Literature Clock MCP

A line for the current minute, from literature, copyright-free books, or an original voice.

mcp model-context-protocol mcp-server literature-clock ink-clock quotes books voices stdio streamable-http cursor vscode claude

Client pages

clients/ is a set of HTML pages for Cursor, VS Code, Claude Desktop, a browser that calls get_quote, a page that subscribes to the quote push on GET /events, and a page that reads and changes settings. Open clients/index.html, or serve the folder on localhost so those pages can reach the server.

Add the server

Cursor — ~/.cursor/mcp.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "literature-clock-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "literature-clock-mcp"]
    }
  }
}

VS Code — user or workspace mcp.json

{
  "servers": {
    "literature-clock-mcp": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "literature-clock-mcp"]
    }
  }
}

Claude Desktop — ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json on macOS, %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json on Windows

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "literature-clock-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "literature-clock-mcp"]
    }
  }
}

This repository is the project home. It does not contain the server source. Install the published package with the npx blocks above.

Add a hosted server

The same configs work for Render, IBM Code Engine, or any host that serves this app over HTTPS. The MCP URL is the site plus /mcp. The live Render server is https://literature-clock-mcp.onrender.com/mcp. A Code Engine app looks like https://<app>.<region>.codeengine.appdomain.cloud/mcp.

The host must run MCP_MODE=http HOST=0.0.0.0 npx -y literature-clock-mcp@1.6.5 and leave PORT for the platform. Deploy steps for Render are under Render.

When auth mode is write or all, add a header Authorization: Bearer <key>. Auth is off on a fresh server, so the blocks below need no key.

Cursor — this project: .cursor/mcp.json. Every project: ~/.cursor/mcp.json.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "literature-clock-mcp": {
      "url": "https://literature-clock-mcp.onrender.com/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Save the file. Open Cursor Settings → MCP and turn literature-clock-mcp on. A green dot means the handshake worked. In Agent chat, ask: ask literature-clock-mcp for the current quote.

VS Code — workspace .vscode/mcp.json, or Command Palette → MCP: Open User Configuration.

{
  "servers": {
    "literature-clock-mcp": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://literature-clock-mcp.onrender.com/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Command Palette → MCP: List Servers → start literature-clock-mcp. In Copilot Chat, confirm the server is selected in the tools list, then ask for the current quote.

Claude Desktop — the desktop file only starts a local process. mcp-remote opens the hosted URL. Config path: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json on macOS, %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json on Windows. Quit Claude and open it again after you save.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "literature-clock-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "mcp-remote", "https://literature-clock-mcp.onrender.com/mcp"]
    }
  }
}

The first call after a free Render instance has been idle can take a moment while the process wakes. The clock on the server is that machine’s clock. On Render that is UTC, so “now” is four hours ahead of Toronto.

An MCP server that tells the time the way a literature clock does: one sentence that names that exact minute.

The default source is Literature, Johannes Enevoldsen's literature-clock collection (CC BY-NC-SA 2.5). Books are copyright-free lines bundled with the server. The other sources are original voices written for this clock, not quotations from films or living authors.

No account and no analytics. Books and voices stay on the machine. Literature tries those bundled exact-minute lines first, then the public collection, and falls back to copyright-free books if the library does not answer.

Screenshots

The HTTP clock, with Literature selected for 11:11.

An original voice, not a book quotation.

Settings (laptop sign-in demo / demo). Default source, time zone, 12-hour or 24-hour clock, users and passwords, auth, and rate limit.

Sign-in before Settings on a fresh session.

Features