Austrian Psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud was born #OTD in 1856.
He is considered the father of psychoanalysis. Freud's main contributions lie in his theories of the unconscious mind, the mechanisms of repression, and the role of sexuality in human psychology, which he discussed in major works like The Interpretation of Dreams, The Psychopathology of Everyday Life, and Three Essays on the Theory of Sexuality.
"In the development of mankind as a whole, just as in individuals, love alone acts as the civilizing factor in the sense that it brings a change from egoism to altruism."
German polymath, geographer, naturalist, explorer Alexander von Humboldt died #OTD in 1859.
His most significant and famous expedition was to Latin America (1799 to 1804). Accompanied by Aimé Bonpland, he explored vast regions, including the Orinoco River, the Andes, the Amazon River, and even observed the political & social conditions of the Spanish colonies. His journey also included a visit to the United States.
His breakthrough came with the publication of Mother Goose in Prose (1897), which was followed by Father Goose, His Book (1899), a collection that became a bestseller. In 1900, Baum published The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, illustrated by W.W. Denslow. Baum's Oz series eventually spanned fourteen books with Baum introducing new characters and lands in each subsequent volume.
"The imaginative child will become the imaginative man or woman most apt to create, to invent, therefore to foster civilization. A prominent educator tells me that fairy tales are of untold value in developing imagination in the young. I believe it."
I have finished reading Chapterhouse Dune. My fools errand is finished. It’s not good, and of course ends with loose ends.
I think my personal recommendation is reading the first two books. Although just one or even zero are solid choices. Three is alright, except it’s a trap if it makes you curious and want to read more.
I’m tempted to revisit Heinlein who I haven’t read in at least twenty years, but I’m also afraid he’ll be disappointing.
American author of fantasy fiction and belles-lettres James Branch Cabell died #OTD in 1958.
His career took a significant turn with the publication of "Jurgen, A Comedy of Justice" (1919), which is part of a larger series called "The Biography of the Life of Manuel". Although largely overlooked today, James Branch Cabell was highly regarded in his time, with admirers such as H.L. Mencken and Sinclair Lewis.
"And who is Kalki, madame?"
"Nobody as yet: but he will come as a stallion. Meanwhile his Law precedes him, so that I am spending my vacation peacefully in Hell, with none of my ordinary annoyances to bother me."
"And what, madame, can they be?"
"Why, you must understand that it is little rest a vampire gets on earth, with so many fine young fellows like yourself going about everywhere eager to be destroyed."
In all the boxed-book kerfuffel, don’t overlook Ephemeral City’s remarkable cover design by the excellent Julia Favaloro who used the eight stories as the starting point and recurring numerical motif for this restrained and elegant design. #books#design#bookdesign#coverdesign#coverart#books
#OTD in 1927. Virginia Woolf's stream of consciousness novel To the Lighthouse is published by Hogarth Press in London. It is seen as a landmark of high modernism.
Virginia and her husband Leonard published it together at their Hogarth Press in London in 1927. The first impression of 3000 copies of 320 pages measuring 191 by 127 mm was bound in blue cloth.The book outsold all Woolf's previous novels, and the royalties enabled the Woolfs to buy a car.
"Despite all this, renewable electricity generation is expanding. Christophers forensically dissects the economics, showing that 'market forces' have played little or no part in this."
I missed this book when it came out, so excited to finally pick up a copy. Brick Index from Patrick Fry. Yep, that’s right it’s a book of pictures of British bricks, 154 of them, and it’s wonderful
English writer and poet Edith Nesbit died #OTD in 1924.
She published over 60 books for children, including novels, collections of stories, and picture books. Among her most famous works are "The Railway Children," "Five Children and It," and "The Phoenix and the Carpet." Her work is seen as a precursor to the modern children's fantasy literature genre, influencing later writers such as C.S. Lewis and J.K. Rowling.
"The pile beside my bed never shrinks; at the bottom of the stack are books I've been planning to crack open for months. My shelves remain full of lingering aspirations," writes the Walrus's Michelle Cyca. She looks at the problem of unread books, and the difficulty in offloading our libraries. What do you do with your unwanted books?
@CultureDesk@bookstodon
Selling books I don't want to book sites, even if I only get very little for them. Gift them to people I think would like them. Buying more ebooks if I only need the book for work/studies or know I'll only read it once
@CultureDesk@bookstodon New hardbacks that I know I won’t read again I put on eBay. Other ones I give to friends or donate to a local book stall that sells them for charity. I have a cull once a year or so.
"Here and there among men, there are those who pause in the hurried rush to listen to the call of a life that is more real…"
American writer Harold Bell Wright was born #OTD in 1872.
Wright's writing career began in earnest with the publication of "That Printer of Udell's" in 1902. His subsequent novel, "The Shepherd of the Hills" (1907), is perhaps his most famous work.
No Sun and quite cold: the weather decided I should be in an armchair with a blanket, reading. The book is "Poirot: the greatest detective in the world" by Mark Aldridge (check my previous post if you want to see the cover). Two chapters to finishing it.
The #book is protected by a crochet cover I made myself. Wasn't sure, but it works really well. It was quite simple: 21 granny squares sewed together ☺️
English novelist and poet Charlotte Smith was born #OTD in 1749.
Smith's first significant literary success came with the publication of "Elegiac Sonnets" in 1784. In addition to her poetry, Smith wrote several novels: her first novel, "Emmeline, or The Orphan of the Castle" (1788), was followed by others such as "Ethelinde" (1789), "The Old Manor House" (1793), and "Desmond" (1792).
"Ah! hills beloved!—your turf, your flowers, remain;
But can they peace to this sad breast restore,
For one poor moment soothe the sense of pain,
And teach a broken heart to throb no more?"
To the South Downs (Sonnet V). Elegiac Sonnets, 1784.
@Princejvstin@bookstodon Wait, "Last Exit to Babylon" was actually the title of Roadmarks at one point, and not just the sign on the cover?! My friend Chris has always called that book “Last Exit to Babylon”…
American geneticist Nettie Stevens died #OTD in 1912.
In 1905, Stevens published a pivotal paper detailing her observations on the mealworm beetle, Tenebrio molitor. She identified that male mealworms had a pair of unequal-sized chromosomes, while females had two X chromosomes. This discovery supported the theory that sex is determined by specific chromosomes, a significant advancement in the field of genetics.
Ernest Hemingway wins the Pulitzer Prize for The Old Man and the Sea.
The story was initially published in its entirety in the September 1st, 1952 issue of Life magazine. It was later issued as a book by Charles Scribner's Sons.
My review of Conan the Barbarian #10 just went up at Grimdark Magazine. The current arc is fun. but I wouldn't mind moving on from the black stone storyline.
Chatting with a visiting Kiwi author, Rachael King, in the bookshop today, she recognised me - turned out I had chaired her fellow Kiwi scribe at @edbookfest a few years ago, and she remembered me!
It really is a small planet (especially the literary part of it!)....
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