%%USERNAME%%    %%ACCWORDS%% %%ONOFF%% |
 |
Reading, Writing, Pondering: Big Life Themes, Literature, Contemporary/Historical Issues |
 Welcome to the 14th century, in a farflung outpost of the Holy Roman Empire, and a new Convent outpost of the terrrifically powerful Roman Catholic Church. Sound historically dull? Hopefully not so--for this is NOT an ordinary 14th Century Convent. Back after a six-year hiatus.... From NaNoWriMo historical Supernatural novels in Scotland, Michigan, South Alabama and historical horror in Standwood Station, GA-to the Phantom Northern Woods-to singlehandedly refighting the American Civil War-to exploring Social Justice and standing for First Amendment rights under the U.S. Constitution-we deal out horror, Supernatural, Historical, fantasy, mystery, and more. We do not fear outspokeness. And always, always, always, We Do History. Find it here. We write it. We read it. We hold strong opinions. We orate. Meanwhile, whether we're writing or just reading, we love to rave about books and authors right here!  |
| Prompt: "I had always imagined Paradise as a kind of library." Do you agree with this? Write anything you want about this. Oh my yes! The Universal Library would be Paradise and Heaven all rolled into one. I ask to live there for an eternity, plus to be given perfect eyesight and "all the time in the world." Oh wait! Eternity would give me even more time than that. I want to be able to read everything I ever wanted to read--both fiction and nonfiction--yes, even poetry; and I want to be able to read multiple books at once and comprehend and never stop reading. I read of The Universal Library once years ago in a science fiction novel. I always thought it was by Gordon Dickson, but I have never been able to find it again. Oh well, I'm certain I can find it once I reach the Universal Library.  |
| PROMPT November 14th It's time for another prompt from the War Chest! Take a stab at this one: Share your first experience with love. No ... not like that. Reaching way back into childhood: I never had a pet until I was 21.5 and married. But as a child, a neighbor girl who lived down the street from me, at the corner, had a beautiful little brown-and-white puppy. At the time of course I didn't know its breed, but thinking back I'm going to guess Border Collie (a friend I made at eighteen had a Border Collie too), a friendly and enthusiastic, just lovable breed. I was so enamoured of that puppy. Unfortunately, that family didn't stay long; they moved out and a large family moved in. They didn't stay long either. Eventually the three houses in a row on that street (the main highway through town, which became part of the famous Lincoln Highway past the city limits) were razed and a convenience store and car wash replaced the residences. All these many decades and an entirely new century later, I STILL with fondness remember that delightful little puppy, the cats who owned the neighbors on the other side, and I remain a dog & cat person. After all this time. |
| Nearly every "hero" protagonist in the work of H. P. Lovecraft should have tattooed on their foreheads (so they can see it in their mirrors) "Ignorance Is Bliss. Knowledge Is Madness." Take the Professors in "Shadow Out of Time," "At the Mountains of Madness," "The Thing On the Doorstep," or the Police Inspector in "The Call of Cthulhu." Take the poor misguided and terrified narrator in "The Picture In the House," or the accomplished, gifted, and cursed artist Richard Upton Pickman in "Pickman's Model." Everybody wants to gain knowledge, a passion to which I wholly adhere. Like Eve in the Garden of Eden, we thirst after Knowledge, Cosmic especially. "Inquiring minds want to know." However, in the Lovecraft Mythos, Knowledge is often accompanied by Death and whether or not Death, almost always by Madness. Mankind is simply not qualified nor equipped to discover Truth. Along come poets and scientists, intellects all, to decide Knowledge is All. William Blake, 18th century poet: "If the Doors of Perception are cleansed, All the world will be seen as it is-Infinite." (Truly Lovecraftian, even though a century plus early-1790-1793.) Aldous Huxley, brilliant 20th century intellect and philosopher, the man who gave us BRAVE NEW WORLD, among other classics. Huxley (member of an equally brilliant family) apparently took Blake at his word, and in May 1953 experimented diligently with mescaline, recording his results and publishing the account in 1954 under the enterprising title THE DOORS OF PERCEPTION. Dr. Timothy Leary, Harvard clinical psychologist and professor. Experiments with lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) 1960-1962. Goal: Mind Expansion. Dr. John Mack: noted Harvard professor. UFO believer. Psychiatrist. Died a victim of an intoxicated driver, in London. The John E. Mack Institute, dedicated to him, has as its Mission statement a purely Lovecraftian approach. http://johnemackinstitute.org Knowledge Is All. Ignorance Is Not Bliss. Or is it? Inspired by Question of The Day November 14 2018 |
View Portfolio
Visit Notebook
Send Gift Points
Awards
Badges
Send Email
Community Newsfeed
General Discussion
Sponsored Items
Book of Trinkets
Static Items
Books
Groups
Interactive Stories
Audio
Campfire Creatives
Community Notes
Crossword Puzzles
Documents
Folders
Images
In & Outs
Madlibs
Photo Albums
Polls
Product Reviews
Quizzes
Survey Forms
Web Pages
Word Searches
