In response to a challenge by the poet Lord Byron, Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley wrote Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. Started in 1816 and published anonymously in 1818, the story chronicles the exploits of Victor Frankenstein. Well bred for a life of academic success, the young scholar submerses himself in the challenge of creating new life…
Tag: Culture
Book Review: A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court
Written in 1889, the novel follows Hank Morgan, an modern day (19th century) engineer from Connecticut, who gets hit in the head and wakes up in the 6th century. Early in the story, Hank is captured by one of the knights of the Round Table and brought to the court of King Arthur and Lady…
Book Review: Hamlet
Hamlet (1599-1601), one of William Shakespeare’s most famous tragic plays, is a rhetorical narrative on the inherently destructive nature of struggles for power. The story picks up right after the King of Denmark dies. Presuming the death to be a homicide, his son and rightful heir, Hamlet, spends the entirety of the plot seeking revenge…
San Francisco | 2014
Less than three weeks after I returned from my year in Paris, I was on the road again. Over the course a month I traveled west for work, paused in the Midwest for vacation, headed east to visit family, and then flew down to the Caribbean for a volunteer trip. For the first stop on…
The Great British Bake Off
Compelling competition with delightful dignity There is an unfortunate lack of integrity on TV these days. Although HBO is finally removing its adult content (praise hands), shows like Jack Ryan and even The Crown demonstrate that producers still expect viewers to desire some level of lewdness in their entertainment. For years competition shows have been…
India | 2011
India was wonderful. Before arriving, I was slightly worried that I wouldn’t handle the heat, smells, culture shock, crowds, or food very well (mostly based on a terrible Indian airline experience in 5th grade). Although we still had to contend with airline food, I wisely chose the vegetarian option (always the safest bet in my…
England | 2011
I’m only slightly embarrassed to admit that my first priority when we got off the ferry from the Netherlands and drove into London was finding coffee. I am slightly more embarrassed to admit that I was over the moon when we were directed to a Starbucks. We hit the ground running in England enjoying an…
Netherlands | 2011
Our stay in the Netherlands was quite lovely. Going into this leg of the trip I had no expectations (except to see tulips & windmills). The country was full of hospitable locals, beautiful sights in the cities (we got to tour the Hague, Amsterdam and Rotterdam), delightful drives through the countryside, flavorful food, and historical…
Belgium | 2011
Even briefer than our day-trip to Italy, our time in Belgium basically only included a quick tour of the European Union Parliament building in the capital (Brussels) and an even quicker lunch before continuing on the coach to the Netherlands. Which brings me to the following explanation of why I count Belgium among the countries…
France | 2011
I was initially nervous to look forward to Paris. I was certain that if I had positive expectations, then the city would let me down. Thankfully, I was very wrong. Paris was incredible. Our first night there, we ate at a Samoan grille (super random and a bit lackluster), but we immediately followed dinner with…
L.M.Beatty 