The Great Gatsby at the London International Antiquarian Book Fair in London in 2013. Oli Scarff / Getty Images
What a year it was for Anglo-American literature and the arts!
1925 was the year of heralded novels by F. Scott Fitzgerald and Virginia Woolf, seminal works by Sinclair Lewis, Franz Kafka, Gertrude Stein, Agatha Christie, Theodore Dreiser, Edith Wharton, Aldous Huxley . and a banner year for musicians, too. Bessie Smith, Ma Rainey, the Gershwins, Duke Ellington and Fats Waller, among hundreds of others, made important recordings. And 1925 marked the release of canonical movies from silent film comedians Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd.
As of today, every single one of those works has entered the public domain. That means that copyright has expired, explains Jennifer Jenkins, a law professor at Duke University who directs its Center for the Study of the Public Domain. And all of the works are free for anyone to use, reuse, build upon for anyone without paying a
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A popular activity for families this time of year is an evening drive to see area homes decked out in Christmas lights and decorations.
Camp Harmony, near Hooversville, has expanded upon that idea by hosting Harmony Light Fest, described as a âdrive-through celebration of Christmas.â The event takes place from 6 to 9 p.m. Dec. 11 and Dec. 18 at the camp, located at 1414 Plank Road, off of Route 601 near the Quemahoning Reservoir.
âWe wanted to create a community event that people can do together, but stay separate,â said Phil Regetta, the campâs program director.
For a nominal per-car entrance fee, visitors can follow a marked route in their vehicles and enjoy the lights and decorations posted on 18 different buildings around the camp, sponsored by community organizations and area churches. Guests can also vote for their top three favorite decorated buildings in the campâs âJudge the Lightsâ contest.