On My Bookshelves

In a heartbeat

2011-11-08T20:09:00.000-05:00

Our book club discussed "In a heartbeat," the story of the Tuohy family and their adoption of Michael Oher, a black teen-ager. The very successful movie, "The blind side," told the story of how they came to meet Michael and fold him into their loving family, assisting him to become a high school and college graduate and a successful NFL player.

It is an inspiring story--although I disagree with some of the basic points--like "how little it takes to help fill the desperate wants" of the poor and unfortunate, or the subtext that Michael would not have succeeded in life without them and the boost they provided. Michael would have succeeded no matter what.

I bought this book at the Volunteers of America store for $1.91, and today I passed it on to Tina at Panera's and told her when she was finished with it, to pass it on. Michael Oher has now also written his account of his life as the child of a drug addicted mother who went on to fame and fortune in the NFL. The Tuohy book will make more sense if you see the movie "The blind side" first--or if you've read that book.

A new book about women . . .

2011-10-29T06:13:00.002-04:00

This is making the rounds of Facebook and I couldn't resist.

Knight: A Noble Guide for Young Squires

2011-10-19T19:00:00.001-04:00

Today at Volunteers of America for $1.91 I purchased another pop up book, Knight: A Noble Guide for Young Squires, c2006 The Templar Company, published by Candlewick Press, 2067 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02140. It is a lovely children's book by “Ernest Drake,” a pen name, who has published the book Dragonology, and under the name Dugald Steer wrote The Dragon’s Eye about Ernest Drake’s adventures.

"Knight, which is about knights, is written under the pseudonym “Sir Geoffrey de Lance” who writes to ask his son Hector to rescue him from a castle in France and in so doing provides Hector (and the reader) with all kinds of information about how to become a knight, what knights do, and other interesting items about knighthood. There are all sorts of interactive popups and sidebars with notes and illustrations. The book says “Ages 3 and Up,” but even when he was age eleven, Jeremy just loved reading through it and using the material as he played “knight” with his friends. It would make a great and highly usable (i.e., fun) resource for youngsters learning about medieval European history."

http://homeschoolblogger.com/homeschoolbookreview/781749/

"As the book is written by Hector’s father, his voice comes through loud and clear in an often humorous way. After all it would not do for Hector to forget that the whole point of this exercise is that Hector is expected to rescue his father from captivity."

http://lookingglassreview.com/html/knight_a_noble_guide_for_young.html

Book: Knight: A Noble Guide for Young Squires
Author: Dugald A. Steer
Illustrators: Alastair Graham and Neil Chapman
Publisher: Candlewick Press, 2006
ISBN-13: 9780763630621
ISBN-10: 0763630624

Lakeside Women's Club Book Sale

2011-08-08T11:08:00.000-04:00

At 4 p.m. yesterday the Women’s Club book sale went to a $1/bag, so I went back and picked up some I had noticed earlier.

1. Lutheran Book of Worship, 1978, (the green book). HC. I’ve been looking for one. Our church has not given it up for traditional services, and I often see something on Sunday I’d like to look at later. I've tried some sections of the newest Lutheran hymnal, but it just doesn't have the lovely flow and rhythm of the LBW. Originally Missouri Synod was in on this one, but never adopted it.

2. Founding Brothers by Joseph J. Ellis. (2000) PB originally $14.00

3. A nostalgia for camels by Christopher Rand (c1952, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957). HC. I noticed a number of books on the middle east with Sally Sue Witten’s name in them, but which had been written in and annotated by “Siegfried” and dated 2011. He noted ”54 years later not much has changed but we are deeply involved in A/P (Afghanistan/Pakistan?). Sorry about that.” This collection was written from 1948-1956. Unfortunately, the 2nd owner marked it up with ballpoint ink. Hate that. But for 20 cents, what can you expect?

4. Traveling mercies; some thoughts on faith by Anne Lamott (1999). PB I read excerpts from this about 10 years ago when I discovered her writing.

5. Slow waltz in Cedar Bend by Robert James Waller (1993) HC. Fiction, and this is an example of why I usually don’t buy it--it’s got a pretty cover and a one hit wonder author, but not much else to recommend it.

Cross posted at Collecting my thoughts

Black Beauty

2011-01-09T11:43:00.001-05:00

Black Beauty by Anna Sewell. H. M. Caldwell Company, New York, 1894. 227 p. 4.5 x 6.5". Binding olive green with silver design, plus pink 5-petal flowers. Illustrated. Bookplate: Private Library of C. E. Weybright [my grandparents]. There's no information inside on who used this book, but it is in good condition with no loose pages or wear.

When I was a girl, I read primarily horse and dog stories. Never read those children's titles in series (Nancy Drew, Bobbsey Twins, Elsie Dinsmore*), with the exception of the "Little House" books by Laura Ingalls Wilder, which my mother first read aloud to my brother and me as we curled up with her in the big overstuff chair. But today, I don't know if I could do it. Animal stories are always so sad and the older ones contain a lot of moralizing. Poor Black Beauty had a tough life. But Anna Sewell has messages for children in it, plus a strong appeal to treat animals kindly as other creatures made by God:

"One day when there was a good deal of kicking, my mother whinnied to me to come to her, and then she said: "I wish you to pay attention to what I am going to say to you. The colts who live here are very good colts, but they are cart-horse colts, and of course they have not learned manners. You have been well-bred and well-born; your father has a great name in these parts, and your grandfather won the cup two years at the Newmarket races; your grandmother had the sweetest temper of any horse I ever knew, and I think you have never seen me kick or bite. I hope you will grow up gentle and good, and never learn bad ways; do your work with a good will, lift your feet up well when you trot, and never bite or kick even in play." I have never fogotten my mother's advice; I knew she was a wise old horse, and our master thought a great deal of her. Her name was Duchess, but he often called her Pet."*My sister Carol received a set of Elsie books to pass the time when she was recovering from polio, and I think I did eventually read them in my early teens. Somehow the box of Elsie (a complete set, I think) got put in the trash and we lost her. I have one now that I bought in a sale just so I'd have the memory of the little girl all the educators and critics loved to hate because she was so goody-two-shoes.

More out the door

2011-01-06T15:14:00.000-05:00

Yes, we're weeding, deacquisitioning, deselecting or decluttering. We're throwing things out. These books are out the door.

Taber's Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary, 12th, 1973 (too old)

Control of Communicable diseases in man, 15th, 1990 (too old)

1997 Red Book, 24th.

Stepping Heavenward, by Mrs. E. Prentiss, 1997 reprint, PB (very good)

Library Quarterly, Oct. 1965, used this for my senior paper, the article on Islam is interesting.

And some really old text books we've been hanging on to for 50 years:

Dwelling House construction, 2nd ed. 1954

Modern timber engineering, 5th ed. 1963

Statics and strength of materials, 1950

Building construction, 2nd ed. 1941, 17th printing 1957

A box of freebies for the church library

2010-09-03T08:36:00.001-04:00

It seems these days I'm listing more books going out the door than coming in. But the shelves are bursting, and many of these I haven't looked at in . . . years . . . or never. Some had sticky notes about to whom I going to give them, but I never got around to it. (Round tuits are the most common coins in my office.) HC means it is hard cover.

Analyzed Bible by G. Campbell Morgan HC

Basics for believers; foundational truths to guide your life by William L. Thrasher, Jr.

Bedside manners; a practical guide to visiting the ill by Katie Maxwell

The Bride's Bible (gift book) HC

Christ and the modern mind by Robert W. Smith (1972)

Cruden's compact concordance, Zondervan HC

Foolishness to the Greeks; the gospel and western culture by Lesslie Nebigin

Go Free! The meaning of justification by Robert M. Horn

God's inerrant word; an Inter'l symposium by John Warwick Montgomery HC

Holy Bible (NIV) "Mom's devotional Bible," Zondervan, includes devotional readings and essays

In his steps by Charles M. Sheldon

Introduction to the New Testament by H.C. Thiessen HC

Knowing scripture by R. C. Sproul

The Lonely House; strength for times of loss (rev.) by Lowell O. Erdahl

My heart's cry by Anne Graham Lotz HC

Nave's compact topical Bible (Zodervan) HC

Psalms and compassions; a Jesuit's journey through cancer by Timothy Brown, SJ

Pocket guide to the New Testament by Francis Foulkes

Power through prayer by E. M. Bounds

Quiet times for Christian growth by Kelly James Clark (pamphlet size, IVP)

A search for the spiritual; exploring read Christianity by James Emery White

Secrets of the vine; breaking through to abundance by Bruce Wilkinson HC

A short life of Christ by Everett F. Harrison HC

Theology for ordinary people by Bruce L. Shelley

The price of paperbacks and culture

2010-04-27T10:23:00.006-04:00

Recently I purchased three paperback books. "A Patriot's History of the United States" by Larry Schweikart and Michael Allen ($25); "The reason for God" by Timothy Keller ($16); and "The Lutherans in North America" (2d ed., used $10). It takes my breath away to pay that much for a paperback, but I think these books will last longer than anything on my computer, or access to their scanned versions on some future computer.

