soc.octade.net is a Fediverse instance that uses the ActivityPub protocol. In other words, users at this host can communicate with people that use software like Mastodon, Pleroma, Friendica, etc. all around the world.

This server runs the snac software and there is no automatic sign-up process.

Admin email
social@octade.net

Search results for tag #literature

[?]Project Gutenberg » 🌐
@gutenberg_org@mastodon.social

In 1859, Samuel Langhorne Clemens receives his steamboat pilot’s license.

lithub.com/lit-hub-daily-april

Books by Mark Twain at PG:

gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/53

Young Mark Twain. He is turned to his left. He moustache and hair appear brown.

Alt...Young Mark Twain. He is turned to his left. He moustache and hair appear brown.

    [?]Project Gutenberg » 🌐
    @gutenberg_org@mastodon.social

    Shakespeare Gardens Around the World Honor the Playwright—and Hold Their Own Storied History

    The curated plots of flowers, herbs and trees serve as windows into Shakespeare’s work and life

    by Mary Randolph

    smithsonianmag.com/travel/shak

    Flowers from Shakespeare's Garden at PG:
    gutenberg.org/ebooks/64102

    Illustration from Walter Crane's 1906 book, Flowers from Shakespeare's Garden. A young woman in a pink Regency-style dress and wide-brimmed floral hat kneels in a garden, gathering an armful of vividly coloured flowers — daisies, poppies, irises, marigolds and more — before a marble bust of Shakespeare on a pedestal, set against dark topiary. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Shakespeare_garden.jpg

    Alt...Illustration from Walter Crane's 1906 book, Flowers from Shakespeare's Garden. A young woman in a pink Regency-style dress and wide-brimmed floral hat kneels in a garden, gathering an armful of vividly coloured flowers — daisies, poppies, irises, marigolds and more — before a marble bust of Shakespeare on a pedestal, set against dark topiary. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Shakespeare_garden.jpg

      [?]Project Gutenberg » 🌐
      @gutenberg_org@mastodon.social

      Robert Frost at Midlife

      In his poems for The Yale Review, the poet reckoned with mortality, imperfection, and the limits of form

      by Kamran Javadizadeh

      yalereview.org/article/kamran-

      Robert Frost at PG:
      gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/10

      "The Road Not Taken", as featured in Mountain Interval (1916). The title page and opening poem of Mountain Interval by Robert Frost, published by Henry Holt and Company, New York, copyright and first published November 1916. The left page shows the title page with a small decorative woodcut device — an owl motif in a square border — and identifies Frost as "Author of 'North of Boston'", his celebrated 1914 collection. The right page presents "The Road Not Taken" in full — the poem that opens the collection and became one of the most quoted and widely misread poems in the English language. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Frost#/media/File:The_Road_Not_Taken_-_Robert_Frost.png

      Alt..."The Road Not Taken", as featured in Mountain Interval (1916). The title page and opening poem of Mountain Interval by Robert Frost, published by Henry Holt and Company, New York, copyright and first published November 1916. The left page shows the title page with a small decorative woodcut device — an owl motif in a square border — and identifies Frost as "Author of 'North of Boston'", his celebrated 1914 collection. The right page presents "The Road Not Taken" in full — the poem that opens the collection and became one of the most quoted and widely misread poems in the English language. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Frost#/media/File:The_Road_Not_Taken_-_Robert_Frost.png

        [?]The Vulgar Tongue » 🤖 🌐
        @TheVulgarTongue@zirk.us

        WHIP JACKS. The tenth order of the canting crew, rogues who having learned a few sea terms, beg with counterfeit passes, pretending to be sailors shipwrecked on the neighbouring coast, and on their way to the port from whence they sailed.

        A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

        --
        @histodons

        Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): WHIP JACKS. The tenth order of the canting crew, rogues who having learned a few sea terms, beg with counterfeit passes, pretending to be sailors shipwrecked on the neighbouring coast, and on their way to the port from whence they sailed. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

        Alt...Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): WHIP JACKS. The tenth order of the canting crew, rogues who having learned a few sea terms, beg with counterfeit passes, pretending to be sailors shipwrecked on the neighbouring coast, and on their way to the port from whence they sailed. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

          [?]The Vulgar Tongue » 🤖 🌐
          @TheVulgarTongue@zirk.us

          Hi!, I'm a bot posting selections from Francis Grose’s 1785 “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue”, a compilation of slang terms, the coded language of the underclass and the demi-monde.

          [18th-century-content warning: possible racism, animal cruelty, homophobia, sexism, slut-shaming. Let me know of any problems.]

          Montage of dictionary items posted by this account

          Alt...Montage of dictionary items posted by this account

            [?]The Vulgar Tongue » 🤖 🌐
            @TheVulgarTongue@zirk.us

            SAINT MONDAY. A holiday most religiously observed by journeymen shoemakers, and other inferior mechanics. A profanation of that day, by working, is punishable by a fine, particularly among the gentle craft. An Irishman observed that this saint's anniversary happened every week.

