Celebrating Black History Month and African American Literary Achievements.

Celebrating Black History Month and African American Literary Achievements.

By Susan Christiansen | February 22, 2018 | Comments Off on Celebrating Black History Month and African American Literary Achievements.

Initially proposed by a group of African American educators at Kent State University in February of 1969, Black History Month was officially recognized by President Gerald Ford as a month of national observance in 1970 during the United States Bicentennial where he urged American citizens to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of…

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The Story of Dr. Seuss

The Story of Dr. Seuss

By Susan Christiansen | July 31, 2017 | Comments Off on The Story of Dr. Seuss

American children’s author and illustrator Theodore Seuss Geisel produced some of the most popular children’s books of all time under the pen name Dr. Seuss. Although most recognized for his vivid and original drawing style, Geisel’s works also carried a complexity that went beyond the function of entertaining children; many of his works had an…

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The Works of Zora Neale Hurston

The Works of Zora Neale Hurston

By Susan Christiansen | July 10, 2017 | Comments Off on The Works of Zora Neale Hurston

Best known for her raw and vivid portrayal of the racial struggles that defined the American south of the early 20th century, African-American novelist Zora Neale Hurston’s work now holds a unique place in the canon of American literature, despite the fact that much of her work went unrecognized during her lifetime. Born one of…

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Allen Ginsberg and the Beat Generation.

Allen Ginsberg and the Beat Generation.

By Susan Christiansen | May 16, 2017 | Comments Off on Allen Ginsberg and the Beat Generation.

The Post-War American literary movement, the Beat Generation, was born in the “Harlem of the West”, or, the Fillmore District of San Francisco, a rich and diverse arts district where rent was inexpensive and there was no lack of culture; the young, hip and artistic communed at gritty jazz clubs, informal poetry readings, and bohemian…

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The Life and Lessons of Henry Hazlitt

The Life and Lessons of Henry Hazlitt

By Susan Christiansen | May 3, 2017 | Comments Off on The Life and Lessons of Henry Hazlitt

Considered among the leading economic thinkers of the twentieth century, American financial journalist and writer Henry Stuart Hazlitt is perhaps best known for introducing the ideas of the Austrian School of economics to American thought. Through both his prolific literary career and editorial reviews of the revolutionary works of leading economists including Ludwig Von Mises and F.A. Hayek,…

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Women Authors of Young Adult Speculative and Science Fiction – Part II

Women Authors of Young Adult Speculative and Science Fiction – Part II

By Susan Christiansen | March 17, 2017 | Comments Off on Women Authors of Young Adult Speculative and Science Fiction – Part II

This week we invite you to continue exploring the works of the women who define contemporary young adult speculative and science fiction, a topic we began to discuss in Women Authors of Young Adult Speculative and Science Fiction – Part I. With novels topping the New York Times Best Seller list for months at a…

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Women Authors of Young Adult Speculative and Science Fiction – Part I

Women Authors of Young Adult Speculative and Science Fiction – Part I

By Susan Christiansen | February 18, 2017 | Comments Off on Women Authors of Young Adult Speculative and Science Fiction – Part I

Women authors have historically played a significant role in the literary sub-genre of young adult speculative and science fiction. Truly emerging as a genre in the mid 1960’s with the publication of Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time, the genre has evolved to include such contemporary authors as Suzanne Collins and J.K. Rowling, whose novels…

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The Life and Works of Albert Einstein

The Life and Works of Albert Einstein

By Susan Christiansen | January 25, 2017 | Comments Off on The Life and Works of Albert Einstein

Perhaps best known for the development of his mass–energy equivalence formula, E = mc2, German born theoretical physicist, Albert Einstein’s surname has practically become synonymous with the term ‘genius’ in modern popular culture. Einstein received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1921 for his “services to theoretical physics” which included his development of the general theory…

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The John F. and Jacqueline Kennedy Winter White House

The John F. and Jacqueline Kennedy Winter White House

By Susan Christiansen | January 9, 2017 | Comments Off on The John F. and Jacqueline Kennedy Winter White House

The coastal Kennedy estate on North Ocean Boulevard in Palm Beach, Florida served as the “Winter White House” throughout the John F. Kennedy administration from 1961-1963. Sworn in as president on January 20, 1961, 41-year-old John F. Kennedy became the youngest person to be elected president in American history; 31-year-old Jacqueline Kennedy became the third youngest First Lady. As…

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The Florida Architecture of Addison Mizner

The Florida Architecture of Addison Mizner

By Susan Christiansen | December 14, 2016 | Comments Off on The Florida Architecture of Addison Mizner

An architect who excelled at transforming an architectural fantasy into a practical, livable home, Addison Mizner was one of the most original and influential designers America has produced. The houses, clubs, and shops he built for the clients of Palm Beach and Boca Raton, Florida, evince a brilliant grasp of how to blend a building…

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