Apr 17, 2020 | Random Musings
Angela Haupt of the Washington Post recently shared a fun list with the types of readers you meet during a lockdown. I belong to the very first group. With a restless 4-year-old always around and with both Electra and me working from home, getting a free moment to...
Mar 15, 2020 | Fun Historical Facts
Jane Austen, the writer of Emma, Pride and Prejudice, and Sense and Sensibility (among others) is widely considered ignored in her lifetime–and a bit of a prude. As Devoney Looser explains in The Washington Post, these are just two of the persistent myths...
Feb 21, 2020 | Publishing
I recently wrote about the welcome fact that in 2019, more Americans went to the library than to the movies. At a time when the 2021 US budget seeks to eliminate funding for libraries, this is wonderful news indeed. But what books do library patrons check out? Ron...
Aug 21, 2019 | Fun Historical Facts
In my book, A Heaven for Toasters, the main source of protein is insects and lab-grown meat (I only hint at this, so don’t worry if you missed that). As with all things futuristic, I based this on current trends. One of these is using maggots, specifically the...
Aug 11, 2019 | Fun Historical Facts
In early 19th century rural New England, there was little doubt about how to deal with vampires: you dug up the corpse, took head and limbs, and rearranged them on top of the ribs in the design of a skull and crossbones. That would stop the mischevious spirit from...
Aug 3, 2019 | Fun Historical Facts
With all the controversy surrounding fake media and fake news, it’s easy to forget that real journalism not only has existed for a long time but has many forgotten heroes. One of them is Elizabeth Cochrane, a pioneering female journalist who’s finally...
Jun 3, 2019 | Fun Historical Facts
Fans of books and writing will be thrilled to learn of this rare find: a newspaper published on December 28, 1774, accidentally discovered in a New Jersey Goodwill facility! As The Washington Post reports, Mike Storms was walking among the crowded shelves of the New...
May 31, 2019 | Entertainment
While Game of Thrones is finally over, another war is raging unabated: the one between premium television networks, seeking a new show to rule the world “Thrones” created. As The Washington Post reports, Netflix, Apple, Amazon, and Showtime have all been feverishly...
Nov 13, 2018 | Fun Historical Facts
I don’t often share obituaries on my blog but this one is an exception as it is about an unsung hero: Todd Bol, whose Little Free Library brought books to the street corner. He died Oct. 18 at a hospice center in Oakdale, Minn. at the age of 62. It All Started...
