Anna Sewell in Old Catton, Sewell wrote the manuscript of "Black Beauty" – in the period between 1871 and 1877. During this time her health was declining; she was often so weak that she was confined to her bed. Writing was a challenge. She dictated the text to her mother and from 1876 began to write on slips of paper which her mother then transcribed. Although the book is now considered a children's classic, Sewell originally wrote it for those who worked with horses. She said "a special aim was to induce kindness, sympathy, and an understanding treatment of horses". In many
It Was Written By 2001, it had sold more than 2.13 million copies. Leo Stanley of Allmusic later praised Nas's lyricism and ghetto-themed vignettes, along with the album's detailed production. For Stylus Magazine's "On Second Thought" publication, critic Brett Berliner re-examined the album, discussing its initial impact, and cited it as "one of the first hip-hop albums to straddle the critical and commercial divide successfully." While comparing "It Was Written" to "Illmatic", Berliner stated "It’s a seriously good album with a bit of filler, worth of almost all of the praise "Illmatic" got. This is Nas’ second classic, and should be considered one