a fellow traveller in the irreal! Thank you @staniforthmick.bsky.social !

The Tortured Genius of ETA Hoffmann Who Turned Personal Failure Into Literary Masterpieces | TheCollector A key figure in Romanticism, ETA Hoffmann is best remembered for his uncanny stories—but he was also a major player in music history.

read my latest on @thecollectorx.bsky.social about the marvellous, inimitable E.T.A. Hoffmann:
www.thecollector.com/eta-hoffmann...

Continuing our Fall 2025 features!

from Victoria Roskams ( @vroskams.bsky.social :

Pierrot disparu

Read the full piece in our Fall 2025 issue at LampLit.net

Submissions for our Spring 2026 are open!!!

#poetry #prose #lamplitmag

The Turbulent Life of Charles Baudelaire, the Original Decadent Poet | TheCollector This is the life story of French poetry's celebrated decadent dandy, Charles Baudelaire.

my most recent article for @thecollectorx.bsky.social is on the gloriously decadent, endlessly interesting Charles Baudelaire: www.thecollector.com/life-charles...

Richard Wagner’s Profound Influence on 19th-Century Art | TheCollector What was Wagnerism, the trend in late-19th-century music, art, literature, and more, spawned by Richard Wagner’s music dramas?

wrote about Wagnerism in art, literature, theatre, and architecture in my latest for @thecollectorx.bsky.social : www.thecollector.com/wagnerism-19...

Why Salome and John the Baptist Obsessed Artists | TheCollector The Bible story of a daring young woman (Salome) demanding the head of John the Baptist has influenced poets, playwrights, painters, composers, and even dancers.

delved into the ultra-decadent story of Salome in art for @thecollectorx.bsky.social : www.thecollector.com/salome-john-...

How Baudelaire Rewired English Poetry | TheCollector On publication in 1857, Charles Baudelaire's Les fleurs du mal caused a scandal. Its influence spread far beyond France and far beyond the 19th century.

loved writing about Baudelaire's influence on English poetry for @thecollectorx.bsky.social : www.thecollector.com/baudelaire-r...

The Short But Magical Life of John Keats | TheCollector Poet John Keats, in his short life, wrote some of the most beloved poems in the English language.

new on @thecollectorx.bsky.social - his life may have been short, but my article on him is not:
www.thecollector.com/john-keats-e...

Why Oscar Wilde Wrote His Famous "De Profundis" from Prison | TheCollector De Profundis, the letter Oscar Wilde wrote from prison, is one of his most moving works. It is addressed partly to his former lover, partly to his former life.

another new one on @thecollectorx.bsky.social www.thecollector.com/oscar-wilde-...

The Cross-Dressing Marquess Who Made Arthur Conan Doyle Turn Detective | TheCollector Henry Paget, the fifth Marquess of Anglesey, who loved expensive costumes and jewelry, turned to Arthur Conan Doyle when his jewels mysteriously disappeared.

also new by me on @thecollectorx.bsky.social , the very fun story of Henry Paget: www.thecollector.com/henry-paget-...

How German Philosophy Inspired Classical Music | TheCollector From Ludwig van Beethoven to Richard Wagner, many 19th-century composers were inspired by German philosophical movements, including Romanticism, Idealism, pessimism, and nihilism.

TWO new articles by me on @thecollectorx.bsky.social today - firstly, what was basically the introduction to my phd thesis: www.thecollector.com/german-philo...

Wide-Eyed Wanderer: A Prose, Visual Art, and Poetry Anthology Wide-Eyed Wanderer: A Prose, Visual Art, and Poetry Anthology [Publishing, Journey's End] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Wide-Eyed Wanderer: A Prose, Visual Art, and Poetry Anthology

my story 'Descartes' Daughter' (about an automaton owned by the philosopher and thrown overboard by a ship's captain on suspicion of witchcraft) is available in the first anthology by Wandering Words Media: www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0GC...

Wordsworth Revolutionized Poetry But His Life Was Equally Interesting | TheCollector Who was William Wordsworth, and what made his poetry so revolutionary? Read about the life and works of this major Romantic poet.

now up on @thecollectorx.bsky.social , a sally through Wordsworth's life and works: www.thecollector.com/william-word...

Why Victorian Readers Traded Ghosts for Grit | TheCollector This is a guide to Victorian Realism, one of the literary movements most closely associated with the Victorian period.

wrote about realism in my most recently published piece on @thecollectorx.bsky.social : www.thecollector.com/victorian-re...

