#Thomas Niles

[aselectsociety]

Minor Changes

In my exploration of Dickinson’s sensitivity to and use of tonal qualities and shifts provided through different types of rhyme, I posted two poems recently which play on the term “minor.”  Yesterday, I posted one of them, “Further in Summer than the birds,” a poem which has some interesting bits of trivia associated with it.

First, there are six variations of this poem, and the longest version (with seven stanzas) was sent to Gertrude Vanderbilt.

And are you ready for this?

R. W. Franklin’s research states that this long version of the poem “was sent to Gertrude Vanderbilt, who was seriously injured in 1864 when shot by a suitor her maid had rejected.  During her recovery, ED sent several poems, including this one, signed ‘Emily,’ about late summer 1865.”

Say what?

My first exploration into “Gertrude Vanderbilt” led me to the Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney who founded the Whitney Museum in New York City, but this was not the correct Gertrude Vanderbilt (as she was not born until 1875).

Further research led me to Gertrude Lefferts Vanderbilt, and I discovered this information:

“The poem…(referred) to as the Vanderbilt variant of ‘Further in Summer than the Birds’ takes its name from its first reader, Gertrude Lefferts Vanderbilt (1824 – 1902) of Evans 8 Flatbush, Brooklyn, New York, to whom Dickinson mailed the poem during the summer of 1865. Although Dickinson and Vanderbilt likely never met in person, they knew each other through Dickinson’s close friend and sister-in-law Susan Dickinson, with whom Vanderbilt went to school. Vanderbilt suffered a near-fatal gunshot wound, a scandalous event that drew national attention. In what the Brooklyn Eagle and the Springfield Republican called ‘an attempt at revenge,’ a farm laborer named William Cutter, the spurned suitor of Vanderbilt’s servant Anne Walker, attacked and shot both Walker and Vanderbilt. Perhaps to aid Vanderbilt during her recovery, Dickinson sent four letter-poems to Vanderbilt during the year after her injury. The Vanderbilt variant of ‘Further in Summer than the Birds’ was one of them.”

And get this – another strange twist to the “Vanderbilt variant”:  

“For more than eighty years, scholars believed that the earliest version of Emily Dickinson’s ‘Further in Summer than the Birds,’ a major mid-career poem often regarded as ‘one of Dickinson’s finest’ (McSweeney 155) and ‘best-known poems,’ had been lost (Franklin, ‘The Manuscripts’ 552). They only knew of the existence of this elusive variant because Dickinson’s first editor, Mabel Loomis Todd, made a transcript in the 1890s, marking the last recorded sighting of Dickinson’s original manuscript before its mysterious disappearance…Yet, against all odds, the manuscript survived, resurfacing miraculously at Ella Strong Denison Library, the special collections library at Scripps College in Claremont, California, in 1986, exactly a century after Dickinson’s death.”

Dissatisfied with the final five stanzas, Dickinson substituted two new ones which created a four-stanza version that, with a few changes, prevailed after that.

Dickinson included this shortened version in a letter to Thomas Wentworth Higginson in 1866 in which she told him that her beloved dog “Carlo died”; she asked, “Would you instruct me now?”

Seventeen years later, in 1883, the poet returned to the poem and made two further copies.  In March 1883 she enclosed a two stanza version of the poem in a letter to Thomas Niles, referring to this one as “My Cricket” (i.e., a member of the “minor Nation” in line 3 that celebrates its “unobtrusive Mass”).  

Another version was prepared for Mabel Loomis Todd.  It also included a cricket wrapped in a piece of paper.

ONE LAST THING TO WONDER ABOUT:  When I Google-searched “Gertrude Lefferts Vanderbilt,” an entry popped up involving Edith Wharton’s novel “The Age of Innocence.”  In a list of “Minor Characters” from the book (hmm…there’s that word “minor” again), I spotted a character by the name of “Lawrence Lefferts,” a wealthy young man and a member of Archer's social circle, and his wife – who suspects that he is having an affair – is Mrs. Gertrude Lefferts,

Do you think that the “Gertrude Lefferts” in the book, written in 1920, has any connection at all to “Gertrude Lefferts Vanderbilt”? The time period highlighted in the book is the 1870s; Gertrude Lefferts, 1824 - 1902, lived in Brooklyn, and Edith Wharton grew up in New York City.

[leodanbrock]

Daft Punk said something to me that blew me away. They said they wanted to do an album as if the internet never existed. I said, "oh, old school!" It was certainly the most rewarding to have been involved in a project that was so monumental to my life. Winning my first Grammy was amazing to me. It's become a great learning experience for me, after Daft Punk. I started playing with much younger artists. No one is my age, I'm 70! Charli XCX, Burna Boy. I just recorded my first k-pop record, and now I've got like five under my belt and they're huge. Life was one way before Random Access Memories and completely different after. — Nile Rodgers

💿📀 Daft Punk — Memory Tapes dir. WARREN FU (2023).

