Happy 130th Birthday, Franz Kafka!

Happy Birthday to Franz Kafka! Here he is, looking suitably, well, Kafkaesque.

Franz Kafka

Franz Kafka

QUOTE: “Books are a narcotic.”

SOME WORKS: Amerika; The Trial; The Castle; A Country Doctor; The Metamorphosis; The Village Schoolmaster; Letters to Felice

A KEEPSAKE:

Franz Kafka Tote Bag by Little Shop of Joy

Franz Kafka Tote Bag by Little Shop of Joy. $5.00

Daily Diversion #145: Party Like It’s 1912?

My sister-in-law Laura gave me this nifty old book as a housewarming gift. It was printed in 1912.

The Book of Parties and Pastimes

The Book of Parties and Pastimes

We are hosting a big party in 3 weeks, so this will come in handy! We are going to foist at least one of the frivolities detailed in this book on our guests. There are so  many to choose from, including:

  • An Alpine Adventure
  • A Novel Cakewalk
  • A Grown-Up Mother Goose Party (ha!)
  • A Peanut Frolic
  • A Musical Burlesque
  • To Meet Our Presidents
  • A Radium Party (oh, my)
  • Some Novel Dances
  • A Deep Sea Dinner

How could any of these possibly go wrong?

Daily Diversion #144: A Nod to Lytton Strachey, Z-A

Lytton Strachey organized his books from Z-A. What fun, I say! I love the peculiar precision of this arrangement, and have adopted its use.

Starting with Zola

Starting with Zola

Stein-Joyce

Stein-Joyce

Hesse-Dickens

Hesse-Dickens

How do you arrange your books?

“In pure literature, the writers of the eighteenth century achieved, indeed, many triumphs; but their great, their peculiar, triumphs were in the domain of thought.”-Lytton Strachey

Daily Diversion #142: New Studio View

I am not a plant or flower or tree person. I cannot keep green things alive. I’ve no idea what kind of tree this is-I only know that it overlooks my second-story studio and that it is refreshingly lovely.

New studio view

New studio view.

It’s a beaut, isn’t it?

Take two

Take two: first-floor view from the front porch.

The studio will be ready next week. I can hardly wait.

“To the great tree-loving fraternity we belong. We love trees with universal and unfeigned love, and all things that do grow under them or around them-the whole leaf and root tribe.”-Henry Ward Beecher

James M. Barrie Died 76 Years Ago Today; Here He is Looking Melancholy and Youthful

James M. Barrie, prolific Scottish playwright and the father of Peter Pan and Wendy, died on 19th June 1937. He was 77. Here he is, looking serious and melancholy.

James M. Barrie, 1901

James M. Barrie, 1901

QUOTE: “The most useless are those who never change through the years.”

SOME WORKS: The Little Minister; Quality Street; The Admirable Crichton; Peter Pan; Alice Sit-by-the-Fire; What Every Woman Knows; A Kiss for Cinderella; The Old Lady Shows Her Medals.

A KEEPSAKE:

Crichton's Island, Postcard Map of James M. Barrie's The Admirable Crichton by Craig Wetzel

Crichton’s Island, Postcard Map of James M. Barrie’s The Admirable Crichton by Craig Wetzel. $3.00