When Romain Rolland died in 1944, English lost a moral voice it had never owned, yet deeply absorbed. Through translation, his pacifism and ethical clarity shaped how English writers spoke of conscience, war, and responsibility—teaching the language restraint, seriousness, and the courage of principled dissent.
Death of Romain Rolland (1866–1944) – The Moral Conscience Heard Through English
Born December 29, 1809, William Ewart Gladstone shaped nineteenth-century English prose through moral argument and classical discipline. His speeches and essays demonstrated how complex sentences could carry ethical weight, intellectual rigor, and persuasive force, defining a serious register of English that influenced political, academic, and public discourse.
Birth of William Ewart Gladstone (1809–1898) – The Statesman Who Gave English Prose Its Victorian Gravity
excerpt Tunnel VisionI WAS UP BEFORE DAWN, excited, but my sense of adventure was shaded by vague misgivings. There had been something in Buster’s voice I couldn’t quite identify, something everyone else understood, and their knowing smiles had made me uncomfortable.I shrugged off the memory, slipped out of my pyjamas which I left in a […]
Small Change
Born in St. Petersburg in 1872, Teffi (Nadezhda Lokhvitskaya) went on to become a celebrated writer in early 20th-century Russia, publishing poems, short stories, satirical sketches and plays to great acclaim. In the autumn of 1918, with the Russian Civil War intensifying around her, Teffi was persuaded to leave Moscow for a short series of […]
Memories: From Moscow to the Black Sea by Teffi (tr. R Chandler, E Chandler AM Jackson & I Steinberg)
Gloria is spending Christmas and the holidays with me and my Hubby. She is very happy! On Christmas Eve I asked her if she wanted to write a letter to Santa. Yes, and no. She felt awkward telling me that she wanted something special. So, we had a heart-to-heart talk. The conversation went something like […]
Gloria’s Surprise Santa Gift
excerpt “Who knows?”Paul and Jennifer locked stares. “You still want to do this, don’t you?” she asked him.“Yes,” he nodded. A minute passed.Finally David spoke. “So Paul, if you’re really going to leave, can I have your leather jacket?”★Breakfast was chaotic. At first, Ivan Nikolaevich announced to the diners that their departure would be delayed […]
Jazz with Ella
On December 27, 1831, Darwin’s voyage aboard the HMS Beagle taught English to think in processes rather than declarations. Observation replaced authority, accumulation replaced assertion, and time itself entered prose. From this journey, English learned to argue patiently, describe gradual change, and treat uncertainty as intellectual strength.
Charles Darwin Departs on the HMS Beagle – The Journey That Remade English Nonfiction
Agacée par le bruitDu vent qui souffle par rafales,Mon corps contre toi s’affale,Fourbu, alangui.Dans cette longue nuit,L’un contre l’autre blottis,Nous retrouvons l’attraitDans cet amour secretQui nous catapulteLoin du tumulteQue pourrait nous apporter,Cette nuit singulièrement agitée. Contre toi ainsi lovée,J’oublie la plainte du vent ;Je reste pleinement concentrée,Sur le chant de l’engoulevent.Mes mains s’attardent,Sur chaque centimètre […]
Dans tes yeux je revis – In your eyes I live again
Born December 26, 1891, Henry Miller shattered the boundaries of modern English prose. By challenging censorship, embracing radical autobiography, and reshaping sentence rhythm, he expanded what English could legally, morally, and stylistically express. His work transformed prose into a vehicle of personal freedom, intensity, and unapologetic subjectivity.
Birth of Henry Miller (1891–1980) – The Writer Who Forced English Prose to Break Its Restraints
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