[djooonts363]

Up All Night to Get Lucky!🥂✨

(last year's artwork for Pop Music zine)

[too-many-rooks]

Yassen Gregorovich and the morons he works with: sneaking up on his employers/coworkers just to annoy and unnerve them edition. Next>

Bonus;

[biovyxart]

☀️🍸💿💽🍦🌴

-

With its zines released and I can now share my Daft Punk Anthropology artwork in full view~

My assigned piece is Random Access Memories

[rabbitcruiser]

National Reptile Awareness Day

Every October 21 is National Reptile Awareness Day. Godzilla. Reptar. Yoshi. The Geico Gecko. Those two lizards that always hang out around your back porch. These are just a few of the famous reptiles we love. But on October 21, we celebrate all of our cold-blooded friends. This day is observed to educate and raise awareness of  threats to the natural habitats that our reptilian companions rely on to survive.

History of National Reptile Awareness Day

While the history of reptiles may go hundreds of millions of years back, National Reptile Awareness Day has an unfortunately short history in comparison. Additionally, it wasn’t really until 1966 when the first Endangered Species Act was passed that awareness of the needs and threats facing reptiles (or any animal, for that matter) started to make its way into our cultural mainstream. 

With the passing of that act, a mid-century push toward conservation started taking the forefront. Updates were passed in 1967 and 1969. Additionally, in 1967, the Environmental Defense Fund created their historical efforts to ban DDT from usage in the United States. Much of this was movement was sparked by Rachel Carson’s seminal book, Silent Spring, which documented the adverse effects pesticides and other chemicals have on the environment. 

National Reptile Awareness Day wouldn’t exist without the efforts of that movement. In fact, many reptiles wouldn’t be around today without the help of the Endangered Species Act. While National Reptile Awareness Day may have a small history compared to its subjects, its still part of a historically important movement to help protect and conserve all species of animals.

National Reptile Awareness Day timeline

315 million years ago

Prehistoric Reptiles Evolve

Reptiles are considered to have evolved from amphibians around this time. While many have perished along the way due to mass extinction, many (such as crocodiles and sea turtles) still remain

66 million years ago

The End of the Reptilian Era

The end of "The Age of Reptiles," a period of time where dinosaurs and other massive reptiles roamed around as if it were Jurassic Park. This began "The Age of Mammals," while, despite the name, reptilian species continued to diversify and thrive but at a much, much, much smaller size. 

1978

The Loggerhead is Listed

The loggerhead sea turtle, one of the more famous reptiles, is listed as endangered, mostly due to bycatch in fishing gear but also because of loss of nesting habitats. 

1987

See Ya Later, Alligator

The American alligator is officially removed from the protected species list, making a remarkable comeback from near extinction after spending twenty years on the list.

National Reptile Awareness Day FAQs

When is National Reptile Awareness Day?

National Reptile Awareness Day is every year on October 21. 

How do I celebrate National Reptile Awareness Day?

There are many ways to celebrate National Reptile Awareness Day, such as donating to a reptile conservation, visiting a national park, or learning to identify reptiles. 

Is a turtle a reptile?

The placement of turtles within the reptile kingdom has historically been up for debate, but so far they are still considered to be reptiles.  

National Reptile Awareness Day Activities

Donate to a reptile conservation programThere are a lot of different organizations that want to continue educating the public about our reptilian friends. One way they do this is by also advocating for us to have the ability to keep reptiles as pets. Donate to your favorite organization to help them continue being the voice for reptiles.

Visit a National ParkRegardless of what part of the country you live in, reptiles play a major part in your ecosystem. By visiting your nearest national park, you're helping promote a place that is dedicated to preserving the natural habitats for all animals that live in that area - including, of course, the reptiles. Some notably reptilian parks are Joshua Tree, Big Bend, and the Everglades.

Identify a reptile (or two, or three)Consumer science is an important part of helping researchers understand where our cold-blooded friends live and their population densities. Many identification apps are created by institutions to help draw in that data. If you see a lizard or other reptile, use an app to ID it. This helps scientists understand where certain populations live and how well they're adapting among us. The Audubon Reptiles & Amphibians app is a great place to start.

Why We Love National Reptile Awareness Day

Their body armor: Reptiles are known for having thick skin, literally. Their armored body is made up of scales or boney plates (yes, some have their bones on the outside) to protect them from the daily wear and tear. How cool is that?!

Lizards, turtles, and snakes, oh my!: Because some of the most awesome characters/creatures on TV, or in the films we watch, are reptiles. They are sometimes dramatized to be huge and scary, like Godzilla, and other times are hilarious, like the Geico Gecko.

