A New Kind of Library

In just a few years, volunteers at the Kankuaka Public Library have built an award-winning library that takes a unique approach to story-telling and historical preservation.

Built in the small, mountain-side town of Atánquez on the reserve of Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, the library empowers children to be the keepers of history and gives them the tools to create new stories of their people to pass on to the next generation. Once a group struggling to maintain their culture, they are embracing the ways that they are special and honoring their traditions.

A Complicated History

The Kankuamo people have fought for decades to keep their heritage from disappearing. In an interview with the Guardian, Patrick Morales, coordinator of ethnic affairs at the National Centre for Historical Memory in Colombia, shares that this is not unlike the experience of other indigenous cultures in Latin America. In a wave of assimilation attempts in the 1950s and 60s, many indigenous people turned away from their cultures from growing pressures from modern society, before eventually finding their way back.

As access to higher education became more widely available in the 1980s, many young people living in Atánquez left for university and never returned. The public library there serves as an attempt to rebuild a learning culture for the Kankuamo people in the hopes that more natives will return home after getting their education and revitalize the community.

The Chance For More

In 2013, the town of Atánquez received one box of books donated by the National Network of Public Libraries to serve the community of 10,000. After the box went some time unopened, a government official was sent to retrieve them and the townspeople acted quickly. In an abandoned community center, they arranged the books and deemed it a “public library.”

Soules Maestre, the librarian and one of the library founders, remembers the sentiments in the early days of the building, “If we are capable of putting this together in one night, you cannot imagine what we are capable of in a year.” The government official granted them one year to get the project off the ground, along with donated tables and chairs.

By 2015, the library was nominated for Colombia’s National Library Award and went on to win in 2017.

Heirs of Memory

The children of Atánquez have taken on a special role in the survival of the town’s history. Morales calls them Atánquez’s “heirs of..memory.” The library regularly organizes trips and projects for the Kankuamo children, all centered around historical preservation and celebrations of their heritage.

Sahian Maestre, 13, says her favorite trips are visiting the community elders. They tell stories and share music and recipes passed down for generations. An early project had children use camcorders to record the interactions and make short films for the library’s archives.

During the pandemic, the library remained open and got creative with its interactions in the community. They passed out camcorders to the children and had them record their everyday lives during COVID, focusing on the home and their families. The library organized groceries for families in need, provided seeds for home gardens and even administered vaccines.

Fight For Heritage

The fight to carry on the Kankuamo culture hasn’t been an easy one. Like many other indigenous groups in Colombia, the town faces threats from outside forces every day. In the 1980s and 90s, violent paramilitary groups killed and displaced hundreds of Kankuamos. In the aftermath, there were many years when the Kankuamo people were ashamed of their heritage and hid their culture.

Today, they face an environmental threat. Coal and oil mining are shrinking their access to space and poisoning their lands and waters. To the people of Atánquez, the library serves as a way for the community to defend itself. Children have been using their project time to think up new ways to protect the ecosystem and build out future plans for the community.

The Legacy Lives On

Global recognition of the library’s efforts resulting in donations and prize money has kept the public library open for several years, but it’s often not enough to do many improvements or expansions. Today, the library is fundraising for computers and dreaming up new projects for the community to participate in. “In this way, curiosity, creativity and knowledge go far beyond the walls of our library,” said Maestro.

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Tsundoku: Collecting Books You Don’t End Up Reading

Tsundoku is a Japanese compound word of tsumu, meaning “to pile up,” and doku, meaning “reading.” It’s not quite right to translate it into “book collecting,” as it’s more than that. It specifically insinuates the intention to read the books you buy; you just never get around to it.

Having an ever-growing reading list is a phenomenon that many book lovers are likely familiar with. After all, for every volume you read and check off that list, all too often you end up adding five or ten more.

The real question is whether it’s a good habit or a bad one. In Japanese, tsundoku is a fairly neutral term. Unlike bibliomania, it’s not an obsession with collecting or hoarding books. Sure, it can be used to poke fun at those who own a ton of unread books. But it can also be a way to shrug and say, yeah… there’s never enough time to do anything.