The history book--of which I've only read about 10 pages--is very well written, with copious notes and excerpts, and reverses many of the losses of the last 40-50 years in anti-American, anti-capitalism, anti-Christian trends in American history. It's so refreshing!

The history of the Lutherans I'm really enjoying too, because I love the layout. Unfortunately, it confirms something I've often thought--that the church has been losing to the culture for years. The story of Lutherans is really an immigration story, and at one time there were 48 squabbling synods. We have fewer synods today, but still battles are going on the congregational level. ELCA will be losing many congregations because of its unfortunate acquiescence to cultural standards of sexuality instead of biblical. Since the days when St. Paul wrote the first century church, Christians have been struggling with how to be "the church."

The Keller book comes highly recommended by friend Sharon, and we've chosen that for our next Monday morning book, having finished up the Kullberg book this week, a book I will reread many times.

Desperate Housewives Cookbook; juicy dishes and saucy bits

2010-04-17T18:46:00.003-04:00

Yesterday at Marc's I found this cookbook for $2.00. I glanced through it wondering why in the world I needed yet another cookbook I probably wouldn't use, and then saw two pudding recipes! That's all it took.

I think I've only seen this show once, but I think I got a hint of the story line by following the different chapters with the characters and their recipes in this 2007 title.

Then there's also recipes by the neighbors like Mike, Felicia and Mrs. Huber. The formatting is elegant, the text delightful, and the recipes look devine. The recipes are by Christopher Styler and the text by Scott S. Tobis. The final section tells how food is presented on TV by April Falzone Garen, a food stylist, and Melody Miller-Melton, the property master. And for the character (Susan) who is a bad cook, they actually have to simulate poorly prepared or burned food! The scene where Lynette had to eat raw bacon? That was a special cured and smoked bacon from Germany cut to resembe raw bacon. Steak so tough it couldn't be cut? They had to insert toothpicks horizontally to make it as difficult as possible.

Cross posted at Collecting my thoughts

I'll race you back to the farm--memoirs from home

2010-04-16T08:13:00.009-04:00

This week I received a copy of "I'll race you back to the farm" written by a high school classmate of mine about her growing up and maturing years living and working and having fun on her parents' farm near Mt. Morris, Illinois. Very few small towns have as much written about them as Mt. Morris because the printing industry, first for the Church of the Brethren, then for Kable Brothers, then for Watt Publishing and for smaller independents like Murray's dad really supported the community and surrounding area for many years. A number of residents and locals have written their memoirs about growing up or living there. I think I own at least 12 books, plus I have my 4 high school year books and old church directories, plus my old photo albums and some of my parents. This will be a wonderful addition to my collection.

Nancy kept a diary many years, so I found out things about my friends and school life that either I'd forgotten or never knew--like details about the local hang-outs (where was I?) or tricks played at school. She has carefully selected photographs to illustrate her memories, so that if you grew up in the 1940s or 1950s in the rural midwest, you'll enjoy this book even if you didn't live there. You might also think, as I did, "Wow--I missed so much by not living on a farm." In a way, it's everyone's story of a time that was more quiet, but still complex and multi-layered. Today's helicopter parents will be horrified at some of the tasks children, especially farm children, used to do. Mucking stalls, digging thistles in the hot sun, driving tractors, baling hay, etc. And the discipline! Oh. My. Goodness. Our teachers actually swatted us and expected respect and good behavior.

Nancy and I were friends in grade school and we both had horses. I didn't even realize she had four horses (couldn't believe she actually sold Flicka!) because we pretty much settled into separate groups when we got to high school, and only recently through class reunions have reconnected.

This is a huge accomplishment--don't miss it if you grew up in the area! You will need to contact Nancy personally to get a copy--she has them printed as she gets orders.

With Nancy (center) and Lynne last April.

2010-03-13T18:18:00.002-05:00

Do you keep books in the bathroom? The other day my husband suggested I needed to change the books in my bathroom (which he occasionally uses). Books that sit on the toilet tank are seen more by men than by women, if you get my drift. I thought it was funny. But I did take a look at the titles again, and decided to keep them all. One title is "No more blue Mondays; four keys to finding fulfillment at work" by Robin A. Sheerer. I don't know how long I've had it or why I bought it (used book for $1.00) because I'm retired. As I leafed through it, though, I found an interesting survey to help someone unhappy at work. So I took it--based on what I remembered of my last position ca. 1999-2000. Interestingly, it didn't cover anything I didn't like about those last two years--planning a new library for the veterinary college. I guess I didn't see those interminable hours of looking at electrical and plumbing sheets, choosing furniture and shelving, and attending endless meetings seeing my space cut as part of "my job." Questions 47-59 were on personal appearance, which sort of surprised me. See how I did on the survey by checking my regular blog.

Title: No more blue Mondays; four keys to finding fulfillment at work
Author: Robin A. Sheerer
Publisher: Davies-Black Publishing, Palo Alto, California, 1999
ISBN: 0-89106-131-2
Classification: HF5549.5J63S473; 650
First Edition, paperback
Original cover price: $16.95, bought used $1.00

A few good used books for company on winter evenings

2010-02-23T13:47:00.004-05:00

After exercise class yesterday I stopped at the public library branch and found out the book I'd placed on hold had 9 other holds! Wow. It's called The Checklist Manifesto. It's been getting some buzz--the author was even on the John Stewart show. I'm not a list maker; I resist lists. But as I age, my internal list generator has sputtered. Freakonomics blog agrees. Even those of us who don't like to make lists, will probably like this book. JAMA reviewer wrote: ". . . is beautifully written, engaging and convincingly makes the case for adopting checklists in medicine. . . a direct call to action to change the way health care is delivered."

So while I was there I spent $7.50 at the used book cart--3 books and one genealogy journal. I like my vegetable grilled fresh in a little olive oil--maybe 4 or 5 mixed together. But I bought Sensational Vegetable Recipes anyway. Thought maybe the photos would inspire me. Good quality paper and excellent photographs. Filo vegetable pouches. Cauliflower fritters with tomato relish. Sweet potato muffins. Hmmm.

Then I picked up Taste of Home Annual Recipes 1999. It's always fun to read while watching TV, and I'll probably take it up to our lake house, because it's compact and won't take up much space. Peachy Pork Chops. Turkey Salad for 60. Chocolate-filled Cream Puffs. The calorie police are coming! Watch out.

The third book was Prevention's Ultimate Guide to Women's Health and Wellness. I think this is on the bargain shelf at major book stores now because it's 2002. But this one looks like it's never been opened. Must have seen what the author said about women and smoking! Lots of white space, colored boxes with anecdotes, decent photographs for the exercise section. One doctor says she tells all her patients this: 1) Exercise regularly, 2) maintain a healthful weight, and 3) use exercise to control moodiness. Advice for backs: bend your knees rather than your back--will reduce strain. Another doctor's advice on coughs: 1) try to avoid decongestant nose sprays, 2) use cough suppressants sparingly, 3) don't insist on antibiotics (I'm surprised that there would still be doctors that would give these out on request).

Cross posted on my regular blog.

On a Personal Note

2009-09-27T11:38:00.003-04:00

This book, "On a personal note, a guide to writing notes with style" is my newest book, [will be cross referenced at my regular blog] having received it for my recent birthday along with lots of note cards. I was told it has many good tips, and it does--most of which I already know. But it's a great review. Books on how to write letters and notes are a genre that go back a few centuries. What note and letter guides don't tell you is the effort that goes into it. Even for someone who writes as much as I do, I sometimes get discouraged by the task.

Here's how mine goes. First, I look through the list of names on my family list--siblings, aunts and uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews, my own children, to jog my memory if I need to write something--encouragement for that elusive job, a wedding anniversary, a thank you note for a special favor, or a get well/thinking of you card. Since paper address books just don't do it anymore (although I still have my mother's, grandmother's and some old ones of mine), I usually have to go to my computer database and check the Christmas label list. Then I get out the last several issues of the church newsletter--hospitalizations, moved to care facility, baptisms, deaths, etc. Then I check off the people I know, and get out the directory for the people I don't know, or can't quite remember the face. The picture directory isn't as up to-date as the printed directory, so both have to be used. Then I get out the bound day-by-day calendar book (no year) in which I record who got a note and why on what date (I write in the year). This needs to be reviewed from time to time, because if a church member I don't know well comes up to me 2 months later and thanks me for the card, I don't want to say, "Who me?"

