#albanian writers

[dpiperiwritings]

Ata që dashurojnë shpërfillen…

D.Piperi

[cenna-hrms]

A most humble tribute to the brilliant albanian writer Ismaïl Kadaré, who died today, 1 July, in Tirana, Albania. He spoke out against dictatorship, censorship and oppression through his dreamlike, strange and metaphorical worlds.

Illustration for the novel "Who Brought Doruntine back?" by Ismaïl Kadaré (gouache, watercolor)

[greglunvik]

Been playing in this household recently <3

Heather, Maximilian and their cats Bobert & Rupert. They live in a small apartment in San Myshuno. Heather has an online jewelry shop and is a writer. Max is a Web Designer & loves music <3

Wanted to create a couple that will face issues as they grow as people and further their relationship with eachother. I was initially going to stir drama right away with one of them cheating, but I love them too much lol. I rather they have problems and they talk it out and figure out what theyre going to do together, but we shall see what happens!

Heather is Albanian descent and Max is Turkish descent!

[is-the-19thcentury-man-okay]

I was very pleased with my English 1820s man. I made sure he had enrichment of a scholarly nature, to balance out the Romantic tendencies they have. He took to studying classical history and language, and I confess I was proud to have such an intelligent 19th century man. More recently he took an interest in current affairs but, as he is quite young, I assumed this was a sign of maturing. Then, just like that, he ran away! I went out searching and a neighbour informed me that he'd gone to Greece to fight against the Ottomans! I was horrified and went straight there, but I found him with a pack of Greek 1820s men and he adamantly refused to come home. What should I do? I worry that he will get hurt fighting, or that his constitution will not survive rough living in the Greek mountains. But he's having such a good time. He is learning the modern iteration of Greek (such a clever man), enjoys the local cuisine, and even wants to dress like his new friends. Is he in great danger if I let him stay, and how could I take him home without breaking his heart? (I don't want to risk any of those Greek 1820s men getting angry either, if I take their lucky mascot away.) Many thanks for your advice!

Romanticism and nationalism make for a very potent combination, as you have learned by now, and for many 19th century men of a certain social class and level of education, the attraction of the Classical world adds another layer of mythical folklore; not to mention the allure of pagan ceremony and skimpy neoclassical clothes.

For 1820s-1830s men, the Byronic appeal of exotic "Eastern" nations can be irresistible, and in general you will find a lot of national myth-making and interest in folk costumes.

Lord Byron in Albanian dress, 1813. This man is not Albanian!

You also have to be aware of your 19th century man's possibly very different ideas of national and imperial boundaries. He learns the polka in Bohemia, he wants to fight the Ottomans, he wants to fight in the Miguelite war—he might support Romantic German nationalism! It's not always the national and cultural understandings of the 21st century.

Being British is also not a guarantee of sensible behaviour. You might think that your British naval officer is going to rest on his laurels after the Napoleonic Wars, and the next thing you know, he's leading a fleet in the Chilean Independence movement!

Thomas Cochrane, naval officer for hire.

19th century men are not for the faint of heart. It can be challenging to balance their Romantic desires with a sensible course of action. Since your man has already spent so much time with his new Greek friends and has embraced their lifestyle, you could suggest that it's important that he document his experiences in a travel narrative that will also champion their cause.

As much as possible, you want to convince him that he's very valuable as a writer and/or visual artist giving voice to a cause—too valuable to foolishly risk his life or ruin his health abroad.

[acslytherpuff]

Whats behind Cassie‘s scar and why are people searching for her?

-

(Some exclusive lore i wanna share because i‘m a slow writer 💔)

-

Starting off Cassie has a scar on her Hip, she has it since she is little but she didn‘t know where she got it from. Sometimes she got strong emotional outbursts when she‘s 11-17 years old. While having those outbursts she feels insane pain on that scar. She never really looks at it because she thinks its ugly and she really wanna get rid of it… till she found out the truth.

Besides her mother (which kept it a secret), Sebastian saw her Scar first and told her that this scar isn‘t just a random scar… the scar is the word „fortë“ (which means strong in albanian“. After finding out that her scar is actually a word Cassie found more about her Father. He was the most powerful Wizard in Albania / the balkans and also the most feared because he is so powerful. (Since in the old balkans they believed in myths, fortunes and „dark“ magic like rituals and everything) some other „powerful“ magicians said that his first born child is going to be much stronger than him after he dies (which is correct) and wants to possibly take over the county and their witchcraft (which was obv. not true). The truth was that they wanted to take over the country but wanted to have everyone on their site so they are chasing Cassie because they believe she is dangerous and trying to k#ll her.

But to unlock her power she had to be „sacred“ by her dad if he dies before she is 18. (if he didn’t die she would get her power naturally) at one point he knew that he would die, so he gave her this scar with the word „strong“ to remember her she is stronger than everyone and she can do anything. Her mother was worried and mad that he unlocked her powers so, she locked up Cassie to safe her from them Magicians. Also she didn‘t wanted Cassie to go to Hogwarts because she knew that Hogwarts would push her powers, she would be more into it and learning how to wield it while in Beauxbatons she always had an eye on Cassie.

Her powers are very Unique and like a YingYang effect with her soulmates power… (he unlocks more skills of her power while she is making his stonger…. But i‘ll keep that for now!!👀) thats why people used black magic to prevent that she‘ll find her soulmate (thats why soulmates and her journey will be THOUGH).

Plus: she will find an little pendant on her journey with a specific crystal which will be very important for her development too!

Plus Plus: there is something with the „Luna“ Family in general 👀

[sitp-recs]

Hey! Hope you're doing good!! :) I'm wondering if you know any Drarry fics that have mythological elements / stories as part of the plot. For example, a fic based on Greek myths like Hades/Persephone?

Hi anon! I’m doing great, what about you? :) oh that’s a really cool ask, I hope you enjoy these! I strongly recommend checking khalulu’s stuff as they always explore different mythologies and cultures across their works. I’d love to get more recs on this theme, too!

Nordic:

Veðr by @shealwaysreads (M, 3k)

Norsemen have ranged far enough inland to find Harry, alone and abandoned by his kith and kin. But they bring far more than danger with them, they bring adventure, they bring magic.

