A Wizard of Earthsea is a fantasy novel written by American author
Ursula K. Le Guin (pictured). First published by the small press
Parnassus in 1968, it is considered a classic of fantasy and of
children's literature. Set in the fictional archipelago of Earthsea, the
story centers around a gifted mage named Ged. His prickly nature drives
him into a duel with an older pupil at a school of wizardry, during
which his spell goes awry and releases a shadow creature that attacks
him. The novel follows his journey to be free of the creature. Often
described as a coming-of-age story, the book explores Ged's process of
learning to cope with power and come to terms with death. Taoist themes
are reflected in a fundamental balance in the universe of Earthsea,
which wizards are supposed to maintain. Margaret Atwood called the novel
one of the "wellsprings" of fantasy literature. It was followed by five
other volumes sharing a setting; the six works are collectively known as
the Earthsea Cycle.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Wizard_of_Earthsea>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1890:
The Forth Bridge, a railway bridge connecting Edinburgh to Fife
over the Firth of Forth, opened, becoming an internationally recognised
Scottish landmark.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forth_Bridge>
1966:
During an interview, John Lennon of the Beatles argued that the
band had become "more popular than Jesus".
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/More_popular_than_Jesus>
1990:
College basketball player Hank Gathers died after collapsing
during a West Coast Conference Tournament semifinal game in Los Angeles.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hank_Gathers>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
not to put too fine a point on it:
(idiomatic) Used to apologize for a possibly impolite statement one is
making.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/not_to_put_too_fine_a_point_on_it>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
Perfectionism is not a quest for the best. It is a pursuit of the
worst in ourselves, the part that tells us that nothing we do will ever
be good enough — that we should try again. No. We should not. Focused
on process, our creative life retains a sense of adventure. Focused on
product, the same creative life can feel foolish or barren.
--Julia Cameron
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Julia_Cameron>
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