“Infatuated, half through conceit, half through love of my art, I achieve the impossible working as no one else ever works…” …once said Alexandre Dumas. Dumas was known for writing beloved adventure novels such as The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Cristo. He was also known for his driven, kind, and original personality. What most people don’t know, however, was that Alexandre Dumas was Black. Born in France in 1802, Dumas was the son of General Thomas-Alexandre Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie, one of the highest-ranking men of African descent to lead a European army. Dumas’s …
In January 1959, some of music’s biggest acts decided to set up a 24-day tour around the American midwest. Three of these acts were Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, The Big Bopper. On the night of February 3rd, 1959, the three boarded a plane intending on going to the next stop. Unfortunately, they would never get there. The plane crashed, killing the three of them. Don McLean immortalized this event in his song “American Pie” and therefore February 3rd has become known as “The Day the Music Died.” Here are a few books that go into detail about the fateful tour …
This January, in 1873, Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette, known as her pen name Colette, was born. Colette was known for her scandalous love life, her prolific career that includes eighty works (Gigi being her most famous work), and just generally doing whatever she wanted. Here are some facts about her amazing life to celebrate her 148th birthday. 1. Her first husband took credit for her early works In 1893, Colette married Henry Gauthier-Villars, pen named Willy and moved to Paris. Willy was a writer, critic, and publisher, and introduced her to a Parisian society of artists and writers. While she was …
Bookshop.org, an online bookshop dedicated to helping independent bookstores reach a wider online customer base, and Libro.fm, an independent audiobook company, both boasted amazing sales over the course of 2020.
On January 20th, 2021, former vice president Joseph R. Biden was inaugurated as the 46th president of the United States, but it was 22-year-old Inaugural poet Amanda Gorman who stole the show with her poem “The Hill We Climb” and its message of renewed hope. Here are some tweets that perfectly summarize the impact it clearly had on those viewing.