Why We Pile Up Books

There are many reasons why someone would add books to their collection without reading them. One is vanity. In the past, particularly in the 19th century, having a personal library was seen as a status symbol, and the more extensive your library, the more prestige you got.

Even nowadays, owning a lot of books can make you seem intelligent to others, even if you’ve never cracked open a single spine. This is different from tsundoku, though, since anyone collecting books for vanity isn’t planning to read them. The same goes for those who hunt down specific authors or titles because they find the search itself exciting, or those who target rare books for their monetary value.

When it comes to tsundoku, the reasons narrow down a bit. Specific books can have sentimental value, or be reminders of important milestones. Other times, collecting can be a way to connect with others who love books, or a way to establish a sense of self.

But many times, it’s done for the love of books: to improve yourself, to expand your knowledge, or to provide entertainment. And while this category will certainly try to read every book they buy, it’s all too easy to overestimate the amount of time one has. You can think of it like how a restaurant-goer might want to sample everything on the menu, but doesn’t have room in their stomach to do so.

Unread Books as Potential Knowledge

While it would be easy to dismiss someone’s shelf of unread books as pointless clutter, there’s more to it than that. In his book Black Swan, Nassim Nicholas Taleb argued that often, those unread books represent the desire to challenge oneself to read and learn more. Perhaps more importantly, they also serve as a reminder of what we don’t know.

It’s far too easy to become pretentious or egotistical if you fancy yourself an intellectual. And as mentioned, while some people expand their personal libraries specifically to impress others, those who gather that collection with the specific intention of reading it are more likely to feel humbled by what they haven’t read.

The same is true for anyone walking into a new field of knowledge. Most beginners, after learning a few of the basics, feel quite confident in their abilities. However, the more a person learns, the more they realize how much they don’t know. It can be daunting; but in its best light, it’s a reason to be humble and grateful for what we have learned, and what we have yet to learn.

Some Unsung Benefits of Book Collecting

Whether you view that stack of books as a wealth of potential knowledge, a nostalgic passtime, or a simple source of joy, book collecting has a lot of hidden benefits. Social Science Research published a study that found higher rates of literacy, numeracy, and information tech-savviness for those who grew up in households with more books.

Moreover, whether you read books or not, they’re undeniably sources of knowledge, but they’re fragile. Books need someone to preserve and maintain them. If they’re just floating about in the world, they can be easily damaged and lost to time.

But when amassed in a collection—whether that be a public library or someone’s personal stash of books—there’s a much better chance of them being preserved and cared for. Libraries of the past teach us so much about history; about how people felt and how they interpreted historical events. Even someone’s personal diary can offer an important perspective to future generations and show us what the general public knew of historic events—not just key political figures.

Even if most people’s collections in the modern day won’t have much historic significance, the fact that they enrich our lives makes them precious. Even if we don’t always get around to reading every last volume, having a pile of books on stand-by is sure to come in handy.

The post The Japanese Practice of Tsundoku: or the art of the never-ending TBR appeared first on Magazine.

Residents of Yakima Valley, Washington are celebrating the return of their bookmobile that is providing a number of resources including books, tablets, and so much more.

Bookmobiling: A Brief History

While a bookmobile may sound like a modern solution to an age-old problem, this concept is anything but modern to Yakima Valley. The first bookmobile, a Chevy delivery van, dates back to 1941, then by 1952, the Yakima Valley Regional Valley had three bookmobiles to serve residents throughout the country.

According to Sherrie Prentice, YVL technical service and outreach manager, those three bookmobiles outperformed the 12 brick-and-mortar library branches in the early-mid 1950s. Due to their success, the local library district continued to utilize the bookmobile program throughout the 60s, 70s, and 80s, ultimately ending in 1998. The board recognized that there is still a need to provide library services to rural and underserved communities today, so they opted to revive the program to better serve the area.

Bookmobile Specs

The new bookmobile is a whopping 29-foot-long RV with chargeable lithium batteries and a backup generator to power the climate-controlled library.

