literature

1y

<p>American novelist, essayist, and short story writer F. Scott Fitzgerald was born <a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1896.</p><p>He is most famous for his novels that capture the Jazz Age and Roaring Twenties, a time of economic prosperity, cultural change, and excess following World War I. Although he achieved temporary popular success and fortune in the 1920s, Fitzgerald received critical acclaim only after his death.</p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F._Scott_Fitzgerald" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F._Scott_Fitzgerald"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F._Scott</span><span class="invisible">_Fitzgerald</span></a></p><p>Books by F. Scott Fitzgerald at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/420" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/420"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho</span><span class="invisible">r/420</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

Fitzgerald in 1929

Nickolas Muray - Variations of this photo, both black-and-white and colorized, were published in a variety of newspapers and magazines throughout the year 1929. This scan is sourced via ElectricLiterature.com.

Portrait of writer F. Scott Fitzgerald used in a year-long print advertising campaign for the Woodbury Soap Company, in which Fitzgerald featured as one of three judges—the two others being actor John Barrymore and newspaperman Cornelius Vanderbilt IV—who were purportedly selecting the winners of monthly beauty contests.

Edited 1y ago

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1y

<p><a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1846.</p><p>Astronomers Urbain Le Verrier, John Couch Adams and Johann Gottfried Galle collaborate on the discovery of Neptune.</p><p>There is evidence that Neptune was seen and recorded by Galileo Galilei in 1613, Jérôme Lalande in 1795, and John Herschel in 1830, but none are known to have recognized it as a planet at the time.</p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discovery_of_Neptune" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discovery_of_Neptune"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discover</span><span class="invisible">y_of_Neptune</span></a></p><p>Neptune at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?query=neptune&submit_search=Search" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?query=neptune&submit_search=Search"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/searc</span><span class="invisible">h/?query=neptune&submit_search=Search</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/science/" rel="tag">#science</a> <a href="/tags/astronomy/" rel="tag">#astronomy</a> <a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

New Berlin Observatory at Linden Street, where Neptune was discovered observationally.

Carl Daniel Freydanck - Leibniz-Institut für Astrophysik Potsdam

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133d

<p><a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1859, Wilkie Collins’s novel, The Woman in White, begins serialization in the magazine "All the Year Round". This magazine was edited by Charles Dickens.</p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Woman_in_White_(novel)" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Woman_in_White_(novel)"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Woma</span><span class="invisible">n_in_White_(novel)</span></a></p><p>The novel at PG: </p><p><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/583" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/583</a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

poster by fred walker for the woman in white - picyrl.com

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1y

<p>Spanish philosopher, novelist, and poet George Santayana died <a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1952.</p><p>The Sense of Beauty (1896), with a foreword by Arthur Danto, was his first book on aesthetics written in the United States. The Life of Reason recounts the “imaginative” path by which cultures and societies have been shaped. The great philosophical work in which he expounds his ontology and epistemology is The Realms of Being, which establishes four “regions” or domains of reality.</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>

George Santayana, a Spanish American philosopher and writer.
Artist: Samuel Johnson Woolf (1880-1948). Time magazine.

Santayana’s expression in this portrait is composed and reflective, highlighting his philosophical demeanor. His face is slightly aged, with fine lines that add to the sense of wisdom and contemplation, emphasizing his long career in both philosophy and literature.

Santayana is dressed in formal, yet simple attire, often a suit, which was typical for intellectuals of his era.

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1y

<p>"Nothing is given so profusely as advice."<br>Maxim 110.</p><p>French author François de La Rochefoucauld was born <a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1613.</p><p>He was a French moralist of the era of French Classical literature and author of Maximes and Memoirs which portrays the callous nature of human conduct, with a cynical attitude towards putative virtue and avowals of affection, friendship, love, and loyalty. </p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fran%C3%A7ois_de_La_Rochefoucauld_(writer)" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fran%C3%A7ois_de_La_Rochefoucauld_(writer)"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fran%C3%</span><span class="invisible">A7ois_de_La_Rochefoucauld_(writer)</span></a></p><p>Books by François de La Rochefoucauld at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/5749" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/5749"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho</span><span class="invisible">r/5749</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

