Category: People

George Sand: The Many Faces of Me (and You)

Penelope

I’ve always been fascinated by George Sand, the 19th-century French novelist who wrote under a pseudonym. What draws me to her is the enigma of her identity – or rather, the multiple identities she presented to the world. To be…

Jose Saramago: The Great Confuser-in-Chief

Penelope

I still remember the first time I picked up a Jose Saramago novel, his words spilling out like a tangled mess of thoughts and emotions on the page. It was as if he’d taken all my innermost worries and doubts,…

Ernst Cassirer: Where Myth Meets Messy Reality

Penelope

I’ve been thinking a lot about Ernst Cassirer lately, ever since I stumbled upon his book “The Myth of the State” in my freshman year philosophy class. At first, I was drawn to his critiques of fascist ideology and his…

W.B. Yeats: The Mirror Maze

Penelope

I’ve been reading W.B. Yeats for what feels like an eternity, but it’s really only been a few months since I stumbled upon his poetry in a used bookstore. There was something about the way his words seemed to dance…

Katherine Mansfield: Where Bravery Meets Bruising

Penelope

Katherine Mansfield’s life has been a constant companion of mine since college, when I devoured her short stories like they were oxygen. There was something about the way she captured the intricacies of human relationships, the quiet desperation of modern…