Kevin Coolidge
A police officer attempts to stop a car for speeding and the guy gradually increases his speed until he’s topping 100mph. He eventually realizes he can’t escape and finally pulls over. The cop approaches the car and says, “It’s been a long day, and it’s near the end of my shift. If you can just give me a good excuse for your behavior, I’ll let you go.” The man thinks for a few seconds and then says, “My wife ran away with a cop about a week ago. I though you might be that officer trying to give her back!”
Wouldn't you like have an available excuse for the next time you are pulled over? Then you’re going to want to pick up a copy of Speeding Excuses That Work by Alex Carroll, published by Gray Area Press. This book contains true stories from drivers who outfoxed the cops and escaped moving violations. Now their secrets can work for you, too. Before I get to the good stuff, let me post a little note to the boys in blue.
Memo to All Cops
This book is full of lies. Excuses people used to get out of a speeding ticket. Is it right? Well, is a speeding trap right? I feel a speeding trap is inherently dishonest. I appeal to you to be officers of traffic safety and not officers of traffic revenue. Pursue the reckless drivers, the impaired drivers, the drivers talking on their cell phones. They are the real dangers on the road today. Setting up speed traps just to fill some quota at the expense of some easy-to-catch motorist going with the flow of traffic isn't protecting anyone. For all those good cops out there who really do serve and protect, thanks for all you do.
Who wants to be pulled over? This handy book also includes how to spot a cop before he spots you. For example, watch out on freeways with bushes and trees in the median. There are often little nooks where the staties lie in wait, and cops love to park under bridges/overpasses. Considering a radar detector? The author tells you what to do and what not to do. You don't want to plug it into your cigarette lighter. It’s the first place cops look.
OK, so we all know the best way to avoid a speeding ticket is not to speed, but I'm sure I'm not the only who has gotten a ticket on an open stretch of road.. Should you use any of these excuses? Should you really have to face increased premiums for just going with the flow? You decide. If you want to save a fortune in fines and insurance surcharges, then you are going to love the story of the man who turned his garden hose into a ticket terminator. The author also includes a cheat sheet of handy excuses to carry in your car. He also includes gender specific excuses.
Sooner or later, you are bound to be pulled over, if just for a broken taillight. The author gives good advice on what to do and what not to do. Address him as "officer," not “sir.” Sir can sound too contrived. Which cop is most likely to issue you a ticket? The higher the rank, the less likely you are to receive a ticket, because senior officers have better things to do than go to traffic court -- like play golf. This book will give you the inside knowledge to determine rank. Sometimes addressing an officer by a higher rank can get you brownie points, but the last thing you want to do is call him a lower rank than he is.
So what happens if your excuse doesn't fly? Try Alex Carroll's other book Beat the Cops, the Guide to Fighting Your Traffic Ticket and Winning. This book can tell you how to dodge a photo radar ticket, how to schedule a trial during an officer’s vacation, and how the public records law could guarantee you a win. If you feel you were ticket unfairly, you owe it to yourself and to democracy. Don’t be afraid to read these books. Don’t be afraid to exercise your rights…
What came first? The speed trap, or the excuse? Email me at frommyshelf@epix.net. Miss a pass column? Speed over to http://frommyshelf.blogspot.com and catch up on past violations. Hobo's going Gonzo. Vote for Hobo in the upcoming election for Tioga County sheriff. Vote early and vote often. "Hobo For Sheriff--Guns, Guts, and Gonzo"
Monday, May 4, 2009
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Chlorinating the Gene Pool
Kevin Coolidge
“Only two things are infinite—the universe and human stupidity, and I’m not sure about the universe.”… Albert Einstein
One day a park ranger joined a crowd that had gathered to watch a bear. One woman and her little boy stood out in the crowd. She was smearing something all over the boy’s face. The ranger asked the woman what she was doing. She answered. “Putting honey on him, of course!” Stunned, he asked the obvious question: Why?
She answered matter-of-factly, “I want to take a picture of the bear licking it off his face!”……
Survival of the fittest, better known as natural selection, is a basic tenant of modern biology. Any individual organism which succeeds in reproducing itself will contribute to the survival of the species, though sometimes the sole purpose is to serve as a bad example to others. These individuals will unlikely ever be recipients of the Nobel Prize, but they can be honored with their very own “Darwin” award.
A Darwin award is an “honor” named after evolutionary theorist Charles Darwin. Awards are given for people who "do a service to Humanity by removing themselves from the Gene pool”. According to Wendy Northcutt, author of the Darwin Award books: "The Awards honor people who ensure the long-term survival of the human race by removing themselves from the gene pool in a sublimely idiotic fashion.”
All races, cultures, and socioeconomic groups are eligible to compete. Contenders are evaluated using the following criteria:
The candidate must remove himself from the gene pool: The Darwin awards celebrate the self-removal of incompetent genetic material from humanity. The potential winner must render himself deceased or incapable of reproducing. The man who “tried to make a horse do something she didn’t want to do”, and was bitten in the process qualifies…
The candidate must exhibit an astounding misapplication of judgment: The award is intended to be funny, and we aren’t talking about common stupidities—such as smoking in bed. We’re talking as using live ammunition as a fuse…
The candidate must be the cause of his own demise: The candidate’s own gross ineptitude must be the cause of the incident. A hapless bystander killed with a rock dropped from a great height is a terrible accident. If a do-it-yourselfer is killed by an anvil he rigged to kill that annoying chipmunk in his backyard, that’s comedy…
The candidate must be a capable of sound judgment: Humans are generally capable of sound judgment. Nominees must be 16 years or older and free of mental defect. That means no children, Alzheimer’s disease sufferers, or Down syndrome patients. Remembering to measure the length of the bungee cords, and having the foresight to anchor the bitter end, but not accounting for the stretched length being greater than the distance between the bridge and the ground, that qualifies you…
The event must be verified: The story must be documented by a reliable source—such a newspaper article or responsible eyewitness. No Photoshop or chain emails please. If a story is found to be untrue, it is disqualified, but particularly amusing ones are placed in the urban legend section. The jet-assisted Impala may have been debunked, but the need for speed and poor judgment is forever with us…
The Darwin Awards books by Wendy Northcutt are cautionary tales of misadventure assembled and intended to be viewed as a comical safety manual, not a how-to guide. Please do not try these at home. These stories are not meant to be read all at once, but savored, and are most appealing when consumed a few at a time. Wendy walks that fine line between horror and humor. So pay attention, stay alive, and celebrate the survival of the fit enough… where the winner is …eliminated!
Evolution? Or intelligent design? Email me at frommyshelf@epix.net For past incarnations of former columns, visit frommyshelf.blogspot.com. Hobo is a cat with nine lives, read about his current existence in “Hobo Finds A Home” a children’s story about a cat who left the farm for adventure and a new life.
“Only two things are infinite—the universe and human stupidity, and I’m not sure about the universe.”… Albert Einstein
One day a park ranger joined a crowd that had gathered to watch a bear. One woman and her little boy stood out in the crowd. She was smearing something all over the boy’s face. The ranger asked the woman what she was doing. She answered. “Putting honey on him, of course!” Stunned, he asked the obvious question: Why?
She answered matter-of-factly, “I want to take a picture of the bear licking it off his face!”……
Survival of the fittest, better known as natural selection, is a basic tenant of modern biology. Any individual organism which succeeds in reproducing itself will contribute to the survival of the species, though sometimes the sole purpose is to serve as a bad example to others. These individuals will unlikely ever be recipients of the Nobel Prize, but they can be honored with their very own “Darwin” award.
A Darwin award is an “honor” named after evolutionary theorist Charles Darwin. Awards are given for people who "do a service to Humanity by removing themselves from the Gene pool”. According to Wendy Northcutt, author of the Darwin Award books: "The Awards honor people who ensure the long-term survival of the human race by removing themselves from the gene pool in a sublimely idiotic fashion.”