Swedish:

Sweden | A Midsummer Night’s Dream by @drarrelie (M, 5.5k)

With the war finally over, you’d think Harry would finally be granted that “normal life” he’s always dreamt about. Finally free from the Dursleys, from that nose-less megalomaniac, from Horcruxes, Hollows, Death Eaters, Dementors, Prophecies… you’d think that he, for the first time in his life, would be allowed to be just a normal teenager. You’d think he’d deserve that much, right?

Russian:

S’Mitten by khalulu (G, 6k)

Harry and Draco aren’t enemies any more, but it seems their history will always stand between them – so let’s try some other histories on for size! The fickle finger of fate is muffled in one of Mrs Weasley’s mittens. Did I mention kisses?

Norwegian:

East of the Sun and West of the Moon by khalulu (T, 6k)

One stormy Thursday evening, a big white bear named Draco turns up to carry Harry away from the dreadful Dursleys. They get along fairly happily together until one night Harry’s curiosity gets the better of him, and Draco is whisked away to his wicked aunt’s castle, East of the Sun and West of the Moon. It will take a strong wind to bring Harry that far…..

Albanian:

What Country, Friends, Is This? by khalulu (M, 8k)

When Harry and Draco are paired up for a nebulous “capstone project” in 8th year, Draco suggests they use it as an opportunity to take a free Grand Tour of Europe. Harry isn’t interested in being grand, and they soon veer off the beaten path. The journey to find what (and who) you really want can lead to unexpected places. (As well as Bertha Jorkins’ aunt, Illyrian Serpent cults, heroic baby Draco tales, and Slytherins singing Motown.)

Hindu:

Birds of Dreams / Remover of Obstacles / Guardian of Waters by khalulu (G, 12k)

Harry is exploring his Desi heritage, and Draco runs into him in colourful circumstances. Luna has a penchant for puns and the Patils watch Bollywood. Paper is folded, a flying carpet takes an Indian road trip, and a phoenix is found. Love blooms along the way, a flower that’s free.

Finnish:

Sparks from the Fox’s Tail by khalulu (T, 17k)

Draco is frustrated with his career as a travel writer, when a mini-tirade from Mrs Weasley and an encounter with the portrait of an intrepid great-great-great-aunt lead him to Finland to study wandless magic. Harry is – just being contrary and following his sweet-tooth, or taking the subtle route to saving the world?

Multiple:

The Hardest Hue To Hold by @cavendishbutterfly (M, 17k)

Harry needs to get the hell out of England. So he sets up a teaching assistantship in America, hops on a plane, and heads off to a fresh start. Except there’s a familiar face among the university faculty, and it’s really not the familiar face that Harry wanted. Or at least, it’s not who Harry wanted at first.

Irish:

Offer Up Our Hearts by @tackytigerfic (M, 23k)

Harry Potter has a very nice life, thank you very much. He's a top Curse-Breaker with a lucrative Ministry contract, and exciting prospects ahead. Sometimes he does wish that he had time to pursue something official with Draco Malfoy - they're half in love with each other, after all, and a great team (in and out of bed), though Draco is still one of the most infuriating people he knows.

Egyptian:

Memory Lost | You Found by @maraudersaffair (E, 30k)

After his Auror training, Harry's assigned to guard the Department of Mysteries - specifically the room where Malfoy is being held in comfortable captivity. Yet no one will tell him why, and what's more concerning? Malfoy doesn't remember Harry at all. To uncover the mystery, Harry must travel all the way to Egypt where he discovers a magical community living in the great pyramids and a long held secret that is dangerous to anyone who knows it.

Arthurian:

The Compact by astolat (E, 64k)

Hermione frowned. “The real question is why the magic of Britain would be failing now, in fact.” “That is not the real question!” Ron said loudly; he’d woken up fully by now, and Harry had too; it was starting to sink in that they’d found the problem. “The real question is, how do we fix it?”

Brazilian:

A Sense of Scale by @fantalfart and dragontamerdrarry (M, 70k)

In which Draco spends an obscene amount of time thinking of new nicknames for The Living Git, lying to himself and using his charms to seduce an extremely uncooperative sentient school.

Celtic:

The Stars Have Courage by @fantalfart (M, 85k)

Draco waited five long years to watch his husband wake up from a coma. He's not ready to meet a Harry with no memory of anything that happened after he died at The Battle of Hogwarts, twelve years ago.

Greek:

Close Behind by @oflights (M, 134k)

To rescue Draco from the Underworld, Harry has to look forward. Unfortunately, Draco has to look back.

Bonus: dark fae AU 🧚‍♂️

Mushrooms of Wiltshire by @shiftylinguini (T, 5k)

There's no point unpacking―Harry's not staying long, and besides, there's just bundled rags in his valise. The illusion of belongings, of a man heading to a new position at a prestigious manor―one beset with rumours of old magic and of impish forest dwellers causing chaos and mayhem amid the phosphorescent toadstool glow. Bugger the job. Harry's here for the rumours. He's been chasing them for years.

[ottomanladies]

Hello i Hope you're doing well ! There is an article made by a historian named ( Ibrahim etem çakir ) which he mentioned that Fatma and Ayse and hanzade helped their mother to remove kemankes and they made an alliance let me quote ! : " " Padişahın evli olan üç kız kardeşi ki bunlardanbiri bostancıbaşı iken Mısır beylerbeyiliği ilemerkezden uzaklaştırılan Nakkaş MustafaPaşa'nın eşi Hanza- de Sultan; diğerleri iseAyşe Sultan ve Fatma Sultan'dı. Schmid'ingüvenilir bir kaynaktan aktardığ "

Hi! So, the author is actually Ersin Kirca and his essay is titled “Dönemin Yazarlarının Gözünden Kemankeş Kara Mustafa Paşa (1639-1644) / Kemankeş Kara Mustafa Pasha through the Eyes of the Writers of the Period (1639-1644)”

The part you quoted is this:

The Sultan's three married sisters, one of whom was Hanzade Sultan, the wife of Nakkaş Mustafa Pasha, who was removed from the center with the Egyptian beylerbeyilik when he was bostancıbaşı; the others were Ayşe Sultan and Fatma Sultan. According to Schmid's reliable source, these three sisters appeared before the sultan and begged him for the return of Mustafa Pasha, who had been sent to Egypt, and asked him not to be oppressed by the “cruel and arrogant Albanian vizier”. For fourteen days, these three sisters stayed in the palace behind their mother, Kösem Sultan, and "charged the vizier from within", while the pashas who used the sultans waited with great hopes. However, Sultan Ibrahim refused to accept his sisters' request and removed them from the palace. Schmid did not specify who the pashas who used the sultans were. However, from this account of his, we understand that a faction consisting of palace women and pashas were active against Kemankeş Mustafa Pasha, but the vizier's influence over the sultan was still solid.

