All posts tagged: poet

The Philosopher Poet: Who Was Lucretius?

The Philosopher Poet: Who Was Lucretius?

Published by skeptic

  Ancient Rome produced so many significant historical figures—such as Julius Caesar, Cicero, Virgil, and Ovid—that it can be easy to forget the lesser-known but still important names. One of the most overlooked people is Titus Lucretius Carus, known simply as Lucretius, a philosopher and poet believed to have lived during the first century BCE. Because his life was largely undocumented, not much is remembered about him, but his contributions to the fields are still felt today.    Lucretius’s Life is Shrouded in Mystery Portrait illustration of Lucretius, unknown author. Source: Wikimedia Commons   There are no dates for Lucretius’s birth or death, but he likely lived at the tail end of the Roman Republic. From his writing, it can be assumed that he was wealthy and well-educated. He was supposedly married to a woman named Lucilia. Scholars believe he was connected with Cicero and Virgil, as both men mentioned him in their works.    Saint Jerome, an early Christian priest, wrote that Lucretius was driven mad by a love potion and died by suicide. …

L.A. Times Festival of Books 2024: Poet Victoria Chang on feminism, grief and art

L.A. Times Festival of Books 2024: Poet Victoria Chang on feminism, grief and art

Published by skeptic

Poet Victoria Chang stood on a stage behind a podium, setting up a timer before reading several poems from her new book “With My Back to the World,” which touches on issues such as feminism, art, depression and grief. The idea for the book, she explained to the small crowd at her poetry reading, was inspired by one of the screenprints in Agnes Martin’s series, which is titled by the same name. Victoria Chang, author of “The Trees Witness Everything,” in the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books photo studio at USC in Los Angeles on Sunday. (Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times) Chan began with the reading of “On a Clear Day,” which made reference to a gunman’s mass shooting at three Atlanta-area spas in 2021 that left eight people dead, mostly women of Asian descent. On some clear days, there are only forty eight birds and forty eight people and forty eight houses. And forty eight wars. And forty eight apples. I keep counting grids. But no matter how I try, I still get …

George the Poet claims Kendrick Lamar is ‘cosplaying as a revolutionary’

George the Poet claims Kendrick Lamar is ‘cosplaying as a revolutionary’

Published by Sam

Sign up to Roisin O’Connor’s free weekly newsletter Now Hear This for the inside track on all things music Get our Now Hear This email for free British musician George the Poet has criticised Kendrick Lamar for “cosplaying as a revolutionary”, as he questioned how vocal the US rapper has been about “important things”. The 33-year-old Londoner, whose real name is George Mpanga, shot to fame in 2014 for his socially conscious music and spoken-word poetry, and made headlines for turning down an MBE over what he called the “pure evil” of the British Empire. His comments come amid an ongoing battle between international rap stars Lamar, Drake, and J Cole, which Mpanga referred to dismissively as Lamar’s “catty moment”. Lamar has ventured further into politically conscious performances in recent years, including a politically charged statement at the 2016 Grammy Awards in which he dressed in a prison jumpsuit and chains as he paid tribute to Trayvon Martin, a 17-year-old teenager killed by police. However, Mpanga said he was unimpressed with the trajectory the rapper …

Zee the Poet: A Secular Rescue Story

Zee the Poet: A Secular Rescue Story

Published by Sam

Matthew Cravatta [ Adobe Stock | BrAt82 ] Secular Rescue is not an island; it sits proudly among a chain of secular humanitarian organizations whose primary focus is helping endangered atheist-activists, predominantly ex-Muslims, find safety and hope in an angry world. Our program of love is sometimes dependent on the numerous friends and connections we make on our rounds as we work to find solutions to the complex and daunting problems that many face—be it those without faith since birth or those who later in life converted to atheism.  Our program gets many referrals, more than we can typically handle in any given year, but we take each one with the intention of doing what we can to provide the needed assistance. Just such a case came our way in mid-summer 2020. An Egyptian journalist and renowned poet, who we’ll call “Zee,” comes from a Muslim background but is now a professed atheist. He was forced to flee Egypt with his pregnant wife and move to a neighboring country. His wife is Christian, and they …

Richard Serra, the ‘poet of iron,’ has died at 85

Richard Serra, the ‘poet of iron,’ has died at 85

Published by skeptic

Famed American sculptor Richard Serra poses in front of “Slat,” a 1984 steel sculpture, after its reinstallation in La Defense, west of Paris, Dec. 15, 2008. JACQUES BRINON / AP Famed American artist and sculptor Richard Serra, known for turning curving walls of rusting steel and other malleable materials into large-scale pieces of outdoor artwork that are now dotted across the world, died on Tuesday, March 26, at his home in Long Island, New York. He was 85. Considered one of his generation’s most preeminent sculptors, the San Francisco native originally studied painting at Yale University but turned to sculpting in the 1960s, inspired by his trips to Europe. His death was confirmed Tuesday night by his lawyer, John Silberman, whose firm is based in New York. He said the cause of death was pneumonia. Known by his colleagues as the “poet of iron,” Serra became world-renowned for his large-scale steel structures, such as monumental arcs, spirals and ellipses. He was closely identified with the minimalist movement of the 1970s. Serra’s work started to gain …

