literature

303d

<p>"Give me a little less<br>with every dawn."</p><p>Marjorie Lotfi performs John Burnside's "Prayer" in a film directed by Savannah Acquah, from a new series from the ‪Adrian Brinkerhoff Poetry Foundation & the Writers’ Mosaic</p><p><a href="https://www.brinkerhoffpoetry.org/poems/prayer" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.brinkerhoffpoetry.org/poems/prayer"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.brinkerhoffpoetry.org/poem</span><span class="invisible">s/prayer</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/johnburnside/" rel="tag">#JohnBurnside</a></p>

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62d

<p>Alistair Braidwood speaks with Louise Welsh about her latest Rilke novel, THE CUT UP. The pair discuss the book’s central character & wider cast, the world of antiques against which the novel is set, writing violence, the importance of detail, moral ambiguity, representing the senses, the joys of writing about Glasgow, & more</p><p>@bookstodon </p><p><a href="https://www.scotswhayhae.com/post/rilke-s-return-the-scots-whay-hae-podcast-talks-to-louise-welsh" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.scotswhayhae.com/post/rilke-s-return-the-scots-whay-hae-podcast-talks-to-louise-welsh"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.scotswhayhae.com/post/rilk</span><span class="invisible">e-s-return-the-scots-whay-hae-podcast-talks-to-louise-welsh</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/scottish/" rel="tag">#Scottish</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a> <a href="/tags/crimefiction/" rel="tag">#CrimeFiction</a> <a href="/tags/glasgow/" rel="tag">#Glasgow</a> <a href="/tags/podcast/" rel="tag">#podcast</a></p>

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60d

<p>Some days, although we cannot pray, a prayer<br>utters itself. So, a woman will lift<br>her head from the sieve of her hands and stare<br>at the minims sung by a tree, a sudden gift…</p><p>—Carol Ann Duffy, “Prayer”<br>from MEAN TIME (Picador, 2017; Anvil, 1993)</p><p><a href="https://www.panmacmillan.com/authors/carol-ann-duffy/mean-time/9781509852949" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.panmacmillan.com/authors/carol-ann-duffy/mean-time/9781509852949"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.panmacmillan.com/authors/c</span><span class="invisible">arol-ann-duffy/mean-time/9781509852949</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/carolannduffy/" rel="tag">#CarolAnnDuffy</a> <a href="/tags/womenwriters/" rel="tag">#womenwriters</a> <a href="/tags/prayer/" rel="tag">#prayer</a></p>

Prayer
Carol Ann Duffy

Some days, although we cannot pray, a prayer
utters itself. So, a woman will lift
her head from the sieve of her hands and stare
at the minims sung by a tree, a sudden gift.

Some nights, although we are faithless, the truth
enters our hearts, that small familiar pain;
then a man will stand stock-still, hearing his youth
in the distant Latin chanting of a train.

Pray for us now. Grade 1 piano scales
console the lodger looking out across
a Midlands town. Then dusk, and someone calls
a child’s name as though they named their loss.

Darkness outside. Inside, the radio’s prayer –
Rockall. Malin. Dogger. Finisterre.

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1y

<p>“its power as a starter in crowd psychology comes from Mackay’s insistence on humanising the follies he describes. No macroeconomic constructs here – just good old greed, optimism, superstition & cunning plans”</p><p>—Charles Mackay (1814–1889) was born <a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a>, 27 March – best remembered today for his 1841 book Extraordinary Popular Delusions & the Madness of Crowds</p><p>1/3</p><p><a href="https://www.peterharrington.co.uk/blog/the-great-and-awful-book-of-human-folly-charles-mackays-popular-delusions-2/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.peterharrington.co.uk/blog/the-great-and-awful-book-of-human-folly-charles-mackays-popular-delusions-2/"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.peterharrington.co.uk/blog</span><span class="invisible">/the-great-and-awful-book-of-human-folly-charles-mackays-popular-delusions-2/</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/scottish/" rel="tag">#Scottish</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a> <a href="/tags/19thcentury/" rel="tag">#19thcentury</a> <a href="/tags/victorian/" rel="tag">#Victorian</a> <a href="/tags/psychology/" rel="tag">#psychology</a> <a href="/tags/masspsychology/" rel="tag">#masspsychology</a> <a href="/tags/economics/" rel="tag">#economics</a> <a href="/tags/stockmarket/" rel="tag">#stockmarket</a> <a href="/tags/bubbles/" rel="tag">#bubbles</a></p>

