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To This Great Stage of Fools: Born April 26th

Apr26

John James Audubon, b. 1785. Naturalist, artist and author of Birds of America. Did you know he was born in Haiti?

Charles Francis Richter, b. 1900. Author, inventor, seismologist, inventor of the Richter scale to measure the magnitude of earthquakes. Would you rather live in earthquake country, tornado alley, or on the hurricane coast? I’ve lived in tornado alley, and it’s scary because tornadoes are so unpredictable; they can change directions very quickly, touch down, wreak havoc, and then disappear. You get used to the idea, however, and tornado watches are commonplace and often go unnoticed by native West Texans. I now live in the path of a possible hurricane, and although you can see them coming, it’s difficult to know when it’s necessary to leave—as evidenced by Katrina and Rita. I’ve never lived where an earthquake is likely, and I never want to live there (California). The idea of the earth no longer being firm and trustworthy under my feet is beyond scary; it’s just not right.

Bernard Malamud, b. 1914. American author of novels and short stories, including The Natural and The Fixer. I’ve never read any Malamud, but my mom took a Jewish American literature class once upon a time, and I typed her papers (thirty plus pages long on a typewriter!). So I feel as if I am at least acquainted with Mr. Malamud’s work.

Patricia Reilly Giff, b. 1935. Author of light reading material for children, especially girls. I’ve read a couple of her books, and they’re OK.

To This Great Stage of Fools: Born April 12th

Apr12


Johanna Spyri, b. 1827. I have found birthdates of April 12, June 12, and July 12, all in 1827, for this author of the beautiful story Heidi. Take your pick, but read Heidi. It’s a wonderful story about a feisty little girl, Heidi, and her friend Peter and how they are tempted to do wrong, confused about spiritual things, and finally loved and forgiven. The themes of the story—broken relationships, reconciliation, forgiveness, sin and temptation–are woven into the story in a way that teaches and entertains at the same time. Modern writers of “Christian fiction” could learn a few things from reading and emulating Johanna Spyri’s classic book.

Henry Clay, b. 1877. He ran for president and was defeated three times. Always a bridesmaid . . .

Hardie Gramatky, b. 1907. Author of Hercules: The Story of an Old-Fashioned Fire Engine and Little Toot.

Beverly Cleary, b. 1916, is 90 years old today, and the celebration includes D.E.A.R. Day. Do all you children’s literature aficionados know what D.E.A.R. stands for? Have you D.E.A.R.-ed today?

I gave Betsy-Bee (age 7) a choice last Saturday between reading Heidi or Ramona the Pest for our next read aloud book. She chose Ramona, so we’re reading all about Ramona Quimby’s adventures in kindergarten. I had no idea until I was writing this post that the two authors might share a birthday.

On this day at sunset, the Jewish celebration of Passover begins. And Wordswimmer, a blog on writing and the writing process, with a special focus on writing for children, shares excerpts from a conversation with Yehuda Amichai, Israeli poet, on the writing process entitled Encouraging Words to a Young Poet.

Jill Paton Walsh and Dorothy Sayers

Apr29

Today is the birthday of Jill Paton Walsh, author of several good children’s and young adult novels. However, of even more interest, she is also the author of Thrones, Dominations a continuation of the Lord Peter Wimsey saga by Dorothy Sayers and based on notes Sayers kept for another Lord Peter novel. I have a copy of Thrones, Dominations, and I have read it and thought it was well done. Now I find in a visit to Walsh’s website that she has published another Lord Peter novel–A Presumption of Death. I also found this speech given by Walsh at The Dorothy L. Sayers Memorial Lecture in May 2002. In the speech Walsh talks about Lord Peter and Harriet Vane, the characters Walsh has “inherited” so to speak. She says something interesting about writing with someone else’s characters:

The point I am making is that if Peter is to remain himself, a recognisable person, continuous with the person we have come to know and love, then he must change. Married love will change him, fatherhood will change him, war will change him. There will be more Lord Peter, but no more of the same Lord Peter.

Definitely, for a series of books to continue to be interesting, the characters must change and “grow.” Is this true of real people also, of marriages? If the two people in a marriage stay exactly the same people that they were when they married, do they become bored with each other? Too much change and Lord Peter would be unrecognizable as Lord Peter. It seems we need just enough growth to keep it interesting. Is this one reason the Holy Spirit changes us, remakes us into Christ’s image, but slowly? Sometimes I seem to change so imperceptibly, and the pace is excruciatlingly slow. I am impatient. But I don’t want to become someone else. So, Lord, change me slowly, carefully, into the person you created me to be. Even in heaven, won’t there be change, growth, learning? Otherwise, heaven would be a slow death instead of life everlasting.
I’m looking forward to reading this new Lord Peter book by Jill Paton Walsh as one looks forward to a particularly favorite meal.

Boxcar Children

Apr17

Gertrude Chandler Warner, author of The Boxcar Children was born on this day in 1890. It turns out she was a first grade teacher who never actually finished high school herself (although she did study with a tutor–homeschooled?). The bio I read said she taught 40 first graders in the morning and another 40 in the afternoon. And today’s teachers think they have a hard job! She wrote her mystery stories for her first graders who were just learning to read. (Today they’re recommended for third graders–another example of how American education has declined.) At any rate, I can remember still how intriguing the thought was of living in an old abandoned boxcar with only other children and using one’s ingenuity to earn enough to get food and other necessities. It was all so very romantic and adventurous. I must have read the books when I was six or seven, and I know I wanted to be one of the Boxcar children.

The Boxcar Children books by Gertrude Chandler Warner can be borrowed by member families from Meriadoc Homeschool Library.