Category: Literature
THE WORLD’S MOST MYSTERIOUS MANUSCRIPT
| February 11, 2011 | Filed under Art, Design, History, Literature, Plants / Gardening |
Have you ever heard of the Voynich Manuscript? It’s named after the man who acquired it in 1912, but has a cryptic past. Carbon dating places this document in the early 15th century, but the text is indecipherable, and the illustrations are also quite mysterious. It seems to be divided into six sections: Herbal, Astronomical, Biological, Cosmological, Pharmaceutical, and Recipes (I am so tempted to type Reciputical). Many theories abound, but no one can agree on where this manuscript came from, who wrote it, or what its purpose was. The plants seem to be of an unknown origin. Is it written in a code? Was it a hoax? Is it indeed the natural language of a people forgotten? What rituals and traditions are described therein? I invite you to take a look at some pages:
For more details, click the title of this post.
Life According to Literature: 2010
| December 14, 2010 | Filed under Literature |
Inspired by Hibernian Homme, who was thusly inspired by Stuck in a Book, I bring you a summation of my past year’s literary endeavors. Here’s the premise: answer the following questions using titles of books you have read during 2010. I’ll admit now, some of these I did not read this year, but recommended them to Nathaniel and therefore read them vicariously through him…these are marked by an asterisk.
Describe yourself: Marie Antoinette (Antonia Fraser)
How do you feel: The Rough Guide (Multiple authors)
Describe where you currently live: Lonely Planet (Multiple authors)
If you could go anywhere, where would you go: Versailles Gardens (Béatrix Saule)
Your favorite form of transportation: The Road from Versailles (Munro Price)
Your best friend is: Madame de Pompadour (Nancy Mitford)
You and your friends are: Queen of Fashion (Caroline Weber)
What’s the weather like: Iron & Silk (Mark Salzman)
You fear: The Orchid Thief (Susan Orlean) *
What is the best advice you have to give: Let’s Go! (Multiple authors)
Thought for the day: Shop Class as Soulcraft (Matthew Crawford)
How I would like to die: The Pursuit of Love (Nancy Mitford)
My soul’s present condition: True Grit (Charles Portis) *
Thanks Dan, that was fun!
RIP SARAMAGO
| June 18, 2010 | Filed under Literature |
Farewell to Jose Saramago, beloved author. Saramago didn’t become an author until his fifties (with the exception of one novel published in his twenties) – which reminds me that it’s never too late to start my dream job! If you haven’t read his All the Names then head yourself to your local library to check it out.
LANGUAGE
| July 30, 2008 | Filed under Literature |
According to one website, “the first 25 [most frequently used words] make up about one-third of all printed material in English. The first 100 make up about one-half of all written material, and the first 300 make up about sixty-five percent of all written material in English.”
I wonder what we talk about all day.
