Review: Samuel Johnson bio shows man behind text Nov 11, 2009
"Samuel Johnson: A Life" (Henry Holt and Company, 432 pages, $30), by David Nokes. David Nokes, a prominent scholar of 18th-century English literature, takes a fresh look at Samuel Johnson, the man known as the creator of the dictionary. (Honolulu Advertiser)
At the heart of our problems:the dissolution of the family Nov 10, 2009
At the heart of our problems: the dissolution of the family - NJ.com. Don't have an account. (NJ.com -- Times)
The Art of History Nov 7, 2009
That historical thinking and that historical consciousness are necessarily conservative rather than radical should go without saying but, alas, this is seldom the case and in this respect Stephen Tonsor, whether consciously or not, is in accord with Samuel Johnson s profound recognition that we instruct by reminding people of things they know or at least ought to know. A few of his sentences rise to the level of wise aphorisms. (The American Conservative)
'The Collected Stories of Lydia Davis' Nov 2, 2009
Her delightful strangeness, in all its range and wonder, is on full display in her latest book, "The Collected Stories of Lydia Davis." For those who loved previous collections such as "Almost No Memory" and "Samuel Johnson Is Indignant," this new volume, containing all her stories to date, is a treasure. At more than 700 pages, such a vast compendium might reveal the flaws and tics of a lesser writer, but with Davis, an appreciation is further enriched. (San Francisco Chronicle)
‘The Book of William’ binds First Folios to a world of bibliophiles Oct 29, 2009
He offers a comprehensive early publishing history of Shakespeare s plays - a crooked line that includes cameo appearances by Samuel Johnson and Alexander Pope, among others - before setting off on a present-day quest to track down some of the most coveted Folios. He exults in the presence of the so-called Grenville Folio, the well-kept copy which served as the model for the 1866 photographic facsimile project of one Howard Staunton, perhaps better remembered as the chess expert whose name today... (Boston Globe)
The Culture Gabfest, Damage Control Edition Oct 8, 2009
Stephen's pick: Andrew O'Hagan's on Samuel Johnson in the New York Review of Books. You can e-mail us at. (Slate)
Just imagine: Fantasy books for younger readers Oct 5, 2009
The only person who suspects there might be a connection between these two events is an intelligent yet misunderstood boy named Samuel Johnson (with his faithful canine companion Boswell, of course). When various demons begin popping through the gateway to cause trouble in this universe, Sam musters human friends and magical allies in an attempt to defeat the hell spawn before the Great Malevolence himself arrives. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Entertainment)
Can a Woman "Prong" a Man? Oct 2, 2009
It is included in several other dictionaries throughout the 17th and 18th centuries (though not in that of Samuel Johnson, who made a conscious decision to keep out such material); Nathan Bailey's major Dictionarium Britannicum of 1730 included the odd note that it was "a term used of a goat," perhaps in an effort to make it seem less offensive. The last general dictionary to include the word was the 1775 New and Complete Dictionary of the English Language by Baptist preacher John Ash; the word... (Slate)
The No-Cost Way to Motivate Sep 30, 2009
But then I think about that quote from 18th century writer Samuel Johnson: "People need to be reminded more often than they need to be instructed.". So here's a reminder for managers: Take an active, genuine interest in the lives of your employees. (BusinessWeek)
profile of the Roberts Court Sep 23, 2009
Once a year, as another December gives way to a chill January, Chief Justice John Roberts rereads a poem published in 1749 by the great writer, moralist and late-night conversationalist Samuel Johnson ... The image of the Supreme Court as a great righter of wrongs, ingrained among liberals by the stirring cases of the Warren Court--school desegregation; one man, one vote; right to counsel; and so on--has no power over a judge so rooted in the conservatism of the 18th century, of Samuel Johnson... (Harper's Magazine)
10 ways to enjoy doing nothing Sep 22, 2009