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60d

<p>Robert Louis Stevenson’s short story “The Bottle Imp” was first published (in English) on this day, 8 Feb, 1891, in the New York Herald. It was originally published in Samoan translation as “‘O le Fagu Aitu” in the missionary magazine O le sulu Samoa (The Samoan Torch)</p><p>A 👿 🧵</p><p>1/10</p><p><a href="/tags/scottish/" rel="tag">#Scottish</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a> <a href="/tags/shortstory/" rel="tag">#shortstory</a> <a href="/tags/robertlouisstevenson/" rel="tag">#RobertLouisStevenson</a> <a href="/tags/19thcentury/" rel="tag">#19thcentury</a> <a href="/tags/victorian/" rel="tag">#Victorian</a> <a href="/tags/pacific/" rel="tag">#Pacific</a> <a href="/tags/samoa/" rel="tag">#Samoa</a> <a href="/tags/hawaii/" rel="tag">#Hawaii</a> <a href="/tags/supernatural/" rel="tag">#supernatural</a></p>

A newspaper clipping from 1891, showing a title and the opening few lines of Robert Louis Stevenson’s short story "The Bottle Imp"

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1y

<p>"Someone has a great fire in his soul and nobody ever comes to warm themselves at it, and passers-by see nothing but a little smoke at the top of the chimney and then go on their way."</p><p>Quote in his Letter (no. 155), June 1880.</p><p>~Vincent van Gogh, born <a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1856.</p><p>Van Gogh's letters are available online at:<br><a href="https://vangoghletters.org/" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>vangoghletters.org/</a></p><p>Books by Van Gogh at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?query=Vincent+van+Gogh&submit_search=Search" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?query=Vincent+van+Gogh&submit_search=Search"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/searc</span><span class="invisible">h/?query=Vincent+van+Gogh&submit_search=Search</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/art/" rel="tag">#art</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

"Van Gogh painted this self-portrait in the winter of 1887–1888, when he had been living in Paris for nearly two years. Since his arrival in the city he had devoted much study to the dotted Pointillist technique, thereby learning how he might apply it in his own fashion. His use of brushstrokes running in a variety of directions created a self-portrait with a halo-like circle round his head. This variation and the dynamics it created were Van Gogh’s own contribution to the new style of painting." (Van Gogh Museum notice)

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61d

<p>"Mastered by desire impulsive,<br>By a mighty inward urging,<br>I am ready now for singing,<br>Ready to begin the chanting<br>Of our nation’s ancient folk-song..."</p><p>An epic border: Finland’s poetic masterpiece, the Kalevala, has roots in 2 cultures and 2 countries</p><p>by Thomas A. DuBois</p><p><a href="https://theconversation.com/an-epic-border-finlands-poetic-masterpiece-the-kalevala-has-roots-in-2-cultures-and-2-countries-261444" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="theconversation.com/an-epic-border-finlands-poetic-masterpiece-the-kalevala-has-roots-in-2-cultures-and-2-countries-261444"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">theconversation.com/an-epic-bo</span><span class="invisible">rder-finlands-poetic-masterpiece-the-kalevala-has-roots-in-2-cultures-and-2-countries-261444</span></a></p><p>Kalevala at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?query=Kalevala" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?query=Kalevala"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/searc</span><span class="invisible">h/?query=Kalevala</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>

Mistress of the North, Louhi attacking Väinämöinen in the form of a giant eagle with her troops on her back. (The Defense of the Sampo, Akseli Gallen-Kallela, 1896), Turku Art Museum.

