literature

1y

<p>English poet William Cowper died <a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1800.</p><p>His first volume of poetry, "Poems by William Cowper, of the Inner Temple, Esq." was published in 1782. This volume included some of his most famous poems, such as "Table Talk" and other shorter pieces that reflected his views on nature, spirituality, and humanity. His most famous work is "The Task" (1785), a six-book poem in blank verse, which was inspired by a friend who challenged him to write a poem about a sofa. </p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a> <a href="/tags/poetry/" rel="tag">#poetry</a></p>

Portrait of William Cowper (1731-1800).

A portrait of William Cowper dressed in 18th-century attire, with a black coat, yellow waistcoat, and matching breeches, seated beside a red upholstered chair with one arm resting on a table. The individual holds a quill in their right hand, and an open book lies on the table. The background is a plain dark color, providing a contrast to the lighter tones of the clothing and furniture.

Page of The Task, and Other Poems by William Cowper.

An old book cover titled "The Task and Other Poems" by Cowper, with a floral design around the central circle which reads "Cassell's National Library" and edited by Professor Henry Morley.

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1y

<p>Swedish feminist writer Ellen Key died <a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1926.</p><p>One of her most influential works is "The Century of the Child," first published in 1900. In this book, she projected her ideas about education and the rights of children into the 20th century, which she termed the "Century of the Child." She was also a proponent of women's rights: she believed in the importance of motherhood in society and argued that women should have more choices regarding marriage and children.</p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

Ellen Key, 1910
Becker & Maass / Marie Boehm - Nyström-Hamilton, Louise (1913) Ellen Key, Her Life and Her Work, New York City: G. P. Putnam's Sons.

A sepia-toned vintage photo of a seated person (Ellen Key) wearing a Victorian style dress with a lace collar and long sleeves.

Old black hardcover book with title "The Century of the Child" by Ellen Key in gold lettering.

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172d

<p>Who is that, so insistently tapping at my chamber door?</p><p>Something suitably spooky is coming to <a href="https://inquisitivebiologist.com" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>inquisitivebiologist.com</a> this <a href="/tags/halloween/" rel="tag">#Halloween</a>... For now, here is a quick progress shot while you all wait for the next <a href="/tags/bookreview/" rel="tag">#BookReview</a> to drop. I'm about halfway in.<br> <br><a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#Literature</a> <a href="/tags/biography/" rel="tag">#Biography</a> <a href="/tags/gothic/" rel="tag">#Gothic</a> <a href="/tags/horror/" rel="tag">#Horror</a> <a href="/tags/scicomm/" rel="tag">#Scicomm</a> <a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#Books</a> <a href="/tags/bookstodon/" rel="tag">#Bookstodon</a> <span class="h-card"><a href="https://fedigroups.social/@bookstodon" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>bookstodon</span></a></span></p>

A photo of a book standing on a small, brown, wooden table. The out-of-focus background shows black shelves full of books and part of the beech-coloured laminate floor. The book is pictured showing its face, the pages heavily annotated with numerous Post-it notes. The cover and spine are purposefully not visible. The book is standing on top of another hardback book, lying down: The Knickerbocker Classics version of The Complete Tales & Poems of Edgar Allan Poe. The spine is golden cloth with a fancy black repeating floral pattern on it, such as you might find on old wallpaper.

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191d

<p>‘A cottage of one’s own’: Newly unearthed Virginia Woolf stories to be published</p><p>A chance discovery at a country house revealed the three funny – sometimes surreal – interlinked tales, written almost a decade before Woolf’s first book was published</p><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/sep/27/a-cottage-of-ones-own-newly-unearthed-virginia-woolf-stories-to-be-published" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.theguardian.com/books/2025/sep/27/a-cottage-of-ones-own-newly-unearthed-virginia-woolf-stories-to-be-published"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.theguardian.com/books/2025</span><span class="invisible">/sep/27/a-cottage-of-ones-own-newly-unearthed-virginia-woolf-stories-to-be-published</span></a></p><p>Woolf at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/89" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/89"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho</span><span class="invisible">r/89</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

Woolf in 1927.

