Eggplant.place

310d

The Philosopher of Nature: Who Was Friedrich Wilhelm Schelling?

Friedrich Wilhelm Schelling was one of the key figures of German Idealism, who placed nature at the center of his work.

by Maysara Kamal

https://www.thecollector.com/friedrich-wilhelm-schelling-philosopher-of-nature/

Joseph von Schelling at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/12888

#books #philosophy

F. W. J. von Schelling based on a painting by Joseph Karl Stieler taken from the book Det 19de Århundradet by O H Dumrath on page 157 of first volume.

Oscar Heinrich Dumrath - O. H. Dumrath: Det 19de Århundradet i Ord och Bild, Förra Delen, 1902.

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310d

“I Am Making the World My Confessor”: Mary MacLane, the Wild Woman from Butte

By Hunter Dukes

In 1902, a woman named Mary MacLane from Butte, Montana, became an international sensation after publishing a scandalous journal recording life at the age of 19. Rereading this often-forgotten debut, Hunter Dukes finds a voice that hungers for worldly experience, brims with bisexual longing, and rages against the injustices of youth.

https://publicdomainreview.org/essay/i-am-making-the-world-my-confessor/?utm_source=newsletter

At PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/42291

#books

1903 portrait of Mary MacLane.

Mary is seated, gazing directly at the camera with a confident, almost defiant expression.

She wears dark, modest attire typical of the early 20th century, likely a high-collared blouse or dress, which contrasts with her bold persona. The simplicity of her clothing draws more attention to her facial expression and eyes.

Her hair is pulled back in a neat and simple style, again emphasizing her face and expression rather than ornamentation.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mary_Maclane_in_1903.jpg

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21d

📚 The Green Mile by: Stephen King

Welcome to Cold Mountain Penitentiary, home to the Depression-worn men of E Block. Convicted killers all, each awaits his turn to walk 'the Green Mile', the lime-colored linoleum corridor leading to a final meeting with Old Sparky, Cold Mountain's electric chair. Prison guard Paul Edgecombe ...

https://bookblabla.com/book/the-green-mile

@bookstodon

#books #reading #libraries #fiction #fantasy #historicalfiction #horror #generalfiction

Welcome to Cold Mountain Penitentiary, home to the Depression-worn men of E Block. Convicted killers all, each awaits his turn to walk 'the Green Mile', the lime-colored linoleum corridor leading to a final meeting with Old Sparky, Cold Mountain's electric chair. Prison guard Paul Edgecombe has seen his share of oddities over the years working the Mile, but he's never seen anything like John Coffey a man with the body of a giant and the mind of a child, condemned for a crime terrifying in its violence and shocking in its depravity. And in this place of ultimate retribution, Edgecombe is about to discover the terrible, wondrous truth about John Coffey—a truth that will challenge his most cherished beliefs...

Masterfully told and as suspenseful as it is haunting, The Green Mile is Stephen King's classic #1 New York Times bestselling dramatic serial novel and inspiration for the Oscar-nominated film starring Tom Hanks.

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23d

Another one I hadn't planned to write a #blog on: John Scalzi's Interdependency series. I enjoyed it, but finished it with a sense that it had more potential than it managed to realise, so did a #review to work out what it was I thought was missing.

On reflection, I would've liked Scalzi to do more with his interesting political economy, but besides that, it's still a decent read. Full review, including choice Lenin quotes, below:

#books #sf

https://write.as/the-casual-critic/interdependency-the-highest-stage-of-capitalism

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332d

The decision to strip chapters from books that had already won the approval of the state’s Republican-controlled board of education represents an escalation in how local school boards run by ideological conservatives influence what children learn.
https://www.propublica.org/article/texas-cypress-fairbanks-removed-textbook-chapters?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=mastodon-post

#News #Texas #Education #School #Diversity #DEI #Books

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331d

American Literature’s White Whale: Why the “Great American Novel” is Still Worth Pursuing

https://lithub.com/american-literatures-white-whale-why-the-great-american-novel-is-still-worth-pursuing/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_William_De_Forest

Miss Ravenel's conversion from secession to loyalty at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/41355

#books #literature

John William De Forest is depicted with a full beard and mustache, giving him a scholarly and mature appearance.

