literature

78d

<p>chats in squirrel are limited<br>to a sort of Roman salute<br>foreleg extended then folded<br>open paw on breast as if to say<br>Look I take you in my open paw<br>and hold you to my heart<br>then it gets tricky…</p><p>—William Bonar, “SQRL”<br>published in OFFERING (Red Squirrel Press, 2015)</p><p>Happy <a href="/tags/squirrelappreciationday/" rel="tag">#SquirrelAppreciationDay</a> 🐿️ – 21 January – to all who celebrate</p><p><a href="https://www.scottishpoetrylibrary.org.uk/poem/sqrl/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.scottishpoetrylibrary.org.uk/poem/sqrl/"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.scottishpoetrylibrary.org.</span><span class="invisible">uk/poem/sqrl/</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/squirrel/" rel="tag">#squirrel</a> <a href="/tags/squirrels/" rel="tag">#squirrels</a> <a href="/tags/squirrelappreciationday/" rel="tag">#SquirrelAppreciationDay</a></p>

SQRL
by William Bonar

chats in squirrel are limited
to a sort of Roman salute
foreleg extended then folded
open paw on breast as if to say
Look‍‍‍‍‍‍ I take you in my open paw
and hold you to my heart
then it gets tricky

the erect position fosters
rhetorical expansiveness

one paw clutches
the purple edge
of a senatorial toga
while the other describes
a democratic arc
enfolding all squirrels
to its furry bosom

Nuts it declaims
Nuts nuts nuts

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1y

<p><a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1848.</p><p>Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels publish The Communist Manifesto (Manifest der Kommunistischen Partei) in London.</p><p>Published amid the Revolutions of 1848 in Europe, the manifesto remains one of the world's most influential political documents.</p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Communist_Manifesto" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Communist_Manifesto"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Comm</span><span class="invisible">unist_Manifesto</span></a></p><p>At PG.<br><a href="https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/61" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>gutenberg.org/ebooks/61</a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

A decorative border and ornate text reading "Manifest der Kommunistischen Partei." on darker-than-white paper.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Communist_Manifesto#/media/File:Communist-manifesto.png

Only surviving page from the first draft of the Manifesto, handwritten by Karl Marx.

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1y

<p><a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1904.</p><p>J. M. Synge's tragedy Riders to the Sea is first performed at Molesworth Hall, Dublin, by the Irish National Theatre Society, with Helen Laird playing Maurya. </p><p>Synge's use of phrasing from the Irish language is part of the Irish Literary Revival, a period when Irish literature looked to encourage pride and nationalism in Ireland.</p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riders_to_the_Sea" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riders_to_the_Sea"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riders_t</span><span class="invisible">o_the_Sea</span></a></p><p>Riders to the Sea at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/994" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/994</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>

Sara Allgood photo taken by Carl Van Vechten, photographer.

Source: http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?van:1:./temp/~ammem_Xnh9:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riders_to_the_Sea#/media/File:Sara_Allgood.jpg

The photograpgh captures the Irish actress in a dramatic and expressive pose. Van Vechten, known for his striking portrait photography, often utilized high contrast and deep shadows to emphasize the subject's character and presence.

In this image, Allgood's face is likely the focal point, showcasing her strong features, expressive eyes, and theatrical presence. The lighting and composition highlight the depth of her expression, giving a glimpse into her career as a stage and film actress.

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76d

<p>StAnza 2026<br>13–15 March, St Andrews & online</p><p>Tickets are on sale for StAnza 2026, Scotland’s award-winning poetry festival dedicated to bringing poetry in all its forms & many languages to audiences around the world</p><p><a href="https://stanzapoetry.org/festival/stanza-2026/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="stanzapoetry.org/festival/stanza-2026/"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">stanzapoetry.org/festival/stan</span><span class="invisible">za-2026/</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/festivals/" rel="tag">#festivals</a> <a href="/tags/standrews/" rel="tag">#StAndrews</a></p>

