There are many amazing, often obscure works of literature available as free e-books: small slices of earthly and intellectual paradise waiting to be uncovered. Finding dusty old gems can take a bit of work and patience, but this exercise is my kind of fun. I thought it would be nice to share my discoveries with you on a regular basis. First up:
Reminiscences of Tolstoy, by His Son by Graf Ilia Lvovich Tolstoi [Project Gutenberg]
Leo’s son Ilia as an older man.
If Famous Writers Sent Valentines [courtesy BuzzFeed]
A big thanks goes out to Michelle of MamaMickTerry for showing me this funny literary post.
Everyone was a child once, even serious wordsmiths. Let’s get started:
A poised Gertrude Stein:
Gertrude Stein at three
An uncomfortable looking Franz Kafka:
Franz Kafka
Captain Jinks, Hero by Ernest Crosby. 1902. Illustrated by Daniel Carter Beard.
When you died on 11 February 1963, my mom was nine years old. My grandmother was your age: thirty. She’s eighty-one now, but to all of the world you still look like this:
Sylvia Plath.
How sad.
“The silence depressed me. It wasn’t the silence of silence. It was my own silence.”-Sylvia Plath, The Bell Jar
Sir John Suckling, poet and inventor of cribbage, was born on 10 February 1609.
Sir John Suckling by Anthony van Dyck, 17th century.
“I prithee send me back my heart,/Since I cannot have thine;/For if from yours you will not part,/Why, then, shouldst thou have mine?”
You’ll want to read this.
Biographical Notes on the Pseudonymous Bells by Charlotte Brontë [courtesy Project Gutenberg]
It is a quick and interesting read.
The Brontë Sisters by Branwell Brontë.
The literary Gods certainly favoured the 7th of February, at least during the 19th century. Charles Dickens, Laura Ingalls Wilder, and Sinclair Lewis were born on that day. Impressive, right?
Charles Dickens and His Characters by William Holbrook Beard. Birth year: 1812.
“A loving heart is the truest wisdom.”
Laura Ingalls Wilder. Birth year: 1867.
“The real things haven’t changed. It is still best to be honest and truthful; to make the most of what we have; to be happy with simple pleasures; and have courage when things go wrong.”
Sinclair Lewis, 1914. Birth year: 1885.
“Every man is a king so long as he has someone to look down on.”
The International Exhibition of Sherlock Holmes
The Center of Science and Industry [COSI] in my hometown of Columbus is the second stop for this fabulous interactive Holmes experience. It runs 8 February-1 September.
Does this look amazing or does this look amazing? Your call. I am going next month. I’ll be sure to do a follow-up post!
A Study in Scarlet by A. Conan Doyle, with artwork by David Henry Friston. Beeton’s Christmas Annual, December 1887.
Gertrude Stein was born on 3 February 1874.
Gertrude Stein by Félix Vallotton, 1907.
“It will come if it is there and if you will let it come.”
“Let me listen to me and not to them.”
“Nothing is really so very frightening when everything is so very dangerous.”
A Small Press Life: Books. Art. Writing. Life. Tea. 