Deep-set eyes and a serious, contemplative expression, reflecting his role as a novelist and historian.

Formal attire, such as a dark suit, a high-collared shirt, and a bow tie, which was typical for men of his era.

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22d

I got my first book blogger review this morning, from Dominique over at "Diary of a Reader."

TWE isn't a perfect novel by any stretch of the imagination, but I feel so SEEN by this review. She got it. 100% understood what I was doing and *how* I was doing it.

ngl, I got tears in my eyes. What a feeling.

https://thediaryofareader.com/2026/02/06/the-whole-enchilada/

#Bookstodon #books #indie #indieauthor

Graphic featuring a quote from the book review of "The Whole Enchilada" by Daniela Quirke, by Dominique at the "Diary of a Reader" blog:

"The Whole Enchilada isn't the light, quirky alien romp its premise might suggest. It's a character-driven science fiction novel that uses the strange to interrogate the deeply human, and it's beautiful."

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331d

A Journey Through Dante’s Inferno: A Brief Guide

Dante’s Inferno is hailed as a medieval masterpiece and a precursor to the Renaissance, with T.S. Eliot having ranked it alongside Shakespeare.

by Thom Delapa

https://www.thecollector.com/journey-through-dante-inferno/

The Divine Comedy at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?query=divine+comedy&submit_search=Search

#books #literature

Dante Alighieri with Florence and the Realms of the Divine Comedy (Hell, Purgatory, Paradise), 1465.

By
Domenico di Michelino (1417–1491)
After Alesso Baldovinetti (1425–1499)

Dante's Figure:
Dante stands in the foreground, slightly to the left, wearing a long red robe and a laurel crown—symbols of his status as a poet. He holds an open book, likely representing The Divine Comedy, where lines from the text are visible.

The City of Florence (Left Side):
Behind Dante, to the left, is a detailed representation of Florence, including its recognizable landmarks such as the Duomo (Florence Cathedral) and the Palazzo Vecchio. This emphasizes Dante’s connection to his birthplace, despite his exile.

Hell (Far Left, Background):
To the far left, the entrance to Hell is depicted as a dark, cavernous opening. Above it, Lucifer looms over the infernal landscape, with tormented souls shown suffering in various circles, illustrating Dante’s description of Hell’s structure.

Purgatory (Middle Right):
In the center, a mountain represents Purgatory, with souls ascending its spiral path toward purification. At the top, the Garden of Eden is depicted, symbolizing the final stage before reaching Paradise.

Paradise (Upper Right):
In the sky above Purgatory, golden celestial spheres symbolize Heaven. Christ, angels, and saints are depicted in radiant light, representing the divine realm where souls achieve eternal bliss.

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202d

any of y'all know how to fix this?

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21d

I wish I would've realised sooner that I don't have to solve every fictional problem I came up with the same second I came up with them 😁

@galacticwriters @writers @books @fantasy @bookstodon @joinin
@writingbooks @keepwriting

#WritingMemes #Meme #Memes #Humor #Humour
#Author #Authors #IndieAuthor #IndieBooks #AmWriting #Writerdons #Writers #Writer #Writing #WritingCommunity #Writinglife #WritersOfMastodon #Bookstodon #Books

Two part meme.
Top part is a picture of a pill bottle that says, Hard to swallow pills.
Bottom part is captioned: If you can't come up with solutions to basic fiction writing problems that you yourself made then try again timorrow, keep learning. Writing is a skill that can be improved.

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330d

Didn't know Chesterton (Father Brown) had a novel set in the future (more alternative reality?), but @gutenberg_org has it here😍

https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/20058

#Books #GKChesterton #PublicDomain

@gutenberg_org https://mastodon.social/@gutenberg_org/114278804779051650

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309d

George Orwell Knew What Made Shakespeare Great

By Michael Lucchese

https://providencemag.com/2025/04/george-orwell-knew-what-made-shakespeare-great/

#books #literature

William Shakespeare by John Taylor, edited.

