Désespoir

The seasons send their ruin as they go, For in the spring the narciss shows its head Nor withers till the rose has flamed to red, And in the autumn purple violets blow, And the slim crocus stirs the winter snow; Wherefore yon leafless trees will bloom again And this grey land grow green with [...]

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The Spirit of Ghostly Fiction

The success of writers of today […] is chiefly explained by their skill in the treatment of the ghostly, and of subjects related to supernatural fear.  But without citing other living writers, let me observe that there is scarcely any really great author in European literature, old or new, who has not distinguished himself in [...]

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Easter Day

The silver trumpets rang across the Dome: The people knelt upon the ground with awe: And borne upon the necks of men I saw, Like some great God, the Holy Lord of Rome. Priest-like, he wore a robe more white than foam, And, king-like, swathed himself in royal red, Three crowns of gold rose high [...]

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Wilde About Oscar

As a tribute to the 156th birthday of Irish playwright, essayist, poet, and novelist Oscar Wilde, who was born on this day in 1854, I have posted excerpts from my recent thesis on Wilde’s only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray.  (See Original Work or click on the new Dorian Gray page tab above.)  Wilde [...]

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Countdown to 100 – #2 Top Post

For my 99th post, I am continuing my countdown of the top five Archetype posts to date based on reader response.  The following post is from the December archives and addresses the question that all writers have at one time or another: Is anyone ever going to read this?      Post 99 – #2 Top Post [...]

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Countdown to 100 – #3 Top Post

For my 98th post, I am continuing my countdown of the top five Archetype posts to date based on reader response.  The following post from the November archives conveys the experience and ecstasy of being completely immersed in a literary project.  Post 98 – #3 Top Post The Act of Creation (November 22, 2009) My [...]

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Wilde Irony

Nearly three hours ago, I finished my course thesis on The Picture of Dorian Gray.  During the last ten days, over 100 hours were spent applying the philosophies and literary theories of Mikhail Bakhtin to Oscar Wilde’s only narrative.  How poetic is it that the 1945 film version of The Picture of Dorian Gray was shown on TCM tonight at [...]

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Epistola: In Carcere et Vinculis

“The gods are strange.  It is not of our vices only they make instruments to scourge us.  They bring us to ruin through what in us is good, gentle, humane, loving.” – Oscar Wilde, De Profundis, 1897

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“Actors are so fortunate….

They can choose whether they will appear in tragedy or in comedy, whether they will suffer or make merry, laugh or shed tears.  But in real life it is different.  Most men and women are forced to perform parts for which they have no qualifications.” – Oscar Wilde, “Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime”

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More from Oscar…

So, I’m knee deep in the poems, prose, and essays of Mr. Wilde, who certainly had some strong opinions on, well, just about everything.  I’m referring specifically to “The House Beautiful,” in which he takes a position on every imaginable attribute of a home’s design, construction, and decor. “The revolving stool should be sent to the museum of [...]

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