Apparently Kemankeş Mustafa Pasha didn’t stop with Nakkaş Mustafa Pasha but got rid of everyone he saw as a threat to the monopoly he had on Ibrahim. According to Naima and Katib Celebi, he couldn’t let Silahdar Mustafa Pasha marry Kaya Sultan so he removed him from Istanbul:

Kemankeş Mustafa Pasha first imprisoned Silahdar Mustafa Pasha and confiscated a part of his income (50 thousand kurus). In return for this money, he appointed him first to Budin and then to the governorship of Rumelia, allowing him to leave Istanbul. However, this was a trick, and before Silahdar Mustafa Pasha started his duty in Rumelia, he was appointed to Timisoara, a mountainous region, with a new edict. In this way, he was decentralized.

When Silahdar Mustafa left Istanbul, Kaya’s kethuda went to Ibrahim to tell him about the betrothal Murad IV had in mind between Kaya and Silahdar Mustafa. They had Kosem’s approval:

Valide Kösem Sultan wanted to marry Silahdar Mustafa Pasha, whom she still kept as a favorite, to the daughter of Murad IV in order to return him to the "Gate". When Kaya Sultan's kethuda, Mevkufatçı Mehmed Efendi, presented the situation to Sultan Ibrahim for the marriage of Kaya Sultan to Silahdar Mustafa Pasha, with the approval of Kösem Sultan, Sultan Ibrahim consulted the Vizier Mustafa Pasha on this issue, as he did on all other matters.

Unfortunately, Ibrahim asked Kemankeş Mustafa Pasha what to do and the Grand Vizier replied that Silahdar Mustafa Pasha had been corrupt, and he had intervened in the empire’s affair during Murad IV’s reign. He advised Ibrahim to have him killed:

Kemankeş Mustafa Pasha stated that Silahdar Mustafa Pasha intervened in the affairs of the state during the reign of Murad IV and took bribes, that contrary ideas in state affairs would lead to strife and mischief, and that short-sighted people would continue to cause strife and mischief as long as Silahdar Mustafa Pasha was alive, and persuaded the sultan to kill Silahdar Mustafa Pasha while Kösem Sultan was unaware.

Ibrahim of course followed Kemankeş Mustafa Pasha’s advice.

In April 1642, after being imprisoned for a few days in Timisoara Castle, Silahdar Mustafa Pasha was executed by Bestan Ağa, the Bostancıbaşı of Edirne. All his buildings and palaces were sealed, and his belongings confiscated. Kara Mustafa Pasha gained the enmity of Kösem Sultan by having Silahdar Mustafa Pasha killed in this way

After Silahdar Mustafa Pasha, Kemankeş got rid of another favourite of Murad IV’s, Emirgune:

In the same way, Kemankeş Mustafa Pasha ensured that Emirgûneoğlu Yusuf, one of Murad IV's favorites, was murdered by the sultan's edict in 1641. During the reign of Sultan Murad IV, 288 thousand silver coins were allocated for Emirgûneoğlu from customs, and a farm in Kağıthane and a palace in Ahırkapı were given to him, apart from today's Emirgan Grove. After Emirgûneoğlu Yusuf was murdered, the garden formerly called Feridun Garden (Emirgan Grove), which was donated to him by Murad IV, was given to Kemankeş Mustafa Pasha by Ibrahim. Kemankeş Mustafa Pasha organized a great banquet for Sultan Ibrahim in that garden and gave gifts to the sultan and his relatives

And so on (he also had the governor of Aleppo Nasuh Paşazâde Hüseyin Pasha and Zülfikar Pasha murdered). Kemankeş Mustafa Pasha’s plan was to isolate Ibrahim and become the only one the sultan could trust. He worked hard to achieve this, not only by executing or sending away potential enemies but also by personally teaching the sultan how to ride a horse or how to throw the javelin.

I guess he didn’t expect Ibrahim’s mental health to deteriorate so quickly and so suddenly.

Anyway from the quote you sent me and everything else in this essay it becomes clear that Kösem Sultan couldn't wait for the grand vizier to be removed, one way or another. It's why I've always considered it laughable that MC:K made them allies (not only allies, but Kemankeş was basically her minion)

[gemsofgreece]

This is something brilliant I found on quora. Aside from the band-orchestra comparison that I have no opinion on as I should know many, many languages to dare tackle that, and which is a parallel that could perhaps only be justified coming from a man passionate enough to get a PhD in Greek literature and ethics, Mr Bošković is actually on point in what he says.

Typical western academia gets wet over Ancient Greek and typically scorns Modern Greek without a proper explanation, to the point of just referring to one form of the language: Greek, and calling it dead. In their minds, there can only be one form of Greek, the ancient one, and it is dead for good. Modern Greek doesn’t belong with their academic and lingual concerns.

But Bošković, who has obviously studied a greater span of the Greek language than the average stuck-up classicist, puts it so well and in such a short and simple text that I could never do it. I always thought Modern Greek is more flexible than Ancient Greek but I couldn’t explain why well. Here it is then: what many don’t realise is that Modern Greek operates in a very liberal fashion. It takes elements from large lingual pools. It has the Ancient Greek pool all to itself, to take elements at will. It can choose between very archaic, Koine / biblical / medieval or folk neo-linguistic elements or fuse them all together, technically without restrictions. The historical contact to Latin, Italian, Turkish, Slavic, Arabic and Albanian populations gives it access to the Romantic, Anatolian, oriental and non-Greek Balkan pools. Modern Greek has a very good ability to bend foreign elements enough to make them adjust to the Greek core of the language, instead of adjusting to them (ie all foreign loanwords are bent to follow Greek grammatic rules of inflection and their vocalisations usually change enough so that they are entered smoothly in the language). The local idiomatic element is also significant in every region and is particularly alluring in prose and verse (hence my recent comment that I prefer modern - but NOT contemporary - Greek prose).