All races, cultures, and socioeconomic groups are eligible to compete. Contenders are evaluated using the following criteria:
The candidate must remove himself from the gene pool: The Darwin awards celebrate the self-removal of incompetent genetic material from humanity. The potential winner must render himself deceased or incapable of reproducing. The man who “tried to make a horse do something she didn’t want to do”, and was bitten in the process qualifies…
The candidate must exhibit an astounding misapplication of judgment: The award is intended to be funny, and we aren’t talking about common stupidities—such as smoking in bed. We’re talking as using live ammunition as a fuse…
The candidate must be the cause of his own demise: The candidate’s own gross ineptitude must be the cause of the incident. A hapless bystander killed with a rock dropped from a great height is a terrible accident. If a do-it-yourselfer is killed by an anvil he rigged to kill that annoying chipmunk in his backyard, that’s comedy…
The candidate must be a capable of sound judgment: Humans are generally capable of sound judgment. Nominees must be 16 years or older and free of mental defect. That means no children, Alzheimer’s disease sufferers, or Down syndrome patients. Remembering to measure the length of the bungee cords, and having the foresight to anchor the bitter end, but not accounting for the stretched length being greater than the distance between the bridge and the ground, that qualifies you…
The event must be verified: The story must be documented by a reliable source—such a newspaper article or responsible eyewitness. No Photoshop or chain emails please. If a story is found to be untrue, it is disqualified, but particularly amusing ones are placed in the urban legend section. The jet-assisted Impala may have been debunked, but the need for speed and poor judgment is forever with us…
The Darwin Awards books by Wendy Northcutt are cautionary tales of misadventure assembled and intended to be viewed as a comical safety manual, not a how-to guide. Please do not try these at home. These stories are not meant to be read all at once, but savored, and are most appealing when consumed a few at a time. Wendy walks that fine line between horror and humor. So pay attention, stay alive, and celebrate the survival of the fit enough… where the winner is …eliminated!
Evolution? Or intelligent design? Email me at frommyshelf@epix.net For past incarnations of former columns, visit frommyshelf.blogspot.com. Hobo is a cat with nine lives, read about his current existence in “Hobo Finds A Home” a children’s story about a cat who left the farm for adventure and a new life.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Sweet Memories
Kevin Coolidge
“More rain, more rain.” I look out my window and see a fat robin hopping across the lawn. The calendar says March 20th. It must be spring, even though there’s a light dusting of snow on the ground. Spring is coming, I can taste it in the air, and soon we’ll be planting gardens and pulling weeds, complaining that it is “too hot.” When you are working in the field, there’s nothing like a cool glass of switzel.
I grew up drinking switzel. My Grandma would make a cold pitcher for my dad and me when we were hauling wood or doing chores. Just what is switzel? Switzel – also known as switchel, swizzle, ginger-water or haymaker's punch – is a beverage made of water mixed with vinegar and honey, then seasoned with ginger.
Switzel is believed to have originated in the Caribbean, where molasses was often used for a sweetener. By the late 1600s, it had become a popular drink in the American colonies and by the 1800s it had become a traditional drink to serve to thirsty farmers at hay harvest time, hence the nickname haymaker’s punch.
Sugar, brown sugar, or maple syrup is also sometimes used to sweeten the drink instead of honey. In Vermont oatmeal was sometimes added to give the drink extra body and lemon juice is also occasionally added to the beverage. My grandma and mom only ever made switzel with honey. The ratio of sweetener and vinegar to water varies widely in traditional and modern recipes, but here’s a basic recipe to get you started.
8 cups water
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup honey
1 teaspoon ground ginger
For more great recipes with honey, I recommend checking out The Healthy Taste of Honey: Recipes, Anecdotes & Lore by Larry Lonik, published RKT Publishing. There are recipes from around the world, including old German, Croatian, Slavic, Russian, Polish, Canadian, and American. There are twelve categories of honey recipes here: for cooking, baking, canning, roasting, barbequing, freezing and more—and all for eating or drinking. The majority of the recipes are “sugarless” meaning they require no white sugar. A few, however, do call for sugar as well as honey, as the author did not wish to alter the ingredients of these long-treasured secrets.
The Healthy Taste of Honey is more than just a book of recipes. It’s filled with fascinating facts about the social insect which produces honey. For example, there are 500 honeybees for every human being. Larry Lonik also includes a brief history of the honeybee in North America. The honeybee is not native, but introduced to the continent by early settlers.
Honey has been a part of mankind’s history. In many cultures, honey has associations that go beyond its use as a food. The Egyptians sometimes used honey for embalming, and in the Roman Empire, honey was possibly used to pay taxes instead of gold. The Old Testament has many references to honey, the most famous being from the book of Exodus describing the Promised Land as a “land flowing with milk and honey.” Yes, the fate of man and honeybee are intertwined. It has been said, that “If the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe, then man would only have four years of life left”…
Switzel? Gatorade™ or an ice cold beer? Email me at frommyshelf@epix.net Buzz on over to http://frommyshelf.blogspot.com to check the hive for past columns. Hobo prefers butterflies to bees -- read all about it in “Hobo Finds A Home,” a children’s book about a cat who doesn’t want to drink switzel.
“More rain, more rain.” I look out my window and see a fat robin hopping across the lawn. The calendar says March 20th. It must be spring, even though there’s a light dusting of snow on the ground. Spring is coming, I can taste it in the air, and soon we’ll be planting gardens and pulling weeds, complaining that it is “too hot.” When you are working in the field, there’s nothing like a cool glass of switzel.
I grew up drinking switzel. My Grandma would make a cold pitcher for my dad and me when we were hauling wood or doing chores. Just what is switzel? Switzel – also known as switchel, swizzle, ginger-water or haymaker's punch – is a beverage made of water mixed with vinegar and honey, then seasoned with ginger.
Switzel is believed to have originated in the Caribbean, where molasses was often used for a sweetener. By the late 1600s, it had become a popular drink in the American colonies and by the 1800s it had become a traditional drink to serve to thirsty farmers at hay harvest time, hence the nickname haymaker’s punch.
Sugar, brown sugar, or maple syrup is also sometimes used to sweeten the drink instead of honey. In Vermont oatmeal was sometimes added to give the drink extra body and lemon juice is also occasionally added to the beverage. My grandma and mom only ever made switzel with honey. The ratio of sweetener and vinegar to water varies widely in traditional and modern recipes, but here’s a basic recipe to get you started.
8 cups water
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup honey
1 teaspoon ground ginger
For more great recipes with honey, I recommend checking out The Healthy Taste of Honey: Recipes, Anecdotes & Lore by Larry Lonik, published RKT Publishing. There are recipes from around the world, including old German, Croatian, Slavic, Russian, Polish, Canadian, and American. There are twelve categories of honey recipes here: for cooking, baking, canning, roasting, barbequing, freezing and more—and all for eating or drinking. The majority of the recipes are “sugarless” meaning they require no white sugar. A few, however, do call for sugar as well as honey, as the author did not wish to alter the ingredients of these long-treasured secrets.
The Healthy Taste of Honey is more than just a book of recipes. It’s filled with fascinating facts about the social insect which produces honey. For example, there are 500 honeybees for every human being. Larry Lonik also includes a brief history of the honeybee in North America. The honeybee is not native, but introduced to the continent by early settlers.
Honey has been a part of mankind’s history. In many cultures, honey has associations that go beyond its use as a food. The Egyptians sometimes used honey for embalming, and in the Roman Empire, honey was possibly used to pay taxes instead of gold. The Old Testament has many references to honey, the most famous being from the book of Exodus describing the Promised Land as a “land flowing with milk and honey.” Yes, the fate of man and honeybee are intertwined. It has been said, that “If the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe, then man would only have four years of life left”…
Switzel? Gatorade™ or an ice cold beer? Email me at frommyshelf@epix.net Buzz on over to http://frommyshelf.blogspot.com to check the hive for past columns. Hobo prefers butterflies to bees -- read all about it in “Hobo Finds A Home,” a children’s book about a cat who doesn’t want to drink switzel.
Author Profile, Wilson Rawls
Kevin Coolidge
It’s a cold night with rain beating against the window – a good night for sleeping. Well, it would be if my neighbor’s dog would only settle down and quit his yowling. Just what is causing that dog to bark so? I go to the door and in the yard I see an old hound pawing through the garbage. His coat is mud-caked and his fur stretched tight over a bony frame. I start to talk to him, “Come here, boy. It’s all right. Come on.”
Limping up with his head bowed and his long tail thumping, I see he has no tags, only a simple collar. He doesn’t belong to anyone in this neighborhood. I raise one of his paws and read his story. His pads are worn and ragged. He has come a long way, and doubtless has a long way to go. I feed him some hamburger left from supper. The old boy, growing restless, whimpers and heads into the darkness.
Sleep isn’t going to come easy tonight. It’s time to grab a good book. I go over to my bookshelf and pick up Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls. It’s one of the great American dog stories. But it’s more than a dog story: it’s about life in the Ozark Mountains before the Great Depression, and it’s about hunting, which means it’s also about death. Interestingly, it’s also a book that came close to not being published.
