Literature and Poetry

Worldmapper, on behalf of the Bodleian Libraries, have analysed over 8,000 tweets since Trump was elected and created a cartogram that depicts which countries he has mentioned the most on Twitter. Trump has made 1,384 mentions of foreign countries. Russia tops the bill, with 297 mentions (21 per cent of all tweets mentioning foreign countries). North Korea (163), China (158), Mexico (99), Puerto Rico (47), Iran (47), Syria (44), Japan (43), Canada (39) and France (37) complete the Top ten. The cartogram is part of the Bodleian Libraries’ Talking Maps exhibition, which opened on 5 July 2019.  more »

Somehow we have forgotten how to teach grammar using simple, clear rules. When I was young, we were introduced to the difference between subjective and objective and possessive pronouns at an early age. I remember my fourth grade teacher parsing the subjective pronouns with us: “I, you, he-she-it; we, you, they,” and then demonstrating how and where to use them in a sentence. After a few days of that, there was literally no chance that any of us would begin a sentence using “Her and me went to the store,” because we were well aware that her and me weren’t subject material. If we didn’t know which case to use in a sentence like “The teacher gave Maddy and (I? me?) a lecture,” she said to drop “Maddy” from the sentence and listen to it in our minds: “She gave I a lecture” was obviously not something we’d say. more »

K. J. Fallon writes in her new book, From Zen and the Rescue Dog: Journeying with Your Dog on the Path to Enlightenment©: Making some time to remember your pets, or the animals in need at an area shelter or rescue organization if you don’t have a pet, is a way to refuel your energy. When you switch gears and devote your time and attention to something very different from what you spend most of your time doing, it can recharge you so that you experience a fresh start and gain a new perspective on your everyday life. Giving some time in some way, whether donating some needed supplies (most animal shelters have a wish list) or your time not only helps these shelters, it helps you. more »

Beginning in the late 1970s, Sendak embarked on a second career as a designer for opera and ballet. Drawing the Curtain brings together nearly one hundred and fifty drawings from more than 900 by Sendak in the Morgan’s collection. This is the first museum exhibition dedicated to Sendak’s set and costume designs, offering new insights into the artist’s inspirations and creative process. The exhibit presents a wide selection of works from five of his most important productions: Mozart’s Magic Flute, Janáček's Cunning Little Vixen, Prokofiev’s Love for Three Oranges, Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker, and an opera based on Where the Wild Things Are. more »