This is a good little story. It’s a shame James Whitcomb Riley, The Hoosier Poet, has fallen out of favor. That old book I mentioned yesterday–Children’s Reading: A Guide for Parents and Teachers (1926)–includes Riley and his works among reading for kids. A lot of his books have been digitized and almost all are free.
My library contains a lot of old books by Great Thinkers addressing life’s most profound questions. What does it mean to flourish as a human being? How can we believe in a benevolent God in the face of brutish evil? What is the proper relationship of the state to the citizen? Why is Tuesday becoming preferable to Monday as wash-day?
From a series of newspaper articles I wrote in 2014. Cross posted to The Old Books Blog. Books Bygone: What does history mean to you? “What does history mean to you? Is it alive, or is it dead and buried in the past? Is it a list of dry happenings with drier dates, or is
We begin with “Organized Innocents: MacDonald, Lewis, and Literature ‘For the Childlike’” by Daniel Gabelman in Informing the Inklings: George MacDonald and the Victorian Roots of Modern Fantasy (George MacDonald Society, 2018) which sets the stage by quoting a bunch of C.S. Lewis which I’ve read many times over, and some things that Locke had
There’s a new Horizon A Magazine of the Arts post up at The Old Books Blog. Lots of fun and entertaining stuff from long ago. Click on over and discover what the artsy folk were thinking and worrying about sixty years ago.
Literature Primers: Greek Literature. R.C. Jebb. American Book Company, New York. 1890. That’s a post from back in 2016 and I can certainly understand the sentiment. But I’m inclined to say the alphabet itself is “one of the most precious things to come down from the past.” Where besides Miss Missy’s School are kids going to
of a White Christmas… As far as I’m concerned, white Christmases can stay in Vermont, but I want you to have that tune in your head as I tell the story of little Israel Baline, and the man he came to be. Israel was born in Temun, Russia in 1888. His family was Jewish and
“This book has been twelve years in the making. It was in January 1948 I started criss-crossing the United States as roving Food Editor for This Week Magazine–my assignment, tell “How America Eats.” I have traveled by train, plane, automobile, by mule back, on foot–in all over 800,000 miles.” –Clementine Paddleford, How America Eats
This my from my regular Monday posts featuring an old Horizon (A Magazine of the Arts) issue. Each post has the cover art and Table of Contents plus one featured article. For today’s post, I chose “What Good is Television?” by Walter Kerr. He is a critic, renowned for writing perhaps the best book ever
MarciaWAC had a nice post at The Old Books Blog sharing a bit of the history of the dust cover. Some fun (and scandalous!) examples! Click on over. Reposts and links to The Old Books Blog are much appreciated. Around the end of the 19th century Book Jackets were being used to protect the book
From the Raleigh, North Carolina News and Observer, Friday November 28, 1958. If I’m not mistaken, I think I saw one store advertising a 9:30 closing. Gotta out do the competition.
Yes, indeed, Dear Readers–it’s time once again for our annual mini-rant about why I don’t like the term, “Black Friday.” [Minor edits form original] “Black Friday” Thoughts: Part 1 Originally published on November 24, 2011 These two short essays are from Lines of a Layman: T)he Golden Rule in Every Day Living. The author is a guy named
I know everyone is ready to be in a festive mood, but I couldn’t resist re-posting this from 10 years ago. I hate the phrase “Black Friday.” Later today I will devote some time to its origin and long-abandoned alternatives. Are you starting to prep for the weekend yet? Mr. Big Food moved the turkey
Linus van Pelt: In the year 1621, the Pilgrims held their first Thanksgiving feast. They invited the great Indian chief Massasoit, who brought ninety of his brave Indians and a great abundance of food. Governor William Bradford and Captain Miles Standish were honored guests. Elder William Brewster, who was a minister, said a prayer that
Long time readers will recall that I have a very personal relationship with J.C. Penney–the store, and the man. My attachment to the store began before I was born, and continued until we broke up after a very long and sad decline. “It’s not me, it’s you,” was how I finally ended it. My attachment
The idea that girls were repressed back in the crappy olden days is utter poppycock. Setting the Table Published on November 26, 2018 HOMEMAKING A happy home is one in which all the members of the family take pleasure in sharing their experiences and their abilities. Your home may be one room, a small apartment, a modest
I’m glad I found this. Part II follows. Those of a certain age will laugh out loud. ZZ Part I Published on August 20, 2014 by Marica | Edit According to that infallible source Wikipedia, ZZ Top created its signature sound during its first decade, 1973-1982. Let’s use 1978 as our half-way mark thorough that decade and do a little
Every once in a while something really gets my goat. I try to have fun with it. Awful. Just awful. Published on August 20, 2018 by Marica Anna Mussmann has a piece up at The Federalist titled, “The Book World Is Getting Way Too Politicized. Here’s What To Do About That.” (Heh. Link says “trashier.” That’s funny.) It’s primarily about
Some ideas on active and passive near the end. WAKE UP, AMERICA! Published on August 10, 2015 by Marica Lyric by George Graff, Jr. Music by Jack Glogau. Published by Leo. Feist, Inc., New York. Copyright MCMXVI. (That’s 1916, for folks who don’t speak Roman.) Believe it or not, this image– on a piece of sheet music I
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