            A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

            --
            @histodons

            Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): SAINT MONDAY. A holiday most religiously observed by journeymen shoemakers, and other inferior mechanics. A profanation of that day, by working, is punishable by a fine, particularly among the gentle craft. An Irishman observed that this saint's anniversary happened every week. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

            Alt...Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): SAINT MONDAY. A holiday most religiously observed by journeymen shoemakers, and other inferior mechanics. A profanation of that day, by working, is punishable by a fine, particularly among the gentle craft. An Irishman observed that this saint's anniversary happened every week. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

              Mx. Luna Corbden 🐸 boosted

              [?]Project Gutenberg » 🌐
              @gutenberg_org@mastodon.social

              Today is (the very first) National Black Bookstore day!

              Celebrate with a treat from a Black-owned indie bookstore.

              Brittany Allen

              lithub.com/today-is-the-very-f

                [?]Project Gutenberg » 🌐
                @gutenberg_org@mastodon.social

                ‘The Queen of the Ghetto’ Gave New York’s Immigrant Community a Voice. A Century Later, It’s Re-emerging

                Anzia Yezierska wrote from experience then worked hard to make sure her work found an audience. Then a new audience found her

                by Fred Nadis

                smithsonianmag.com/arts-cultur

                Women immigrants at PG:
                gutenberg.org/ebooks/subject/2

                Sketch of the author Anzia Yezierska accompanying an article in the Cedar Rapids Evening Gazette, March 5th, 1921. The central illustration is a large pen-and-ink portrait drawing of Yezierska — captioned "Anzia Yezierska: Filmdom's Newest Author" — showing a young woman with abundant curly hair, alongside a smaller vignette of a figure writing at a desk. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anzia_Yezierska#/media/File:Yezierska_CedarRapids_5Mar1921.jpg

                Alt...Sketch of the author Anzia Yezierska accompanying an article in the Cedar Rapids Evening Gazette, March 5th, 1921. The central illustration is a large pen-and-ink portrait drawing of Yezierska — captioned "Anzia Yezierska: Filmdom's Newest Author" — showing a young woman with abundant curly hair, alongside a smaller vignette of a figure writing at a desk. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anzia_Yezierska#/media/File:Yezierska_CedarRapids_5Mar1921.jpg

                  [?]Project Gutenberg » 🌐
                  @gutenberg_org@mastodon.social

                  Living without my self

                  Our culture valorises the big, coherent self: reading Robert Musil helps me embrace the beauty of my no-self existence

                  by Mette Leonard Høeg

                  aeon.co/essays/robert-musil-gi

                  Musil at PG:
                  gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/37

                  Robert Musil in 1900 Unknown author - Scan du livre .Musil, Journaux Musil faces the camera directly with a composed, self-possessed expression. He has short, neatly parted dark hair, a trim moustache, and wears a dark jacket with a white collar and bow tie. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Robert_Musil#/media/File:Robert_Musil_1900.jpg

                  Alt...Robert Musil in 1900 Unknown author - Scan du livre .Musil, Journaux Musil faces the camera directly with a composed, self-possessed expression. He has short, neatly parted dark hair, a trim moustache, and wears a dark jacket with a white collar and bow tie. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Robert_Musil#/media/File:Robert_Musil_1900.jpg

                    [?]The Vulgar Tongue » 🤖 🌐
                    @TheVulgarTongue@zirk.us

                    JARK. A seal.

                    A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                    --
                    @histodons

                    Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): JARK. A seal. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                    Alt...Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): JARK. A seal. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                      [?]The Vulgar Tongue » 🤖 🌐
                      @TheVulgarTongue@zirk.us

                      DOWN. Aware of a thing. Knowing it. There is NO DOWN. A cant phrase used by house-breakers to signify that the persons belonging to any house are not on their guard, or that they are fast asleep, and have not heard any noise to alarm them.

                      A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                      --
                      @histodons

                      Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): DOWN. Aware of a thing. Knowing it. There is NO DOWN. A cant phrase used by house-breakers to signify that the persons belonging to any house are not on their guard, or that they are fast asleep, and have not heard any noise to alarm them. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                      Alt...Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): DOWN. Aware of a thing. Knowing it. There is NO DOWN. A cant phrase used by house-breakers to signify that the persons belonging to any house are not on their guard, or that they are fast asleep, and have not heard any noise to alarm them. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                        [?]Project Gutenberg » 🌐
                        @gutenberg_org@mastodon.social

                        in 1770 English poet William Wordsworth was born.

                        en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_

                        Books by Wordsworth at PG:

                        gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/28

                        Portrait of William Wordsworth by William Shuter. He has brown hair and his left hand is tucked into his coat. His right hand is over a chair.

                        Alt... Portrait of William Wordsworth by William Shuter. He has brown hair and his left hand is tucked into his coat. His right hand is over a chair.

                          [?]Project Gutenberg » 🌐
                          @gutenberg_org@mastodon.social

                          Apollonius of Rhodes: The Man Who Changed Ancient Greek Literature for Ever

                          Few figures in Ancient Greek literature have been as consequential and enigmatic as Apollonius of Rhodes.

