Three Unusual Facts You Never Knew About Elvis Presley

If he had still been alive today, Elvis Aaron Presley would have been celebrating his 83rd birthday on January 8. To pay tribute to the undisputed King, here are three unusual facts about Elvis Presley you’ve never heard before.

#Fact 1: He released an album with no songs

In 1974, Elvis released an album which wasn’t part of his usual RCA contract. In a move devised by his manager, Colonel Tom Parker, a compilation was put together under the title of “Having Fun With Elvis on Stage”. As a spoken word album, it’s nothing more than clips of the King bantering with the audience. No context is provided and as such, many of the clips are hard to follow. Despite being universally panned the album was later repackaged and marketed by RCA.

#Fact 2: Elvis was a natural blond

The dark quiff of Elvis is one of his most famous trademarks, but what many of his fans don’t know is that his hair was dyed! Elvis was in fact, naturally a blond and had to regularly dye his locks to keep his much-loved, dark style.

#Fact 3: Elvis was determined to get into heaven

If you look closely at any photos of Elvis, you’ll see that he’s rather overburdened with jewelry in the neck region. Not content with just wearing a cross, Elvis also adorned himself with the star of David and the Chai Hebrew symbol. This confusion array of religious symbols is best explained by Elvis himself, “I don’t want to miss out on heaven due to a technicality.”

To find out more about the King and many other subjects too, browse through the many books available at www.mediagemm.com.

Great Literary Podcasts

Love books but struggling to find something to fill that time when traveling to work or going for your daily jog? These podcasts are a great way for any book liver to get their daily literary dose. Whether you want to learn more about your favorite authors, get some lively and spirited discussion, or figure out what you should be reading next. These literary podcasts are sure to hit the mark for any book lover.

AAWW Radio by Asian American Writers’ Workshop

This podcast, highlighting the very best of Asian American writers and featuring such luminary guests as Maxine Kingston, Roxane Gay, and Hanya Yanagihara, is a tremendously insightful and diverse podcast, covering a wide range of topics, from avant-garde poetry to feminist comics to literary fiction, and more. All with tremendous passion and insight.

Literary Disco by Rider Strong, Julia Pistell, and Tod Goldberg

This podcast is the lovechild of three good friends with a huge passion for all things book related, and it shows. Covering and reading books, stories, and essays with a mixture of playful yet heated debates and witty repartee.

Literary Friction by Carrie Plitt and Octavia Bright

Each month Carrie and Octavia will interview a renowned author, including the likes of Kal Ove Knausgard, Sally Rooney and Dana Spiotta and what follows is always a lively and insightful discussion that still feels organic and genuine.

If you love books and want to get more, then why not head over to www.mediagemm.com. Over there you’ll find a comprehensive and wide-ranging selection of eBooks and audiobooks.

Fun Literary Christmas Facts To Impress Friends And Family

Want to really impress family and friends this Christmas? Why not try busting out these fun literary Christmas facts. Just remember not to be looking at the screen whilst you do! Christmas is a great time of the year for trivia, and that literary touch helps give you the ideal fact to break out, especially if there’s an awkward silence or two as the family gathers together.

Origins Of A Word

The earliest recorded usage of the exact phrase “Christmas-card” as recorded by the Oxford English Dictionary comes in an 1883 piece by of all people, an art critic! John Ruskin, (Who also invented the term ‘pathetic fallacy, if you really want to impress” appears in his piece Fors Clavigera.

Origins Of An Icon

While William Shakespeare can lay claim to a fair few firsts, it’s his peer Ben Johnson who has the honor of the being the first writer to depict that great icon, Father Christmas. He appears in Johnson’s Christmas, His Masque, which was first performed in 1616 for an audience held in the court of King James I. 

Never Befriend A Writer

Or do, if you want to be inundated with curious gift suggestions. Always known to be somewhat of an eccentric bunch, you could count on a writer to be exacting, and a little bit odd. As famed author William Faulkner shows, known for producing some of the most innovative and brilliant literary works of his time, the only Christmas gifts he would accept were pipe cleaners!

If you want to uncover some literary facts of your own this Christmas, or simply find a good book to enjoy! Head over to www.mediagemm.com and browse their comprehensive selection of eBooks and audiobooks.