And then, by chance, I picked up a collection of writings by Dr. Samuel Johnson, the 18th-century wit and the compiler of the first comprehensive English dictionary. In the book were excerpts from a weekly column he had written called "The Idler," in which the great man celebrated idleness as an aspiration, writing in 1758, "Every man is, or hopes to be, an Idler.". (CNN)
The literary lion who hated us, and why we love him anyway Sep 20, 2009
Samuel Johnson, anti-American ... Samuel Johnson, born 300 years ago last week, has long been known as one of the great wits and wordsmiths of the English language: poet, critic, biographer, journalist, editor, novelist, bon vivant, and, of course, author of his pioneering dictionary. (Boston Globe)
Web of words Sep 16, 2009
Samuel Johnson, born 300 years ago this week, wrote one of the most important books in the English language ... "Dictionaries", said Samuel Johnson, "are like watches: the worst is better than none, and the best cannot be expected to go quite true." ... It may not have achieved perfection, but Samuel Johnson's A Dictionary of the English Language, published in 1755, is generally regarded as one of the most important works of scholarship in the English language. (BBC News -- UK)
Inspiring Quotes by Writers for Wri... Sep 13, 2009
"The two most engaging powers of an author are to make new things familiar and familiar things new." ~Samuel Johnson. Quotes to Remember After Writing. (Suite101.com)
Slavery and its influence on the Constitution Sep 11, 2009
This paradoxical attitude prompted British literary critic and ardent Tory Samuel Johnson to ask in his pamphlet Taxation No Tyranny, How is it that we hear the loudest yelps for liberty among the drivers of negroes. Many of these slaveholders were active participants during the crafting of the Constitution, and Waldstreicher notes that six of the Constitution s 84 clauses were directly related to slavery and five others indirectly related. (Boston Globe)
Strong adult themes Sep 11, 2009
The central character, Dave Peck (voiced by Samuel Johnson), thinks he has found the meaning of life when he stumbles upon an advertisement for a booklet that spells it all out on ''the finest paper'' with ''illuminating, exquisite colour pictures and selling for a mere $9 ... Voices of Samuel Johnson, Barry Otto, Anthony LaPaglia and Geoffrey Rush. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)
Astoria museum lands West Coast map collection Aug 31, 2009
Samuel Johnson is grinning like a Cheshire cat this week and no wonder. He has just learned that the Columbia River Maritime Museum has been chosen as the permanent home for a collection of maps, books and engravings valued at 1. (Longview Daily News, WA)
The Favre and I Aug 19, 2009
Samuel Johnson had Boswell, the Kennedys got their reputations buffed by Arthur Schlesinger Jr., and Sidney Blumenthal massaged the Clintons. Fred Barnes when no one else would. (Slate)
The author’s big mistake Aug 14, 2009
Grounding himself in the writing of Samuel Johnson, who, by the way, had no objection to bad reviews, Fussell dissects the bathetic essence of the wounded author s plaint ... Boys and girls, attend now Samuel Johnson, perhaps both the greatest writer and the greatest heart of the English language. (Boston Globe)
MICHAEL BARONE Aug 10, 2009
Published: Aug 03 00004000 , 2009 The prospect of hanging, Samuel Johnson famously said, concentrates the mind. So, it seems, does the prospect of losing your health insurance and being forced into a government plan the unstated and indeed denied, but also obvious intention of the Democratic government option health care bills. (The Drudge Report)
* Universal revulsion prompts a retreat from global banking Aug 3, 2009
Eighteenth century English author Samuel Johnson once said: When a man knows he is to be hanged in a fortnight, it concentrates his mind wonderfully. . (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
Online media: Site for blacks attracts slurs after arrest of professor Jul 28, 2009
Kids are forming habits, and habits are strong things, he said, recalling a quote attributed to the poet Samuel Johnson: The chains of habit are too weak to be felt until they are too strong to be broken ... Kids are forming habits, and habits are strong things, he said, recalling a quote attributed to the poet Samuel Johnson: The chains of habit are too weak to be felt until they are too strong to be broken. (Honolulu Star-Bulletin)
