On November 13, 1850, Robert Louis Stevenson was born in Edinburgh. A frail child from birth, Stevenson struggled with
respiratory problems his entire life. After attending Edinburgh Academy and the University of Edinburgh, he studied law, was
admitted to the bar, but never practiced because of his desire to write. A prolific novelist, poet, and essayist, Stevenson is best
known for novels like "Treasure Island," "Kidnapped," and "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde." However, he wrote
numerous other books, including travel books, children's books, books of verse, and collections of essays. After spending a few
years in America, Stevenson and his family moved to the South Seas in 1889, finally settling in Samoa, where he continued to
write and enjoy a reputation among the natives as a grand teller of tales. In an 1890 letter to a friend, he wrote:

"I am not fond of bigots myself,
because they are not fond of me."

He also authored some provocative examples of oxymoronica:

"The cruelest lies are often told in silence."

"Is there anything in life so disenchanting as attainment?"

"There is a fellowship more quiet even than solitude,
and which, rightly understood, is solitude made perfect."