Essay Club: In Praise of Silence by Vernon Lee

"I know no greater torment than the intelligent conversation."

Welcome! It’s time, once again, to read an essay. In the last Essay Club we discussed our most difficult piece to date, The Origins of Cognitive Thought by B. F. Skinner, which my more psychology-minded readers seemed to really enjoy. Today we’ll be reading a delightful piece by Vernon Lee called In Praise of Silence. This one’s a much easier read—it clocks in at a mere 7 minutes, so grab a coffee, sit back, and enjoy.

Vernon Lee, pen name of Violet Paget.

Vernon Lee (1856-1935) was the pen name of writer Violet Paget, whose work consisted of supernatural short stories and essays on art, music, aesthetics, travel, and politics. She was born in France to British parents, and although she is usually described as a British writer, and wrote exclusively in English, she was the embodiment of European cosmopolitanism. She was well travelled, spending extended periods in Germany, France, and Switzerland before finally settling down near Florence; she was knowledgeable about European art, literature, and music, and knew many of the great writers and artists of her day; she was a feminist, and although she resisted being called a lesbian, she is believed to have had relationships with multiple women; and, in an interesting echo of things to come, she apparently preferred to be called Vernon in her private life as well.

Lee danced to the beat of her own drum, and in In Praise of Silence this really shines through. I look forward to seeing what you all think of this one.