Unknown author - Harvard Theater Collection, Houghton Library, Harvard University

Woolf is shown resting her head on her hand. Her gaze is softly directed toward the camera, though not in an intense stare.

She is wearing a fur-stole or wrap around her shoulders. Her hair is styled in a period-appropriate way, likely neat.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia_Woolf#/media/File:Virginia_Woolf_1927.jpg

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190d

<p>Back here, the iron line crosses future, past:<br>Then my father will surely be seen</p><p>Trekking the sodden, lonely land,<br>Weekenders, together –</p><p>—Jackie Kay, “Rannoch Loop”<br>published in BANTAM (Picador, 2017)</p><p><a href="https://www.panmacmillan.com/authors/jackie-kay/bantam/9781509887927" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.panmacmillan.com/authors/jackie-kay/bantam/9781509887927"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.panmacmillan.com/authors/j</span><span class="invisible">ackie-kay/bantam/9781509887927</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/scottish/" rel="tag">#Scottish</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a> <a href="/tags/poem/" rel="tag">#poem</a> <a href="/tags/poetry/" rel="tag">#poetry</a> <a href="/tags/walking/" rel="tag">#walking</a> <a href="/tags/hiking/" rel="tag">#hiking</a></p>

Rannoch Loop
by Jackie Kay

Back here, the iron line crosses future, past:
Then my father will surely be seen

Trekking the sodden, lonely land,
Weekenders, together –

Or trudging through the ancient pine woods,
The musk smell of red deer,

My father, here on the moor,
Years and years after he’s gone,

Held by the land’s callused hands.
Och – big hikes across time, lochs, bogs,

September weekend or Easter, far flung,
Doon by Loch Ericht, on the west side

To the old crofter’s burnt-out croft,
Still a magnificent doss, and he’ll doss there,

(Twelve men to the wee hoose)
And rest, rest, till finally refreshed.

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1y

<p>English playwright, poet, and actor William Shakespeare was born (baptized in 26 April) <a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1564 and died <a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1616.</p><p>Some of his most famous tragedies include "Hamlet," "Othello," "King Lear," and "Macbeth". His most known comedies, such as "A Midsummer Night’s Dream," "As You Like It," and "Twelfth Night." Shakespeare's histories—such as "Richard III," "Henry V," and "Julius Caesar"—dive into the lives of historical figures and the political machinations of his time.</p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

William Shakespeare by John Taylor

A classic portrait featuring William Shakespeare in a dark garment with a prominent white collar. The background is shadowy, giving a moody atmosphere to the painting.

Title page of the First Folio, by William Shakespeare, with copper engraving of the author by Martin Droeshout. Image courtesy of the Elizabethan Club and the Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Yale University.

An old worn cover of "Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies" published according to the True Original Copies. The title page includes intricate engravings, decorative text, and mentions London, printed by Isaac Iaggard and Ed. Blount, 1623.

Title page from 1609 edition of Shake-Speares Sonnets.

William Shakespeare's sonnets, a collection of 154 poems, stand as a towering achievement in English literature and offer profound insights into themes of love, beauty, politics, and mortality. Written primarily in iambic pentameter, these sonnets were first published together in a quarto in 1609.

Shakespeare's sonnets typically follow the structure of three quatrains capped by a final couplet, rhyming ABAB CDCD EFEF GG. This format not only lends a rhythmic and thematic unity to the poems but also allows for a shift or volta in tone or argument in the final couplet, often serving as a conclusion or a poignant twist.

The sonnets are commonly divided into two sequences. The first 126 sonnets are addressed to a young man, often referred to as the "Fair Youth," whose identity has been the subject of much scholarly debate. These poems express deep affection, admiration, and concern for the Fair Youth, exploring themes of beauty, love, procreation, and the transient nature of life.

