Our History discussion
Whose skull would you steal?
date
newest »
newest »
Paul wrote: "Dostoevsky. "I'd likely go with an author, too. Why Dostoevsky in particular?
Not only is Dostoevsky the finest fiction writer, at least his last five books, but he was also a chronicler of 1870-1880s Russia in his writer's diary. Sort of a homespun newspaper. Plus, I could light up his skull for the kids when I read them Crime & Punishment. Who's your skull?
Lighting up his skull is such a fantastic idea. I know I said I'd go with an author, but I'd probably choose da Vinci instead. First of all, he'd completely understand. Second, can you say genius? Third, I've been obsessed with him since I was 12 or so. A natural choice, really.
Good pick on da Vinci.Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio: a fellow
of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy: he hath
borne me on his back a thousand times; and now, how
abhorred in my imagination it is!
Jules VerneGeorge Orwell
Golda Meir
Erwin Rommel
Beethoven
Silvana wrote: "Jules VerneGeorge Orwell
Golda Meir
Erwin Rommel
Beethoven
"
Hey Silvana! I know it's tough, but can you narrow it down to one? And tell us why that one in particular?
Unbridled wrote: "Silvana wrote: "Jules VerneGeorge Orwell
Golda Meir
Erwin Rommel
Beethoven
"
Hey Silvana! I know it's tough, but can you narrow it down to one? And tell us why that one in particular?
"
Jules Verne then.
He's my ultimate fave author because he could vision the future through such marvelous, exhilarating and mind-boggling works of art (I'm talking about Les Voyages Extraordinaires).
For example: From the Earth to the Moon.
He made a number of correct predictions:
1. the country who became the first one successfully sent a manned mission to the moon.
2. the two states contesting to be the launch site. The winner? Verne's prediction is correct as well.
3. the shape of the capsule and the number of people on board.
If I could choose from all the authors in the world (deceased or not), which one that I want to be like, my answer is the almighty Jules Verne. Not only because of his visions, but also due to his ability to create unforgettable adventure stories that will never cease to fascinate readers in many centuries to come.
Oops. I blabbered too much, ain't I? :D
Not at all. That's a great response!
Happy Halloween!! Thank you for so many great responses! We had a tough time narrowing them down, but you can read our favorite 30 submissions here: http://cranioklepty.com/pick-a-skull/fav...We'll be contacting winners directly, but feel free to send us your address right away to receive your copy of CRANIOKLEPTY: Grave Robbing and the Search for Genius by Colin Dickey (http://cranioklepty.com).
Cheers!
rachel / Unbridled Books
http://unbridledbooks.com
http://twitter.com/unbridledbooks
http://facebook.com/unbridledbooks
whoa, my answer was picked! thanks. just send the email to the gmail address, I hope it's not too late since I haven't had any notification ;oUpdated: I've given the address and the book will be sent. Many thanks!
Cranioklepty (the theft of skulls) has fallen out of fashion, but it wasn’t very long ago that stealing skulls was viewed by some as akin to possessing genius. Colin Dickey has written the history of this peculiar kind of obsession in his forthcoming CRANIOKLEPTY: GRAVE ROBBING AND THE SEARCH FOR GENIUS (coming out later this month). The after-death stories of Franz Joseph Haydn, Ludwig van Beethoven, Emanuel Swedenborg, Sir Thomas Browne and many others have never before been told in such detail and vividness. The desire to own the skulls of the famous, for study, for sale, for public (and private) display, seems to be instinctual and irresistible in some people. So, again, WHOSE SKULL WOULD YOU DIG?
You can send us your choice—by responding to this discussion (preferred!), posting a comment on our profile page, or via email (cranioklepty@gmail.com) between September 9 and October 21, 2009. We’ll be posting the most lively ones (no pun intended) on Cranioklepty.com and as a thank you, we’ll be sending a copy of CRANIOKLEPTY to the folks whose selections most intrigued us. Winners will be announced on October 31, 2009 (yes, on Halloween). For complete rules and regulations visit http://cranioklepty.com/pick-a-skull/rul... We do not, for the record, endorse the actual stealing of skulls!