The standards that we set for ourselves and our lives can be extremely daunting, depressing, and seemingly impossible. Yet with courage, we can achieve and reach them all, measure by measure. In her short story “The Preliminaries,” Cornelia A.P. Comer follows Oliver Pickersgill as he strives to obtain the consent to marry Ruth Lannithorne. Comer…
The Courage to Endure: Cornelia A. P. Comer’s Short Story, ‘The Preliminaries’
Epoch Booklist: Recommended Reading for Dec. 16–22
This week, we feature a quick-fix grammar guide, children’s stories to warm the heart, and a timely analysis of America’s current predicament. Fiction A Silly Satire on the British Navy ‘Mr. Midshipman Easy’ By Captain Frederick Marryat In this 19th-century novel, the realities of the life of a British sailor hits a young aristocratic officer…
Book Review: ‘Roosevelt Sweeps Nation: FDR’s 1936 Landslide and the Triumph of the Liberal Ideal’
I have long admired the writing and fastidious research of historian David Pietrusza, but “Roosevelt Sweeps Nation: FDR’s 1936 Landslide and the Triumph of the Liberal Ideal” is his magnum opus, at least to date. Much more so than other Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR) biographies, Pietrusza’s incredible enquiries and presentations of dialogue from the mid-1930s…
Book Recommender: ‘Pioneer Girl,’ A Look into the Spellbinding, Never-Before-Published Manuscript of Laura Ingalls Wilder
Few consider their circumstances or the era in which they live as distinct or significant until later-in-life reflection. This was the case for Laura Ingalls Wilder. Born in the Big Woods region of Wisconsin two years after the Civil War’s end, Wilder spent her childhood and adult life enduring every imaginable hardship and heartache in…
Righting Our Wrongs: Peter Christen Asbjornsen’s Fairy Tale, ‘East of the Sun and West of the Moon’
As the year draws to a close, we have a chance to reflect on all of our mistakes. The disappointment and despair that can accompany such reflections can be overwhelming and discouraging. Yet we must strive to find our inner strength and right our wrongs. In his short story, “East of the Sun and West…
The Epigram: A Champagne Cocktail of Words, Wit, and Wisdom
“I can resist everything except temptation.” So wrote Oscar Wilde, perhaps unsurpassed in English in the art of the epigram. This particular example perfectly illustrates the definition of this word: “a pithy saying or remark expressing an idea in a clever and amusing way.” Certain poems are also regarded as epigrammatic. Here’s “Ironist” by American…
Epoch Booklist: Recommended Reading for Dec. 9–15
This week, we feature a visual celebration of Albert Einstein and a helpful guide to parenting based on the principles espoused by Aristotle. Fiction A Comic Book Hero That Isn’t ‘Woke’ ‘Isom’ By Eric July Eric July grew up a huge comic book fan and despises the current woke trajectory of the industry. His response?…
Book Recommendation: ‘Gift from the Sea’: Inspiration From Seashells
Sadly, the names of Charles and Anne Lindbergh are most closely associated with the tragic kidnapping and subsequent murder of their first-born infant, 20-month-old Charles Augustus Lindbergh Jr., in 1932. To escape the hysteria and American press, the Lindberghs moved to Europe in 1935. They returned in 1939. Anne and her husband Charles Lindbergh had…
Constructive Criticism: Louisa May Alcott’s ‘Scarlet Stockings’
It is difficult to criticize and challenge others. It is also extremely hard to receive challenges and accept criticisms from others. Yet, despite the difficulty, giving and taking criticism is beneficial. In her short story “Scarlet Stockings,” Louisa May Alcott shows how, when we see someone who is lazy and despondent, we can help them overcome…
Book Review: The Imagination, Five-Act-Structures, and ‘The Divine’
It was the scientist Albert Einstein who remarked that “Imagination is more important than knowledge”; the importance of this comment is manifold. For starters, it is counter-intuitive, because we tend to view science as some sort of compendium of knowledge and facts rather than being an imaginative construct. Therefore, that the generally considered-to-be greatest scientist…
US News
RSS Error: A feed could not be found at `https://www.theepochtimes.com/c-us/feed`; the status code is `200` and content-type is `text/html; charset=utf-8`