Book Club

[YouGoGirl1]

Washington Irving who wrote, 'Rip Van Winkle' and 'The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow,'

suffered terribly from insomnia.

[Oznell]

More great stuff.  Thanks for the literary cat resource, @QVCisFun .   People who love and understand kitties are treasures.  I'll have to 'cat'-ch up on that...

You have gleaned some interesting nuggets, @YouGoGirl1 --  I had never heard of Clemens/ Twain's pseudonym "Josh" ,  nor of poor Washington Irving's sleep problem.  Maybe his mind was teeming with stories he needed to get down on paper!

It's fun to check in here for little-known facts-- appreciate you all presenting them.

[PickyPicky3]

Just FYI - Travelzoo is offering discounts on rooms at the Algonquin Hotel this summer.

[Oznell]

If Dorothy Parker and Robert Benchley were still hanging around, I'd be there, @PickyPicky3 .   Boy, the Algonquin-- what a richly atmospheric place that must be.

[YouGoGirl1]

Harriet Beecher Stowe lived next door to Mark Twain.

Dan Brown The Da Vinci Code author was

a pop singer before becoming a novelist.

Western writer Louis L'Amour had 200

rejections before he was published.

Detective fiction author Dashiell Hammett started out as a private detective.

[Oznell]

Interesting, @YouGoGirl1 !   I do think I remember that about Dashiell Hammett.  If I'm not mistaken, he was one of the famed Pinkertons at one time.  That experience must have been a big advantage when he started to write crime fiction...

Which of the many items that you've uncovered about writers, so far, do you find the most surprising?

[YouGoGirl1]

@Oznell, I think one of the things that comes to mind, 

Ernest Hemingway was once a professional bullfighter.

I'm thinking about ordering a book, The Secret Library:

A book- Lovers' Journey Through Curiosities of History

By: Oliver Tearle, looks like a good read, I thought you might be interested to. 

[Oznell]

Thanks, @YouGoGirl1 .  Agreed-- it does sound very good!  Hope you'll give a review later.

[YouGoGirl1]

Mark Twain nearly drowned, 9 times before he learned how

to swim.

Dickens suffered from OCD, he combed his hair 20 times a day. And when he stayed in a hotel, he always rearranged

the furniture.

[Oznell]

That's amazing about Dickens, @YouGoGirl1 , wow.  His mind must have been always racing.  He fascinates me.