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329d

<p>10 most iconic lines by Dostoevsky that make people sit back and overthink life</p><p><a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/books/web-stories/10-most-iconic-lines-by-dostoevsky-that-make-people-sit-back-and-overthink-life/photostory/121135703.cms" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/books/web-stories/10-most-iconic-lines-by-dostoevsky-that-make-people-sit-back-and-overthink-life/photostory/121135703.cms"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">timesofindia.indiatimes.com/li</span><span class="invisible">fe-style/books/web-stories/10-most-iconic-lines-by-dostoevsky-that-make-people-sit-back-and-overthink-life/photostory/121135703.cms</span></a></p><p>Dostoevsky at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/314" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/314"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho</span><span class="invisible">r/314</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

Portrait of Dostoevsky by Vasily Perov, c. 1872.

Seated with his hands clasped and gaze cast downward, Dostoevsky appears weary yet contemplative, reflecting the emotional intensity and philosophical depth of his writing.

Dressed in a simple brown coat against a dark, muted background, his gaunt face, high forehead, and unkempt beard emphasize a life marked by suffering, imprisonment, and spiritual searching.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fyodor_Dostoevsky#/media/File:Vasily_Perov_-_%D0%9F%D0%BE%D1%80%D1%82%D1%80%D0%B5%D1%82_%D0%A4.%D0%9C.%D0%94%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%82%D0%BE%D0%B5%D0%B2%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B3%D0%BE_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg

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1y

<p><a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> (to March 17) in 1877</p><p>Robert Louis Stevenson's first published work of fiction, the novella "An Old Song", appears anonymously in four episodes in the magazine London. It is first attributed to Stevenson in 1980.</p><p>Books by Robert Louis Stevenson at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/35" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/35"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho</span><span class="invisible">r/35</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

Photograph of Robert Louis Stevenson at 35 in 1885.

Stevenson is shown seated at a desk, writing with a pen in his right hand. He has a thin face with prominent cheekbones, a mustache, and wavy, somewhat unkempt hair.

His expression is intense and focused, with deep-set eyes gazing directly at the camera.

He is dressed in a formal suit with a tie and vest, and his left hand rests on the desk near an inkwell.

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329d

<p>The Bloomsbury Group: A Reading List</p><p>In 1905, a group of writers and painters gathered in a London home and began a conversation on politics, love, sex, and art that lasted decades.</p><p>By: Jenny Noyce </p><p><a href="https://daily.jstor.org/bloomsbury-group-reading-list/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="daily.jstor.org/bloomsbury-group-reading-list/"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">daily.jstor.org/bloomsbury-gro</span><span class="invisible">up-reading-list/</span></a></p><p>Bloomsbury Group 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><br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/975" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/975"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho</span><span class="invisible">r/975</span></a><br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/54154" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/54154</a><br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/4565" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/4565"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho</span><span class="invisible">r/4565</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

Left to right: Lady Ottoline Morrell, Maria Nys, Lytton Strachey, Duncan Grant, and Vanessa Bell, July 1915 via Wikimedia Commons

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76d

<p>Niels Fredrik Dahl and “Reality Literature”: Writing to Become Visible to Yourself</p><p>What does it mean to write truth into literature? In recent decades, books that are largely autobiographical but also explicitly include fictional elements have become a very popular genre in Scandinavia.</p><p>by Linnea Gradin</p><p><a href="https://www.asymptotejournal.com/blog/2026/01/21/niels-fredrik-dahl-and-reality-literature-writing-to-become-visible-to-yourself/?utm_source=Klaviyo&utm_medium=campaign&utm_id=01KFJX49SHZWE60334HQRV1RSS&_kx=3MZUehzXM-41qlWAMPUiuNZadX2p0SByuNf_t0eMLB0.U5D8ER" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.asymptotejournal.com/blog/2026/01/21/niels-fredrik-dahl-and-reality-literature-writing-to-become-visible-to-yourself/?utm_source=Klaviyo&utm_medium=campaign&utm_id=01KFJX49SHZWE60334HQRV1RSS&_kx=3MZUehzXM-41qlWAMPUiuNZadX2p0SByuNf_t0eMLB0.U5D8ER"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.asymptotejournal.com/blog/</span><span class="invisible">2026/01/21/niels-fredrik-dahl-and-reality-literature-writing-to-become-visible-to-yourself/?utm_source=Klaviyo&utm_medium=campaign&utm_id=01KFJX49SHZWE60334HQRV1RSS&_kx=3MZUehzXM-41qlWAMPUiuNZadX2p0SByuNf_t0eMLB0.U5D8ER</span></a></p><p>Realism at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/subjects/search/?query=realism" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/subjects/search/?query=realism"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/subje</span><span class="invisible">cts/search/?query=realism</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></p>

