Anniversary

First, let me tell you a slightly boring story:

Willard Huntington Wright, born 1888, was a famous art critic and journalist in America. In 1923, he felt sick because of overwork (and possibly cocaine abuse, like Sherlock Holmes) and, for over two years, was ordered by his physician to be confined to bed. In frustration and boredom, he began collecting and studying thousands of volumes of crime and detective fictions. He came to the conclusion that if other people could earn their living by writing stories of this kind, he could certainly do it better.

He was right. Since detective fiction was considered a "second class" literature in those days, he disguised himself in the alias S.S. van Dine. His first fiction, The Benson Murder Case, turned out to be a great success. Many of his subsequent stories remained best sellers. Philo Vance, the great detective that Wright created, soon became a landmark character in the history of crime fiction.

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One year ago, after reading hundreds of blogs of all kinds, an university academic thought he could write better things.

That's how this blog came along.

Like Wright (disguised as van Dine and Vance) who loved to show off his knowledge in art and literature, I have an irresistible tendency of a similar kind.

Please bear with me.