We were out of town for 10 weeks this summer, so yesterday I covered up the kitchen table and counter top with all my accoutrements, and wrote 25 notes and cards, using my new gift. I'm not done yet, but I ran out of stamps. So many people use e-mail these days, that a regular U.S. mail piece is a real treat. It's especially so for people who are residing in assisted care or a nursing home. Even if they no longer remember who you are by name, they can enjoy a pretty card. There's one family in church I don't know but have been sending notes for several years about their daughter who was in a terrible auto accident caused by a drunk driver. Many people must be writing to them, or calling, because I've received occasional updates on her condition. One man I never expected would leave the hospital is home and in remission. My friend Lynne crafts lovely cards and she has helped me out with special "guy type" cards which are a little difficult to find.

If you're on one of my lists, you'll probably be getting a note on my new birthday stationery soon. The handwriting isn't what it used to be, so I hope you can read it.

Six months in Bible Lands

2009-09-02T10:10:00.005-04:00

On August 2, 2009 I bought a "bag of books" for one dollar at the Women's Club book sale in Lakeside, Ohio. There wasn't much left when I got there and I just picked some up randomly. When I got home and went through the bag I found some real treasures, including a first edition of Edna St. Vincent Millay's letters. However, I also found a delightful book with a very long title,

Six Months in Bible Lands and Around the World in Fourteen Months; observations and notes of travel in England, France, Germany, Holland, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, Greece, Asia Minor, Constantinople, Syria, Palestine, Egypt, India, Ceylon, China and Japan

Wengers are in my family tree, so I first looked up Amos Daniel Wenger, and learned through a genealogy that he is a descendant of Christian Wenger, not Hans and Hannah Wenger, my first family Wenger in America. But they all arrived in the U.S. around the same time, the 1730s. Also in looking through internet genealogies, I learned that his wife of one year had died in 1898 and in January 1899 he began this around-the-world trip, returning in 1900, to recover from his grief. This is not mentioned in the passages I've read. He later married his second wife with whom he had 8 children all of whom either became ministers, missionaries or spouses of same. He edited his notes with research about the areas, and published the book in 1902.

He says in the introduction that no orthodox Mennonite had ever written a travel book of this type and it would fill a place in the church literature. Often I have a problem with the flowery purple prose of 100 years ago, but he is a delightful, easy read, and sounds like he went on our trips of the last few years. Before he even gets out of the U.S. he lets us know on page 3 that foolish claims of materialism and the worldly culture are claiming even Mennonites. Wenger has little use for magnificient buildings and would prefer to see the money go to feed the poor. More about that when he gets to Europe!

I blogged about this book here and here.

Ohio Scenes and Citizens

2009-08-27T09:12:00.004-04:00

Last night we attended a play at Lakeside's Hoover Auditorium based on the life and letters of John and Mary Brown, formerly of Hudson, Ohio, before he became famous as a militant abolitionist.

Mary Brown sounded a bit familiar to me, so when I got home I browsed my little shelf of cottage books, many of which are about northern Ohio or the lake, and found "Ohio scenes and citizens" by Grace Goulder, a very popular Cleveland writer who died in 1984 at 91. Mine is an orange paperback in excellent condition, Landfall Press, 1973, reprinted from the 1950 World Publishing Co. The chapter on John Brown's wives is probably the only one I'd read in this collection of articles that originally appeared in the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Her work on Dianthe and Mary Brown is just a masterpiece of research, with material taken from letters diaries, interviews with relatives, and trips to archives, cemeteries and libraries. I didn't see anything that was in conflict with last night's presentation, although Mr. Artzner commented after the play that within the past decade there have been many new books on John Brown. Maybe so, but if you want to know anything about his wives, check out Grace Goulder. Really terrific.

So Your Husband's Gone to War!

2009-05-25T15:26:00.009-04:00

This is another great book I picked up at a Memorial Day yard sale (how appropriate). It was only fifty cents, but what makes it special, besides the interesting content, is it still has the cover. That's unusual for a book going on 70 years old. When I checked on e-Bay I didn't see any that still had the cover. The book was given to someone named Emily on Christmas 1944--and I'm guessing she was entering this new experience of being the woman left behind. Oddly, the handwriting looks exactly like my mother's, who in March 1944 had to learn all the tips and tricks the author Ethel Gorham writes so well about as a war-time wife.

This was a very interesting book to research on a number of levels. I found a great review at "Library Thing" where people share reviews of books in their own collection. I particularly liked this one by a retired librarian, Mary Lou Miller, living in Nebraska:

I found the many references to WWI very interesting--because that was the "big" war of Gorham's memory, even though she was a young child then. She thought Americans wouldn't make the same mistakes--like men returning from war to find their jobs taken by women. She was obviously a career woman and she really walks a tight rope on this advice.

What a wonderful read for Memorial Day, a day when we honor the war dead, beginning with the Civil War in 1868.

Notes on the author: GORHAM--Ethel. Of Westport, CT., died Wednesday, November 17, 2004, after a short illness, age 94. In her long career, Mrs. Gorham was the author of several novels & non-fiction books, a noted peace activist, an advertising executive and a loving wife and mother. She is survived by her children Deborah and John, by two grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by her husband Charles O. Gorham and by her daughter Abigail Gorham. Donations in her memory may be made to the NAACP, the Friends of the Westport Connecticut Library, or the charity of your choice

Author of “So your husband’s gone to war!” Recommended by Eleanor Roosevelt in her column "My Day," May 3, 1943

Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary

2009-05-24T06:41:00.007-04:00

The only thing more fun than poking around a Lakeside yard sale is finding a bargain for one dollar. This book, purchased on Oak Street near 5th on May 23, 2009 looks new. I did find some papers in it, so it has been used. When new it retails for about $25, but on used book sites it's quite a bit less.

I spent several hours looking at it last night, and although I'd planned to leave it at our lake house, I'm going to take it home and remove some less satisfactory, less readable Bible sources. Why would anyone get rid of such a nice book? I think because it is conservative. Many of the editors and writers are Baptist. The illustrations are fabulous--particularly interesting (and worth a dollar by themselves) are the entries on Ephesus, which we just visited in March. But I really appreciate its fairness--something you never find in a liberal, scholarly compilation, who like to pretend that evangelicals and fundamentalists scholars don't exist or it's an oxymoron. Here's the product review:

The Holman Bible Dictionary

Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary

Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Revised and Expanded, Chad Brand, Charles Draper, Archie England, general editors. Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville, 2003. (Hardcover)
ISBN: 0805428364
ISBN-13: 9780805428360
Scripture quotations, unless otherwise noted, are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible.

Out the door, no room for more

2009-01-22T10:58:00.005-05:00

After getting a look at my messy bookshelves I decided it was time for a bit more culling.

Martyrs' Davy by Michael Kelly
An alphabetical life by Wendy Werris
A new prescription for women's health by Bernadine Healy
Abraham by Bruce Feiler
Working men by Michael Dorris (d. 1997)
Lake Wobegon Days by Garrison Keillor
Cloud Chamber by Michael Dorris
The Crown of Columbus by Michael Dorris
A heart a cross and a flag by Peggy Noonan
This Week's short short stories by Stewart Beach, c1947
A book of the short story by E. A. Cross, c1934
Sophie's World by Jostein Gaarder.

I suppose you can tell I loved Michael Dorris' writing. Never did believe the tales told about him after his suicide and he wasn't around to defend himself. Supposedly he was part native American, but it's hard to prove--anyone can say it. But he did adopt 3 native American children, all of whom had some problems with alcoholic birth mothers as I recall. Euro-Americans are so guilt ridden they often elevate people of native parentage to a special status. Still, I liked his writing, and he believed so passionately that he could make a difference in the life of a damaged child. Call it suicide, but I'd call it a broken heart.

And Peggy Noonan. Flippity flop, where to hop? Where will her garden grow next? Not on my bookshelves.

I've pretty much cleaned out most of my short story books, both the how-to's and the collections thereof. In the 90s I had a lot of fun writing short stories, so I liked to read other authors to see how they managed to pack a punch in a few pages. The short stories of 40-50 years ago were much better than today, but no one writes that way any more.

Bernadine Healy was head of the College of Medicine for awhile at Ohio State when I was still working. She was attractive and on TV a lot. Went on to NIH. Appears in articles from time to time.

Michael Kelly (1957-2003) was the journalist and editor (The Atlantic) the libs loved to hate because he reported on the Iraq war. Then he was killed and they were so angry because he deprived them of their favorite target. Such hysteria. As bad as BDS. May have been the start of that when they had to move on to a new host for their parasitic behavior. I don't think I ever even cracked this one open.

