BEYOND THE SPOTLIGHT

Quirky Collectors: Did you know these 10 strange Celebrity Hobbies?

Image: Karen Vardazaryan

Have you ever wondered what celebrities do in their free time? Most stars are used to being the center of attention, but beyond the luxuries, fancy dresses, and red carpets, they are people with different interests, tastes, and passions, just like us. However, they sprinkle a bit of stardust and extravagance on everything they do, including their hobbies.

It's time to lift the veil and explore the lesser-known side of fame. Let's peek behind the velvet curtain and discover the hobbies of these 10 world-famous celebrities; you won't believe number 10!

Image: Takafumi Yamashita

We all know Angelina Jolie is a tough woman, and it's not just because of her roles in action movies. Beyond her martial arts prowess and stunt work, she has a touch of Mrs. Smith in her real life too.

While many people collect coins or stamps, Angelina's hobby is a bit more exciting: she is into knives. The actress stated that she has a thing for daggers and blades, finding them utterly fascinating. And this is nothing new, since Angelina began her collection at the tender age of 11, hand in hand with her mother.

Image: Sean Bernstein

With iconic roles like Jack Sparrow and Willy Wonka, it's no surprise that Johnny Depp's off-screen hobbies are as eccentric as his characters. While perhaps not as intense as Angelina Jolie's knives, Depp's hobby is certainly unexpected: he collects dolls.

The actor revealed that his fascination with dolls began during his daughter's childhood when he would join her in playing with Barbies. Even as his daughter grew older, Depp continued to accumulate dolls, accessories, special editions, and even celebrity dolls to his extensive collection. Sounds fun, right?

Image: Nathan Dumlao

Behind legendary boxer Mike Tyson's tough exterior lies a remarkable soft spot for an unexpected creature. While many remember Tyson's famous tiger pet, it's his affinity for pigeons that really shows his tender side.

From a young age, Tyson has felt a deep connection with pigeons, and this bond has grown stronger over the years. He has dedicated himself to raising, protecting, and loving these feathered friends, taking his adoration to the next level by housing hundreds of them in his huge mansion.

Image: Zdeněk Macháček

Who could've ever imagined that Paris Hilton and frogs would be in the same sentence? Truth is indeed stranger than fiction!

Despite her stance against hunting and her deep respect for all creatures, big and small, Hilton has a peculiar predilection for hunting frogs.

Although it may sound bizarre, the actress stated that she finds immense joy in chasing and catching these slippery amphibians. Of course, she does it with care and compassion. Once caught, she releases her amphibious targets back into their natural habitat.

Image: Rich Smith

In the world of celebrities, it is no secret that their closets are often full to the brim with an array of designer dresses, suits, and coats. But when it comes to hangers, few stars can boast a collection as quirky and extensive as Penelope Cruz.

The Spanish actress has let slip her peculiar penchant for collecting hangers. Perhaps a little less fun than Johnny Depp's collection, Cruz has more than 500 hangers of different materials, colors, and sizes. So, if one day you find yourself face to face with the radiant Penelope Cruz, you'll know just the unique gift to bring her way.

Image: rocknwool

Okay, let's be real; there's nothing unusual about this hobby, but we couldn't resist putting the iconic Meryl Streep in the spotlight. In a world where eccentricity reigns supreme, Meryl shines with her simplicity.

The renowned actress, known for her breathtaking performances on the silver screen, has an ordinary hobby: knitting. That's right, she dedicates her free time to making cozy garments, and she has even knitted pieces that she used in some of her films. Admit it, who wouldn't jump at the chance to wrap themselves in a sweater made by Meryl Streep herself?

Image: Samuel Ramos

Collecting coins, spoons, buttons, or even dolls and knives may require little space, but Tom Hanks' passion ventures into a realm that demands a bit more room: typewriters.

The beloved actor has compiled a collection of these mechanical marvels at his home, a habit that traces its origins back to his youthful days at 17.

His devotion to typewriters has even led him to write a book containing 17 captivating stories.

Image: Erik Mclean

When it comes to passions, some transcend mere collections. Take the case of Nicolas Cage, for example. He's not just a casual comic book fan; he elevates his love for comics to another level, infusing it into every aspect of his life.

In fact, it is said that his own stage name pays homage to a Marvel comic book hero, Luke Cage (the actor's real last name is Coppola).

And it doesn't stop there; Cage also created a comic book with his son, and dabbled in various acting roles related to heroes and other comic book characters. He is what we would call a true fan.

