Happy Deathday, Ms. Brontë!

On this day in 1848, English novelist, Emily Brontë, died of tuberculosis at the age of thirty.

Emily, of the famed “Brontë Sisters”, was the middle sister and the author of the novel, Wuthering Heights, published in 1847. Tragically, this is the only novel published by the young writer, although she did pen several poems , often under the alias of Ellis Bell.

Wuthering Heights, which is now widely regarded as a classic of English Literature, was actually written well over two years before it was finally published a year before Brontë’s untimely death. And it was only printed after the overwhelming success of her elder sister’s novel, Jane Eyre.

The novel has been parodied in popular culture, adapted, dramatized and even alluded to in popular music! Clearly, Ms. Emily Brontë left her literary mark! If you’ve never read this gothic novel of romance, drama, humor and vengeance… you really must add it to your holiday reading list!

Today, why not try your hand at a bit of drama? Star crossed lovers, back stabbing best friends… you get the idea.

Write on in peace, Ms. Brontë!

Two Deathdays!

Firstly, we would like to apologize for our absence. Been a busy month for all of us.

But we are back with much vigor today! Two deathdays to celebrate!

On March 31st two English writers passed on; Charlotte Brontë in 1855 and John Donne in 1631. Both died relatively young. Charlotte died at only 38 years old and Donne at the age of 59.

If you’d like a little bio information on these two, we recommend a quick glance at our post from last year. Ms. Brontë, of course, is most remembered for her novel , Jane Eyre. And Mr. Donne, who we might add is one of our favorite poets, is best remembered for his sonnets and satirical humor. We did find an interesting site which features John Donne’s work, and we encourage those of you who enjoy him or may not be terribly familiar with him, to check it out!

Today, keep these two writers in mind as you work and read. You never know… perhaps the literary world is ready for a mashup of the metaphysical and the symbolic!

Write on in peace, Mr. Donne and Ms. Brontë!

Two Deathdays For the Price of One!

Today we would like to tip our hats to both Charlotte Brontë and John Donne! Though these two writers come from different time periods and approached their craft quite differently, they share perhaps the most intimate thing two people can share - their deathday! 

Donne died on this day in 1631 of stomach cancer and remains one of the most notable metaphysical poets of history. Though most of Donne’s poetry was greatly influenced by the church and the various religious happenings of the time, much of his earlier work was quite satirical and sometimes erotic. Yes… you read that right. In fact, our favorite Donne poem remains “The Flea”, which if read between the lines is nothing more than a “line” to seduce his mistress into the boudoir! Classic Donne. 

Brontë died on March 31st in 1855 of what was believed to be typhus.  She is remembered as an extraordinary English novelist and poet most renowned for her novel Jane Eyre, which details the life of a young orphan turned governess who falls in love with a man way beyond her “station”. The book was highly criticized in it’s day for dark themes and underlying social criticisms of the time. If you’ve not read this classic, check it out!

So- today…we encourage our readers to fall in love with someone you aren’t suppose to and… if you find yourself in the position of seducing said person- give Donne’s poetic pick-up line a try!