Considered one of the most brilliant and original writers in American literature, Poe was a poet, short-story writer, and critic whose skillfully wrought tales and poems convey with passionate intensity the mysterious, dreamlike, and often macabre forces that pervaded his sensibility. He also pioneered the detective fiction genre with stories such as “The Murders in the Rue Morgue” and “The Purloined Letter.” What mysterious, six-decade-old tradition at Poe’s Baltimore grave was broken in 2010? Discuss
Month: January 2024
hustle (one's) bustle
To increase one’s pace or sense of urgency; to hurry up; to get moving quickly. Watch the video
László Moholy-Nagy
Moholy-Nagy was a Hungarian painter, photographer, and designer. His experiments with photograms and kinetic “light space modulators” reflect the way in which his art was influenced by constructivism, an abstractionist movement characterized by the use of industrial materials to create nonrepresentational, often geometric objects. One of his greatest contributions to modern art was his teaching, which deeply influenced American commercial and industrial design. Where did he teach in the 1920s? Discuss
profuse
Dr. William Price Introduces Cremation to the UK (1884)
Price was a Welsh physician, Druid, and famous eccentric best known for introducing cremation to the UK. Eight days after the death of his five-month-old son, Jesus Christ Price, Price attempted to burn the body in accordance with his Druid beliefs. After lighting the pyre, he was arrested, but he successfully defended himself in court, resulting in a decision that set a precedent leading to the permanent legalization of cremation in the UK. What were some of his other eccentric activities? Discuss
Alan Alexander Milne (1882)
Milne was an English author who began his literary career as a journalist before publishing collections of verses for children, including When We Were Very Young and Now We Are Six. He is, however, best remembered for Winnie-the-Pooh and The House at Pooh Corner. Now classics beloved by adults as well as children, his books established the characters Christopher Robin and his toy animal friends, including Pooh Bear, Piglet, and Eeyore. On whom was Christopher based? Discuss
hurler on the ditch
A person who offers unsolicited criticism or advice about something in which he or she is not an active participant. Taken from the sport of hurling, a player of which is a hurler. Primarily heard in Ireland. Watch the video
Rubik's Cube: The World's Best-Selling Toy
Invented in 1974 by Hungarian sculptor and professor Erno Rubik, the Rubik’s Cube is now said to be the world’s best-selling toy. More than 300 million of these colorful, square puzzles have been sold worldwide. The standard Rubik’s Cube has 54 square faces—nine on each side—covered by stickers in six solid colors. When the puzzle is solved, each side of the cube is a single solid color. What is the current world record for solving a Rubik’s Cube? Discuss
vagrant
Captain James Cook Crosses Antarctic Circle (1773)
An explorer, navigator, and map maker, Cook sailed the Pacific Ocean between 1768 and 1779 and, with the help of new timekeeping instruments, drew the first accurate navigational maps of the area. He became the one of the first people to cross the Antarctic Circle as well as the first European to land on the Hawaiian islands, where he may have been identified by native Hawaiians as the representation of their god Lono. How did this misunderstanding contribute to his death? Discuss