History


Frankenstein Is Great, But Have You Read Dracula?
I'm not trying to be contrarian, but with all the fanfare surrounding Netflix's recent adaptation of Frankenstein , I can't help but think of the book's far more readable cousin, Dracula . In the A-list annals of Halloween costumes, the two are often paired together, but the reading experience of each is vastly different. Frankenstein is slow and cerebral. You zone out, and 20 pages later, the protagonist is still describing the landscape. Dracula , on the other hand, is a p
Dec 11, 20253 min read


Get an "A+" in Organization With These Beautiful Binder Covers
Plain white three-ring binders are so boring. Most of us remedy this fact by using different colors for different subjects, but why stop there? Get an A+ in organization with my gorgeous new three-ring binder covers, designed just for you! In true Renaissance Revival style, each design blends timeless art with a modern twist. With beautiful choices for history and English, your cover arrives as an instant digital download. Simply hit "print" and slide it behind your binder's
Nov 5, 20251 min read


What Light Through Yonder Window Breaks? It Is Juliet (And Romeo!)...
There’s something so delightful about the unrestrained drama of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet . As I wrote in the foreword to my annotated edition-- on sale now! --very few of the characters act with anything resembling common sense. It’s all, “This is how I feel ! Hang the consequences!” Most of us have probably been tempted to act that way, but we subsume* those instincts so we don’t die of our own stupidity. Romeo and Juliet is under no such obligation, giving
Oct 25, 20252 min read


Ivanhoe: Annotated Edition (I Couldn't Help It!)
Ivanhoe really does feature everything you could want in an English adventure story: sword-fights, Robin Hood, Richard the Lionheart, damsels in distress, knights, heroes, scoundrels, and plenty of derring-do.
Aug 30, 20252 min read


'Ivanhoe' by Sir Walter Scott (An Ode to Audiobooks!)
I recently drove from Texas to Minnesota, and decided it was high time I dive into some classic literature that's long haunted my TBR pile: specifically, anything by Sir Walter Scott.
Jul 1, 20252 min read


Latin's Hidden Superpower
It's no coincidence that when America decided Latin was too "old fashioned," the humanities stopped producing great minds.
Apr 8, 20253 min read


Conquer a Classic This Christmas
Did you know it's a Christmas tradition in Iceland to exchange books for Christmas? To be specific, these books are exchanged on,...
Dec 13, 20242 min read


The Iliad Is My Odyssey
This book has been in the making for 10+ years, if not 3,000. In a way, you could say The Iliad is my odyssey!
Nov 9, 20244 min read


Pin This Poem to Your Wall. Seriously.
I have little patience for poets. More often than not, my attitude towards this admirable artistic medium runs more along the lines of, "Spit it out, already!" than, "Oh, what a beautiful metaphor!"
Nov 8, 20243 min read