"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." Welcome to Shelf Life, ELLE.com’s books column, in which authors share their most memorable reads.

In her prose poem, “Toni Morrison,” Nikki Giovanni imagines cooking a “Toni Morrison stew.” Among its ingredients are the heightened contradictions that characterize her novels: An exotic mix of tears ...

In its first installment of the REPORT, the Arts & Life Desk — hosted by Lucy Lawler and Emma Wozniak — tackles all things “R,” which stands for “read.” Watch as Lucy and Emma each unpack two of their ...