When books became works of art There are moments in history when everything seems to come together in a quiet, almost magical way. The late nineteenth century into the early years of the twentieth century was one of those moments...
In the world of illustrated books, certain artists captivate not through spectacle but through subtlety. Dorothy P. Lathrop belongs firmly in this rare category. Her illustrations possess a quiet strength that draws the viewer closer, revealing delicate lines, expressive animals, and...
Few works in the history of literature have traveled as far, or endured as deeply, as The Odyssey. Attributed to Homer, this ancient epic has crossed centuries, languages, and cultures, remaining as powerful today as it was in antiquity. It...
Some books endure not because they offer easy comfort, but because they invite the reader into unfamiliar territory. Vikram and the Vampire; or, Tales of Hindu Devilry is one such work. First published in the nineteenth century, it opens a...
There are few love stories in American letters as haunting and luminous as that of Edgar Allan Poe and Sarah Helen Whitman. It was a union of two poetic spirits drawn together by intellect, imagination, and an almost mystical sense of...
Some books seem to carry with them an atmosphere, as if the words on the page have absorbed something of the world they describe. Robert Kirk’s The Secret Commonwealth of Elves, Fauns, and Fairies is one of those works. It is...
