William Butler Yeats (1865-1939) was a prominent Irish poet, playwright, and a key figure in the Irish Literary Revival. Born in Dublin on June 13, 1865, Yeats spent much of his childhood in County Sligo, which greatly influenced his later works. He is renowned for his lyrical and evocative poetry that explores themes of Irish mythology, folklore, politics, and spirituality.

Yeats began his career as a member of the fin de siècle London literary scene, publishing his first poetry collection, "Crossways," in 1889. He co-founded the Irish Literary Theatre, which later became the Abbey Theatre, in 1899. Yeats served as its director and contributed several plays, including "Cathleen ni Houlihan" (1902) and "The Countess Cathleen" (1911).

As his career progressed, Yeats's poetry shifted from romanticism to modernism, reflecting his evolving artistic and political sensibilities. Key works in his oeuvre include "The Celtic Twilight" (1893), "The Wind Among the Reeds" (1899), "Responsibilities" (1914), "The Wild Swans at Coole" (1917), and "The Tower" (1928).

In 1923, Yeats was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature for his "inspired poetry, which in a highly artistic form gives expression to the spirit of a whole nation." His later works, such as "A Vision" (1925), delved into mysticism and the occult, reflecting his lifelong fascination with esoteric subjects.

Yeats passed away on January 28, 1939, in France. Today, he remains one of the most celebrated poets in the English language, revered for his deep connection to Irish culture and his innovative contributions to modern poetry.

Klaus Nomi, born Klaus Sperber on January 24, 1944, in Immenstadt, Germany, was a visionary and enigmatic countertenor singer and performance artist who gained prominence in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Known for his otherworldly stage presence, operatic vocal range, and avant-garde fashion sense, Nomi defied categorization and became a symbol of the New Wave and performance art scenes in New York City.

Nomi's early life in Germany was marked by his passion for opera and classical music. He moved to New York City in 1972, where he immersed himself in the burgeoning underground art scene. His first notable performance was at Irving Plaza's "New Wave Vaudeville" show in 1978, where he captivated the audience with a unique rendition of the aria "Mon cœur s'ouvre à ta voix" from the opera "Samson and Delilah."

Nomi's distinctive style combined elements of opera, new wave, pop, and electronic music, creating a sound that was both futuristic and nostalgic. His striking visual aesthetic, which included a distinctive triangular tuxedo, exaggerated makeup, and sculpted hairstyle, further set him apart from his contemporaries.

His eponymous debut album, "Klaus Nomi" (1981), featured original songs like "The Nomi Song" and "Total Eclipse," as well as reinterpretations of classic pieces like Henry Purcell's "The Cold Song." Nomi's sophomore album, "Simple Man" (1982), continued to showcase his extraordinary vocal abilities and diverse musical influences.

Tragically, Klaus Nomi's career was cut short when he became one of the first high-profile artists to succumb to complications from AIDS. He passed away on August 6, 1983, at the age of 39. Despite his brief career, Nomi's trailblazing fusion of music, art, and fashion has left a lasting impact on the world of avant-garde performance and continues to inspire artists across various disciplines.

Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (1844-1900) was a German philosopher, poet, and philologist who left an indelible mark on Western thought with his radical ideas on morality, religion, culture, and the human condition. His works, characterized by a provocative style and aphoristic flair, challenged traditional beliefs and encouraged readers to reassess their values.

Nietzsche was born on October 15, 1844, in Röcken, a small village in the Prussian province of Saxony. His father, a Lutheran pastor, died when Nietzsche was only four, leaving his mother to raise him and his younger sister. Despite the family's modest means, Nietzsche excelled academically, receiving a scholarship to attend the prestigious Schulpforta boarding school. There, he honed his skills in classical literature, languages, and theology.

In 1864, Nietzsche entered the University of Bonn to study philology and theology. However, he soon abandoned theology in favor of philology, transferring to the University of Leipzig in 1865. There, he discovered the works of Arthur Schopenhauer, whose pessimistic philosophy greatly influenced Nietzsche's early thought.

In 1869, at the age of 24, Nietzsche was appointed as a professor of classical philology at the University of Basel, despite not having completed his doctorate. His time at Basel was marked by friendships with composer Richard Wagner and historian Jakob Burckhardt, as well as the publication of his first major work, "The Birth of Tragedy" (1872). In this book, Nietzsche examined the interplay of Apollonian and Dionysian forces in ancient Greek tragedy, arguing that it represented a fusion of rational and irrational elements.