Portrait of François de La Rochefoucauld
By Théodore Chassériau — Numérisation personnelle Catalogue Joconde : entrée 000PE007029 www.photo.rmn.fr

In the portrait, François de La Rochefoucauld is depicted with a calm and contemplative expression, his face showing a blend of nobility, intelligence, and introspection. His features are finely rendered, with a prominent nose, sharp cheekbones, and expressive eyes that seem to convey the sharp wit and wisdom for which he is known. His long, flowing hair frames his face, cascading over his shoulders in a style typical of the 17th-century French aristocracy.

La Rochefoucauld is dressed in elegant clothing, befitting his noble status. He wears a dark, richly textured coat, possibly made of velvet, with a large white lace collar or cravat that adds a touch of formality and refinement.

La Rochefoucauld’s posture is upright yet relaxed, suggesting both dignity and ease. His gaze is direct, but not confrontational, as though he is deep in thought, reflecting the introspective nature of his writings.

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118d

<p>In Praise of E. H. Shepard’s Illustrations</p><p>What makes Pooh Pooh? The answer lies not only in author A.A. Milne’s prose, but also in the quiet genius of E. H. Shepard’s original illustrations. With Shepard’s work now in the public domain, it’s the perfect opportunity to revisit how these deceptively simple drawings became cultural touchstones.</p><p>by Sterling Dudley</p><p><a href="https://blog.archive.org/2025/12/10/e-h-shepards-illustrations/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="blog.archive.org/2025/12/10/e-h-shepards-illustrations/"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">blog.archive.org/2025/12/10/e-</span><span class="invisible">h-shepards-illustrations/</span></a></p><p>At PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/67098" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/67098</a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

Here's a picture of Christopher Robin, Rabbit, Rabbit's firends and relations, Piglet, some mice and even a hedgehog, all pulling together on Pooh, still stuck.

https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/67098/pg67098-images.html

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134d

<p>‘He was just trying to earn a few kopecks’: how newly translated stories reveal Chekhov’s silly side</p><p>With daft jokes and experimental wordplay, the first comprehensive translations of his lesser-known stories show Anton Chekhov in a new light</p><p>By Viv Groskop</p><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2025/nov/23/he-was-just-trying-to-earn-a-few-kopecks-how-newly-translated-stories-reveal-chekhovs-silly-side" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.theguardian.com/culture/2025/nov/23/he-was-just-trying-to-earn-a-few-kopecks-how-newly-translated-stories-reveal-chekhovs-silly-side"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.theguardian.com/culture/20</span><span class="invisible">25/nov/23/he-was-just-trying-to-earn-a-few-kopecks-how-newly-translated-stories-reveal-chekhovs-silly-side</span></a></p><p>Chekhov at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/708" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/708"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho</span><span class="invisible">r/708</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

Anton Chekhov in 1893.

Chekhov stands outdoors in front of a wooden structure with ornate balusters. He is dressed in a long, light-colored overcoat and a dark hat, with a full beard and a calm, direct expression. Surrounding him are bare branches and foliage, giving the scene a slightly austere atmosphere.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anton_Chekhov#/media/File:Chekhov_ht.jpg

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134d

<p>‘A Tartan Belle’: Jane, Duchess of Gordon and the Romanticisation of Scottish Identity in London, c.1780–1812<br>25 Nov, online – free</p><p>At a time when markers of Scottish identity were still viewed with suspicion in England, Jane, Duchess of Gordon used her social influence to make Scottish culture interesting & romantic to the British elite</p><p><a href="https://www.history.ac.uk/news-events/events/tartan-belle-jane-duchess-gordon-romanticisation-scottish-identity-london-c1780-1812" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.history.ac.uk/news-events/events/tartan-belle-jane-duchess-gordon-romanticisation-scottish-identity-london-c1780-1812"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.history.ac.uk/news-events/</span><span class="invisible">events/tartan-belle-jane-duchess-gordon-romanticisation-scottish-identity-london-c1780-1812</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/scottish/" rel="tag">#Scottish</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a> <a href="/tags/history/" rel="tag">#history</a> <a href="/tags/culture/" rel="tag">#culture</a> <a href="/tags/identity/" rel="tag">#identity</a> <a href="/tags/18thcentury/" rel="tag">#18thcentury</a> <a href="/tags/romanticism/" rel="tag">#romanticism</a></p>

