Shakespeare’s Source Material
Source: Shakespeare Resource Center
Shakespeare wasn’t just a gifted writer; he was also possibly the greatest literary borrower of all time. Find out about some of his favorite sources for plots.
Arts & Entertainment
8 Novels Inspired by the Odyssey
Source: Early Bird Books
Get an overview of modern works that draw on Homer’s classic for inspiration.
Perspective in Paintings
Source: Thought Co.
One of the most challenging skills for beginning artists to learn is how to make their work accurately reflect how we view the world.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Source: Biography
In this biography, read how the events of Emerson’s life led him to be a central member of the American Transcendalist movement.
This Environmental Scientist Makes Art Out Of Climate Data
Source: Fast Company
By incorporating environmental data into her artwork, scientist and artist Jill Pelto hopes to inform an audience who might not otherwise seek out the information. Scroll through the images at the top of the article to view her work.
Finding Frankenstein: On the trail of a monster across Europe
Source: CNN
This article describes a Frankenstein-themed tour across Europe. How would you like to visit the sites that may have inspired Mary Shelley to write her famous tale?
War dead commemorated by Birmingham ice installation
Source: BBC
Like Andy Goldsworthy, the Brazilian artist Néle Azevedo creates works designed to be temporary. Watch a time-lapse video and read a news article on her installations made of ice.
At 81, Mary Oliver shares her spiritual journey in ‘Upstream: Selected Essays’
Source: The Washington Post
Read about the influences on the poet who wrote “The Journey” and her quest for a fuller understanding of what it means to be alive.
Philip Freneau
Source: Poetry Foundation
Philip Freneau is known as the poet of the American Revolution, having written poems and other works about that time in American history. Learn more about this prolific writer in this biography.
How the West Was Won . . . By Waitresses
Source: Smithsonian
In 1878, Fred Harvey began building restaurants along the Santa Fe railway. After a fight broke out among male staff, he fired them and hired young women to take their place. These waitress jobs were a small step toward women’s independence.