Nietzsche's health began to decline in the early 1870s, forcing him to take frequent leaves of absence from teaching. In 1879, he resigned his professorship and embarked on a period of intense intellectual productivity as an independent scholar. Over the next decade, Nietzsche produced some of his most famous works, including "Thus Spoke Zarathustra" (1883-85), "Beyond Good and Evil" (1886), "On the Genealogy of Morals" (1887), and "Twilight of the Idols" (1888).

Nietzsche's ideas diverged significantly from prevailing philosophical and religious thought. He famously declared that "God is dead," arguing that the traditional concept of a supreme being had lost its power in the modern world. Instead, he advocated for the development of the "Übermensch," a higher type of human who transcends conventional morality to create their own values. Additionally, Nietzsche introduced the concept of "will to power," suggesting that the driving force behind human behavior is the desire for power and self-assertion.

On January 3, 1889, Nietzsche suffered a mental breakdown in Turin, Italy, purportedly triggered by witnessing a horse being whipped. He spent the remainder of his life in the care of his mother and later, his sister. During this time, his mental faculties deteriorated, and he was unable to engage in intellectual pursuits.

Friedrich Nietzsche died on August 25, 1900, in Weimar, Germany. His work, initially met with limited success, gained widespread recognition in the early 20th century and became foundational to the fields of existentialism, postmodernism, and critical theory. Today, Nietzsche is remembered as a passionate and profound thinker whose ideas continue to shape intellectual discourse and challenge conventional wisdom.

Enough with this dark night.

Drop the needle on some vinyl and breathe in Roberta Flack. Black silk brushes against my thigh, smooth and languid against the pale.

Trains screech, and run through these streets, bold in their atmosphere.

“I'm not looking for another as I wander in my time,

Walk me to the corner, our steps will always rhyme.”

The earth spins silent on its axis, apologetic to none.

My melancholy birthright a sweet song on thin air.

This momentum a mark etched in gentle memory.

Fyodor Dostoevsky was a renowned Russian novelist, journalist, and philosopher, born on November 11, 1821, in Moscow. He grew up in a highly religious and intellectual family, and his father was a doctor at a hospital for the poor.

After studying engineering and military science, Dostoevsky turned to literature and published his first novel, "Poor Folk," in 1846, which gained him critical acclaim. However, his writing and political activities led him to be arrested in 1849 for being involved in a liberal socialist group, and he was sentenced to death.

At the last minute, the sentence was commuted to four years in a Siberian labor camp. This experience had a profound impact on Dostoevsky's life and work, and he later wrote about it in his semi-autobiographical novel "The House of the Dead."

After his release, Dostoevsky became deeply religious and began writing his most famous works, including "Crime and Punishment," "The Brothers Karamazov," and "Notes from Underground." These novels explore the complexities of human nature and the struggles of individuals to find meaning in a world that often seems cruel and indifferent.

Dostoevsky's work has had a profound influence on literature and philosophy, and he is widely considered one of the greatest writers of all time. He died on February 9, 1881, in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Advice? I don’t have advice. Stop aspiring and start writing. If you’re writing, you’re a writer. Write like you’re a goddamn death row inmate and the governor is out of the country and there’s no chance for a pardon. Write like you’re clinging to the edge of a cliff, white knuckles, on your last breath, and you’ve got just one last thing to say, like you’re a bird flying over us and you can see everything, and please, for God’s sake, tell us something that will save us from ourselves. Take a deep breath and tell us your deepest, darkest secret, so we can wipe our brow and know that we’re not alone. Write like you have a message from the king. Or don’t. Who knows, maybe you’re one of the lucky ones who doesn’t have to.

-Alan Wilson Watts

Mark Twain, born Samuel Langhorne Clemens on November 30, 1835, in Florida, Missouri, was an American author, humorist, and social critic. Twain is best known for his novels "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" (1876) and its sequel, "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" (1884), which has been called "The Great American Novel."

In his early years, Twain worked as a printer's apprentice and later as a riverboat pilot on the Mississippi River, where he adopted his pen name, "Mark Twain," a riverboat term meaning "two fathoms deep." In the 1860s, Twain began his career as a writer, publishing humorous sketches, travelogues, and short stories in various newspapers and magazines. His first major success came with the publication of "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County," a humorous short story that earned him national recognition.

Twain's unique writing style, marked by satire, colloquialism, and keen observation of the human condition, made him one of the most celebrated authors of his time. He was also known for his wit and his critical views on politics, organized religion, and social issues. In addition to his fiction, Twain wrote several non-fiction works, including "Life on the Mississippi" (1883), "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court" (1889), and "The Innocents Abroad" (1869).

Mark Twain's personal life was marked by both success and tragedy. He married Olivia Langdon in 1870, and they had four children, three of whom died before Twain. Later in life, he faced financial difficulties and the death of his wife, which led to a darker tone in some of his later works.

