books

168d

#OTD in 1888.

During Joseph Conrad's career at sea as Józef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski, he departs from Bangkok for Sydney in his first command as master, on the British barque Otago. This provides a basis for his novella The Shadow Line (1916).

It was first published as a serial in New York's Metropolitan Magazine in the English Review and published in book form in 1917 in the UK and America.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Shadow_Line_(novel)

The Shadow Line at PG:
https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/451

#books #literature

First edition (UK) of Shadow Line by Joseph Conrad.

The title, The Shadow Line, is prominently displayed at the top in bold, dark lettering. Below the title, a red-bordered box contains text posing a mysterious question about the challenges faced by the captain and crew in passing latitude 8° 20' in the Far East.

Centered on the cover is a black-and-white portrait of Joseph Conrad, framed within a red rectangular border. He has a distinguished look with a mustache and beard.

At the bottom, the author’s name, Joseph Conrad, is printed in bold, capitalized letters on a red background, ensuring visibility.

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168d

Pulp Woman: Leslie F. Stone

Cloaked in an ambiguous pseudonym, Stone was one of the first women to write science fiction for the pulps.

By: Matthew Wills

https://daily.jstor.org/pulp-woman-leslie-f-stone/

Books by Leslie F. Stone at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?query=Leslie+F.+Stone&submit_search=Search

#books #literature #sciencefiction

Leslie F. Stone c. 1932

Stellar Publishing / unidentified staff artist - Wonder Stories, June 1932

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168d

"For books are more than books, they are the life,
The very heart and core of ages past.
The reason why men lived, and worked, and died,
The essence and quintessence of their lives."

The Complete Poetical Works of Amy Lowell

~Amy Lowell (February 9, 1874 – May 12, 1925)

#books #literature #poetry

Photograph of Amy Lowell (1874-1925) at Sevenels, photographed by Bachrach. MS Lowell 62 (5), Houghton Library, Harvard University.

The image captures Lowell standing in a lush garden, dressed in a dark coat and white collar. She appears contemplative as she gazes at the flowers in front of her, possibly poppies and lupines.

The soft, diffused light in the background adds an ethereal quality to the scene, emphasizing the peaceful and reflective atmosphere.

Edited 168d ago

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145d

It's here! Available now from Apress/SpringerNature, "We Just Build Hammers: Stories from the Past, Present, and Future of Responsible Tech" brings to life tales of the unsung heroes of responsible tech, and the science fiction that inspired them.

Find your copy at your favorite online bookstore, or learn more at https://thehammerbook.com

Boosts appreciated!

#TechJustice #EthicalSource #ResponsibleTech #TheFutureIsSoft #books #bookstodon

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95d

Happy birthday Shakespeare (born #OTD in 1564)!

#OTD in 1932. To mark Shakespeare's birthday:

The Royal Shakespeare Company's new theatre opens at Stratford-upon-Avon.

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

The Folger Shakespeare Library opens in Washington, D.C.

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

Shakespeare at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/65

#books #literature #theatre

Artistic depiction of the Shakespeare family, late 19th century

Perine, George Edward, 1837-1885, printmaker. - engraved for the Eclectic by Perine & Giles.

Illustration of William Shakespeare reciting his play Hamlet to his family. His wife, Anne Hathaway, is sitting in the chair on the right; his son Hamnet is behind him on the left; his two daughters Susanna and Judith are on the right and left of him. (Hamnet shown younger than his twin, Judith, as he had died a few years before Hamlet was written).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Shakespeare#/media/File:Shakespeare's_family_circle.jpg

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144d

#OTD in 1900.

New York performances of the play Sapho curbed for immorality. It is based on an 1884 French novel of the same name by Alphonse Daudet and an 1885 play by Daudet and Adolphe Belot. It was at the center of a sensational New York City indecency trial involving the play's star and producer/director, Olga Nethersole.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sapho_(play)

Sapho by Alphonse Daudet at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/13825

#books #literature #theatre

Theatrical poster, Olga Nethersole's version of Sapho by Clyde Fitch.

The poster features an elegant depiction of a woman in a luxurious black gown, adorned with floral embellishments, gloves, and a stylish headpiece with red flowers.

She is gracefully posing on a grand staircase, exuding confidence and sophistication.

The typography is bold and decorative, emphasizing the title SAPHO in large red letters, with the names of Olga Nethersole and playwright Clyde Fitch prominently displayed.

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144d

A New Copy of Shakespeare’s Sonnet 116: A Cavalier Cover Version

The poem is a copy of Henry Lawes’ song-setting which adds six new lines to the poem. The song-setting can also be found in NYPL Drexel MS 4257, although there are significant variations between the two copies.

