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  Ever wonder what happens when a novelist juggles multiple alter egos, languages, and a sharp sense of humor? That was Brian O'Nolan, the Irish writer we remember today on his birthday. O'Nolan is a cornerstone of postmodern literature. Writing under the pen name Flann O'Brien, he gave us English-language novels like At Swim-Two-Birds and The Third Policeman, both celebrated for their bizarre humor and playful, mind-bending narratives. Under the name Myles na gCopaleen, he penned satirical columns for The Irish Times and even an Irish-language novel, An Béal Bocht. Influenced by James Joyce, O'Nolan nonetheless poked fun at the literary giant’s cult-like reputation, famously declaring, "I declare to God if I hear that name Joyce one more time I will surely froth at the gob." Fun fact: his work inspired the likes of Salman Rushdie and continues to enchant readers who love metafiction with a mischievous twist. Building Your Great Collection, One Fine Book at a ...
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    TODAY IN LITERARY HISTORY:  Birth of Cervantes [1547]  best known for his book, Don Quixote de la Mancha. Think of Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra as the Spanish language’s north star—the writer so towering that people still call Spanish la lengua de Cervantes (“the language of Cervantes”). He’s widely regarded as the greatest writer in Spanish and one of the world’s pre-eminent novelists. His masterpiece, Don Quixote, often hailed as the first modern novel, isn’t just a classic of Western literature; it helped set the template for the novel as we know it—character-driven, self-aware, and playful about the line between reality and imagination. Cervantes lived from 1547 to 1616, right through the climax and the unraveling of Spain’s Golden Age. He absorbed the era’s big tensions—imperial pride, religious conflict, economic strain—and filtered them into humane, often comic art. He believed in noble ideals even as he watched them collide with messy reality, which is ex...
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  TODAY IN LITERARY HISTORY:  June 26 Birthday of LYND WARD Building Your Great Collection, One Fine Book at a Time. BlindHorseBooks.com
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TODAY IN LITERARY HISTORY: Birthday of Dorothy Sayers Detective Fiction   “Building Great Collections One Fine Book at a Time” Check us out at www.BlindHorseBooks.com   
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 Today in Literary History: BIRTH OF G. K. CHESTERTON (1874 – 1936)   G.K. Chesterton was a fascinating figure in literary history, known for his wit, intellect, and prolific writing career a lay theologian, poet, philosopher, dramatist, journalist, orator, literary and art critic, biographer, and Christian apologist. Chesterton is often referred to as the "prince of paradox."      Time magazine has observed his writing style: "Whenever possible Chesterton made his points with popular sayings, proverbs, allegories—first carefully turning them inside out."       Chesterton's writing had a significant impact on various literary figures, including J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. Both Tolkien and Lewis credited Chesterton's works as influential in their own writings and philosophical development. Did You Know.....  ..... Chesterton was a large man, standing at around 6 feet 4 inches (193 cm) tall and weighing over 300 pounds He had a...
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  The Game is Afoot… CELEBRATING Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, HAPPY BIRTHDAY You probably know Sir Arthur Conan Doyle as the creator of the world’s most famous detective, Sherlock Holmes. But as significant as Sherlock Holmes is, it’s only a small part of the author’s story. In addition to his mysteries, Arthur Conan Doyle was a prolific writer who wrote fantasy, science fiction, plays, romance, poetry, non-fiction, humor, and historical fiction. ……but did you know…… ……Conan Doyle was also an enthusiastic investigator. He amateurishly solved a couple of mysteries. A particular one which gained much popularity was when he successfully got the Oscar Slater released from prison. Oscar Slater was wrongly convicted of the murder of an 82-year-old woman. ……..Doyle killed his most famous creation Sherlock Holmes, the same year his alcoholic father died in an asylum – 1893. It is also said and believed that he killed Sherlock so that he could focus on writing about his passion – Spiritualism. ...
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