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133d

<p>Nothing Better Than a Whole Lot of Books: In Praise of Bibliomania</p><p>Ed Simon Considers the Many Different Ways an Obsession Can Manifest</p><p><a href="https://lithub.com/nothing-better-than-a-whole-lot-of-books-in-praise-of-bibliomania/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="lithub.com/nothing-better-than-a-whole-lot-of-books-in-praise-of-bibliomania/"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">lithub.com/nothing-better-than</span><span class="invisible">-a-whole-lot-of-books-in-praise-of-bibliomania/</span></a></p><p>Bibliomania at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/subject/1095" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/subject/1095"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/subje</span><span class="invisible">ct/1095</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

Engraving titled The Bibliomaniac from Navis Stultifera (The Ship of Fools) by Sebastian Brandt, 1497.

The bibliomaniac stands inside a cramped room, framed by Gothic arches and narrow windows.

It depicts a frantic, book-obsessed figure amid an exaggerated scene of literary excess. At the center, a man wearing a fool’s cap clutches several large books, his expression strained with desperation or greed. More books spill across the floor and fill the surrounding shelves.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bibliomania#/media/File:Brief_History_of_Wood-engraving_Ship_of_Fools_Bibliomaniac.png

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130d

<p>From Dylan Thomas’ shopping list to a note from Sylvia Plath’s doctor: newly uncovered case files reveal the hidden lives of famous writers</p><p>Exclusive: Hardship grant applications to the Royal Literary Fund, including unseen letters by Doris Lessing and a note from James Joyce saying that he ‘gets nothing in the way of royalties’, show authors at their most vulnerable</p><p>By Ella Creamer</p><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/nov/28/from-dylan-thomas-shopping-list-to-a-note-from-sylvia-plaths-doctor-newly-uncovered-case-files-reveal-the-hidden-lives-of-famous-writers" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.theguardian.com/books/2025/nov/28/from-dylan-thomas-shopping-list-to-a-note-from-sylvia-plaths-doctor-newly-uncovered-case-files-reveal-the-hidden-lives-of-famous-writers"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.theguardian.com/books/2025</span><span class="invisible">/nov/28/from-dylan-thomas-shopping-list-to-a-note-from-sylvia-plaths-doctor-newly-uncovered-case-files-reveal-the-hidden-lives-of-famous-writers</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

Nora Summer's iconic portrait of Dylan Thomas. Taken in Blashford in 1937, it was soon to gain an international circulation.

Dylanis is wearing a distinctive thick, cable-knit cardigan with a textured pattern, and what appears to be a scarf around his neck.

He was photographed from the side, looking downward with his eyes cast down, holding a cigarette to his lips. His hair is characteristically curly and somewhat disheveled.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dylan_Thomas#/media/File:Dylan_Thomas_icon_Blashford_1937.jpg

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114d

<p>How Robert Frost summoned a classic from life’s timeless moments</p><p>Perhaps the most famous work by the US poet Robert Frost, ‘Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening’ (1923) exemplifies his style with its vivid scenery and accessibility.</p><p><a href="https://aeon.co/videos/how-robert-frost-summoned-a-classic-from-lifes-timeless-moments?utm_source=Aeon+Newsletter&utm_campaign=a5fbf00b6b-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2025_12_08&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-4ef8a26106-72664972" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="aeon.co/videos/how-robert-frost-summoned-a-classic-from-lifes-timeless-moments?utm_source=Aeon+Newsletter&utm_campaign=a5fbf00b6b-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2025_12_08&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-4ef8a26106-72664972"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">aeon.co/videos/how-robert-fros</span><span class="invisible">t-summoned-a-classic-from-lifes-timeless-moments?utm_source=Aeon+Newsletter&utm_campaign=a5fbf00b6b-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2025_12_08&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-4ef8a26106-72664972</span></a></p><p>Frost at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/1091" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/1091"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho</span><span class="invisible">r/1091</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>

Robert Frost, head-and-shoulders portrait, facing forward.