At max capacity, the bookmobile can hold 3,000 library items including books, DVDs, education kits, learning tablets, and museum passes. When it comes to the written word, the bookmobile contains children’s books in English and Spanish, as well as adult-oriented books. Patrons will also find a computer workstation, a printer, WiFi, and a wheelchair ramp making the bookmobile handicap accessible.

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After almost 75 years, it is still considered one of C.S. Lewis’ most famous works and a treasured children’s novel all over the world. The legacy of this book (and entire series) cannot be overstated – and even now, we honor its 74th birthday.

Journey to Narnia

To flee the destruction and danger of World War II, The Pevensie siblings are sent to the English countryside. Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy are taken in by a professor and are allowed to explore the sprawling space of their new home.

While playing, Lucy steps into a large, antique wardrobe full of coats and finds herself transported to the world of Narnia. She meets a kind faun, Mr. Tumnus, who is meant to kidnap her and take her to the ruler of the lands, the White Queen. He lets her go and Lucy heads back through the wardrobe, sharing the story with her skeptical siblings.

During a game of hide and seek, all four children eventually find themselves stepping through the wardrobe and seeing for themselves.

The children learn of a savior and rightful ruler of the kingdom, Aslan, who is soon returning. They work together to battle evil in Narnia and restore Aslan as its leader.

The History Behind the Chronicles

C.S. Lewis first set out to create a children’s tale, but had no intentions of creating this layered universe we now have in Narnia.

In an article from Into the Wardrobe, it is believed that he took inspiration from the many displaced children he took in during the World War II air raids of London and sought to offer them a place of escape in the stories. It was an easy decision to create a fantastical world for the children.

Lewis, who was a moralistic Christian, drew inspiration from Biblical stories and often sought to weave in moral lessons and religious allegories into his work.

He did not seek out to retell biblical stories, but to create standalone stories that could entertain readers and allow them to seek their own religious interests, if they’re inspired.

A Lifelong Legacy

While only originally intended to entertain the children of his time, Lewis’ legacy, built into the pages of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, lives on. Since its publication and the subsequent sequels, the series has been enjoyed for almost a century now. It is a beloved novel, often given on holidays. It has even been adapted several times into films and TV shows. Generations of readers have explored the world of Narnia and the legend of the Pevensie family is still shared today.

How to Celebrate

With the 74th anniversary of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe celebrated on October 16th, fall is a wonderful time to honor this famed novel. You can revisit this classic, either alone or with loved ones. Gifting this book to young readers helps to carry on its legacy to a new generation. Read selections from the novel (or the whole thing!) and then sit down to enjoy the movie or TV adaptations together. You can even enjoy some famous treats from the novel, like Turkish Delights!

Another choice is to honor C.S. Lewis himself – you can enjoy one of his many other works or just choose your favorite reader in honor of Lewis’ lifelong commitment to storytelling and literature.

Other Works by Lewis

C.S. Lewis spent over 30 years working as a tutor at Oxford, alongside other great writers like J.R.R. Tolkien, of the Lord of the Rings series. During that time, he wrote several novels, religious letters and short stories that remain popular today. If you’ve read The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe or you’re looking for more ways to enjoy Lewis’ work, you’ve got plenty to choose from.

The post 74 Enchanted Years of C.S. Lewis’ Beloved Novel appeared first on Magazine.

However, not every writer has inspired the likes of William Faulkner, James Joyce, Jean-Paul Sartre, Frederick Nietzsche, and Franz Kafka. So, in honor of Dostoevsky’s 203rd birthday on November 11th, here are 20 quotes that will leave you hungry for more and inspired to dive into the world of Dostoevsky.

“I say let the world go to hell, but I should always have my tea.” – Notes from Underground

“Right or wrong, it’s very pleasant to break something from time to time.” – Fyodor Dostoevsky

“I can see the sun, but even if I cannot see the sun, I know that it exists. And to know that the sun is there – that is living.” – The Brothers Karamazov

“I swear to you gentlemen, that to be overly conscious is a sickness, a real, thorough sickness.” – Notes from Underground

“Man only likes to count his troubles; he doesn’t calculate his happiness.” – Notes from Underground

“The awful thing is that beauty is mysterious as well as terrible. God and devil are fighting there, and the battlefield is the heart of man” – The Brothers Karamazov