Poet Liz Berry’s The Home Child wins Writers’ prize book of the year | Books

Poet Liz Berry’s The Home Child wins Writers’ prize book of the year | Books

Published by skeptic

Three women have triumphed in this year’s Writers’ prize, formerly known as the Rathbones Folio prize, with poet Liz Berry winning the overall book of the year award, worth £30,000. Berry won the £2,000 poetry prize as well as the overall award for her collection The Home Child, a novel-in-verse inspired by the poet’s great-aunt, who at 12 years old was forced to move from the Black Country to Canada as part of the British child migrant schemes. The Home Child is a “profound act of witness to a long injustice, and a beautifully crafted conjuring of a life lived as truly as possible,” wrote Ruth Padel in her Guardian review. Anne Enright won the fiction category, receiving £2,000, for The Wren, The Wren, a meditation on the love between mother and daughter. “Art as an illusion, love as a trap, the stranglehold of family ties: these are themes that Enright has already made her own,” wrote Elizabeth Lowry in a Guardian review. “They are not just reprised here but honed to an essential honesty.” …

Taylor Swift revealed to be related to 19th Century American poet Emily Dickinson | Ents & Arts News

Taylor Swift revealed to be related to 19th Century American poet Emily Dickinson | Ents & Arts News

Published by Sam

She is one of the greatest songwriters of her generation – so it should come as no surprise to hear that Taylor Swift’s way with words appears to be in her blood. Genealogy company Ancestry has found that the star, who is currently touring the world and made history at the Grammys last month, is related to 19th century American poet Emily Dickinson. As revealed to NBC’s Today show, a Sky News US affiliate, the two women are sixth cousins, three times removed. With Swift‘s upcoming album titled The Tortured Poets Department, it seems pretty apt. “Swift and Dickinson both descend from a 17th Century English immigrant (Swift’s ninth great-grandfather and Dickinson’s sixth great-grandfather who was an early settler of Windsor, Connecticut),” Ancestry shared with Today. “Taylor Swift’s ancestors remained in Connecticut for six generations until her part of the family eventually settled in northwestern Pennsylvania, where they married into the Swift family line.” ‘That’s me writing in the quill genre’ Swift herself has previously referenced the 19th century poet while talking about the different …

Taylor Swift is related to real-life tortured poet Emily Dickinson

Taylor Swift is related to real-life tortured poet Emily Dickinson

Published by skeptic

Turns out Taylor Swift’s upcoming album release, “The Tortured Poets Department,” could have a more personal meaning than usual. Genealogy company Ancestry found that the mega pop star is related to famed American poet Emily Dickinson, TODAY first reported. They are sixth cousins, three times removed. According to Ancestry, Swift and Dickinson are both descendants of Jonathan Gillette, a 17th century immigrant and early settler of Windsor, Connecticut. Gillette is Swift’s ninth great-grandfather and Dickinson’s sixth great-grandfather.    “Taylor Swift’s ancestors remained in Connecticut for six generations until her part of the family eventually settled in northwestern Pennsylvania, where they married into the Swift family line,” Ancestry told TODAY. Prior to the latest revelation, Swift has referenced Dickinson several times while sharing and speaking about her music. Swift released her ninth studio album, “Evermore,” on Dec. 10, 2020, which is Dickinson’s birthday. Fans also drew parallels to Swift’s album title and Dickinson’s poem called “One Sister Have I in Our House,” which includes the word “forevermore.” While discussing the cover of her eighth studio album, “Folklore,” …

Taylor Swift Is Related to This Famous Tortured Poet

Taylor Swift Is Related to This Famous Tortured Poet

Published by Sam

Apparently, writing runs in Taylor Swift‘s family! On Monday, Ancestry revealed that the 34-year-old pop songstress has a very famous poet in her bloodline. The genealogy company shared with ET that it used its vast collection of online historical records to discover a family connection between Swift and the iconic American poet Emily Dickinson. Specifically, Swift and Dickinson are sixth cousins, three times removed.  “Swift and Dickinson both descend from a 17th-century English immigrant (Swift’s ninth great-grandfather and Dickinson’s sixth great-grandfather who was an early settler of Windsor, Connecticut),” Ancestry explained in a press release. “Swift’s ancestors remained in Connecticut for six generations until her part of the family eventually settled in northwestern Pennsylvania, where they married into the Swift family line.” The GRAMMY winner has previously shared how Dickinson has influenced her pen, referencing the 19th-century poet in her 2022 acceptance speech while receiving the Songwriter-Artist of the Decade Award from the Nashville Songwriters Association International. “If my lyrics sound like a letter written by Emily Dickinson’s great-grandmother while sewing a lace curtain, that’s me writing in the Quill …

Mercedes de Acosta: The poet who had affairs with the 20th century’s most famous women | Books

Mercedes de Acosta: The poet who had affairs with the 20th century’s most famous women | Books

Published by skeptic

She was the “furious lesbian” who had affairs with some of the most famous women of the jazz age, prompting the writer and wit Alice B Toklas to remark of Mercedes de Acosta: “Say what you will about Mercedes, she’s had the most important women of the 20th century.” Among the playwright and poet’s conquests and flirtations were Hollywood royalty Greta Garbo and Marlene Dietrich, dancers Isadora Duncan and Tamara Karsavina, actresses Ona Munson and Pola Negri, and reportedly Toklas herself. Although she never achieved the same heights of fame as the women she bedded — she staged a few plays and published three modestly received books of poetry in her lifetime: Moods in 1919, Archways of Life in 1921 and Streets and Shadows the following year — de Acosta is probably best known for her explosive memoir Here Lies the Heart in 1960, in which she detailed her liaisons in 1920s America, prompting rifts with several of the women named. But now a fourth book of unpublished poetry has emerged, a one-off volume written …