By Leah S Veronese

https://academic.oup.com/res/advance-article/doi/10.1093/res/hgaf002/7997398?login=false

#books #literature #oldmanuscript

Sonnet 116 in the 1609 Quarto of Shakespeare's sonnets

The poet begins by stating he does not object to the "marriage of true minds", but maintains that love is not true if it changes with time; true love should be constant, regardless of difficulties. In the seventh line, the poet makes a nautical reference, alluding to love being much like the north star is to sailors. True love is, like the polar star, "ever-fixed". Love is "not Time's fool", though physical beauty is altered by it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonnet_116

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142d

#OTD in 1885.

José Echegaray's play La vida alegre y muerte triste opens in Spain.

Along with the Provençal poet Frédéric Mistral, Echegaray was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1904, after having been nominated that year by a member of the Royal Spanish Academy, making him the first Spaniard to win the prize.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jos%C3%A9_Echegaray

José Echegaray at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/40983

#books #literature #theatre

Painting of José Echegaray.

The painting depicts him as an older man with a bald head, a neatly groomed mustache, and a goatee.

He is wearing round glasses and a dark fur-collared coat over formal attire, giving him a distinguished and intellectual appearance.

The background is dark and simple, focusing attention on his face and expression.

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142d

Why Oscar Wilde’s Play About a Biblical Temptress Was Banned From the British Stage for Decades

“Salome,” a one-act tragedy by the Irish playwright, terrified the Victorian public with its provocative depiction of a teenage girl whose lust for a man quickly morphs into bloodlust

By E.R. Zarevich

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/why-oscar-wildes-play-about-a-biblical-temptress-was-banned-from-the-british-stage-for-decades-180986047/?utm_source=smithsoniandaily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=editorial&lctg=93133550

More information about Salomé:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salome_(play)

Salomé at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1339

#books #literature #theatre

Gertrud Eysoldt as Salome in Max Reinhardt's staging of Oscar Wilde's play, "Salome," ca.1902.

Photo: Hanna Schwarz; Publisher: Louis Blumenthal, Berlin - https://www.planethugill.com/2017/11/opera-passion-power-and-politics-at.html

The photo of Gertrud Eysoldt as Salome in Max Reinhardt's 1902 staging of Oscar Wilde's play captures a striking and theatrical portrayal of the infamous biblical character. Eysoldt, a pioneering German actress, is dressed in an exotic and elaborate costume that reflects the decadent and symbolist aesthetic of the production.

Her attire likely includes flowing, embroidered fabrics, ornate jewelry, and possibly a headdress, evoking an orientalized and sensual vision of Salome.

Her expression and posture likely convey an eerie mix of innocence and seductiveness, characteristic of Wilde’s interpretation of Salome—a young woman both enchanting and dangerous. She may be posed in a moment of anticipation, possibly referencing the Dance of the Seven Veils or her morbid fascination with the severed head of John the Baptist.

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71d

An Austen relative I’ve never heard of, but she seems like a hoot!

https://www.somersetlive.co.uk/news/history/dirt-vulgarity-after-jane-austens-10110403

#AmReading #AmWriting @bookstodon #books #Bookstodon #WritingCommunity #ReadingCommunity #Regency #Georgian #JaneAusten @romancelandia

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144d

#OTD in 1616.

Nicolaus Copernicus's book On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres is added to the Index of Forbidden Books 73 years after it was first published. The book, first printed in 1543 in Nuremberg, Holy Roman Empire, offered an alternative model of the universe to Ptolemy's geocentric system, which had been widely accepted since ancient times.

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

About Copernicus at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?query=copernicus&submit_search=Search

#books #astronomy

Order of the heavenly spheres annotated with periods of revolution from Chapter 10 of Copernicus' manuscript.

At the center of the diagram is the Sol (Sun), around which the planets are arranged in concentric circles. The planets are labeled with their Latin names and their respective orbital periods:

Stellarum Fixarum Sphaera Immobilis (Sphere of the Fixed Stars – the outermost, immobile sphere)
Saturnus (Saturn – 30-year revolution)
Iovis (Jupiter – 12-year revolution)
Martis (Mars – 2-year revolution)
Telluris cum Luna (Earth with the Moon – 1-year revolution)
Veneris (Venus – approximately 9-month revolution)
Mercurii (Mercury – approximately 88-day revolution)

The surrounding Latin annotations provide explanations about the movements of celestial bodies, reinforcing the revolutionary idea that Earth and the planets revolve around the Sun rather than the traditional geocentric (Earth-centered) model.

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144d

#OTD in 1759.

Denis Diderot's Encyclopédie is proscribed by the Vatican and (on March 8) temporarily suppressed by the French government. The ban is lifted in September to allow publication of a revised version. Prominent intellectuals criticized it, most famously Lefranc de Pompignan at the French Academy.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Encyclop%C3%A9die

University of Chicago on-line version:
https://encyclopedie.uchicago.edu/node/161

#books #encyclopedia

Encyclopedie's frontispiece, full version. Engraving by Benoît Louis Prévost.