Image: Courtney Cook

When the topic of beauty arises, it's almost impossible not to conjure up thoughts of Brad Pitt. But beyond his striking looks, this actor has a talent for creating beauty in more ways than one.

In a revelation that may surprise many, Brad stated that he delved into the art of pottery during the 2020 lockdown. Since then, he has been in love with the activity, even though he may not indulge in it as frequently as before.

Imagine drinking a cup of delicious coffee from a mug made by the hands of Brad Pitt himself. That elevates the entire experience to new heights.

Image: Sonika Agarwal

When we encounter an insect, there's only one thing most of us can do: jump and scream. But for the beautiful and talented Claudia Schiffer, these little friends are not a threat at all. Quite the contrary, they're a source of fascination and wonder.

The renowned model and actress has shared her deep connection with the insect kingdom. It all began with spiders, but her curiosity soon spread to butterflies, beetles, and beyond.

Surprising, right? But also a testament to the diverse passions that lie beneath the surface of even the most glamorous.

EXPLORING LITERARY PRODIGIES

Reading Challenge: 10 Great Female Poets You Can’t Miss

Image: Thought Catalog

Literature written by women has often been ignored or minimized throughout history. However, together we can change that. If you are looking to immerse yourself in verses that might help you reflect on life, you may want to read female poets who invite you to explore an infinite range of emotions****and experiences through their words.

In this article, we will discover the talent and creativity of 10 female authors who deserve a privileged place on your to-read list. From ancient Greek and Victorian poets like Sappho and ​​Elizabeth Barrett Browning to more contemporary voices like Anne Carson and Maya Angelou, we guarantee a literary journey that will not leave you indifferent.

Image: Lawrence Alma-Tadema, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Sappho was a Greek poet born around 630 B.C. in Mytilene, the capital of the island of Lesbos. Sappho was the daughter of a merchant and belonged to a noble family. She was the only woman that the Greeks of classical times included in the Olympus of Poets consisting of fourteen authors they considered worthy of study.

Plato considered Sappho the best poetess in Greek history and called her "the tenth muse". But despite the importance given to her by the Greeks, very few of her writings are preserved and most of her work is known to us by references from third parties. The only poem that has come down to us almost completely is a hymn in honor of Aphrodite.

She ran a school for the children of nobility in which dance, gymnastics, and music were taught. Love was the main theme of Sappho's work: the poet covered a wide range of feelings linked to it, such as nostalgia, jealousy, or longing for a loved one.

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Elizabeth Barrett Browning was born on March 6, 1806, in Coxhoe Hall, Durham, England, and was a well-known poet during the Victorian era. Like the vast majority of girls of her time, Elizabeth, the eldest of twelve children, was educated at home. Her brother and a neighbor introduced her to the world of Greek authors, as well as Shakespeare and Dante. At the age of twenty, Elizabeth had already anonymously published her first work, Essay on the Mind and Other Poems.

Elizabeth Barrett reflected her feminist leanings and political expressions throughout her works. She is best known for the sonnet "How Do I Love Thee?" and for Aurora Leigh, a nine-book epic poem centered on a strong and independent heroine. Browning was very popular in the United Kingdom and the United States during her lifetime and her poetry had great influence on prominent writers of the time, such as the American poets Edgar Allan Poe and Emily Dickinson.

Image: Taylor Wright

Author of almost 1,800 poems, Emily Dickinson is considered one of the pillars of modern American literature and one of the best poets in the world. She was born on December 10, 1830, in Amherst, Massachusetts, into a wealthy and cultured family. Emily studied literature, history, religion, geography, mathematics, biology, music, Greek and Latin. In addition, she learned floriculture, horticulture, and gardening, all themes present in her work.

During her lifetime she was known as an eccentric introvert and few knew of her immense talent. She composed all her poems in pencil on small pieces of paper that her sister Lavinia found and published after her death. Initially, her poetry generated controversy, with some praising her "rare individuality and originality", while others disapproved of her unusual non-traditional style. Today, she is best known for her unusual use of form and syntax, and for being "the poet of paradox".

Image: Álvaro Serrano

Born on October 8, 1892, the daughter of a pianist and a professor and founder of the Moscow Museum of Fine Arts, Marina Tsvetaeva had an intimate relationship with literature from an early age. In addition to Russian, she spoke German and French: three languages in which she expressed her first verses. Tsvetaeva studied in Moscow and at the Sorbonne, and from the age of 18, she began to edit and publish her work.