That doesn’t mean that I don’t love Ancient Greek prose and verse. But here is the crucial nuance: the ancients and medieval people did their best to write in the highest form of the language they could master. When we read an ancient text, we witness the earnest efforts of the ancient poets and writers to be glorified through their writing.

Modern speech is unfortunately deteriorating* and we can’t compare the potential of the two ages of the language. Contemporary writers aren’t putting an effort to write in the highest lingual form they can master. On the contrary, they strive to be relevant and, in fact, as non-challenging as possible, so that they will cater to a wide, mainstream audience. And because everyone can write nowadays - it is not an activity saved for the wisest or most educated - there is a load of mediocre lingual usage inside which a specimen of high lingual form can be viewed as eccentric, pretentious and eventually undesirable.

Because of this, Modern Greek cannot utilise all its tools anymore (as well as many other languages to their own degree, of course). Reading the Iliad in its original has been fantastic so far and I was wondering why we can’t write like this anymore but now I am realising that there is nothing to prevent us from doing it from a technical aspect. There are no dead words in Greek. There are words which have become rarely used enough that some people would consider you a weirdo for using them and others would themselves refuse to learn, convinced there is no use in taking an extra step. Words that are recorded in texts, words whose meaning we know, can’t be dead, even if they are rarely used. It’s the obsession of the average person to follow the mainstream trend that threatens a word more than anything else. Another fact is that Greeks of different ages fluctuate between different forms of grammar, unsure whether a more archaic or more modern inflection is appropriate. The truth is that there is no wrong way, however Greek linguists lately try to wipe out older, more archaic forms in exchange for newer, simpler ones. The intent is always to become as approachable, as unchallenging as possible. There is no de facto death of older types of usage as long as they are recorded and we know how they work and some of us use them still - it’s literally a few linguists trying to give Modern Greek a distinct, simpler identity by ignoring the language’s most crucial characteristic: its flexibility.

Νεφεληγερέτης Ζεύς is a common characterisation of Zeus in the Iliad (Nepheliyerétis Zeús - Zeus the Cloud-gatherer) . There is no real reason to prevent someone from using this phrase intact nowadays, as both roots of the first word do exist in modern Greek. And even if someone was too self-conscious about writing so ambitiously, they could do with a more modern or folkish version like νεφελοστοιβάχτης or συννεφοστοιβάχτης or νεφομαζωχτής or νεφελαθροιστής (ie nephelostiváchtis, sinephostiváchtis, nephomazochtís, nephelathristís). Would they though? No, they wouldn’t. Why take the extra step?

My point is, Modern Greek is an overlooked, extremely potent language and we do exactly nothing with or about it.

*Whoever is quick to argue that a language never deteriorates because it always morphs into a reflection of its respective nation / society and its needs should either stop fooling themselves or immediately get alarmed by the current state of the respective society at question.

[pansyfilia]

i am releasing a censusTM

THIS IS ACTUALLY IMPORTANT PLS DO THIS. research needed for sad fic writer

[justforbooks]

A life in quotes: Ismail Kadare

Ismail Kadare, the Albanian writer who explored Balkan history and culture in poetry and fiction, has died aged 88. Here are some of the most memorable quotes from interviews he gave throughout his life

On totalitarianism

The hell of communism, like every other hell, was smothering in the worst sense of the term. But literature transformed that into a life force, a force which helped you survive and hold your head up and win out over dictatorship.

In a country of that kind, the first thing for a writer is the most important one, the most substantial one, it is: do not take the regime seriously. You are a writer, you are going to have a much richer life than they have, you are in some sense or another eternal by comparison with those kinds of people, and in the last analysis you don’t need to bother about them very much.

On Enver Hoxha, Albanian ruler from 1944 until his death in 1985

When Hoxha broke with the Soviet Union in 1962, he was ready to turn to Europe, but he was rejected, so he made an absurd short-lived alliance with China. When that went wrong he built thousands of anti-nuclear pillboxes, which he knew were useless, but he wanted to create a fear-psychosis. Albania suffered longer than any other eastern European country.

Hoxha fancied himself an intellectual and poet who had been to the Sorbonne, and he didn’t want to be seen as an enemy of writers. Of course, he could have killed me in a ‘car crash’, or by ‘suicide’, as he did many others.

On being described as a political writer

I am of the opinion that I am not a political writer, and, moreover, that as far as true literature is concerned, there actually are no political writers. I think that my writing is no more political than ancient Greek theatre. I would have become the writer I am in any political regime.

I have never claimed to be a ‘dissident’ in the proper meaning of the term. Open opposition to Hoxha’s regime, like open opposition to Stalin during Stalin’s reign in Russia, was simply impossible. Dissidence was a position no one could occupy, even for a few days, without facing the firing squad. On the other hand, my books themselves constitute a very obvious form of resistance to the regime.

On international success

On the one hand it secured protection for me in relation to the regime, on the other hand I was constantly under observation. What excited suspicion was ‘why does the western bourgeoisie hold a writer from a Stalinist country in high esteem?’

On the Albanian language

For me as a writer, Albanian is simply an extraordinary means of expression – rich, malleable, adaptable.

On books

I hated the Soviet books, full of sunshine, working in the fields, the joyous spring, the summer full of hope. The first time I heard the words ‘hope’ and ‘hard work’, they made me yawn.

The founding father of Albanian literature is the 19th-century writer Naim Frashëri. Without having the greatness of Dante or Shakespeare, he is nonetheless the founder, the emblematic character. He wrote long epic poems, as well as lyrical poetry, to awaken the national consciousness of Albania. After him came Gjergj Fishta. We can say that these two are the giants of Albanian literature, the ones that children study at school. Later came other poets and writers who produced perhaps better works than those two, but they don’t occupy the same place in the nation’s memory.