Ornament from a 1923 magazine.

A pen-and-ink illustration depicting various objects associated with reading and writing:

An open book prominently displayed on what appears to be a book rest or stand
A rolled scroll or manuscript
Other books stacked or arranged around the central open volume

https://archive.org/details/storyworldphotod51phot

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1y

<p><a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1920.</p><p>Beyond the Horizon, Eugene O'Neill's second full-length play, opens with a Morosco Theatre matinée in New York City, partly as a producer's experiment and partly to quiet the actor Richard Bennett, who sought to play the lead. Reviewers hail the play and O'Neill gains fame. It won the 1920 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.</p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beyond_the_Horizon_(play)" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beyond_the_Horizon_(play)"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beyond_t</span><span class="invisible">he_Horizon_(play)</span></a></p><p>Beyond the Horizon at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/58569" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/58569</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>

First edition cover of Beyond The Horizon.

The book has a simple yet classic design, with an orange dust jacket and black text. The title, Beyond The Horizon, is prominently displayed at the top in bold font.

Below the title, there is a quote that reads, "Can You Recall More Enthusiastic Comment Than This?" followed by a passage praising the significance and dramatic power of the play.

The book cover contains additional text describing the play as an "absorbing, significant, and memorable tragedy" and highlights Eugene O'Neill’s dramatic skill.

Towards the bottom, the author’s name, Eugene O'Neill, is displayed along with a mention of his previous work, The Moon of the Caribbees.

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1y

<p><a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1852.</p><p>Alexandre Dumas, fils's stage adaptation of his 1848 novel La Dame aux caméllias is premièred at the Théâtre du Vaudeville in Paris.</p><p>Shortly thereafter, Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi set about putting the story to music in the 1853 opera La traviata, with female protagonist Marguerite Gautier renamed Violetta Valéry.</p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lady_of_the_Camellias" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lady_of_the_Camellias"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lady</span><span class="invisible">_of_the_Camellias</span></a></p><p>La dame aux camélias at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/2419" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/2419</a><br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1608" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1608</a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

Alphonse Mucha's poster for a performance of the theatrical version, with Sarah Bernhardt (1896).

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1y

<p>"There are very few who can think, but every man wants to have an opinion; and what remains but to take it ready-made from others, instead of forming opinions for himself?"</p><p>The Art of Controversy, and Other Posthumous Papers (ed. 1896)</p><p>~Arthur Schopenhauer (22 February 1788 – 21 September 1860)</p><p>Books by Arthur Schopenhauer at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/3648" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/3648"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho</span><span class="invisible">r/3648</span></a></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>

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76d

<p>The Untold Story of Selene, Greek Goddess of the Moon</p><p>A daughter of the Titans, Selene was the Greek goddess of the moon. She appears throughout Greek mythology in divine wars and torrid love affairs.</p><p>by Kieren Johns</p><p><a href="https://www.thecollector.com/selene-greek-goddess-moon/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.thecollector.com/selene-greek-goddess-moon/"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.thecollector.com/selene-gr</span><span class="invisible">eek-goddess-moon/</span></a></p><p>Greek Mythology in literature at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/subject/17235" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/subject/17235"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/subje</span><span class="invisible">ct/17235</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a> <a href="/tags/mythology/" rel="tag">#mythology</a></p>

Selene, engraving by François Chauveau.