Sonnets 127 to 152 are known as the "Dark Lady" sequence and introduce a mysterious woman who captivates the speaker with her beauty and sensuality, yet often causes emotional turmoil. This sequence is notable for its exploration of complex, often turbulent emotions associated with love and desire.

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1y

<p>American author, Howard R. Garis, best known for a series of books that featured the character of Uncle Wiggily Longears, was born <a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1873.</p><p>Besides the Uncle Wiggily series, Howard R. Garis also wrote for several other children's series, including Tom Swift under the pseudonym Victor Appleton, The Bobbsey Twins under the pseudonym Laura Lee Hope, and books in the Baseball Joe series as Lester Chadwick.</p><p>Books by Howard R. Garis at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/808" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/808"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho</span><span class="invisible">r/808</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

Publicity photograph of author Howard R. Garis. Original caption: "Howard M.[sic] Garis, Author and Originator of the Uncle Wiggily Stories"

Howard R. Garis in a dark suit and tie is sitting at a desk, writing on a piece of paper with a fountain pen.

The Curlytops on Star Island; Or, Camping out with Grandpa by Howard Roger Garis.

Vintage book cover of "The Curlytops on Star Island" by Howard R. Garis, featuring two children fishing by a stream, with the girl standing and holding a fishing rod, and the boy sitting on a rock and examining something in his hands.

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22d

<p>"Time held me green and dying<br>Though I sang in my chains like the sea."</p><p>Dylan Thomas was a difficult person. But ‘Fern Hill’ is a perfect poem.</p><p>by Jayme Stayer</p><p><a href="https://www.americamagazine.org/ideas/2026/03/06/dylan-thomas-was-a-difficult-person-but-fern-hill-is-a-perfect-poem/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.americamagazine.org/ideas/2026/03/06/dylan-thomas-was-a-difficult-person-but-fern-hill-is-a-perfect-poem/"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.americamagazine.org/ideas/</span><span class="invisible">2026/03/06/dylan-thomas-was-a-difficult-person-but-fern-hill-is-a-perfect-poem/</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a> <a href="/tags/literarycriticism/" rel="tag">#literarycriticism</a> <a href="/tags/poetry/" rel="tag">#poetry</a></p>

Dylan and Caitlin at Brown’s Hotel, Laugharne in 1938. Taken by their Blashford family friend, the photographer and artist Nora Summers.

Dylan and Caitlin are seated at a small, ornate cast-iron pub table. On the table are visible a pint of dark beer, glasses, an ashtray, and what appears to be cigarettes.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dylan_Thomas#/media/File:Dylan_Thomas_and_Caitlin_Macnamara_at_Brown%E2%80%99s_Hotel,_Laugharne,_South_Wales_in_1938.png

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1y

<p>French novelist, poet, short story writer, and literary critic Jules Barbey d'Aurevilly died <a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1889.</p><p>His work depicts the ravages of passion, whether carnal (Une vieille maîtresse, 1851), filial (Un prêtre marié, 1865), political (Le Chevalier des Touches, 1864) or mystical (L'Ensorcelée, 1855). In particular, Les Diaboliques in which the unusual and the transgressive plunge the reader into an ambiguous universe, earned the author accusations of immoralism.</p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

Photography of Jules Barbey d'Aurevilly by Félix Nadar

A black and white vintage photograph of Jules Barbey d'Aurevilly dressed in a formal double-breasted coat with detailed embroidery on the sleeves, standing while holding a pocket watch in one hand.

Manuscript page from Les Diaboliques: Le bonheur dans le crime folio 54 by Jules Barbey d'Aurevilly (1808-1889).

Previously published in 1871.

Dr. Torty and the narrator are strolling through the Jardin des Plantes. In front of the panther's cage, a couple catches the narrator's eye. They are Count Serlon de Savigny and his wife Hauteclaire Stassin. Dr. Torty recounts their story, which he has followed as their doctor and friend.