Wilson Rawls was born “Woodrow Wilson Rawls” in 1913 in the Oklahoma Ozarks. There were no public schools, and Rawls was home-schooled by his mother. He had little interest in reading, thinking that all books were “girl stories”. All that changed when he read a story of a man and a dog – that book was Jack London’s Call of the Wild. Rawls became a voracious reader and began to dream of writing his own book.
In 1928, his family moved to West Virginia, and Rawls started attending high school until he was forced to leave when the Great Depression began. During this time, Rawls bounced from place to place as an itinerant handyman. Along the way, he began to write stories, but without a formal education, his spelling and grammar kept them unsold, and the stories remained hidden in his traveling trunk
In 1958 he married, and, not wanting Sophie, his wife-to-be, to know about his failed dreams, he burned all of the tales he had written. Eventually his wife learned of the burned manuscripts and encouraged him to start writing again. Hesitantly, he rewrote a short story, this time typed and edited by Sophie, and in 1961, it appeared in the Saturday Evening Post and was called The Hounds of Youth, which would later become Where the Red Fern Grows.Wilson Rawls wrote one more book, Summer of the Monkeys before he died in 1984 at the age of 71.
Where the Red Fern Grows and Summer of the Monkeys established a large following for Rawls. His work resonated with readers and critics alike. What he lacked in formal education Rawls more than made up with determination, grit and a love of writing. This young boy once shared his dream with his father, and his father gave him the encouraging advice, "Son, a man can do anything he sets out to do, if he doesn't give up." Rawls never forgot…
Buck? or Old Dan and Little Ann? Email me at frommyshelf@epix.net Sniff out past columns at http://frommyshelf.blogspot.com Hobo says dogs might be man’s best friend, but cats are where it’s at, check out “Hobo Finds A Home”, a children’s book about a cat who found a friend and a home.
It’s a cold night with rain beating against the window – a good night for sleeping. Well, it would be if my neighbor’s dog would only settle down and quit his yowling. Just what is causing that dog to bark so? I go to the door and in the yard I see an old hound pawing through the garbage. His coat is mud-caked and his fur stretched tight over a bony frame. I start to talk to him, “Come here, boy. It’s all right. Come on.”
Limping up with his head bowed and his long tail thumping, I see he has no tags, only a simple collar. He doesn’t belong to anyone in this neighborhood. I raise one of his paws and read his story. His pads are worn and ragged. He has come a long way, and doubtless has a long way to go. I feed him some hamburger left from supper. The old boy, growing restless, whimpers and heads into the darkness.
Sleep isn’t going to come easy tonight. It’s time to grab a good book. I go over to my bookshelf and pick up Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls. It’s one of the great American dog stories. But it’s more than a dog story: it’s about life in the Ozark Mountains before the Great Depression, and it’s about hunting, which means it’s also about death. Interestingly, it’s also a book that came close to not being published.
Wilson Rawls was born “Woodrow Wilson Rawls” in 1913 in the Oklahoma Ozarks. There were no public schools, and Rawls was home-schooled by his mother. He had little interest in reading, thinking that all books were “girl stories”. All that changed when he read a story of a man and a dog – that book was Jack London’s Call of the Wild. Rawls became a voracious reader and began to dream of writing his own book.
In 1928, his family moved to West Virginia, and Rawls started attending high school until he was forced to leave when the Great Depression began. During this time, Rawls bounced from place to place as an itinerant handyman. Along the way, he began to write stories, but without a formal education, his spelling and grammar kept them unsold, and the stories remained hidden in his traveling trunk
In 1958 he married, and, not wanting Sophie, his wife-to-be, to know about his failed dreams, he burned all of the tales he had written. Eventually his wife learned of the burned manuscripts and encouraged him to start writing again. Hesitantly, he rewrote a short story, this time typed and edited by Sophie, and in 1961, it appeared in the Saturday Evening Post and was called The Hounds of Youth, which would later become Where the Red Fern Grows.Wilson Rawls wrote one more book, Summer of the Monkeys before he died in 1984 at the age of 71.
Where the Red Fern Grows and Summer of the Monkeys established a large following for Rawls. His work resonated with readers and critics alike. What he lacked in formal education Rawls more than made up with determination, grit and a love of writing. This young boy once shared his dream with his father, and his father gave him the encouraging advice, "Son, a man can do anything he sets out to do, if he doesn't give up." Rawls never forgot…
Buck? or Old Dan and Little Ann? Email me at frommyshelf@epix.net Sniff out past columns at http://frommyshelf.blogspot.com Hobo says dogs might be man’s best friend, but cats are where it’s at, check out “Hobo Finds A Home”, a children’s book about a cat who found a friend and a home.
Friday, March 13, 2009
From My Shelf: Silent Auction Collectible, Rare and Out-of-Print Books
ATTENTION!!! The date at the top of the post doesn't change, because I just go in with each new bid, and "edit" the original post, but these bids are always current, up to the hour of the latest bids that have come in!!
Welcome to the live, regularly updated website list for From My Shelf's silent auction. This auction starts at noon on Friday the 13th and ends at noon on April Fools' Day. (I wanted the dates to be memorable!) The books are available to look at here at From My Shelf, 87 Main St, Wellsboro, PA, any time during our normal business hours. Also, please feel free to call or email with any questions or to make a bid!
(570) 724-5793 or from_my_shelf@yahoo.com
A portion of the proceeds from each winning bid goes to the Green Free Library for their inventory purchases. By buying these books, you are insuring that they have a loving home, preserving history, AND contributing to literacy in our area. Thanks!
Okay, then, here we go!!!
1. The Goodyears: An Empire in the Hemlocks by Thomas Taber, III
No. 5 in the series ‘Logging Railroad Era of Lumbering in Pennsylvania'
current bid: $8
2. Sawmills Among the Derricks: Kane, Kinzua Valley, Bradford, Crosby, Lewis Run by Thomas Taber, III, No. 7 in the series, ‘Logging Railroad Era of Lumbering in Pennsylvania’
current bid: $7
3. Sunset Along the Susquehanna Waters: Williamsport, Leetonia, Slate Run, Cammal, Glen Union, Gleasonton, No. 4 in the series, ‘Logging Railroad Era of Lumbering in Pennsylvania’
current bid: $9
4. The Little Washingtons by Lillian Elizabeth Roy
Grosset & Dunlap version, copyright circa 1920,
Starting bid $1
5. Dare Boys in Virginia by Stephen Angus Cox Chatterton 1910 …
owned and signed in front by Joseph Borden, of Antrim, PA
Current bid $6
6. Eldorado Found: The Central Pennsylvania Highlands: A Tourist’s Survey by Henry W. Shoemaker Gateway Press, Baltimore, 1993
starting bid $15
7. The Hardy Boys: The Missing Chums
Grosset version, copyright circa 1928 most of dj intact
Starting bid $2
8. The Hardy Boys: What Happened at Midnight
Grosset version, copyright circa 1931 most of dj intact
Starting bid $1
9. The Adventures of Sammy Jay by Thorton W Burgess
Little Brown & Co 1924 no dj
current bid $10
10. Hop-O-My-Thumb by Clifton Johnson, illus. Harry Smith,
part of the “Bedtime Wonder Tales” collection; publisher: Cupples & Leon Co, 1924 edition, acceptable to poor condition. Some loose pages, although all pgs are clean & unmarked. No dj.
Starting bid $7
11. The Tin Woodman of Oz ( a Little Golden Book)
by L. Frank Baum, adapted by Peter Archer, pictures by Harry McNaught,
published by Simon & Schuster, NY 1952 authorized edition,
Small “A” in bottom inside corner of final page of text indicates first edition
Starting bid $15
12. Walt Disney’s “Tonka” (a Little Golden Book) copyright 1959 by Walt Disney, based on the movie, based on the book, “Commanche” by David Appel
current bid $2.50
13. Little Golden Picture Dictionary (A Little Golden Book) copyright 1959 by Nancy Fielding Hulick, illus. by Tibor Gergely great condition
starting bid $2
14. A Day in the Jungle (A Little Golden Book) copyright 1943
by Janette Sebring Lowrey, pictures by Tibor Gergely
last page has an “I”; not first edition very good condition!
current bid: $5
15. Walt Disney’s Peter Pan and Wendy, copyright circa 1952 by Annie North Bedford/Eyvind Earle black ink has bled into edges of many pages,
cond. overall acceptable to good- “A” mark on last page, first edition thus.
Current bid: $12
16. Slapstick by Kurt Vonnegut hardcover with price-clipped vg dj. All pgs clean & unmarked, slightly musty but otherwise vg copy. 1976 Delacorte Press.