“To go wrong in one’s own way is better than to go right in someone else’s.” – Crime and Punishment

“If you want to discern a man and know his soul, you must look at him when he laughs” – Fyodor Dostoevsky 

“Pain and suffering are always inevitable for a large intelligence and a deep heart. The really great men must, I think, have great sadness on earth.” – Crime and Punishment

“To love someone means to see them as God intended them.” – Fyodor Dostoyevsky

“Nothing in this world is harder than speaking the truth, nothing easier than flattery.” – Fyodor Dostoevsky

“We sometimes encounter people, even perfect strangers, who begin to interest us at first sight, somehow suddenly, all at once, before a word has been spoken.” – Crime and Punishment 

“What is hell? I maintain that it is the suffering of being unable to love.” – The Brothers Karamazov

“People speak sometimes about the “bestial” cruelty of man, but that is terribly unjust and offensive to beasts, no animal could ever be so cruel as a man, so artfully, so artistically cruel.” – Fyodor Dostoyevsky

“Realists do not fear the results of their study.” – Fyodor Dostoyevsky

“Taking a new step, uttering a new word, is what people fear most.” – Crime and Punishment

“Above all, don’t lie to yourself. The man who lies to himself and listens to his own lie comes to a point that he cannot distinguish the truth within him, or around him, and so loses all respect for himself and for others. And having no respect he ceases to love.” – The Brothers Karamazov 

“The soul is healed by being with children.” – Fyodor Dostoevsky

“There are things which a man is afraid to tell even to himself, and every decent man has a number of such things stored away in his mind.” – Fyodor Dostoevsky 

“It takes something more than intelligence to act intelligently.” – Crime and Punishment

The post Celebrating Dostoevsky’s Legacy: 20 Great Quotes to Remember appeared first on Magazine.

When an Indian hairdresser noticed this, he grew concerned. Rather than doing something useful with the spare few minutes they found in his waiting room, his customers would rather just zone out and look at their phones. So he decided to do something about it.

He turned his salon’s waiting room into a miniature library, giving his customers the chance to read rather than look at their devices. Not only that, but he came up with a novel way to encourage his patrons to pick up a book.

A Phone-free Zone

Thoothukudi in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu is home to a hair salon. In fact, it’s home to many hair salons, but one in particular is special. Unlike the thousands of similar establishments all over the city, Sushil Kumar Beauty Hair is a phone-free zone.

This rule was implemented by the salon’s owner, Ponmariappan. If anyone would like to use their phone while they wait for a haircut at Sushil Kumar, they need to step outside to do so. For those who remain in the waiting room and the salon itself, the entertainment is rather different.

Ponmariappan has installed a bookcase in the salon. Those who are in line for a haircut are encouraged to take a book off the shelf, and enjoy a few moments of reading and reflection while they await their turn in the barber’s chair.

Discounted Haircuts with Every Book Review

For many people who visit Sushil Kumar, the prohibition of phones is enough. They know they cannot simply reach for their smartphone, so they reach for a book instead. They gain the opportunity to broaden their minds and learn something while they wait.

But there is another encouragement too. Patrons can get 30% off the price of a haircut or another treatment from Ponmariappan. To enjoy this discount, they need to write a short review of what they have read.

Obviously no one is going to be reading a full book in the waiting room, so this is not a complete review. Instead, it’s just a few sentences that summarize what the customer has learned in that short period.

This is an excellent way to encourage learning and mindful reading. Studies into the science of memory suggest that actually writing down information by hand is a highly effective way of remembering what we read – more so than making notes electronically, or simply trying to memorize it.

Popularity Across Tamil Nadu, and Beyond

The actions of Ponmariappan, and his commitment to helping his customers make the most of their visit to the salon, have proved popular across India. The hairdresser has gained a few famous fans, and has had some helping hands along the way.

S. Ramakrishnan is one of Tamil Nadu’s most celebrated writers, and the author of works such as Desanthiri and Thunai Ezhuthu. He praised what Ponmariappan was doing in his home state.

