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Samuel Johnson (1709-1784) parents were booksellers, he was literally born at home above his father's bookshop "arguably the most distinguished man of letters in English history" – oxford dictionary of national biography https://t.co/Feu1SHhYDS
he wrote an english dictionary in 1755 (predating oxford's by 150 years), acclaimed as "one of the greatest single achievements of scholarship") he had tics, likely tourettes (yet to be defined/diagnosed) was a gifted child basically. worked in dad's bookshop, reading
at 19, entered pembroke college, made friends, read a lot left oxford without a degree bc he was broke worked at a school, found pleasure in teaching tho he found it boring his close friend Harry Porter (lol sry), and Harry's widow Elizabeth married him. he was 25, she was 46
he published his first major work anonymously at 29 he struggled to get the jobs he wanted (school-related) without a degree he felt guilty living off of his wife's money and spent a couple of years bumming around with a broke poet... who died in a debtor's prison, yikes
at ~35 he wrote a biography of his dead poet friend – Life of Mr. Richard Savage – which I think did well? a couple of years later, publishers approached him re: the dictionary. He hoped to do it in 3 years, took him 8. Thomas B. Macaulay called him "a wretched etymologist" lmfao https://t.co/gMwJIKolWk
his constant work on the Dictionary disrupted him and Tetty (Elizabeth)'s living conditions. he had to employ assistants for the copying and mechanical work... so like, he probably couldn't have done this if he didn't marry a rich woman https://t.co/mn18orCqYb
while he was working on the Dictionary he also wrote essays, sermons, poems... at 41 he produced a series of essays titled The Rambler, which were really popular. Tetty fell ill, retired to the countryside while he was working, and died. He felt guilty, blamed himself, etc
he got arrested at some point for outstanding debt he began to work on The Literary Magazine, when the 7 years war broke out and he focused on writing anti-war stuff he worked on transcribing/updating a version of The Plays of Shakespeare, mainly for $, and procrastinated lol https://t.co/FBCDvnGjM4
in 1762 – Johnson would've been... 53... King George III (then 24 years old) granted him an annual pension of £300 in appreciation for the Dictionary. It didn't make him wealthy, but allowed him modest/comfortable independence for the remaining 22 years of his life https://t.co/tdr7vAZmzf
A year later, Johnson formed The Club, meeting at a pub in Soho every Monday with dudes like Adam "Invisible Hand" Smith, Edmund Burke, Edward "Fall of Roman Empire" Gibbons... squad goals mirite? It would outlive the members... apparently it's still on https://t.co/5STbdLMD9h https://t.co/HXvAkFohK4
A caricature of Johnson by James Gillray mocking him for his literary criticism; he is shown doing penance for Apollo and the Muses IMO, if you want to ascend into legend GOAT status you have to accept that this not only comes with the territory, it's part of the actual process https://t.co/fgIwIL88Ga
yup – what haters seldom seem to realize is that they're always elevating you as someone worthy of attention. the above pic puts Johnson (a man) and Apollo (a god!) in the same picture, ie they are in some sense made to be equals (like actors on a stage) https://t.co/bJxGeiMqoe
“The irregular combination of fanciful invention may delight awhile by that novelty of which the common satiety of life sends us all in quest. But the pleasures of sudden wonder are soon exhausted and the mind can only repose on the stability of truth…” —Samuel Johnson https://t.co/hoAUWoaUWq
(h/t @RuxandraTeslo) https://t.co/5LdPZ8yXmr
@visakanv this quote of his has stuck with me:(i came across it in this article:https://t.co/kYjcJD3bdR) https://t.co/sPT74mlrpU