                          By Nick Kampouris

                          greekreporter.com/2026/04/05/a

                          Rhodius Apollonius at PG:
                          gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/433

                          This is a fanciful portrait of one "Apollonius" - a name shared by several illustrious ancient Greek men. Among those, most prominent are (1) the epic poet, Apollonius of Rhodes (3rd century BCE); (2) the mathematician, Apollonius of Perga (2nd century BCE); (3) the philosopher, Apollonius of Tyana (1st century CE). While every effort has been taken (by going through digital editions of the original work which are available on the Internet), I haven't succeeded in ascertaining the identity of this Apollonius. However, the most likely candidate seems to be no. (1) - notice the laurel crown, surely more fitting to his role as an epic poet - a second possibility could be no. (3), while I'd surely rule out no. (2). https://el.wikipedia.org/wiki/%CE%91%CF%80%CE%BF%CE%BB%CE%BB%CF%8E%CE%BD%CE%B9%CE%BF%CF%82_%CE%BF_%CE%A1%CF%8C%CE%B4%CE%B9%CE%BF%CF%82#/media/%CE%91%CF%81%CF%87%CE%B5%CE%AF%CE%BF:Apollonius.png

                          Alt...This is a fanciful portrait of one "Apollonius" - a name shared by several illustrious ancient Greek men. Among those, most prominent are (1) the epic poet, Apollonius of Rhodes (3rd century BCE); (2) the mathematician, Apollonius of Perga (2nd century BCE); (3) the philosopher, Apollonius of Tyana (1st century CE). While every effort has been taken (by going through digital editions of the original work which are available on the Internet), I haven't succeeded in ascertaining the identity of this Apollonius. However, the most likely candidate seems to be no. (1) - notice the laurel crown, surely more fitting to his role as an epic poet - a second possibility could be no. (3), while I'd surely rule out no. (2). https://el.wikipedia.org/wiki/%CE%91%CF%80%CE%BF%CE%BB%CE%BB%CF%8E%CE%BD%CE%B9%CE%BF%CF%82_%CE%BF_%CE%A1%CF%8C%CE%B4%CE%B9%CE%BF%CF%82#/media/%CE%91%CF%81%CF%87%CE%B5%CE%AF%CE%BF:Apollonius.png

                            [?]The Vulgar Tongue » 🤖 🌐
                            @TheVulgarTongue@zirk.us

                            FLASH KEN. A house that harbours thieves.

                            A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                            --
                            @histodons

                            Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): FLASH KEN. A house that harbours thieves. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                            Alt...Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): FLASH KEN. A house that harbours thieves. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                              [?]The Vulgar Tongue » 🤖 🌐
                              @TheVulgarTongue@zirk.us

                              NEB, or NIB. The bill of a bird, and the slit of a pen. Figuratively, the face and mouth of a woman; as, She holds up her neb: she holds up her mouth to be kissed.

                              A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                              --
                              @histodons

                              Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): NEB, or NIB. The bill of a bird, and the slit of a pen. Figuratively, the face and mouth of a woman; as, She holds up her neb: she holds up her mouth to be kissed. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                              Alt...Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): NEB, or NIB. The bill of a bird, and the slit of a pen. Figuratively, the face and mouth of a woman; as, She holds up her neb: she holds up her mouth to be kissed. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                                [?]Project Gutenberg » 🌐
                                @gutenberg_org@mastodon.social

                                B-Sides: Thomas De Quincey’s “The English Mail-Coach”

                                publicbooks.org/b-sides-thomas

                                The essay at PG:

                                gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?q

                                An engraving of Thomas De Quincey. He is looking towards his left.

                                Alt...An engraving of Thomas De Quincey. He is looking towards his left.

                                  [?]Project Gutenberg » 🌐
                                  @gutenberg_org@mastodon.social

                                  The Loneliness of A Room of One’s Own

                                  Virginia Woolf put forward an enduring vision of women with the space and financial stability to write. But it’s also a sad vision—of isolated writers, cut off from peers or mentors.

                                  by Joanna Scutts

                                  newrepublic.com/article/206731

                                  Virginia Wooldf at PG:
                                  gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/89

                                  First edition cover of A Room of One's Own by Vanessa Bell.. The central image shows a clock on a stepped mantelpiece or plinth, framed within a dark arched alcove, bordered by a dotted semicircle and a decorative repeating pattern of small arches along the base. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:ARoomOfOnesOwn.jpg

                                  Alt...First edition cover of A Room of One's Own by Vanessa Bell.. The central image shows a clock on a stepped mantelpiece or plinth, framed within a dark arched alcove, bordered by a dotted semicircle and a decorative repeating pattern of small arches along the base. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:ARoomOfOnesOwn.jpg

                                    [?]The Vulgar Tongue » 🤖 🌐
                                    @TheVulgarTongue@zirk.us

                                    GAGE. A quart pot, or a pint; also a pipe. CANT.

                                    A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                                    --
                                    @histodons

                                    Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): GAGE. A quart pot, or a pint; also a pipe. CANT. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                                    Alt...Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): GAGE. A quart pot, or a pint; also a pipe. CANT. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                                      [?]William Lindsey :toad: » 🌐
                                      @wdlindsy@toad.social

                                      "It is little wonder that the war against empathy has escalated at the same time as the war against books. One of the many ways we learn empathy is through reading. People who hate books are not readers, or, more likely, they are poor readers."

