Chekhov studied to be a Dr. He once said "Medicine is my lawful wife and literature my mistress; when I get tired of one, I spend the night with the other." It has been said Chekhov's last words were, "I haven't had champagne for a long time." His words were a satirical reference to a specific etiquette practiced in German medicine at the time; when it was determined that there was no hope for a patient's recovery, it was customary for the doctor to offer the patient a glass of champagne. I think this story is classic Chekhov: simple life, simple enjoyment. Then discontent and the need to escape, to become something more… Enjoy!
Hawthorne was a Transcendentalists believing in the "inherent goodness of both people and nature." You could think of him as a hippie of the...
In the spirit of the day, we read to you “The Raven” and “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe. Enjoy!
Willa Cather was an intensely private individual. She often destroyed her old drafts, personal papers and letters. When she died, her will stipulated that...