Almost everyone has at least heard of Daniel Defoe, or at the very least, his most famous work: The Life and Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, a Sailor of York. But aside from novels, Defoe also wrote social and political essays. Among these was one that was so critical and poorly received by the authorities […]
Writers
Posted inArt, Culture
Alphonse Allais, the Writer Who Painted White Paintings and Composed Silent Scores Long Before Conceptual Art
Alphonse Allais is a name that perhaps not everyone immediately recognizes, but his influence in art, literature, and humor is undeniable. This French journalist, writer, and humorist from the Belle Époque left an indelible mark thanks to his unmistakable style, full of irony and absurdity. Born on October 20, 1854, in Honfleur, Normandy, Allais is […]
Posted inCulture, Modern Era
Hamnet, Shakespeare’s Son Whose Childhood Death May Have Influenced His Father in the Creation of Hamlet and Other Works
Are there any descendants of William Shakespeare today? The answer is no. It is known that the family endures through another line, that of his younger sister Joan, but the famous playwright’s line has died out. This is because, despite having three children with his wife Anne Hathaway, two were girls and thus took their […]
Posted inCulture
5 literary works, lost in the last 5 centuries, which could have been exceptional
In many articles we have mentioned lost works of antiquity, only known today by the fragments cited by later authors. This is the case of the works of Onesycritus, Megasthenes or Euhemerus of Messina, but also some works of Aristotle, Diodorus of Sicily, Archimedes, Julius Caesar, Eratosthenes, Titus Livius, Pliny the Elder or Suetonius, among […]
Posted inMiddle Ages
Christine de Pizan, the first professional female writer in the Late Middle Ages and a forerunner of feminism
The honor of being a pioneer, of paving the way to something, is usually much disputed. Today we are going to see a female case, that of the considered first female professional writer in the western world, an honour that tradition bestows on the Venetian Christine de Pizan. Her legacy would have a considerable influence […]
Posted inSecond World War
Martha Ellis Gellhorn, the only woman to land in Normandy on D-Day
Many readers will probably know who Martha Ellis Gellhorn was, but for those who don’t, they just need to know that she’s not one of those characters who sometimes force their way into war movies. She was the only woman, as far as is known, who landed in Normandy on D-Day covering World War II […]