                                      ~ Jacqueline Allen Trimble


                                      /8

                                      salvationsouth.com/whole-armor

                                        [?]William Lindsey :toad: » 🌐
                                        @wdlindsy@toad.social

                                        "There’s a reason why fascists have always silenced and censored the storytellers, historians, and cultural workers first. They need to replace our collective memory with a single, mythical story written and perpetuated by the regime."

                                        ~ Rebecca Solnit quoted by Wajahat Ali


                                        /5

                                        thelefthook.substack.com/p/hop

                                          [?]William Lindsey :toad: » 🌐
                                          @wdlindsy@toad.social

                                          "It’s a story of Übermenschen and heroes who once were great until the 'invasion' of the undesirables, who are often people of color, immigrants, uppity women, and LGBTQ+ folks."


                                          /6

                                            [?]The Vulgar Tongue » 🤖 🌐
                                            @TheVulgarTongue@zirk.us

                                            AUTEM DIVERS. Pickpockets who practice in churches; also churchwardens and overseers of the poor. CANT.

                                            A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                                            --
                                            @histodons

                                            Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): AUTEM DIVERS. Pickpockets who practice in churches; also churchwardens and overseers of the poor. CANT. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                                            Alt...Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): AUTEM DIVERS. Pickpockets who practice in churches; also churchwardens and overseers of the poor. CANT. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                                              Dave Nathanson boosted

                                              [?]Project Gutenberg » 🌐
                                              @gutenberg_org@mastodon.social

                                              Who Were the Black Women of the Harlem Renaissance?

                                              youtube.com/shorts/Nu83pQl7mgQ

                                              At PG:

                                              Gwendolyn Bennett

                                              gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?q

                                              Alice Dunbar Nelson

                                              gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?q

                                              Anne Spencer

                                              gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?q

                                              Zora Neale Hurston

                                              gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?q

                                              Anne Spencer

                                              Anne B. Spencer in her wedding dress - picryl.com She is standing with her right hand on the back of a chair.

                                              Alt...Anne B. Spencer in her wedding dress - picryl.com She is standing with her right hand on the back of a chair.

                                                [?]Project Gutenberg » 🌐
                                                @gutenberg_org@mastodon.social

                                                Why the Temple of Artemis Was the Greatest Wonder of the World

                                                The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus was so magnificent that it was considered one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.

                                                by Kieren Johns

                                                thecollector.com/ephesus-templ

                                                Temple of Artemis at PG:
                                                gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?q

                                                From the 1572 Octo Mundi Miracula, the earliest known representation of the temple in modern times. The engraving was by Martin Heemskerck. The temple of Artemis is represented by a colonnaded façade richly decorated with relief sculpture, statues in niches, a pediment with figural groups, and a long stepped platform. Workers, architects and figures labour in the foreground: cutting stone, rolling columns, consulting plans. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_of_Artemis#/media/File:Philips_Galle,_Dianatemplet_i_Efesos,_1572,_KKSgb10001-5,_Statens_Museum_for_Kunst_(cropped).jpg

                                                Alt...From the 1572 Octo Mundi Miracula, the earliest known representation of the temple in modern times. The engraving was by Martin Heemskerck. The temple of Artemis is represented by a colonnaded façade richly decorated with relief sculpture, statues in niches, a pediment with figural groups, and a long stepped platform. Workers, architects and figures labour in the foreground: cutting stone, rolling columns, consulting plans. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_of_Artemis#/media/File:Philips_Galle,_Dianatemplet_i_Efesos,_1572,_KKSgb10001-5,_Statens_Museum_for_Kunst_(cropped).jpg

                                                  [?]The Vulgar Tongue » 🤖 🌐
                                                  @TheVulgarTongue@zirk.us

                                                  COLT VEAL. Coarse red veal, more like the flesh of a colt than that of a calf.

                                                  A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                                                  --
                                                  @histodons

                                                  Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): COLT VEAL. Coarse red veal, more like the flesh of a colt than that of a calf. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                                                  Alt...Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): COLT VEAL. Coarse red veal, more like the flesh of a colt than that of a calf. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                                                    [?]The Vulgar Tongue » 🤖 🌐
                                                    @TheVulgarTongue@zirk.us

                                                    STRAW. A good woman in the straw; a lying-in woman. His eyes draw straw; his eyes are almost shut, or he is almost asleep: one eye draws straw, and t'other serves the thatcher.

                                                    A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                                                    --
                                                    @histodons

                                                    Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): STRAW. A good woman in the straw; a lying-in woman. His eyes draw straw; his eyes are almost shut, or he is almost asleep: one eye draws straw, and t'other serves the thatcher. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                                                    Alt...Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): STRAW. A good woman in the straw; a lying-in woman. His eyes draw straw; his eyes are almost shut, or he is almost asleep: one eye draws straw, and t'other serves the thatcher. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                                                      [?]Project Gutenberg » 🌐
                                                      @gutenberg_org@mastodon.social

                                                      In 1860, George Eliot’s novel The Mill on the Floss is published by John Blackwood in three volumes.