Starting bid $7
17. Poems of Love by John Dunne 1958 Folio Press edition in slipcase like new in every way except very slight musty smell, should air out fine, no mildew anywhere……
current bid $10
18. The Home Place by Brian Leyden New Island Press, Dublin
out of print paperback memoir in like new condition, with dj,
SIGNED by author
Starting bid: $18
19. The Beasts of Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs
A.L. Burt Co, no printing date stated, but definitely NOT a first edition … The “Burt” company only did early reprints. This is, however, a hardcover in good+ condition with clean pages and only mild cover wear. No dj.
Starting bid $4
20. The Story of Long Ago : Myths of Greeks and Norsemen; Story of Early Man; & the History of the Old World from the Dawn of Civilization to the Fall of Rome
by Southworth & Southworth; Iroquois Publishing, 1934; good cond. HC, no dj.
Starting bid : $1
21. The Susquehanna by Carl Carmer
as part of the “Rivers of America” series, Rinehart Publishing, 1955,
ex-library with poor dj; library markings, musty smell
current bid: $5
22. The Sandman Companion by Hy Bender hardcover, stated first edition, full number line, signed (inscribed) by Neil Gaiman on title page,
as new condition Dj excellent
Current bid: $25
23. Little Lulu and Her Pals
David McKay Company, 1939 reprint, poor condition
starting bid: $2
24. Laughs with Little Lulu
David McKay Company, 1941 reprint, vg+ condition
starting bid: $10
25. Intoxicants and Opium in All Lands and Times
by Dr. and Mrs. Wilbur Crafts and Mary and Margaret Leitch hc 1906
revised edition, by the Reform Bureau in Washington, D.C.
starting bid: $40
26. Pennsylvania’s Oil Industry by Ernest Miller
booklet, excellent cond. 1974
current bid $2
27. Flatlanders and Ridgerunners by Jim Glimm, original paperback, not recent reprint; good to good+ condition; inscribed by Jim Glimm
starting bid: $15
28. Snakebite by Jim Glimm, hardcover, 1st edition, Univ. of Pittsburgh Press awesome condition!!!! Former owner’s name just inside cover, else as new!
starting bid: $40
29. Life in Wellsboro: 1880 - 1920 by Gale Largey gorgeous hardcover with like new dustjacket, no marks
starting bid: $75
30. Life in Wellsboro: 1920 - 1960 by Gale Largey gorgeous hardcover, as new in every way. Dustjacket still in great condition, a couple of small tears.
current bid: $100
31. Cherry Ames, Chief Nurse by Helen Wells Grosset & Dunlap edition, 1944 Book in good to vg condition, some edgwear, pages tanned. Dustjacket is good condition, lots of edgewear, otherwise clean & bright. Shows Cherry on a Pacific Island, in WWII gear.
current bid: $9
32. An Outline of Tioga and Bradford Counties in Pennsylvania, Chemung, Steuben, Tioga, Tompkins, and Schuyler in New York, by Townships, Villages, Boro's and Cities by "Written expressly for the Gazette Company, Elmira, NY" copyright 1855 by the Gazette Company; hardcover in nearly acceptable shape: pages good, but binding broken
starting bid: $10
33. The Nation's Tribute to Abraham Lincoln compiled by Benjamin Franklin Morris; copyright 1866 by W.H. & O.H. Morrison;
inscription in the back says: "M. Mathias Welliner, Bought May 12, 1866, Lycoming County, Pa"
poor to acceptable condition. hardcover. very musty smell. waterstains throughtout the book, along edges of pages, especially at the top. binding intact, but a little loose in places. pages are very readable, no writing, not much tanning.
A copy of this book sold at auction in San Francisco in 2006 for $95.
starting bid: $50
34. Uncle Remus by Joel Chandler Harris, illustrated by A.B. Frost
Appleton Century Publishers, copyright 1895
some fading to red cloth over hardboard covers, pages clean with little to no tanning, no marks except for previous owners' names written inside front cover: CG Webb and Sally Webb (Judge Webb), binding still very good, no dj.
starting bid: $30
35. Presidents, Soldiers, Statesmen: 1776 - 1894, Volume 1 and Vol. 2 by H.H. Hardesty, copyright 1894 book begins with 1858 "The War of the Rebellion", which here means the stirrings of the Civil War 2 hardcovers in overall good+ condition: pages all well bound; binding is tight but spine slightly tilted, corners bumped. Cover is brown cloth (leather?) over hardboard, with gold-embossed lettering. No dj. Volume 2 includes the history & information on local people involved.
starting bid: $40
36. Glendale & Montrose by Jeffrey Moreau and James Walker, Jr. published by Pacific Bookwork, copyright 1966 softcover in near flawless condition, small tear at bottom front cover, else perfect. Pull-out map of route still attached and in perfect shape.
starting bid: $30
37. The Pacific Coast Company: Ships and Narrow Gauge Rails by Gerald M. Best, copyright 1992 (this is a reprint of the 1964 edition) by Signature Press
near flawless hardcover with near flawless dj
current bid: $20
38. From These Hills, From These Valleys: Selected Fiction About Western Pennsylvania
editor, David P. Demarest, Jr.
hardcover, copyright 1976 by Mellon Bank and the Univ. of Pittsburgh Press
book in very good condition, binding excellent with only slight tilt; all pages clean and unmarked; dustjacket has edgewear but is otherwise vg
starting bid: $5
39. Diary of A Binghamton Boy in the 1860's edited and explained by Marjory Barnum Hinman softcover booklet published in 1982 by the Union Press of Endicott, NY; overall very good condition
starting bid: $10
40. The Odyssey of Homer, translated from the Greek by Alexander Pope, Volume the Second printed in MDCCLIII (1753) in Glasgow
small hardcover bound in brown leather, most of spine is flaking off, but still bound, though not tightly. Pages tanned, with slight water marks/water damage along the top of some pages. Pages still very readable.
inside front cover is the following signature and date:
Benj. Morris, 1782
further below, also on the title page, is the following signature:
"Jos. P. Morris", without a date.
**current bid: $25**
41. The Gay Poet: The Story of Eugene Field by Jeannette Covert Nolan, illus. by Robert S. Robison hardcover, 1940, published by Julian Messner
No dj, red cloth over hardboard covers; edges rubbed; cover dingy; spine very slightly tilted, but still well-bound; pages clean, white, unmarked
starting bid: $1
42. Pictorial History of the Great Civil War
by John Laird Wilson, "special correspondent of the New York Herald"
2nd edition(?) copyright 1881 by J.R. Jones, published by W.W. Houston & Co
of Philadelphia, PA (original copyright was 1878 by John Laird Wilson)
beautiful red covers, embossed in gold lettering. Front and back covers completely detached at hinges .... a former owner "fixed" this by putting clear packing tape on the spine to hold everything together..... the book itself is still adequately bound, all pages bound together, nothing too loose. Pages themselves are clean & unmarked, with little to no tanning. This is a collection of accounts of the Civil War, battles on land and sea, compiled from many sources from the time, including 'carefully prepared biographies of the leading generals and naval commanders' and 'embellished with numerous fine steel-plate engravings of battle-scenes, and with fine portraits of leading generals'
This book is an excellent candidate for rebinding, and will be a great treasure for someone who loves the history of this era
current bid: $45
43. Three Fates by Nora Roberts hardcover, SIGNED first edition with full number line, in very good to like new condition. Minor edgewear only. NOT ex-library, not Book Club, not remaindered.
current bid: $4
44. Treasures from the Corning Museum of Glass: 32 Ready-to-Mail Full-Color Postcards copyright 1998
Beautiful book of collectible postcards in brand new condition.
starting bid: $5
45. The Blue and the Gray by Eve Bunting, illustrated by Ned Bittinger
Beautiful, out of print children's book, in very good to like new condition.
Only minor edgewear to book and dustjacket, otherwise as new.
No marks, not ex-library, not remainder.
starting bid: $20
46. Flicka, Ricka, Dicka and a Little Dog by Maj Lindman
copyright 1946 Albert Whitman & Company
Pictorial hardcover in overall excellent condition. Only minor edgewear to covers. All pages clean, white, unmarked. NOT ex-library. Such a cute example of children's art and literature of this era.
current bid: $11
47. Essays of Michel de Montaigne, selected and illustrated by Salvador Dali
translated by Charles Cotton Doubleday & Company 1947
Nice hardcover, black cloth over hardboard covers with green cloth on spine.
No dj. Pages clean, unmarked, in wonderful condition. NOT ex-library.
Binding tight & straight. No marks.
current bid: $15
ATTENTION!!! The date at the top of the post doesn't change, because I just go in with each new bid, and "edit" the original post, but these bids are always current, up to the hour of the latest bids that have come in!!