They make the best pets: No backyard to have a dog? No problem! Most reptiles can be kept indoors in naturally adorned tanks. They are easily maintained and make for an educational experience for kids learning about the environment.

Source

National Reptile Day

Not every person can look at a boa constrictor named Barbara or a toad named Frank and think lovable thoughts. However, National Reptile Day is the perfect day for the squeamish and admirers alike to appreciate the role these creatures play in our ecosystem. We celebrate these reptiles on October 21 — where fans take the time to educate others about habitat loss, conservation programs, and the importance of keeping reptiles off the endangered list. Below we share what you can do to celebrate this holiday — even from a distance.

National Reptile Day timeline

​400 BC

The beginning of recording reptiles

​The methodological study of reptiles dates back to the time of philosophers Aristotle and Pliny.

​1852

A prehistoric discovery was made ​

​Traces of the oldest known reptile, called the Hylonomus lyelli, were discovered in a fossilized tree stump in Nova Scotia.

​1998

​Saving the Galapagos

Ecuador enacted the Galapagos Special law, to create the Galapagos Marine Reserve and protect the island wildlife (including the Galapagos Tortoise), manage fisheries, and inspect quarantine measures.

National Reptile Day Activities

Reacquaint yourself with reptiles: Spend some time holding and interacting with reptiles — perhaps at a pet shop — where snakes, frogs, or lizards are just a short car ride away.

Donate to a conservation program: Contribute to programs designated to protecting endangered species. Many reptiles are still hunted for their use in leather or to meet consumer demands. In several regions, this type of hunting is a big problem due to the role most reptiles play in their specific ecosystems.

Read about reptiles: Spend a day at the library researching and learning new things about reptiles. You may even find your future pet in the process.

​5 Quirks Only Reptiles Could Have

​The Fantastic Four​: There are four orders of species: the Crocodilia (crocodiles, alligators, etc.), the Tuatara (lizard-like), the Squamata, (includes lizards and snakes), and the Testudines (turtles, tortoises, and terrapins).

​Baby it's cold inside​: The majority of all reptiles are considered ectothermic, meaning they rely on their environments to regulate their internal body temperature, reproductive health, immune system functioning, and daily stamina.

​Larger than Life: One of the largest reptiles on record is the salt water crocodile, which can measure over twelve feet long and weigh more than a thousand pounds.

​Circle of life: ​All reptiles play an important function in their ecosystem; for example, lizards control insects and pests in homes and gardens, while snakes keep rodents under control in urban life and in the countryside.

Survival! The way reptiles adapt to their environments allows them to create defensive behaviors in fights, to reproduce, hunt for their food, or anticipate a dangerous situation.

Why We Love National Reptile Day

A time to love our pets: Reptile owners get a special day to appreciate their best friends every year with this holiday. This day allows us to treat our buddies and give some never-ending love and care!

A day to relax with some reps: For those of us who don’t own a reptile, but are curious, this holiday allows us to take time to observe them in their natural element. For those who are very nervous or scared of anything slithery, this is the perfect day to face those fears.

We expand our knowledge: Taking the time to learn about these different species allows us to appreciate the environment we both share. This day is perfect to teach children about animals and nature.

Source

[oncanvas]

View on the Nile near Cairo, Thomas Seddon, circa 1855

Watercolor over graphite with stopping out, heightened with gouache 7 9/16 x 14 1/16 in. (19.2 x 35.7 cm) The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, NY, USA

[kimberlyshaws]

[chameleonjoy]

New Jason Wong (Nile) stills for Alex Rider Season 3!!

Episode 4:

Episode 5:

Episode 8:

You cannot convince me all these below are not from the same scene as Nile goes to take out Alex and Yassen is there with his silencer ready to silence Nile 🫢🦂

[narastories]

Kinktober 2024 Wrap-Up

Okay, so I completely dropped the ball at the end of the month there because I got busy with other stuff. But! I still managed to pump out a lot of fics for ideas that I had for a while, so I'm pretty happy with the results. 25k for a month isn't bad either.