The goddess is shown in flowing drapery, seated or reclining on a large crescent moon, which was her traditional attribute
Her pose is dynamic and graceful, with arms raised in a classical manner
A sleeping figure, likely Endymion, the handsome shepherd or astronomer with whom Selene fell in love according to Greek mythology

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selene#/media/File:S%C3%A9l%C3%A9n%C3%A9.jpg

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1y

<p>In Mesopotamian mythology, the demigod King Gilgamesh was a tyrant, so the gods sent the wild man Enkidu to defeat him. Though Gilgamesh won, he was impressed by Enkidu's strength and tenacity. Because of his love for the wild man, Gilgamesh became a good king.<br>🎨 Ludmila Zeman</p><p><a href="/tags/folkloresunday/" rel="tag">#FolkloreSunday</a> <a href="/tags/bookchatweekly/" rel="tag">#BookChatWeekly</a> <a href="/tags/31daysofhaunting/" rel="tag">#31DaysofHaunting</a> <a href="/tags/folklore/" rel="tag">#Folklore</a> <a href="/tags/mesopotamianfolklore/" rel="tag">#MesopotamianFolklore</a> <a href="/tags/babylonianfolklore/" rel="tag">#BabylonianFolklore</a> <a href="/tags/mythology/" rel="tag">#Mythology</a> <a href="/tags/mesopotamianmythology/" rel="tag">#MesopotamianMythology</a> <a href="/tags/babylonianmythology/" rel="tag">#BabylonianMythology</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#Literature</a> <a href="/tags/mesopotamia/" rel="tag">#Mesopotamia</a> <a href="/tags/babylon/" rel="tag">#Babylon</a> <a href="/tags/gilgamesh/" rel="tag">#Gilgamesh</a></p>

Enkidu and Gilgamesh embrace. A picture by Ludmila Zeman.

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1y

<p><a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1920.</p><p>Federico García Lorca's first play, The Butterfly's Evil Spell (El maleficio de la mariposa) is poorly received at its première in Madrid.</p><p>With only four performances, very poorly received by the public, including booing, it was a total failure for its author. The text, written in verse, is a parable about frustration, love and death; recurring themes in Lorca's work.</p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Butterfly%27s_Evil_Spell" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Butterfly%27s_Evil_Spell"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Butt</span><span class="invisible">erfly%27s_Evil_Spell</span></a></p><p>Garcia Lorca at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/56772" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/56772"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho</span><span class="invisible">r/56772</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>

Federico García Lorca. Huerta de San Vicente, Granada

Anónimo - https://www.museoreinasofia.es/coleccion/obra/federico-garcia-lorca-huerta-san-vicente-granada

He is shown smiling warmly, creating an inviting and expressive presence. His hair is neatly combed back, and he is wearing a dark shirt or jacket with an open collar.

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76d

<p>One drops<br>in a bunker,<br>another on his doorstep,<br>Christmas morning, shovelling snow…</p><p>—Andrew Greig, “Norman’s Goodnight”<br>from This Life, This Life: New & Selected Poems 1976–2006 (Bloodaxe Books, 2006</p><p>Norman MacCaig (1910–1996) died <a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a>, 23 Jan</p><p><a href="https://poetryarchive.org/poem/normans-goodnight/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="poetryarchive.org/poem/normans-goodnight/"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">poetryarchive.org/poem/normans</span><span class="invisible">-goodnight/</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/normanmaccaig/" rel="tag">#NormanMacCaig</a></p>

Norman’s Goodnight
by Andrew Greig

One drops
in a bunker,
another on his doorstep,
Christmas morning, shovelling snow.

When I go
may it be like that,
a short fall down and out
while busy in open air –

like a pigeon, say,
winging it across clear sky,
sways then plummets,
brought down by stray buckshot.

And may there be time
to murmur as I fold
some word of thanks
and letting go –

like the last time I saw MacCaig
standing at his door;
as I turned the stair
his hand came up, waved:

Ta-ta. Ta-ta.
Masterly concision –
‘Thank you’ and
‘Goodnight’ in one.

