“I like long walks, especially when they are taken by people who annoy me.”-Noël Coward (born on 12-16-1899)
Noël Coward, circa 1914
“Impropriety is the soul of wit.”-W. Somerset Maugham (died on 12-16-1965)
W. Somerset Maugham
Jane Austen was born on 16 December 1775.
Jane Austen. 16 December 1775-18 July 1817.
“Nothing ever fatigues me, but doing what I do not like.”-Jane Austen
Fanny Burney
Portrait of Fanny Burney by her cousin, Edward Burney, circa 1784-1785
THE UNEMPLOYED PHILOSOPHERS GUILD:
I only discovered this site a few days ago [thanks for the intro, Acid Free Pulp], and it was instant love. Although it’s not dedicated to books, the literature section is full of fun, whimsical, affordable items!
A FEW HIGHLIGHTS:
Alice’s Enchantmints. $3.00. Image from The Unemployed Philosophers Guild.
Much Ado About Nothings. $6.50. Image from The Unemployed Philosophers Guild.
Zora Neale Hurston Card. $3.50. Image from The Unemployed Philosophers Guild.
DETAILS:
FIRST STOP: EDWARD GOREY HOUSE STORE
SECOND STOP: JANE AUSTEN GIFT SHOP
THIRD STOP: OUT OF PRINT CLOTHING
FOURTH STOP: THE READER’S CATALOG
FIFTH STOP: THE LITERARY GIFT COMPANY
SIXTH STOP: BAS BLEU
ODYSSEUS’ JOURNEY INTERACTIVE MAP [COURTESY ESRI]
Is this map amazing, or is it amazing?
CHARLES DICKENS
Charles Dickens
REASON: Is it possible to get through winter without pulling out a volume of Dickens? What a desperate, weary, chilly world his characters inhabit! It is enough to make the pages freeze mid-turn.
“Bleak, dark, and piercing cold, it was a night for the well-housed and fed to draw round the bright fire, and thank God they were at home; and for the homeless starving wretch to lay him down and die. Many hunger-worn outcasts close their eyes in our bare streets at such times, who, let their crimes have been what they may, can hardly open them in a more bitter world.”-Charles Dickens, Oliver Twist
If you missed My Top Six Cold Weather Writers, go here.
For Honorable Mention: Christina Rossetti, go here.
Thanks to Tom Gething for reminding me that Charles Dickens deserves a place on my list!
Happy Birthday, dearest Emily!
Birthday Girl Emily Dickinson (Born 10 December 1830).
FIVE EVERYDAY FACTS ABOUT EMILY DICKINSON:
EMILY ELIZABETH WAS A MIDDLE CHILD, SANDWICHED BETWEEN OLDER BROTHER (WILLIAM) AUSTIN AND YOUNGER SISTER LAVINIA (NORCROSS).
SHE WAS KNOWN FOR HER SIMPLE WARDROBE OF MOSTLY WHITE CLOTHING.
EMILY HAD A PET NEWFOUNDLAND DOG NAMED CARLO.
SHE WAS A GIFTED BAKER.
EMILY WAS A DEDICATED AND WELL-EDUCATED GARDENER.
“I am out with lanterns, looking for myself.”-Emily Dickinson
BAS BLEU
Bas Bleu is my favourite stop for smartly bookish gifts (and incredibly well-curated reading material). I’ve been a dedicated fan for a decade. Haunt their site for a few minutes, and you’ll understand why!
A FEW HIGHLIGHTS:
Reading Woman Wall Calendar. $14.99. Image from Bas Bleu.
Shakespearean Insults T-Shirt. $24.95. Image from Bas Bleu.
Dictionary Cat Print. $13.95. Image from Bas Bleu.
DETAILS:
FIRST STOP: EDWARD GOREY HOUSE STORE
SECOND STOP: JANE AUSTEN GIFT SHOP
THIRD STOP: OUT OF PRINT CLOTHING
FOURTH STOP: THE READER’S CATALOG
FIFTH STOP: THE LITERARY GIFT COMPANY
Edith Sitwell, a most unusual poet and highly colourful character, died on 9 December 1964. She was 77 years old.
Edith Sitwell by Roger Fry, 1915
“I have often wished I had time to cultivate modesty…But I am too busy thinking about myself.”-Edith Sitwell
9 Layouts of Famous Houses From Classic Literature [COURTESY HUFF POST BOOKS]
These are cool.
A Small Press Life: Books. Art. Writing. Life. Tea. 