The lives of others

Tue, 05/15/2007 - 4:22pm by Maxine

May 16 is Biographers Day, the anniversary of the meeting in London on May 16, 1763 between James Boswell and Samuel Johnson. Boswell is one of the first
writers to be known primarily as a biographer and his work, Life of Samuel Johnson, is regarded as a model of biographical writing. It is also a testament to his fortitude in pursuing Johnson who was known for his biting wit and sullen nature as evidenced by this characteristic quote: "Depend upon it, sir, when a man knows he is to be hanged in a fortnight, it concentrates his mind wonderfully."

The Library has many biographies and autobiographies for all ages. Two new ones of note are a new youth book, Albert Einstein: With Profiles of Isaac Newton and J. Robert Oppenheimer by Naomi Pasachoff and Mahler: His Life and Music by Stephen Johnson.