Aesop

 

Aesop, or Æsop (c.6th. century BC), legendary Greek source of over 600 fables including The Tortoise and the Hare, written from the oral, have been translated into English by many including the Rev. George Fyler Townsend (1814-1900) and Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914).
Through the use of (mostly) animal protagonists, Aesop's fables consist of simple tales with moral endings transcending time and place so to be as relevant today as they were millennia ago. Universally popular, they still inspire many contemporary stories, plays, and movies.
The Life of Aesop contains some contradictory details of his life, though contributes to his mythic proportions. The location of his birth is open to much conjecture though the ancient colony of Thrace, Phrygia, Aethiopia, the Greek island of Samos, the city of Athens and Sardis, the capitol of Lydia, are included in the possibilities. His name is from the archaic Greek "Ethiop" in reference to a person of African descent. The first known mention to the man Aesop is contained in the Greek historian Herodotus' History (c.425). There are many other allusions to his life in Greek literature including writers' Aristophanes, Xenophon, Plato, and Aristotle. Born into slavery and depicted in some sculptures with physical deformity, it is also mentioned that at an early age he suffered a speech impediment, miraculously eradicated by a deity. He was eventually freed by his master Iadmon, according to Herodotus. Most likely due to his literacy and wit. However, because of the overwhelming lack of proof of his life lived, many scholars, including Martin Luther (1483-1546), deny his existence. The use of the adjective Aesopic is sometimes used for ambiguous or allegorical political reference due to censorship; or for stories in the literary tradition given no attribution to a specific author.
It is said that Aesop escaped punishment for his irreverence and tomfoolery many times by his ability to stand up to his accusers with a clever turn of phrase, pointing out their ironies and hypocrisy. In his public orations on ethics to the common people he sometimes spoke out against the power structure of his time, using his gift for sarcasm and clever retort to quell his critics. The Frogs Asking for a King is his attempt to dissuade the people from overthrowing their leader. He is critical of a hoarding miser, and uses a dog to illustrate irrational greed. As a free man he spoke to aristocrats, philosophers, and kings. From The Shepherd’s Boy and the Wolf we today have the proverbial saying "the boy who cried wolf", exemplifying the life-lesson that telling lies leads one to lose credibility, that one "reaps what you sow". The Oak Tree and the Reeds uses elements of nature and thus we have the saying "survival of the fittest". The tales provide many allegorical references and practical advice on contemporary human issues such as politics and self-knowledge.
Although it is widely disputed, the death of Aesop is sometimes attributed to his stealing a gold or silver cup, his sentence for the crime to be thrown from a cliff in Delphi. He prophesised: “You may kill me, but my unjust death will bring you great misfortune” and the Oracle of Apollo confirmed to the Delphians that the ensuing pestilence, famine, and warfare were caused by his death.
Aesop's Fables have been told and re-told, then written and re-written countless times as a form of entertainment and education. Anecdotal and comic sketches were everyday forms of amusement in ancient Athens and Delphi. Today these works envelop many realms of life including psychology, politics, spirituality, education, health and well-being. Whether the man himself or Aesop the modern construct of scholars, his influence and commentary on human behaviour has been firmly established.

