Ludwig Wittgenstein’s name has been etched on my bookshelves for years, a constant presence that I’ve grown accustomed to. His Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus collected dust alongside other philosophical texts, its yellowed pages whispering secrets to me as I flipped through them…
I’ll be honest, I only stumbled upon Barbara Pym’s work a year ago, browsing through my college library’s fiction section. Her name stood out to me because it seemed… old-fashioned? Not in a bad way, but like she was from…
W.H. Auden’s poetry has been a constant presence in my life, even though I only discovered him during my senior year of college. It’s funny how sometimes it takes stumbling upon something to truly appreciate its value. For me, Auden’s…
Iris Murdoch – the name itself seems to conjure a world of complexity, of intellectual rigor, of moral depth. As I sit down to write about her, I’m struck by the sense that I’m venturing into uncharted territory, that I’m…
I’ve always been drawn to the idea of a “big thinker,” someone who can see beyond the present moment and shape the future with their ideas. John Maynard Keynes is one such figure, and I find myself frequently returning to…
Hannah More’s life has been etched into my mind like the lines on a well-loved book. As I delve into her story, I find myself drawn to the complexities of her character – her contradictions, her convictions, and the societal…
I’ll be honest, I’m not sure why Vladimir Nabokov fascinates me so much. His life seems to defy any straightforward narrative – a Russian aristocrat turned English professor, an immigrant who never quite fit in, and a writer known for…
I’ve been fascinated with Kathe Kollwitz’s work for a while now, ever since I stumbled upon her etchings in an art history book in college. Her bold lines and unflinching depictions of human struggle resonated deeply with me, but it…
Max Weber. I’ve been reading about him for weeks now, and yet I still can’t quite put my finger on what it is about him that fascinates me so much. Maybe it’s the way he seemed to embody two conflicting…
Thomas Hardy’s name has been floating around my consciousness for years, long before I finally picked up one of his novels in college. There was something about the way people spoke of him – as if he were a mythical…
Sylvia Plath’s words have been a constant companion for me since I stumbled upon her poetry in college. Her language is like a wild animal that snatches my breath away, leaving me gasping for air. There’s something about the way…
Tillie Olsen’s name keeps popping up in my literature classes, always alongside the likes of Hemingway, Joyce, and Woolf. At first, I thought she was just another old-school writer who happened to be a woman, but the more I read…
Georg Lukacs. I’ve been thinking about him a lot lately, trying to untangle why his ideas keep slipping into my mind like a loose thread on an old sweater. As I sit here with my laptop open, staring at the…
Lou Andreas-Salomé has been on my mind a lot lately, ever since I stumbled upon her name while researching women writers of the early 20th century. At first, it was just a fleeting curiosity – who is this woman and…
Paul Klee’s work has been a constant presence in my life, even though I’ve never met him. His paintings are like fragments of my own thoughts – abstract, yet somehow familiar. I find myself drawn to his use of color…
I’ve always been drawn to Nadine Gordimer’s writing, but it wasn’t until I was in college that I truly began to grasp the depth of her work. As a writer myself, I find myself returning to her novels again and…
Pierre Curie’s smile keeps popping into my head. I’ve only seen pictures of him, but there’s something about the way his eyes crinkle at the corners that makes me feel like he might be smiling directly at me. It’s a…
Mary McCarthy’s words keep slipping into my mind, like fragments of a puzzle I’m trying to assemble. I first encountered her as an undergraduate, studying her novels and essays alongside the greats. But it was her reputation – or rather,…
Fernando Pessoa has been a constant presence in my life, lurking in the margins of my thoughts like a whispered secret. I first encountered him in a literature class during my senior year of college, where we devoured his poetry…
Maria Mitchell. I’ve been thinking about her a lot lately, especially since finishing college. Maybe it’s the sense of freedom that comes with being done with school, but I find myself drawn to people who didn’t fit neatly into expectations…