The scene depicts an episode from the Kalevala, the Finnish national epic, showing the sorceress Louhi (the Mistress of the North) transformed into a giant eagle attacking the hero Väinämöinen and his companions as they flee in a boat with the magical Sampo. Louhi carries her warriors on her back as she swoops down, her enormous wings spread across the green-gold sky. The heroes in the boat below defend themselves with weapons, fighting desperately to protect the Sampo.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalevala#/media/File:Sammon_puolustus.jpg

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61d

<p>You might forget the exact sound of her voice<br>or how her face looked when sleeping.<br>You might forget the sound of her quiet weeping<br>curled into the shape of a half moon…</p><p>—Jackie Kay, “Darling”<br>published in DARLING (Bloodaxe, 2007)</p><p><a href="https://www.bloodaxebooks.com/ecs/product/darling-877" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.bloodaxebooks.com/ecs/product/darling-877"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.bloodaxebooks.com/ecs/prod</span><span class="invisible">uct/darling-877</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/jackiekay/" rel="tag">#JackieKay</a> <a href="/tags/grief/" rel="tag">#grief</a> <a href="/tags/death/" rel="tag">#death</a></p>

Darling
by Jackie Kay

You might forget the exact sound of her voice
or how her face looked when sleeping.
You might forget the sound of her quiet weeping
curled into the shape of a half moon,

when smaller than her self, she seemed already to be leaving
before she left, when the blossom was on the trees
and the sun was out, and all seemed good in the world.
I held her hand and sang a song from when I was a girl –

Heel y’ho boys, let her go boys –
and when I stopped singing she had slipped away,
already a slip of a girl again, skipping off,
her heart light, her face almost smiling.

And what I didn’t know or couldn’t say then
was that she hadn’t really gone.
The dead don’t go till you do, loved ones.
The dead are still here holding our hands.

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61d

<p><a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1823 novelist Ann Radcliffe died.</p><p>She "was an English novelist who pioneered the Gothic novel, and a minor poet. Her fourth and most popular novel, The Mysteries of Udolpho, was published in 1794.... Her novels combine suspenseful narratives, exotic historical settings, and apparently-supernatural events."</p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ann_Radcliffe" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ann_Radcliffe"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ann_Radc</span><span class="invisible">liffe</span></a></p><p>Books by Radcliffe at PG:</p><p><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/1147" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/1147"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho</span><span class="invisible">r/1147</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

"Emily discovering a body in Ann Radcliffe's The Mysteries of Udolpho (1794)." - picyrl.

The drawing shows a woman holding a lantern. She is pulling back a curtain which reveals a dead man lying on a bed.

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1y

<p>Joseph Conrad’s Travel Stories Weren’t Black and White</p><p>Conrad’s celebration of imperial exploration is accompanied by an acknowledgment that such feats often go hand-in-hand with oppression and exploitation.</p><p>By: H.M.A. Leow </p><p><a href="https://daily.jstor.org/joseph-conrads-travel-stories-werent-black-and-white/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="daily.jstor.org/joseph-conrads-travel-stories-werent-black-and-white/"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">daily.jstor.org/joseph-conrads</span><span class="invisible">-travel-stories-werent-black-and-white/</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

Caricature of Joseph Conrad by David Low in Lions and Lambs, 1928.

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1y

<p>A Journey Through Dante’s Inferno: A Brief Guide</p><p>Dante’s Inferno is hailed as a medieval masterpiece and a precursor to the Renaissance, with T.S. Eliot having ranked it alongside Shakespeare.</p><p> by Thom Delapa</p><p><a href="https://www.thecollector.com/journey-through-dante-inferno/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.thecollector.com/journey-through-dante-inferno/"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.thecollector.com/journey-t</span><span class="invisible">hrough-dante-inferno/</span></a></p><p>The Divine Comedy at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?query=divine+comedy&submit_search=Search" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?query=divine+comedy&submit_search=Search"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/searc</span><span class="invisible">h/?query=divine+comedy&submit_search=Search</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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60d