                                                      lithub.com/lit-hub-weekly-marc

                                                      "The Mill on the Floss" at PG:

                                                      gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?q

                                                      Portrait of George Eliot by the Swiss artist Alexandre-Louis-François d'Albert-Durade - picryl.com. She is facing front.

                                                      Alt...Portrait of George Eliot by the Swiss artist Alexandre-Louis-François d'Albert-Durade - picryl.com. She is facing front.

                                                        [?]Project Gutenberg » 🌐
                                                        @gutenberg_org@mastodon.social

                                                        A Poet of Science Who Shook Faith in God

                                                        Biographer Richard Holmes reveals how Tennyson predated Darwin and speaks to us today

                                                        By Kevin Berger

                                                        nautil.us/a-poet-of-science-wh

                                                        Tennyson at PG:
                                                        gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/29

                                                        Portrait of Alfred Lord Tennyson by Samuel Laurence, 1840. Tennyson is portrayed with abundant dark chestnut hair swept back from a strong, angular face, gazes slightly to his left. The features are sharply defined — a prominent nose, firm jaw, deep-set eyes — and a loose dark coat with white collar. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alfred_Lord_Tennyson_1840.jpg

                                                        Alt...Portrait of Alfred Lord Tennyson by Samuel Laurence, 1840. Tennyson is portrayed with abundant dark chestnut hair swept back from a strong, angular face, gazes slightly to his left. The features are sharply defined — a prominent nose, firm jaw, deep-set eyes — and a loose dark coat with white collar. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alfred_Lord_Tennyson_1840.jpg

                                                          [?]Project Gutenberg » 🌐
                                                          @gutenberg_org@mastodon.social

                                                          A Reader’s Guide to Poetry for National Poetry Month

                                                          By The Editors

                                                          Read poems, learn poetic forms, and discover writers in this National Poetry Month roundup.

                                                          daily.jstor.org/editors-picks-

                                                          Poetry at PG:
                                                          gutenberg.org/ebooks/bookshelf

                                                          Poetry: A Magazine of Verse. A small black and white decorative vignette — a quill pen thrust diagonally through a curling scroll or sheet of paper. https://www.gutenberg.org/files/43224/43224-h/43224-h.htm

                                                          Alt...Poetry: A Magazine of Verse. A small black and white decorative vignette — a quill pen thrust diagonally through a curling scroll or sheet of paper. https://www.gutenberg.org/files/43224/43224-h/43224-h.htm

                                                            [?]The Vulgar Tongue » 🤖 🌐
                                                            @TheVulgarTongue@zirk.us

                                                            JANIZARIES. The mob, sometimes so called; also bailiffs, their setters, and followers.

                                                            A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                                                            --
                                                            @histodons

                                                            Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): JANIZARIES. The mob, sometimes so called; also bailiffs, their setters, and followers. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                                                            Alt...Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): JANIZARIES. The mob, sometimes so called; also bailiffs, their setters, and followers. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                                                              [?]The Vulgar Tongue » 🤖 🌐
                                                              @TheVulgarTongue@zirk.us

                                                              BLACK SPICE RACKET. To rob chimney sweepers of their soot-bag and soot.

                                                              A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                                                              --
                                                              @histodons

                                                              Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): BLACK SPICE RACKET. To rob chimney sweepers of their soot-bag and soot. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                                                              Alt...Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): BLACK SPICE RACKET. To rob chimney sweepers of their soot-bag and soot. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                                                                [?]Project Gutenberg » 🌐
                                                                @gutenberg_org@mastodon.social

                                                                Thirty previously unpublished verses by Empedocles discovered on a papyrus from Cairo

                                                                by University de Liege

                                                                edited by Stephanie Baum, reviewed by Robert Egan

                                                                phys.org/news/2026-04-previous

                                                                Empedocles at PG:
                                                                gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?q

                                                                The Strasbourg Empedocles papyrus contained over 50 lines from Empedocles' work On Nature that were not published until 1999. Multiple torn, irregular fragments of ancient papyrus, dark brown with age, bearing neat columns of Greek uncial script in black ink. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empedocles#/media/File:Empedokles_fragment_Physika_I_262%E2%80%93300.jpg

                                                                Alt...The Strasbourg Empedocles papyrus contained over 50 lines from Empedocles' work On Nature that were not published until 1999. Multiple torn, irregular fragments of ancient papyrus, dark brown with age, bearing neat columns of Greek uncial script in black ink. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empedocles#/media/File:Empedokles_fragment_Physika_I_262%E2%80%93300.jpg

                                                                  [?]The Vulgar Tongue » 🤖 🌐
                                                                  @TheVulgarTongue@zirk.us

                                                                  MARINE OFFICER. An empty bottle: marine officers being held useless by the seamen. SEA WIT.