On censorship

In the early 60s, life in Albania was pleasant and well organised. A writer would not have known he should not write about the falsification of history.

For a writer, personal freedom is not so important. It is not individual freedom that guarantees the greatness of literature, otherwise writers in democratic countries would be superior to all others. Some of the greatest writers wrote under dictatorship – Shakespeare, Cervantes. The great universal literature has always had a tragic relation with freedom. The Greeks renounced absolute freedom and imposed order on chaotic mythology, like a tyrant. In the west, the problem is not freedom. There are other servitudes – lack of talent, thousands of mediocre books published every year.

I have created a body of literary work during the time of two diametrically opposed political systems: a tyranny that lasted for 35 years (1955-1990), and 20 years of liberty. In both cases, the thing that could destroy literature is the same: self-censorship.

On contemporary literature

They say that contemporary literature is very dynamic because it is influenced by the cinema, the television, the speed of communication. But the opposite is true! If you compare the texts of the Greek antiquity with today’s literature, you’ll notice that the classics operated in a far larger terrain, painted on a much broader canvas, and had an infinitely greater dimension.

All this noise about innovations, new genres, is idle. There is real literature and then there is the rest.

On being a writer

I don’t work for more than two hours a day.

Writing is neither a happy nor an unhappy occupation – it is something in-between. It is almost a second life.

I am so grateful for literature, because it gives me the chance to overcome the impossible.

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at Just for Books…?

[brookstonalmanac]

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Website Wednesday [Every Wednesday]

Whole Grain Wednesday [Last Wednesday of Each Month]

Wishful Wednesday [Last Wednesday of Each Month]

Weekly Holidays beginning January 29 (Last Week of January)

Chinese New Year Festival (San Francisco, California) [thru 2.16]

Festivals Beginning January 29, 2025

Chinese New Year Festival and Parade (San Francisco, California) [thru 2.16]

Emirates Airline Festival of Literature (Dubai, UAE) [thru 2.3]

Gérardmer Fantastic Film Festival (Gérardmer, France) [thru 2.2]

La Folle Journée (Nantes, France) [thru 2.2]

Riviera Maya with Phish (Cancun, Mexico) [thru 2.1]

Feast Days

Andrei Rublev (Episcopal Church (USA))

Anton Chekov (Writersim)

Aquilinus of Milan (Christian; Saint)

Blue and Pink Day (Shamanism)

Charge Candles by Moonlight Day (Starza Pagan Book of Days)

Concordia I: Irene’s Day (Pagan)

Constantius of Perugia (Christian; Saint)

Curmudgeons Day (Pastafarian)

Dallán Forgaill (Christian; Saint)

Edward Abbey (Writersim)

The Equiria in the Campus Martius (a.k.a. The Pacalia; Ancient Rome)

Francis de Sales (Christian; Saint)

Gamelion Noumenia (Festival to All Gods & Goddesses; Ancient Greece)

Gildas the Albanian or Scot or the Wise (Christian; Saint)

Gildas the Wise (a.k.a. Badoncius; Christian; Saint)

Happy Hedgehog Day (Pastafarian)

Hesiod (Positivist; Saint)

House Blessing Day (Celtic Book of Days)

Juniper (Christian; Saint)

Paddy Chayefsky (Writersim)

Parade of the Unicorns (Everyday Wicca)

Romain Rolland (Writerism)

Sabinian of Troyes (Christian; Saint)

Sabrina T. Pagebottom (Muppetism)

Sulpicius Severus (Christian; Saint)

Sulpitius I of Bourges (Christian; Saint)

Theo Wujcik (Artology)

Valerius of Trèves (Christian; Saint)

Valero’s Feast (Spain; Saint)

Vasant Panchami (Celebrating Saraswati, Hindu goddess of knowledge)

Willy Wonka Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Lunar Calendar Holidays

Chinese: Month 1 (Wu-Yin), Day 1 (Wu-Xu)

Day Pillar: Earth Dog

12-Day Officers/12 Gods: Receive Day (收 Shou) [Inauspicious]

Holidays: New Year’s Day

Secular Saints Days

Daniel Bernoulli (Mathematics)

Giuliano Bugiardinii (Art)

Edward Burns (Entertainment)

Patrick Caulfield (Art)

Paddy Chayefsky (Literature)

Anton Chekov (Literature)

Frederick Delius (Music)

Heather Graham (Entertainment)

Bernar Herrmann (Music)

Ernst Lubitsch (Entertainment)

Victor Mature (Entertainment)

Barnett Newman (Art)

Carl Nielsen (Music)

Bill Peet (Art)

Henry Ward Ranger (Art)

Romain Rolland (Literature)

Katherine Ross (Entertainment)

Tom Selleck (Entertainment)

Emanual Swedenborg (Polymath)

Samuel Worcester Rowse (Art)

Peter Voulkos (Art)

Brian Wood (Art)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Lucky Day (Philippines) [6 of 71]

Prime Number Day: 29 [10 of 72]

Sensho (先勝 Japan) [Good luck in the morning, bad luck in the afternoon.]

Tycho Brahe Unlucky Day (Scandinavia) [7 of 37]

Very Unlucky Day (Grafton’s Manual of 1565) [8 of 60]

Premieres

The Adventures of Hardrock Dome (Paramount-Bray Pictographs Cartoon; 1919)

Alice, by Avril Lavigne (Song; 2010)

All My Sons, by Arthur Miller (Play; 1947)

All Quiet on the Western Front, by Erich Maria Remarque (Novel; 1929)

American League (Professional Baseball League; 1900)

Awful Orphan (WB MM Cartoon; 1949)

Baseball Hall of Fame (Sports Organization; 1936)

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Pt. 2 (WB Animated Film; 2013)

The Beggar’s Opera, by John Gay (Ballad Opera; 1728)

Charlie in Turkey (Charlie Movca Film Service Cartoon; 1919)

Common Sense, by Thomas Paine (Pamphlet; 1737)

Desert Island Discs (UK BBC Radio Series; 1942)

Donald’s Tire Trouble (Disney Cartoon; 1943)

Doorway to Danger or Doom in the Room (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S2, Ep. 94; 1961)

