New Oscar Wilde T-Shirt

We first became acquainted with Oscar Wilde in high school when the theater department put on a production of "The Importance of Being Earnest". This is a very witty play that commented on the hypocritical morality of the Victorian era. It premiered in London in 1895 and proved to be the beginning of the end for Oscar Wilde. Although it was a huge hit with audiences, it only ran for 83 performances because Wilde was soon involved in a public scandal concerning his homosexuality. He was convicted on charges of "gross indecency" and sentenced to two years of hard labor.

Oscar Wilde didn't write anymore plays although he did write "The Ballad of Reading Gaol" about his prison experience. After he was released in 1897, he moved to Paris where he spent his last few years before dying of cerebral meningitis in 1900.

We think of Oscar Wilde as a real non-conformist. He was not afraid to be true to himself in a time which had very oppressive views on behavior. And for that, we salute him.

Below is the design for our Oscar Wilde t-shirt. Head over to our Zazzle store, and you will also find a couple of humorous quotes by Oscar Wilde in our Literary Quotes section. Enjoy!

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?"
(discontinued)

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.
(discontinued)

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.
(discontinued)