From the Library of Congress collection, the image captures the young Frost during the period when he wrote some of his most celebrated poems.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stopping_by_Woods_on_a_Snowy_Evening#/media/File:Robert_Frost,_1910s.jpg

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1y

<p>In October 1819.</p><p>In Britain, Richard Carlile is convicted of blasphemy and sent to prison for publishing Common Sense, The Rights of Man and the Age of Reason by Thomas Paine (which criticised the Church of England).</p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Carlile" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Carlile"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_</span><span class="invisible">Carlile</span></a></p><p>Books by Richard Carlile at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/39431" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/39431"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho</span><span class="invisible">r/39431</span></a></p><p>Books by Thomas Paine at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/91" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/91"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho</span><span class="invisible">r/91</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

A George Cruikshank cartoon attacking Paine; The caption reads: "The Age of Reason; or, the World turned Topsy-turvy exemplified in Tom Paine's Works!"

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133d

<p>Skint, baw ragged, poackets ful eh ma<br>fingers, cannae afford tae burn toast an<br>it’s November. Christmas is close…</p><p>—William Letford, “This is it”<br>Published in DIRT (Carcanet, 2016)</p><p><a href="https://www.carcanet.co.uk/9781784102005/dirt/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.carcanet.co.uk/9781784102005/dirt/"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.carcanet.co.uk/97817841020</span><span class="invisible">05/dirt/</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/november/" rel="tag">#November</a></p>

This Is It
by William Letford

Skint, baw ragged, poackets ful eh ma
fingers, cannae afford tae burn toast an
it’s November. Christmas is close. Av been
away bit noo am back an ivery coarner
is a different colour cause am hame an
memories ur painted wae mischief. Am
outside Gregs eatin a macaroni pie an a
busker picks up eez guitar an plugs in eez
amplifier. The sound fae the strings is
like frost. Eez young an the dreams thit
wur boarn in eez bedroom wake me up.
Am watchin people passin an they know
thit eez good bit they don’t want tae look.
They turn thur heeds an tilt thur ears
an jog on. If a hud a spare pound
a wid throw it bit a don’t so a jist listen.
I’d like tae tell um thit this is it, this is
where the hammer hits the stane an sparks
ur made, standin oan a corner in yur hame
toon, an audience eh one radge eatin a
macaroni pie, bit singin, wee man, yur singin.

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131d

<p>52 Years Later, Agatha Christie’s Forgotten Final Book Remains Untouched</p><p>By Florencia Aberastury</p><p><a href="https://www.cbr.com/agatha-christie-postern-of-fate-deserves-adaptation/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.cbr.com/agatha-christie-postern-of-fate-deserves-adaptation/"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.cbr.com/agatha-christie-po</span><span class="invisible">stern-of-fate-deserves-adaptation/</span></a></p><p>Agatha Christie at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/451" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/451"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho</span><span class="invisible">r/451</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

Illustration by Arthur Ferrier of Tommy and Tuppence from the December 1923 issue of The Grand Magazine and the first-known image of the characters.

The drawing shows a stylish young couple in early-1920s fashion. Tommy stands on the left, dressed in a neat suit with a bow tie, his posture upright and confident. Tuppence stands beside him, slightly angled toward him, wearing a fashionable cloche hat and a long, elegant coat. Her expression is lively and self-assured.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tommy_and_Tuppence#/media/File:T&T1923.jpg