Through her poems, Marina Tsvetaeva developed a style of writing in which musicality and form are above content. Each of the verses is expressed with a clear invitation to the reader: an invitation to explore, taste, and discover the paths that the poet has walked, suffered, or loved. Marina Tsvetaeva's work is considered one of the greatest of the 20th century.

Image: WinoksbergenBernhard De Grendel, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Poet, novelist, playwright, and translator Marguerite Yourcenar was born on June 8, 1903 in Brussels, Belgium. After being educated in France and England, she traveled through several European countries, and in 1947 she became an American citizen, although all her works were written in French. In her first volume of poems, The Garden of Chimeras (1921), she reinterprets Greek myths in order to adapt them to the modern world, revealing her refinement as a writer.

Her literature is defined by her knowledge of ancient civilizations and history, and her eagerness to understand human motivations. In 1980 Yourcenar became the first woman to be admitted to the Académie Française de la Langue, and in 1986 she was awarded the French Legion of Honor.

Image: Aaron Burden

A dedicated rural teacher, educator, and poet, Gabriela Mistral was born in Vicuña, Chile, on April 7, 1889. She published her first book in New York in 1922. The publication of Desolación (Desolation) gave Mistral international recognition and prestige, and she came to be considered one of the most promising writers of Latin American literature. It also marked the beginning of a series of publications in foreign lands: in Mexico, she published Lecturas para Mujeres (Readings for Women) and the first version of her book Ternura: Canciones de niños (Tenderness: Songs for Children) in Spain in 1924.

Gabriela Mistral is considered one of the most important references of Chilean and Latin American literature of the 20th century. For her work, she was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1945, which was the first recognition of Latin American literature by the Swedish Academy.

Image: Wallace Chuck

Many consider Sylvia Path a rebellious figure and a tormented soul who committed suicide at the age of 30. However, girls and women struggling with depression, isolation, and loneliness consider her a true icon. Her first collection of poems, The Colossus and Other Poems addresses complex themes, from death and duty to the suffering of women who do not conform to traditional ideas of femininity.

Despite her early death and the loss of part of her work, Sylvia Plath's work is considered one of the most extraordinary pieces of poetry of the 20th century. Her approach to pain, mental illness, and suffering made her one of the greatest exponents of the confessional genre, brilliantly captured in her raw, brutal verses.

Image: Suzy Hazelwood

Mary Oliver was born in Maple Heights, Ohio, in 1935, into a dysfunctional family. From a young age, writing, reading, and escapades to the nearby woods became early escape tools. At the age of twenty-eight she published her first collection of poems, No Voyage, and Other Poems, and from then on her work was always inspired more by nature than by the human world.

Mary Oliver won both the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize and was one of the most influential American poets. She is the author of more than thirty books, mostly collections of poetry and a few essays, including American Primitive, Winter Hours, and Why I Wake Early.

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Anne Carson was born in Toronto, Canada, on June 21, 1950. She is a professor of Classical and Comparative Literature at the University of Michigan and a renowned poet, essayist, and translator. A bilingual edition of Sappho's poems she found in a bookstore changed her life forever. "If I knew what poetry was, I wouldn't have to write. It's something I seek to tempt in the dark", she once stated.

Throughout her career, she has created an exquisite world, a collage of poetry, essays, and drama. Since her first book, Eros (1986), Carson meditates on the nature of romantic love and erotic desire using fragments of prose intertwined with verse. A scholar of classical culture and languages, Carson is, in the opinion of critics, one of the most exquisite and erudite writers of contemporary literature, as well as the author of a hypnotic work, in which she fuses styles, references, and formats.

Image: Brian Stansberry (photographer), CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Marguerite Annie Johnson, better known as Maya Angelou, was born in St. Louis, Missouri on April 4, 1928, and spent most of her childhood with her grandmother in rural Arkansas. From a very young age, Angelou was an avid reader. She enjoyed the works of authors such as Jessie Fauset, Edgar Allan Poe, and Charles Dickens.

Although she is best known for her autobiography "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings", Maya Angelou was also an outstanding poet, playwright, essayist, and screenwriter. She began her career as a singer and dancer, worked as a civil rights activist, wrote seven acclaimed autobiographies, taught at Wake Forest University, and received numerous honors, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2010. In her poems, she explored numerous themes such as feminism, love, loss, music, struggle, discrimination, and racism. She is best known as the "poet of the people".