Shakespeare appears with a high forehead, arched eyebrows, and deep, contemplative eyes that suggest wit and introspection.

He wears an elegant black doublet with a white collar — modest yet refined, reflecting his status as a respected playwright and poet of the Elizabethan era. A gold earring in his left ear adds a touch of bohemian flair, hinting at his creative spirit.

His dark hair is shoulder-length, slightly tousled, and he sports a trimmed mustache and goatee — a fashionable look for a man of letters in the early 1600s.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:William_Shakespeare_by_John_Taylor,_edited.jpg

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20d

Nancy Reddy on Researching Beyond the Archives

Reading sideways requires a willingness to re-read, to wander through a set of sources, to widen your gaze. Sometimes, though, the answers continue to elude us and the record remains incomplete.

https://lithub.com/nancy-reddy-on-researching-beyond-the-archives/

#books #literature

People working in Card Division in the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Card Division, United States Library of Congress, 1910s or 1920s

The image shows librarians and staff working at long tables covered with catalog cards laid out in rows for sorting and processing. In the background, an enormous card catalog cabinet with thousands of drawers lines the wall. Multiple workers, mostly women dressed in white blouses typical of the era, are engaged in the meticulous work of organizing, filing, and maintaining the library's card catalog system - the primary method of cataloging and accessing library materials before computerization.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Library_catalog#/media/File:Card_Division_of_the_Library_of_Congress_3c18631u_original.jpg

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287d

Bringing this from writer Joseph Malik over from Bluesky. I think it's spot on.

"Subtext separates a novel from a novel-length story. Subtext is the part that AI can't--and never will--generate. It can't read for subtext. It can read Cliff's Notes to determine an existing novel's subtext, but there is no mathematical or logical process to create it. Subtext is uniquely human."

It's the conclusion to a 3-post thread. You can find that via my mentions if you're so inclined.

#writing #books

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330d

A special shoutout to The New York Review of Books which has just started using the Fediverse:

➡️ @nybooks

The NYRB is a celebrated magazine on literature, politics, arts, ideas & current events.

They've just started posting, so their profile may look blank to your server. Follow them and their posts will start showing up on your server too 🙂

(By the way, NYRB has no connection to the New York Times Book Review, they just have similar names.)

#Books #Literature #Magazines #Culture #Arts

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19d

Recreating the smells of history

Using chemistry, archival records and AI, scientists are reviving the aromas of old libraries, mummies and battlefields

By Kaja Šeruga

https://knowablemagazine.org/content/article/society/2026/recreating-the-smells-of-the-past?utm_source=Knowable+Magazine&utm_campaign=c402de6df9-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2026_01_27_08_48&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_150f6a5cbe-c402de6df9-546465172

Smells of history at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?query=smells+of+history

#books #science #olfactory_system

David Ryckaert (III) - Old women smelling a carnation (Allegory of smell).

The painting depicts an elderly woman in dark clothing with a white collar and head covering, delicately holding and smelling a pink carnation. She also cradles a small dog in her other arm.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sense_of_smell#/media/File:David_Ryckaert_(III)_-_Old_women_smelling_a_carnation_(Allegory_of_smell).jpg

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19d

How Bertolt Brecht and Walter Benjamin Pioneered a New Way of Creating

Katherine Hollander on Intellectual, Political and Artistic Collaboration Among the Exiled Mitarbeiter

https://lithub.com/how-bertolt-brecht-and-walter-benjamin-pioneered-a-new-way-of-creating/?utm_source=Klaviyo&utm_medium=campaign&utm_id=01KGXQ3HHJ926DWA8QFPY71TN5&_kx=3MZUehzXM-41qlWAMPUiuNZadX2p0SByuNf_t0eMLB0.U5D8ER

#books #literature #literarycriticism

Photo d'identité sans auteur, 1928 - Akademie der Künste, Berlin - Walter Benjamin Archiv.

