"This ordinance pertains to the investigation that must be conducted in the different provinces concerning the faction of anarchists and demagogues uncovered in this Court. This is so that the Government, being informed of its contents, may give it prompt and due execution."

English translation: "His Majesty the Emperor commands, through the Secretariat of State for the Affairs of the Empire, that the enclosed copy of the ordinance of the 11th of this month be sent to the Provisional Government of the Province of Piauí...

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The lined paper is watermarked with a date that precedes the edict. There is also a watermark that shows the newly independent Brazilian nation was still writing on official paper that still connected their material world to Portugal. A lesson in material culture.
#history
#Brazil
#booksky

The edict is a glimpse into the anxieties of a new nation.

​In this document, Bonifácio, fearing instability, orders a state crackdown. It was an attempt to control and consolidate power during a moment of profound uncertainty.
#history
#Brazil
#booksky
#manuscrip

My copy carries the bookplate of C. Alan Soons, once a professor of Romance Languages at UMass Amherst, whose personal library became the Alan & Rosalie Soons Library of Hispanic Studies. A nice link between scholarship and collecting. #booksky #UMass

Someone got a deal!

Romeo + Juliet is a brilliant film and adaptation. The opening alone invites students to revisit the opening lines of the "boring" play with fresh eyes that can see the play is as much about violence, hate, and war as it is about love.

Ringler's scholarly annotations are the most economical I have seen from someone in the humanities. However, they match the economy of his bookplate. #poetry #books

"Reads too much"

I really came to love Eugene O’Neill thanks to some amazing experiences at the Goodman Theatre, especially with Robert Falls directing. Got to take my AP Lit students to see an O’Neill show there—it was a great way to share that passion.

It wasn't until later that I came to understand the social commentary of Stephen Vincent Benet's story.

Ah! From one high school English teacher to another — Thanks, and congrats on your forthcoming book!