Harsha Bhogle, a former cricketer and journalist from Hyderabad, also offered his support. A member of parliament went further, donating 50 books for Ponmariappan to add to his collection. The salon library even caught the attention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who personally met with Ponmariappan in 2020.

All in all, Ponmariappan now has 900 books on his shelves, covering many different topics. He provides books in both Tamil and English, and his making a real difference in his community.

A Passion for Education

In one sense, Ponmariappan is an unlikely candidate to start his own library. Growing up without much money, he had to drop out of school as a young man, and never fulfilled his dreams of a corporate career.

But in another sense, he’s the ideal candidate. Ponmariappan describes himself as passionate about education, and was keen to make this part of his life’s work.

“I have always thought that being a well-educated person is of prime importance,” Ponmariappan told The Better India.

“Once I established my salon, I decided to look for ways to somehow integrate my passion for education with this job, and that is how the idea came about.”

All of us can learn from this example. Regardless of our background, and regardless of how busy life can get, we can all take a few minutes to enjoy a great book, and hopefully expand our knowledge in the process.

The post The Indian Hair Salon Reconnecting Patrons with Literature appeared first on Magazine.

Bookstores should be thriving, right? Yet, like with most other brick-and-mortar businesses, it seems that physical bookshops are struggling to keep their doors open and customers interested. It lends the question – are bookstores a thing of the past? We see resilience and creativity from these small business owners.

A Resurgence of Readers

While many of us bibliophiles have remained steadfast in our lifelong love of reading, the rest of the world is jumping on the book train, too.

During the global pandemic, book buying and reading saw a large uptick. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics found that consumer spending on reading rose 22.9% in 2020.

It remained high in 2021, rising, roughly, another 2%. Since then, reading has seen a slight drop off, but remains higher than that of pre-pandemic behavior. It’s important to note, these statistics don’t differentiate between ways of purchasing books, but do paint a clear picture – the world is reading more.

Indie vs. Big Box

For a quick contextual history, the rise of the “big box” bookstore took place in the 1980s and 1990s. Stores like Walden and Barnes & Noble were building more locations than ever.

As with every big box store, there are small businesses fighting to keep up. Larger chains were undercutting prices and producing amazing deals. Think Meg Ryan’s Shop Around the Corner vs. Tom Hanks’ Fox Books in the popular 1998 rom-com, You’ve Got Mail. The rise of the independent bookstore was a movement born out of frustration from small shop owners who were losing business left and right.

Eventually, with the downturn of readership over all, many big box stores eventually closed. Today, Barnes & Noble remains as the sole big box bookstore in business and independent bookstores have seemingly weathered the storm.

More Than Just Books

Physical bookshops continue to search for new ways to draw readers in. Many are incorporating other items to sell in their stores alongside their primary inventory of books. Stationary, CDs, records and office supplies fill separate sections of the physical stores. These extra items often help bolster sales and make ends meet where books may not.

Many shops also have cafes and host community events like talent nights and open mic nights to get more visitors into their stores.

At these events, you can hear from local writers or perform your own art while the owners hope that you also shop around their store for a bit while you’re there.

Niching Down

Bookstores carrying “a little bit of everything” aren’t as appealing as they once were. Shoppers are short on time and patience. Many bookstores are opting to keep niche genres and specific stock. The romance genre saw a huge boost in readership during COVID and has remained steady, in part due to the rise of BookTok (the bookish side of TikTok).

Bookstores who have leaned into the popularity of this genre and appeal to serving its readers have found success, selling only books that fall into the romance category and theming their stores around it.

Convenience Over Community

The biggest challenge physical bookstores are facing is the growing number of ways for readers to get their hands (or eyes) on books.

In findings published by the Pew Research Center in 2022, three in every ten Americans are reading e-books, a five percent bump since 2019. Meanwhile, print book readers remained roughly the same. It’s important to note that print books are still the most popular medium for reading, but with e-reading on the rise, how can bookstores keep up? 

It’s hard to deny the convenience of downloading e-books. When you’re in search of your next best-selling read and you want it quickly, a quick search on e-reading databases like Kindle can come in handy for instant download. Even just placing a shopping order online will save you from having to head into a bookshop to browse.

