Library of Congress

President's Day is one of the few occasions when photography is allowed in the Main Reading Room of the Library of Congress. So I went over to take advantage of the opportunity. Here is a set of photographs from today. All of these photographs are of the Thomas Jefferson Building, competed in 1897. There is one photograph of the Capital Building, which is taken out a window in the Jefferson building.


Library of Congress - 2/20/2012

Oh, the Places You'll Go

Dr. Suess meets Burning Man. This is almost as surreal as Suess' illustrations.

Goodnight iPad

Over at Brain Pickings blog there is a post of The Best Children’s and Picture Books of 2011. Here is a video version of one of them—Goodnight iPad.

The Swerve

Last night the National Book Award for non-fiction was awarded to Stephen Greenblatt for his book, The Swerve: How the World Became Modern. The book is about the poem "On the Nature of Things", written by Lucretius over two thousand years ago. It was then lost for 1,000 years, and then rediscovered by Poggio Bracciolini in 1417.

I read the book last month, and am skeptical of Greenblatt's thesis that the rediscovery of this poem sparked the renaissance, but it is an incredibly interesting story all the same.

Here is an interview with Greenblatt where he discusses the book.

The Greater Journey

An interview with David McCullough discussing his most recent book, The Greater Journey. I am reading this book about Americans who went to Paris in the 1800's. The books covers a lot of interesting people, and since I didn't know hardly anything about French history between the downfall of Napoleon and the beginning of WW I, I am learning a lot.

Devil Sent the Rain

Tom Piazza discusses his recent book of essays, "Devil Sent the Rain". Some of the essays are from his previous work for the Oxford American magazine. He also is writer for the HBO series Treme.

Babar at 80

An interview with Laurent de Brunhoff, the current writer and illustrator of the Babar the elephant books.

Sisters of Fortune

A video of Jehanne Wake discussing her recent book, Sisters of Fortune: America's Caton Sisters at Home and Abroad. An interesting account of the granddaughters of Charles Carroll of Carrollton, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, and once the wealthiest man in Maryland. Initially raised in Maryland, three of the four sisters spent most of their adult lives in England. Despite the fact that they were from primitive America, they soon integrated into the upper reaches of British society. On a more parochial note, Catonsville is located on the estate that Charles Carroll bought for their parents.

The St Cuthbert Gospel

A video on the British Library's purchase of the St. Cuthbert Gospel of St. John. Dating from the 7th century, it is the oldest known European book still totally intact with the original binding. I doubt that anyone will ever pay millions of dollars for a 1,000 year old ebook, in fact I doubt that any ebooks last 1,000 years.

The Great Silence

I recently read The Great Silence: Britain from the Shadow of the First World War to the Dawn of the Jazz Age by Juliet Nicolson. The book covers the impact that WWI had on British culture and society, through the stories of individuals from many different walks of life. A lot of the stories deal with changes in the status of women and the servant class, as well as threats to the Monarchy, and the importation of Jazz music from America.

Of course the overriding theme is the tremendous amount of grief that everyone had to deal with after the death or disfigurement of 100,000's of men.

The book concludes on November 11 ,1920—two years after the armistice—with the burial of the Unknown Warrior in Westminster Abbey. Below is a film of that actual event.

Indian\Settler Conflicts

A post on two books I have recently read about the conflict between white settlers and native Americans.

Peaceable Kingdom Lost: The Paxton Boys and the Destruction of William Penn's Holy Experiment, by Kevin Kenny, covers the conflicts that finally pushed the Indians out of Pennsylvania. Penn, a Quaker, was determined to live peaceably with the native Americans. He would only allow settlement on land that he had previously purchased from the Indians. This was partially to prevent conflicts, and partially so he could control the growth of settlements. Penn's heirs rejected his Quakerism, and over the years Quaker influence waned as many Scotch-Irish Presbyterians migrated into Pennsylvania. Prompted by the belief that the land was being "wasted" by the native American, and that it should rightfully be taken by Christians, the Indians were brutally dispossessed, and eventually pushed out of Pennsylvania.

The book also covers one of the most intriguing incidents in American History, the war between Connecticut and Pennsylvania in the last half of the 1700's. Deciding that Connecticut was running out of room, a group of men from that state decided that they should just take part of northern Pennsylvania. The conflict that ensued lasted for years, and was not settled until after the American Revolution.

Empire of the Summer Moon: Quanah Parker and the Rise and Fall of the Comanches, the Most Powerful Indian Tribe in American History by S. C. Gwynne, is set in Texas, and the Great Plains. The book is structured around the events that resulted from the 1836 Commanche kidnapping of nine year old Cynthia Ann Parker in a raid on her families Texas settlement. Parker assimilated into the Commanche tribe, married a prominent leader and bore three children, before she was then kidnapped back by the whites. (These events were the real life inspiration for the John Wayne's 1956 film, The Searchers.)

