{History} The Book Burnings on 10th of May 1933

The one feature of the human species which I find to be the prime symbol of cowardice and intolerance is book burnings. It seems to me so stupendous, a sheer act of ignorance which in my views proves the barren grounds on which the foundations of such acts are build.

No matter how much people disagree, even down to their very foundations, no man has the right to silence another's mind. 

It is only a matter of cowardice to do so, and I always feel enraged whenever I read of this. If one have a problem, one should improve one's argument against the work not set fire to the book. As Milton said: He who destroys a good book kills reason itself. 

Sadly, many examples can too easily be found in history but on this day, 80 years ago, we commemorate the Nazi Book Burnings in 1933.

From the 10th of May to Midsummer's Day in 1933, the Nationalsozialistischer Deutsche Studentenschaft (the Nazi student organization) organized and carried out over 30 burnings of book which were found to be 'un-German'. It is estimated that over 40,000 people participated in the burnings and over 25,000 books by estimated 1,200 artists were destroyed. These artists were not just Jewish, as one might think, but also anyone who were deemed immoral or at a danger to the German people, dealing with decadence or women's rights as a couple of examples. Even high treason as the WWI German writer Erich Maria Remarque's All Quiet on the Western Front shows. The list of writers whose works were burned is almost a who's who of today's most influential and celebrated writers.

In Berlin, at what is today named Bebelplatz (the site of the Berlin burning), is a monument to commemorate the book burnings by the Israeli sculptur, 'Bibliotek' by Micha Ullman.

It is an installation or a sculpture sunken down in the square consisting of white shelves with room for approximately 20,000 books, but all empty.

It was erected in 1995 and the bronze platter quotes one of the writers whose works were destroyed, the Jewish-German poet Heinrich Heine's play Almansor from 1821:

Das war ein Vorspeil nur, dort wo man Bücher verbrennt, verbrennt man am Ende auch Menschen

(That was but a prelude; where they burn books, they will, ultimately, burn people also)

The coldness of this sinister foretelling highlights the coldness of ignorance and blind hatred which, to my point of view, always have been the prime agents of book burnings, or burnings of people. Sadly, there seems to be a renewed example of this meaningless destruction everytime a conflict escalates between an established moral and art; the three most recent examples that I can think of would be the planned burnings of the holy Muslim scripture of Q'uran, the burnings of the Harry Potter-books, and the burnings of the Baghdad Library in Iraq.

All of which make me wonder whether the human race will ever be at peace and work towards a common good or goal. 

Maybe this day, commemorating the Nazi example 80 years ago, will become a shared symbol of avoiding such actions. Though I doubt it.

{Images: one two three four}

Happy Bicentennial Søren Kierkegaard

A round of applause and a lot of cake to celebrate probably the most famous Dane, Søren Kierkegaard. He would have been 200 today, and his works still stand as fresh and inspiring as ever. I have personally read Either/Or but have yet to endeavour more into his works which I do plan on though. But Kirkegaard's works need a focused mind in order to balance through the various voices he used for the different personas within the works. That is one of the common errors of reading Kirkegaard, if you do not pay attention you mistakenly attribute the voice of the aesthete to Kirkegaard himself - which is far from the truth! Kirkegaard loathed the embodiment of the aesthete and wished for people to be more aware of the choices they faced.

However, my small celebration and tribute to Søren Aabye Kirkegaard was never meant for a greater discussion on his works, I will leave that to the hundreds and hundreds of celebration activities around Denmark to do so. I am quite sure the Kirkegaard Institue will turn upside down today and be all over the place with Kirkegaard quotes and paraphrases...

 And two for kicks:

If you use Twitter you should most definitely follow KimKirkegaard. It is a mash up of Kim Kardashian's tweets with Kirkegaard's philosophy. It is hilarious! A combination no one had seen coming but it really works. However, I am not so sure that Kirkegaard would have approved of Ms Kardashian, too much of an aesthetic lifestyle - if even that!

Anyways, cheers and hurray to the crooked Dane who still haunts our consiousnesses and inspires us. To the next 200!

Anne of Green Gables

 Some of my favourite books are the Anne of Green Gables-books. They have comforted my many times when I was younger and I really think that these were the primary reason why I wanted to study literature and write myself. 

I still remember my first 'meeting' with them. I was working at the school library as the one who puts all the returned books into place, and somehow these illustrations on the covers caught my eye. They seemed so nice and friendly in a way and I decided to loan one home. Actually it was the fifth in the series because I thought that it had the prettiest cover! So much for suspense whether Anne and Gilbert would get together, ha! But from the first page I was hooked, and I have learned so much from Anne and her adventures through the years. Especially how amazing it is to have a lively imagination and how it can help you through tough times. I always feel like I am returning home after a long journey when reading the books. I honestly don't know how my life would have been without them, would I value literature and imagination as high as I do now? Somehow I doubt it. The words are a part of my being now and I have breathed my life into the pages.

