I’ve amassed quite a collection of Pre-Raphaelite books over the years and the addition of Pre-Raphaelite Girl Gang to my shelves adds something alive. It buzzes with energy and a sense that, just by reading it, we are tapping into a collective consciousness of artistic women whose endeavors richly deserve to be remembered and honored. When the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood formed, they…
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My Ladys Soul: The Poetry of Elizabeth Siddall
Elizabeth Siddall is a strikingly familiar face to Pre-Raphaelite lovers. She is known to many as Dante Gabriel Rossetti’s muse and the face of Millais’ doomed Ophelia. But she was more than that. Through her own artwork and poetry, we can look beyond her face and attempt to hear her voice. A new edition of her poetry has magnified that…
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#WombatFriday with Victoria
Yesterday was World Book Day, And among all the book-related posts I enjoyed online, this piece in The Atlantic stood out to me. It explores why we revisit our childhood books and how doing so benefits us. This Wombat Friday, my sidekick T-Dub is enamored with Queen Victoria. After reading The Atlantic’s article, it’s fitting to share this book with…
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Ophelia Through the Kaleidoscope
Shakespeare began Hamlet with the ghost of a slain king, but if there is a lasting phantom that haunts us from the play, it is certainly the character of Ophelia. She has inspired countless works of art, and each generation attempts to explore and reconstruct her in a myriad of ways. My current rabbit hole is the gleeful pursuit…
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Lessons from ‘Possession’: The Myth of Melusine
(Part one of a series.) Possession is an intricate novel written in 1990 by A.S. Byatt. A combination of mystery, myth, and romance, it is a book that delves into the lives of two 19th century poets and the pair of 20th century-era academics that attempt to piece together the poets’ lives. When I assess the books I have loved…
