I haven’t thought about Jean Shepherd for a long time. But there was a time – I think it was when I was in junior high school – when, like many adolescent boys in metro New York, I couldn’t get enough of him. You may know Shephard are the voiceover of and inspiration for the […]
Jean Shepherd, Who I Loved, Was From Indiana Read More »
“I know all about refugees,” Sesame Street’s Grover tells “Deputy Secretary Tony Blinken from the State Department,” in a marvelous, now-viral video made in 2016. (Google it if you haven’ seen it!) “You do?” asks Blinken, who President-elect Joe Biden will nominate to be the next US Secretary of State. “Of course I do,” Grover
Tony Blinken, Sesame Street, and the Plight of Refugees Read More »
Sometimes a thin stamp contains layers of meaning. Today’s #stampoftheday, a 3-cent stamp issued on December 9. 1948 that pictures Joel Chandler Harris, is one of those stamps. Before I started writing this post, I didn’t know who Harris was. But it turns out I am indirectly familiar with his work because Harris, who was
What Should We Make of Uncle Remus? Read More »
“Isn’t it queer: there are only two or three human stories, and they go on repeating themselves as fiercely as if they had never happened before; like the larks in this country, that have been singing the same five notes over for thousands of years.” This striking observation comes from “Oh Pioneers,” a 1913 novel
Don’t Ignore Willa Cather Read More »
When you are travelling in Ecuador, there’s no good reason to read Carl Hiaasen’s “Stormy Weather,” a dark and humorous novel that, like all his books partially takes place in the Everglades, which are the subject of today’s #stampoftheday, a 3-cent stamp issued on December 5, 1947. But that’s what I did in 2011 (back
The Neverending Fight to Preserve the Everglades Read More »
I’m a longtime member of the intramural softball team fielded by Tufts University’s Art History Department. But, as anyone who knows me can attest, I do not have a strong sense of design. This is salient because today’s #stampoftheday was the first US stamp to feature an abstract piece of art. A 5-cent stamp honoring
The Power of Design Read More »
Could today’s #stampoftheday be the unmade sequel to “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?” I ask because the plot of that delightfully goofy 1988 film turns (spoiler alert) on the villainous Judge Doom’s plan to have Cloverleaf Industries purchase and demolish the Red Car Trolley Line, which, in turn, would force people to drive on the freeway
Roger Rabbit and the Highway Post Offices Read More »
In 1969, my father took me to Shea Stadium to see the third (and final) playoff game between my beloved New York Mets and the Atlanta Braves. At some point in the game, the Braves, who were losing, brought in Cecil Upshaw, a forgettable relief pitcher with an unforgettable name. Although Upshaw didn’t give up
Cecil Upshaw, Wendall Downdraft and Washington Irving Read More »
“Never let the truth get in the way of a good story ,” is a saying falsely attributed to Mark Twain that I’ve often jokingly quoted in my work as a reporter and editor. The advice Twain didn’t offer came to mind as I considered what to write about today’s #stampoftheday, a 1-cent stamp issued
Robert Livington Is Not the Namesake of Livington, New Jersey Read More »
Every once in a while, the #stampoftheday marks something odd. Today is one of those days, as the #stampoftheday is a 3-cent stamp, issued on November 20, 1948, that commemorated the 100th anniversary of the American Turners Society. Until I saw the stamp, I had never heard of the American Turners Society. And unlike some
The Byrds Were Not American Turners Read More »