I think I picked up the Wendy Werris book because she used to work for Pickwick, and so did I. She has a blog that she writes in about twice a year. Tsk, tsk.

The Bruce Feiler book was for our book club. I think I missed that meeting.

Dear old Garrison Keillor. I loved to listen to his old radio show. He's wandered a bit. That movie, "Prairie Home Companion" he did a few years ago was good--sort of recaptured the feel. Some of the performers had been at Lakeside.

Sophie's world came highly recommended, and I bought it intending to read, but could never get into it. The blurb says "a wondrous journey of intellect and imagination that will make you look at life through the eyes of a child again." I suspect it was too late.

I'm trying to decide if I want to get rid of The Norton Anthology of American Literature, 2 (very fat) vol., 3rd ed. You can probably get them for $2 or so--so cheap you could start a fire with them. However, because editors keep revising what is "American" you almost want to hang on to them. This edition is from the late 80s. When I pulled it off the shelf I took some time to read Anne Bradstreet's poetry about her children leaving the nest. She may have been the first to think of it as "empty nest syndrome." It's a terribly painful time. I'm sure she causes a lot of conflicted feelings among feminists--I mean, she's our earliest published woman poet, but she's so. . . so. . . womanly.

Out the door--cleaning my office

2008-12-22T15:46:00.006-05:00

All these titles looked good at the time, but I haven't read them, probably won't. So I've put them in a plastic bag, and they'll go to the library book sale next trip. It's tough culling books.

Columbus The Musical Crossroads

2008-08-29T05:49:00.002-04:00

David Meyers knows more about the Columbus music scene than anyone I know, and he has a new book in the Arcadia series, Images of America, called Columbus The Musical Crossroads. It follows the usual format of about 130 pages and 2 photos per page with text. That's probably murder for a guy like Dave who has boxes of research and documentation, but it's fun for the reader.

“Columbus has long been known for its musicians. Unlike New York, San Francisco, Kansas City, Nashville, or even Cincinnati, however, it has never had a definable “scene.” Still, some truly remarkable music has been made in this musical crossroads by the many outstanding musicians who have called it home. Since 1900, Columbus has grown from the 28th- to the 15th-largest city in the United States. During this period, it has developed into a musically vibrant community that has nurtured the talents of such artists as Elsie Janis, Ted Lewis, Nancy Wilson, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Dwight Yoakam, Bow Wow, and Rascal Flatts. But, in many instances, those who chose to remain at home were as good and, perhaps, even better.”I have only leafed through it (my husband brought it back to Lakeside with him), but I think Columbus boomers will get a kick out of Chapter 8, "Out of the Garage," which features the local high school rock and roll bands of the 1960s.

Dantes

Other Columbus teen bands of the 60s: The Triumphs; Vadicans; The 5th Order (Electras); The Grayps; The Rebounds; The Epics; The Shilohs; The Toads; The Thirteenth Dilemmas; The Dubonnets (Phantom Duck); The Trolls; The Edicates; Lapse of Time; In-Men; Four O'clock Balloon; The Fugitives.

Cross posted at Collecting My Thoughts.

American Shelter; an illustrated encyclopedia of the American house

2008-07-24T09:38:00.002-04:00

Today I am the porch hostess at Green Gables, a cottage in Lakeside, Ohio, which is on the 52nd Annual Tour of Homes. I'm supposed to check off tickets and tell the guests, "Green Gables was built as a cottage in 1883 and is Steamboat Gothic style. S.R. Gill, a founder of Lakeside, had hoped that all new buildings would be built in this style, copying the Steamboat Gothic style found in Martha's Vineyard. . . point out the original Gothic windows, ornate bargeboard, gingerbread gable pendant."

Not to be picky, but according to American Shelter (Lester Walker, 1981), a book I bought at the Port Clinton book sale many years ago, Green Gables is actually Carpenter Gothic, not Steamboat Gothic.

The invention of powered saws for cutting wood, and the popularization of the new ballon frame gave the American carpenter the tools he needed. The result was a building phenomenon unique to this country. . . The Carpenter Gothic Style is characterized chiefly by its profusion of decorative sawn details (gingerbread). . . Carpenter Gothic houses were being constructed all over te nation during the mid19th century. Some cities such as Cape May, NJ; OakBluffs, Martha's Venyard, MA; and San Francisco became famous for the whimsical forms the decoration too on their buildings."American shelter; an illustrated encyclopedia of the American house by Lester Walker, Overlook Press, 1981.
Location: Lakeside, Ohio bookshelf
ISBN 0-87951-131-1

Begins with the American Indians and ends with post-modern. Wonderful illustrations. Purchased as a discard (Ida Rupp Port Clinton) many years ago for $1.

Bride's Bible

2008-06-10T15:17:00.003-04:00

Maybe it didn't last. Why would anyone not keep this? I found this (17 x 12.9 cm), 96 pg, Tyndale House book in the freebie box. The intention of the publisher was someone, maybe the mother-in-law or a bridesmaid, was to present it as gift for a bride. It's not really a Bible, but a selection of verses from a variety of translations with a lovely reproduction of a painting. Brides used to carry a small white Bible under their bouquet, but I don't know if that is still the custom. I don't have a white Bible, so I don't think I did this; it sticks in my mind I carried my mother's Bible. Anyway, I sat down and read it this morning during my devotions, and it's a lovely selection to be read any time. Paintings are wonderful too.

The Bride's Bible
Tyndale House Publishers, Wheaton, IL
A Dorline Kindersley Book, London
First American edition 1999
Color reproduction in Italy by GRB
Manufactured in China by Imago
Contents:

ISBN-10: 0842336508

God's Gift for Mothers

2008-04-08T11:30:00.002-04:00

My husband was listening to me complain, for the umpteenth time, that so many Christian Life (a subject category) books are about 80% fluff and cotton candy. I showed him "God's Gift for Mothers" a Thomas Nelson (2008) inspirational paperback. It has about 100 meditations on marriage, parenting, friendships, careers, children, etc. arranged by subject, beginning with ABIDE and ending with WITNESS. Very little about Jesus except in the most generic, general way, not even in the Preface, where the Good News might have been a foundation for building on other topics. I read to him the LOVE passage--it's not untrue, it's just not the TRUTH about love as revealed in Jesus:

"Poets have tried for centuries to capture the essence of love. The Bible tells us quite simply that real love is caring more about others than we care about ourselves and our own needs. Be a model of selfless love in your relationships. It will be contagious." p. 75 (John 13:34)My husband said no daily meditation book could include the Gospel in every selection. But there is one that hits the mark about 99%. Concordia Publishing (Lutheran Church Missouri Synod) manages to produce 4 times a year a daily meditation pocket or purse size booklet, Portals of Prayer, a serial not a book, where the three authors of most entries begin with a scripture, then 1) introduce the day's topic with an anecdote, 2) move to application in your life, then 3) close with the Gospel of Jesus Christ in some form--usually in two sentences. Sometimes the authors will switch the template around a bit, but usually this is the pattern. I mean, how hard can it be to say, You are a sinner unable to please God, but Jesus has died on the cross for your sins and risen from the grave, and you will too as a believer? Yet, that powerful message, the theme of the Bible from the fall to the 2nd coming, seems to be the toughest for Christian writers and publishers to either quote directly or paraphrase!

Here's April 2, 2008 (which begins with the role of an architect in construction)

"Regardless of our diligence, we cannot earn favor with God. But Jesus earned God’s favor on our behalf. Christ accomplished the work of our salvation when He carried our sins on the cross. His resurrection was God’s mark of approval that proclaims Christ’s victory over our sin. We cannot add to His gift, but daily work, done in faith, can be a grateful response that honors our Master Architect."But the price was right. I picked it up from the freebie box at church to read as I do my morning walk.

Communicating with Hispanic Workers; Contractor's edition

2008-02-05T18:49:00.002-05:00

I've seen a lot of language books, and I think this one is terrific. The price was right too. I found it for $1.00 at the Discovery Shop (benefits cancer research) on Kenney Rd. in Columbus. And there are several more copies there, if you think you might need one. The author, Trish Rodriguez, has a B.A. in Spanish and International Studies and an M.A. in International Training and Education and is married to a contractor. There are also other titles for dry wall, masonry, landscaping, etc. The format is an easy to use, flip chart style, that would fit easily into a pair of coveralls or jeans.

One of the key chapters, which I might have put at the beginning, includes interview questions, paperwork phrases, such as Complete esta solicitud and Necesito ver su identificacion. In the introduction Ms. Rodriguez includes a few tips on basic communication such as, be polite, and remember, not everyone is from Mexico. She also points out that many of the Spanish speakers may not know the Spanish words in the construction trades.

