Endnotes 21 March: World Poetry Day, Medieval Scribes, Church Bells, White Lotus-esque Reads & More
Plus, a new episode of The Library of Lost Time
Hello, friends!
Today is World Poetry Day! There’s never a bad time to read a poem or two, but today, it’s even better than usual.
Designated in 1991 by UNESCO, this annual celebration of poets and poetry is an excellent excuse to let your imagination play in the words of a poem.
Here are some accessible, readable options to get you started:
‘The Raven’ (stone-cold classic) by Edgar Allan Poe
And my personal favorite: ‘The Tiger,’ written by a six-year-old named Nael. This powerhouse poem — of just 12 words across 5 lines — was originally published in the anthology They’re Singing a Song in Their Rocket via the creative writing nonprofit 826DC (which Dave talked about in our SSoP episode about New York City).
For your reading pleasure: ‘The Tiger:’
Enjoy a critical breakdown of ‘The Tiger’ here.
You can also put some poetry in your ears with these episodes of The Library of Lost Time:
enjoy two poems that celebrate the passage of time and fresh starts
try these tips for finding your favorite poems
eavesdrop on a lively discussion with author Amy Tector about creating daily poetry habit
Endnotes: 21 March
Oooh! The Table of Contents newsletter — ’writing, recipes, discussions, and recommendations at the intersections of food and literature — is tasty fun!
Wow, like, this beatnik glossary swings like sixteen.
The Mirror & the Light miniseries, the conclusion to Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall trilogy, will be on PBS in the US on 23 March! Here’s some good stuff to get you hyped up for the downfall of our beloved Thomas Cromwell: BBC interviews with the primary cast members, a chat with the costume designer, and a guide to the stunning locations where it was filmed.
As we explained in our Strong Sense of Place episode Cemetery: Celebrate Life, Honor the Dead, visiting a historic cemetery can be a surprisingly good time. The first we ever visited was Père Lachaise in Paris. Here’s a guide to 5 other interesting Paris cemeteries.
Sorta related: This 2-minute weekly podcast from the BBC is pretty cool. Each episode features the ringing of bells from 500+ churches.
Love this story about an indigenous, all-women coffee collective in Mexico. ‘The Sat Kajpel Antsetik Cooperative, whose name literally translates to coffee with a woman’s face, is composed of 58 women from the region’s Indigenous Tseltal community… dedicated to closing gender gaps, improving access to education and empowering marginalized communities in Chiapas.’
Irresistible headline: 20 Essential Tools of a Medieval Scribe. (Cribbed by the excellent ‘13 things’ newsletter from Caroline Crampton.)
This week, I learned that the Bodleian Library in Oxford has a combo tour and afternoon tea on Thursdays! ‘Delve into the drama of the university and stories of student high jinks. Starting in the Divinity School and ending in the exquisite Duke Humfrey’s Library, hear how Oxford University maintained order in the 17th-century and also housed King Charles I’s parliament whilst the King was resident in Oxford during the English Civil War (1642–1651). Complement your tour with a traditional afternoon tea served in the café in the Weston Library.’
Are you watching the new season of White Lotus? Here are the 20 best books like the White Lotus. I want to read all of them!
Speaking of books I want to read: Nine Books Set on Trains That Show How They Changed the World. (If you also love books set on trains, please treat yourself to our podcast episode Trains: Better Than Planes and Cars. Fight Me.)
How Mr. Darcy Became One of Jane Austen’s Most Memorable Creations. ‘In the book Mr. Darcy startles Elizabeth by emerging from the stables just as she’s leaving his house, but the encounter with wet Colin Firth draws also from Heathcliff’s emergence from the shadows and of Jane Eyre’s first sight of Rochester, galloping into sight on his horse, his great white and black dog running with him. Firth’s Darcy is Austen out of the Brontës.’
Daydream fuel: a collection of hotels around the world that will ‘make you believe that you have suddenly become heir to a country estate.’ As much as I like the sphinx at the one in Ireland, I want to go to Troutbeck in New York right now.
Where to see 10 of the world’s rarest flowers.
These works by artists Nathalie Djurberg and Hans Berg combine fairy tales and dark dreams to make something equal parts creepy and whimsical. ‘Surreal birds, flowers, and beavers weave through the space… The exhibition is split across two floors, with a lighter, calmer selection of sculptures and moving image downstairs, which gives way to chaos above. The idea of good and evil is inherent, though the artists suggest these two things are harder to separate than we might like.’
New Episode of The Library of Lost Time
In each mini-podcast episode, we discuss two books at the top of our TBR, then share a fun book- or travel-related distraction. Get all the episodes and books galore here.
In this episode, we get excited about two new books: The Paris Express by Emma Donoghue and The Antidote by Karen Russell. Then Mel explains why you should give yourself a time-out on the floor.
listen + show notes | transcript