                                                                  A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                                                                  --
                                                                  @histodons

                                                                  Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): MARINE OFFICER. An empty bottle: marine officers being held useless by the seamen. SEA WIT. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                                                                  Alt...Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): MARINE OFFICER. An empty bottle: marine officers being held useless by the seamen. SEA WIT. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                                                                    [?]The Vulgar Tongue » 🤖 🌐
                                                                    @TheVulgarTongue@zirk.us

                                                                    BOH. Said to be the name of a Danish general, who so terrified his opponent Foh, that he caused him to bewray himself. Whence, when we smell a stink, it is custom to exclaim, Foh! i.e. I smell general Foh.

                                                                    A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                                                                    --
                                                                    @histodons

                                                                    Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): BOH. Said to be the name of a Danish general, who so terrified his opponent Foh, that he caused him to bewray himself. Whence, when we smell a stink, it is custom to exclaim, Foh! i.e. I smell general Foh. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                                                                    Alt...Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): BOH. Said to be the name of a Danish general, who so terrified his opponent Foh, that he caused him to bewray himself. Whence, when we smell a stink, it is custom to exclaim, Foh! i.e. I smell general Foh. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                                                                      [?]Project Gutenberg » 🌐
                                                                      @gutenberg_org@mastodon.social

                                                                      Silence: a brief literary history

                                                                      by Kate McLoughlin

                                                                      Without silences, we wouldn’t have the exquisite hush of medieval lullabies, the suspenseful secrets of the realist novel, or jagged modernist poetry.

                                                                      theconversation.com/silence-a-

                                                                      When Children Are Asleep by Thomas Faed (1885). A young mother or nursemaid sits by a fireside absorbed in reading a book. She wears a white cap, yellow neckerchief, grey bodice and green skirt. Through the half-open door behind her, a child lies sleeping in a box bed, cheek resting on folded hands. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Thomas_Faed_(1825-1900)_-_When_Children_Are_Asleep_-_WAG_2816_-_Walker_Art_Gallery.jpg

                                                                      Alt...When Children Are Asleep by Thomas Faed (1885). A young mother or nursemaid sits by a fireside absorbed in reading a book. She wears a white cap, yellow neckerchief, grey bodice and green skirt. Through the half-open door behind her, a child lies sleeping in a box bed, cheek resting on folded hands. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Thomas_Faed_(1825-1900)_-_When_Children_Are_Asleep_-_WAG_2816_-_Walker_Art_Gallery.jpg

                                                                        [?]The Vulgar Tongue » 🤖 🌐
                                                                        @TheVulgarTongue@zirk.us

                                                                        SMUG LAY. Persons who pretend to be smugglers of lace and valuable articles; these men borrow money of publicans by depositing these goods in their hands; they decamp, and the publican discovers that he has been duped; on opening the treasure, he finds articles of no value.

                                                                        A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                                                                        --
                                                                        @histodons

                                                                        Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): SMUG LAY. Persons who pretend to be smugglers of lace and valuable articles; these men borrow money of publicans by depositing these goods in their hands; they decamp, and the publican discovers that he has been duped; on opening the treasure, he finds articles of no value. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                                                                        Alt...Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): SMUG LAY. Persons who pretend to be smugglers of lace and valuable articles; these men borrow money of publicans by depositing these goods in their hands; they decamp, and the publican discovers that he has been duped; on opening the treasure, he finds articles of no value. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                                                                          [?]The Vulgar Tongue » 🤖 🌐
                                                                          @TheVulgarTongue@zirk.us

                                                                          Hi!, I'm a bot posting selections from Francis Grose’s 1785 “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue”, a compilation of slang terms, the coded language of the underclass and the demi-monde.

                                                                          [18th-century-content warning: possible racism, animal cruelty, homophobia, sexism, slut-shaming. Let me know of any problems.]

                                                                          Montage of dictionary items posted by this account

                                                                          Alt...Montage of dictionary items posted by this account

                                                                            [?]The Vulgar Tongue » 🤖 🌐
                                                                            @TheVulgarTongue@zirk.us

                                                                            LIGHT-HEELED. Swift in running. A light-heeled wench; one who is apt, by the flying up of her heels, to fall flat on her back, a willing wench.

                                                                            A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                                                                            --
                                                                            @histodons

                                                                            Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): LIGHT-HEELED. Swift in running. A light-heeled wench; one who is apt, by the flying up of her heels, to fall flat on her back, a willing wench. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                                                                            Alt...Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): LIGHT-HEELED. Swift in running. A light-heeled wench; one who is apt, by the flying up of her heels, to fall flat on her back, a willing wench. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                                                                              [?]Project Gutenberg » 🌐
                                                                              @gutenberg_org@mastodon.social

                                                                              This month the Distributed Proofreaders (DP) blog is a book about the US pre-Civil War abolitionist, "The Life of John Brown."

                                                                              blog.pgdp.net/2026/04/01/life-

                                                                              John Brown in 1859. He is turned to the side with his face turned towards the camera. He has his right hand in his pocket.

                                                                              Alt...John Brown in 1859. He is turned to the side with his face turned towards the camera. He has his right hand in his pocket.

                                                                                [?]Project Gutenberg » 🌐
                                                                                @gutenberg_org@mastodon.social

                                                                                Did Geoffrey Chaucer invent April Fool’s Day?