<p>Nancy Reddy on Researching Beyond the Archives</p><p>Reading sideways requires a willingness to re-read, to wander through a set of sources, to widen your gaze. Sometimes, though, the answers continue to elude us and the record remains incomplete.</p><p><a href="https://lithub.com/nancy-reddy-on-researching-beyond-the-archives/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="lithub.com/nancy-reddy-on-researching-beyond-the-archives/"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">lithub.com/nancy-reddy-on-rese</span><span class="invisible">arching-beyond-the-archives/</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

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

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

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

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

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59d

<p>How Bertolt Brecht and Walter Benjamin Pioneered a New Way of Creating</p><p>Katherine Hollander on Intellectual, Political and Artistic Collaboration Among the Exiled Mitarbeiter</p><p><a href="https://lithub.com/how-bertolt-brecht-and-walter-benjamin-pioneered-a-new-way-of-creating/?utm_source=Klaviyo&utm_medium=campaign&utm_id=01KGXQ3HHJ926DWA8QFPY71TN5&_kx=3MZUehzXM-41qlWAMPUiuNZadX2p0SByuNf_t0eMLB0.U5D8ER" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="lithub.com/how-bertolt-brecht-and-walter-benjamin-pioneered-a-new-way-of-creating/?utm_source=Klaviyo&utm_medium=campaign&utm_id=01KGXQ3HHJ926DWA8QFPY71TN5&_kx=3MZUehzXM-41qlWAMPUiuNZadX2p0SByuNf_t0eMLB0.U5D8ER"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">lithub.com/how-bertolt-brecht-</span><span class="invisible">and-walter-benjamin-pioneered-a-new-way-of-creating/?utm_source=Klaviyo&utm_medium=campaign&utm_id=01KGXQ3HHJ926DWA8QFPY71TN5&_kx=3MZUehzXM-41qlWAMPUiuNZadX2p0SByuNf_t0eMLB0.U5D8ER</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>

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

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

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

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300d

<p>James Clerk Maxwell (1831–1879) was born <a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a>, 13 June. As a physicist, he ranks alongside Newton & Einstein (“He achieved greatness unequalled”—Max Planck; “I stand on the shoulders of Maxwell”—Albert Einstein).</p><p>Maxwell also wrote poetry: “Rigid Body Sings” is based on “Comin’ Through the Rye” by Robert Burns</p><p><a href="https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45774/in-memory-of-edward-wilson-who-repented-of-what-was-in-his-mind-to-write-after-section" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45774/in-memory-of-edward-wilson-who-repented-of-what-was-in-his-mind-to-write-after-section"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.poetryfoundation.org/poems</span><span class="invisible">/45774/in-memory-of-edward-wilson-who-repented-of-what-was-in-his-mind-to-write-after-section</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/19thcentury/" rel="tag">#19thcentury</a> <a href="/tags/victorian/" rel="tag">#Victorian</a> <a href="/tags/scots/" rel="tag">#Scots</a> <a href="/tags/scotslanguage/" rel="tag">#Scotslanguage</a> <a href="/tags/physics/" rel="tag">#Physics</a> <a href="/tags/science/" rel="tag">#science</a> <a href="/tags/physicist/" rel="tag">#physicist</a></p>

In Memory of Edward Wilson, Who Repented of what was in his Mind to Write after Section
BY JAMES CLERK MAXWELL

Rigid Body (sings).

Gin a body meet a body
Flyin’ through the air,
Gin a body hit a body,
Will it fly? and where?
Ilka impact has its measure,
Ne’er a ane hae I,
Yet a’ the lads they measure me,
Or, at least, they try.

Gin a body meet a body
Altogether free,
How they travel afterwards
We do not always see.
Ilka problem has its method
By analytics high;
For me, I ken na ane o’ them,
But what the waur am I?