And isn't that what great books do?

The Danish cover illustratioins are made by the Danish illustrator Ib Thaning, and they have ever since been some of my favourite covers.

Enjoy!

Anne of Green Gables

 Anne of Avonlea

 Anne of the Island

Anne of Windy Poplars 

 Anne's House of Dreams

 Anne of Ingleside

 Anne - Rainbow Valley

Rilla of Ingleside

{Inspired by} Mary Wollstonecraft

 

In tribute and in the celebration of the International Women's Day, I will take the time to express my admiration and respect to one of the first feminists: Mary Wollstonecraft (1759-1797). Her most influential work in this field is beyond a doubt A Vindication of the Rights of Woman from 1792. This should be on the reading list of everyone, not just women, and I particularly like her emphasis on the importance of equal education for men and women.

 

Sadly, many of her points in her work are still being fought over today. Women still experience objectification and undervalue. The same thing goes for the stereotypical areas connected to women, even if they are produced or evoked by men.

 

 

I do believe in equal value and worth, and whatever the individual should want to do, the individual should be regarded on the work, not gender (or race for that matter, because so many of her sentiments on gender can also be applied to race). And especially not looks and appearances! It is also about time that the traditional misunderstanding that beauty equals goodness is lost. We can never make a tabula rasa, but let's stop the nonsense about such clearly distinguished and divided sections of the world. No one should be forced to account for them wanting to have children, their desire to be the CEO, not wanting children, getting married or not, or any other personal and individual way to set up their lives and then be met with stereotypes of traditional and outdated gender roles. This is what I fight for and mark on this day, and continue to do any other day.

 

Mary Wollstonecraft was a remarkable woman and I really recommend reading up about her, even just at Wikipedia. She has influeced such a vast number of people with her writings and her life, despite also falling for some of the things she advocated against, and other people's contempt and prejudice. Nevertheless, she tried. And we all should at least try to educate ourselves and inspire the people around us.

 

And so, to inspire for today I give you some of her quotes from A Vindication of the Rights of Woman with the hope and the faith that people will one day be respected and admired for their individuality and not their success in stereotypical conformity.

 

 

“It is time to effect a revolution in female manners - time to restore to them their lost dignity - and make them, as a part of the human species, labour by reforming themselves to reform the world. It is time to separate unchangeable morals from local manners.” 

 

 “My own sex, I hope, will excuse me, if I treat them like rational creatures, instead of flattering their fascinating graces, and viewing them as if they were in a state of perpetual childhood, unable to stand alone. I earnestly wish to point out in what true dignity and human happiness consists - I wish to persuade women to endeavour to acquire strength, both mind and body, and to convince them that the soft phrases, susceptibility of heart, delicacy of sentiment, and refinement of taste, are almost synonymous with epithets of weakness, and that those beings who are only objects of pity and that kind of love, which has been termed its sister, will soon become objects of contempt.” 

 

“Weakness may excite tenderness, and gratify the arrogant pride of man; but the lordly caresses of a protector will not gratify a noble mind that pants for, and deserves to be respected. Fondness is a poor substitute for friendship.” 

 

“But women are very differently situated with respect to eachother - for they are all rivals (...) Is it then surprising that when the sole ambition of woman centres in beauty, and interest gives vanity additional force, perpetual rivalships should ensue? They are all running the same race, and would rise above the virtue of morals, if they did not view each other with a suspicious and even envious eye.” 

 

“I do not wish them [women] to have power over men; but over themselves.” 

 