I hope to be
even briefer as I fall:

Ta –

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1y

<p><a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1898.</p><p>Émile Zola is imprisoned in France after writing J'Accuse…!, a letter accusing the French government of antisemitism and wrongfully imprisoning Captain Alfred Dreyfus.</p><p>He was sentenced to jail and was removed from the Legion of Honour. To avoid jail time, Zola fled to England. He stayed there until the cabinet fell; he continued to defend Dreyfus.</p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%27Accuse" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%27Accuse"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%27Accu</span><span class="invisible">se</span></a>...!</p><p>J'Accuse at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/20974" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/20974</a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

Emile Zola photographié par Nadar en 1898.

The image is in black and white and shows Zola with a beard and round glasses, wearing a formal suit with tie.

His expression is serious and his gaze determined. His hands are crossed in a distinctive manner, highlighting a ring and bracelet visible on his fingers.

Front page cover of the newspaper L’Aurore of Thursday 13 January 1898, with J’accuse...!, the open letter written by Émile Zola to president Félix Faure about the Dreyfus affair. The headline reads "I accuse...! Letter to the President of the Republic".

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73d

<p>Grant me, indulgent Heaven, that I may live, <br>To see the miscreants feel the pains they give; <br>Deal Freedom’s sacred treasures free as air, <br>Till Slave and Despot be but things that were.</p><p>—Robert Burns, “Lines Inscribed in a Lady’s Pocket Almanac”</p><p><a href="/tags/scottish/" rel="tag">#Scottish</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a> <a href="/tags/robertburns/" rel="tag">#RobertBurns</a> <a href="/tags/burnsnight/" rel="tag">#BurnsNight</a> <a href="/tags/poem/" rel="tag">#poem</a> <a href="/tags/poetry/" rel="tag">#poetry</a> <a href="/tags/18thcentury/" rel="tag">#18thcentury</a> <a href="/tags/liberty/" rel="tag">#liberty</a> <a href="/tags/justice/" rel="tag">#justice</a> <a href="/tags/freedom/" rel="tag">#freedom</a></p>

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1y

<p><a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1826.</p><p>In the Mexican Republic, lithographer Claudio Linati inaugurates El Iris, a "pocket sized" bi-weekly. It is in print until August 2, when its popularization of liberal ideas prompts the intervention of state censors.</p><p>It was founded as an illustrated literary review, with topics of interest to women. It included articles on poetry, theater and fashion, as well as portraits and biographies of heroes of the recent war of independence.</p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Iris" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Iris</a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

Cover of the Mexican journal El Iris from 3 May 1826.

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1y

<p><a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1856.</p><p>Lewis Carroll chooses his pseudonym; on May 1 he takes up photography as a hobby. A romantic poem called "Solitude" appeared in The Train under the authorship of "Lewis Carroll". This pseudonym was a play on his real name: Lewis was the anglicised form of Ludovicus, which was the Latin for Lutwidge, and Carroll an Irish surname similar to the Latin name Carolus, from which comes the name Charles.</p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_Carroll" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_Carroll"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_Ca</span><span class="invisible">rroll</span></a></p><p>At PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/7" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/7"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho</span><span class="invisible">r/7</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

Lewis Carroll self-portrait c. 1856, aged 24 at that time.

In the image, Carroll (whose real name was Charles Lutwidge Dodgson) appears as a young man with wavy, slightly unkempt hair.

His expression is serious and contemplative, with deep-set eyes and a focused gaze, reading a book.

He is dressed in formal Victorian attire, including a dark jacket, waistcoat, and a high-collared shirt.

