George Orwell T-shirts: New Quotes

If we were forced at gunpoint to choose our very favorite writer of all-time, George Orwell might very well be it. We can't count the number of times we have read "1984", and we've also read just about everything else by him such as "Down and Out in Paris and London" and "The Road to Wigan Pier".

A little Orwell trivia: Did you know that George Orwell originally wanted "1984" to be titled "The Last Man in Europe"? Also, the year he had in mind was "1980". It took him four years to write that novel, so the date was changed to 1982 and then, finally, 1984. He died of tuberculosis in 1950, a year after it's publication.

George Orwell traveled widely in India and Europe. He fought in the Spanish Civil War and worked as a war correspondent during World War II. His politics changed during the course of his life. He was a communist early on, but with the rise of Stalin, he became a democratic socialist. He saw the best and the worst of humanity, and he was not afraid to write about it.

One of Orwell's characters in "1984" said: "If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face — forever." We thought that was a little too depressing to put on a t-shirt, but we did find three other great quotes. These t-shirts make great gifts for writers, journalists and even anti-war activists. Head on over to our store, Words Plus Paper, at Zazzle, and get yours today!

Orwell on War

Orwell on Progress

Orwell on Political Language

T-Shirt Designs with Famous Writers

We'd like to begin this week's post by wishing a happy birthday to Dorothy Parker. This witty writer and poet was born on August 22nd, 1893. She's best remembered for such phrases as "I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy" and "This is not a novel to be tossed aside lightly. It should be thrown with great force". Any writer who made the Hollywood black list is A-okay in our book. So happy birthday, Dorothy. We've designed a t-shirt in your honor.

We've also designed a new George Orwell t-shirt which we think is quite striking. It has clean simple lines and a bold typeface befitting the author of "1984". We hope you like it.

And no, we're not afraid of Virginia Woolf, but we are a little bit intimidated. Did you see Nicole Kidman playing her in "The Hours" with the putty on her nose? What a great performance. We're not sure that our t-shirt does Ms. Woolf justice, but we'll let you be the judge.

Lastly, we have a new Franz Kafka t-shirt. Franz worked hard at an insurance company by day and did his writing at night. Perhaps that is why it is so dark. Most of his work was published posthumously. We just wanted to let him know that he hasn't been forgotten.

As always, click on the picture to see a larger version. Click on the link to go directly to our Zazzle shop.


See Parker T-Shirt

See Orwell T-Shirt

See Woolf T-Shirt

See Kafka T-Shirt

Witty T-Shirts for Writers

Words Plus Paper is pleased to announce a new line of t-shirts and gifts featuring great writers, thinkers and artists from the past. We're starting with four designs but will be adding more continually so check back often.

These first three designs feature some of our all-time favorite authors: Oscar Wilde, Henry David Thoreau and George Orwell. If there's something you'd to like to see, let us know. As writers ourselves, we're well aware of the value of criticism. To see a larger image, just click on the pictures. To see the t-shirts, click on the link and it will take you to our Zazzle shop. Thanks for looking!

From the "Civil Disobedience" essay, here's the full quote: "The greater part of what my neighbors call good, I believe in my soul to be bad. And if I repent of anything, it is very likely to be my good behavior. What demon possessed me that I behaved so well?"
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George Orwell, the pen name for Eric Arthur Blair, was a great novelist and thinker. Isn't it time you reread 1984? First published in 1949, it's still relevant after all these years.
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Oscar Wilde was perhaps one of the wittiest people who ever lived. He was part of the Aesthetic Movement whose members strove to turn their lives into art.
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