A St. Louis, Missouri, native, Chopin moved to Louisiana when she married at the age of 20. After her husband passed away, she returned to St. Louis and began her professional writing career. Now considered a forerunner of 20th-century feminist authors, Chopin gained attention with her many short stories featuring Creole tales and New Orleans culture but virtually stopped publishing after her novel The Awakening was heavily criticized on what grounds? Discuss
Month: February 2024
hit (something) out of the (ball)park
To do or perform something extraordinarily well; to produce or earn an exceptional achievement. An allusion to hitting a home run in baseball that lands outside the stadium. Watch the video
parhelion
Definition: (noun) A bright spot sometimes appearing on either side of the sun, often on a luminous ring or halo.
Synonyms: sundog, mock sun.
Usage: At first, Sue thought the bright spot in the sky beside the sun was a comet, but she soon realized that the phenomenon was actually a parhelion.
Discuss
The Cripple Creek Miners' Strike (1894)
In 1891, gold was discovered on a cattle ranch in Cripple Creek, Colorado, creating one of the richest camps of a major gold-producing area. Two years later, the Western Federation of Miners (WFM) was established by the merger of several local miners’ unions in the Rocky Mountain states. In 1894, the WFM led a five-month strike in Cripple Creek, resulting in a victory for the miners. The strike began when mine owners attempted to lengthen the work day—with no increase in pay—to how many hours? Discuss
Charles Dickens (1812)
When Dickens was a boy, his father was placed in debtors’ prison. As a result, he was withdrawn from school and forced to work in a factory—an experience that deeply influenced his future writings. Now regarded as one of the world’s most popular, prolific, and skilled novelists, Dickens began his literary career as a reporter, developing an encyclopedic knowledge of London and the ability to vividly describe people and everyday life. Under what pen name did Dickens initially publish his work? Discuss
be like herding cats
To be very unwieldy or unmanageable; to be nearly impossible to organize. Usually said of a group of people. Watch the video
Lydia Fairchild and Her Hidden Twin
When DNA tests showed that Lydia Fairchild was not biologically related to her children, she was prosecuted for fraud and faced the possibility of having them removed from her custody. Throughout her trial, Fairchild maintained that she had conceived and given birth to all 3 children. Further testing led to shocking results: Fairchild had two sets of DNA, one carried in her skin and the other in her internal organs. She was, indeed, her children’s mother. What is the name of this rare condition? Discuss
sassaby
Definition: (noun) A large South African antelope; considered the swiftest hoofed mammal.
Synonyms: Damaliscus lunatus, topi.
Usage: Our jeep sped across the terrain, but we still could not keep up with the sassaby.
Discuss
The Munich Air Disaster (1958)
In 1958, a British European Airways airliner carrying the Manchester United soccer team along with a number of staff members, supporters, and journalists crashed on its third attempt to take off from a slush-covered runway at Germany’s Munich-Riem airport. Twenty-three of the 44 passengers on board died in the disaster. There was speculation that the club would have to fold, but the threadbare team completed the season, and a rebuilt Manchester United won the European cup in what year? Discuss
Eva Braun (1912)
Braun, a saleswoman in the shop of Adolf Hitler’s photographer, became Hitler’s mistress in the 1930s. Although she lived in homes provided by Hitler throughout their courtship—first in a house in Munich and later in his Berchtesgaden chalet—he never allowed her to be seen in public with him. In 1945, with the Allies drawing ever closer, she joined him in Berlin against his orders. In recognition of her loyalty, he married her in a civil ceremony in their bunker. What happened the next day? Discuss