The young woman, Mlle Hauteclaire Stassin, of great quality (ravishing and an expert fencer), and the Count fall in love. They hatch a diabolical scheme to get rid of the Count's wife and stay together. After that, the couple live happily ever after, guilt-free.

Full text available at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/13848

Edited 1y ago

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189d

<p>Take Four Books: William Boyd</p><p>Available on BBC Sounds. William Boyd speaks to Take Four Books about his new spy novel, The Predicament, & together with presenter James Crawford & crime writer Louise Welsh they explore its connections to three other literary works.</p><p>@bookstodon </p><p><a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002k3g6" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002k3g6"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002</span><span class="invisible">k3g6</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/scottish/" rel="tag">#Scottish</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a> <a href="/tags/spythriller/" rel="tag">#spythriller</a> <a href="/tags/thriller/" rel="tag">#thriller</a></p>

Edited 189d ago

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92d

<p>Winter winds are biting,<br>Etching the woods in shadows.</p><p>The paw prints of hunting dogs<br>Are black stars in the snow…</p><p>—Sheena Blackhall, “A Brueghel Winter”<br>🖼️ Pieter Bruegel the Elder, “Hunters in the Snow”, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna</p><p><a href="https://www.poemhunter.com/poem/a-brueghel-winter/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.poemhunter.com/poem/a-brueghel-winter/"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.poemhunter.com/poem/a-brue</span><span class="invisible">ghel-winter/</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/scottish/" rel="tag">#Scottish</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a> <a href="/tags/poem/" rel="tag">#poem</a> <a href="/tags/poetry/" rel="tag">#poetry</a> <a href="/tags/art/" rel="tag">#art</a> <a href="/tags/painting/" rel="tag">#painting</a> <a href="/tags/bruegel/" rel="tag">#Bruegel</a> <a href="/tags/pieterbruegeltheelder/" rel="tag">#PieterBruegelTheElder</a></p>

A Brueghel Winter
by Sheena Blackhall

Winter winds are biting,
Etching the woods in shadows.

The paw prints of hunting dogs
Are black stars in the snow

Beyond the icy poles of denuded trees
Even the hawks have frozen
Hanging, still, in the bleak chill of day.

The hill is a perilous stair
Here and there, in isolated pools
Fish blink up through glassy windows of water
The year turns on its axis
Underground, numb snowdrops shiver and wait.

“Hunters in the Snow”, by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, (Netherlands, mid-16th century). Executed primarily in gloomy whites and murky greys, the topography represents a river-cut valley overtaken by freezing snow with barren, rugged mountain peaks looming in the distance.

In the foreground, three hunters and a pack of dogs return from a quest, with the hunters' slumped bodies and the dogs' bowed heads suggesting the catch was disappointing.

In the town below, some people make winter preparations while others enjoy winter pastimes on the ice. A frozen water-mill, and bare trees inhabited by several crows, suggest the harshness of the season.

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190d

<p>On BBC Sounds: Jackie Kay talks to John Wilson about her childhood in Glasgow as the mixed-race, adopted daughter of a loving couple. </p><p>Jackie first introduction to performance & theatre were the parties her parents hosted to raise money for the Communist Party.</p><p>Growing up in Glasgow in the 60s & 70s, Jackie had very few Black role models & took inspiration from the works of Audre Lorde & Angela Davis.</p><p><a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002jttv" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002jttv"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002j</span><span class="invisible">ttv</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/scottish/" rel="tag">#Scottish</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a> <a href="/tags/identity/" rel="tag">#identity</a> <a href="/tags/poetry/" rel="tag">#poetry</a> <a href="/tags/jackiekay/" rel="tag">#JackieKay</a> <a href="/tags/glasgow/" rel="tag">#Glasgow</a></p>

