Because what you read matters.
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This month, we’re channeling the Stoics and practicing mindfulness in our daily lives, particularly through the books we read. We’ve gathered up some of our favorite books to keep us company during times of uncertainty, to provide a much-needed dose of calm and tranquility, and to remind us that we are all interconnected. Let us know what classics you’re turning to this month on social media (we’re @PenguinClassics everywhere), and take care of yourselves and one another.
April marks National Poetry Month, and sometimes poetry can be the most healing salve of all in its ability to express so much in so few words. We recommend The Penguin Anthology of Twentieth-Century American Poetry edited by Rita Dove, who will be honored with the Academy of American Poets Leadership Award this year. Through these poems, discover a new voice with a different perspective than your own.
Whenever we start to feel stressed at Penguin Classics HQ, a common practice is to open Marcus Aurelius’s Meditations to a random page and read a short passage. Our friend Marcus, as we lovingly call him, seems to have words of clarity and relevance to apply to many situations, and he’s never failed to acknowledge us or put our minds at ease.
Is there a better classic family model for charity and hope than the March family? We don’t think so. Whether they’re giving their abundance of food to those less fortunate or finding the silver linings in wartime conditions, we can’t help but feel inspired to live more compassionately and positively, even in the darkest of days, when we read Little Women.
And finally, with a book cover as delightful as its contents, Anne of Green Gables is the story of eternal optimism we turn to again and again when we need a reminder of how lovely the world can be. Anne’s triumph over adversity against all odds and her ability to see the goodness in all things is a message we need now more than ever.
Hot off the presses! We love seeing Penguin Classics and our very own publisher Elda Rotor profiled in The New York Times. Read on to learn more about how we approach adding new books to our series, the importance of publishing works by marginalized voices, and exciting projects coming soon.
