Brain Snacks: Tasty Tidbits of Knowledge
Getting tired of all those red pen marks your teacher makes on your essays? Well T.S. Eliot, one of the greatest poets of the 20th century, got nearly half of his masterpiece slashed away by his friend, Ezra Pound. It doesn't matter how great a writer you are, folks; you'll always have to deal with editors. (Source.)
Apparently, Ezra Pound gave Eliot the nickname "Old Possum," and Eliot actually used this name in a book of children's poems about cats, called Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats. We're wondering if Pound was referencing T.S.'s looks or nightowlish tendencies. (Source.)
Also, Eliot's book of nonsense verse about cats, believe it or not, was the inspiration for Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber's classic musical, Cats. (Source.)
In 1986, Eliot's face was put on a 22 cent American stamp. But sheesh, they should've found a better picture of the guy. Maybe that's where the nickname comes from. (Source.)