Jun 21, 2017 | Fun Historical Facts
Fans of the film, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and the television show Sleepy Hollow may remember a powerful poison, used as a method to manipulate lovers and cause death. Atlas Obscura has the fascinating history of this legendary toxin — and I use the word...
Jun 13, 2017 | Fun Historical Facts
Most of my blog is dedicated to helping you publish and promote your books. But what about those poor souls who never do manage to get published? Fret Fret not, for now there’s a place where your work will be fully appreciated: the Brautigan Library, a...
Jun 7, 2017 | Fun Historical Facts, Writing
One of my favorite pastimes is to find out the origins of common sayings or phrases. So, I was thrilled when my author friend Sebastian White (of Quirky Claus fame) alerted me to The Phrase Finder, a wonderful resource for anyone with a passion for English. In true...
Jun 5, 2017 | Fun Historical Facts
In 2011, ten exquisite sculptures made from books mysteriously appeared at libraries and cultural institutions across Edinburgh. The first and last were found here at the Scottish Poetry Library, and also a final gift at the end of 2012. The sculptures came with a...
May 25, 2017 | Fun Historical Facts
In Game Of Thrones, it is the King’s Hand who exerts some real power of the Seven Kingdoms. His symbol, appropriately enough, was a pin depicting a hand. But in yet another example of reality being stranger than fiction, it was the Groom of the Stool—named for...
May 1, 2017 | Fun Historical Facts
May Day is an official holiday in 66 countries and unofficially celebrated in many more. In Greece, it is celebrated as a workers’ strike. So, naturally, everyone goes to the countryside and… erm… makes themselves a May wreath to hang on their doors....
Apr 5, 2017 | Fun Historical Facts
Wherever does Rowling come up with her amazing ideas? Well, in the case of Dobby, it could be any from a number of mythological sources, helpfully compiled by Eric Grundhauser of Atlas Obscura in his collection of household spirit-related myths. Slavic Mythology: The...
Mar 16, 2017 | Fun Historical Facts
Mary Natalie loves her flap books so much that we now have an assortment of them. My personal favorite is probably Spot, although that was before I realized what a scandalous history flap books have, courtesy of Sarah Laskow of Atlas Obscura. To my great surprise,...
Mar 6, 2017 | Fun Historical Facts
What language do modern Hawaiians speak? The answer, as Dan Nosowitz of Atlas Obscura points out, is not nearly as simple as you might think. There are several languages co-existing on the Hawaiian islands: Hawaiian, the Polynesian language of the original Hawaiians...
Feb 14, 2017 | Events and Giveaways, Fun Historical Facts
It’s Valentine’s Day today, and I hope it’s a happy one. May you all have all the love in your life you can possibly hope for! However, as Atlas Obscura reminds us, today is the day when we are forced to deal with an ugly question: what if you don’t...