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, by Robert Louise Stevenson, adapted by J. Comyn’s Carr (Play; 1910)

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (Film; 1964)

Everything I Own, by Bread (Song; 1972)

Fantasia (Animated Disney Film; 1941)

Faust, complete play, by Goethe (Play; 1829)

Hunky and Spunky in ‘Always Kickin’’ (Fleischer Color Classics Cartoon; 1939)

I Fought the Law, by the Bobby Fuller Four (Song; 1966)

I Should Never Have Told You (Fleischer Screen Songs Cartoon; 1937)

I Want to Hold Your Hand / She Loves You, recorded in German by The Beatles (Songs; 1964)

Komm Gib Mir Deine Hand/Sie Liebt Dice, recorded by The Beatles (Songs in German; 1964)

Kung Fu Panda 3 (Animated Film; 2016)

Matinee (Film; 1993)

Meatless Flyway (WB MM Cartoon; 1944)

Million Dollar Carton or Jack in the Box (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S4, Ep. 199; 1963)

My Little Buckaroo (WB MM Cartoon; 1938)

Out and Out Rout (WB MM Cartoon; 1966)

Peaceful Neighbors (Color Rhapsody; 1939)

Pests for Guests (WB MM Cartoon; 1955)

The Raven, by Edgar Allan Poe (Poem; 1845)

Rock-a-Bye Gator (Woody Woodpecker Cartoon; 1962)

Say It with Flowers (Color Rhapsody Cartoon; 1943)

Scrappy’s Television (Scrappy Cartoon; 1934)

Scythian Suite, by Sergei Prokofiev (Orchestral Suite; 1916)

The Seapreme Court (Noveltoons Cartoon; 1954)

She’s All That (Film; 1999)

Skelton Frolic (Ub Iwerks Color Rhapsody Cartoon; 1937)

Sketchbook of Chicago (Vernon Howe Bailey’s Sketchbook Cartoon; 1916)

Sleeping Beauty (Animated Disney Film; 1959)

So Into You, by the Atlantic Rhythm Section (Song; 1977)

Somebody to Love, by The Great Society (Song; 1978)

Superman in the Mummy Strikes *Fleischer/Famous Superman Cartoon; 1943)

Two at One Blow or The Devil Beheader (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S4, Ep. 200; 1963)

Up at the Villa, by W. Somerset Maugham (Novella; 1941)

Victoria Cross (UK Order awarded for Bravery; 1856)

White Rabbit, by The Great Society (Song; 1978)

Window Pains or The Moosetrap (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S2, Ep. 93; 1961)

The Wonder Gloves (Jolly Frolics UPA Cartoon; 1951)

Working My Way Back to You, by the Four Seasons (Song; 1966)

Today’s Name Days

Gerd, Gerhard, Josef, Valerius (Austria)

Tvrtko, Valerije, Zdeslav, Zdravko (Croatia)

Zdislava (Czech Republic)

Valerius (Denmark)

Valmo, Valter (Estonia)

Valtteri (Finland)

Gildas (France)

Gerd, Gerhard, Josef (Germany)

Varsamia (Greece)

Adél (Hungary)

Aquilino, Costanzo, Valerio, Vitale (Italy)

Aivars, Valērijs (Latvia)

Aivaras, Girkantas, Valerijus, Žibutė (Lithuania)

Herdis, Hermann, Hermod (Norway)

Franciszek Salezy, Gilda, Hanna, Walerian, Waleriana, Waleriusz, Zdzisław (Poland)

Ignatie (Romania)

Gašpar (Slovakia)

Valerio, Valero (Spain)

Diana (Sweden)

Gilda, Goldie, Sheldon, Shelley, Shelly, Shelton, Ophrah, Oprah (USA)

Today’s National Name Days

National Colin Day

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 29 of 2025; 336 days remaining in the year

ISO Week: Day 3 of Week 5 of 2025

Celtic Tree Calendar: Luis (Rowan) [Day 9 of 28]

Chinese: Month 1 (Wu-Yin), Day 1 (Wu-Xu)

Chinese Year of the: Snake 4723 (until February 17, 2026) [Ding-Chou]

Coptic: 21 Tubah 1741

Druid Tree Calendar: Cypress (Jan 25-Feb 3) [Day 5 of 15]

Hebrew: 29 Teveth 5785

Islamic: 29 Rajab 1446

J Cal: 29 White; Eighthday [29 of 30]

Julian: 16 January 2025

Moon: 0%: New Moon

Positivist: 1 Homer (2nd Month) [Hesiod)

Runic Half Month: Elhaz (Elk) [Day 8 of 15]

Season: Winter (Day 40 of 90)

Week: 4th & Last Week of January

Zodiac:

Tropical (Typical) Zodiac: Aquarius (Day 10 of 30)

Sidereal Zodiac: Capricorn (Day 15 of 29)

Schmidt Zodiac: Capricorn (Day 4 of 27)

IAU Boundaries (Current) Zodiac: Capricorn (Day 10 of 28)

IAU Boundaries (1977) Zodiac: Capricornus (Day 11 of 28)

Calendar Changes

Homer (Ancient Poetry) [Month 2 of 13; Positivist]

陬月 [Zōuyuè] (Chinese Lunisolar Calendar) [Month 1 of 12] (Square of Pegasus Month; Corner Month) [Earthly Branch: Tiger Month] (Modern Name: zhēngyuè; First Month)

[dpiperiwritings]

Nothing can look more beautiful than a woman driving a G-Class. 🔋

[dnschmidt]

Good luck, Albanian writer!

Google Analytics says my website has one repeat visitor from Albania who keeps coming and rereading my story ideas collection. Whoever you are, thank you! I hope your writing is going well!

