All of today’s reading are by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, author of the historically wildly inaccurate poem, “Paul Revere’s Ride.” But we won’t hold that against him. (Go to the link if you like American history. More fun stuff.) Daily Readings June 20 Hymn to the Night The Light of Stars Daybreak Seaweed The Village Blacksmith
Today we turned the page on a new week at the Pocket Univ. Guide to Daily Reading. Sitting last winter among my books, and walled around with all the comfort and protection which they and my fireside could afford me– to wit, a table of higher piled books at my back, my writing desk on
Born this day in 1819, Charles Kingsley. Kingsley is the author of The Water-Babies: A Fairy Tale for a Land-Baby, published in 1863, two years before Alice in Wonderland. The Oxford Companion to Children’s Literature (1984, 1995) has an entry on both Kingsley and The Water-Babies. He was made a Canon of Westminster. Surely that
Yesterday’s is today’s and today’s is tomorrow’s. I skipped one. June 9 should have been a reading from Charles Dickens. From Volume XVII Autobiography in the Pocket Univ. Library— The novels of Dickens, David Copperfield in particular, are largely written out of his own sufferings, struggles, and victories. His hardships as a child left a
Hillsdale’s course, Classic Children’s Literature came on line this week. I’m half way through. All perfect scores which is utterly meaningless. I’ve taken a few Hillsdale courses before. Graduate seminars they are not. More like story hour for grownups. Which is not to say I don’t enjoy them, I do. Do I learn stuff? Sure!
Today we turn the page. We ought to regard books as we do sweetmeats, not wholly to aim at the pleasantness, but chiefly to respect the wholesomest; not forbidding either, but approving the latter most. Plutarch (ca. 46-120) “Sweetmeats” is an odd word. It means candy, confections, candied fruit bonbons. From Middle English, swete (sweet)
On this day in 1882, John Drinkwater was born. On this day in the year 1793, Henry Francis Lyte was born. On this day in 1598, Christopher Marlowe was killed in a street brawl. I told you last week there were big things coming up and here you go. Killed in a street brawl. That
Once again, nothing happened today. But wait until you hear what happened one week from today in 1593. You won’t believe it! Daily Reading May 27 Lady Dufferin‘s “Lament of the Irish Emigrant“ Hawthorne’s “Wakefield“ My Canadian friends may find Lady Dufferin rather interesting. Sounds as if she was well liked by you folks up
This is Pt. 4 of the story of Missy’s Epic Novel (so called). Originally published March 2019. Pt. 1: Missy Begins in the Middle; Pt. 2: Missy’s Epic Novel (so called); Pt. 3: “Have I missed something?” “Marica? Do you have a minute?” Missy asked as she closed the lid to her laptop. “Of course,
Originally posted January, 2019. This is part three in the story of Missy’s Epic Novel. Pt. 1: Missy begins in the Middle; Pt. 2: Missy’s Epic Novel (so called) “Marica?” Missy got up from her desk, laid down her reading glasses, stretched, and asked, “Do you have a minute?” “Sure, Missy! What’s on your mind
Nothing happened today. Or did it? From today’s “American History Parade” in The American Patriot’s Almanac (2008)… 1792: The New York Stock Exchange is founded by 24 brokers under a buttonwood drive on what is now Wall Street 1875: Arisrides, ridden by Oliver Lewis, wins the first Kentucky Derby 1877: Alexander Graham Bell answers the
I always took delight in learning, teaching, and writing. I love little adventures such as this. Follow along… . Fellow blogger– and friend– Andy has been doing a lot of reading and so, naturally I made some recommendations, including Bede. But I mispelled Bede as “Bebe (sp?)”. I suspect my brain was thinking of Bebe
Today in the year 1860, J.M. Barrie was born. O.M.G.!! Talk about Classic Children’s Literature! Sir James Matthew Barrie, 1st Baronet, was a Scottish novelist and playwright, best remembered as the creator of Peter Pan. That infallible source This deserves a crappy old book. Hang on. The Oxford Companion to Children’s Literature (1984, 1995). What
This just popped up in my inbox. There are no words to convey how exciting this is. On June 2, Hillsdale College will launch its latest free online course, “Classic Children’s Literature.” We’re working hard to complete this course very soon. Families who are stuck at home, or suddenly homeschooling will enjoy this free new resource
Today we turned the page. Knowing I loved my books, he furnished me, from my own library, with volumes that I prized above my dukedom. William Shakespeare On this day in the year 1564, William Shakespeare was born (at least according to The Pocket University). On this day in the year 1616, William Shakespeare died.
Another Shakespeare Day on The Farm repost coming up shortly but I wanted to set the scene and draw attention to the supporting cast first. The Stage was the occasion of the 400th year since Shakespeare’s death– 2016– and the nation-wide, traveling exhibition of several first folios. Here in Mississippi a first folio was at
Once again, nothing of note happened on this date in the past. Once again, I shall consult Anniversaries and Holidays (2nd ed., 1944). Born this day in 1583, “Hugo Grotius, Dutch jurist, statesman, and humanist; father of international law, and author of the great work, De juri belli et pacis (The law of war and
Born this day in 1834, Frank R. Stockton. Frank Richard Stockton (April 5, 1834 – April 20, 1902) was an American writer and humorist, best known today for a series of innovative children’s fairy tales that were widely popular during the last decades of the 19th century. That Infallible Source That is my table of crappy
Let’s just power through a few days all at once. I’ll not do too much research on any one. 3/31 Andrew Marvell (born 1621), John Donne (died 1631). I cannot remember what took me away from this, and it’s a danged shame I didn’t get back to it. Of course I know what happened! It
GDR 3/27/20 Thackeray’s “Thorns in the Cushion, Pt. 1“ I got sort of bogged down in that, so I thumbed through some of the “Sketches” in Selected Works of William Makepeace Thackeray Including The History of Henry Esmond, Esq., The Four Georges, London Travels and Sketches (The Book League of America, New York. 1942). Several
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