Physical bookstores are competing will millions of online sellers and creating a larger online presence to keep up.

The Beauty of Bookstores

While data suggests that keeping physical bookstores alive and running is more difficult these days, there’s no denying the nostalgia and enjoyment many readers feel when they step into their favorite shop. Shopping small and getting out of your home to browse for your next read is a great way to support your local economy and make a fun day out of book shopping.

The bottom line? Book sales remain strong across the board and we believe that there will always be room for in-person shopping in the world of books.

The post Are Physical Bookstores a Thing of the Past? appeared first on Magazine.

Don’t believe it? Well, take a look at some of these weird, wonderful, and unique libraries!

The Book Tank, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Dubbed ‘The Weapon of Mass Instruction’ this 1979 Ford Falcon tank was converted into a fully mobile library by artist Raul Lemesoff. The tank holds 900 books and was designed with the intent of ‘fighting the war on ignorance’. Drinks company 7UP recorded a short video about Rual’s project, which showed Rual driving the tank through the streets of Buenos Aires, delivering books to as many people as he could.

Beach Library, Albena, Bulgaria

Albena, a popular European beach resort, is now home to the very first beach library in the European Union. One of only a handful of its kind across the globe, the beach is near the Hotel Kaliopa and is stocked with over 2,500 books. 

Split across 140 shelves, the Beach Library’s stock spans 10 languages and is designed for all readers, with romance novels, classics, thrillers, memoirs, and even local literature. The books are protected by vinyl and fastened with a zipper so that they are protected against the region’s intense sun and strong winds all year round.

Secret Subway Library, NYC, United States

It should come as no surprise that there is a secret library hidden on New York’s vast subway lines. After all, New York is a city of culture and, even more so, of surprises! The library is a branch of the New York Public Library called the Terence Cardinal-Cooke Cathedral branch and is tucked away just outside the turnstiles at the 51st Street 6 stop. 

Regulars who know of its existence visit the library branch often enough to have become familiar not only with the librarians who manage the tiny library but with other guests. Hidden so well, the library is like a poorly kept secret, only found by those who have been told about it by others!

Tree Library, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho

For fans of the fantastical, this tiny tree library is a must-visit. Tucked away in the city of Couer d’Alene, there is a little library nestled into the wood of a 110-year-old Blackwood tree. Built and managed by local Sharalee Armitage Howard, the library has a shingles roof, a lantern, and a beautiful glass door to protect the books. 

Howard built the library as an alternative to cutting the tree down. In 2018, she established that the inner wood of the ancient Blackwood had completely rotted away, but didn’t want to cut down the beautiful piece of nature. She took inspiration from The Little Free Library Movement that started in 2009 and crafted herself the perfect Middle Earth-esque woodland library.

Phonebox Library, Westbury-sub-Mendip, England

Down in Somerset, England, there lives an incredibly creative community. In 2009, the village of Westbury-sub-Mendip lost its mobile library. Rather than mourn, though, the village instead decided to convert an iconic red telephone box into one of the smallest libraries you’ve ever seen! 

Since then, telephone company BT set up an Adopt a Phonebox scheme, encouraging people to pay £1 in order to gain free use of the disused phoneboxes. Now, all these years later, there are at least 150 of these quaint little iconic libraries across the UK!

Qatar National Library, Doha, Qatar

Perhaps the most modern-looking library out there, the Qatar National Library is set across a huge building with over 480,000 square feet. The library is all white with subtle wooden elements and is home to more than a million books in a vast array of languages.

Biblioburros, Magdalena, Colombia

In Colombia, teachers like Luis Soriano have had to learn how to adapt what they have to provide their students with the best education possible. Soriano’s answer to this was the Biblioburro: adapted donkey saddle bags designed to hold books! 

The first two Biblioburros in La Gloria were Soriano’s donkeys, Alfa and Beto. They began work in the 1990s, and, as of January 2013, Soriano and his Biblioburros are still going strong.

Il Bibliomotocarro, Basilicata, Italy

In Italy, a retired schoolteacher, Antonio La Cava, converted his three-wheeled van into a mobile library in order to reach remote villages like San Paolo Albanese. In these tiny villages, there are often as few as two children young enough to need elementary school education. 

