Tolkien fans, rejoice! The Fall of Arthur, the author’s long-awaited unfinished, unpublished epic poem, is finally out, edited by his son Christopher.
Pair with Tolkien’s little-known original sketches for The Hobbit.
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We know that Eleanor Roosevelt was a passionate nonconformist, little-known children’s book author, and writer of controversial love letters – and now, thanks to this short poem from a scrap of paper found in her wallet, we also know she was a foodie.
Celestial Homework – a reading list for Allen Ginsberg’s class “The History of the Beats.”
Complement with Carl Sagan’s reading list, the books Alan Turing checked out of his school library, and David Foster Wallace’s syllabus.
The Cat-Hater’s Handbook – a subversive vintage compendium of playful anti-feline verses by William Faulkner, Mark Twain, Shel Silverstein, and others, illustrated by the great Tomi Ungerer.
I believe in art’s social presence—as breaker of official silences, as voice for those whose voices are disregarded, and as a human birthright. … I don’t think we can separate art from overall human dignity and hope.
Poet Adrienne Rich, born on May 16, 1948, adds to history’s finest definitions of art in the historic letter that made her the only person in history to decline the prestigious National Medal of Arts.
There is no simple formula for the relationship of art to justice. But I do know that art—in my own case the art of poetry—means nothing if it simply decorates the dinner table of power which holds it hostage. The radical disparities of wealth and power in America are widening at a devastating rate. A President cannot meaningfully honor certain token artists while the people at large are so dishonored.
Happy birthday, Adrienne Rich! The 1997 letter with which the beloved poet became the only person to turn down the prestigious National Medal of Arts.
Maya Angelou reads her wonderful children’s poem Life Doesn’t Frighten Me, illustrated by Basquiat.
Life Doesn’t Frighten Me – Maya Angelou’s courageous children’s verses, illustrated by Basquiat, a priceless primer on poetry and contemporary art for little ones, and a timeless reminder of the power of courage in all of us.
An extensive knowledge is needful to thinking people — it takes away the heat and fever; and helps, by widening speculation, to ease the Burden of the Mystery…
NPR and illustrator Francesco Marciuliano highlight I Could Pee On This – a collection of cat-themed poetry culled from the annals of famous literature. Though delightful, the book pales in comparison to the soul-warming Lost Cat: A True Story of Love, Desperation, and GPS Technology.
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Little project of sweet stained glass
To make it was a pain in the ass
On the left are Félicie and Marie
Who wash clothes and complain incessantly.
On the right Buninuls cannot open Legras powder
And Binchdinuls comes for alumsinum
Buninuls helps by knee and arms
Binchdinuls is divided by a gothic column
Everything here to show Binchdinuls what day it is
Not a day goes by without sending a little inscripartus.
Proust’s previously unknown poems, featuring his hand-drawn illustrations.
New visual genius from Austin Kleon’s endlessly wonderful Newspaper Blackout project. Also see Kleon on how to steal like an artist.
