Fun Facts Friday: Robinson Jeffers
Fun Facts Friday , Latest Posts / January 10, 2014

Robinson Jeffers (January 10, 1887 – January 20, 1962) was a poet from California who is considered today an icon of the environmental movement. Jeffers’ was born in Allegheny, PA which is now a part of Pittsburgh. He began to learn Greek at the age of 5. His father, an Old Testament Literature and Biblical History professor at Western Theology Seminary, sent him to study in European schools including at Zurich, Leipzig and Geneva. Most of Jeffers’ poems were written in epic or narrative form. While going to graduate school at the University of Southern California he met his future wife, Una Call Kuster, in a class on Faust. Jeffers’ was admitted to medical school. After his marriage, Jeffers’ moved to Carmel, CA. Jeffers’ didn’t like what has become of the world and how self centered human beings were. Jeffers coined the word inhumanism, the belief that mankind is too self-centered and too indifferent to the “astonishing beauty of things.” During the 1930s and 40s Jeffers’ patriotism was called into question due to references to current events and leading figures. Jeffers’ poems have been translated to many languages but they are most popular in the Czech Republic and Japan. Zohar…

Fun Facts Friday: Ross MacDonald
Fun Facts Friday , Latest Posts / December 13, 2013

Ross MacDonald (13 December, 1915 – 11 July, 1983) is an American-Canadian writer which specializes in crime fiction. Most notably Mr. Macdonald is remembered for his hardboiled novels featuring PI Lew Archer. Books by Ross MacDonald Ross MacDonald is a pseudonym, the author’s real name is Kenneth Millar. Macdonald is considered to be on par with Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler for his hardboiled detective novels. The young Millar lived with many Canadian relatives during his most formidable years. This was due to the separation and health of his parents. In his writings, Millar stated he lived in 50 rooms by the time he was 16. A recurring theme in the author’s novels is an absent parent. Millar earned a Ph.D. in literature from the University of Michigan. In 1938 Millar toured Europe and visited Nazi Germany. The person that inspired Millar to start writing was award winner mystery and suspense author Margaret Millar – his wife! During World War II, Millar served in the US Navy as a communications officer in the Pacific aboard an escort carrier. Millar had sever pen names, first it was John Macdonald, then John Ross and finally Ross Macdonald (John D. MacDonald was another…

Fun Facts Friday: Osbert Sitwell
Fun Facts Friday , Latest Posts / December 6, 2013

Osbert Sitwell (6 December, 1892 – 4 May, 1969) was an English writer who devoted his life to art and literature. Books by Osbert Sitwell Sitwell was an English aristocrat, his full title was: Sir Francis Osbert Sacheverell Sitwell, 5th Baronet. Sitwell comes from a very famous family, his ancestors owned lands in England since the 14rh Century (the name was spelled Cytewelle) and in the 17th Century became one of the world’s finest manufacturers of nails. In his biography, Osbert Sitwell promptly ignored his family’s manufacturing history. Sitwell served in the English Army during World War I. It was in the trenches of France where he wrote his first poem. Babel was published 11 May, 1916 by The Times. Sitwell achieved the rank of Captain before he left the Army. Together with his brother, Sitwell sponsored an exhibition of works by Matisse, Utrillo, Picasso and Modigliani. Osbert Sitwell’s autobiography comprised of 5 volumes. Sitwell didn’t get along with his father and portrayed him (perhaps humorously) as a grotesque comic figure. However, those who have met the elder Sitwell insist that Osbert was too generous with his descriptions. Stillwell suffered from Parkinson’s which made him stop writing due to pain…

Fun Facts Friday: George Eliot
Fun Facts Friday , Latest Posts / November 22, 2013

George Eliot was the pseudonym of Mary Ann, or Marian, Cross, née Evans (22 November , 1819 .— 22 December, 1880) who was a English Victorian novelist which developed the method of psychological analysis characteristic of modern fiction.

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