When I checked this book title at the various book selling sites I was a bit surprised to see speakers of English referred to as "Anglo-Saxons." Didn't they die off about 1,000 years ago? Millions of Americans have no direct descent from the British Isles or England--English is our language, not our ethnicity.

The parent company of Cool Springs Press is Thomas Nelson, a Christian publisher. In her acknowledgments Ms. Rodriguez thanks God and gives him the glory. Nice touch in a well written language guide. I hope there are similar books for nurses, hospitality managers, and city workers.

Communicating with Hispanic workers; contractor's edition. Trish Rodriguez, Cool Springs Press, 2005, 160 p. ISBN 1-59186-232-9. Spiral bound. PB.

Keep a quiet heart

2008-01-08T09:15:00.001-05:00

Liberated from the freebie box at the church library, Keep a Quiet Heart by Elisabeth Elliot may be one of the best devotional titles I've ever read. I try to spend about 30 minutes in the morning reading either scripture, or a short meditative selection, or both. This title is a collection of her essays from her newsletter (The Elisabeth Elliot Newsletter, published 6 times a year, Ann Arbor, MI, 1982-2003). My paperback was published in 1995 by Vine Books, an imprint of Servant Publications. There are 104 selections, arranged by 5 topics, but including small excerpts from other authors (verses from poetry or hymns usually) there may be a total of 120-130.

The most amazing entry in my opinion is pp. 118-120, "Lost and found," which is about an answer to prayer. I've told this story to anyone who will listen, and photocopied it to give away. I love it. I've enjoyed this title so much, I'm rereading it. The newer editions of this book have a different cover.

Elizabeth Elliot, widowed twice, is 81 and has been married 30 years to Lars Gren. Her webpage is here. Lars and Elizabeth keep an update going called Ramblings from the Cove, and here's December 2007, quite lively and filled with humor.

Off the shelves and out the door

2007-11-26T11:00:00.001-05:00

A friend and I are challenging each other to remove some of the clutter. We both have a problem clearing books and magazines. These have now gone to the garage; they are inside boxes that I have taped shut. If I peek, I might be talked out of it. The next step is to get them into the van, then off to the Friends of the Library book sale.

In general, there are two categories: computer books that are too old to be useful, and books on the craft of or compilations of the short story. I did a lot of writing of fiction in the early 90s. It was great fun, and I enjoy going back and reading them today (especially since I don't remember how they end!). However, I never did follow the experts' instructions, and barely opened the books (all bought used). Here's my good-bye blog.

Alice Munro

2007-08-11T10:14:00.003-04:00

A collection of short stories by Alice Munro, a Canadian, is the latest on my book shelf at the lake house--or rather, on the floor, next to the bed. "Hateship, friendship, courtship, loveship, marriage; stories" (Alfred A. Knopf, 2001), purchased at the UAPL Friends sale for $2.00. Abbie, the Chihuahua, is my daughter's, and she is showing off by running away from me on her hind legs.

I'm so glad you married me

2007-07-10T08:22:00.000-04:00

Until I saw the obituary for Lois Wyse last week, I'd forgotten I had this title on my bookshelf at the summer cottage. She was 80 years old and had written over 65 books. I think I've owned 2 or 3 of her poetry books, and this one I had given my husband on his 34th birthday. It was published in 1971 by American Greetings. At the time she wrote this she was still married to Marc Wyse, with whom she'd formed Wyse Advertising. They divorced in the late 70s and in the 80s she married Lee Guber. Maybe it was this line: "I have figured out at last that/ Second isn't first, and first is all that matters." Needless to say, this book doesn't appear on the internet, except in one used book site, so I can't post a photo unless I take it. Meanwhile, I'll post this.

The Moonflower Vine

2007-07-04T13:12:00.000-04:00

is residing on my bookshelf at our lake house. Jetta Carleton (d. 1999) must have been a one book wonder (Simon & Schuster, 1962). This novel may be the best you'll ever read with a midwest setting (Missouri). I read it in the early 80s when it was reissued in paperback, after its best seller status in 1962. My copy is a hardcover Book Club edition with a nice cover that I picked up at a booksale for $1.00. The paperback copy I started with disappeared on one of its many loans to friends.

"Jetta Carleton's autobiographical novel captures the mood and times of midwestern rural life and brings it to life. From the idyllic, heartwarming beginnings springs dark and hidden truths; truths only the reader will see and know. The gentle revelations of the secrets, fears and heartaches that drive these wonderful and endearing characters is storytelling at its best. THE MOONFLOWER VINE received the International Book Award in 1963 and became a Readers Digest Condensed Book and Literary Guild selection. Author Jetta Carleton (1913-1999) only published one novel, putting her in a club with other unique woman writers like Harper Lee and Margaret Mitchell. You might be wondering why anyone would bother to review an out of print book but it is for that reason it was chosen. Don't let the opportunity to read an endangered book slip away." from a review by Barbara Fielding.

Later in life, Jetta Carleton and her husband developed a private press, The Lightning Tree.

Illustrated Dictionary of Sailing

2007-06-27T08:23:00.000-04:00

My most recent acquisition is on my bookshelf (or porch table) at our summer home in Lakeside, OH. This is my husband's third summer of sailing--I won lessons with my apple pie, and he used them since I wasn't interested. I was walking home from the grocery store on Sunday and saw a box of free books in a neighbor's yard. It was authored by Jane Daniels and published in 1989 by Michael Friedman Publishing Group, but this book in hand is an imprint of Gallery Books and the verso of the t.p. says "available for bulk purchase for sales promotions and premium use." Terms are alphabetized with little anecdotes about sailing, and there are over 200 illustrations. Many in color. Great price.

A Book of Prayers for Boys and Girls

2007-06-21T16:23:00.000-04:00

This little (5.5" x 4") book was purchased at the Acorn Used Book Store in Grandview and was published here in Columbus by Wartburg Press in 1943. Wartburg was one of the early names of Augsburg Press, which is now Augsburg-Fortress, reflecting a merger in 1988 of The American Lutheran Church and the Lutheran Church in America for form ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church of America). My children were grown by the time I bought this, so I probably bought it because of its local ties. I could use any of these prayers myself by adjusting the "thees, thous and hasts."

The Foreword says, "Your heavenly Father loves you and wishes to give you every blessing. But He wants you to talk to Him, to tell Him all your wants and hopes and sorrows: He wants you to pray to Him. . . Just in case little Lutherans didn't know what to say, this child size book has prayers for just about all situations and special days. Lots of morning prayers and evening prayers. Here's a sweet one.

I don't recall giving thanks on my birthday, but then I wasn't a very religious kid. Here's a birthday prayer, which would make much more sense to me today than when I was 8 or 10:

Dear Father in heaven, out of Thy hand my life has come. For this gift do I thank Thee most heartily on my birthday. I pray Thee so to guide me by Thy Holy Spirit that from year to year I may learn to know Thee better and to thank Thee more heartily for Thy goodness. And may every added year, O Father, find me ever more ready to do Thy holy will. In His name do I pray who for me and for all Thy children died upon the cross so that we might rise from the grave and live with Thee forever. Amen.I found a photo on the internet (a post card) of the old Wartburg Press building, which is where the Augsburg book store was in the 80s. I used to go there to buy books for the church library.

The Art of Reading Scripture

2007-06-18T16:46:00.000-04:00

From the church library free box I selected "The art of reading scripture," (Wm. B. Eerdmans, 2003). The librarian puts withdrawals or donations not needed for members to take home. The Eerdmans title is a compilation of essays by scholars.

I took it to the coffee shop the next day and enjoyed the essay, "Reading scripture in light of the Resurrection" by Richard B. Hays, pp. 216-238. It confirmed what I've often thought. We need to hear about the Resurrection all year long, not just at Easter. I think it may be the most under-preached and under-discussed topic in Christian churches.

"Many preachers and New Testament scholars are unwitting partisans of the Sadducees. Because they deny the truth of Scripture's proclamation that God raised Jesus from the dead--or waffle about it--they leave the church in a state of uncertainty, lacking confidence in its mission, knowing neither the Scriptures nor the power of God." I've never heard a better description of why so many Mainline protestant churches are struggling to find an audience and a message!

I haven't attended a liberal church in 30 years, yet I think we evangelicals don't hear this message often enough. He specifically points out three texts, John 2:13-22 with Psalm 69, the identification between the temple and Jesus' own body; Mark 12:18-27 where Jesus goes to the heart of God's self-revelation in the Old Testament; and Luke 24:13-35 where Jesus opens the scriptures to his followers after the resurrection and points them to the prophets.

Hays then goes on to list nine implications of reading Scripture in light of the Resurrection, and points out again that most New Testament scholars are not believers--but would be if they'd open their eyes and hearts to reading Scripture this way.