La Cava said that he was ‘strongly worried about growing old in a country of non-readers’ and that he hopes his colorful little van brings the message that culture is ‘made by and for everyone’.

Camel Library, Garissa and Wajir, Kenya

Just like the Biblioburro, in the Kenyan desert, The Camel Mobile Library Service is a savior to many young children who wish to read and learn. The service lends over 7,000 books to nomads and settlements in Kenya’s North East Province. Camels are pretty much the only means of crossing the area because of its extreme terrain, meaning that without this service, the children would be completely without reading material.

The post The World’s Most Unique Libraries appeared first on Magazine.

Join us as we celebrate this writer, philosopher, and journalist’s 111th birthday with these 8 facts about his life, accomplishments, and legacy.

TB Diagnosis

Albert Camus once played football, but not everybody associates him with the sport, and for good reason – he was forced to stop playing due to a tuberculosis diagnosis. At this time he also had to cut his classes and study time in half so he could take up multiple part-time jobs to earn a living. 

These jobs included but were not limited to private tutoring, working as a car parts clerk, and being an assistant at the Meteorological Institute. His diagnosis did not stop him from completing his degree in 1935, finishing his thesis, Neo-Platonism and Christian Thought, or obtaining his diploma d’etudes superieures, which is the equivalent to a Master’s degree.

The Stranger Setback

The year was 1941 when publisher Andre Malraux read the manuscript for The Stranger from a brilliant newcomer in the literary world, and while he was totally and completely set on printing it, there was one major problem: there was a paper shortage in German-occupied France. It was such a problem that  Malraux at one point asked Camus to send paper from Algeria to get the book on the shelves.

Eventually, the publisher scrounged up enough materials to print 4,000 copies. Throughout the 20th century, 10 million copies were sold, making it the second best-selling French book, second only to The Little Prince.

A Political Stance

While working to become an author, Camus worked as a journalist reporting on the political situation in French Algeria. In 1935 he joined the French Communist Party to fight against the Europeans for Algerian equality, later joining the Algerian Peoples Party until he was expelled for being a Trotskyite in 1937, then finally taking part in the French Anarchist movement and writing for the publication. He continued with a political journalism career for the rest of his life.

Winner, Winner

Albert Camus was the 2nd youngest winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature, receiving the award at 44 years old. Only Rudyard Kipling won it younger at the age of 42.

A Theater Man

In case you haven’t been keeping track, aside from an array of part-time gigs throughout his college years, Camus worked as an author, and a political journalist and also founded and worked in the theater. He founded the Worker’s Theatre, later named the Team’s Theatre around 1937 which lasted until 1939.

Human Rights

We’ve gathered thus far that Albert Camus donned many hats, and working for UNESCO in an attempt to actively improve human rights was another one of his notable and noble projects. Camus resigned from the UN in 1952 but continued to advocate for human rights through his writing.

Making Philosophy a Thing

Camus’ Tuberculosis returned in 1949 and for the next two years, he became quite the recluse. During this time he published The Rebel, a philosophical analysis of rebellion and revolution. Perhaps his main contribution to the world of philosophy was his introduction to the “idea of the absurd” which, as Camus explained, was the people’s desire for both clarity and meaning in a world that offers neither. Camus would come back to and explore this idea in his writing time and time again.

A Freak Tragedy

Albert Camus died tragically in a car crash. While his wife and teenage twins boarded a train to return to Paris after the holidays, Camus opted to travel by car with his friend and publisher Michael Gallimard. Camus died instantly when Gallimard’s car slipped on an icy road, sending the car straight into a tree. In Camus’ pocket police found the train ticket he never used and in the wreckage, 144 pages of a handwritten manuscript entitled The First Man, an unfinished novel based on Camus’ childhood in Algeria, which he predicted would be his finest work.

Albert Camus was not only interested in everything but was also tremendously successful in his endeavors. He accomplished so much in his 46 years because limits did not exist in his world. He was an author, an activist, a man of the theater, a Nobel Prize winner, and an advocate and he left behind an admirable body of work that is bound to stand the test of time and inspire generations for years to come.