Welcome to the live, regularly updated website list for From My Shelf's silent auction. This auction starts at noon on Friday the 13th and ends at noon on April Fools' Day. (I wanted the dates to be memorable!) The books are available to look at here at From My Shelf, 87 Main St, Wellsboro, PA, any time during our normal business hours. Also, please feel free to call or email with any questions or to make a bid!
(570) 724-5793 or from_my_shelf@yahoo.com
A portion of the proceeds from each winning bid goes to the Green Free Library for their inventory purchases. By buying these books, you are insuring that they have a loving home, preserving history, AND contributing to literacy in our area. Thanks!
Okay, then, here we go!!!
1. The Goodyears: An Empire in the Hemlocks by Thomas Taber, III
No. 5 in the series ‘Logging Railroad Era of Lumbering in Pennsylvania'
current bid: $8
2. Sawmills Among the Derricks: Kane, Kinzua Valley, Bradford, Crosby, Lewis Run by Thomas Taber, III, No. 7 in the series, ‘Logging Railroad Era of Lumbering in Pennsylvania’
current bid: $7
3. Sunset Along the Susquehanna Waters: Williamsport, Leetonia, Slate Run, Cammal, Glen Union, Gleasonton, No. 4 in the series, ‘Logging Railroad Era of Lumbering in Pennsylvania’
current bid: $9
4. The Little Washingtons by Lillian Elizabeth Roy
Grosset & Dunlap version, copyright circa 1920,
Starting bid $1
5. Dare Boys in Virginia by Stephen Angus Cox Chatterton 1910 …
owned and signed in front by Joseph Borden, of Antrim, PA
Current bid $6
6. Eldorado Found: The Central Pennsylvania Highlands: A Tourist’s Survey by Henry W. Shoemaker Gateway Press, Baltimore, 1993
starting bid $15
7. The Hardy Boys: The Missing Chums
Grosset version, copyright circa 1928 most of dj intact
Starting bid $2
8. The Hardy Boys: What Happened at Midnight
Grosset version, copyright circa 1931 most of dj intact
Starting bid $1
9. The Adventures of Sammy Jay by Thorton W Burgess
Little Brown & Co 1924 no dj
current bid $10
10. Hop-O-My-Thumb by Clifton Johnson, illus. Harry Smith,
part of the “Bedtime Wonder Tales” collection; publisher: Cupples & Leon Co, 1924 edition, acceptable to poor condition. Some loose pages, although all pgs are clean & unmarked. No dj.
Starting bid $7
11. The Tin Woodman of Oz ( a Little Golden Book)
by L. Frank Baum, adapted by Peter Archer, pictures by Harry McNaught,
published by Simon & Schuster, NY 1952 authorized edition,
Small “A” in bottom inside corner of final page of text indicates first edition
Starting bid $15
12. Walt Disney’s “Tonka” (a Little Golden Book) copyright 1959 by Walt Disney, based on the movie, based on the book, “Commanche” by David Appel
current bid $2.50
13. Little Golden Picture Dictionary (A Little Golden Book) copyright 1959 by Nancy Fielding Hulick, illus. by Tibor Gergely great condition
starting bid $2
14. A Day in the Jungle (A Little Golden Book) copyright 1943
by Janette Sebring Lowrey, pictures by Tibor Gergely
last page has an “I”; not first edition very good condition!
current bid: $5
15. Walt Disney’s Peter Pan and Wendy, copyright circa 1952 by Annie North Bedford/Eyvind Earle black ink has bled into edges of many pages,
cond. overall acceptable to good- “A” mark on last page, first edition thus.
Current bid: $12
16. Slapstick by Kurt Vonnegut hardcover with price-clipped vg dj. All pgs clean & unmarked, slightly musty but otherwise vg copy. 1976 Delacorte Press.
Starting bid $7
17. Poems of Love by John Dunne 1958 Folio Press edition in slipcase like new in every way except very slight musty smell, should air out fine, no mildew anywhere……
current bid $10
18. The Home Place by Brian Leyden New Island Press, Dublin
out of print paperback memoir in like new condition, with dj,
SIGNED by author
Starting bid: $18
19. The Beasts of Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs
A.L. Burt Co, no printing date stated, but definitely NOT a first edition … The “Burt” company only did early reprints. This is, however, a hardcover in good+ condition with clean pages and only mild cover wear. No dj.
Starting bid $4
20. The Story of Long Ago : Myths of Greeks and Norsemen; Story of Early Man; & the History of the Old World from the Dawn of Civilization to the Fall of Rome
by Southworth & Southworth; Iroquois Publishing, 1934; good cond. HC, no dj.
Starting bid : $1
21. The Susquehanna by Carl Carmer
as part of the “Rivers of America” series, Rinehart Publishing, 1955,
ex-library with poor dj; library markings, musty smell
current bid: $5
22. The Sandman Companion by Hy Bender hardcover, stated first edition, full number line, signed (inscribed) by Neil Gaiman on title page,
as new condition Dj excellent
Current bid: $25
23. Little Lulu and Her Pals
David McKay Company, 1939 reprint, poor condition
starting bid: $2
24. Laughs with Little Lulu
David McKay Company, 1941 reprint, vg+ condition
starting bid: $10
25. Intoxicants and Opium in All Lands and Times
by Dr. and Mrs. Wilbur Crafts and Mary and Margaret Leitch hc 1906
revised edition, by the Reform Bureau in Washington, D.C.
starting bid: $40
26. Pennsylvania’s Oil Industry by Ernest Miller
booklet, excellent cond. 1974
current bid $2
27. Flatlanders and Ridgerunners by Jim Glimm, original paperback, not recent reprint; good to good+ condition; inscribed by Jim Glimm
starting bid: $15
28. Snakebite by Jim Glimm, hardcover, 1st edition, Univ. of Pittsburgh Press awesome condition!!!! Former owner’s name just inside cover, else as new!
starting bid: $40
29. Life in Wellsboro: 1880 - 1920 by Gale Largey gorgeous hardcover with like new dustjacket, no marks
starting bid: $75
30. Life in Wellsboro: 1920 - 1960 by Gale Largey gorgeous hardcover, as new in every way. Dustjacket still in great condition, a couple of small tears.
current bid: $100
31. Cherry Ames, Chief Nurse by Helen Wells Grosset & Dunlap edition, 1944 Book in good to vg condition, some edgwear, pages tanned. Dustjacket is good condition, lots of edgewear, otherwise clean & bright. Shows Cherry on a Pacific Island, in WWII gear.
current bid: $9
32. An Outline of Tioga and Bradford Counties in Pennsylvania, Chemung, Steuben, Tioga, Tompkins, and Schuyler in New York, by Townships, Villages, Boro's and Cities by "Written expressly for the Gazette Company, Elmira, NY" copyright 1855 by the Gazette Company; hardcover in nearly acceptable shape: pages good, but binding broken
starting bid: $10
33. The Nation's Tribute to Abraham Lincoln compiled by Benjamin Franklin Morris; copyright 1866 by W.H. & O.H. Morrison;
inscription in the back says: "M. Mathias Welliner, Bought May 12, 1866, Lycoming County, Pa"
poor to acceptable condition. hardcover. very musty smell. waterstains throughtout the book, along edges of pages, especially at the top. binding intact, but a little loose in places. pages are very readable, no writing, not much tanning.
A copy of this book sold at auction in San Francisco in 2006 for $95.
starting bid: $50
34. Uncle Remus by Joel Chandler Harris, illustrated by A.B. Frost
Appleton Century Publishers, copyright 1895
some fading to red cloth over hardboard covers, pages clean with little to no tanning, no marks except for previous owners' names written inside front cover: CG Webb and Sally Webb (Judge Webb), binding still very good, no dj.
starting bid: $30
35. Presidents, Soldiers, Statesmen: 1776 - 1894, Volume 1 and Vol. 2 by H.H. Hardesty, copyright 1894 book begins with 1858 "The War of the Rebellion", which here means the stirrings of the Civil War 2 hardcovers in overall good+ condition: pages all well bound; binding is tight but spine slightly tilted, corners bumped. Cover is brown cloth (leather?) over hardboard, with gold-embossed lettering. No dj. Volume 2 includes the history & information on local people involved.
starting bid: $40
36. Glendale & Montrose by Jeffrey Moreau and James Walker, Jr. published by Pacific Bookwork, copyright 1966 softcover in near flawless condition, small tear at bottom front cover, else perfect. Pull-out map of route still attached and in perfect shape.
starting bid: $30
37. The Pacific Coast Company: Ships and Narrow Gauge Rails by Gerald M. Best, copyright 1992 (this is a reprint of the 1964 edition) by Signature Press
near flawless hardcover with near flawless dj
current bid: $20
38. From These Hills, From These Valleys: Selected Fiction About Western Pennsylvania
editor, David P. Demarest, Jr.
hardcover, copyright 1976 by Mellon Bank and the Univ. of Pittsburgh Press
book in very good condition, binding excellent with only slight tilt; all pages clean and unmarked; dustjacket has edgewear but is otherwise vg
starting bid: $5
39. Diary of A Binghamton Boy in the 1860's edited and explained by Marjory Barnum Hinman softcover booklet published in 1982 by the Union Press of Endicott, NY; overall very good condition
starting bid: $10
40. The Odyssey of Homer, translated from the Greek by Alexander Pope, Volume the Second printed in MDCCLIII (1753) in Glasgow
small hardcover bound in brown leather, most of spine is flaking off, but still bound, though not tightly. Pages tanned, with slight water marks/water damage along the top of some pages. Pages still very readable.
inside front cover is the following signature and date:
Benj. Morris, 1782
further below, also on the title page, is the following signature:
"Jos. P. Morris", without a date.