The portrait shows Benjamin at age 36, wearing round glasses, a mustache, suit and tie, with a serious, contemplative expression.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Benjamin#/media/File:Walter_Benjamin_vers_1928.jpg

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308d

Today in the US is Independent Bookstore Day!

Wherever you are, show some love for your favorite indie bookstore.

https://www.indiebound.org/independent-bookstore-day

#books #bookstore

The picture below is a bookstore in Canada. Show love for all indie bookstores in every country.

Postcard of Christie's Bookstore, Brandon, Manitoba, Canada.
by Warwick Bros & Rutter

Publication date 1908.

Tall brick building. - from the Internet Archive

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Edited 308d ago

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312d

Trolls, boogeymen and witches, oh my!
Just another day for a young wizard.

It all starts here: https://books2read.com/b/TrollSong

#author #indieauthor #books #writing #fantasy #scifi #sciencefiction #sff #actionadventure #fiction

The ad flyer for the series The Wizard's Scion.

(Background) View of a planet from space.

(Top Center) A black flying saucer surrounded by this text:
Trolls, boogeymen and witches, oh my!
Just another day for a young wizard.

(Top Left) The cover of Troll Song displays a woman in battered, muddy armor with her two swords crossed against the neck of a dwarf. The book has a red stamp in the lower right corner indicating the ebook is free.

(Lower Left) The cover of Forgotten Legends displays a child reading in bed as a black, smoky monster with red eyes peeks out from under the bed.

(Lower Center Left) The cover of The Third Wish displays a wizard on top of a mountain, looking to the sunset, over a city of sky scrapers that have plants growing on them. In his shadow is the red eyed creature from Forgotten Legends.

(Lower Center Right) The cover of Dark Moon displays a witch and wizard fighting back to back, holding pistols, while objects fall around them, with the moon behind their heads.

(Lower Right) The cover of The Inverted Glass displays a line art hourglass with a white figure in black sand at the bottom, with a black figure in white sand upside-down in the top. Balanced on a scale are a heart and a feather.

(Upper Right) The cover of The Wizard's Scion: The Complete Series displays several figures in silhouette representing the main characters, as they traverse a wormhole. Behind them is a red-eyed octopus.

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18d

#NelsonDenis talks about his 2015 classic, #WarAgainstAllPuertoRicans.

The book focuses on the 1950 #JayuyaUprising, the product of a half-century of the United States' spoliation of the island and its people following the #SpanishAmericanWar.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdx-v-HwMgk
#PuertoRico #PortoRico #PedroAlbizuCampos #UShistory #LatinAmericanHistory #historyOfTheAmericas #colonialViolence #books @bookstodon

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21d

A Community-Curated Nancy Drew Collection

A team of volunteer Open Librarians have worked together to organize the many Nancy Drew book series into a beautiful collection on Open Library.

by elizabethmays via @OpenLibrary

https://blog.openlibrary.org/2026/01/30/a-community-curated-nancy-drew-collection/

Carolyn Keene at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/58985

#books #literature #publicdomain

Cover of the book The hidden staircase

Author: Carolyn Keene

Illustrator: Russell H. Tandy

The cover shows Nancy Drew, the iconic teenage detective, holding a flashlight while descending a hidden staircase in what appears to be a mysterious old house. The illustration uses warm tones of orange and gold, with Nancy wearing a blue outfit and green cape.

https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/77602/pg77602-images.html

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19d

📚 Black AF History by: Michael Harriot

From acclaimed columnist and political commentator Michael Harriot, a searingly smart and bitingly hilarious retelling of untold American history that corrects the record and showcases the perspectives and experiences of Black Americans.

America’s backstory is a whitewashed mythology im...

https://bookblabla.com/book/black-af-history

@bookstodon

#books #reading #libraries #history #american #discriminationhistory #unitedstates

From acclaimed columnist and political commentator Michael Harriot, a searingly smart and bitingly hilarious retelling of untold American history that corrects the record and showcases the perspectives and experiences of Black Americans.

