'Endless possibilities'

 

“Words are, of course, the most powerful drug ever used by mankind.” – Rudyard Kipling

 

Kipling was born in Bombay, India on this date in 1865.  Educated in England, he started his prolific writing career with a series of essays called "Departmental Ditties."  His versatility with pen and typewriter earned him acclaim in many genres including journalism and poetry, but it was his epic novels and short stories that brought him lasting fame.

 

Kipling is probably best known for The Jungle Book; Captains Courageous; The Man Who Would Be King and his “Just So” stories, and for receiving the Nobel Prize for Literature at age 41.  He was both the first English language writer and youngest ever recipient of the award.

   

Considered one of the all-time greatest English writers, he ironically wrote most of his pieces while residing in America – particularly Brattleboro, VT, where he lived for many years after his marriage to American Caroline Balestier in 1892.  While most of his works were either about India or Britain, he continued to live and write in the U.S. until his death in 1936.

 

A firm believer in the adage that you are what you make of yourself, Kipling noted, “We are the opening verse of the opening page of the chapter of endless possibilities.”