Admittedly, some of the fics could use a little more polish... But I always view these sorts of challenges as experimentation with my writing process and my conclusion for this one is: while I can write every day, maybe I shouldn't post every day lmao

Here is the complete breakdown if you feel like reading something kinky:

Day 1 - Dirty Talk: I want to be the one to make you feel good Harry/Thomas (Dresden Files)

Day 2 - Against a wall: in the elevator Philes (Fetch Phillips Archives)

Day 3 - Orgasm control: small bargain with a devil Harry/Nic (Dresden Files)

Day 4 - Stockings: a private and delightful bet Philes (Fetch Phillips Archives)

Day 5 - Praise Kink: two matching ties Philes (Fetch Phillips Archives)

Day 6 - Thigh riding: play pretend Harry/Molly (Dresden Files)

Day 7 - Risky places: bored criminals Harry/Grey as roleplaying Nic (Dresden Files)

Day 8 - Threesome/Moresome: love to hate Harry/Nic/Deirdre (Dresden Files)

Day 9 - Naked/Clothed: blood-red touch Harry/Ortega (Dresden Files)

Day 10 - Knifeplay: opening presents Harry/Nic (Dresden Files)

Day 11 - Leather/Latex: blatantly public displays of affection Stavos (ASIOAF)

Day 12 - Role reversal: taming the most powerful man in the city Philes (Fetch Phillips Archives)

Day 13 - Oral: surprise anatomy Harry/Grey (Dresden Files)

Day 14 - Sensory deprivation/Sensory play: elemental spells in bed Harry/Nic (Dresden Files)

Day 15 - Cock rings/cages: little key Philes (Fetch Phillips Archives)

Day 16 - Flashing: on a dark beach somewhere Stavos (ASIOAF)

Day 17 - Biting/Biting marks: a not-so-scary monster Harry/Ortega (Dresden Files)

Day 18 - Body writing: love poems on your skin Pinsty (Hellraiser)

Day 19 - Pegging/Strap-ons: creative use of wood nymph magic Fetch/Amari (Fetch Phillips Archives)

Day 20 - Facesitting: lazy day denarians Nic/Deirdre (Dresden Files)

Day 21 - Masturbation: invaluable product testing Philes (Fetch Phillips Archives)

Day 22 - Breeding kink: instinct Fetch/Theo (Fetch Phillips Archives)

Day 23 - Bondage/Restraints: Devil & Bunny Johh/BJR (Outlander)

As always, mind the tags, use common sense and the back button if needed ;)

[aselectsociety]

Remarkable Defects

My recent posts have focused on the difficulties faced by Mabel Loomis Todd and Thomas Wentworth Higgins in the late 1880s as they were preparing Emily Dickinson’s poetry for publication. 

Yesterday’s post included a quote from Millicent Todd Bingham detailing what her mother had told her surrounding the editing recommendations and rulings she and Higginson had to make:

“When Emily Dickinson was unknown, her acceptance by the literary world problematical, such decisions were weighty.  The poems chosen to introduce her must not be too queer.  The editors never ceased to feel handicapped by this limitation.”

Due to the “problematical” nature of Dickinson’s work (i.e, in form, punctuation, capitalization, syntax, grammar, etc.), publishers in 1890 weren’t keen on printing her work.  

Bingham’s father, David Peck Todd, told her that Colonel Higginson first recommended the poems to Houghton Mifflin Company for publication, as he was one of their readers at the time. They declined.  The poems, they said, “were much too queer – the rhymes were all wrong.”

Her father added, “they thought that Higginson must be losing his mind to recommend such stuff.”

Ultimately, Roberts Brothers agreed to publish the poems.  However, take a look at this letter from company representative Thomas Niles to Higginson from June 1890:

Dear Mr. Higginson:

It has always seemed to me that it would be unwise to perpetuate Miss Dickinson’s poems.  They are quite as remarkable for defects as for beauties and are generally devoid of true poetical qualities.  If, however, Miss Dickinson (i.e., Emily’s sister Lavinia) will pay for the plates, we will publish from them at our expense a small ed, say 500, which shall be exempt from copyright, all future issues to be subject to 15% copyright on the retail price of all sold.”

Mr. Niles, by the way, had shared copies of the poems with poet Arlo Bates. Niles’ letter continues:

“I enclose Mr Arlo Bates’ criticisms, not, however, for any other purpose than to shew (sic) you the opinion of a poet who is not apt to be optimistic.”

Who, exactly, was Arlo Bates?

According to a footnote by Bingham in “Ancestors’ Brocades, the Literary Debut of Emily Dickinson”:

“In view of Mr. Bates’s estimate of Emily’s poems it is well to recall his own standing as a poet at that time.  A review of his book, “The Poet and His Self” (1891), in the Boston Herald contained these words: Arlo Bates ‘gives greater promise of high and enduring power than almost any other American poet of our own generation.”

Take a look at Bates’ book HERE – the work from the poet who gave “greater promise of high and enduring power than any other American poet.” 

Let me know what you think.

[stephenmalkmusofficial]

[crowwbones]

Lmao

There was a server contest for a fake magazine cover of whatever and i was fully in an art block

Have them ig

[too-many-rooks]

Ways Yassen describes Alex/how their connection is described.

Bonus;

[furtherfurther]

Old Cataract, Aswan

[blackbirdsnonsense]

Oh hey, it worked!