“The beginning is always today.”

~~~~~~~~~~ 



Sylvia Plath 1932-1963

Today, it is 50 years ago the world lost what would prove to be one of its most significant poets and novelists.

There is such a sadness thinking about how well she wanted to do and her stuggle between literature and family life.

She holds a very special place in my heart, for better or worse, reminding me to believe in myself, trust myself, never to give up. Her diaries have been a source of knowing that I am not utterly alone in this world with these thoughts and aspirations.

I wish I could tell her how big an inspiration she has been to so many here, and how we admire her struggle, and weep for her downfall. It would probably just have been a small consolation, if any to her, that we devour everything from her hand - whether poems or drawings. Because she was also a talented artist in this field.

The drawings below are from a show featuring her unknown works. The details and simplicity of just a pair of shoes both enhance the struggle to free herself of expectations and yet to live up to them at the same time.

The draft of the poem 'The Sting' shows the first draft in along series of corrections - forever trying to get it right.

To me, Sylvia Plath is not just a golden lotus, she is a lioness, and hopefully she has found the rest and the piece she so longed for.



Even amidst fierce flames

the golden lotus can be planted

- Inscription on Sylvia Plath's tombstone

{Photo} {Drawings by Sylvia Plath} {manuscript draft}

{Sonnet Sunday} Shakespeare XIX

{my Moleskine}

 

Oh Sunday, glorious Sunday... Definetely a time for rest as I just uploaded a third of my MA Thesis to my counsellor yesterday and I am quite exhausted. Writing about colonialism and the power and abuse of language is surprisingly tough. It baffles me how indifferent and evil people have been to eachother, and so many of the aspects are even more saddening still issues which we deal with today.

 

So now I need a day of peace and quiet, sipping tea and perhaps treating myself to a little sweet indulgence from the bakery and pastisserie nearby.

And of course also a little treat for the mind, and even though today is both Jane Austen's AND Beethoven's birthday, I give you Shakespeare.

 

So enjoy your Sundays, and make sure to take the time to breathe and just listen to everything and nothing at the same time.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Endelig søndag, dejlige søndag.. I dag skal jeg i hvert fald slappe af da jeg sent i går aftes sendte en stor del af mit speciale til min vejleder og jeg er fuldstændig smadret! Det er overraskende hårdt at skrive om kolonismen og dens brug og misbrug af sproget som våben. Jeg har svært ved at forstå, at mennesker har været så ligeglade og så onde ved andre, og endnu mere når man stadig kan se mange af problematikkerne i verden af i dag.

 

Så det skal være en stille og rolig dag i dag hvor jeg bare slapper af med en masse the og måske lidt sødt fra Langenæs Bageren, som ligger i nærheden.

Derudover skal der være noget sødt til hovedet, og selvom både Jane Austen og Beethoven har fødselsdag i dag, så falder valget på Shakespeare.

 

Så glædelig søndag, og huske at trække vejret en gang i mellem og lyt til alt det, der sker når der er helt stille.

{Tumblr Crush} this is the story of how i died

A little new feature I am starting because there are some really great blogs over at Tumblr which is not just reblogging the same stuff as Pinterest.

 

First up is this marvelous blog called this is the story of how i died run by Drew. He makes the most amazing fairy tale picspams and you can make requests. He just scours the whole internet for the photos which would create a harmonous homage to a fairy tale and I would love to show you some of his works.

__________________________________________________________________

 

Dette er en lille ny ting, som jeg vil bringe her på bloggen fordi der er så mange fantastiske sider på Tumblr, som ikke kun er en fortsættelse af Pinterest.

 

Den første er Drew, som har bloggen this is the story of how i died (link ovenover) og han laver de mest fantastiske collager af eventyr. Man kan komme med forslag, og han tager eventyr i et ret bredt begreb, men de er super smukke, så her kommer en lille smagsprøve på dem.

 

 The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe / Løven, heksen og garderobeskabet

 The Nut Cracker / Nøddeknækkeren

 The Princess and the Pea / Prinsessen på ærten

 The Ugly Duckling / Den grimme ælling

 Alice in Wonderland / Alice i Eventyrland

 

Seriously, are they not amazing? I am baffled, flabbergasted, and the lot over so many of these. The five presented here are small tributes to the season, Hans Christian Andersen, and one of my favourite stories ever. But please visit his blog and check them all out.

________________________________________________________

 

Er de ikke fantastiske? Jeg er mundlam over dem. De fem jeg har udvalgt er små hyldester til den nuværende årstid, H.C.Andersen og en af mine yndlingshistorier nogensinde. Men bliv ikke her, smut over til hans blog og se resten!

{Sonnet Sunday} Shakespeare XVIII

{my Moleskine}

 

The most famous sonnet by Shakespeare of them all. I am not sure whether I think it is the best though. However, it is pretty neat and as the hopeless romantic that I am, I would die if someone would write that to me... Not that it is anything close to that ever happening, ha!

 

From time to time, I try to memorize this so I can recite it by heart whenever I feel like the world needs a little grandeur literary life. Not to anyone but just to myself whenever I feel the world to be too brutal and in need of some grace. One could perhaps call it my First Aid kit to literature in the everyday life.

 

Do you have a quote, poem, or something you cherish or memorize whenever you feel the world to be too much?

{Sonnet Sunday Shakespeare XVII}

{my scan}

 

Just enjoying a silent Sunday before what will most likely be a busy week with signing my dissertation contract (things just getting real!!!!) and getting into a good writing routine.