                                                                                Today, and every year on April the first, we curse Geoffrey Chaucer. Why? Because he is (supposedly) personally responsible for the two worst holidays (“holidays”) known to humankind/the internet. These, of course, are Valentine’s Day and today, April Fools’ Day.

                                                                                lithub.com/tag/chaucer/?utm_so

                                                                                Chaucer at PG:
                                                                                gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/144

                                                                                Portrait of Chaucer by William Blake. Manchester City Gallery - Tempera on canvas c. 1800. The bust-length portrait of Chaucer emerges from a wreath of laurel rendered in soft blue-greens against a pale aqueous background. The face is gentle and bearded, wearing a hood, and has a mild, benign expression. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geoffrey_Chaucer#/media/File:William_Blake_-_Geoffrey_Chaucer_-_Manchester_City_Gallery_-_Tempera_on_canvas_c_1800.jpg

                                                                                Alt...Portrait of Chaucer by William Blake. Manchester City Gallery - Tempera on canvas c. 1800. The bust-length portrait of Chaucer emerges from a wreath of laurel rendered in soft blue-greens against a pale aqueous background. The face is gentle and bearded, wearing a hood, and has a mild, benign expression. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geoffrey_Chaucer#/media/File:William_Blake_-_Geoffrey_Chaucer_-_Manchester_City_Gallery_-_Tempera_on_canvas_c_1800.jpg

                                                                                  [?]Project Gutenberg » 🌐
                                                                                  @gutenberg_org@mastodon.social

                                                                                  Charles Dickens Searched the Streets of London and Found Inspiration for His Evocative Fiction

                                                                                  A three-part BBC series will examine how real events shaped the 19th-century British author’s writing. The show is part of the National Year of Reading in the U.K.

                                                                                  by Ryley Graham

                                                                                  smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/

                                                                                  Dickens at PG:
                                                                                  gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/37

                                                                                  Charles Dickens. A pen-and-ink engraved portrait of Dickens in three-quarter profile, facing left. He has abundant, curly hair swept back from a broad forehead, heavy brows, and a full beard and moustache that frames a strong face. https://www.gutenberg.org/files/824/824-h/824-h.htm

                                                                                  Alt...Charles Dickens. A pen-and-ink engraved portrait of Dickens in three-quarter profile, facing left. He has abundant, curly hair swept back from a broad forehead, heavy brows, and a full beard and moustache that frames a strong face. https://www.gutenberg.org/files/824/824-h/824-h.htm

                                                                                    [?]The Vulgar Tongue » 🤖 🌐
                                                                                    @TheVulgarTongue@zirk.us

                                                                                    PORRIDGE ISLAND. An alley leading from St. Martin's church-yard to Round-court, chiefly inhabited by cooks, who cut off ready-dressed meat of all sorts, and also sell soup.

                                                                                    A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                                                                                    --
                                                                                    @histodons

                                                                                    Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): PORRIDGE ISLAND. An alley leading from St. Martin's church-yard to Round-court, chiefly inhabited by cooks, who cut off ready-dressed meat of all sorts, and also sell soup. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                                                                                    Alt...Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): PORRIDGE ISLAND. An alley leading from St. Martin's church-yard to Round-court, chiefly inhabited by cooks, who cut off ready-dressed meat of all sorts, and also sell soup. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                                                                                      [?]Assoc for Scottish Literature » 🌐
                                                                                      @scotlit@mastodon.scot

                                                                                      Andrew Lang (1844–1912) was born , 31 March. An extraordinarily prolific anthropologist, writer & literary critic, he is best remembered today for collecting & editing fairy stories from around the world

                                                                                      A 🎂 🧵

                                                                                      1/6

                                                                                      universityofglasgowlibrary.wor

                                                                                        [?]Assoc for Scottish Literature » 🌐
                                                                                        @scotlit@mastodon.scot

                                                                                        “…fairies persist, & become figures of fascination in this period, not because they offer an escape into the past, but because they speak powerfully, if indirectly, about present concerns”

                                                                                        —Andrew Teverson on Andrew Lang & the Fairies

                                                                                        2/6

                                                                                        thebottleimp.org.uk/2016/12/a-

                                                                                          [?]Assoc for Scottish Literature » 🌐
                                                                                          @scotlit@mastodon.scot

                                                                                          “To me, Lang himself is a hero of literature. Besides being the champion of Robert Louis Stevenson & Haggard, he was the first critic to produce a study of Kipling’s work, found a publisher for the young Arthur Conan Doyle’s first major novel… & repeatedly informed the English that Mark Twain was one of the world’s great writers”

                                                                                          —Michael Dirda on Andrew Lang, in the Washington Post

                                                                                          3/6

                                                                                          washingtonpost.com/entertainme

                                                                                            [?]Assoc for Scottish Literature » 🌐
                                                                                            @scotlit@mastodon.scot

                                                                                            “I have his complete collection of books with me at all times. I have three extra physical sets and I travel with an ebook version of them… These stories started their journey with me when I was very young”