Samuel Hopkins Adams

Samuel Hopkins Adams (1871-1958), American muckraker and author best known for his investigative journalism wrote The Great American Fraud (1906).
Samuel Hopkins Adams was born in Dunkirk, New York State on 26 January 1871, the son of Minister Myron Adams and Hester Rose. Hopkins entered Hamilton College in Clinton, New York in 1887. Upon graduation he remained a loyal alumnus and served as Trustee between 1905 and 1916. His future investigative work as a journalist led to his receiving an honorary doctorate of humane letters in 1926.
After school he was employed with the New York Sun as a journalist for a number of years, during which he married Elizabeth Ruffner Noyes in 1898. They would have two daughters. McClure's magazine was an up-and-coming, cutting-edge journal with insightful, accurately reported, human edge articles, and Adams joined them in 1900. It was there that he first met his life-long friend and fellow muckraker, Ray Stannard Baker, who’s writing style was also that of heavily researched scientific articles. Adams quickly entered the fray of muckrakers, reporting on U.S. public health issues. In 1905 he joined Collier's Weekly and wrote a series of articles on controversial issues in the patent medicine market.
At the time, there was no existing governing body overseeing the patent medicine industry, and the furore that arose over his exposure of corruption, deceit, and false advertising prompted the formation of the federal Pure Food and Drug Act in 1906. This led to products requiring they be properly labelled as to their ingredients. The Great American Fraud discusses quack medicine practices and the issues of medicines possibly harming instead of helping, though they were still allowed to make false claims as to efficacy.
Adams and his wife divorced in 1907. The same year he started to write fiction and co-authored, with Stewart Edward White, The Mystery. Flying Death (1908) was another mystery novel, and his collection of detective stories Average Jones was published in 1911 to moderate success, mingling Adam's penchant for detail and scandal with witty cynicism in regard to institutions. The Secret of Lonesome Cove (1912) was followed by The Health Master (1913), wherein he makes use of his background of practical medical knowledge. The same year the American Medical Association made Adams an associate fellow. The Clarion (1914) was controversial in its criticism of advertising tactics in the newspaper industry. During World War I Adams served with the Committee on Public Information, on which he based Common Cause (1919), another newspaper theme. Little Miss Grouch (1915) was followed by The Unspeakable Perk (1916) and a short story collection Our Square and the People in It (1917). Adams married actress Jane Peyton (Jennie Van Norman) in 1915.
In the 20s Adams launched into a prolific period of writing fiction, including hundreds of short stories. Success (1921) was followed by his collection of short stories set in New York City, From a Bench in Our Square (1922). His Jazz Age Flaming Youth (1923) was published under his pseudonym Warner Fabian. Siege (1924) and The Piper's Fee (1926) were followed by Revelry (1926) which is based on President Warren G. Harding's scandal-rocked administration, suitably of the muckraking genre. Who and What: A Book of Clues for the Clever (1927), Unforbidden Fruit (1928), and The Flagrant Years (1929) were followed by his Daniel Webster biography, The Godlike Daniel (1929).
Adam's short story Night Bus inspired a number of screen adaptations including "It Happened One Night". Other titles published in the 30's were The Men in Her Life (1930) and Week-End Girl (1932), followed by his biography on Peggy O'Neale Eaton, The Gorgeous Hussy (1934). Widow's Oats (1935), Maiden Effort (1937), The World Goes Smash (1938), and Both over Twenty-One (1939) were titles to follow. The ironically titled The Incredible Era: The Life and Times of Warren G. Harding (1939), covering the Teapot Dome scandals, failed to gather much attention.
In the 40s Adams published a few novels anonymously, a romance titled The Book of Ariel and Tambay Gold, both in 1942, and a collaboration adding his medical knowledge with Frank G. Slaughter, That None Should Die (1941) and Spencer Brade, M.D. (1942). He also produced a number of upstate New York-based stories including New York, Canal Town (1944) and Sunrise to Sunset (1950) which were highly praised and widely read. He penned another biography, this time on A. Wolcott, His Life and World (1945).
During the last decade of his life, Adams was still writing full-force, including a memoir titled Grandfather Stories (1955). General Brock and Niagara Falls (1957) was followed by Chingo Smith of the Erie Canal (1958). Samuel Hopkins Adams died on 16 November 1958 at his Beaufort, South Carolina home. The New York Times and New York Herald Tribune published obituaries on 17 November 1958. Tenderloin (1959) was published posthumously and adapted to the stage.

