1009 – Su Xun, Chinese Song dynasty poet and essayist. 1772 – Ram Mohan Roy, Indian writer, translator, philosopher, religious and social reformer, and humanitarian known for efforts to abolish child marriage and the practice of sati (the sacrifice of a widow on her deceased husband’s pyre); he is considered the “father of the IndianContinue reading “May 22 Writer Birthdays”
Category Archives: Books / Reading / Writing
52 Ancestors, Week 21: Brick Wall
In genealogy, a brick wall is a point at which one ancestor brings you to an abrupt halt in your effort to trace your family tree. Further information on this person is elusive, or you know who it was, but cannot seem to find the records you need in order to determine who the ancestor’sContinue reading “52 Ancestors, Week 21: Brick Wall”
May 21 Writer Birthdays
1546 – Madeleine de l’Aubespine, French writer, poet, literary patron, and lady in waiting to Catherine de Medici; l’Aubespine was one of the earliest female erotic poets and was one of the few female poets whose work was praised by “the prince of poets,” Pierre de Ronsard. 1688 – Alexander Pope, English poet and translatorContinue reading “May 21 Writer Birthdays”
May 20 Writer Birthdays
1470 – Pietro Bembo, Venetian Italian writer, poet, librarian, historian, essayist, translator, and Catholic cardinal; he influential in the development of the Italian language, specifically Tuscan, as a literary medium, codifying the language for standard modern usage. 1505 – Levinus Lemnius, Dutch writer, physician, astrologer, and Catholic priest. 1754 – Elisabeth “Elisa” Charlotte Constanzia vonContinue reading “May 20 Writer Birthdays”
May 19 Writer Birthdays
1771 – Rahel Antonie Friederike Varnhagen, German author, essayist, and letter writer who hosted one of the most prominent salons in Europe during the late 18th and early 19th centuries; in addition to her own writings, she is the subject of a celebrated biography, Rahel Varnhagen: The Life of a Jewess, written by Hannah Arendt,Continue reading “May 19 Writer Birthdays”
May 18 Writer Birthdays
1048 – Omar Khayyám, Persian poet, philosopher, astronomer, and mathematician; known for his collection of poetry that translator Edward FitzGerald titled The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyám. 1452 – Henry the Younger of Poděbrady, Czech poet, writer, and translator who was Prince of Bohemia and Duke of Münsterberg. 1711 – Roger Joseph Boscovich, Croat-Italian writer, poet,Continue reading “May 18 Writer Birthdays”
May 17 Writer Birthdays
1155 – Jien, Japanese historian, poet, and Buddhist monk. 1723 – Bianca Laura Saibante, Italian poet and playwright who was one of the founders of the cultural institution, the Accademia Roveretana degli Agiati. 1792 – Isabella Noel Byron (11th Baroness Wentworth and Baroness Byron, née Milbanke), English writer, poet, memoirist, and mathematician who was marriedContinue reading “May 17 Writer Birthdays”
May 16 Writer Birthdays
1718 – Maria Gaetana Agnesi, Italian writer, essayist, mathematician, theologian, philosopher, philanthropist, and humanitarian who was the first woman to write a mathematics handbook and the first woman appointed as a mathematics professor at a university. She wrote the first book discussing both differential and integral calculus, and also wrote extensively on the marriage betweenContinue reading “May 16 Writer Birthdays”
52 Ancestors, Week 20: Bearded
It’s Week 20 of 2023, and of the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks project. The challenge was created by genealogist Amy Johnson Crow, who provides a different prompt each week for exploring family history. I thought last week’s theme, Bald, was difficult. This week’s is harder. The theme is Bearded. It’s harder because beards just doContinue reading “52 Ancestors, Week 20: Bearded”
May 15 Writer Birthdays
1689 – Mary Wortley Montagu (née Pierrepont), English poet, travel writer, letter writer, playwright, explorer, and aristocrat who is remembered for her works written during her travels to the Ottoman Empire; her writings address and challenge her society’s attitudes toward women’s intellectual growth. She is also known for introducing and advocating for smallpox inoculation inContinue reading “May 15 Writer Birthdays”
The Petrini Page 