“One of the supreme pleasures available to man is knowledge, discipline, intelligence guiding the hand to create beautiful and intellectually desirable objects.” - Lewis Allen Dear Rare Reader, This blog post is the second in a three-part series. To read the preceding post, click here. — As we learned last week,...

“Because one who does not know how to write thinks it no labour, I will describe it for you, if you want to know how great is the burden of writing: it mists the eyes, it curves the back, it breaks the belly and the...

The Lake of Beauty Stephanie Wolff Norwich, VT: Stephanie Wolff, 2015 Edward Carpenter (1844-1929) was born in England. His philosophical writings reflected his interests in social and sexual reform and the late 19th-century anti-industrial Arts and Crafts Movement. In rebellion against Victorian prudery and industrial dehumanization, Carpenter was...

We have laid low to earth a mighty chief: We have laboured harder than on greater deeds, And maybe won remembrance by the deeds Of Gunnar when no deed of ours should live; For this defence of his shall outlast kingdoms And gather him fame till there are no more...

  “Love is enough: though the World be a-waning And the woods have no voice but the voice of complaining, Though the sky be too dark for dim eyes to discover The gold-cups and daisies fair blooming thereunder, Though the hills be held shadows, & the sea a dark wonder, And this...

“Enter Two Angels in white, with scarlet wings; aso, Four Ladies in gowns of red and green; also an Angel, bearing in his hands a surcoat of white, with a red cross.” SIR GALAHAD, A CHRISTMAS MYSTERY William Morris (1834-1896) New Rochelle, NY: The Elston Press, 1902 Originally published in 1859, this...