“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
I’m stuck in bed today, tired from coughing. Croaky-voiced. Re-reading Ansel Adams’ autobiography and dreaming of great snow-capped mountains. I catch a glimpse, through the dirty window, of a white-blanketed roof and try to make do. Persuade me that there is no difference on the scale of majesty, and I’ll be impressed.
The Sick Girl by Michael Ancher, 1882
Words to the wise: On gloomy days, imagination is the best tool of all.
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
“All the world’s a stage/And all the men and women merely players/They have their exits and their entrances/And one man in his time plays many parts/His acts being seven ages.”-William Shakespeare
Peter O’Toole
Farewell, dear sir!
JOURNAL OF THE MONTH
I’ve been saving this gem for last, and boy was it worth the wait! Journal of the Month is a subscription service-a literary Birchbox, if you will. Each month, you or your lucky gift recipient will receive a new (and surprise!) copy of a participating journal. What a fabulous and thoughtful treasure for the writer in your life. There are six available plans.
GO HERE TO FIND OUT MORE
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
A Small Press Life: Books. Art. Writing. Life. Tea. 