I love it when someone agrees with me, don't you?

Bruce

2007-06-18T12:33:00.000-04:00

This is a photo of me standing in front of the bookshelves that hold old books and family memorabilia. Behind me are lots of old books from four generations. They look like they have fancy bindings, but books of my grandparents' era had a lot of chemicals in the paper, and disintegrate easily. Like me, they bought for value, not for quality. I think it is funny that I saved a book from my childhood called "Bruce" about a collie, written by Albert Payson Terhune (Grosset & Dunlap, 1920), never imagining someday it would be my name.

The shiny white, blue and green box on the far left of the 5th shelf contained a card catalog of my grandparents' library, assembled by several members of the family when they were closing up their home after their deaths in the 1960s. This list of books, found by me in the late 1980s, launched several publishing projects, including a spin off into agricultural magazines used by farm families in the early 20th century and women who wrote for Ohio farm magazines in the 19th century.

You can barely see the top shelf, but that holds children's books, some old, some from my childhood--mostly horse stores--and some I purchased because I liked the illustrations (from the days when I wanted to write a children's book). I've done some rearranging of my magazine collection on the lower 2 shelves (premiere issue collection), but these shelves stay pretty much the same.

"From a fuzzy and adventurous fluff-ball of gray-gold-and-white fur, Bruce swiftly developed into a lanky giant. He was almost as large again as is the average collie pup of his age; but, big as he was, his legs and feet and head were huge, out of all proportion to the rest of him. . . seemed totally lacking in sense, as well as in bodily coordination. He was forever getting into needless trouble. He was a storm-center. No one but a born fool--canine or human--could possible have caused one-tenth as much bother."With that, we know this dog has to turn out to be a hero, right? Wins a medal for bravery in WWI.

Wayne Public Library in Wayne, NJ, has the Albert Payson Terhune Collection with photos of Terhune and his collies of Sunnybank, known as The Place in the book.

My Town: Remembering Mt. Morris

2007-06-18T10:38:00.000-04:00

Donald L. Smith does a nice job of weaving together his family and personal memories with the town's considerable history, even mentioning some sources I've never seen, like Kable Brothers Company, 1898-1948, and the late-1980s Memoirs of H.A. Hoff, the school superintendent, both of which I assume are on someone else's bookshelf. There's a few personal family things I think could have gone unsaid out of respect for his parents' memory, but that would just be my own preference as a mother. Don Smith taught journalism at Penn State, State College, PA for 33 years and began writing this title about 10 years before he published it in 1997. My copy was a gift from my sister.

Pine Creek Recollections Revisited

2007-06-16T11:48:00.000-04:00

My grandparents were tenant farmers in an area south of Mt. Morris, near Dixon, Illinois called, Pine Creek. This book is one of several I have about towns or areas in Ogle County. The author is Jane Shoemaker, and although I don't know her well, I remember her stopping by after the death of my mother in 2000 to visit. The book was a gift from Ruth Balluff, who also grew up in Pine Creek, and attended school with my Dad.

"This book describes life during the 20th Century in a small area of northern Illinois, Pine Creek Township. Although it tells about life in a small area of Ogle County, it should not be considered just a book of local interest. Within these pages is a description of rural and small town life that honed and defined the generation of people who parented, nurtured, and shaped the Greatest Generation, as was defined later by Tom Brokaw, in his book with the same name. The harsh realities of life during the early 1900s, that finally led to prosperity after the world's largest depression, shows a stamina and grit in those who lived it, that still holds us in awe. My Mother, Lela Mae Feary Stomberg, lived in this incredible century. She was born on October 13, 1901, on the Pine Creek Farm, nestled between a winding creek and a dirt road, in rural Ogle County. A few years ago, I sat down with her with a small tape recorder. We conducted an oral history of her life. She has remarkable recall especially for details in her early years. After many sessions together, we had three tapes full of her remembrances." From the Prologue by Jane Shoemaker. (Mt. Morris, IL: Pinecone Productions, 2001)

When I die, what will happen to my bookshelves?

2007-06-16T11:35:00.000-04:00

I've written this poem for our daughter, who is our Executor. Still, you can't control what other people do, and I know that, so it's important to sift, sort and give away. My mother, aunt and grandmother all fussed about their books and memorabilia. Now I have them, and I'm worrying about them. Today I put grandma's dishes out to use for Sunday dinner tomorrow.

To my daughter, about my treasures August 29, 2005 I want you to have our paintings, of flowers, children, boats and trees. You’ll sit back and admire I know, closing your eyes in a squint to see the artist’s true intent. I want you to have the books, Bibles, histories, poetry and lit. You’ll treat them well I know, opening them from time to time so their wisdom doesn’t go stale. I want you to have the china, silver, pottery, and goblets. You’ll dine with them I know, setting a lovely white linen table as you continue the traditions. I want you to have Aunt Martha’s quilts, pieced and stitched by lantern light. You’ll fold, touch and smooth I know, positioning them on wooden racks to display her detailed handiwork. I want you to have the photographs, albums from way back when. You’ll wonder at your folks I know, dancing and partying with their friends when the whole world was young. I want you to have Mom’s recipes, sewing chest and maple suite. You’ll puzzle where I know, shifting and rearranging like I did until they are welcomed in your home. I want you to have our calico cat, kitty toys, bowls and love. You’ll feed, pet and groom I know, holding her close at night until she leaves to join us. All the rest just haul away, the auctioneer’s close, up the road. You’ll get a good price I know, banking the rest for a sunny day, after you lock the door.

Technorati tag: memorabilia

Companion to American Immigration

2007-06-15T16:29:00.000-04:00

One of the eye-opening experiences of reading Companion to American Immigration (Blackwell, 2006) is its foundational assumptions based solidly on Marxist thought and scholarship. Not that I was naive about the Marxists in our universities, but reading essay after essay--about food, education, demography, social customs, microeconomics, politics, and law--all rooted in and rooting for Marxism is quite an eye opener as I read along at the Lakeside coffee shop, a vacation spot more like the 1950s than a TV "Happy Days" recreation.

If you've ever wondered what became of the "tenured radicals" who went from sit-ins in the presidents' offices in the Halls of Ivy in the 1970s to populating them, read this book! They are indeed the adopted intellectual grandchildren of the 1930s faculties and labor activists who were pacifists until Germany invaded Russia and then had to go underground when the Gulags were being revealed after WWII. When the Berlin Wall fell, they used chunks of scholarly concrete to rebuild their fables.

I've learned a lot of new words and phrases for us and U.S. reading this book:

And academic gibberish even worse than library jargon:

Incidentally, if there was a lynching, a killing, a riot, or a law about ethnicity, these are liberally interspersed at every opportunity to demonstrate the shallowness of the minority "dominant Anglo-Saxon culture." The chapter on religion isn't about religion at all--it is about the anti's--anti-Semitism, KuKluxKlan, anti-Catholicism, anti-muslim, etc.

I had this book checked out about 8 weeks from the Ohio State University Libraries. It was quite a challenge.

Eastern Approaches

2007-06-15T16:17:00.000-04:00

One course of action when you are up early in a log cottage in the pine and birch forest by a pristine lake in South Karelia, Finland, is to read by the morning sunlight (no electricity) with a freshly brewed cup of coffee (bottled gas). Days without TV, radio, the Internet, or newspaper has a way of returning one to the joys of reading known by earlier generations. The hand woven birch bark baskets and pine shelves of the cottage were full of books--flora and fauna, old novels from the 40s, biographies, guides/tourism for the local events, and some old how-to-manuals. I found only one in English, "Eastern Approaches" by Fitzroy Maclean who was a member of the British Diplomatic corps in the 1930s-40s and wrote of his experiences traveling in the USSR and Balkans during 1937-45. Although this book technically isn't on my bookshelf, it was a welcome sight.

There was one eerie passage that seemed true even 60 years later. [Communists in 1942] all had one thing in common, their terror of responsibility, their reluctance to think for themselves, their blind, unquestioning obedience to the Party line dictated by a higher authority. . . the terrible atmosphere of fear and suspicion that pervaded their lives." This would be a book to read for anyone wishing to do business in Russia today, needing to understand the roots of the culture.

Either Maclean was an outstanding writer or after a week of being deprived of reading, I was like a starving woman at a banquet. In either case, it was a good read, given the years I had spent studying the history and politics of the USSR in the 50s and 60s. The chapter on the purge of the Party in the late 1930s was riveting because of all the old familiar names, particularly Nikolai Ivanovich Bukharin (who was posthumously rehabilitated in 1988).