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75d

<p>How George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four predicted the global power shifts happening now</p><p>Orwell is feted for the farsightedness of his geopolitical vision as long ago as the 1940s. But a lot of writers were thinking along similar lines.</p><p>by Emrah Atasoy</p><p><a href="https://theconversation.com/how-george-orwells-nineteen-eighty-four-predicted-the-global-power-shifts-happening-now-273122?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=The%20Weekender%20-%203653437321&utm_content=The%20Weekender%20-%203653437321+CID_43c6452557555cbd4df21443bb065cc9&utm_source=campaign_monitor_uk" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="theconversation.com/how-george-orwells-nineteen-eighty-four-predicted-the-global-power-shifts-happening-now-273122?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=The%20Weekender%20-%203653437321&utm_content=The%20Weekender%20-%203653437321+CID_43c6452557555cbd4df21443bb065cc9&utm_source=campaign_monitor_uk"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">theconversation.com/how-george</span><span class="invisible">-orwells-nineteen-eighty-four-predicted-the-global-power-shifts-happening-now-273122?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=The%20Weekender%20-%203653437321&utm_content=The%20Weekender%20-%203653437321+CID_43c6452557555cbd4df21443bb065cc9&utm_source=campaign_monitor_uk</span></a></p><p>Dystopias at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/subject/3316" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/subject/3316"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/subje</span><span class="invisible">ct/3316</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

The first edition cover of George Orwell's book, Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984).

This iconic cover design is simple but striking, with bold handwritten-style typography on a dark green background.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nineteen_Eighty-Four#/media/File:1984_first_edition_cover.jpg

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1y

<p>Is This the Best of All Possible Worlds? Leibniz vs. Voltaire</p><p>What does it mean for this world to be the “best possible world,” even with the obvious existence of evil? Leibniz and Voltaire weigh in.</p><p>By Mirjana Jojić</p><p><a href="https://www.thecollector.com/is-this-best-all-possible-worlds-leibniz-voltaire/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.thecollector.com/is-this-best-all-possible-worlds-leibniz-voltaire/"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.thecollector.com/is-this-b</span><span class="invisible">est-all-possible-worlds-leibniz-voltaire/</span></a></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>

Portrait of Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz

Ludwig Bechstein - from the book Zweihundert deutsche Männer in Bildnissen und Lebensbeschreibungen (Two hundred German men in portraits and biographies), Leipzig 1854, edited by Ludwig Bechstein

Portrait c. 1720s, the Musée Carnavalet

François-Marie Arouet (1694–1778), known as Voltaire, French Enlightenment writer and philosopher

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75d

<p>Atween November’s end and noo<br>there’s really nithin else tae do<br>but climb inside a brindlet coo<br>and dream o Spring,<br>fur Winter’s decked hur breist and broo<br>wi icy bling…</p><p>—W.N. Herbert, “Rabbie, Rabbie, Burning Bright” <br>published in OMNESIA (Remix) (Bloodaxe Books, 2013)</p><p>Warming up for Burns Night …</p><p><a href="https://www.scottishpoetrylibrary.org.uk/poem/rabbie-rabbie-burning-bright/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.scottishpoetrylibrary.org.uk/poem/rabbie-rabbie-burning-bright/"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.scottishpoetrylibrary.org.</span><span class="invisible">uk/poem/rabbie-rabbie-burning-bright/</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/scots/" rel="tag">#Scots</a> <a href="/tags/scotslanguage/" rel="tag">#Scotslanguage</a> <a href="/tags/robertburns/" rel="tag">#RobertBurns</a> <a href="/tags/burnsnight/" rel="tag">#BurnsNight</a> <a href="/tags/standardhabbie/" rel="tag">#StandardHabbie</a> <a href="/tags/winter/" rel="tag">#winter</a></p>

Rabbie, Rabbie, Burning Bright
by W. N. Herbert

Atween November’s end and noo
there’s really nithin else tae do
but climb inside a brindlet coo
and dream o Spring,
fur Winter’s decked hur breist and broo
wi icy bling.

It feels like, oan St Andrae’s nicht,
thi sun went oot and gote sae ticht
he endit up in a braw fire fecht
wi some wee comet –
noo he’s layin low wi his punched-oot licht
aa rimmed wi vomit.

We too hae strachilt lik The Bruce
and hacked up turkey, duck and goose;
and let aa resolution loose
oan Hogmanay,
but waddle noo frae wark tae hoose
lyk dogs they spayed.

Each year fails tae begin thi same:
fae dregs o Daft Deys debt comes hame
and we gaither in depression’s wame
aa duty-crossed –
but Burns’s birthday is a flame
set tae Defrost.

