Other books that might interest you

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  Morella

  Edgar Allan Poe

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  "Morella" is a short story in the Gothic horror genre by 19th-century American author and critic Edgar Allan Poe.
  An unnamed narrator, deeply affected by his friend Morella, marries her despite not feeling romantic love, drawn instead by an indefinable, intense connection. Morella, a reclusive and profoundly erudite woman, immerses him in her mystical studies, particularly German metaphysical texts on identity, pantheism, and reincarnation. Over time, the narrator grows disturbed by her eerie presence, her cold touch, and her otherworldly voice, which shift his joy into horror. As Morella's health declines, marked by tuberculosis-like symptoms, he secretly wishes for her death, tormented by her unsettling gaze and cryptic demeanor.

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  Death at 830 - From their pens...

  Christopher St. John Sprigg

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  The bookshelves of British literature are incredible collections that have gathered together centuries of very talented authors.  From these Isles their fame spread and whilst among their number many are now forgotten or neglected their talents endure.  Among them is Christopher St John Sprigg.

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  Tree The (Unabridged)

  H. P. Lovecraft

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  "The Tree" is a macabre short story by American horror fiction writer H. P. Lovecraft. It was written in 1920, and published in October 1921 in The Tryout. Set in ancient Greece, the story concerns two sculptors who accept a commission with ironic consequences.
  Lovecraft wrote "The Tree" early in his career. He was dismissive of the story in a 1936 letter. Such stories, he said, "if typed on good stock make excellent shelf-paper, but little else." The assessment of Lovecraft authority S. T. Joshi was that although the story "may be a trifle obvious... it is an effective display of Lovecraft's skill in handling a historical setting."

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  Southern Fried Shakespeare - A...

  Robert James

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  Welcome y'all! This project was created for those who think they don't like Shakespeare. It is a completely unsanctioned and unconventional interpretation of some of the works of William Shakespeare. If you are a purist be forewarned! I have always been fascinated with the written works of Shakespeare since I was a child trying to decipher the giant volume of his works I discovered in my father's library. I knew it was important historically but the language had me often running to a dictionary in those pre-Google days. Understanding a live performance was an equally challenging task as the British accents combined with the lambic pentameter rhythm left me struggling to understand the meaning. But once you figure what he's saying you realized these timeless stories of dysfunctional families and political intrigue are just as relevant today as 400 years ago. Every actor in training experiences the works of William Shakespeare to some degree. While memorizing lines I would try various characters and accents. For Richard III's famous opening monologue I settled on a genteel aristocrat from the Southern United States. I shared with my instructor and after some initial eye rolls he had to admit it was easier to understand. Eventually I created a one man show around the idea and wrote original songs that I believe express the emotion and underlying intentions of the pieces. And of course what's a variety show without an MC or two. In this case two squabbling siblings Auntie Bella and her twin brother Beauregard to bring a small respite to the drama. During the COVID pandemic I decided to record an audio version of the show. I hope you enjoy my family of misfits as much as I did creating them. But hey, to thine own taste be true. Cousin Willy must have had a sense of humor to write some of this stuff!

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  General Custer - Folly At Little...

  Elizabeth Bacon Custer

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  Since the Battle of Little Bighorn, George Armstrong Custer (1839-1876) possessed one of the most unique places in American history. Although he was a capable cavalry officer who served honorably during the Civil War, he remains one of the most instantly identifiable and famous military men in American history due to the fact he was killed during one of the country’s most well known and ignominious defeats, the Battle of Little Bighorn. And yet, this one relatively insignificant battle during America’s Indian Wars has become one of the country’s most mythologized events and continues to fascinate Americans nearly 140 years later. Though he’s now best remembered for “Custer’s Last Stand”, Custer mastered the art of public relations, dressing impeccably and having newspaper correspondents accompany him on the campaign, all in an effort to help cultivate and enhance his legacy. For nearly 58 years, Elizabeth Bacon Custer was probably the most famous widow in the world. In this lively, fascinating, loving portrait of life on the plains with her already-famous husband, Libbie tells a civilized audience of the excitement, fun, and perils endured at a remote frontier post. Intelligent and beautiful, Libbie was a partner, confidant, and booster to the general, as well as an important figure in the social life of the posts he commanded. This book has been used as source material on the general's life as well as the frontier army for well over a century. Celebrated among the prominent people of her day, Libbie never remarried after Custer's death at the Little Bighorn in 1876. She spent the rest of her life writing and lecturing about him, burnishing his reputation and keeping his memory alive. Long a jewel of western Americana, this book continues to find and entertain new audiences in the 21st century.

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  Hide And Seek - From their pens...

  Fyodor Sologub

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  Fyodor Kuzmich Teternikov was born on 1st March 1863 in St. Petersburg into the family of a poor tailor.  When his father died of tuberculosis in 1867, his illiterate mother was forced to become a servant in the home of an aristocrat, where Sologub and his younger sister grew up.  
  Seeing how difficult his mother's life was, Sologub was determined to rescue her from it, and after graduating from the St. Petersburg Teachers' Institute in 1882 he took his mother and sister with him to his first teaching post in Kresttsy.  It was here he began his literary career in 1884 with his poem ‘The Fox and the Hedgehog’ under the name Te-rnikov. 
  It would be another decade before he could escape his various jobs to move to Moscow and begin his literary career on what would be his most famous novel, ‘The Petty Demon’.  It was now suggested that he use a pseudonym and so Sologub became his new identity. 
  In 1896 he published a book of poems, a collection of short stories, and his first novel, ‘Bad Dreams’, which is considered one of the first decadent Russian novels. 
  In 1905 ‘The Petty Demon’, was published, initially in serial form. But life was still difficult unrewarding jobs, little time to write and a small, cramped apartment lightened only by gatherings of friends, poets and writers. 
  By the October Revolution his work was becoming popular and with the novel of ‘The Petty Demon’, finally published as a book, he now had a growing income. 
  His sister's tuberculosis could now be more easily treated with treatments in proper sanitoria, even as far away as Finland, but in June 1907 she passed. 
  He returned to St. Petersburg and retired.  The following year he married the translator Anastasia Chebotarevskaya who reordered his life.  A big new apartment was rented, small gilt chairs were bought, and the walls of the large cold office were decorated with paintings. 
  Sologub continued to write and publish poems, plays, and translations and in 1914 he started a magazine, Writers' Journals, but the outbreak of World War I put an end to it.  
  The October Revolution, with publishing under Bolshevik control, ensured he now had no outlets for his writing and could only lecture. 
  His wife’s suicide in September 1921, mainly due to deprivation and uncertainty, as they prepared for a new life abroad, grieved him for the rest of his life. 
  In May 1927 Sologub became seriously ill, and by summer he could leave his bed only rarely.  
  After a long struggle, Fyodor Sologub died on 5th December 1927 in Leningrad.  He was 64.

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