**current bid: $25**
41. The Gay Poet: The Story of Eugene Field by Jeannette Covert Nolan, illus. by Robert S. Robison hardcover, 1940, published by Julian Messner
No dj, red cloth over hardboard covers; edges rubbed; cover dingy; spine very slightly tilted, but still well-bound; pages clean, white, unmarked
starting bid: $1
42. Pictorial History of the Great Civil War
by John Laird Wilson, "special correspondent of the New York Herald"
2nd edition(?) copyright 1881 by J.R. Jones, published by W.W. Houston & Co
of Philadelphia, PA (original copyright was 1878 by John Laird Wilson)
beautiful red covers, embossed in gold lettering. Front and back covers completely detached at hinges .... a former owner "fixed" this by putting clear packing tape on the spine to hold everything together..... the book itself is still adequately bound, all pages bound together, nothing too loose. Pages themselves are clean & unmarked, with little to no tanning. This is a collection of accounts of the Civil War, battles on land and sea, compiled from many sources from the time, including 'carefully prepared biographies of the leading generals and naval commanders' and 'embellished with numerous fine steel-plate engravings of battle-scenes, and with fine portraits of leading generals'
This book is an excellent candidate for rebinding, and will be a great treasure for someone who loves the history of this era
current bid: $45
43. Three Fates by Nora Roberts hardcover, SIGNED first edition with full number line, in very good to like new condition. Minor edgewear only. NOT ex-library, not Book Club, not remaindered.
current bid: $4
44. Treasures from the Corning Museum of Glass: 32 Ready-to-Mail Full-Color Postcards copyright 1998
Beautiful book of collectible postcards in brand new condition.
starting bid: $5
45. The Blue and the Gray by Eve Bunting, illustrated by Ned Bittinger
Beautiful, out of print children's book, in very good to like new condition.
Only minor edgewear to book and dustjacket, otherwise as new.
No marks, not ex-library, not remainder.
starting bid: $20
46. Flicka, Ricka, Dicka and a Little Dog by Maj Lindman
copyright 1946 Albert Whitman & Company
Pictorial hardcover in overall excellent condition. Only minor edgewear to covers. All pages clean, white, unmarked. NOT ex-library. Such a cute example of children's art and literature of this era.
current bid: $11
47. Essays of Michel de Montaigne, selected and illustrated by Salvador Dali
translated by Charles Cotton Doubleday & Company 1947
Nice hardcover, black cloth over hardboard covers with green cloth on spine.
No dj. Pages clean, unmarked, in wonderful condition. NOT ex-library.
Binding tight & straight. No marks.
current bid: $15
ATTENTION!!! The date at the top of the post doesn't change, because I just go in with each new bid, and "edit" the original post, but these bids are always current, up to the hour of the latest bids that have come in!!
Monday, March 2, 2009
The Watchmen
Kevin Coolidge
“Their mission is to watch over humanity...but who is watching the watchmen?”
Excerpt from the diary of Captain Sparrow, new costumed vigilante: October 13th, 1985: I awake with my muscles stiff and sore, this all night crime fighting is tough work. I pop a couple of Tylenol™, swearing to track down the Tylenol Killer for making me work the childproof cap this early in my day. I turn on the evening news to see President Nixon announcing that the Russians are running rampant through Afghanistan. What's next, Pakistan? I switch off the news. I'm going to have a busy night ahead of me. Pimps, pornographers, predators – the criminal element is always stronger prior to a period of anticipated war or bloodshed, that and the full moon. I think I'll drop the cloak. It really completes the costume, but in practice I am always tripping over it, or getting it caught in things. It's going to be a long night, and I need to be streamlined. If it wasn’t for me and my costumed kin, this city would burn…
Welcome to the world of the Watchmen, an alternate reality which closely mirrors the contemporary world of the 1980s. Watchmen, published by DC comics, was originally a twelve-issue comic book limited series created by writer Alan Moore, artist Dave Gibbons, and colorist John Higgins. After the series concluded, the individual issues were collected and sold in trade paperback form. This book then went on to win a Hugo award in 1988, and was voted one of Time Magazine’s best English-language novels from 1923 to the present.
In Moore’s world, superheroes are real and very human. They have altered real world events – such as the Vietnam War, and the presidency of Richard Nixon, and increased tensions between the Superpowers. Superheroes have become unpopular among the public, which has led to the passage of the Keene Act in 1977. Now costumed vigilantes have been outlawed, and most are in retirement, or working for the government.
The story starts with the death of the Comedian, a government-sanctioned costumed hero. With the police having no leads, costumed vigilante Rorschach decides to probe further. Rorschach discovers a plot to kill off and/or discredit costumed adventurers, and sets out to warn four of his retired comrades.
Moore's characterization is as sophisticated as any novel. With Watchmen, Alan Moore’s intention was to present several "radically opposing ways" to perceive the world. He wanted to show heroes in an ambivalent light. Moore said, "What we wanted to do was show all of these people, warts and all. Show that even the worst of them had something going for them, and even the best of them had their flaws.”
Moore helped energize the comic book genre in the 80’s with V For Vendetta, Swamp Thing, and From Hell, but in his masterpiece Watchmen, the comic book medium “came of age”. Moore commented that he was able to purge himself of his nostalgia for superheroes, and instead he found an interest in real human beings. Perhaps, we have given a little too much power to our own leaders. Have we put too much faith in our own heroes? Have we given up our own personal responsibility to our own “watchmen” who are supposed to rescue us from our own fate? And just who is watching the watchmen???
Brother to dragons? Or a companion of owls? Email me at frommyshelf@epix.net. If you loved the Watchmen, you might want to check out the movie opening March 6, 2009. Teleport to http://frommyshelf.blogspot.com to find out the identities of past columns. Hobo is the hero of his own story in, “Hobo Finds A Home” a children’s book about a cat and his epic journey.
“Their mission is to watch over humanity...but who is watching the watchmen?”
Excerpt from the diary of Captain Sparrow, new costumed vigilante: October 13th, 1985: I awake with my muscles stiff and sore, this all night crime fighting is tough work. I pop a couple of Tylenol™, swearing to track down the Tylenol Killer for making me work the childproof cap this early in my day. I turn on the evening news to see President Nixon announcing that the Russians are running rampant through Afghanistan. What's next, Pakistan? I switch off the news. I'm going to have a busy night ahead of me. Pimps, pornographers, predators – the criminal element is always stronger prior to a period of anticipated war or bloodshed, that and the full moon. I think I'll drop the cloak. It really completes the costume, but in practice I am always tripping over it, or getting it caught in things. It's going to be a long night, and I need to be streamlined. If it wasn’t for me and my costumed kin, this city would burn…
Welcome to the world of the Watchmen, an alternate reality which closely mirrors the contemporary world of the 1980s. Watchmen, published by DC comics, was originally a twelve-issue comic book limited series created by writer Alan Moore, artist Dave Gibbons, and colorist John Higgins. After the series concluded, the individual issues were collected and sold in trade paperback form. This book then went on to win a Hugo award in 1988, and was voted one of Time Magazine’s best English-language novels from 1923 to the present.
In Moore’s world, superheroes are real and very human. They have altered real world events – such as the Vietnam War, and the presidency of Richard Nixon, and increased tensions between the Superpowers. Superheroes have become unpopular among the public, which has led to the passage of the Keene Act in 1977. Now costumed vigilantes have been outlawed, and most are in retirement, or working for the government.