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130d

<p>I would like to tell her not to wear such flimsy shoes,<br>that rubble contains the whole spectrum of knowable<br>and unknowable dangers…</p><p>—Marjorie Lotfi, “Picture of Girl and Small Boy (Burij, Gaza, 2014)”<br>published in THE WRONG PERSON TO ASK (Bloodaxe Books, 2023)</p><p><a href="https://www.un.org/en/observances/international-day-of-solidarity-with-the-palestinian-people" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.un.org/en/observances/international-day-of-solidarity-with-the-palestinian-people"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.un.org/en/observances/inte</span><span class="invisible">rnational-day-of-solidarity-with-the-palestinian-people</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/gaza/" rel="tag">#Gaza</a> <a href="/tags/palestine/" rel="tag">#Palestine</a> <a href="/tags/palestinesolidarity/" rel="tag">#PalestineSolidarity</a></p>

Picture of Girl and Small Boy (Burij, Gaza, 2014)
Marjorie Lotfi

I would like to tell her not to wear such flimsy shoes,
that rubble contains the whole spectrum of knowable
and unknowable dangers: sheets of metal ripped
to knife edge, live wires, bloated arms reaching

for light. Her hair, scraped back into a ponytail,
is open to sky; remnants of buildings filter down
one concrete chunk at a time, and the midday bells
of rockets ring out above her. She carries a boy

on her still narrow hips, his legs entwined around
her yellow dungarees. Like a rodeo rider, his left arm
grips her shoulder to steady himself, or her,
while his torso reels back and away; his body

is asking to slow down, to turn back. Instead,
her eyes comb the ground for a next step, fingers
of her free hand curled into a claw, as if
to frighten off what she somehow sees ahead.

A Palestinian girl carries a child across rubble from a building that police said was destroyed by an Israeli air strike, in the Burij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, August 1, 2014. REUTERS/Finbarr O'Reilly. Marjorie Lotfi's poem describes the picture in detail:

Picture of Girl and Small Boy (Burij, Gaza, 2014)
Marjorie Lotfi

I would like to tell her not to wear such flimsy shoes,
that rubble contains the whole spectrum of knowable
and unknowable dangers: sheets of metal ripped
to knife edge, live wires, bloated arms reaching

for light. Her hair, scraped back into a ponytail,
is open to sky; remnants of buildings filter down
one concrete chunk at a time, and the midday bells
of rockets ring out above her. She carries a boy

on her still narrow hips, his legs entwined around
her yellow dungarees. Like a rodeo rider, his left arm
grips her shoulder to steady himself, or her,
while his torso reels back and away; his body

is asking to slow down, to turn back. Instead,
her eyes comb the ground for a next step, fingers
of her free hand curled into a claw, as if
to frighten off what she somehow sees ahead.

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1y

<p>"...beneath the rule of men entirely great, the pen is mightier than the sword..."</p><p><a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1856.</p><p>English actor Henry Irving makes his stage début at Sunderland as Gaston, Duke of Orleans, in Bulwer Lytton's play Richelieu.</p><p>The play has become best known for its line "The pen is mightier than the sword", spoken by the Cardinal in Act II, Scene II.</p><p>Books by Edward Bulwer Lytton at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/761" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/761"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho</span><span class="invisible">r/761</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a> <a href="/tags/theatre/" rel="tag">#theatre</a></p>

Published by Saunders and Otley - https://archive.org/details/richelieuorconsp00lyttiala

Richelieu by Lytton, 1st edition title page

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118d

<p>“No Extra Words“ – The Scottish Poet Norman MacCaig (1910–1996)<br>16 Dec, free online</p><p>Anette Degott looks at the life & work of Norman MacCaig<br>via Scotland HUB at Johannes Gutenberg Universität Mainz</p><p>@litstudies </p><p><a href="https://www.scotland.uni-mainz.de/reading-scotland/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.scotland.uni-mainz.de/reading-scotland/"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.scotland.uni-mainz.de/read</span><span class="invisible">ing-scotland/</span></a></p><p><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/20thcentury/" rel="tag">#20thcentury</a> <a href="/tags/normanmaccaig/" rel="tag">#NormanMacCaig</a></p>

Reading Scotland with Anette Degott

“No Extra Words“ – The Scottish Poet Norman MacCaig (1910–1996)

