MrsGiant

Today is what would have been F. Scott Fitzgerald's 116th birthday, had he been privy to a drink from the fountain of youth. He lived in the glorious Jazz Age, a time when the fast life of the Roaring Twenties was at its peak, and his work thus reflected the dreamer's life he lead. His first book, This Side of Paradise, brought him instant fame, but the remainder of his works were not popularized until the fifties. His most famous novel, The Great Gatsby, which since its publication has become a model for the tragic love story, was treated with little celebration when it was first released, leading him to believe that his bright star had a...

Today, Ireland- and, indeed, the world- has lost another literature great. The esteemed and much-beloved author Maeve Binchy has passed into the otherworld. A natural storyteller and lover of small-town life, Maeve created stories that glorified her home and brought her wonderment of the small to the world at large. Circle of Friends, Minding Frankie, Tara Road: these are just a few of the many, many stories she shared with us.Soilse na gréine linn inniu. You will be greatly missed.

Today, one of the last literary classic greats passing into the otherworld and left a blazing trail of books and stories behind him. Ray Bradbury, author of classics Fahrenheit 451, The Illustrated Man, The Martian Chronicles, pioneer of science and speculative fiction, touched many readers and authors alike over his many years. He was honest, poignant, sentimental, monumental. His works have been lauded and loved by countless people the world over. He sold stories for 20$ a piece to Weird Tales magazine and didn't make a living from his writing until much later in life. His motto was "Write the Goddamn book. To hell with everything else",...