Harper's Magazine

The indefatigable gnomes at Gutenburg Schloss continue their inestimable task of reviving old tales for curious or nostalgic tragics such as I am. The number of books they revive and preserve is amazing. Many of the resulting recreations would only have relevance for people with a specific interest. But I am always pleased to browse the lists and to discover a gem or two which takes me back to the days of my youth, renewing acquaintance with Wells, Burroughs, Haggard, Chesterton, Dumas and so many more. A recent visit to the stock piles resulted in my discovery of the early printings of Harper's New Magazine, an American endeavour inaugurated in the 1850s to provide access to world-wide writers of quality. These monthly collections include articles from other magazines or serialized novels covering fiction and items of social and scientific interest at that period. The variety is rich. Naturally there is some dross, but also a variety of riches with pleasant surprises. They frequently feature extracts from my old friend Charlie Dickens who was currently publishing his weekly periodical,"Household Words". So I have decided to apprentice myself to Harper's Magazine for a while to see if it can refresh congealing grey matter a little.

Remembering Charlie

This year is the 200th anniversary of the birth of one of the greatest English wordsmiths, Charles Dickens. Recently, people all over the world celebrated his arrival and the subsequent creation of his literary outpourings. Dickens used his intimate knowledge of London's occupants and environs to freeze Victorian social mores for millions of devoted readers. His creative process was a difficult one, as so many of his books and sketches were written under pressure as weekly episodes for magazines. He managed his task so well that fans anxiously awaited the next instalment as if it was a Victorian "Home & Away" production. He had (and has) his detractors, but his true devotees, of whom I am one, can read his stories again and again and still get pleasure from them.

Dickens himself was a complex character, and his story is as interesting as any fiction he created. It seems that so many great writers and poets were egocentric to such an extent that they were unaware of, or ignored, the sensitivities of others. Dickens could be generous and charming; he could write stories that showed a deep knowledge of human emotions but he frequently treated his family, and in particular his wife, abominably. It is humbling to think that even the greatest have flaws.

The Blogg Identity

Recently, as I was making one of my sporadic attempts to tidy my work environment, both physical and technological, I came upon a dusty container crowded with dormant Bloggs who had been hiding away since 2010. [I'm fairly sure there was no Anna Frank Blogg amongst them]. For the uninitiated, a Blog is a series of ad hoc communications per medium of the Internet, and Bloggs are the fragile creatures that inhabit this world. They have varied personalities. Some are of serious mien, posing as deep thinkers; others have a humorous vein, prone to exaggeration and oddballitis; while a few,unfortunately,are light-weight creatures whose main claim to fame is their ability to fill blank space with inanities and trivialities.

It was quite pleasant renewing acquaintance with these Bloggs, and they happily reminded me of events and attitudes that were prevalent a couple of years ago. Whether they have any relevance today is very debatable, but they aroused enough enthusiasm to encourage me to add a few more members to the clan. Regularity and longevity cannot be guaranteed, but I am looking forward to exercising my brain and imagination while the tools are at hand. Incidentally, I have been advised that some of these Bloggs come from the Turgid family. This doesn't really matter. Anything goes and there is room for everyone in our mansion.