6 Jane Austen Quotes About Wit, Love, & Literature | TheCollector Discover some essential quotes by one of English literature's best-loved authors: Jane Austen.

wrote about some of my favourite Austen bangers for @thecollectorx.bsky.social : www.thecollector.com/jane-austen-...

Lamp Lit Issue 1.2 is out, featuring a short story I wrote called 'Pierrot disparu'! lamplit.net/q-issue-numb...

🛋️ Lamp Lit 1.2 Fall 2025 is Live at LampLit.net! 🛋️

Thank you to Lamp Lit 1.2 Contributors: ⬇️

#poetry #shortstories #art #essay #litmags #lamplitmag

The Grand Tour and How It Shaped English Literature | TheCollector How did the Grand Tour, the 17th- and 18th-century trend among rich young men for traveling through Europe, change the way that authors in English wrote?

my latest for @thecollectorx.bsky.social : www.thecollector.com/grand-tour-e...

🛋️Lamp Lit 1.2 Fall '25 Cover and Contributor Reveal!

Cover art by Mirjana M. @ cyanide_cherries on insta

Our sophomore issue will be released to Lamplit.net on Thursday, November 13th! 🛋️

#coverreaveal #poetry #shortstories #art #essay #litmags #lamplitmag

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The Enigmatic “Fairy-Tale” King of Bavaria | TheCollector Who was King Ludwig II, who dwelled in fairytale castles, dreaming of scenes from Richard Wagner's operas?

also new on @thecollectorx.bsky.social, my article on the enigmatic Ludwig II of Bavaria: www.thecollector.com/ludwig-ii-fa...

13 Defining Works of Gothic Literature | TheCollector From haunted houses to vampires and doubles, from well-known spine-tinglers to more forgotten fare, the Gothic genre will never die.

latest by me for @thecollectorx.bsky.social on some seasonal spooky reads: www.thecollector.com/defining-wor...

my story 'Friends of Dorothy' has just been published in The Literary Hatchet magazine! It's about Oscar Wilde's niece Dolly, wit, Paris, fur coats, etc etc, you get the gist: lizzieandrewborden.com/literaryhatc...

Mary Wollstonecraft, The Woman Who Laid the Foundation for Feminism | TheCollector Think 18th-century feminism must be outdated? Think again—there is still so much to learn from the life and writing of Mary Wollstonecraft.

and my latest latest latest for @thecollectorx.bsky.social , linked by the advocacy of education for women:

www.thecollector.com/mary-wollsto...

Catherine of Aragon, the Queen Who Challenged a King | TheCollector This article narrates the life of Catherine of Aragon, her political influence, and her role in the English Reformation.

my latest for @thecollectorx.bsky.social

www.thecollector.com/catherine-ar...

you can read my story 'The Mylar Chamber' in volume 8 of Tales of the Unreal, out now! It is based on a true story: poet Ira Cohen's inadvertent discovery of the photographic technique he used to create his Mylar images. unrealpress.substack.com/api/v1/file/8db65c28-735d-4244-8748-cf02302a50a1.pdf

you can read my story 'The Mylar Chamber' in volume 8 of Tales of the Unreal, out now! It is based on a true story: poet Ira Cohen's inadvertent discovery of the photographic technique he used to create his Mylar images. unrealpress.substack.com/api/v1/file/8db65c28-735d-4244-8748-cf02302a50a1.pdf

Henry VIII’s Reign and England’s Transformation | TheCollector This article explores the life and reign of Henry VIII, his six marriages, and the profound impact of his rule on British history.

moonlighting as a historian in my latest for @thecollectorx.bsky.social : www.thecollector.com/henry-viii-r...

The Genius and Controversy That Was Richard Wagner | TheCollector Discover the key moments from the life and work of the opinion-dividing dramaturge, notorious opera composer Richard Wagner.

my latest for @thecollectorx.bsky.social : www.thecollector.com/richard-wagn...

How Sigmund Freud’s Concept of “The Uncanny” Inspired Art | TheCollector Sigmund Freud's 1919 essay was about literature, but had its biggest impact in the visual arts, particularly surrealist art. Discover how Freud's ideas inspired modern art.

...and my second published article for @thecollectorx.bsky.social is about TWO of my favourite subjects: www.thecollector.com/sigmund-freu...

Unpacking Freud’s Concept of “The Uncanny” | TheCollector We've all had the strange feeling that something is uncanny. But where, according to Sigmund Freud, does the uncanny come from?

my first published article for @thecollectorx.bsky.social is about one of my favourite subjects: www.thecollector.com/uncanny-sigm...