Tuesday, 16th December 2025
6.00–7.30 pm (German time) on MS Teams

www.scotland.uni-mainz.de

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132d

<p>Typographica Scoto-Gadelica: Scottish Gaelic Typographic Visual Identity through Print & Book Culture<br>3 Dec, Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, Skye, & online – free</p><p>Visual identity of language – the use of distinct characters, diacritics, & conventions – is a key factor in cultural identity & national heritage. This talk will explore Scottish Gaelic’s contemporary visual identity.</p><p><a href="https://www.smo.uhi.ac.uk/edwin-pickstone/?lang=en" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.smo.uhi.ac.uk/edwin-pickstone/?lang=en"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.smo.uhi.ac.uk/edwin-pickst</span><span class="invisible">one/?lang=en</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/scottish/" rel="tag">#Scottish</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a> <a href="/tags/gaelic/" rel="tag">#Gaelic</a> <a href="/tags/gaidhlig/" rel="tag">#Gaidhlig</a> <a href="/tags/bookhistory/" rel="tag">#BookHistory</a> <a href="/tags/printing/" rel="tag">#printing</a> <a href="/tags/typography/" rel="tag">#typography</a> <a href="/tags/identity/" rel="tag">#identity</a> <a href="/tags/design/" rel="tag">#design</a></p>

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132d

<p>Hoy Sound Unscrolled<br>a poetry reading with Heather H. Yeung<br>9 Dec, Stromness, ticketed</p><p>On the 9th anniversary of the creation of her 9-metre-long scroll-poem KENNINGS, Orkney poet Heather Yeung (楊希蒂) launches the book version of her poem/artefact</p><p><a href="https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/whats-on/stromness/stromness-kirk-church-of-scotland/hoy-sound-unscrolled-a-poetry-reading-with-heather-h-yeung/2025-12-09/19:30/t-zozgorv" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.ticketsource.co.uk/whats-on/stromness/stromness-kirk-church-of-scotland/hoy-sound-unscrolled-a-poetry-reading-with-heather-h-yeung/2025-12-09/19:30/t-zozgorv"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.ticketsource.co.uk/whats-o</span><span class="invisible">n/stromness/stromness-kirk-church-of-scotland/hoy-sound-unscrolled-a-poetry-reading-with-heather-h-yeung/2025-12-09/19:30/t-zozgorv</span></a></p><p><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/orkney/" rel="tag">#Orkney</a></p>

A piece of paper stained a deep blue, with a more concentrated colour forming waves at the bottom above the paper's white edge. The words

HOY SOUND UNSCROLLED

are printed in white across the top, and spill over the edges of the image. The author's name,

HEATHER H. YEUNG

is printed in white across the bottom.

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132d

<p>So on the bus through late November running<br>by yellow lights tormented, darkness falling,<br>the two girls sang for miles and miles together…</p><p>—Iain Crichton Smith, “Two Girls Singing”<br>Published in DEER ON THE HIGH HILLS, ed. by John Greening (Carcanet, 2021)</p><p><a href="https://www.carcanet.co.uk/9781800170940/deer-on-the-high-hills/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.carcanet.co.uk/9781800170940/deer-on-the-high-hills/"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.carcanet.co.uk/97818001709</span><span class="invisible">40/deer-on-the-high-hills/</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/20thcentury/" rel="tag">#20thcentury</a> <a href="/tags/november/" rel="tag">#November</a></p>

Two Girls Singing
by Iain Crichton Smith

It neither was the words nor yet the tune.
Any tune would have done and any words.
Any listener or no listener at all.

As nightingales in rocks or a child crooning
in its own world of strange awakening
or larks for no reason but themselves.

So on the bus through late November running
by yellow lights tormented, darkness falling,
the two girls sang for miles and miles together

and it wasn’t the words or tune. It was the singing.
It was the human sweetness in that yellow,
the unpredicted voices of our kind.