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1y

<p>English poet Rupert Brooke died <a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1915.</p><p>He is known for his idealistic war sonnets written during the First World War, especially "The Soldier". Rupert Brooke’s promising literary career was cut short when he died in April 1915 from sepsis resulting from an infected mosquito bite while he was part of the British Mediterranean Expeditionary Force.</p><p>Books by Rupert Brooke at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/148" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/148"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho</span><span class="invisible">r/148</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a> <a href="/tags/poetry/" rel="tag">#poetry</a></p>

Image of Rupert Brooke (frontispiece) from For remembrance: soldier poets who have fallen in the war

Arthur St. John Adcock - https://archive.org/details/forremembranceso00adco

Vintage sepia-toned photograph of Rupert Brooke with neatly combed hair wearing a light-colored shirt with arms crossed; one of the sleeves appears to be rolled up slightly.

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189d

<p>I want answers, but there are only the wild geese<br>Calling, high in the almost-dark, bearing south,<br>And me, stopped short, clutching a bag of groceries<br>On the doorstep of my not-quite home…</p><p>—Susan Mansfield, “Bearing South”<br>from The Rooftop Busker: New Writing Scotland 33 (ASL, 2015)</p><p><a href="/tags/scottish/" rel="tag">#Scottish</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a> <a href="/tags/poem/" rel="tag">#poem</a> <a href="/tags/poetry/" rel="tag">#poetry</a> <a href="/tags/autumn/" rel="tag">#autumn</a></p>

Susan Mansfield
BEARING SOUTH

I want answers, but there are only the wild geese
Calling, high in the almost-dark, bearing south,
And me, stopped short, clutching a bag of groceries
On the doorstep of my not-quite home.
I feel the calm of their inner compass
And wonder if this is what we mean by certainty,
A deft arrowhead of wingbeats
In tune with the turning wind, the changing light,
A geography in their feathery breasts
Older than the names of continents.
A journey without thought of parting or arrival,
Only the press of forward motion,
The urgency and risk of it all,
A brief touch-down in stubble fields, then on,
The pulse of fellow flyers in the slipstream
And the clear voices calling in the dark:
I am here, I am alive,
I am here, I am alive.

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121d

<p>Here, I got you one of those you like:<br>those bewildered late bloomers, tough and small <br>and sweeter than they’ve any right to be…</p><p>—Don Paterson, “A Winter Apple”<br>Published in THE ARCTIC (Faber, 2022)</p><p><a href="https://www.faber.co.uk/product/9780571338191-the-arctic/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.faber.co.uk/product/9780571338191-the-arctic/"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.faber.co.uk/product/978057</span><span class="invisible">1338191-the-arctic/</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/scottish/" rel="tag">#Scottish</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a> <a href="/tags/poem/" rel="tag">#poem</a> <a href="/tags/poetry/" rel="tag">#poetry</a> <a href="/tags/winter/" rel="tag">#winter</a></p>

A Winter Apple
by Don Paterson

for Nora Chassler

Here, I got you one of those you like:
those bewildered late bloomers, tough and small
and sweeter than they’ve any right to be,
as green as Eden, the red an afterthought
as if there’d been an hour left in the season
to paint them all, and where the brush had swept
the snow-white fruit below is stained with pink
as if your teeth had bled from biting it.
It was hard enough to body itself forth
with so few leaves to hide it from the frost
without it burning fuel on working out
where its skin stopped and its flesh began.
All that touched it shook its heart. It was that
or it was nothing. Take it in your pocket
on your long Sunday walk to eat by the loch
with that lone jackdaw only you can talk to.
I make no great claims for this little thing
but I promise only good will come of it.

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1y

<p>"Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm."<br>Essays: First Series</p><p>American essayist, lecturer, philosopher, abolitionist, and poet Ralph Waldo Emerson died <a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1882. He led the Transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century, such as in "Nature". He is best known for his essays, which were initially delivered as lectures. "Self-Reliance" and "The American Scholar" are among his most influential. </p><p>Books by Ralph Waldo Emerson at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/1071" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/1071"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho</span><span class="invisible">r/1071</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

Ralph Waldo Emerson
1880 albumen print copied by J.J. Hawes from an 1857 daguerreotype by J.J. Hawes.