The artwork is an allegorical representation of the Enlightenment's ideals. At the center, Truth is depicted as a radiant figure being unveiled by Reason and Philosophy.

The scene is populated by various symbolic figures representing the arts, sciences, and crafts. These include personifications of disciplines such as geometry, astronomy, music, and mechanics, among others.

The composition is rich with classical imagery, featuring figures in flowing robes, clouds, and grand architectural elements like columns.

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142d

For a stagnating left mired in pessimism, Milton’s radical vision is poetry in motion

The poet-prophet shows us how to sustain hope and redemption in the wake of political defeat

By Kenan Malik

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/mar/02/stagnating-left-pessimism-milton-radical-vision

Books by John Milton at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/17

#books #literature

Hall portrait of John Milton (1608-1674) from Christ's College, Cambridge

Mary Beale or Peter Lely - Digitised image, Christ's College, Cambridge

Milton is portrayed in a formal black doublet with a wide, white, intricately pleated collar, a style typical of the 17th century.

His face is composed, with a high forehead, long wavy hair, and a solemn yet thoughtful expression.

His eyes, which later in life were afflicted by blindness, are calm and introspective, reflecting his deep engagement with literature, politics, and theology.

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168d

What Is Rousseau’s Social Contract Theory? (Definition & Criticisms)

Rousseau’s social contract theory advocates for collective sovereignty, freedom, and equality through the general will for a just society.

By Viktoriya Sus

https://www.thecollector.com/rousseau-social-contract-theory-definition/

The Social Contract at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/46333

#books #literature #philosophy

1766 portrait of Rousseau wearing an Armenian papakha and costume, Allan Ramsay

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142d

The Authorship Debate: Who Is the Real Shakespeare?

The Shakespeare Authorship Debate concerns the ongoing mystery as to the true author of the plays, sonnets and other works attributed to William Shakespeare of Stratford Upon Avon.

By Lauren Jones

https://www.thecollector.com/the-authorship-debate-who-is-the-real-shakespeare/

Shakespeare at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/65

#books #literature #drama

Portrait of William Shakespeare by John Taylor, edited.

The Portrait of William Shakespeare by John Taylor, commonly known as the Chandos Portrait, is one of the most famous and widely accepted depictions of the playwright. Created in the early 17th century, it is an oil painting on canvas and is believed to be the only portrait of Shakespeare painted during his lifetime.

The portrait features Shakespeare with a slightly receding hairline, dark, wavy hair, and a mustache and goatee.

He wears a black doublet with a white collar, and a gold hoop earring in his left ear, which was fashionable among Elizabethan gentlemen and artists.

His expression is calm and introspective, with dark eyes that appear to gaze directly at the viewer.

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149d

É possível ligar ligar de graça, até o dia 15/3, para escutar poesias de escritores(as) brasileiros(as) lidos por outras pessoas, como Maria Bethânia e Ana Martins Marques

No Brasil ligue para 0800-01-76362. Para quem está fora do país, o número é +55 11 5039 1344.

Além do português, há também poemas nas línguas ticuna, guajajara, baniwa e alemão.

#Poesia #Leitura #Biblioteca #AmoLer #Livros #Books

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142d

7 Out-of-This-World Facts About Ray Bradbury’s ‘The Martian Chronicles’

The fix-up novel, which turns 75 this year, would become one of Bradbury’s most famous books—and inspire future scientists.

By Lorna Wallace

https://www.mentalfloss.com/ray-bradbury-martian-chronicles-book-facts

#books #literature

Publicity photo of Ray Bradbury from the television progam Alfred Hitchcock Presents in 1959.

It shows him as a middle-aged man with a youthful yet intellectual demeanor. Bradbury, known for his iconic works such as Fahrenheit 451 and The Martian Chronicles, typically had neatly combed hair and wore thick, dark-framed glasses, which contributed to his scholarly appearance.

In this black-and-white image, he is dressed in a suit, appropriate for the formal nature of television appearances in the late 1950s.

His expression is serious yet approachable, reflecting his deep imagination and storytelling prowess.

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167d

"The most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the human mind to correlate all its contents. "

In February 1928.

Weird Tales magazine publishes H. P. Lovecraft's story "The Call of Cthulhu" in the United States.

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

The call of Cthulhu at PG:
https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/68283

#books #literature

Title page of H. P. Lovecraft's "The Call of Cthulhu" as it appeared in Weird Tales, February 1928. Illustration by Hugh Rankin.

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167d

In February 1929.

The first of Margery Allingham's crime novels to feature Albert Campion, The Crime at Black Dudley (U.S. title: The Black Dudley Murder), is published in the UK. It introduces Albert Campion, her misleadingly vapid detective, who would go on to appear in another 18 novels and many short stories over the next 30 years.