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114d

<p>The Many Primes of Muriel Spark<br>First broadcast in 2018. Available on BBC iPlayer until 27 December.</p><p>Kirsty Wark celebrates the life and work of Dame Muriel Spark, author of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie and one of the twentieth century’s most enigmatic cultural figures.</p><p><a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09qlx14" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09qlx14"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09ql</span><span class="invisible">x14</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/womenwriters/" rel="tag">#womenwriters</a> <a href="/tags/murielspark/" rel="tag">#MurielSpark</a></p>

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132d

<p>Creative Conversations: Kristie de Garis<br>1 Dec, University of Glasgow & online – free</p><p>Kristie de Garis’s Drystone: A Life Rebuilt is unflinchingly honest and unexpectedly funny. A story about the weight of the past, resilience and the hard work of living on your own terms.</p><p>Some things may never change. What matters is the life you build anyway.</p><p><a href="https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/creative-conversations-kristie-de-garis-tickets-1828297881179" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/creative-conversations-kristie-de-garis-tickets-1828297881179"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/creativ</span><span class="invisible">e-conversations-kristie-de-garis-tickets-1828297881179</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/scottish/" rel="tag">#Scottish</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a> <a href="/tags/drystonewalling/" rel="tag">#drystoneWalling</a></p>

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<p><a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1886.</p><p>The "Symbolist Manifesto" is placed in the French newspaper Le Figaro by a Greek-born poet Jean Moréas, who calls Symbolism hostile to "plain meanings, declamations, false sentimentality and matter-of-fact description," and intended to "clothe the Ideal in a perceptible form" whose "goal was not in itself, but whose sole purpose was to express the Ideal."</p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symbolist_Manifesto" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symbolist_Manifesto"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symbolis</span><span class="invisible">t_Manifesto</span></a></p><p>Symbolism at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?query=Symbolism&submit_search=Search" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?query=Symbolism&submit_search=Search"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/searc</span><span class="invisible">h/?query=Symbolism&submit_search=Search</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

Henri Fantin-Latour, By the Table, 1872, depicting: Paul Verlaine, Arthur Rimbaud, Léon Valade, Ernest d'Hervilly and Camille Pelletan (seated); Pierre Elzéar, Emile Blémont, and Jean Aicard (standing)

Un coin de table, painting by Henri Fantin-Latour, 1872, musée d'Orsay.

The painting shows a group of men seated around a small, round table in a quiet, somber interior, with little decoration in the background. The scene appears intimate and contemplative, focusing on the figures rather than the environment. The table is partially set with a few items, hinting at a casual, intellectual gathering.

The group consists of eight men, including Paul Verlaine, Arthur Rimbaud, and Émile Blémont, representing the vibrant literary culture of the time.

Verlaine, positioned near the center, appears contemplative, while the young Rimbaud, seated at the far end, gazes intensely, his presence adding a layer of intrigue to the scene.

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1y

<p>"Integrity without knowledge is weak and useless, and knowledge without integrity is dangerous and dreadful."<br>The History of Rasselas</p><p>British author, linguist & lexicographer Samuel Johnson was born <a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1709.</p><p>Johnson’s most famous achievement is his Dictionary, which was the first major comprehensive dictionary of English. It became the standard reference work for decades and influenced the way dictionaries were compiled.</p><p>Samuel Johnson at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/297" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/297"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho</span><span class="invisible">r/297</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

Johnson (1775) showing his intense concentration and the weakness of his eyes; he did not want to be depicted as "Blinking Sam". This unique portrait showing his nearsightedness is in the Huntington Library in San Marino, California.

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<p>English philosopher, painter, and critic William Hazlitt died <a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1830.</p><p>He is considered one of the greatest critics and essayists in the history of the English language. He is also acknowledged as the finest art critic of his age. His works includes "On the Pleasure of Hating" (1826), "The Fight" (1822), "On the Fear of Death" (1822), "Characters of Shakespeare's Plays" (1817).</p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Hazlitt" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Hazlitt"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_</span><span class="invisible">Hazlitt</span></a></p><p>Books by William Hazlitt at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/800" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/800"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho</span><span class="invisible">r/800</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

Portrait of William Hazlitt, derived from an 1825 sketch by William Bewick - Frontispiece in Alexander Ireland, William Hazlitt, Essayist and Critic (1889)

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