A vintage sepia-toned photograph of Ralph Waldo Emerson wearing a formal suit with a bow tie. The suit jacket has broad lapels and the white shirt underneath is visible. The person stands against a dark backdrop, and only the clothing and hairstyle are discernible.

Cover of a book titled "Miscellanies" by Ralph Waldo Emerson, with a drawing of a pine tree, published by Houghton, Mifflin and Company, The Riverside Press, Cambridge in Boston and New York.

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194d

<p>Today's POTD ©️ me</p><p>MESSIAH</p><p>So Jesus <br>ministered to <br>the dregs of society. <br>In His name a religion <br>was raised. <br>Messiahs </p><p>have <br>been seen <br>and are awaited by<br>Christian Jewish and <br>Arab believers. <br>Millions </p><p>upon <br>millions of <br>them. Irony: The <br>Messiah will <br>go </p><p>unrecognized. </p><p>cuz </p><p>the Messiah <br>will be dirty, poor, <br>bedraggled, sometimes <br>even bloodied. That's </p><p>just </p><p>how it is, <br>ministering <br>at the edges to </p><p>dregs</p><p><a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a> <a href="/tags/poetry/" rel="tag">#poetry</a> <a href="/tags/religion/" rel="tag">#religion</a></p>

Edited 193d ago

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1y

<p>Austrian Philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein was born <a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1899.</p><p>In Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus, he attempted to delineate the limits of language. The book is structured around a series of numbered propositions and sub-propositions, which build on each other to create a dense, almost mathematical argument. In Philosophical Investigations, he introduced the concept of how words take their meanings from their function in various forms of life and activities.</p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a> <a href="/tags/philosophy/" rel="tag">#philosophy</a></p>

Moriz Nähr, Ludwig Wittgenstein. Portrait for the conferment of the Trinity College scholarship 1929, 1928/29

A black and white photo showing Ludwig Wittgenstein wearing a tweed jacket over a collared shirt with a lapel pin. The individual's hairstyle is not visible.

Cover of Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus by Ludwig Wittgenstein.

Book cover of "Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus" by Ludwig Wittgenstein with abstract blue and pink geometric shapes and the words "Project Gutenberg" at the bottom.

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1y

<p>“Les pensées et maximes sont un genre épuisé et un genre futile.”<br>Les contemporains</p><p>French critic and dramatist Jules Lemaître was born <a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1853.</p><p>His literary studies were collected under the title of Les Contemporains (7 series, 1886–99), and his dramatic feuilletons as Impressions de Théàtre (10 series, 1888–98). Lemaître found Zola's naturalism to be excessively deterministic and pessimistic.</p><p>Books by Jules Lemaître at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/5505" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/5505"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho</span><span class="invisible">r/5505</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

French critic and playwright Jules Lemaître (1853-1914) in his house in Tavers (Loiret).

Jules Lemaître in a dark suit sitting at a desk holding a book with shelves full of books in the background.

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1y

<p>American writer Willa Cather died <a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1947.</p><p>Cather's first novel, Alexander's Bridge (1912), was a departure from her later work, but it was with her Prairie Trilogy — O Pioneers! (1913), The Song of the Lark (1915), and My Ántonia (1918) — that she established her reputation as a major American novelist. In 1923, she was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for One of Ours, a novel set during World War I.</p><p>Books by Willa Cather at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/22" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/22"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho</span><span class="invisible">r/22</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

Photograph of Willa Cather by Van Vechten; smiling; looking toward the camera.

Willa Cather wearing a dark fur coat, a shimmering top, and a hat with a spiky adornment, standing in front of a bookshelf filled with books. The background behind the bookshelf appears to have a faint image of a painting or drawing of a horse-like figure. The photograph has a vintage quality to it. There is a label at the bottom that reads "Photograph by Carl Van Vechten."

