wait to share Strange USA, the latest in the popular Strange series, with all you Uncle John’s fans out there. To build up anticipation, we decided to wait for the perfect date to hit bookshelves: July 4th, of course. But you can pre-order today! See below for more info, and check out our […]
Babe Was the Best
In honor of Women’s History Month, here’s a look at the accomplishments of Mildred “Babe” Didrikson Zaharias, who just might be the greatest American athlete who ever lived — regardless of sex or gender. AAU An All-American in high school basketball, Didrikson found her first job after graduation with a Dallas insurance company…who hired her […]
Did You Know-Ho-Ho All This Trivia About the Origins of Christmas Traditions?
Billions of people celebrate Christmas, and there are almost as many ways to celebrate, with many beloved traditions around the world enduring for decades or even centuries. Here are some fun facts about how they came to be. Wreaths Made from a fir and decorated with ribbons and other adornments, wreaths are like very small, […]
Debunking the Myths About Harriet Tubman
Harriet Tubman is a truly inspiring historical icon. She was a high-ranking participant in the Underground Railroad, an 1840s and 1850s network that helped enslaved Black people get out of the South and make their way to the North, where slavery was abolished. Her achievements are amazing and legendary, so much so that they’ve been […]
Martin Luther King, Jr.: A Multi-Faceted Man of Many Talents
We all study Dr. King in school, so we all know a little about the man, but there’s a lot of fascinating stuff out there to be learned about the freedom fighter, Civil Rights pioneer, and all-around great American. Learn more below, and read Martin Luther King, Jr.: Voice for Equality! for a deeper dive.
Searching For A Word?
Sometimes it can be tough to find the words to say what you mean. It’s almost as if life itself is a word search, except instead of looking for the just-perfect string of letters inside a grid of letters, you’re doing that with your brain’s language center. Here are some rare, obscure, and strange terms—each […]
This Article is “The Greatest”: Amazing Facts About Muhammad Ali
Sixty-two years ago one of the most astonishing, memorable, and important athletes and cultural figures debuted on the world stage when Cassius Clay won a gold medal in boxing at the 1960 Olympics. Read on to learn about “The Greatest,” Muhammad Ali, and check out his book in our Show Me History series, Muhammad Ali: […]