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

Books by Margery Allingham at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?query=Margery+Allingham&submit_search=Search

#books #literature

First edition of The Crime at Black Dudley by Margery Allingham.

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167d

"I did not think; I investigated."

German physicist Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen died #OTD in 1923.

On 8 November 1895, he produced and detected electromagnetic radiation in a wavelength range known as X-rays or Röntgen rays, an achievement that earned him the inaugural Nobel Prize in Physics in 1901. The non-SI unit of radiation exposure, the roentgen (R), is also named after him.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilhelm_R%C3%B6ntgen

Books about Röntgen at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?query=R%C3%B6ntgen&submit_search=Search

#books #physics

Hand mit Ringen (Hand with Rings): a print of one of the first X-rays by Wilhelm Röntgen (1845–1923) of the left hand of his wife Anna Bertha Ludwig.

It was presented to Professor Ludwig Zehnder of the Physik Institut, University of Freiburg, on 1 January 1896.

Photo of Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen.

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167d

From February to August 1929.

Voltaire's Candide (1759) is held to be obscene by the United States Customs Service in Boston.

Immediately after its secretive publication, the book was widely banned because of its religious blasphemy, political sedition, and intellectual hostility hidden under a thin veil of naivety.

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

Candide at PG:
https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/19942

#books #literature

This was a frontispiece of Voltaire's Candide, or Optimism. It reads, "Candide, or Optimism. Translated from the German of Dr. Ralph."

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125d

Visiting Legendary Authors’ Homes: Concord, Massachusetts

By Audrey Golden.

https://blog.bookstellyouwhy.com/visiting-legendary-authors-homes-concord-massachusetts#google_vignette

The Dolliver Romance by Nathaniel Hawthorne at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/7119

Walden by Henry David Thoreau at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/205

#books #literature

"The Dolliver Romance" by Nathaniel Hawthorne is an unfinished novel written in the early 1860s. It explores themes of mortality, the quest for eternal life, and the relationship between an elderly apothecary, Dr. Dolliver, and his great-granddaughter, Pansie. The narrative intertwines the mystical idea of an elixir of life with the mundane realities of aging and loss, set against the backdrop of Hawthorne's characteristic philosophical musings.

"Walden, and On The Duty Of Civil Disobedience" by Henry David Thoreau is a philosophical essay and social critique written in the mid-19th century. This work reflects Thoreau's reflections on simple living in natural surroundings, drawing from his personal experiment of living alone in the woods near Walden Pond.

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167d

Prettiness Is Political for Marie Laurencin

The artist has a point: Why is aesthetic pleasure often relegated to the sidelines of art? Why paint rotting fish when you can paint pretty femmes?

By Natalie Haddad

https://hyperallergic.com/988762/prettiness-is-political-for-marie-laurencin/?utm_source=ActiveCampaign&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Brooklyn%20Museum%20Announces%20Layoffs&utm_campaign=D011025

Books about Marie Laurencin at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?query=Marie+Laurencin&submit_search=Search

#books #art #painting

Portrait of Marie Laurencin by Carl Van Vechten.

Van Vechten Collection at Library of Congress

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138d

finished reading The Collected Schizophrenias: Essays 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑
Essays on the author's experience of schizophrenia (along with bipolar, PTSD & chronic Lyme!) in the US. Fascinating & unsettling view into psychiatric hospitals, mental health 'support' in Ivy League colleges, and what the hell a psychotic break feels like. Blimey.

#BookReview #Books #Bookstodon #Essays #Autobiography #MentalHealth #Schizophrenia

@WildWoila @wildwoila@wyrms.de

Edited 138d ago

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143d

"Little Brother" von Cory Doctorow ( @pluralistic ) handelt davon, wie schnell die eigene Heimat zum Feindstaat werden kann, wenn die Freiheit der Sicherheit untergeordnet wird. Und davon wie schnell die Technik, die uns ermächtigt und vernetzt, zum Mittel der Überwachung und Unterdrückung werden kann. Dabei macht Doctorow Mut mit den Mitteln der Technik für die Demokratie zu kämpfen. #bücherwabe #chemnitz #bücher #literatur #lesen #books #literature #bookstodon #scifi #politik #politics

$Ein Bild der Bücherwabe im Schaufenster der Buchhandlung am Brühl. Es sind neun Bücher zu sehen: Ursula K. LeGuin: The Word for World is Forest, Stefan Heym: Schwarzenberg, Leaf\Lawson: Ferdinand, Norbert Bobbio: Rechts und Links, Arne Semsrott: Machtübernahme, Magdalena Sorger: Ameisen, Hannah Arendt: Menschen in finsteren Zeiten, Cory Doctorow: Little Brother (Aufstand), Mely Kiyak: Werden sie uns mit FlixBus deportieren?$

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