The cover of the book "My Ántonia" by Willa Cather, featuring a bright green background with abstract blue lines and shapes, and the text "Project Gutenberg" at the bottom.

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188d

<p>Faar’s Baabie Jeanie’s loon? The aal wife hersel<br>Stans treeshin hame the milkers at the ley park yett…</p><p>—“War: 1939–1945”, by Flora Garry (1900–2000) – born <a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a>, 30 September<br>Published in FROM THE LINE: Scottish War Poetry 1914–1945 </p><p>1/2</p><p><a href="https://asls.org.uk/publications/books/volumes/from_the_line/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="asls.org.uk/publications/books/volumes/from_the_line/"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">asls.org.uk/publications/books</span><span class="invisible">/volumes/from_the_line/</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/scottish/" rel="tag">#Scottish</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a> <a href="/tags/20thcentury/" rel="tag">#20thcentury</a> <a href="/tags/poem/" rel="tag">#poem</a> <a href="/tags/poetry/" rel="tag">#poetry</a> <a href="/tags/scots/" rel="tag">#Scots</a> <a href="/tags/scotslanguage/" rel="tag">#Scotslanguage</a> <a href="/tags/warpoetry/" rel="tag">#warpoetry</a> <a href="/tags/ww2/" rel="tag">#WW2</a></p>

Flora Garry
War: 1939–1945

‘Faar’s Baabie Jeanie’s loon? The aal wife hersel
Stans treeshin hame the milkers at the ley park yett.
Faa caas the mornin cairt an fordals neeps an strae,
Wi waages up an risin an fee’d folk sae ull to get?
Baabie Jeanie’s Jockie, faar’s he?

An yon swack hashin chiel in Willum Sinclair’s shop?
He heeld ye oot o langour, sae joco an kin’ly wi’t.
‘Noo, lassie’ to the grunnies: ‘Weel, dearie’ to the quines,
He’s a want ahin the coonter, Willum’s sic a strunge breet.
I miss a news wi yon lad. Faar’s he?

An Droggie’s clivver dother? She could mak her fadder’s peels.
Nae hoven wyme or clocher, nae beelin, hack or strain
Bit she could ease; an fin royt nackets tummelt greetin at their play
She’d rowe up their bleedit sair bits, sen them duncin furth again.
The bairns likit Chrissie. Faar’s she?

An Cyaarnadellie’s foreman? I’ the clear Spring nichts
He trystit wi the banker’s deemie up at the market place.
Noo, she’s skycin roun the gable-eyn, her leen, i the early gloam,
Wi a muckle cwyte aboot her an a graavit ower her face.
Cyaarnadellie’s foreman, faar’s he?’

‘Speir at the waarslin tides, the desert saans, the caal starlicht.
They ken far.’

treeshin: calling; enticing
yett: gate
fordals: stores
swack: agile
hashin: hustling
heeld ye: held you
languor: boredom
joco: jovial
quines: young girls
strunge breet: surly chap
droggie: the chemist
peels: pills
hoven wyme: swollen stomach
clocher: cough
beelin: festering sore
royt nackets: boisterous children
trystit: met regularly, 'dated'
deemie: maid, general servant
skycin: scurrying
her leen: alone
cwyte: coat
graavit: scarf
speir: enquire

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1y

<p>Scottish author R. M. Ballantyne was born <a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1825.</p><p>He is best known for his adventure stories for young readers, his most famous work being The Coral Island (1858). This novel was particularly influential in the adventure genre and was a key predecessor to later classic adventure stories, including William Golding's Lord of the Flies. He also wrote The Young Fur Traders, The Dog Crusoe and His Master, The Lighthouse, The Lifeboat and Martin Rattler.</p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

An etching of Robert Michael Ballantyne made in the 1890s.

An old black and white photograph of Robert Michael Ballantyne wearing a dark jacket with a pointed lapel visible on the left side. His has dark hair parted on the side. The image is grainy and has speckles, indicative of its age.