Andy Adams

Andy Adams (1859-1935), cowboy and author wrote The Log of a Cowboy: A Narrative of the Old Trail Days (1903).
The Log is his best-known work and still in print today. Based on Adams' involvement with a five-month drive of over three thousand head of cattle from Brownsville to Montana in 1882, it is said to be one of the most authentic records of the "Wild West" days in cattle country.
Andy Adams was born in Thornecreek Township, Indiana on 3 May 1859. His pioneering parents were Andrew Adams and Elizabeth née Elliot. Young Andy was of a tall and robust physique, and he grew up with an appreciation for his fathers' occupation as cattleman and farmer. He and his brothers assisted their father and learned all about the business. After six years of school, at the age of fifteen, Adams left home.
He soon became involved in the mule and horse-trading business in 1882 San Antonio, Texas, which took him to many parts of the state and country including Dodge City in Kansas, and the Cherokee Outlet in Oklahoma. For ten years the bulk of his time was spent in the dust and mayhem of cattle driving on the western trail. His attentions next focused on the mining boom which took him to Cripple Creek, Colorado. He ventured to Nevada and Kentucky as well in search of gold, though the venture failed and he began to seriously put his pen to paper and write about his adventures.
A prospective publisher suggested to Adams that he attempt a fictional account of cowboy life, and thus the idea for The Log of a Cowboy: A Narrative of the Old Trail Days was born. It was so successful and convincing that many believed it to be an autobiography, though of course Adams himself drew heavily from his own exciting life to fill its pages. A Texas Matchmaker (1904) and The Outlet (1905) followed. Cattle Brands (1906) is a collection of short stories. Reed Anthony, Cowman: An Autobiography (1907) was followed by Wells Brothers: The Young Cattle Kings (1911) and The Ranch on the Beaver: A Sequel to Wells Brothers (1927). Specifically aimed at the young boys among his readership it is the story of two orphans' rise to fortune and success in the cattle industry. A number of his works were lauded in England.
Andy Adams died on 26 September 1935 in Colorado Springs, and lies buried in the Evergreen Cemetery of El Paso County, Colorado, USA. He never married and left no children. The Colorado Springs Public Library and State Historical Society of Colorado in Denver maintains the bulk of his papers and manuscripts, donated by his nephew.

Henry Adams

Henry Adams (1838-1918), American author, historian, and critic is most famous for his memoir The Education of Henry Adams (1918) which he was posthumously awarded the Pulitzer Prize for in 1919.

Henry Brooks Adams was born on 16 February 1838 in Boston, Massachusetts. His parents were Charles Francis Adams (1807-1886), diplomat and writer, and Abigail Brown Brooks (1808-1889). Being the great-grandson of the second American President John Adams, and the grandson of the sixth President John Quincy Adams provided for a certain number of advantages in young Henry's life. He spent much time in the summers at his grandfather's home, and was surrounded by culture and wealth. The family's library was the largest private collection at the time and young Henry spent much time in it studying voraciously such subjects as Greek and Roman literature, mathematics, politics, physics, and astronomy. His father's position of power in politics as congressman and Vice Presidential candidate in 1848 also served him well, for he was surrounded by high-ranking diplomats and world leaders all his life.
Adams attended Harvard College from 1854-1858, and was a contributor to Harvard Magazine. In the fall of 1858 he set sail with a number of his fellow graduates on the "Grand Tour" of Europe. He attended Berlin University to study civil law and for the next year he visited various parts of Germany, Italy, Austria, and Switzerland. For a time he became a correspondent for the Boston Daily Courier and his letters home included an interview with patriot Garibaldi. Over his lifetime Adams would amass an extraordinary collection of correspondence with many prominent friends and dignitaries of his day. After ten weeks spent in Paris, Adams left law school and returned to Massachusetts, and between 1861 and 1868 acted as his father's private secretary, who had been newly appointed by Abraham Lincoln as Minister to Great Britain. Whilst they were in Washington he was correspondent for Boston's Daily Advertiser. They next travelled to England and Adams was correspondent for The New York Times. He wrote a number of essays critical of congress, free trade, and diplomatic relations during this time, many published in the influential journal North American Review. Upon his return to America in 1868 he became a lobbyist and freelance political journalist. Ulysses S. Grant was a favourite target of Adam's mordant wit and scathing critique, his articles appearing in such prestigious journals as The Nation and the New York Evening Post.
Satisfying his intellectual pursuits, 1870 saw Adams appointed assistant professor of history at Harvard university and for the next six years he taught medieval English, European, and American history. "A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops." Politics still hot in his veins however he also became editor of the North American Review. On 27 June 1872 Adams married Marian Hooper (1843-1885) and they set sail for their honeymoon, in Europe and Egypt. Whilst in England Adams visited with a number of his friends, political figures and scholars. In 1877 he resigned from Harvard to undertake a study of the papers in the state archive of Thomas Jefferson’s Secretary of the Treasury; Life of Albert Gallatin was published in 1879.
History of the United States - 1801 to 1817 (1889-1891) objectively details the time period during the diplomatic relations and administration of Presidents Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. Whilst on another tour of the Pacific with painter John La Farge in 1890, Adams made the acquaintance of Marau Taaroa, and through his guidance and friendship, penned her Memoirs of Marau Taaroa, Last Queen of Tahiti (1893). Adams continued to travel the world, including Mexico and the Caribbean Islands in 1894. After leaving the Republican Party to join the Democrats, the inside view was disenchanting to Adams and he slowly withdrew from his political pursuits; by 1902 the separation was complete. "Practical politics consists in ignoring facts." He now delved further into his historical studies, including a life-long appreciation and study of architecture and writing a number of biographies. Mont Saint Michel and Chartres: A Study of Thirteenth-Century Unity was published in 1913 with photographs and illustrations. He had released it privately years before, and now his meditations on the medieval world and its French cathedrals was well-received. In 1912 he had suffered a cerebral thrombosis which partially paralysed him. Henry Adams died 27 March 1918 and lies buried beside his wife in the Rock Creek Cemetery, Washington, District of Columbia.