Twain continued writing and lecturing until his death on April 21, 1910, in Redding, Connecticut. Today, his legacy endures as one of America's most celebrated literary figures, and his works remain widely read and admired for their humor, insight, and timeless relevance.

In sultry solace of the darkened bayou, Where mossy tendrils weave a sultry tale, New Orleans whispers secrets to the night, Her jasmine breath in alleyways exhale.

A woman's touch, a shadow 'neath the gaslights, In crimson lace and silent, stolen glance, A chanteuse lost in labyrinthine dreams, Invites the lonely souls to join her dance.

A courtesan, as sinuous as smoke, Her body sighs a melody of lust, In murky rooms where fingertips convene, Their ghosts entwined in webs of dark mistrust.

With emerald eyes and honeyed, lilting tongue, She casts a spell, ensnaring them with sin, Her heart encased in walls of molten wax, She burns away the scars that dwell within.

Yet deep within the chambers of her soul, An aching tenderness she seeks to hide, Her refuge found in soft magnolia blooms, In moonlit serenades by riverside.

Oh, fractured heart, a thousand masks she wears, A portrait painted in the hues of night, Yet gilded beams of morning's sweet caress, Reveal a soul that longs for love's respite.

And so, she treads the path of stardust dreams, Her footsteps etched upon the cobbled streets, Where shadows play their melancholic tunes, And fading stars adorn her gilded sheets.

In whispers low, she sings her lover's name, And prays the dawn will chase away her plight, For in the arms of sweet Elysium, She'll find her refuge from the endless night.

In sultry solace of the darkened bayou, Where mossy tendrils weave a sultry tale, New Orleans whispers secrets to the night, Her jasmine breath in alleyways exhale.

A woman's touch, a shadow 'neath the gaslights, In crimson lace and silent, stolen glance, A chanteuse lost in labyrinthine dreams, Invites the lonely souls to join her dance.

A courtesan, as sinuous as smoke, Her body sighs a melody of lust, In murky rooms where fingertips convene, Their ghosts entwined in webs of dark mistrust.

With emerald eyes and honeyed, lilting tongue, She casts a spell, ensnaring them with sin, Her heart encased in walls of molten wax, She burns away the scars that dwell within.

Yet deep within the chambers of her soul, An aching tenderness she seeks to hide, Her refuge found in soft magnolia blooms, In moonlit serenades by riverside.

Oh, fractured heart, a thousand masks she wears, A portrait painted in the hues of night, Yet gilded beams of morning's sweet caress, Reveal a soul that longs for love's respite.

And so, she treads the path of stardust dreams, Her footsteps etched upon the cobbled streets, Where shadows play their melancholic tunes, And fading stars adorn her gilded sheets.

In whispers low, she sings her lover's name, And prays the dawn will chase away her plight, For in the arms of sweet Elysium, She'll find her refuge from the endless night.

Jeff Buckley was a talented American singer, songwriter, and guitarist born on November 17, 1966, in Anaheim, California. He was the only child of famous folk and blues musician Tim Buckley and his wife, Mary Guibert. Jeff inherited his father's musical talents and was exposed to a diverse range of musical styles from a young age.

Buckley grew up in Southern California and later moved to New York City to pursue a career in music. He began performing in various clubs and coffeehouses, playing covers of his favorite songs, and developing his own unique sound. His ethereal and haunting voice, combined with his intricate guitar playing, quickly caught the attention of music industry insiders.

In 1993, Buckley released his debut album, "Grace," which was met with critical acclaim and commercial success. The album featured Buckley's original songs, as well as his interpretation of songs by artists such as Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan. His cover of Cohen's "Hallelujah" would become one of his most well-known and beloved recordings.

Following the success of "Grace," Buckley embarked on a world tour, performing to sold-out crowds and earning a reputation as an exceptional live performer. He also began work on his second album, "My Sweetheart the Drunk," but tragically, Buckley's life was cut short before he could complete it.

In May 1997, Buckley was in Memphis, Tennessee, working on new material for his album. On May 29th, he and a friend went for a swim in the Wolf River Harbor, but Buckley was swept away by the strong current and drowned. He was only 30 years old.

Despite his short career, Buckley's impact on music was profound. His innovative sound, combined with his raw emotional performances, inspired countless musicians and continues to influence artists today. In the years since his death, numerous posthumous releases of his work have been issued, including the unfinished "My Sweetheart the Drunk" and several live albums.

Jeff Buckley's legacy as one of the most original and talented musicians of his generation continues to grow, and his music remains as vital and powerful today as it was during his lifetime.