Ye dinna need tae be Confucius
tae ken, if Dullness wad confuse us,
ye caa ‘Respite! Let’s aa get stocious –
And dinna nag us.
Grant us that globe of spice, thi luscious
Delight caaed “haggis”!’

That truffle o the North must be
dug frae the depths o January,
but cannae pass oor lips, nor we
cross Limbo’s border –
unless that passport, Poetry,
be quite in order.

Sae thi daurkest deys o thi haill damn year
can dawn in yawns baith dreich an drear –
sae thi Taxman’s axe is at wir ear
fur his Returns?
We Scots sall neither dreid nor fear
but read wir Burns.

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<p>Beacon Book Festival 2026<br>20–22 February, Greenock</p><p>The inaugural Beacon Book Festival will take place next month at Beacon Arts Centre, welcoming some of the UK’s finest writers, poets and storytellers to Inverclyde for three inspiring days of discussion, performance and creativity.</p><p><a href="https://www.beaconartscentre.co.uk/beacon-book-festival/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.beaconartscentre.co.uk/beacon-book-festival/"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.beaconartscentre.co.uk/bea</span><span class="invisible">con-book-festival/</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/storytelling/" rel="tag">#storytelling</a> <a href="/tags/writers/" rel="tag">#writers</a> <a href="/tags/greenock/" rel="tag">#Greenock</a> <a href="/tags/inverclyde/" rel="tag">#Inverclyde</a></p>

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1y

<p>Castles in the sky: the fantastical drawings of author Victor Hugo – in pictures</p><p>Although better known for his sprawling Romantic novels The Hunchback of Notre-Dame and Les Misérables, celebrated French author Victor Hugo spent much of his time drawing. A collection of about 70 of his sketches will soon be on display at the Royal Academy in London, in an exhibition bringing together caricatures, travel drawings and landscapes. </p><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2025/mar/01/castles-in-the-sky-the-fantastical-drawings-of-author-victor-hugo-in-pictures" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2025/mar/01/castles-in-the-sky-the-fantastical-drawings-of-author-victor-hugo-in-pictures"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.theguardian.com/artanddesi</span><span class="invisible">gn/gallery/2025/mar/01/castles-in-the-sky-the-fantastical-drawings-of-author-victor-hugo-in-pictures</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/art/" rel="tag">#art</a> <a href="/tags/painting/" rel="tag">#painting</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

Landscape With a Castle on a Cliff, 1857 by Victor Hugo.

With materials as diverse as coffee dregs, ink and soot, he often elaborated upon chance blots to suggest baroque shapes. He also used stencils, lace and folding to create complex abstract patterns, scraping and manipulating the ink, even with his fingers.

In Landscape with a castle he created a stencil and brushed ink over it, to leave the fortress as a white reserve, then added details in pen. The ‘assisted’ accidents of the ink washes and strong contrast of light and dark combine to produce a tempestuous atmosphere.

https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/victor-hugo-landscape-with-a-castle/VwGHuvUUnNhaHA?hl=en

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<p>Level Vibes: Burns Night 2026</p><p>Level Vibes spotlights the relationship between Scotland & Jamaica through the creativity of Jamaican poets, curated by Jamaican artist Fabian Thomas.</p><p>You can read the poems online, as well as articles examining Burns’s attitudes to slavery & Scotland’s connections with Jamaica during the poet’s lifetime</p><p><a href="https://www.scottishpoetrylibrary.org.uk/burns-night-2026/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.scottishpoetrylibrary.org.uk/burns-night-2026/"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.scottishpoetrylibrary.org.</span><span class="invisible">uk/burns-night-2026/</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/scottish/" rel="tag">#Scottish</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a> <a href="/tags/scotland/" rel="tag">#Scotland</a> <a href="/tags/jamaica/" rel="tag">#Jamaica</a> <a href="/tags/robertburns/" rel="tag">#RobertBurns</a> <a href="/tags/poetry/" rel="tag">#poetry</a> <a href="/tags/slavery/" rel="tag">#slavery</a> <a href="/tags/18thcentury/" rel="tag">#18thcentury</a></p>

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