Esther's Classic Literature Blog May 2005 Archive

Walt Whitman was born on May 31, 1819 in Long Island, New York. His father was a Quaker carpenter. He started out as a printer's apprentice, and he later became ... Read More

According to an article by The Guardian, a Jane Austen letter from Friday, January 29, 1813 has just gone on display. In this article, Maev Kennedy explains, "The letter has ... Read More

On May 29, 1906, Terence Hanbury White was born in Bombay, India. He became well-known as the author of "The Once and Future King"--a series that retells/reinterprets Thomas Malory's "Morte ... Read More

This Memorial Day weekend, we remember the men and women who have fought (and continue to struggle) in wars, battles, and conflicts. Here are a few resources related to war ... Read More

According to The Guardian, Poet Keith Douglas is now being brought to life in a new play by Owen Sheers, entitled "Unicorns, Almost." The works of Keith Douglas have largely ... Read More

Ian Fleming was born on May 28, 1908. He became a journalist, secret service agent, and writer. His most famous creation is James Bond, also known as 007. Ian Fleming ... Read More

From the first hand-written manuscripts, through the invention of the printing press, following the history of books is an educational and enlightening journey. Read more about how the book has ... Read More

Dracula has come to represent the classic vamipre--in horror and gore. He has appeared in movies, on television--with adaptations galore. But where did he come from? Dracula appeared on the ... Read More

The name of Ralph Waldo Emerson is one of the most well-known in American literature. He was born on May 25, 1803. Read more about Ralph Waldo Emerson: Days - Ralph ... Read More

The official start of summer isn't quite here yet, but it's never too early to start compiling your reading list for the upcoming months! What authors are you interested in? ... Read More

According to the Library Journal, we aren't buying as many books as we used to. The article cites a survey released by the Book Industry Study Group (BISG), which indicates ... Read More

"To Kill a Mockingbird" was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for fiction, and then the film based on the novel won numerous awards including a number of Golden Globe awards, ... Read More

Just as the Penguin Group gears up for its 70th-year celebration, charges of "ignorance" in regards to the chosen titles for the Pocket Penguin volumes have begun to suface, according ... Read More

Alexander Pope (1688-1744) was one of the greatest poets of the Enlightenment. He is perhaps most famous for "An Essay on Criticism," which appeared in 1711. In that famous poem, ... Read More

In an article for The Guardian, Dan Glaister writes about a Jack Kerouac play that was recently rediscovered. As Gerald Nicosia explained to Glaister, "Kerouac wrote the play in one ... Read More

With the Hay Festival just days away (May 27-June 5, 2005, Michelle Pauli explores "the vibrant literary scene" for The Guardian. Largely "dominated by big names of English and international ... Read More

Mark Twain became famous with his "Jim Smiley and His Jumping Frog," which was first published in 1865. This little story also was an important part of his first book. ... Read More

Yep, I'm another year older today. But, what about birthdays in literature? What is it they say: "When a man has a birthday he takes a day off, but when ... Read More

On May 17, 1164, Heloise was buried next to Abelard. Heloise became a nun and was an abbess for 30 years; but the love affair between Abelard and Heloise was ... Read More

If you were to become a famous literary author, what would you want your biographer to say about you? Would you want them to uncover all the skeletons in your ... Read More

According to an article, posted in the Montana Standard, "Trying to understand American literature and history without some knowledge of the Bible is like trying to make sense of the ... Read More

In an article for The Guardian, Nicholas Lezard reviews a new translation of Goethe's selected poetry. As Lezard says of Goethe: "He is the German Shakespeare, Dante and Pushkin rolled ... Read More

In an article for The Guardian, Lucasta Miller explores the history of the London Library, finding that it is "a place of literary archaeology where unexpected traces of the past ... Read More

Leprechaun Day is celebrated on May 13. Leprechauns are famous for their hidden pots of gold and for their trickster-like antics. Catch a Leprechaun, or at least read about ... Read More

When Hermann Hesse wrote "Demian," he was still undergoing trauma. It was 1917. The United States declared war on Germany that year, though the Great War had already been going ... Read More

On May 12, 1883, "Life on the Mississippi" was first published. The wit and wisdom of Mark Twain shines through in this collection of tall tales, historical facts, anecdotes, and ... Read More

In "A Reading Diary," Alberto Manguel writes about what he's reading, as he makes connections with world events, with books he's read in the past, and books on his list ... Read More

Maev Kennedy writes for The Guardian, "Murder, mutilation, psychological torture, child abuse, starvation, abandonment ... if Hans Christian Andersen had turned his ideas into films instead of fairy stories, no ... Read More

Today--on May 9--we celebrate the birthday of Peter Pan's creator. James Matthew Barrie was a journalist, playwright, and children's book writer. In "Peter Pan," Barrie writes: "When the first baby ... Read More

From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" to "Jane Eyre," "The Red Badge of Courage," and "The Member of the Wedding," coming-of-age novels have been popular and unforgettable. Read more: Coming ... Read More

May 8 is the day set aside to commemorate the end of World War II in Europe. World War II began in 1937, and it didn't end until 1945. Writers ... Read More

In "Little Women," Marmee offers moral guidance and unconditional love to her girls: Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy. Read more about Marmee and her "little women" in Louisa May Alcott's ... Read More

Robert Browning was born on May 7th, 1812. My Last Duchess is one of his best-loved works, but he also wrote: Andrea del Sarto Fra Lippo Lippi A Grammarian's Funeral Soliliquy of the Spanish ... Read More

In her column for The Washington Post, Anne Applebaum likens Runaway Bride Jennifer Wilbanks to Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre. As she explains, "in her own time, Jane Eyre was no ... Read More

What could troubles mothers in fiction? An event or crisis that might have seemed small evolves until it is no longer possible for her to ignore or forget it. Does ... Read More

Yom Hashoah, or Holocaust Remembrance Day, is the anniversay of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising. This day--May 5--has been set aside to remember the millions of Jews who died. Read more ... Read More

According to BBC News, condolences that were sent to Virginia Woolf's family upon her death are now being published for the first time. Discover the life of an important writer: Profile: ... Read More

To commemorates the victory of the Mexicans over the French in the battle of Puebla in 1862, we're celebrating Cinco de Mayo today--May 5th! Read more about Mexican literature: Juana Inés ... Read More

On May 4, 1894, Kate Chopin wrote in her diary, "I know of no one better than Miss Jewett to study for technique and nicety of construction." Read more about ... Read More

It's beginning to look a lot like Mother's Day. We are reminded with flowers, cards, chocolates, and other gifts--all saying "Happy Mother's Day!" But, what does this upcoming day mean ... Read More

It's time to "Get Caught Reading"--for the month of May! Sponsored by the Association of American Publishers, "Get Caught Reading" is a literacy program now in its 7th year, with ... Read More

May Day has always been one of my favorite days of the year. Are you surrounded by flowers, or is it still raining? And, what are you reading on this ... Read More