Ferguson’s Grave
~ by Avellina Balestri Reader Advisory: Contains violence/blood and character death. ~ A lament for British Major Patrick Ferguson, killed at the Battle of King’s Mountain, October 7, 1780 *** Ferguson, lying beneath cold stones,…
Tag: History
Anne, Princess of Variolation: The Story of a Royal Brush with Smallpox
Whilst writing my book, Life in the Georgian Court, smallpox was never far away from my research notes (metaphorically, of course). In fact, it was a royal brush with smallpox that changed forever the way…
My Duty Forbids It: The Historical Context of Professor Severus Snape
One of the first things that struck me about the character of Professor Severus Snape as portrayed by Alan Rickman in the Harry Potter film series was how in sync it tended to be with…
After the ‘45
By Charles A. Coulombe Word Count: 365 Rating: PG Summary: A poem of the Jacobite rising The News came in from Glenfinnan Crag That Bonnie Prince Charlie had raised up his flag. Son Jamie came…
Into the Valley of Death: An Analysis of “The Charge of the Light Brigade”
“The Charge of the Light Brigade” by Alfred Tennyson was a poem I really enjoyed. Partially because the third stanza was quoted in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season six episode “Sacrifice of Angels”. Having…
The Death of General Wolfe and a Social Commentary on Identity
Here's a lesson in understanding people, one learned from Foreign Service days of long ago: more important than who people are is who they think they are. Years before the fall of the Berlin…
A Hair of Him for Memory: The Story of John Hampden’s Auburn Locks on the Antique Market
Great antiques are not necessarily defined by great expense or rarity. Nor need they come from afar, or boast a provenance from some prestigious auction house or country manor. Rather, great antiques are simply the…
A Kingdom Unites: How England and Scotland Became Great Britain
Great Britain was born on the first of May, 310 years ago. Of course, the ancient kingdoms of England and Scotland had been in existence on the island of Great Britain for nearly a…
I Am Doritos
By Nicholas Gehan Word Count: 1418 Rating: G (suitable for all audiences) Summary: A outraged man defends Sparti speaking against Athens and her faults in a humorous yet serious speech …
St. John Paul II: The Heroic Pope
As all of his biographers remind us, Karol Wojtyla came of age at one of the darkest moments of the twentieth century. When he was 19 years old and just commencing his university career, the…