America’s backstory is a whitewashed mythology implanted in our collective memory. It is the story of the pilgrims on the Mayflower building a new nation. It is George Washington’s cherry tree and Abraham Lincoln's log cabin. It is the fantastic tale of slaves that spontaneously teleported themselves here with nothing but strong backs and negro spirituals. It is a sugarcoated legend based on an almost true story.

It should come as no surprise that the dominant narrative of American history is blighted with errors and oversights—after all, history books were written by white men with their perspectives at the forefront. It could even be said that the devaluation and erasure of the Black experience is as American as apple pie.

In Black AF History, Michael Harriot presents a more accurate version of American history. Combining unapologetically provocative storytelling with meticulous research based on primary sources as well as the work of pioneering Black historians, scholars, and journalists, Harriot removes the white sugarcoating from the American story, placing Black people squarely at the center. With incisive wit, Harriot speaks hilarious truth to oppressive power, subverting conventional historical narratives with the hid

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327d

Poem of the week: A Sonnet to the Noble Lady, the Lady Mary Wroth by Ben Jonson

"A strategically flattering tribute to a pioneering female writer is lifted by authentic warmth and admiration"

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/apr/07/poem-of-the-week-a-sonnet-to-the-noble-lady-the-lady-mary-wroth-by-ben-jonson

Ben Jonson at PG

https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/1269

#poetry #authors #books #literature

Erato, Muse of Lyrical Poetry by Charles Meynier (French, 1768–1832). "Erato is the muse of lyric poetry in Greek mythology. She is often depicted holding a small kithara or lyre, a stringed musical instrument, here seen resting against a tree in the lower left. She is writing with an arrow given to her by a winged Eros or Cupid, the god of love. This painting belongs to a cycle of five works commissioned by businessman François Boyer-Fonfréde for his home in Toulouse."

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307d

"Men with common minds seldom break through general rules. Prudence is ever the resort of weakness; and they rarely go as far as as they may in any undertaking, who are determined not to go beyond it on any account."

Letters Written During a Short Residence in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark (1796)

~Mary Wollstonecraft (27 April 1759 – 10 September 1797)

Mary Wollstonecraft at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/84

#books #literature

Wollstonecraft in 1790–1791, by John Opie

Wollstonecraft is depicted in a three-quarter view, her body turned slightly to the side while her face looks directly toward the viewer. Her expression is calm, serious, and contemplative, suggesting deep intelligence and moral conviction.

She wears a simple white garment, likely a muslin or linen dress with a soft, open collar.

Her dark hair is loosely gathered under a soft, dark cap or bonnet, with curls escaping naturally around her face.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Wollstonecraft#/media/File:MaryWollstonecraft.jpg

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19d

📚 Dawn by: Octavia E. Butler

When Lilith lyapo wakes from a centuries-long sleep, she finds herself aboard the vast spaceship of the Oankali. She discovers that the Oankali a seemingly benevolent alien race intervened in the fate of the humanity hundreds of years ago, saving everyone who survived a nuclear war from a dying, ruined Earth and then...

https://bookblabla.com/book/dawn

@bookstodon

#books #reading #libraries #fiction #sciencefiction #womenfiction #dystopian

When Lilith lyapo wakes from a centuries-long sleep, she finds herself aboard the vast spaceship of the Oankali. She discovers that the Oankali a seemingly benevolent alien race intervened in the fate of the humanity hundreds of years ago, saving everyone who survived a nuclear war from a dying, ruined Earth and then putting them into a deep sleep. After learning all they could about Earth and its beings, the Oankali healed the planet, cured cancer, increased human strength, and they now want Lilith to lead her people back to Earth--but salvation comes at a price.

Hopeful and thought-provoking, this post-apocalyptic narrative deftly explores gender and race through the eyes of characters struggling to adapt during a pivotal time of crisis and change.

One woman is called upon to rebuild the future of humankind after a nuclear war, in this revelatory post-apocalyptic tale from the award-winning author of Parable of the Sower.

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