Tag Archives: Writers

Introducing: Alternative Muses + Our First Mini Contest/Giveaway*

Posted on by
4

I don’t like normal muses. I’m not inspired by flawless beauty or a record heavy with wild successes. Convention is a hindrance. I look to the obscure, the weird, the disenfranchised for daily sustenance. I love passion, prickliness, commitment, awkwardness, individuality. A willingness to fall hard on a big stage or the refusal to walk on to it at all, to not shut up when it’s convenient, to live close to the bone and heart and brain. Dead Writers, mostly, but also artists, photographers, performers, activists, life-livers, non-conformists, survivors. The majority are women but, being a feminist, men are definitely not excluded. It’s a personal list-and very, very long-but inclusive. My magpie tastes couldn’t have it any other way. Continue reading →

The Dead Writers Round-Up: 27th April

Posted on by
4
  • Ralph Waldo Emerson died on 4/27/1882.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Ralph Waldo Emerson

“A chief event of life is the day in which we have encountered a mind that startled us.”

  • Hart Crane died on 4/27/1932.  “One must be drenched in words, literally soaked in them, to have the right ones form themselves into the proper pattern at the right moment.”

Some Book Recommendations for When You are Stuck in a Car for Way Too Long

Posted on by
10

The lovely Elisa of Fun & Fabulousness-she of the impeccable eye-asked if I could recommend some books appropriate to read on a looong car ride. Specifically, five. Five books, so she can choose one for her trip.

Painting by Carl von Steuben

(Painting by Carl von Steuben)

I’m honored; naturally, I said yes! I promptly got to work. It was all downhill from there. What happened? Continue reading →

A Year in Books/Day 112: Louise Bogan A Portrait

Posted on by
2
  • Title: Louise Bogan A Portrait
  • Author: Elizabeth Frank
  • Year Published: 1985 (Alfred A. Knopf)
  • Year Purchased: 2000
  • Source: The Book Harbor, Westerville, Ohio
  • About: Louise Bogan was the fourth Poet Laureate of the United States. That’s probably news to all but the most passionate poetry fans. This needs to change*; although more than a quarter century old, this biography is a fine start for anyone wanting to learn more. This fascinating, meticulous study was my crash course on the life and work of the New England poet. Prior to that, she was merely a name and a footnote to the more famous greats of twentieth century literature. Whatever your approach to the subject-as a fan of poetry, literary or social culture, history, women’s studies-you will find much to admire in the sad yet triumphant voice and life of this too-neglected talent.
  • Motivation: At the time I bought this book, I was just beginning to write about one of my now-favourite subjects: female wordsmiths of the first half of the last century.
  • Times Read: 1
  • Random Excerpt/Page 5: “In 1884, when May was only nineteen, a son, Charles Joseph, was born. The years between his birth and Louise’s are a blank, except that in between there was a second boy, named Edward, born nobody knows what year, who died at the age of four or five months.”
  • Happiness Scale: 10
    Louise Bogan (1897–1970), US-american Poet

    Louise Bogan (1897–1970), US-american Poet (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

    *Nameberry.com recently listed their choices for the best poet-based names for 2012 babies. First on the list? Bogan.

The Dead Writers Round-Up: 22nd-24th April

Posted on by
Reply
  • Ellen Glasgow was born on 4/22/1873. Glasgow won the Pulitzer Prize in 1942 for In This Our Life. Bette Davis and Olivia de Havilland starred in the film version.
  • Vladimir Nabokov was born on 4/22/1899. “A masterpiece of fiction is an original world and as such is not likely to fit the world of the reader.”
  • William Shakespeare died on 4/23/1616. “He does it with better grace, but I do it more natural.”
  • William Wordsworth died on 4/23/1850. “To begin, begin.”
  • Anthony Trollope was born on 4/24/1815. “I have no ambition to surprise my reader. Castles with unknown passages are not compatible with my homely muse.”
  • Willa Cather died on 4/24/1947. “Every artist makes himself born. It is very much harder than the other time, and longer.”

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

All images are in the public domain and are courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

 

My Love of All That is Bizarre

Posted on by
7

“I know, my dear Watson, that you share my love of all that is bizarre and outside the conventions and humdrum routine of everyday life.”-Sherlock Holmes, The Red-Headed League (by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle).

Sherlock

Sherlock

Yes, I know that Sherlock is a surname here. That doesn’t stop me from giggling every time I walk by this grave at my favourite hiking spot. I’m such a hopeless LitGeek.

The Dead Writers Round-Up: 19th-21st April

Posted on by
Reply
  • Lord Byron died on 4/19/1824. “A celebrity is one who is known to many persons he is glad he doesn’t know.”
  • Bram Stoker died on 4/20/1912. “I shall cut off her head and fill her mouth with garlic, and I shall drive a stake through her body.”-Dracula, Chapter 15.
  • Charlotte Bronte was born on 4/21/1816. Charlotte, dying just short of her 39th birthday, outlived all five of her siblings.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

All images are in the public domain and are courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

 

Shopping for the Bookworm: Edgar Allan Poe Edition

Posted on by
6

The Raven, a thriller starring John Cusack as Edgar Allan Poe, arrives in theatres later this month. In anticipation, I’ve collected the best and weirdest Poe-themed goodies from Etsy. Enjoy!

Edgar Allan Poe-Handpainted Wooden Kokeshi Doll by Licoricewits

Edgar Allan Poe-Handpainted Wooden Kokeshi Doll by Licoricewits. $17.00.

I have no idea what I would do with him but he is adorable!

Edgar Allan Poe Painting-1-inch Scale Dollhouse Miniature by Particularly Unusual

Edgar Allan Poe Painting-1-inch Scale Dollhouse Miniature by Particularly Unusual. $7.00.

I do not own a dollhouse but I want this anyway. Is that creepy?

Scrabble Tile Pendant-The Works of Edgar Allan Poe by Missing Pieces Studio

Scrabble Tile Pendant-The Works of Edgar Allan Poe by Missing Pieces Studio. $6.95.

What a quirky, bookish piece of jewelry!

Edgar Allan Poe Pillow by Old Village Hall

Edgar Allan Poe Pillow by Old Village Hall. $60.00.

Your guests will think twice before settling on your couch.

Zombie Edgar Allan Poe Poster Print by Erika Jane

Zombie Edgar Allan Poe Poster Print by Erika Jane. $10.00.

What an inspired combination!

Tales of Mystery and Imagination Book Purse by Novel Creations

Tales of Mystery and Imagination Book Purse by Novel Creations. $47.00.

A new way to carry your favourite book with you.

Edgar Allan Poe-Pop Art Spray Paint Canvas by Mr Slappy

Edgar Allan Poe-Pop Art Spray Paint Canvas by Mr Slappy. $30.00.

You can call me morbid, but I really want this for my studio.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Words Mean Things

Posted on by
8

DISCLAIMER: This rant is not directed at our wonderful followers or their lovely blogs. We love you!

Words mean things. Although the English language is highly malleable-giving us an exceptional amount of leeway in how we use it-there are still basic rules to follow, if you enjoy being taken seriously and don’t want to look like a twit. In my fight against imprecision in language, I’ve adopted the term “words mean things”. It’s short, easy to remember and to the point. I’m not ashamed to shout it at myself whenever I feel my writing is too mealy-mouthed.

*

I’m in the habit of reading blog posts on my smart phone while still in bed. Call it what you will, but I like to think of it as laziness. Continue reading →