[brookston]

Holidays 11.22

Holidays

Alice's Restaurant Massacre Day

Arbor Day (British Virgin Islands)

Bank Workers’ Day (Armenia)

Black Entrepreneurs Day

Conspiracy Theory Day

Day of Justice (Azerbaijan)

Day of Music (Spain)

Day of Remembrance for President John F. Kennedy

Day of the Albanian Alphabet (Albania)

Day of the Andalusian Gypsy (Spain)

Family Day (Palau)s

Go For A Ride Day

Good Married Couple Day (a.k.a. Good Husband & Wife Day or Good Spouses Day; Japan)

Good Twin Tail Day (Japan)

Hockey Day

Humane Society Day

International Chick Tract Day

International Ewing’s Sarcoma Awareness Day

International Musician’s Day

Isfahan National Day (Iran)

JFK Assassination Day

Justice Workers’ Day (Azerbaijan)

Kanakdasa Jayanti (Karnataka, India)

Love Your Freckles Day

Love Your Own Country Day

Music Day (Spain)

Musician’s Day (Mexico)

National Agriculture & Related Industries Day (Australia)

National Amelia Day

National Aron Day

National Dental Dam Day

National Dental Nurses Day (UK)

National Housing Strategy Day (Canada)

National Jukebox Day

National Larimar Day (Dominican Republic)

National Nathan Day

National Poetry Day (Philippines)

National Senior Dog Day

National Stop the Violence Day

National Yeti Day

Phonograph Day

Pajama Day (Ireland)

Prosecutors’ Day (Kyrgyzstan)

Psychologist Day (Russia)

Repentence Day (Sachsen, Germany)

Skywriting Day

Slumber Party Day

Start Your Own Country Day

Substitute Educators Day

Teacher’s Day (Costa Rica)

Turnip Day (French Republic)

22q Awareness Day

White Album Day

World Day of the Schnauzer

World Vasectomy Day

Xanthippe Asteroid Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Cranberry Relish Day

Danish Pastry Day (Wienerbrödets Dag; Sweden)

International Stilton Day

Kimchi Day (South Korea; California)

National Cashew Day

Independence & Related Days

Anniversary of Portuguese Aggression (Republic of Guinea)

Duvalia (Declared; 2015) [unrecognized]

Lebanon (from France, 1943)

Regelis (Declared; 1999) [unrecognized]

4th Friday in November

Comfort Food Friday [Every Friday]

Five For Friday [Every Friday]

Flapjack Friday [4th Friday of Each Month]

Flashback Friday [Every Friday]

Flirtatious Friday [4th Friday of Each Month]

Friday Finds [Every Friday]

Fry Day (Pastafarian; Fritism) [Every Friday]

National Day of Thanksgiving (Turks & Caicos Islands) [4th Friday]

Stars in Our Schools Day (UK) [4th Friday]

TGIF (Thank God It's Friday) [Every Friday]

Weekly Holidays beginning November 22 (3rd Full Week of November)

Deck the Halls Weekend (Seneca Lake region, New York) [thru 11.24]

National Farm-City Week (thru 11.28) [Week Ending On Thanksgiving]

Festivals Beginning November 22, 2024

America's Hometown Thanksgiving (Plymouth, Massachusetts) [thru 11.24]

Beaujolais & Beyond (Saint Paul, Minnesota)

Beef Tongue Cook-Off (Eunice, Louisiana) [thru 11.23]

Bruges Christmas Market (Bruges, Belgium) [thru 1.5.2025]

Cayman Brac (Cayman Islands) [thru 11.24]

Denver Christmas Show (Denver, Colorado) [thru 11.24]

Downtown Baraboo Wine Walk (Baraboo, Wisconsin)

Downtown Raleigh Tree Lighting Celebration (Raleigh, North Carolina)

FOBAB [Festival of Wood & Barrel-Aged Beer] (Chicago, Illinois) [thru 11.23]

Mountain Mandarin Festival (Auburn, California) [thru 11.24]

National Biodynamic Conference (Phoenixville, Pennsylvania) [thru 11.24]

Night of the Proms (Antwerp, Belgium) [thru 11.24]

Plant City Pig Jam (Plant City, Florida) [thru 11.23]

Salute to Ranching Holiday Dinner-Dance & Auction (Workman's Creek, Arizona)

Silver Bells in the City (Lansing, Michigan)

Tallinn Christmas Market (Tallinn, Estonia) [thru 12.27]

Whiskies of the World (Chicago, Illinois)

Feast Days

Amphilochius of Iconium (Christian; Saint)

André Gide (Writerism)

Blackbeard Memorial Day (Pastafarian)

Cecilia (Christian; Saint) [Music]

Christian Rohlfs (Artology)

Clone Day (Church of the SubGenius)

Colbert (Positivist; Saint)

Descending Day of Lord Buddha (Lhabab Duechen) [Bhutan]

Dispute-Settling Assizes (Shamanism)

Feast of Artemis (Moon Goddess; Ancient Greece; Starza Pagan Book of Days)

George (Eastern Orthodox; Georgia)

George Eliot (Writerism)

Herbert (Christian; Saint)

Ignaz Günther (Artology)

Jon Cleary (Writerism)

Light Snow (Chinese Farmer’s Calendar)

Marjane Satrapi (Artology; Writerism)

Miguel Covarrubias (Artology)

Olga Kisseleva (Artology)

Philemon and Appia (Christian; Martyrs)

Pragmatius of Autun (Christian; Saint)

Sagittarius zodiac sign begins

Samonios (Seed-Fall; Celtic Book of Days)

Theodorus the Studite (Christian; Saint)

Vernon the Grizzly Bear (Muppetism)

Ydalir (festival to Ullr, god of archery & skiing; Ancient Norse)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Sensho (先勝 Japan) [Good luck in the morning, bad luck in the afternoon.]

