Good day, readers. Today is June 8th, the 160th day of the year 2024, with 206 days remaining.
Adventure is not outside man; it is within.
George Eliot
Today in Literary History:
On this day in 1867, Frank Lloyd Wright, an American architect who significantly influenced the architectural text and discourse of the 20th century, was born. Though primarily known for his architectural designs, Wright also penned several influential texts, marrying the art of building with philosophical musings on space, form, and humanity’s relationship with its environments.
Notable Birthdays:
Sara Paretsky, born on June 8, 1947, is an American author of detective fiction, best known for her novels focusing on the female private investigator V.I. Warshawski. Paretsky’s works are celebrated for their gritty plots and for pioneering a strong female lead in a genre traditionally dominated by male characters.
Today’s Readings:
From The Road by Cormac McCarthy: “You forget what you want to remember, and you remember what you want to forget.”
Literary Fact of the Day:
On June 8th, 1928, the first edition of the Oxford English Dictionary was completed after over 70 years of development, profoundly shaping the study and understanding of the English language. This monumental work has since guided countless writers, educators, and scholars in their exploration of language.
Poem of the Day:
“Bright Star” by John Keats:
Bright star, would I were stedfast as thou art—
Not in lone splendour hung aloft the night
And watching, with eternal lids apart,
Like nature’s patient, sleepless Eremite,
The moving waters at their priestlike task
Of pure ablution round earth’s human shores,
Or gazing on the new soft-fallen mask
Of snow upon the mountains and the moors—
Keats’ sonnet marvels at the eternal stillness of a star, contrasting it with the transitory nature of human life, encapsulating themes of longing and the human desire for permanence in a shifting world.
Advice for Writers:
Inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright’s integrative approach to art and living, consider how your writing can reflect the environments you inhabit or imagine. Think about how setting influences character and plot development in your stories, and how it can be used to reflect deeper themes about society, identity, or nature.
Wishing you a day filled with exploration and discovery, dear readers. Until tomorrow, may your literary pursuits illuminate the landscapes within you and around you.
The Oxford English Dictionary is a regular companion of mine, both for understanding new words and exploring the history familiar ones. W.H. Auden also regularly browsed the OED. A word I stumbled on and have never forgotten is “xenium”, meaning “a gift offered to a stranger”. It’s obscure but I hope it will be more widely used.
Amelia and I are both fans of obscure words! Thank you so much for sharing!