“I thought this was supposed to be a work of fiction,” a member of my book group wrote just before we met to discuss Philip Roth’s “The Plot Against America.” Published in 2004, the book imagines that Charles Lindbergh defeated Franklin Roosevelt in the 1940 presidential election and, naturally, how that affected a Jewish family […]
Lindbergh Testifies Against Lend-Lease Read More »
My late brother Neil was very smart and talented. But I find it doubtful that he actually wrote a letter – in exemplary cursive handwriting, no less – to the United Nations Postal Administration (UNPA) in late 1955, when he was 3½ years old. And while my sister Nancy, who was born a year and
Young Neil and Nancy Ask the UN for Stamps Read More »
I grew up with many vestiges of classic Americana. I was a Boy Scout for many years and even worked for two years as a counselor at Camp Glen Grey, a Boy Scout camp in Oakland, New Jersey). I played for two years in my high school marching band. When I was in junior high
Are 4-H Clubs Real? Read More »
I grew up singing many of Stephen Foster’s well-known songs, particularly “Oh Susanna,” “Camptown Races,” and “Old Folks at Home” (aka “Swanee River”). But I don’t remember ever thinking about (or being asked to think about) what I was singing, only that they were catchy and fun songs. But I digress and want to go
Are You Sure You Want to Hum Along with Stephen Foster? Read More »
Happy birthday, Alexander Hamilton! Given all the attention he’s gotten in recent years, I don’t think I can add much to the already rich narratives about Hamilton and his meaning for the 21st century. But I’ll try. As the images of today’s #stampoftheday show, Hamilton – who was an advocate of a strong national government,
My, How Alexander Comes and Goes on US Postage Stamps Read More »
Somewhat amazingly, today’s #stampoftheday honors an organization that reportedly has spent more than $1 million to boost David Perdue’s reelection campaign. The organization is the American Bankers’ Association (ABA), which represents entities that hold over 95 percent of the $13.5 trillion in assets held by US banks, and employ over 2 million people. In addition
What’s the True Price of a Stamp Honoring the American Bankers’ Association Read More »
Do kids still learn about Betsy Ross and the first American flag? When I was a kid, I learned that Betsy Ross, a woman in Philadelphia, made the first American flag. I don’t recall learning how she came to have that job or how we knew that she carried it out. I just knew it
Everthing You Know About Betsy Ross Might Not Be True Read More »
“A History of Ranching,” Buck Winn’s largest painting, is a 280-foot-long mural commissioned in 1950 that hung for decades in the “Corral Room,” at Pearl Beer’s brewery in San Antonio. At the time, it was the world’s longest mural. His smallest painting was the basis for today’s #stampoftheday, a 3-cent stamp, issued on December 29,
Pearl Beer, A History of Ranching, and a Texas-Sized Tale Read More »
“Is this heaven?” Shoeless Joe Jackson asks in “Field of Dreams.” “No,” Ray Kinsella replies. “It’s Iowa.” I know the line – and the movie – are hokey. But I love them anyway because they touch on many things I love and value including the power of love and hope; having the faith and strength
Learning from the Imaginary Iowa Read More »
Growing up, Shea Stadium was almost a religious shrine for me. Little did I know, that the really important – and still quite timey—shrine was less than two miles away. My feelings about Shea were so strong that I would get excited when we went past it as we drove from our home in New
Shea Stadium Wasn’t the Only Shrine in Queens Read More »