Literature meets television in Slaughterhouse 90210

The popular Tumblr celebrates its four-year anniversary this week

Published March 19, 2013 9:12PM (EDT)

 “Even among men lacking all distinction he inevitably stood out as a man lacking more distinction than all the rest, and people who met him were always impressed by how unimpressive he was.”
― Joseph Heller, "Catch-22"    (Slaughterhouse 90210)
“Even among men lacking all distinction he inevitably stood out as a man lacking more distinction than all the rest, and people who met him were always impressed by how unimpressive he was.” ― Joseph Heller, "Catch-22" (Slaughterhouse 90210)

If you're a) a literature nerd  and b) a pop culture junkie and haven't yet discovered Slaughterhouse 90210, go check it out right now. It's a Tumblr founded in 2008 by Maris Kreizman, editorial director of digital content at Barnes and Noble, that, as its name suggests, pairs poignant passages from literature with popular moments on TV -- and the result is hilarious.

Kreizman told Salon via email:

"Slaughterhouse 90210 is a celebration of books and TV and they ways they intersect, blending high and low culture to create something entirely new. I've been an avid reader all my life, and I love TV too--I don't think the two have to be mutually exclusive. I love discovering new writers and raving about their books, and if pairing their quotes with photos from Mad Men or Girls or Jersey Shore exposes these authors to new audiences, all the better."

Slaughterhouse 90210 just surpassed 100,000 followers. Of the growth, Kreizman says, "[Tumblr is] the right place for a visually based blog to really thrive, and it's helped me find a community of book and TV junkies who want to follow and turn my posts into a bigger conversation. None of what I post is in my own words, but I think the point of view -- the criticism, the sense of humor -- is very much my own."

[slide_show id="13245962"]

Image and caption credit: Slaughterhouse 90210


By Prachi Gupta

Prachi Gupta is an Assistant News Editor for Salon, focusing on pop culture. Follow her on Twitter at @prachigu or email her at pgupta@salon.com.

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