                                                                                            —Guillermo del Toro on Andrew Lang’s Fairy Books

                                                                                            4/6

                                                                                            theguardian.com/film/2015/oct/

                                                                                              [?]Assoc for Scottish Literature » 🌐
                                                                                              @scotlit@mastodon.scot

                                                                                              “The taste of the world, which has veered so often, is constant enough to fairy tales… we are still repeating to the boys and girls of each generation the stories that were old before Homer sang…”

                                                                                              —from Andrew Lang’s Introduction to THE BLUE FAIRY BOOK (1889)

                                                                                              5/6

                                                                                              en.m.wikisource.org/wiki/The_B

                                                                                              A first edition copy of THE BLUE FAIRY BOOK, edited by Andrew Lang (Longmans, Green & Co., 1889). The original blue cloth cover is stamped in gilt on the front and spine. The front cover shows a silhouette of a witch riding on a broom across a sky spangled with stars. The witch wears a tall conical hat; she grips the broom with her right hand, pointing forward with her left. A full moon, crossed by wisps of cloud, is in the top right corner. The spine reads THE BLUE FAIRY BOOK ANDREW LANG LONGMANS AND CO. There is an illustration at the base of the spine, showing a giant looming over a smaller figure whose head barely comes up to the giant's waist.

                                                                                              Alt...A first edition copy of THE BLUE FAIRY BOOK, edited by Andrew Lang (Longmans, Green & Co., 1889). The original blue cloth cover is stamped in gilt on the front and spine. The front cover shows a silhouette of a witch riding on a broom across a sky spangled with stars. The witch wears a tall conical hat; she grips the broom with her right hand, pointing forward with her left. A full moon, crossed by wisps of cloud, is in the top right corner. The spine reads THE BLUE FAIRY BOOK ANDREW LANG LONGMANS AND CO. There is an illustration at the base of the spine, showing a giant looming over a smaller figure whose head barely comes up to the giant's waist.

                                                                                                [?]Assoc for Scottish Literature » 🌐
                                                                                                @scotlit@mastodon.scot

                                                                                                @gutenberg_org has free ebook editions of Andrew Lang’s Fairy Books, & a linked index to all the stories in all twelve volumes

                                                                                                6/6

                                                                                                gutenberg.org/ebooks/30580

                                                                                                  [?]The Vulgar Tongue » 🤖 🌐
                                                                                                  @TheVulgarTongue@zirk.us

                                                                                                  BACK GAMMON PLAYER. A sodomite.

                                                                                                  A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                                                                                                  --
                                                                                                  @histodons

                                                                                                  Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): BACK GAMMON PLAYER. A sodomite. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                                                                                                  Alt...Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): BACK GAMMON PLAYER. A sodomite. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                                                                                                    [?]Project Gutenberg » 🌐
                                                                                                    @gutenberg_org@mastodon.social

                                                                                                    Reformation of science

                                                                                                    Protestantism didn’t hold back science – it revolutionised its methods, its theoretical content and its social significance

                                                                                                    by Peter Harrison

                                                                                                    aeon.co/essays/how-protestanti

                                                                                                    Protestantism at PG:
                                                                                                    gutenberg.org/ebooks/subject/4

                                                                                                    The Garden of Eden with the Fall of Man (c1615) by Jan Brueghel the Elder and Peter Paul Rubens. Early supporters of the Royal Society, founded in 1660, commonly spoke in theological terms about the new science recapturing a lost, pre-Fall human dominion over nature. At centre-left, Eve reaches up to take the forbidden fruit from the coiled serpent in the Tree of Knowledge while Adam receives it from her hand. Identifiable creatures include macaws and a blue-and-gold macaw in the branches, peacock, ostrich, turkey, heron, ducks, swans, rabbit, white lapdog, deer, lion, tiger, leopard, horse, elephant glimpsed in the distance, monkey, and many more. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Garden_of_Eden_with_the_Fall_of_Man#/media/File:Jan_Brueghel_de_Oude_en_Peter_Paul_Rubens_-_Het_aards_paradijs_met_de_zondeval_van_Adam_en_Eva.jpg

                                                                                                    Alt...The Garden of Eden with the Fall of Man (c1615) by Jan Brueghel the Elder and Peter Paul Rubens. Early supporters of the Royal Society, founded in 1660, commonly spoke in theological terms about the new science recapturing a lost, pre-Fall human dominion over nature. At centre-left, Eve reaches up to take the forbidden fruit from the coiled serpent in the Tree of Knowledge while Adam receives it from her hand. Identifiable creatures include macaws and a blue-and-gold macaw in the branches, peacock, ostrich, turkey, heron, ducks, swans, rabbit, white lapdog, deer, lion, tiger, leopard, horse, elephant glimpsed in the distance, monkey, and many more. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Garden_of_Eden_with_the_Fall_of_Man#/media/File:Jan_Brueghel_de_Oude_en_Peter_Paul_Rubens_-_Het_aards_paradijs_met_de_zondeval_van_Adam_en_Eva.jpg

                                                                                                      Back to top - More...

                                                                                                      about this site - powered by snac/2.92-dev