On This Day
1789 – The first American novel, The Power of Sympathy or the Triumph of Nature Founded in Truth by William Hill Brown, is printed in Boston.
The Power of Sympathy: or, The Triumph of Nature (1789) is an 18th-century American sentimental novel written in epistolary form by William Hill Brown and is widely considered to be the first American novel.[1] The Power of Sympathy was Brown’s first novel. The characters’ struggles illustrate the dangers of seduction and the pitfalls of giving in to one’s passions, while advocating the moral education of women and the use of rational thinking as ways to prevent the consequences of such actions.
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Born On This Day
1714 – Anna Morandi Manzolini, Spanish anatomist (d. 1774)[23]
Anna Morandi Manzolini (21 January 1714 – 9 July 1774) was an internationally known anatomist and anatomical wax modeler, as lecturer of anatomical design at the University of Bologna.[1]
Life
Morandi was born in 1714 in Bologna, Italy.[2] She was raised in a traditional home where marriage, children, and a domestic lifestyle were natural choices for women.[3] Women were expected to be wives, raise their children and essentially tend to their husbands needs and wants. This wasn’t the case for Anna Morandi. She became a wife and had children, but instead of tending to her husband, she worked side by side with him. In 1736, Morandi married her childhood sweetheart, Giovanni Manzolini, a professor of anatomy at the University of Bologna.[4] She was 20, and he was 24 years old. After five years of marriage, she became the mother of six children.[3]
Giovanni Manzolini opened a studio in their home for Anna to practice her work. The studio was not only for art but became an anatomy “school” and laboratory for them both. The couple worked together dissecting bodies and learning from them. Between Giovanni’s expertise on human anatomy and Anna’s artistic abilities they were able to recreate such incredible pieces by remodeling human anatomy through sculpture. They taught an abundance of medical students because they had access to many body parts and cadavers. Giovanni and Anna quickly became well known around, not only Bologna but Italy as a whole being that by the early 1750s, the couple had been recognized locally and internationally.[2]
In 1755, her husband died, and she was left with little means of support. She received tempting offers from other universities, but she preferred to remain in her native city, Bologna.
Anna Morandi Manzolini impacted the 18th century Bolognese culture through an artistic and scientific approach. She brought human anatomy to life and allowed many spectators to learn and enjoy her anatomical pieces. Tourists, especially medical practitioners, from all over the world came to see her work.
Morandi died in the city in 1774,[2] at the age of 60.[5]
FYI
Michael Lee Aday (born Marvin Lee Aday; September 27, 1947 – January 20, 2022), better known as Meat Loaf, was an American singer and actor. He was noted for his powerful, wide-ranging voice and theatrical live shows. His Bat Out of Hell trilogy—Bat Out of Hell, Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell, and Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose—has sold more than 65 million albums worldwide.[1] More than four decades after its release, the first album still sells an estimated 200,000 copies annually and stayed on the charts for over nine years, making it one of the best-selling albums in history.[2][3]
After the commercial success of Bat Out of Hell and Bat Out of Hell II: Back Into Hell, and earning a Grammy Award for Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance for the song “I’d Do Anything for Love”, Meat Loaf nevertheless experienced some difficulty establishing a steady career within the United States. This did not stop him from becoming one of the best-selling music artists of all time, with worldwide sales of more than 100 million records.[4] The key to this success was his retention of iconic status and popularity in Europe, especially the United Kingdom, where he received the 1994 Brit Award for best-selling album and single, appeared in the 1997 film Spice World, and ranked 23rd for the number of weeks spent on the UK charts in 2006. He ranks 96th on VH1’s “100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock”.[2]
Aday appeared in over 50 films and television shows,[5] sometimes as himself or as characters resembling his stage persona. His film roles include Eddie in The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), and Bob Paulson in Fight Club (1999). His early stage work included dual roles in the original Broadway cast of The Rocky Horror Show, and he also appeared in the musical Hair, both on-and off-Broadway.
By Ernie Smith, Tedium: Sounding Board After pissing off half the internet with our list on faded graphics formats, we’re doing the same thing with outdated audio formats. We’re fearing the worst.
The Passive Voice, From The Journal of Copyright in Education and Librarianship: How to Fight Fair Use Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt: The Experience of One Open Educational Resource
The Passive Voice, From the Grammarly Blog: How to Reach Out to Someone Beyond “How Are You?”
The Passive Voice, From Writer Beware: What Can Happen When Your Agent Decides To Become Your Publisher
The Passive Voice: 10 Magnificent Historical Libraries
Make a Living Writing, Jackie Pearce: How to Start a Blog: 5 Simple Steps for Freelance Writers
Atlas Obscura: The little-known chapter in Ernest Shackleton’s Antarctica adventure; The Cornell Apple Vending Machine and more ->
By Paul Anthony Jones, Mental Floss: 21 Rhetorical Devices Explained From the ones you know to a few new tricks. Pleonasm, anyone?
Recipes
By Nicole Rufus, The Kitchn: This Recipe Forever Changed the Way I Make Grilled Cheese
By Betty Crocker Kitchens: Betty’s Big List of Copycat Recipes Inbox
By Dana Velden The Kitchn: 25 One-Pan Meals You Can Make in Under an Hour
RecipeTinEats
- 2024 Ultimate Christmas menu planning guide December 12, 2024Here’s a handy list of my Christmas recipes, organised by make-ahead and reheating suitability, and those best made fresh. Perfect for menu planning, especially alongside the new Christmas recipe index! I thrive on holiday menu planning. It’s like the Olympics of cooking – except less athleticism and more butter! The goal, as always, is a... […]Nagi
- Easy Christmas Cheesecake Slab – no bake! December 6, 2024This no bake Christmas cheesecake is designed for sizzling Aussie summers – no sweating over a hot oven! Designed to serve a crowd, it’s the easiest cheesecake recipe I know yet it still captures all the hallmarks of a beautiful classic baked cheesecake. Decorate with whipped cream, berries and rosemary sprigs for an effortless, pretty... […]Nagi
wikimedia
- Wikimedia Commons picture of the day for December 25 December 25, 2024Picture of the day Nativity of Christ scene from the Kefermarkt Altarpiece. Today is Christmas.
- Wikimedia Commons picture of the day for December 24 December 24, 2024Picture of the day Silhouettes at the Fort of Santo Antônio da Barra, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. It was constructed to guard the entrance to the Bay of All Saints, during the time of the Portuguese Empire.
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