Maclean sat through the entire trial and with friends tries to sort it all out. He decides that everyone needs a cause to die for--judges, prosecutor, prisoners and NKVD. And for the prisoners, it was the Party. Even in facing death, they were characters in a theatrical production about good and evil. The trial served as a reminder to the people to be suspicious of everyone--to see spies and traitors everywhere, to shun foreigners, to explain the shortages of food and goods not on a failing economic and political system, but on those terrible traitors who were on trial. Certainly the benign and benevolent Stalin couldn't be at fault, but these traitors now being purged from the Party.

When I got home I looked up Maclean and found he was a very popular writer who had written a number of books (some think his life was the inspiration for James Bond) and that Bukharin, one of the more unforgettable characters in this book, had written an autobiographical novel while imprisoned before his death.

What Grandma saw at the Columbian Exposition

2007-06-15T14:51:00.003-04:00

My grandmother was a teen-ager attending Ashton High School in Illinois at the time of the Chicago Columbian Exposition. Along with 27 million other people, she strolled through the exhibits and marveled at the sights from foreign lands, and the fabulous architecture of the "White City." I'd seen many knick-knacks, guidebooks and souvenirs in her home and book collection.

It was very easy to get to Chicago from their farm--much easier than today. In fact, I think the train came through Franklin Grove depot 5 or 6 times a day and the family often shopped in Chicago, visited friends and saw a doctor there. Her father owned property in Chicago and it was later donated to the Church of the Brethren for the Bethany Sanitarium and Hospital. So I just love to read about the fair, and in 1993 when the Medical Library Association had its annual meeting there, I thoroughly enjoyed all the exhibits of the 100th anniversary of the fair.

Libraries and Culture, Vol. 41, no. 1, 2006, has seven essays on the Woman's Building of the Exposition. The Woman's Building [floor plan]contained a library with 7,000 volumes authored, illustrated and edited by women,(including 47 translations and editions of Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin) produced between the 16th to 19th Century. If you are from Illinois, you'll be interested in the article about the 58 novels in that collection which were authored by Illinois women. Libraries and Culture (which will be changing its title to Libraries and the Cultural Record, which seems a bit redundant to me and will mess up serial records in thousands of libraries with vol. 42, is available on-line if you have a login to a library that has a subscription. Or you can ask for it from interlibrary loan at your local library.

One of the most stunning books you'll ever read about murder, mayhem and architecture is Devil in the White City. But you'll need a strong stomach.

Vocabulary Builders on my Bookshelves

2007-06-15T14:37:00.000-04:00

At Liberty Books one night after dinner, I picked up one or two vocabulary drill books. They always look so interesting, but I know I won't do the exercises. Besides, I have two books on my shelves that I just love--and I don't know all the words yet!

The first is English Vocabulary Builder by Johnson O'Connor published by Human Engineering Laboratory, Hoboken, 1939 [c 1937]. O'Connor opens the book with an article he wrote for Atlantic Monthly, Feb. 1934, about the relationship between vocabulary and success. But note this from "Acknowledgments":

"The International Business Machines Corporation has enabled the Laboratory to have a set of data-handling machines for the accurate assembly of material. The Atwell Company of Boston has made it possible for the Laboratory to have Ediphone equipment which has contributed to the preparation of this volume."
Of course, we know what IBM is, so this book used the latest technology in 1937 (there were 9 men and 5 women listed as collaborators, which may have been less sexist than IT staffs today), but the Ediphone was used to replace stenographers. It was invented by Thomas Edison to compete with the Dictiphone. The Ediphone had a tube to speak in and the voice vibrations would be recorded on a wax cylinder. A secretary would then type up the recording and then shave the used layer of the cylinder so it could be reused.[scripophily.net]

O'Connor arranged this book by order of familiarity. In 1937, apparently just about everyone, including children, knew the word, "horseshoer," so it was #1. Seventy years later, you probably wouldn't find many children who had ever seen or touched a shoe for a horse, and if they had to draw one might sketch something resembling a Manolo Blahnik. Using the latest data crunchers of the time, the laboratory found 55 words known to all adults, including "fragrant," "quench," and "disordered." From known to all, he moves on to "unknown to 1 per cent," all the way through to "unknown to 99 per cent." The last group has words that 70 years later would not be that rare, like "brochure," "unconscionable," "utter," and "detraction." I was a bit surprised to see that 50% of high-schoolers knew the meaning of "elegiacal" and "asseveration" in 1937, which I might figure out in context, but would not likely use.

With most words, he gives the percentage that knew it or thought it was something else, and what group they were in (college seniors, adults, prep-school, etc.) and words that might be confused, like retinue and retainer or annulled and nugatory.

The second book I have is Dictionary of Contemporary American Usage by Bergen and Cornelia Evans, Random House, 1957. It's not really a vocabulary builder, but a correct usage guide. This book is lots of fun--snarky remarks about English all over the place. This book is old now, and the authors warn the readers that the language is constantly changing--that silly once meant holy, fond meant foolish, beam meant tree and tree meant beam. But I still like it, and am not ready to replace it with something until I learn all the words I should have known in 1957. Don't pay more than $1.00 for it if you see it at a sale.

Cornelia was Bergen's sister, not his wife, and his papers are at Northwestern; if you look through the description of the files, her name appears also. They had planned a second edition, but didn't complete it. She was also a novelist and wrote "The Cloud of Witnesses," and "Journey into the Fog," using the name Cornelia Goodhue. They were born in Ohio.

Bergen Evans, Cornelia Evans, English language, Vocabulary

Wide as the Waters; the story of the English Bible

2007-06-15T12:24:00.000-04:00

Wide as the waters by Benson Bobrick (Simon & Schuster, 2001) is one of the best books I've read. The sub-title "The story of the English Bible and the revolution it inspired" pretty much describes the theme. The book didn't do that well in sales, because several others with the same thesis appeared at that time, but I definitely think this one does the best job of showing that once the Bible was available in English, reading books of all types increased dramatically. There was an increase in the circulation and production of books (printing by then had been invented). "At the same time, once the people were free to interpret the word of God according to the light of their own understanding, they began to question the authority of all their inherited institutions, which led to reform within the Church." In short, it changed the world politically and socially, as well as spiritually. Another favorite which I did read cover to cover is The Story of English, a beautifully written and illustrated book that resulted from a TV program by the BBC. I bought it for $1.00 at a book sale (Viking, 1986), and I'll never let it go.

Roger Vernam, Illustrator of children's books

2007-06-15T11:48:00.000-04:00

Some of my biggest thrills in blogging have been e-mails from people who can answer some of my questions, or I have answered theirs. Recently I heard from a woman whose mother attended the same college as my parents--she'd found me looking for the Granddaughter's Inglenook Cookbook; another woman was looking for the lost chapters of Mary Margaret McBride's Encyclopedia of Cooking about which I had blogged; I heard from several people who loved and longed for Spudnuts [donuts made from potato flour]; someone wanted to buy my 17 year old first issue of Martha Stewart Living; my Fornasetti entry [I need to go in and change the link, which seems to have disappeared] gets almost as many hits as my "how to fix a broken zipper." And now, Roger Vernam. Am I excited, or what?

What little girl who loved horses wouldn't be crazy about this?
"Hi- saw your note about Eight little Indians and your comment about whether they(author and illustrator) were pseudonyms. Actually, Roger Vernam is real and was well know personally to my family-grandparents and mother. I grew up reading the books that he illustrated and they are still among my favorites. I’m re-settling my library after an annoying but much needed renovation and just came upon one of my most favorites, Monkey Shines, by Elinor Andrews. Always a joy to revisit and remember!!"

David M. Wood
Cape Cod Multi-Services

Thank you, Mr. Wood. And you have a nice web page--the type I wish libraries had. Attractive, easy to read, clear; even with some of your pages under construction I give you a B+. Most libraries get a C- or D+. Good luck with your business.

Cross posted from Collecting My Thoughts

1776

2007-06-15T11:41:00.000-04:00

I don't particularly like war stories. After all, the U.S. has been at war with some country some where throughout its existence. But lest you get indignant, so have most countries, unless you're reading a modern history published in the U.S. for use in our schools, then all communist and marxist countries/governments are given a pass, and all Americans are invaders, pillagers or scoundrels.

Still, David McCullough's 1776 (Simon & Schuster, 2005) is a very sobering book. It only covers one year of our revolution which lasted until 1783, but there are so many times the Americans came close to remaining British subjects. In 1776, Americans had the highest standard of living in the world. I imagine there were many asking, Why are we in this war? Many Americans, Loyalists, and British wanted the war to end with peace talks because of the high losses.

The Fort was not reclaimed by the Americans until the end of the war in 1783, and it was renamed during that time for a Hessian, Fort Knyphausen.