Review: '$9.99' weaves 12 lives animatedly Jul 11, 2009
Starring the voices of Samuel Johnson, Anthony LaPaglia, Geoffrey Rush and Claudia Karvan ... Starring the voices of Samuel Johnson, Anthony LaPaglia, Geoffrey Rush and Claudia Karvan. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Entertainment)
PEGGY NOONAN Jul 5, 2009
He impressed even crusty old Samuel Johnson, who after meeting him called him "the finest gentleman I have ever seen." As for the famous madness, he suffered not during the American Revolution but later in life from what appears to have been "prophyria, a hereditary disease not diagnosed until the twentieth century.". One can't know if Mr. McCullough is correct in his judgment here, or fully so. (The Drudge Report)
Funny and Famous Wine Quotes and To... Jul 4, 2009
It was said, "In water one sees one's own face, but in wine one beholds the heart of another. No other drink has inspired so many poets and writers! The skill of master winemaker created the essence of wine, but the journey of wine was chronicled by the thousands of quotes and saying penned or uttered by history's most notable characters. Quotes, quips, idioms, and sayings were passed down from Jesus, Homer, Plato, Shakespeare, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Mark Twain, Wm. Butler Yeats,... (Suite101.com)
Revolutionary Characters Jul 4, 2009
Not for nothing did Samuel Johnson define pension in his great dictionary as, in part, pay given to a state hireling for treason to his country. The young Republic had as much to fear from foreign wealth as well as foreign armies, and the possibility of one branch of government corrupting another was very real. (The American Conservative)
Hoare wins Johnson prize for his whale book Jul 2, 2009
"Leviathan, or the Whale," by British writer Philip Hoare, beat five other finalists to the $33,000 Samuel Johnson Prize for Nonfiction ... Named in honor of the 18th century essayist and lexicographer, the Samuel Johnson Prize is open to English-language books from any country in the areas of current affairs, history, politics, science, sports, travel, biography, autobiography and the arts ... "Leviathan, or the Whale," by British writer Philip Hoare, beat five other finalists to the $33,000... (San Francisco Chronicle)
Whale tale wins non-fiction prize Jul 2, 2009
The story of a man's lifelong obsession with whales has won the 20,000 BBC Samuel Johnson Prize for non-fiction. Leviathan, Or The Whale, traces British author Philip Hoare's fascination with the marine mammal, which he calls "a living thing past our comprehension". (BBC News -- Entertainment)
Jefferson and the Declaration of In... Jul 1, 2009
In England, once the Declaration was publicized, Samuel Johnson would famously reply, ;we hear the loudest yelps for liberty among the drivers of Negroes. The phrase all men are created equal would cause decades of debate. (Suite101.com)
For ‘$9.99,’ animated characters and story lines Jun 26, 2009
Dave, a directionless young Australian (voiced by Samuel Johnson), latches onto the book looking for an epiphany but soon discovers his biggest challenge is getting anyone to let him reveal its wisdom ... Featuring the voices of: Geoffrey Rush, Anthony LaPaglia, Samuel Johnson, Ben Mendelsohn, Claudia Karvan, Joel Edgerton, Barry Otto. (Boston Globe)
Patronize me - please May 20, 2009
Payable in advance is important, as Samuel Johnson discovered when his patron, Lord Chesterfield, stepped forward to claim credit for Johnson's majestic English dictionary in 1775. During the previous seven years, Chesterfield had sent Johnson only 10 pounds. (Boston Globe)
you could have one, too May 9, 2009
Role models: Benjamin Franklin, Samuel Johnson Mission: Be happier now. Motto: Do good, feel good. (Slate)
Doing "Random Acts of Kindness" Brings Happiness May 9, 2009
The Happiness Project: Happiness Myth No. 7: Doing Random Acts of Kindness Brings Happiness. I'm working on a book, THE HAPPINESS PROJECT--a memoir about the year I spent test-driving every principle, tip, theory, and scientific study I could find, whether from Aristotle or St. Therese or Martin Seligman or Oprah. (Slate)
Odd Couple plays ball Apr 30, 2009