The story starts with the death of the Comedian, a government-sanctioned costumed hero. With the police having no leads, costumed vigilante Rorschach decides to probe further. Rorschach discovers a plot to kill off and/or discredit costumed adventurers, and sets out to warn four of his retired comrades.
Moore's characterization is as sophisticated as any novel. With Watchmen, Alan Moore’s intention was to present several "radically opposing ways" to perceive the world. He wanted to show heroes in an ambivalent light. Moore said, "What we wanted to do was show all of these people, warts and all. Show that even the worst of them had something going for them, and even the best of them had their flaws.”
Moore helped energize the comic book genre in the 80’s with V For Vendetta, Swamp Thing, and From Hell, but in his masterpiece Watchmen, the comic book medium “came of age”. Moore commented that he was able to purge himself of his nostalgia for superheroes, and instead he found an interest in real human beings. Perhaps, we have given a little too much power to our own leaders. Have we put too much faith in our own heroes? Have we given up our own personal responsibility to our own “watchmen” who are supposed to rescue us from our own fate? And just who is watching the watchmen???
Brother to dragons? Or a companion of owls? Email me at frommyshelf@epix.net. If you loved the Watchmen, you might want to check out the movie opening March 6, 2009. Teleport to http://frommyshelf.blogspot.com to find out the identities of past columns. Hobo is the hero of his own story in, “Hobo Finds A Home” a children’s book about a cat and his epic journey.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Assassination Vacation
Kevin Coolidge
The ballot is stronger than the bullet—Abraham Lincoln
Ahem, please allow me to state for the record, and for the Homeland Security agent assigned to read my column this week (can you double check my spelling and punctuation?) that though I am often obsessed with death, I am quite against it, especially my own. Like Lincoln, I want to believe that the ballot is stronger than the bullet. Of course, he did say that before that fatal night on April 14th, 1865. It takes an inflated ego to be a president, or a presidential assassin for that matter. Can any one man really make a difference? Can one man fix our poverty, our potholes and our public schools? Should one narcissistic man with a handgun decide any different? Just who do you think they are?
One woman passionate about death, US history and road trips dares to ask such questions. Meet Sarah Vowell, author of Assassination Vacation, published by Simon & Schuster. In this wacky travelogue, Sarah drags readers on a pilgrimage exploring the places associated with three presidential assassinations: Lincoln, Garfield, and McKinley.
Along the way, we get to visit such places as old cemeteries, plaques, the National Museum of Health and Medicine, where fragments of Lincoln's skull are on display, and more obscure places such as the Mutter Museum which has specimens of John Wilkes Booth's thorax and Charles Guiteau's (Garfield's assassin) brain--relics of a past age, treasured, close to divine, and crucial in the pursuit of life, liberty and the pursuit of the macabre.
What can we learn from an examination of these three president assassinations? The more things change, the more they remain the same. Lincoln was a controversial politician blamed for the hardships of war and was hated by many. Booth thought he’d be a hero. Instead, he created a martyr.
Vowell draws interesting parallels between McKinley’s preemptive war against Cuba and the Philippines and the current war in Iraq (I guess God to McKinley to “annex” the Philippines), and to gain better understanding of Charles Guiteau, she takes us to the Oneida Community in upstate New York, a religious commune that preached a combination of free love and the second coming, He was the one guy in a free love commune who could not get lucky. No wonder he was regarded as insane by his own father. His father lacked the funds to seek proper treatment from mental health professionals. It could have allowed Garfield more time to devote to rearranging his library and enjoying German poetry. He loved Faust.
Don’t forget the “presidential angel of death”, Robert Todd Lincoln who was present when his father died, witnessed the shooting of President Garfield, and upon arriving in Buffalo in 1901, learned that President William McKinley had been assassinated minutes before his arrival. Robert Todd Lincoln also was ironically yanked to safety by Edwin Booth, John Wilkes’ brother, when he fell off a train platform onto railroad tracks.
Assassination Vacation is the most entertaining book on presidential assassination I’ve read, an engaging ramble through the first three presidential murders. Vowell mixes history, personal experience and social commentary that brings new life to dry, dusty back roads of American history. Now on with the road trip, I call shotgun…
The ballot? Or the bullet? Email me at frommyshelf@epix.net Miss a past column? Exercise your right to read. Visit the archive at frommyshelf.blogspot.com. Hobo wishes malice towards none, not even that plotting squirrel on the back porch. Be sure to read his children’s book “Hobo Finds A Home” Having a food dish didn’t make Hobo a diner, until he ate what was in that bowl…
The ballot is stronger than the bullet—Abraham Lincoln
Ahem, please allow me to state for the record, and for the Homeland Security agent assigned to read my column this week (can you double check my spelling and punctuation?) that though I am often obsessed with death, I am quite against it, especially my own. Like Lincoln, I want to believe that the ballot is stronger than the bullet. Of course, he did say that before that fatal night on April 14th, 1865. It takes an inflated ego to be a president, or a presidential assassin for that matter. Can any one man really make a difference? Can one man fix our poverty, our potholes and our public schools? Should one narcissistic man with a handgun decide any different? Just who do you think they are?
One woman passionate about death, US history and road trips dares to ask such questions. Meet Sarah Vowell, author of Assassination Vacation, published by Simon & Schuster. In this wacky travelogue, Sarah drags readers on a pilgrimage exploring the places associated with three presidential assassinations: Lincoln, Garfield, and McKinley.
Along the way, we get to visit such places as old cemeteries, plaques, the National Museum of Health and Medicine, where fragments of Lincoln's skull are on display, and more obscure places such as the Mutter Museum which has specimens of John Wilkes Booth's thorax and Charles Guiteau's (Garfield's assassin) brain--relics of a past age, treasured, close to divine, and crucial in the pursuit of life, liberty and the pursuit of the macabre.
What can we learn from an examination of these three president assassinations? The more things change, the more they remain the same. Lincoln was a controversial politician blamed for the hardships of war and was hated by many. Booth thought he’d be a hero. Instead, he created a martyr.
Vowell draws interesting parallels between McKinley’s preemptive war against Cuba and the Philippines and the current war in Iraq (I guess God to McKinley to “annex” the Philippines), and to gain better understanding of Charles Guiteau, she takes us to the Oneida Community in upstate New York, a religious commune that preached a combination of free love and the second coming, He was the one guy in a free love commune who could not get lucky. No wonder he was regarded as insane by his own father. His father lacked the funds to seek proper treatment from mental health professionals. It could have allowed Garfield more time to devote to rearranging his library and enjoying German poetry. He loved Faust.
Don’t forget the “presidential angel of death”, Robert Todd Lincoln who was present when his father died, witnessed the shooting of President Garfield, and upon arriving in Buffalo in 1901, learned that President William McKinley had been assassinated minutes before his arrival. Robert Todd Lincoln also was ironically yanked to safety by Edwin Booth, John Wilkes’ brother, when he fell off a train platform onto railroad tracks.
Assassination Vacation is the most entertaining book on presidential assassination I’ve read, an engaging ramble through the first three presidential murders. Vowell mixes history, personal experience and social commentary that brings new life to dry, dusty back roads of American history. Now on with the road trip, I call shotgun…
The ballot? Or the bullet? Email me at frommyshelf@epix.net Miss a past column? Exercise your right to read. Visit the archive at frommyshelf.blogspot.com. Hobo wishes malice towards none, not even that plotting squirrel on the back porch. Be sure to read his children’s book “Hobo Finds A Home” Having a food dish didn’t make Hobo a diner, until he ate what was in that bowl…
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Finding our common roots deep in the vein, or A-coalin'
Kasey Cox
What do you get when you cross a German, a Pole, and a Czech? In many cases, you get a Pennsylvanian. If you’ve lived a good portion of your life in Pennsylvania, then names with lots of consonants back-to-back, or names ending in “-ski” have been part of your every day experience, or more likely, your family tree. My years in Pennsylvania have been peppered with teachers named Korenkiewicz, directors named Kolvalcik, colleagues named Gluszczak, and friends named Salitrynski. In some areas, people grow up with chile rellenos or cannollis, but in Scranton, or Blossburg, we’re more familiar with pierogi and rugelach.
Before I get too over my head into Polish jokes, I’d like to defer to Brian Ardan’s expertise. Ardan’s recent book, “The Anthracite Coal Region’s Slavic Community”, yet another great title from wonderful Arcadia Publishing, details Pennsylvania’s rich history of coal mines and close-knit communities. His introduction alone is a masterpiece, obviously condensing and summarizing decades worth of research. Ardan has a master’s degree in Slavic studies, as well as a master’s degree in Library Science, and is a faculty member in the Stevenson Library at Lock Haven University.
