Igor Stravinsky As a composer, Igor Stravinsky knew many conductors. Later, he wrote an essay about them. What could he write about them? What would your typical composer have to say about conductors? Surprisingly, when Stravinsky wrote about conductors he became very critical. Sarcasm and mockery permeate throughout the passage when he discusses them. Stravinsky uses a few schemes to convince his reader of the conductor's insignificance. First, the language Stravinsky uses in his passage is...

The Professional Career of Igor Stravinsky Stravinsky’s relations with his various publishers would make a fitting subject for a long-running TV soap opera, complete with courtroom dramas, emotional farewells, some embarrassing contractual wrangles, and of course background music based on the ‘Ronde des princesses’ in The Firebird. The association with Chester Music would certainly provide some of the best episodes. Stravinsky landed in Chester’s lap after the First...

A Blast from the Past: Albert Einstein Of all the scientists to emerge from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries there is one whose name is known by almost all living people. While most of these do not understand this mans work, everyone knows that his impact on the world is astonishing. Yes, many people have heard of Albert Einsteins General Theory of Relativity, but few people know about the intriguing life that led this scientist to discover what some have called The Greatest Single...

The Whole Story of Richard Nixon Richard Nixon is known as the 37th president that resigned from office. I am going to tell you the whole story. Nixon was born in 1913 in Yorba Linda, California, the second of five sons of Francis Nixon and Hannah Nixon. The Nixons were Scots-Irish and the Milhouses were of Irish and English descent, known as Quakers. Richard Nixon attended public schools in Whittier, California, and went to Whittier College, a Quaker institution, where he majored in history....

The American Leader Considered Dictator, John Adams John Adams, who became the second president of the United States, has been accused by some historians of being the closest thing America ever had to a dictator or monarch (Onuf, 1993). Such strong accusations should be examined in the context of the era in which Mr. Adams lived and served. A closer examination of the historical events occurring during his vice presidency and his term as president, strongly suggests that Adams was not, in fact,...

Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Miller Christy (September 15, 1890 - January 12, 1976), was a British crime fiction writer. Christy published over eighty books and other works, mainly whodunits. While her work is not considered part of the literary canon, she is a major figure in detective fiction. In particular, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd is noted for its use of narrative and its twist on the established genre. Most of her books and short stories have been filmed, some many times over (Murder...

Biography of Washington Irving “Washington’s work is ended,” said Mrs. Irving, “and the child shall be named after him.” And so, Washington Irving, the last of eleven children, was born on William Street in New York City on April 3, 1783, to a prosperous merchant family headed by William and Sarah Irving. He lived in a town of about 25,000, from which he drew much of the material for his stories and sketches. He spent his childhood days wandering the town and...

The making of a recon marine is a process that entails years of training and experience. The selection, Academics and physical training are some of the most rigorous in the military today. The basic reconnaissance course teaches not only to be an amphibious warrior but also an unrivaled leader and critical thinker. These men at the end of their training will be highly skilled and motivated shadow warriors. The selection process of these candidates begin promptly at 4a.m., First with...

Myrdal, Alva (Biographical Paper) 1902 – 1986 Sociologist, stateswoman, and peace reformer, born in Uppsala, Sweden. She studied at the universities of Uppsala, Stockholm, and Geneva, and married Gunnar Myrdal. She was director of the UN department of social sciences (1950--6), and Swedish ambassador to India, Burma, and Ceylon (1955--61). Elected to parliament in 1962, she acted as Swedish representative on the UN Disarmament Committee (1962--73). As minister for disarmament and Church...

The Life of Mohandas K. Gandhi Mohandas K. Gandhi was born October 6, 1869 in Western India. He was arranged to marry Kasturbai Makanji when they were both 13 years old, which he did. His family later sent him to London to study law, and he was admitted to the Inner Temple. When he returned to India in 1891, his mother died. Because of Gandhi’s shyness he was not very successful in the legal profession. So for a year, he took the opportunity of representing an Indian firm in Natal,...