Samuel Johnson, that scrofulous 18th-century font of wisdom, once said, "Depend upon it, sir, when a man knows he is to be hanged in a fortnight, it concentrates his mind wonderfully.". The same might be said when a theater patron sits down for an evening of poetry reading, monologues, or dramatic readings. (Erie Times-News, PA)
Inside the young writer's laboratory Apr 19, 2009
Although one of Beckett's friends said to him, "You don't love anything unless it's a failure," it's also helpful to know what the young Beckett loved: James Joyce, of course, but also Czanne, Samuel Johnson, Jane Austen, Gottfried Keller's Green Henry. I mean, you can feel Beckett's world growing out of the tremendous culture that inspired him and gave him such comfort as he allowed himself. (Globe and Mail -- Business)
Brandy-Spiked Carrot Soup with Ging... Apr 19, 2009
Modern brandy was the result, inspiring Samuel Johnson to say, "Claret is the liquor for boys, port for men; but he who aspires to be a hero must drink brandy.". France s two principal brandies are Cognac and Armagnac, named for the regions of southwestern France where they are made. (Suite101.com)
What are proud Australians proud of? Apr 10, 2009
They are also proud of being scoundrels ("Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel," Samuel Johnson). Michel Poelman, Cremorne. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)
If you write it... Mar 26, 2009
An expanded edition (18,000 definitions in 974 pages) from the Samuel Johnson of baseball, who defines terms such as Nintendo slider, "a pitch that breaks unexpectedly over the plate, as if remotely controlled.". As They See 'Em: A Fan's Travels in the Land of Umpires by Bruce Weber (Scribner, $26). (USA Today -- Sports)
Large fire blackens London skyline Mar 19, 2009
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Successful companies cultivate key concepts Mar 15, 2009
Eighteenth-century English journalist and author Samuel Johnson said it best: "Work life affords no higher pleasure than that of surmounting difficulties, passing from one step of success to another, forming new dreams and seeing them gratified. Those that labor in any great or laudable undertaking have their fatigues first supported by hope and afterward regarded by joy when winning.". It seems that success for small businesses and nonprofits is a function of organization, a system,... (Athens Banner-Herald)
President Obama nominated twice for 2009 British Book Awards Mar 10, 2009
Kate Summerscale, who won last year's Samuel Johnson prize, is also nominated twice for The Suspicions of Mr Whicher. The winners will be announced at a ceremony in London on 3 April. (BBC News -- UK)
Is a Nuclear Deal with North Korea Feasible? Mar 7, 2009
Given North Korea s track record in making concessions with one hand and withdrawing with another, such bold initiative may indeed be, to borrow from Samuel Johnson s adage about remarriage, the triumph of hope over experience. The fact that the North Korean leadership is adopting an apparent bellicose posture such as shooting long-range missile despite clear overtures from Washington requires us to consider what Pyongyang really wants. (YaleGlobal Online Magazine, CT)
What Do Humans Owe Animals? Mar 2, 2009
What Samuel Johnson can teach us about writing. Adam Kirsch | Feb. 23, 2009. (Slate)
He Was the Greatest Professional Writer in the History of English Literature Feb 23, 2009
New biographies of Samuel Johnson ... Money Made Him Do ItWhat Samuel Johnson can teach us about writing ... "No man but a blockhead ever wrote, except for money," Samuel Johnson used to say. (Slate)
Museums, meat pies and the Cliffs of Moher Feb 13, 2009
This year marks the 300th anniversary of the birth of Dr. Samuel Johnson, who produced the first Dictionary of the English Language. You can expect frenzied mobs of editors, proofreaders, and lexicographers descending upon Dr. Johnson's House throughout 2009. (CNN -- Travel)
Whats new in Britain and Ireland for 2009 Feb 11, 2009
And this year marks the 300th anniversary of the birth of Dr. Samuel Johnson, who produced the first Dictionary of the English Language. You can expect frenzied mobs of editors, proofreaders, and lexicographers descending upon Dr. Johnsons House throughout 2009. (MSNBC -- Travel)