Premieres

The Addams Family (Film; 1991)

The Air Hostess (Phantasies Cartoon; 1937)

An American Tail: Fievel Goes West (Animated Film; 1991)

Back to the Future Part II (Film; 1989)

The Beatles [The White Album] (Album; 1968)

Beauty and the Beast (Animated Disney Film; 1991)

Bettie Page Reveals All (Documentary Film; 2013)

Blue Hawaii (Film; 1961) [Elvis Presley #8]

Boléro, by Maurice Ravel (Orchestral Work; 1928)

Captain Kidd (Film; 1945)

Casino (Film; 1995)

The Check’s in the Mail (Money Rock Cartoon; Schoolhouse Rock; 1996)

Clambake (Film; 1967)

Coco (Animated Film; 2017)

Convict Concerto (Woody Woodpecker Cartoon; 1954)

Darkest Hour (Film; 2017)

Die Another Day (US Film; 2002) [James Bond #20]

For the Boys (Film; 1991)

Frida (Film; 2002)

Frozen (Animated Disney Film; 2013)

Frozen 2 (Animated Disney Film; 2019)

Goofy’s Glider (Disney Cartoon; 1940)

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (Film; 2013)

Hypnotize, by System of a Down (Album; 2005)

Jack and the Beanstalk (Betty Boop Cartoon; 1931)

Jelly Roll Blues, recorded by Bunny Berigan (Song; 1938)

La Forza del Destino, by Giuseppe Verdi (Opera; 1862)

A Lyell Geste of Robyn Hood, by Winked de Word (History Book; 1495)

King Solomon’s Mines (Film; 1985)

Man of La Mancha (Broadway Musical; 1965)

Olaf’s Frozen Adventure (Disney Cartoon; 2017)

Once Upon a Studio (Disney Short Film; 2023)

Pink S.W.A.T. (Pink Panther Cartoon; 1978)

Power and Terror: Noam Chomsky in Our Times (Documentary Film; 2002)

Prefabricated Pink (Pink Panther Cartoon; 1967)

The Producers (Film; 1967)

Shanghai Woody (Woody Woodpecker Cartoon; 1971)

Shine (Film; 1996)

Star Trek: First Contact (Film; 1996)

Swann’s Wy, by Marcel Proust (Novel; 1913)

Throne of Blood (Film; 1961)

Toy Story (Animated Pixar Film; 1995) Vitalogy, by Pearl Jam (Album; 1994)

Wish (Animated Disney Film; 2023)

With the Beatles, by The Beatles (Album; 1963)

Yogi Bear and the Magical Flight of the Spruce Goose(Hanna-Barbera Animated TV Special; 1987)

Today’s Name Days

Cäcilia, Salvator (Austria)

Cecilija, Cilika, Dobrila, Filemon (Croatia)

Cecílie (Czech Republic)

Cecilia (Denmark)

Cecilia, Säsil, Silja, Silje, Sille (Estonia)

Cecilia, Seela, Selja, Silja (Finland)

Cécile (France)

Cäcilia, Rufus, Salvator, Silja (Germany)

Cecilia, Filemon, Filimon, Philimon, Valerios (Greece)

Cecília (Hungary)

Cecilia (Italy)

Aldis, Aldonis, Alfons, Alfonss, Alfs (Latvia)

Cecilija, Cilė, Dargintė, Steikintas (Lithuania)

Cecilie, Silje, Sissel (Norway)

Cecylia, Marek, Maur, Wszemiła (Poland)

Arhip. Filimon, Onism (România)

Cecília (Slovakia)

Cecilio, Filemón (Spain)

Cecilia, Sissela (Sweden)

Cecelia, Philemon, Yaropolk (Ukraine)

Abbey, Abbie, Abby, Abigail, Cecelia, Cecil, Cecilia, Cecily, Cecyl, Celia, Gail Gale, Galen, Gay, Gayle, Philemon, Philo, Shayla, Sheila (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 327 of 2024; 39 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 5 of Week 47 of 2024

Celtic Tree Calendar: Hagal (Hailstone) [Day 27 of 28]

Chinese: Month 10 (Yi-Hai), Day 22 (Geng-Yin)

Chinese Year of the: Dragon 4722 (until January 29, 2025) [Wu-Chen]

Hebrew: 21 Heshvan 5785

Islamic: 20 Jumada I 1446

J Cal: 27 Wood; Sixthday [27 of 30]

Julian: 9 November 2024

Moon: 50%: 3rd Quarter

Positivist: 19 Frederic (12th Month) [Pombal / D’Aranda]

Runic Half Month: Is (Stasis) [Day 1 of 15]

Season: Autumn or Fall (Day 61 of 90)

Week: 3rd Full Week of November

Zodiac: Sagittarius (Day 1 of 30)

Calendar Changes

Is (Stasis) [Half-Month 23 of 24; Runic Half-Months] (thru 12.10)

Sagittarius (The Archer) begins [Zodiac Sign 9; thru 12.21]

[sugiwa]

thank you so much for speaking up about Palestine, as someone who is half Palestinian it’s been really worrisome to watch what is happening to our family and friends who are still back home going through all this horror.

I was actually really surprised seeing many people around the world protesting and boycotting but filled with gratitude nonetheless.

especially knowing my favorite fic writer is showing awareness on it, just thank you, really❤️

My father's Albanian and when wars were happening in the 90s in the Balkans, Palestinians were protesting against the ethnic cleansing of Albanians in Kosovo. I think that says such a tremendous amount about Palestinians and how a people embroiled in their own fight for liberation, were at the same time, calling for someone else's.

Even if I were to try and imagine a fraction of the pain you must be feeling right now, I'd probably fall very short. I hope that this ends as quickly as possible for your friends and family, but also that it does not end and return to the way it was. I hope that the walls erected around Gaza and the West Bank are torn down, that anyone who wishes to see the sea can go without crossing a checkpoint or seeking a permit, and that waving a Palestinian flag is not criminalized or demonized, but celebrated for the freedom and resilience it represents.

I think these protests prove that so many people in this world are kinder and more compassionate than those ones who govern them. I'm so angry at how Palestinians are being forced to grieve and explain and defend and condemn themselves all at the same time in a foreign language to people who have already decided to dig their heels in and claim that this is "war," rather than see the genocide unfolding before them.

[thomasthetankieengine]

Uh... The Albanians and Bosniaks, maybe?

Unless, of course, you're a Serbian nationalist, the Serbian and Russian governments, a professional Islamophobe (like Robert Spencer and Pamela Geller of Jihad Watch), a left-wing useful idiot who thinks Milosevic was a poor benighted socialist who being smeared by the wicked capitalist west (like Noam Chomsky, Michael Parenti, and Edward S. Herman), or a writer who decided to stan for the poor, misunderstood Serbs for some reason (lke Peter Handke).

If that's the case, then the Bosniaks and Albanians were never in any real danger and it was the Serbs who were the REAL victims all along.