William Wordsworthish

William Wordsworth (1770-1850), British poet, credited with ushering in the English Romantic Movement with the publication of Lyrical Ballads(1798) in collaboration with Samuel Taylor Coleridge.

William Wordsworth was born on 7 April 1770 in Cockermouth, Cumberland, in the Lake District. His father was John Wordsworth, Sir James Lowther's attorney. The magnificent landscape deeply affected Wordsworth's imagination and gave him a love of nature. He lost his mother when he was eight and five years later his father. The domestic problems separated Wordsworth from his beloved and neurotic sister Dorothy, who was a very important person in his life.

With the help of his two uncles, Wordsworth entered a local school and continued his studies at Cambridge University. Wordsworth made his debut as a writer in 1787, when he published a sonnet in The European Magazine . In that same year he entered St. John's College, Cambridge, from where he took his B.A. in 1791.

During a summer vacation in 1790 Wordsworth went on a walking tour through revolutionary France and also traveled in Switzerland. On his second journey in France, Wordsworth had an affair with a French girl, Annette Vallon, a daughter of a barber-surgeon, by whom he had a illegitimate daughter Anne Caroline. The affair was basis of the poem "Vaudracour and Julia", but otherwise Wordsworth did his best to hide the affair from posterity.

In 1795 he met Coleridge. Wordsworth's financial situation became better in 1795 when he received a legacy and was able to settle at Racedown, Dorset, with his sister Dorothy.
Encouraged by Coleridge and stimulated by the close contact with nature, Wordsworth composed his first masterwork, Lyrical Ballads, which opened with Coleridge's "Ancient Mariner." About 1798 he started to write a large and philosophical autobiographical poem, completed in 1805, and published posthumously in 1850 under the title The Prelude.

Wordsworth spent the winter of 1798-99 with his sister and Coleridge in Germany, where he wrote several poems, including the enigmatic 'Lucy' poems. After return he moved Dove Cottage, Grasmere, and in 1802 married Mary Hutchinson. They cared for Wordsworth's sister Dorothy for the last 20 years of her life.

Wordsworth's second verse collection, Poems, In Two Volumes, appeared in 1807. Wordsworth's central works were produced between 1797 and 1808. His poems written during middle and late years have not gained similar critical approval. Wordsworth's Grasmere period ended in 1813. He was appointed official distributor of stamps for Westmoreland. He moved to Rydal Mount, Ambleside, where he spent the rest of his life. In later life Wordsworth abandoned his radical ideas and became a patriotic, conservative public man.

In 1843 he succeeded Robert Southey (1774-1843) as England's poet laureate. Wordsworth died on April 23, 1850.

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