In the pantheon of great American literature, Booth Tarkington stands alone as the most forgettable writer to ever win the Pulitzer not just once, but twice. He is one of three writers to accomplish the feat. At one time, he was one of the most celebrated writers in America. Today, he is wholly forgotten, except … Continue reading The Forgettable Alice Adams
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Thoughts on His Family
Published in 1917, Ernest Poole's winner of the first ever Pulitzer Prize in 1918, His Family, is a surprisingly delightful read. The book has been largely out of print in recent years, and much like other early winners of the Pulitzer Prize, including Booth Tarkington's The Magnificent Ambersons, His Family is largely overlooked by modern … Continue reading Thoughts on His Family
The Failure of Orestes
While many other Greek tragedies tend to reiterate already established myths and customs, Euripides's Orestes appears to be entirely his own invention. Chronologically, the plot of the play takes place after the events contained in Aeschylus's Libation Bearers. It was first performed in 408 BC, near the close of the Peloponnesian War. In Orestes, Electra recounts the story … Continue reading The Failure of Orestes
Notes on the Enuma Elish
The Enuma Elish, or "when on high", is named for the opening lines of the poem. It is a fragmented Akkadian poem that borrows from a number of earlier cosmogonies from the Sumerians and Semitic cultures. The Akkadian version, discovered in the ruins of ancient Babylon, exists on seven tablets and has sometimes been called the … Continue reading Notes on the Enuma Elish
Thoughts on The Suppliants
Not to be confused with Aeschylus's The Suppliants, a story of the founding of Argos, Euripides's The Suppliants (or also called The Suppliant Women) tells the story of the grieving women of Argos. Their sons have died in battle against Creon of Thebes, but he has denied their proper burial rights leaving their bodies to rot in the … Continue reading Thoughts on The Suppliants
The Age of Innocence on Trial
The title of Edith Wharton's most famous and Pulitzer Prize winning novel is most likely derived from a famous painting by Sir Joshua Reynolds. The painting was created sometime between 1785-1788 (see below). Sir Reynolds did not actually title the painting, as the name was given to the work after his death. The painting was … Continue reading The Age of Innocence on Trial
Brief Notes on the Rhesus
The Rhesus is a highly disputed tragedy that is commonly attributed to Euripides. It is a short play, though not altogether a tragedy in the classic sense of the word. Unlike many other Greek tragedies, Rhesus takes place during the Homeric canon, during the events of Book X of the Iliad. The plot encompasses the events of a … Continue reading Brief Notes on the Rhesus
Examining Euripides’s Helen
Thirty years prior to Euripides's first performance of Helen at the Dionysia in 412 BC, Herodotus of Halicarnassus echoed a controversial theory of the story of the Trojan War. In Book II of his famous Histories, or "Inquiries", Herodotus suggests that Helen of Sparta, wife of Menelaus, was not actually taken to Troy, but was instead transported by the gods … Continue reading Examining Euripides’s Helen
What Is The Old Testament?
The "Old Testament" is a name that has been ascribed by latter religions, primarily Christianity, to various collections of the ancient Hebraic texts. It implies two things: one that the writings of the ancient Israelites, such as the Torah or the wisdom books, represent one whole and consistent "testament". Second, that the testament of the … Continue reading What Is The Old Testament?
Thoughts on The Magnificent Ambersons
The Magnificent Ambersons (1918) was the winner of the second Pulitzer Prize ever in 1919. It was written by Booth Tarkington, one of the few artists to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction on two separate occasions (he won it again for Alice Adams in 1922). For these accolades, he joins the exclusive club of William Faulkner and John … Continue reading Thoughts on The Magnificent Ambersons
