Twain/Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc

Mark Twain, author of "Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc"-- his last finished novel---considered it to be his best and most important work, a view not shared by critics then or since. Author George Bernard Shaw, accuses Twain of being "infatuated" with Joan of Arc. Shaw says that Twain "romanticizes" the story of Joan, reproducing a legend that the English conducted a trial deliberately rigged to find Joan guilty of witchcraft and heresy. Recent scholarship of the trial transcripts, however, suggests that Twain's belief may have been closer to the truth than Shaw was willing to accept. ("Joan of Arc: Her Story," by Regine Pérnoud and Marie-Véronique Clin, translated by Jeremy Duquesnay Adams, published by St. Martin's Griffin (New York, 1999) ISBN 0-312-22730-2)


Speaking of his own work, Twain is reported to have said "I like Joan of Arc best of all my books; and it is the best; I know it perfectly well. And besides, it furnished me seven times the pleasure afforded me by any of the others; twelve years of preparation, and two years of writing."

Mr. Twain has an official website that can be found at the following link: Mark Twain

Read the book in its entirety at the following link:
Joan of Arc


I hope you enjoy this work.

Anderson's Fairy Tales

In a book for children, Anderson's Fairy Tales brings to life the stories that older generations remember grandmothers and mothers reading before bedtime. In this PDF-formatted book, you can read the text either on your computer or print each story as you need it or would like to read it.

For teacher or more scholarly researchers, you can find a scholarly essay on Mr. Anderson at
Anderson

King, Martin Luther, Jr.

Leader of the civil rights movement, Martin Luther King, Jr. is known for "civil disobedience" as opposed to open rebellion. He is one of three "pillars" of the peaceful resistance movement. The following link compares him to Ghandi and Thoreau. THREE PRINCIPLES OF CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE
The next link will take you to an official link that has many of Dr. King's speeches available online:Martin Luther King, Jr

This last link will take you to a short biography of Dr. King's life: King Biography

Aesop's Fables

Tradition holds that Aesop wrote his original fables in Greek while being held as a slave. You can find his biography at Aesop
His fables can be found at Aesop's Fables

These delightful stories are a great way to teach moral lessons as you entertain young children. Please enjoy time with your child at this delightful site.

Children's Story Hour

There is a great link for those looking for story content for children. It can be found at IPL Story Hour. IPL stands for "Internet Public Library" and has some great resources for adults, too. I hope you enjoy this link!

Bronte, Charlotte/ Jane Eyre

Born in 1816, Charlotee Bronte was the third daughter of the Rev. Patrick Brontë and his wife Maria. Her brother Patrick Branwell was born in 1817, and her sisters Emily and Anne in 1818 and 1820. A biography of her life can be found at the following link. Charlotote Bronte Biography

Her best known work, "Jane Eyre" can be found in its entirety at the following link: Jane Eyre

Bronte/Wuthering Heights/Thomas Jefferson Education

One of the classic novels of all time can be found at Wuthering Heights

Wuthering Heights was not well received when it was first published; Ms. Bronte published it under a pen name. Other than her book of poetry, "Wuthering Heights" was the only work that Ms. Bronte ever published. It wasn't until after her death that her sister published it under the real name of the author.

There were three Bronte sisters, Anne, Charlotte and Emily, each with literary talents. The first published work of the sisters was a combined book of poetry ("Poems by Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell") to which each contributed under a pen name. Each eventually published works of their own. The book of poetry may possibly be found at Poems

Boethius, The Consolation of Philosophy

The following link will take you to Boethius, author of The Consolation of Philosophy. This is one of the suggested titles for a college level liberal arts library. I hope it is helpful!

Boethius, Consolation

The Lord's Prayer

John Adams, 2nd President and signer of the Declaration of Independence warned: "Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other."

In the spirit of freedom and morality, I found this majestic rendition of "The Lord's Prayer" by Andrea Bocelli. I hope that you enjoy this beautiful hymn.

The Lord's Prayer

Miitt Romney Speech

On September 17, 2010, Governor Mitt Romney spoke to the 2010 Values Voter Summit. The following link takes you to his address. While his subject was grave, his humor was quick and sharp. See if you don't find something to chuckle at during his remarks!Mitt Romney