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58d

<p>Call for Papers<br>Scotland Along the New Silk Road<br>IASSL 5th World Congress of Scottish Literatures<br>17–20 June 2027, Nanjing</p><p>This congress seeks to foster reciprocal understanding & cultural collaborations between Scotland & the diverse voices of the New Silk Road</p><p>Deadline for proposals: 30 Nov 2026</p><p>@litstudies </p><p><a href="https://scotlit-iassl.org/2025/11/11/call-for-papers-5th-world-congress-of-scottish-literatures-scotland-along-the-new-silk-road-17-20-june-2027/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="scotlit-iassl.org/2025/11/11/call-for-papers-5th-world-congress-of-scottish-literatures-scotland-along-the-new-silk-road-17-20-june-2027/"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">scotlit-iassl.org/2025/11/11/c</span><span class="invisible">all-for-papers-5th-world-congress-of-scottish-literatures-scotland-along-the-new-silk-road-17-20-june-2027/</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/china/" rel="tag">#China</a> <a href="/tags/culture/" rel="tag">#culture</a> <a href="/tags/postcolonial/" rel="tag">#postcolonial</a> <a href="/tags/worldliterature/" rel="tag">#worldliterature</a> <a href="/tags/callforpapers/" rel="tag">#callforpapers</a></p>

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59d

<p>Nan MacKinnon, ‘Nan Eachainn Fhionnlaigh’ (1902–1982): her contribution to the School of Scottish Studies & her legacy<br>13 Feb, free online</p><p>Born in Barra & living later in Vatersay, Nan MacKinnon worked with several School of Scottish Studies fieldworkers to record for its archives a wealth of inherited Gaelic oral tradition – songs, tales, legends – as well as personal experience & observation.</p><p><a href="https://llc.ed.ac.uk/celtic-scottish-studies/css-seminar-series-260213" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="llc.ed.ac.uk/celtic-scottish-studies/css-seminar-series-260213"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">llc.ed.ac.uk/celtic-scottish-s</span><span class="invisible">tudies/css-seminar-series-260213</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/scottish/" rel="tag">#Scottish</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a> <a href="/tags/gaidhlig/" rel="tag">#Gaidhlig</a> <a href="/tags/gaelic/" rel="tag">#Gaelic</a> <a href="/tags/tradition/" rel="tag">#tradition</a> <a href="/tags/folklore/" rel="tag">#folklore</a> <a href="/tags/legends/" rel="tag">#legends</a></p>

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59d

<p>Let us remember<br>the stillborn: how they</p><p>cede their places here<br>with such good grace</p><p>that no one ever<br>speaks of them</p><p>again…</p><p>—John Burnside, “A Footnote to Colossians”<br>published in RUIN, BLOSSOM (Penguin, 2024)</p><p><a href="https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/456120/ruin-blossom-by-burnside-john/9781529909258" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.penguin.co.uk/books/456120/ruin-blossom-by-burnside-john/9781529909258"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.penguin.co.uk/books/456120</span><span class="invisible">/ruin-blossom-by-burnside-john/9781529909258</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/johnburnside/" rel="tag">#JohnBurnside</a></p>

John Burnside
A Footnote to Colossians

For ye are dead, and your life is hid
Colossians 3:3

Let us remember
the stillborn: how they

cede their places here
with such good grace

that no one ever
speaks of them

again.
In school,

we placed them, carefully,
in Limbo,

deep in the folds of smoke
and snowfall, where

their names would never
find them:

pagan, now,
and immaterial,

like phantoms,
or that

boy I sometimes saw
in polaroids,

the one they said
was me.

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1y

<p><a href="/tags/art/" rel="tag">#art</a> <a href="/tags/history/" rel="tag">#history</a>: imagine being such a gifted author that one of your most radical & inventive novels was mainly a product of automatic writing? best known, perhaps, for providing the screenplay that would become alain resnais' 'hiroshima mon amour' - which is not a bad place to start if you've not yet become acquainted with marguerite duras (born <a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#otd</a> in 1914) - she largely escaped acclaim outside of france. this is regrettable. (threadish)<br><a href="/tags/margueriteduras/" rel="tag">#margueriteDuras</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a> <a href="/tags/illustration/" rel="tag">#illustration</a> <a href="/tags/france/" rel="tag">#france</a></p>

digital pencil & ink sketch of french author, marguerite duras, in her younger days.
she looks towards the ground to her left, a slight smile on her lips. hair is beautifully swept back & piled atop her head.
colours are pale turquoise, pale rose, black, off-white & crimson.

