Literary and Egalitarian Links O'The Day

So I had a really nice cultural weekend, punctuated by this massive late-winter snowstorm that shows few signs of abating too soon. I spent my time going to a concert and immersing myself in my favorite TV shows: "Mad Men," which is brilliant beyond belief, and "Big Love," which is getting so intense. They are both excellently written and filmed, but hardly qualify as chipper fare. Oh well! Here's what I'm reading on this blustery, blizzardy, day.

• An article in the NYTBR by a former professor of mine about a program that substitutes a literature class for prison. I'll leave you to figure out whether I liked her class and whether her essay tells us what we want to know about the program.
  
• The Guardian discusses the lack of meaty roles for women on TV. (h/t aco, via twitter)
• The Time o' London continues to fan the flame of our worries that the recession means a lull in period dramas.
  
• An awesome blog devoted to all things Mad Men with a ton of thinky analysis as well as gossip.
  
• SWVL reviews the Grizzly Bear concert we went to on Sat Nite
• ZMS analyzes awesome technology that allows us to track the use of certain words in the news. I tried tracking Edward Cullen vs. Harry Potter mentions in the NYTimes, and Stephanie Meyer would be shocked at the paucity of coverage for her undead lothario.