Parker's eldest son Quanah was left behind during her second kidnapping, and he went on to become one of the most influential Commanches, leading resistance to white take over of the Plains. Quanah retained his influence after the Commanches were settled to a reservation, but by this time his mother had died, so he was never to see her again.

Here is clip of the author discussing the book.

Otto Dix on War

A video with a collection of art from Otto Dix (1891-1969) on the subject of War. Dix served in the Germany army during WWI, and was present at the Battle of the Somme. From his artwork it is clear that he was profoundly affected by this experience. Much of his work can be unpleasant to look at, but very few artists can match his ability to capture the gruesomeness of his experience.

I was prompted to post this by the book I just finished reading, To End All Wars: A Story of Loyalty and Rebellion, 1914-1918, about the conflict in the UK during WWI between those who thought the war was a noble cause, and those who were totally opposed to the war. My May 3, 2011 blog post is about this book.

To End All Wars

Next up on my reading list To End All Wars: A Story of Loyalty and Rebellion, 1914-1918 by Adam Hochschild. Published today, the book explores the conflict between pacifists and those supporting Britain's entry into WW I.

Hochschild's 1999 book, King Leopold's Ghost: A Story of Greed, Terror, and Heroism in Colonial Africa, covers the little known history of the Belgium Congo. The story in that book is so gruesome, it is hard to believe it actually happened. In 2005 he published Bury the Chains: Prophets and Rebels in the Fight to Free an Empire's Slaves, about the abolition of slavery in the British Empire. I would say the Hochschild is one of the best non-fiction writers today, so I am anxious to read his new book.

The Wordy Shipmates

Sarah Vowell talking about her book on the early years of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Titled The Wordy Shipmates, the book focuses on the writings of the early settlers, including John Winthrop's sermon "A Model of Christian Charity". 17th Century New Englanders argued about justification by grace, the way people today argue about a balance budget. The subject may change, but the argument remains the same.

No matter what topic Vowell decides to write about, she can always make it engaging.This book was published a couple years ago, but I just got around to reading it.

Maurice Sendak & The Hobbit

Here is an essay from the LA Times' blog "Hero Complex" about an attempt, in the 1960's, to have Maurice Sendak create a set of illustrations for The Hobbit.

The Hobbit illustrated by Maurice Sendak?

The Marble Faun

For the first day of spring, a quote from The Marble Faun.

The advance of vegetation, in this softer climate, is less abrupt than the inhabitant of the cold North is accustomed to observe. Beginning earlier,—even in February,—Spring is not compelled to burst into Summer with such headlong haste; there is time to dwell upon each opening beauty, and to enjoy the budding leaf, the tender green, the sweet youth and freshness of the year; it gives us its maiden charm, before, settling into the married Summer, which, again, does not so soon sober itself into matronly Autumn. In our own country, the virgin Spring hastens to its bridal too abruptly. But here, after a month or two of kindly growth, the leaves of the young trees, which cover that portion of the Borghese grounds nearest the city wall, were still in their tender half-development.

— The Marble Faun, Chapter 12, by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Gatsby Mansion to be Razed

Lands End—thought to be the inspiration for Daisy Buchanan's home in F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby—is schedule to be razed. Off course, it will be replaced by several mcmansion's which will probably never inspire anything..

[Added 3/9/11 - I have included a post on my music blog to accompany this post.]

Gatsby-Linked Long Island Mansion to Be Razed
to Make Way for Subdivision

[Added 4/20/11 - Alas, it has been turn down.]

Beatrice and Virgil

So I final read Beatrice and Virgil, and I liked it probably even more than Life of Pi. I like the fact that Yann Martel always tries to write something totally different than what he has written before. A lot of authors just try to do the same thing over and over.

My favorite part of the book would have to be Virgil's attempt to explain to Beatrice what a pear is. After you read this you will never look at a pear the same again.

There is also a lot of brutality in the book, but at the same time the relationship between Beatrice—a donkey— and Virgil—a howler monkey— is quite moving.

I already have posted two video of Martel discussing this book, so you can go back and look at them for more on this book. (April 14, 2010 and May 24,2010)

1640 Luthern Bible

A news story on a 1640 Lutheran Bible that was discovered in a school in Bondeul, Wisconsin.

WLUK Story: 340-Year-Old Bible Found @ Yahoo! Video

Rochefoucauld Grail - Follow Up

The Rochefoucauld Grail. which I blogged about back in November, has sold for £2.39m ($3.71m). Here is the story from the Independent.