digital black & (off) white pencil & ink sketch of french author, marguerite duras, in her younger days.
she looks towards the ground to her left, a slight smile on her lips. hair is beautifully swept back & piled atop her head.

digital pencil & ink sketch of french author, marguerite duras, in her younger days.
she looks towards the ground to her left, a slight smile on her lips. hair is beautifully swept back & piled atop her head.
there's a block of mid-turquoise behind her & it's decorated with yellow & coral triangles.

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346d

<p>1876 | Laurel Springs, NJ</p><p>Looking Up</p><p>Walt Whitman has a happy hour.</p><p><a href="https://www.laphamsquarterly.org/happiness/looking" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.laphamsquarterly.org/happiness/looking"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.laphamsquarterly.org/happi</span><span class="invisible">ness/looking</span></a></p><p>Whitman at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/600" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/600"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho</span><span class="invisible">r/600</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

An 1862 photograph of Whitman taken by Mathew Brady.

Whitman is shown seated, with a relaxed, almost casual posture. His expression is thoughtful but unforced — a slight, knowing look in his eyes suggests both introspection and resilience.

He wears plain, slightly rumpled clothing: an open-collared shirt.

Whitman’s hair is tousled and his beard is full and flowing, giving him a weathered, natural look that breaks from the more polished, formal portraits typical of the era.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walt_Whitman#/media/File:Walt_Whitman_-_Brady-Handy_restored.png

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1y

<p>Leigh Hunt, the Unstoppable Critic</p><p>Convicted and imprisoned for libeling the Prince Regent, Hunt capitalized on his incarceration by turning his prison cell into a newsroom and grand salon.</p><p>By: Emily Zarevich </p><p><a href="https://daily.jstor.org/leigh-hunt-the-unstoppable-critic/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Lit%20Hub%20Daily:%20April%207%2C%202025&utm_term=lithub_master_list" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="daily.jstor.org/leigh-hunt-the-unstoppable-critic/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Lit%20Hub%20Daily:%20April%207%2C%202025&utm_term=lithub_master_list"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">daily.jstor.org/leigh-hunt-the</span><span class="invisible">-unstoppable-critic/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Lit%20Hub%20Daily:%20April%207%2C%202025&utm_term=lithub_master_list</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a> <a href="/tags/journalism/" rel="tag">#journalism</a></p>

James Henry Leigh Hunt, by Benjamin Robert Haydon (died 1846).

Hunt is shown in a half-length view, typically with his head turned slightly to one side.

His expression is gentle, intelligent, and somewhat introspective.

His features are finely drawn—delicate mouth, straight nose, and bright, expressive eyes that suggest warmth and wit.

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30d

<p>The 19th-century Gaelic poet & songwriter Màiri Nic a’ Phearsain (Mary MacPherson) – known as Màiri Mhòr nan Òran (Great Mary of the Songs) – was born <a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a>, 10 March 1821. Much of her work was political & was especially focused on the struggle for land rights</p><p>1/5</p><p><a href="https://www.thenational.scot/news/19145415.mairi-mhor-nan-oran-celebrating-one-greatest-gaelic-poets/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.thenational.scot/news/19145415.mairi-mhor-nan-oran-celebrating-one-greatest-gaelic-poets/"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.thenational.scot/news/1914</span><span class="invisible">5415.mairi-mhor-nan-oran-celebrating-one-greatest-gaelic-poets/</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/scottish/" rel="tag">#Scottish</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a> <a href="/tags/gaidhlig/" rel="tag">#Gaidhlig</a> <a href="/tags/gaelic/" rel="tag">#Gaelic</a> <a href="/tags/19thcentury/" rel="tag">#19thcentury</a> <a href="/tags/victorian/" rel="tag">#Victorian</a> <a href="/tags/history/" rel="tag">#history</a> <a href="/tags/landrights/" rel="tag">#landrights</a></p>

