April 23 – Today is the day Shakespeare died in 1616, (he may have also been born on this day – he was baptized on April 26, 1564) so let’s begin with the recent research into Shakespeare’s exact location in London: https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2019/apr/13/shakespeare-plays-possibly-inspired-by-london-neighbours
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April 23 is also World Book & Copyright Day
“23 April is a symbolic date in world literature. It is the date on which several prominent authors, William Shakespeare, Miguel Cervantes and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega all died. This date was a natural choice for UNESCO’s General Conference, held in Paris in 1995, to pay a worldwide tribute to books and authors on this date, encouraging everyone to access books – most beautiful invention for sharing ideas beyond the boundaries of humanity space and time as well as the most powerful forces of poverty eradication and peace building.”
https://www.worldbookday.com/2019/04/world-book-copyright-day-23-april-2019
Celebrate by visiting your local bookstore!
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Charlotte Bronte’s hair has been found in a ring on Antiques Road Show: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/apr/17/charlotte-bronte-hair-ring-antiques-roadshow-bronte-society-braid-1855
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This is a look back at how the Cathedral of Notre-Dame has been portrayed in art through the ages: https://publicdomainreview.org/collections/the-notre-dame-cathedral-in-art-1460-1921/
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British Book Illustration – Folger
Quite the collection of British Book Illustration at the Folger – see here for all the searchable images: https://luna.folger.edu/luna/servlet/FOLGER~2~2
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A few things to add to your already overburdened reading list: Twelve of the most important books for women in philosophy – a reading list of books that explore recent feminist philosophy and women philosophers: https://blog.oup.com/2019/04/12-most-important-books-women-philosophy/?utm_source=feedblitz&utm_medium=FeedBlitzRss&utm_campaign=oupblog
Sophie de Grouchy. Letters on Sympathy: A Critical Engagement with Adam Smith’s The Theory of Moral Sentiments.
Published in 1798 in French, now here translated.
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In case you are in need of some new reading material, the whole of the 2 volumes of the Mueller Report are available for free online (you DON’T need to buy it from Amazon): Notice all the redacted data…. https://www.justice.gov/storage/report.pdf
or here: https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/5955379-Redacted-Mueller-Report.html#document/
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Apparently Pride & Prejudice made this art mural bookcase in Utrecht – can you find it?? http://www.openculture.com/2019/04/street-art-for-book-lovers.html
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Are you a Hoarding Bibliophile who doesn’t want to declutter your bookshelves via the Marie Kondo directive?? Here are a few people who just cannot let go: (and I am happy to find some soulmates!) https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/marie-kondo-bibliophiles-books-decluttering-tidying-a8864926.html
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UCLA will be hosting a Marathon Reading of Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale on May 9-10 – for a full 24 hours – read about it here on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exDvztcgJpo&app=desktop
And here on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/233607600848307/
Octavia Butler’s “Earthseed Series” will also be part of the reading.
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Into Absolut Vodka? You can bid on the various artist-rendered lithographs here: live bidding starts today!
https://www.liveauctioneers.com/catalog/139611_absolut-vodka-lithographs/
George Rodrigue’s “Absolut Statehood Louisiana” – bidding is already at $1800…
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The Modern Library is launching a new trade paperback book series, Modern Library Torchbearers, that will “honor a more inclusive vision of classic books” by “recognizing women who wrote on their own terms, with boldness, creativity, and a spirit of resistance.” The books, all previously published, will be repackaged, and each will be introduced by a contemporary woman writer. The inaugural list for the series features:
- American Indian Stories by Zitkála-Sá, with an introduction by Layli Long Soldier (May 21)
- The Heads of Cerberus by Francis Stevens, with an introduction by Naomi Alderman (May 21)
- Passing by Nella Larsen, with an introduction by Kaitlyn Greenidge (May 21)
- The Awakening by Kate Chopin, with an introduction by Carmen Maria Machado (June 18)
- Lady Audley’s Secret by Mary Elizabeth Braddon, with an introduction by Flynn Berry (June 18)
- Villette by Charlotte Brontë, with an introduction by Weike Wang (June 18)
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I can honestly say that the only thing I really have a fancy for that one might call over-the-top decorative arts are the stunning Faberge eggs – I’ve seen them in museums over the years and two years ago at the best place of all at The Hermitage – so here in celebration of Easter is a nicely done history from Barnaby’s: https://www.barnebys.com/blog/in-celebration-of-easter-we-look-back-on-the-history/
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Historic Ashburn School
And finally, more for your book pile: here is a great story about a judge and her “punishments” for young offenders and the reading list she gave them all to choose from – everybody should read all these books – the world would improve immensely…https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2019/04/this-is-what-happened-when-a-us-judge-sentenced-teenage-vandals-to-read-books
Happy internet surfing all!
what have been your favorites this past week?
c2019 Jane Austen in Vermont
Jane Austen in Vermont 