I really love this particular sonnet by Shakespeare. So graceful and elegant. I hope my little scrapbooking does it partly justice.

 

Have a wonderful and peaceful day.

Karen Blixen 1885-1962

 

On September 7th, it was 50 years since one of Denmark's and perhaps the world's greatest writers died. Both known by her pen name, Isak Dinesen as well as her real name, Karen Blixen, she established herself as almost a living legend everywhere she went. The allure of Africa, the sombre feelings of Scandinavia, and her luxury of the old world made her a mythical creature in her own time.

 

In Denmark she still casts a long shadow in the litterary landscape and writers are both fearful and naïve when they try to compare themselves to her. Most don't dare, and those who do are looked at as 'slow'.

 

If one was to compare or try to decide who has been the greatest writer in Denmark of all time, people will find it hard to choose between Hans Christian Andersen and Karen Blixen. Their writing styles are different but both bodies of work and both their lives can be seen as fairy tales - and by this I don't mean the Disney-fied world of fairy tales. But tales of both good and bad in excess. It is a common legend around Karen Blixen that she had made a pact with the Devil, and people who was around her a lot seems to have been almost absorbed by her presence. She was ruthless in many ways, perhaps due to early groundbreaking sorrows in her life, but nevertheless she spilled out the things she wanted to tell on paper for the rest of us to enjoy, fear, and learn from.

 

I am constantly surprised about how much new I gather when rerererererere-reading her works, and I have actually only read very little by her hand. Sorrow-Acre still stands as one of the most haunting short stories I have ever read. Not that it was scary, but that you keep thinking about it. The same goes for The Sailor-Boy's Tale.

 

To me, Karen Blixen and her work, embodies some of the underlying forces of Scandinavian thinking and culture, even though they can be quite dark and cold. Perhaps there is something about having such dark and long winters here which create a mark on our mind and souls. Who knows?

 

{Image}

{An English site with a general overview of her life, works, inspirations (this is VERY interesting to read), and other things about her}

{Sonnet Sunday: Shakespeare XVI}

{my Moleskine}

Today it is a nice warm sun shining down on us. On this day last year, the rays of the sun burst through the windows at the church when the organ started at my father's funeral. It was like my father said that it was all okay now.

Today I start to think so too.

{Sonnet Sunday: Shakespeare XV}

{my Moleskine}

Preparing for a little tea and cake party for my friends due to my upcomming birthday on Tuesday.

I hope you all enjoy the weekend stillness.

{Sonnet Sunday} Shakespeare No. XIV

{my Moleskine scan}

Just finished some new pages in my Moleskine. The weather isn't really sunny summer so I'm spending my time gathering inspiration for various art projects and searching for literature for my MA thesis.

Other than that I am trying to plan my joined birthday celebration with my Mother (we have our birthdays ten days apart). We are just going with the low key and casual despite me turning 25 (!!!!) and here in Denmark that means A LOT of cinnamon if you are unwed.. But this tradition, I will tell you more about later..

{Inspired by Anaïs Nin}

Do you ever experience encounters with writers whom you immediate think could have been your best friend if you had lived in the same era? I do, and one of the writers I instantly knew I shared some kind of bond with was Anaïs Nin.

Especially her legendary diary has been a wonderful source of encouragement to me, and I really think more people should become familiar with her, and not just through her erotica. What I particularly like about Anaïs Nin is that she does not judge people - she observes, analyzes, and interprets, but never judges them. And that is something I think we should take to heart; integrity and respect for everyone's different opinions and values. This is just one of the reasons why I respect and look up to Anaïs Nin so much.

So a small, and so not adequate, homage to the talented and boundless muse and writer, I give you some images of the things which I associate with her and her work.

'If what Proust says is true, that happiness is the absence of fever, then I shall never know happiness. For I am possessed by a fever for knowledge, experience, and creation. I think I have an immediate awareness in living which is far more terrible and more painful. There is no time lapse, no distance between me and the present. Instantaneous awareness. But it is also true that when I write afterwards, I see much more, I understand better, I develop and enrich' 

'You cannot possess without loving'

'The romantic submits to life, the classicist dominates it.'

{images via Pinterest and Tumblr: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7: Van Gogh, 8}

All quotes from The Diary of Anaïs Nin Vol. 1

Inspired by Ophelia

Despite her tragedy, I have always felt a strong connection with Ophelia and have many times pondered on whether she would survive in our society or is forever a doomed being regardless of times and eras. That aside, I feel we should celebrate one of the most interesting characters from the bard's hand and also a small patriotic salute to a 'fellow Dane'.

Here is some of the images from my tumblr which I feel has the Ophelia-feel to them.



Ophelia Syndrome

A long-term disease, most common among young women.
Symptoms: depression, bouts of mania, suicidal thoughts, slight insomnia, feelings of helplessness and dependence on others, the tendency to lose oneself in vivid daydreams, an intense longing for people and things one can never have, a strong sense of aestheticism and an appreciation for the beauty in little things, the urge to decorate everything with daisy chains.

 

{all images from my tumblr}

{the last is by artist Audrey Kawasaki}