George Orwell’s writings have left a lasting imprint on American thought and culture…
George Orwell’s writings have left a lasting imprint on American thought and culture. ullstein bild/ullstein bild via Getty Images Mark Satta, Wayne State University Seventy-five years ago, in August 1946, George Orwell’s “Animal Farm” was published in the United States. It was a huge success, with over a half-million copies sold in its first year. […]
As I finish up Shadows and Stars, my sci-fi/adventure/horror novel/work in progress, the wisdom of Steinbeck’s advice becomes increasingly powerful. I have been going through the exact same processes he describes here. Hearing these again for the umpteenth time (I am seen them before in various magazine articles and videos) but with having the experience of finishing a novel, the truth of these has hit me harder than ever before. Before, they were one of those things that you and say, “wow, that makes sense”. But having lived these now, the wisdom of these hits me like a hammer. Take them to heart. They will help in your writing adventure.
Donatien Alphonse Francois, Marquis de Sade in 1760, age 19.
This is another video review of one of de Sade‘s works that I ran across while researching the author. Since today is de Sade’s birthday, and I have already posted a review of one of de Sade’s two most infamous works, I thought I would post a review of his other most infamous work.
The review is by Clifford Sergeant, who does excellent reviews of modern and classic works of literature on his Better than Food Youtube channel. I have seen several of his videos and I think they are terrific. However, reading and reviewing 120 Days of Sodom seems to have shaken him somewhat in this video.
As I mentioned in my previous post, last week, for some unknown reason, I had a burning curiosity about de Sade’s life. I watched a few YouTube videos on it, and, suffice it to say, my curiosity for his works has been sated, but I would love to learn more about de Sade’s life. He seems to be a fascinating character, though severely flawed to say the least.
From what I can gather about 120 Days of Sodom, de Sade wrote it while in prison (I believe in the Bastille). He wrote it to keep himself entertained and never intended to have it published. However, after he escaped prison, the manuscript was found in his cell and by some strange strokes of luck, was eventually published.
I hope you enjoy the video. It is a fascinating glimpse into one of literature’s most infamous works.
I love this quick videos from #TheSchoolofLife on YouTube. I hope to post more of these in the future. Albeit superficial, they are entertaining and very useful for gaining quick information on a writer or topic that you are not familiar with. So, if you hear of someone in passing and you know absolutely nothing about him, you can quickly look them up and get a rough idea of their lives and works.
Phil Slattery, Writer, Publisher 