Our times, The United States, 1900-1925

2007-06-15T10:58:00.000-04:00

Although I’ve browsed some of the pricey, recent, multi-volume histories of the United States and the World at the public library, I’ve been disappointed by the revisionism* of current authors and publishers, so I was pleased to pick up this title at the library book sale, and wish I had the other volumes. Our Times, The United States, 1900-1925, vol. 3, Pre-War America by Mark Sullivan, The Chautauqua Press, Chautauqua, NY, 1931. I may try to track the other 5 volumes down, but probably won’t get them for $3.00. Chautauqua Press was "liberal" in its day, but liberal in the classic meaning of the word, not socialist as it has come to mean today, but open to new ideas. Chautauqua had a broad Christian base, but wasn't fundamentalist in outreach. Liberals of today are afraid of a little "sonshine" and have minds so open, their brains are in danger of falling out because nothing can be right or wrong (except GWB). Their publications reflect that, so it is difficult to get an intelligent synthesis of history because every culture and religion is presented as being of equal value.

Vol. 3 begins in 1890 with the developing friendship of Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft when they were both subordinates of Benjamin Harrison, Roosevelt as Civil Service Commissioner, and Taft as Solicitor-General; and moving calendar style, it ends with 1908 as alcohol prohibition is getting established (reminds me a lot of the smoking bans we see today, state by state), unemployment and breadlines caused by the panic of 1907, and women's outrageous fashion (sheath skirts considered a step toward the fig leaf, huge hats, fishnet stockings) and behavior (smoking and attendance at cheap moving picture theatres). There will be many stories in this volume I’ll enjoy researching further, such as spelling reform, hookworm humor (laziness was declared a disease), and Roosevelt's relationship with African Americans.

This volume was published in the early years of the Great Depression, yet the paper is good quality, there are excellent photographs and plates, better footnotes and indexing than I see in some modern histories, and the author is careful to note where he has copyright permission and carefully cites the sources. For some sections the author allows the events to speak for themselves, others are heavily laced with opinions. Because Chautauqua had such a strong cultural bent (still does), and Sullivan was a popular culture buff there are interesting photos contrasting the early 20th century with the late 1920s, for instance, a photo of two working women, one in 1907 and one in 1928 showing the differences in clothing and office technology on p. 479, and comparing shoe advertisements from a 1927 Scribner's Magazine with one from Theatre Magazine of 1906 on p. 434. Apparently the hunger for "big hair" in 1910 was filled by the locks European women, Chinese women and the goats of Turkestan. There's a delightful section on the historical significance of the popular songs of the pre-war era.

The dramatic change in fashion for women and the amount of flesh exposed after WWI is very apparent in this plate. As more leg is exposed, the less the waist and bust are emphasized. Skirt length dropped again almost to the ankle in 1930.

*With contemporary 21st century authors, it is difficult to determine if the Soviet Union was ever a big threat to us in any meaningful way, and hard to tell if the Christian church had any impact on American society except for amusement to be pilloried in cartoons and obscure court cases.

Dan Rather on Mark Sullivan: "Mark Sullivan was one of the most widely respected journalists of his day. One of the original muckrakers, he became America’s leading political reporter and columnist in newspapers and magazines for nearly half a century. A committed Republican, he had unrivaled access to the leaders of his party, including Presidents Roosevelt, Taft, and Harding, and contacts like these made him the ideal chronicler of his age."

My Mother's Favorite Song

2007-06-15T10:46:00.000-04:00

Two weeks ago I bought a book at our public library branch (for sale items by Friends of the Library) titled, "My mother's favorite song; tender stories of home to deepen your faith" by John William Smith (Howard Publishing, 1995). It looked brand new; the publisher's statement on the verso of the title page included a statement about Jesus coming again, and the book flap story appeared to be sound. So for $2 it looked worth the price to purchase "one of America's best storytellers." Now after having read several selections during my morning devotions, I'll say, "money well-spent."

On p. 121 of Smith's book he writes my story:

"When I was growing up, I never heard much about grace at church--I mean, in sermons or classes. I slowly figured out that it was important and that we needed it, but we were sort of embarrassed by it."Actually, I'm not sure I heard about grace at all. We didn't even sing "Amazing Grace" in those days.

Who wants to be told she is sinful? Who wants to know he doesn't measure up? It might turn off the seekers; it might shake up the members. It's far easier to admonish the congregation to do more, be more, adore more. Grace? You can't earn it, but it sure isn't cheap.

Book Club Selections for 2007-2008

2007-06-15T10:32:00.000-04:00

In May our book club meets at Barb's lovely home for our final meeting. It has never looked more lovely than this year--almost like a park with trimmed beds and lovely perennials and potted flowers. Our final and fun selection for our book year was Eat Cake by Jeanne Ray, who published her first novel when she was 60. Then with one minute to lobby our choices, the members offered suggestions for next year's reading, with the absentees sending theirs with another. Here's what we'll be reading, although all of the suggestions sounded terrific.

September: Learning to Bow by Bruce Feiler. My caution would be that this is based on his teaching experience in Japan in 1987-88--20 years ago, and was published in 1991. We probably wouldn't want our culture evaluated by a just-out-of-college, one year visitor's first book.

October: Field work by Mischa Berlinski. A first novel by another American visiting a foreign country. A trained classicist, Berlinski worked as a journalist in Thailand where this story of two clashing American cultures--anthropologist and missionary--takes place.

November: 1776 by David McCullough. This is the title I threw into the mix. McCullough's use of diaries and letters and his ability to weave in the stories of the little people we never heard in our history texts is just awesome. George Washington managed to write almost 950 letters in that year, while running the war campaign.

December: Inside the Kingdom by Carmen Bin Ladin, Osama's sister-in-law (half brothers whose father had 22 wives), affords a peek into her life in Saudi Arabia. From the book jacket cover I thought she might use Michael Jackson's surgeon. Do you see a resemblance?

January: A tree grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith is a 1943 classic that was made into a movie. It will be an interesting comparison with the immigrant life today.

February: We'll be doing something Shakespearean with a special guest, who actually taught my children when they were in elementary school.

March: Digging to America by Anne Tyler is a story about two families who adopt Korean children. Tyler is an excellent writer, popular with women, and I'm sure there will be enough stereotypes to go around.

April: Amazing Grace by Steve Turner, a pop/rock journalist, is the book [or part of it] about the hymn on which the movie was based.

May: I'm proud of you by Tim Madigan, yet another journalist, the story of Mr. Rogers.

Also suggested (but we only choose 9) was Unknown world by E. J. Edwards, Snow falling on Cedars by David Guterson, For the Glory of God by Rodney Stark, and Religious literacy by Stephen Prothero. I scored 100% on .Prothero's quiz, and 71% scored 80 or above.

Last week-end on a road trip I took along "Digging to America" by Anne Tyler. A really great read--covers adoption, immigration, culture, and older women and romance.

My Book House

2007-06-15T09:22:00.000-04:00

My mother got a set of My Book House as a bonus buy when she bought a set of Book of Knowledge encyclopedias probably in the early 1940s. At least, I don't remember a time we didn't have both sets. Ours was probably the 1937 edition. Sometime in the mid-1970s, I walked into a little antique store in Lakeside, OH, and saw a set for $25, a 1953 printing. It was a lot of money for something my children had probably already outgrown, but one of my siblings (with the first grandchild) had been given the family set. Our very most favorite story to cuddle on the couch with was, 'Wee wee mannie and the big big coo," because we loved to hear Mom do the accent.

The covers/binding of my set are like the above photo [taken from the internet, but that is from the 60s], and the set I grew up with was dark blue. The illustrations seem unchanged. Fabulous. A child can look for hours at one painting or drawing. The early sets from the 20s had only 6 volumes. Google Olive Beaupre Miller, the editor, for her very interesting story. Her papers are at Smith College. She lived in Illinois and some years back I read a very nice biography of her in an Illinois magazine, but I can't seem to lay my hands on it.

My favorite story for Mother to read to us was "Wee wee mannie and the big big Coo," which is about a very cantankerous cow (Big Coo) that won't behave until told (by Wee Mannie) to misbehave, kick and bellow and then she does just the opposite. I don't think there was a political or pacifist subtext to it, but Mother was very smart, so who knows? She probably didn't know that in the traditional version, Big Coo is threatened with a knife and then she decides to cooperate. Olive B. Miller, the editor of My Book House, probably thought it was too violent an ending for children.

Some parts of this entry are cross posted at Collecting My Thoughts.

The Correct Thing in Good Society

2007-06-15T09:04:00.000-04:00

I have a book from my grandparents' library titled, "The Correct Thing in Good Society," by Florence Howe Hall (Boston: Page Company, 1902). It also gives advice on what is not correct. For instance, if you are providing a luncheon for your lady friends, it is not the correct thing

I've let my butler go--just too many slip ups at my luncheons, like forgetting the butter knives.