This Day in History July 21, 1899

I will tell you right now that I am not a fan of the person I am featuring today, but there is no doubt of his talent and his legacy.  On this date in 1899, Ernest Hemingway was born.  I remember suffering through his stories through high school.  I don't think I have picked up anything by him since then.  Even the movies that are based on his books do not truly intrigue me.

So, I would describe Hemingway's books as being very masculine and celebrating manhood.  He often wrote about soldiers, bullfighters, hunters, etc.  I kind of always thought that is why I did not care for his books.  Yes, he was a great writer--even I can recognize that.  He won two literary awards--Pulitzer and Nobel Prize.  Unfortunately, he suffered from depression, and on July 2, 1961, he committed suicide.  That is the greatest tragedy of all.

If you are interested in watching some videos about him, check out this link.

And if you would like more information about Hemingway, check out the following links:
http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Ernest_Hemingway
http://www.biography.com/people/ernest-hemingway-9334498
http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/literature/laureates/1954/hemingway-bio.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_Hemingway

This Day in History February 18, 1885

This is the day in 1885 when Mark Twain published his controversial Huckleberry Finn.   Huck Finn was first introduced in Tom Sawyer in 1876.  Samuel Clemens (Twain's real name) wrote a much more serious book dealing with slavery and other issues in pre-Civil War South.

Even back in these times, the book sparked controversy.  Only a month after its publication, a library in Concord, Massachusetts banned the book and called it coarse and tawdry.  Other libraries continued to follow suit.  Even as late as the 1950's, it was called racist by the African American community.  Even in 1998, there were issues in an Arizona school when it was listed as required reading.

I will admit that I have not read the book--no because of the topic, but because I never got around to it.  I have read several books by Mark Twain, but the only one I really liked was his Joan of Arc book.  He is one that just did not really interest me.  But maybe I will read it one day!

For more information, check out this site.

This Day in History February 7, 1812

Well, today we celebrate one of my favorite authors.  Charles Dickens was born on this date in 1812.  He died June 9, 1870.  He is still one of the most celebrated British authors as evidenced by films, adaptations and more.

Initially, most of his works were published in monthly installments, and I would say that is why at the end of most of his chapters, he seems to leave you hanging.  My only complaint with his writing has ever been that he writes long books!

My favorite Charles Dickens book is A Tale of Two Cities.  It is one of a select few books that I have read more than once.  In fact, I wanted one time to write a musical based on it.  I remember beginning work on it several years ago, but I didn't get past the first part of the first song.

I know I could detail Dickens' life here, but I think it just better to remember his legacy (who doesn't know A Christmas Carol in some form?), and if you would like to check out links for a lot more information, please check out the following:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_dickens
http://www.online-literature.com/dickens/
http://www.usatoday.com/life/books/news/story/2012-01-30/charles-dickens-200th-birthday/52891568/1

This Day in History November 8, 1900

Anyone know this woman? I have to admit I wouldn't have recognized her.  But I sure know the name.  Does the name Margaret Mitchell mean anything to you?  Well, read on--it just might.

On this day in 1900, Margaret Mitchell was born in Atlanta, Georgia.  I could spend a long time talking about her family history--it is quite impressive--but if you are interested, you can check out the links below.  She was a fourth generation "Atlantan."  Before she could write, she was making up stories and dictating them to her mother.  As she grew older, she continued to write her own stories, and she discovered her flair for dramatics.  She often encouraged her friends to do the same.

For six years, Mitchell worked for the Atlanta Journal.  After an ankle injury limited her ability, she quit.  It was also around this time--WWI--that she met, fell in love, became engaged, and then lost her fiance in the war.  She also married an abusive man who left her after but a few months.

On July 4, 1925, she married again, and they settled in Kentucky.  It was the following year that she began writing Gone With the Wind as a way to cope with the boredom of being cooped up with a broken ankle. She completed the majority of the book in three years, and she also kept the novel a secret.  In 1935, Macmillan offered her a contract, and she spent time revising it.  In 1936, Gone with the Wind was published--1037 pages and $3 in price.  This book became an overnight success and eventually was made into a film in 1939.  In spite of the Great Depression, the book sold one million copies in its first six months, and it has sold at least 25 million copies to date.  It has also been translated into 40 languages.

Margaret Mitchell met an untimely death August 11, 1949.  She was in the process of crossing the street with her husband to see A Canterbury Tale.  She was hit by a speeding taxi cab and was rushed to the hospital.  She died five days later.




If you would like more information, please check out these links:
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/margaret-mitchell-is-born
http://www.answers.com/topic/margaret-mitchell
http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?id=h-2566
http://classiclit.about.com/cs/profileswriters/p/aa_mmitchell.htm