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58d

<p>Dorothy Parker: Sharp-Witted Writer, Bitter Professor</p><p>Dorothy Parker’s year as a visiting professor shows how a celebrated literary voice struggled to adapt to the realities of academic teaching.</p><p>By: Emily Zarevich </p><p><a href="https://daily.jstor.org/dorothy-parker-sharp-witted-writer-bitter-professor/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="daily.jstor.org/dorothy-parker-sharp-witted-writer-bitter-professor/"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">daily.jstor.org/dorothy-parker</span><span class="invisible">-sharp-witted-writer-bitter-professor/</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a> <a href="/tags/education/" rel="tag">#education</a></p>

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345d

<p>The Author of ‘Anne of Green Gables’ Lived a Far Less Charmed Life Than Her Beloved Heroine</p><p>L.M. Montgomery created a classic of children’s literature, but what about her lesser-known works?</p><p>By V.M. Braganza (from the archive)</p><p><a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/lm-montgomery-anne-green-gables-life-180981839/?utm_source=smithsoniandaily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=editorial&lctg=93133550" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/lm-montgomery-anne-green-gables-life-180981839/?utm_source=smithsoniandaily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=editorial&lctg=93133550"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-cu</span><span class="invisible">lture/lm-montgomery-anne-green-gables-life-180981839/?utm_source=smithsoniandaily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=editorial&lctg=93133550</span></a></p><p>L. M. Montgomery at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/36" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/36"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho</span><span class="invisible">r/36</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

Lucy Maud Montgomery, 14. During this period, as she put it in her diary, she had begun to harbor “dreams of future fame.” Courtesy University of Guelph

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58d

<p>Saltire Sessions: Gerda Stevenson</p><p>The Saltire Society talks to Gerda Stevenson – actress, writer, director & musician – about storytelling in its different forms, Scots language, loss & Gerda’s new short story collection CAT WUMMIN, published by Luath Press.</p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l93GKY8DeaM" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.youtube.com/watch?v=l93GKY8DeaM"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.youtube.com/watch?v=l93GKY</span><span class="invisible">8DeaM</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/scottish/" rel="tag">#Scottish</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a> <a href="/tags/scots/" rel="tag">#Scots</a> <a href="/tags/scotslanguage/" rel="tag">#Scotslanguage</a> <a href="/tags/womanwriters/" rel="tag">#womanwriters</a></p>

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58d

<p>I nod and nod to my own shadow and thrust<br>A mountain down and down.<br>Between my feet a loch shines in the brown,<br>Its silver paper crinkled and edged with rust…</p><p>—Norman MacCaig, “Climbing Suilven”<br>from BETWEEN MOUNTAIN AND SEA: Poems From Assynt (Birlinn, 2018)</p><p><a href="https://birlinn.co.uk/product/between-mountain-and-sea/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="birlinn.co.uk/product/between-mountain-and-sea/"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">birlinn.co.uk/product/between-</span><span class="invisible">mountain-and-sea/</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/climbing/" rel="tag">#climbing</a> <a href="/tags/hillwalking/" rel="tag">#hillwalking</a> <a href="/tags/suilven/" rel="tag">#Suilven</a> <a href="/tags/sutherland/" rel="tag">#Sutherland</a> <a href="/tags/20thcentury/" rel="tag">#20thcentury</a> <a href="/tags/normanmaccaig/" rel="tag">#NormanMacCaig</a></p>

Norman MacCaig
Climbing Suilven

I nod and nod to my own shadow and thrust
A mountain down and down.
Between my feet a loch shines in the brown,
Its silver paper crinkled and edged with rust.
My lungs say No;
But down and down this treadmill hill must go.

Parishes dwindle. But my parish is
This stone, that tuft, this stone
And the cramped quarters of my flesh and bone.
I claw that tall horizon down to this;
And suddenly
My shadow jumps huge miles away from me.

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