William Morris writing poetry. In 1867 Bell and Dandy published Morris's epic poem, "The Life and Death of Jason", at his own expense. The book was a retelling of the ancient Greek myth of the hero Jason and his quest to find the Golden Fleece. In contrast to Morris's former publication, "The Life and Death of Jason" was well received, resulting in the publishers paying Morris a fee for the second edition. From 1865 to 1870, Morris worked on another epic poem, "The Earthly Paradise". Designed as a homage to Chaucer, it consisted of 24 stories, adopted from an array of different
Golden Fleece Award Golden Fleece Award The Golden Fleece Award (1975–1988) was a tongue-in-cheek award given to public officials in the United States for their squandering of public money, its name sardonically purloined from the actual Order of the Golden Fleece, a prestigious chivalric award created in the late-15th Century, and a play on the transitive verb "fleece", as in charging excessively for goods or services. United States Senator William Proxmire, a Democrat from Wisconsin, began to issue the Golden Fleece Award in 1975 in monthly press releases. "The Washington Post" once referred to the award as "the most successful public relations device