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The Story of Mr. Bliss

Mr. Bliss is an eccentric man who lives an equally eccentric life. He lives in a tall, thin house, wears tall, thin hats, and has a bizarre pet called a Girabbit. The Girabbit has a long neck, rabbit ears, legs and tail, and the skin of a mackintosh. The Girabbit and Mr. Bliss talk often through Mr. Bliss’s bedroom window, as the Girabbit lives in the garden.

The book Mr. Bliss follows the titular character as he goes out to buy his first motorcar (having first checked with the Girabbit that it was a fine enough day to do so, and donning a suitable fine tall hat). He proclaims that he wants a car that is yellow ‘inside and out’ to replace his pedal-less bicycle. 

Once he’s got his brand new motorcar, he sets out to visit his friends, the Dorkins. But, unfortunately, as soon as he turns the car, he runs straight into a man called Mr Day and damages his barrow and his cabbages with the car. Setting back off again, Mr. Bliss then runs into Mrs. Knight and her donkey cart full of bananas.

Eventually, the three of them (Mr. Bliss, Mr. Day, and Mrs. Knight) are joined in the motorcar by three fierce bears, Archie, Teddy, and Bruno. Together they crash into the Dorkinses at a picnic! The bears immediately raid the Dorkinses picnic and escape into the woods, pursued by the characters. 

After all of the shenanigans, Mr. Bliss is frightened. He heads home, but is followed by Mr. Day, Mrs. Knight, the Dorkinses and the bears, and even the motorcar salesman whom he forgot to pay! All of them demand money from Mr. Bliss, which he hands over, and decides it best to ride a donkey cart instead.

Inspiration for the Story

The general consensus is that Tolkien wrote Mr. Bliss for his children: John, Michael, Priscilla, and Christopher. The short story and its accompanying illustrations were written just after 1932, although the exact date is unknown. 

The exact basis for the stories and the characters isn’t entirely agreed upon, but there are two theories. Humphrey Carpenter, a Tolkien biographer, believes Mr. Bliss is based on Tolkien’s own automobile accidents. Alternatively, Joan Tolkien, Michael Tolkien’s wife, argued that Mr. Bliss’s car was based on Christopher Tolkien’s favorite toy growing up. Likewise, the three bears in the tale are thought to be based on teddy bears that Tolkien’s sons loved at the time.

Printing and Publication

Despite being written in the 1930s, the book was not published until 1982 when Christopher Tolkien and the Tolkien Estate worked together to release unpublished Tolkien work. This was not because Tolkien had not wanted it published, though. In fact, in 1936, Tolkien submitted Mr. Bliss to his publishers in the hopes of placating the readers who were hungry for more of his work following The Hobbit.

The publishers were willing to go ahead with the project, but the illustrations (which are tied heavily to the text) were too costly. Tolkien agreed he would alter them to improve and make them simpler, but unfortunately, he never got around to it. So, instead, the tale was first published by George Allen and Unwin fifty years or so after it was written.

The first copies of the story have the drawings and narrative exactly as Tolkien’s draft had them, and then have a typeset version on the opposite page to make the story easier to read. This version of the tale had approximately 50,000 printed copies. 

Then, later on in 2007, the story was revised and redesigned for the 25th anniversary. This happened again in 2011, and a hardback was released.

Reception and Adaptation

The books, much like everything else written by J.R.R. Tolkien, were highly praised. Many people have compared their style and silliness to Beatrix Potter’s Peter Rabbit, Kenneth Grahame’s Wind in the Willows, and, even, Lewis Carrol’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. The story is simple but fun and humorous, and it has all the hallmarks of a story written for children, even though Tolkien famously said there was no writing ‘for children’, it very definitely has the youthful adventure and excitement that makes similar nonsensical children’s tales so popular.

In 2006, a group of Russian Tolkien fans made Mr. Bliss into an animated film using Tolkien’s drawings themselves. This was shown at multiple conventions, including Tolkien Thing 2006 and Ring*Con 2006. It might not be the same as three Oscar-worthy Peter Jackson films, but it’s something!

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