Cover f The Coral Island: A Tale of the Pacific Ocean by R. M. Ballantyne.

A vintage book cover of "The Coral Island" by R.M. Ballantyne, featuring an illustration of two boys in a small boat, paddling towards an island with palm trees and a third boy standing on the shore. The cover is maroon with gold embossed lettering and decorative elements.

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188d

<p>Today, 30 September, is International Translation Day – read THE BOTTLE IMP: Scottish literature & translation issue free online:</p><p>🇩🇪 SUNSET SONG in the GDR<br>🇮🇹 THE BLACK ARROW on Italian TV<br>🏆 Scotland’s Nobel-nominated Esperanto poet<br>🇫🇷 Franco-Scots poetry & postcolonialism<br>🏗️ Transcreating concrete poetry </p><p><a href="https://www.thebottleimp.org.uk/2019/12/bad-harsk-speech-and-lewit-barbar-tung/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.thebottleimp.org.uk/2019/12/bad-harsk-speech-and-lewit-barbar-tung/"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.thebottleimp.org.uk/2019/1</span><span class="invisible">2/bad-harsk-speech-and-lewit-barbar-tung/</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/scottish/" rel="tag">#Scottish</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a> <a href="/tags/internationaltranslationday/" rel="tag">#InternationalTranslationDay</a> <a href="/tags/translation/" rel="tag">#translation</a> <a href="/tags/sunsetsong/" rel="tag">#SunsetSong</a> <a href="/tags/gdr/" rel="tag">#GDR</a> <a href="/tags/italian/" rel="tag">#Italian</a> <a href="/tags/esperanto/" rel="tag">#Esperanto</a> <a href="/tags/french/" rel="tag">#French</a> <a href="/tags/postcolonial/" rel="tag">#postcolonial</a> <a href="/tags/poetry/" rel="tag">#poetry</a> <a href="/tags/concretepoetry/" rel="tag">#concretepoetry</a></p>

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188d

<p>“The use of Scots, apart from the relative ease of working up the right atmosphere, also helps (though dangerously) because of the verbal freedom it confers on a harassed translator”</p><p>—Edwin Morgan on translating Mayakovsky into Scots </p><p>1/3</p><p><a href="https://asls.org.uk/publications/books/volumes/edwin-morgan-in-touch-with-language/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="asls.org.uk/publications/books/volumes/edwin-morgan-in-touch-with-language/"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">asls.org.uk/publications/books</span><span class="invisible">/volumes/edwin-morgan-in-touch-with-language/</span></a><br> <br><a href="/tags/scottish/" rel="tag">#Scottish</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a> <a href="/tags/poetry/" rel="tag">#poetry</a> <a href="/tags/translation/" rel="tag">#translation</a> <a href="/tags/internationaltranslationday/" rel="tag">#InternationalTranslationDay</a> <a href="/tags/scots/" rel="tag">#Scots</a> <a href="/tags/scotslanguage/" rel="tag">#Scotslanguage</a> <a href="/tags/russian/" rel="tag">#Russian</a> <a href="/tags/edwinmorgan/" rel="tag">#EdwinMorgan</a> <a href="/tags/mayakovsky/" rel="tag">#Mayakovsky</a></p>

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1y

<p>Brazilian writer José de Alencar was born <a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1829.</p><p>He is considered to be one of the most famous and influential Brazilian Romantic novelists of the 19th century, and a major exponent of the literary tradition known as "Indianism". Some of his most celebrated works include: "O Guarani" (1857), "Iracema" (1865), "Senhora" (1875), "Ubirajara" (1874), "Til" (1871).</p><p>Books by José de Alencar at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/33653" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/33653"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho</span><span class="invisible">r/33653</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

Vintage portrait of a bearded man (José de Alencar).

Cover of the first edition of O Guarani, Brazilian romance, by José de Alencar

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