I admit straightaway that I had never heard of this before and only bought because a) it looked lovely (I have a weakness for slipcases) and b) a quick google search revealed it to be late Victorian humor. It was fun. Not laugh-out-loud funny, not a moving plot, not towering characters. But fun.
It's fine, everyone. I can just sleep with the lights on for the rest of my life. No big deal.
(That being said, I've been excited to read this ever since seeing the AMAZING play that's based on it in London)
I've had a slow, sluggish drag through some non-fiction lately and I just wanted something else. "Broken Wheel" has been on my TBR for a while and so far it's just what I needed.
If you were a painter in the 17th century, what would have been the best way to ensure your face is remembered? If you're Vermeer, Rembrandt, or Dürer (especially Dürer!), you paint yourself into every work someone asks you do! Check it out at the link below or over at bookwormhistory.com! Much information was taken from this Dürer bio as well as "Vermeer" by Karl Schütz.
https://youtu.be/hmgj8pcgcP0
#Vermeer #Durer #Rembrandt #Botticelli
What is the easiest way to tie together a 3rd century BC Greek historian, a 16th century Italian iconographer, a 17th century Dutch revolt, a 19th century Austrian count, and a 20th century German dictator?
Would you believe it's a painting by one of the world's greatest artists?
https://youtu.be/iBSyDAJN2Ao
I've really been enjoying this so far. Laid out as a "design your own historical walking tour" of Manhattan, it contains some fascinating stories, some well-known and some obscure. In a lot of cases I wish they had included more detail, but that would take the fun out of doing my own research!
Just finished up a new episode all about the various portraits and pictures supposedly of William Shakespeare! What did the Bard of Stratford-on-Avon actually look like (probably not like the guy in this picture)?
Check it out! https://youtu.be/UJImY5x1I3w
Completely ignoring the facts that I bought it for research and that it contains the original account of Swedish explorer S.A. Andrée's fascinating and tragic attempt to reach the North Pole by hot air balloon, I LOVE THIS BOOK!!! It's an old library copy, copiously illustrated, and has maps!
Loving this wonderful work about a fascinating, often overlooked piece of literary history!
I love this book. I love it in a sad, peaceful way that's difficult to describe. I first picked it up after reading a @bookriot piece about books for people who love "Batman" (they were right!) and have read it twice since. The perfect book for settling into melancholy with a smile and a sigh.
Stumbled upon this gem of a book while doing research for a pair of articles on the celestial mural at Grand Central Terminal. Wonderful book on a fascinating topic!
Just posted a new article! "The Secret History of Grand Central Terminal's Celestial Ceiling"! Check it out! Http://wp.me/p5XdTw-b2
"Hello, sexy"
Wasn't able to get any pictures, but as research for an upcoming piece I was able to page through a first edition "Uranometria" (1603) this afternoon! Arguably the first truly artistic star atlas, "Uranometria" ("Measuring the Sky") served as the basis for the mural on the ceiling of Grand Central.
Researching a long-lost constellation for a new piece means it's time to break out this oldie but goodie! (the book, not the octant)
Really enjoying this bio so far. Surprised and pleased to learn exactly how (deservingly) cheeky he was! Not always content to merely sign his works, he painted himself into no less than FOUR major commissions! (Left: "Feast of the Rose Garlands". Right: "The Martyrdom of the Ten Thousand")
Just finished a new episode on the history behind Samuel Taylor Coleridge's wonderful fragment "Kubla Khan"! I adore Coleridge ("Ancient Mariner" is my favorite poem of all time!) and was really pleased with how this came out. Check it out! https://youtu.be/5ZD4QL8o-q8
#WhoIsThePersonFromPorlock
Question: how do you make your day more weird/creepy/wild/scary/awesome in one word?
Answer: Hellblazer!
Really pumped to start this collection, I've been wanting to dig into it for a long time!
Been doing more writing lately, which means it's time for another run through "the little book"!
What kind of silly nerd would buy every single-issue and then also get the hardcover collection?! That's just daft!
Hmm? What's that?
That was me?
Oh. Well then.
#Fantastic!
My evening has come to this: feet up, glasses off, a pair of worn-out jeans, and a book about my favorite architecture firm. It's a rough life!
Oh, and also there's tea. Always tea.
New episode up at https://youtu.be/2setN7LACSU! In which I discuss printing history, woodcuts, and mispronounce many names!
"Except for an allowance of fifty guilders for paper spoilage there was no consideration of contingencies such as author's alterations or interruptions due to plague."
Ahh, the life of a printer in the 15th century...
About to start two weeks of training and hard study tomorrow, so what's the best way to prepare? A new book tonight, obviously! Been meaning to pick this up for a while, looking forward to it!
OH DEAR GOD WHAT HAPPENED TO MY BOOK?! This keeps getting weirder and weirder but I love it!
Everybody reads weird, deeply unsettling stuff right before they go to sleep, right? Right?!
What happens when I start working on a new episode...
Last year's big reading project was the Sherlock Holmes canon. This year's is "The Civil War" series by Shelby Foote. They're amazing, just as wonderful as advertised!