Another strength of Mr. Ardan’s introduction is the care he takes to clearly define what he means by “Slavic People”, listing the areas they come from and the ethnic/national groups from which they are descended. Ardan divides the Slavic people into three main groups, covering as far east as “Russia”, as far south as Macedonia, and as far west as the now-dissolved Czechoslovakia. The Slavic people of Pennsylvania, however, were mostly Ukrainian, Polish, Czech, or Slovak. Brian Ardan explains this focus with concise and lucid language, so that I feel in good hands and solid ground as I start to read his book.
After the must-read introduction, I find the book organized into helpful sections, including chapters on the Old World; scenes from life of the newly-arrived; later organizations of church, ethnic, and civil groups; and work life in the mines. In keeping with Arcadia Publishing’s “Images of America” series, most of the book is a collection of fascinating black & white photos, with detailed captions, giving the reader a true sense of “a slice of life” at this time and place.
I have only one criticism of Mr. Ardan’s otherwise-excellent history: he is so careful to introduce the reader to both “Slavic people” in Pennsylvania and to the exact goal of his book, and yet there is no specific definition of “anthracite coal region”, nor any list of which counties of Pennsylvania this includes. I guess I should know where the anthracite coal was and is found in Pennsylvania, but upon first perusal of this book, I was confused as to why I found no mention of Blossburg, or Landrus, or coal towns in western PA. I had to satisfy my curiosity about the different coal mining regions in Pennsylvania by doing a bit more online research. Adding one or two sentences clarifying which parts of Pennsylvania would be highlighted is a simple way to educate the reader and edify the introduction.
Thus, my only criticism of “The Anthracite Region’s Slavic Community” issues a challenge to writers and historians of our area: Arcadia Publishing awaits you! A curious, willing, ready-made audience of people wants to hear more about the history of Tioga, Potter, Sullivan, and Bradford counties, and the Twin Tiers of northern PA and southern New York. I’d love to help you make a serious proposal to Arcadia about history that is just a little closer to home. In the meantime, I think Mr. Ardan’s book will transport your favorite history buff back in time, and get your mental wheels turning.
Hobo says the canaries are free to go down into those mines: he doesn’t like to hunt birds, and he’d rather read about mining than go a-coalin’. He thinks he’d like to be invited to the next Blossburg Coal Festival: bring on the Polka and the pierogi! Check out his recipe for a good book and a poppy seed pastry at http://frommyshelf.blogspot.com.
What do you get when you cross a German, a Pole, and a Czech? In many cases, you get a Pennsylvanian. If you’ve lived a good portion of your life in Pennsylvania, then names with lots of consonants back-to-back, or names ending in “-ski” have been part of your every day experience, or more likely, your family tree. My years in Pennsylvania have been peppered with teachers named Korenkiewicz, directors named Kolvalcik, colleagues named Gluszczak, and friends named Salitrynski. In some areas, people grow up with chile rellenos or cannollis, but in Scranton, or Blossburg, we’re more familiar with pierogi and rugelach.
Before I get too over my head into Polish jokes, I’d like to defer to Brian Ardan’s expertise. Ardan’s recent book, “The Anthracite Coal Region’s Slavic Community”, yet another great title from wonderful Arcadia Publishing, details Pennsylvania’s rich history of coal mines and close-knit communities. His introduction alone is a masterpiece, obviously condensing and summarizing decades worth of research. Ardan has a master’s degree in Slavic studies, as well as a master’s degree in Library Science, and is a faculty member in the Stevenson Library at Lock Haven University.
Another strength of Mr. Ardan’s introduction is the care he takes to clearly define what he means by “Slavic People”, listing the areas they come from and the ethnic/national groups from which they are descended. Ardan divides the Slavic people into three main groups, covering as far east as “Russia”, as far south as Macedonia, and as far west as the now-dissolved Czechoslovakia. The Slavic people of Pennsylvania, however, were mostly Ukrainian, Polish, Czech, or Slovak. Brian Ardan explains this focus with concise and lucid language, so that I feel in good hands and solid ground as I start to read his book.
After the must-read introduction, I find the book organized into helpful sections, including chapters on the Old World; scenes from life of the newly-arrived; later organizations of church, ethnic, and civil groups; and work life in the mines. In keeping with Arcadia Publishing’s “Images of America” series, most of the book is a collection of fascinating black & white photos, with detailed captions, giving the reader a true sense of “a slice of life” at this time and place.
I have only one criticism of Mr. Ardan’s otherwise-excellent history: he is so careful to introduce the reader to both “Slavic people” in Pennsylvania and to the exact goal of his book, and yet there is no specific definition of “anthracite coal region”, nor any list of which counties of Pennsylvania this includes. I guess I should know where the anthracite coal was and is found in Pennsylvania, but upon first perusal of this book, I was confused as to why I found no mention of Blossburg, or Landrus, or coal towns in western PA. I had to satisfy my curiosity about the different coal mining regions in Pennsylvania by doing a bit more online research. Adding one or two sentences clarifying which parts of Pennsylvania would be highlighted is a simple way to educate the reader and edify the introduction.
Thus, my only criticism of “The Anthracite Region’s Slavic Community” issues a challenge to writers and historians of our area: Arcadia Publishing awaits you! A curious, willing, ready-made audience of people wants to hear more about the history of Tioga, Potter, Sullivan, and Bradford counties, and the Twin Tiers of northern PA and southern New York. I’d love to help you make a serious proposal to Arcadia about history that is just a little closer to home. In the meantime, I think Mr. Ardan’s book will transport your favorite history buff back in time, and get your mental wheels turning.
Hobo says the canaries are free to go down into those mines: he doesn’t like to hunt birds, and he’d rather read about mining than go a-coalin’. He thinks he’d like to be invited to the next Blossburg Coal Festival: bring on the Polka and the pierogi! Check out his recipe for a good book and a poppy seed pastry at http://frommyshelf.blogspot.com.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Hobo's Book Club: Hobo, on "Bad Dogs"
Kasey Cox
I promised you – my loyal fans, readers, and admirers – that I would declare a “Hobo’s Book Club” selection each month. Kasey reminded me that it’s been more than a month since I wrote about “Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World”. I guess it’s not enough that I work two or three days a month at the bookstore. A cat’s life is hard, but a famous cat’s life is even harder. Though I love you all (even the littlest ones who swoop down on me, shrieking, when I visit the store!), I’d rather sleep on the couch or spy on the neighbors than work.
It is in this spirit that I chose the second book for my club: “Bad Dogs Have More Fun: Selected Writings on Family, Animals, and Life, from The Philadelphia Inquirer”. This is a cross-section of some of the columns that John Grogan wrote for the Philly newspaper from 2003 to 2006. During this time, Grogan was working on his best-selling book, “Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World’s Worst Dog”, which was first published in October 2005, and has gone on to sell an obscene amount of hardcovers, various sizes of paperbacks, children’s book spinoffs, and movie tickets. Go, Marley! Never underestimate the power and appeal of pets, I say! May some of your success rub off on me. (Just for the record, Marley is exactly the kind of dog I like – cute on paper, and on screen. Not live, at my house. Sorry, pups, but I’m a pen-pal kind of friend to the likes of you.)
What I like about “Bad Dogs Have More Fun”: (1) The title. For reasons previously stated above, as well as my general admiration for clever titles. (2) Many people have published this kind of book – a collection of essays, or a selection of columns they’ve written for a newspaper – but many of those newspaper columnists should have stayed with writing columns. John Grogan can write. He’s funny, and thoughtful, by turns sentimental or sarcastic or philosophical. He has great range. (3) This is the perfect kind of book to pick up when you don’t have a lot of time for un-interrupted reading, or if your attention span is short (nothing wrong with that: I’m distracted by important stuff, like naps, or cars going by outside!). This is a “Chicken Soup” kind of book, with a little more grit, more substance, less fluff, but still a lot of “feel-good” stories. Gift this to someone in the hospital, or nursing home, or leave a copy in the waiting home at the office. Put one on your bedside table, or in the wicker basket of magazines next to the toilet.
What I don’t like about “Bad Dogs”: (1) The fine print. John Grogan is not making any money on this book. “Oh, well,” you may say, “he’s already made a mint on ‘Marley’ stuff.” While this is true, it still doesn’t sit well with me. In the tiniest font possible, at the very bottom of the back cover, this is what it says, verbatim: “The articles in this book were originally written by John Grogan and published as columns by The Philadelphia Inquirer, which owns the rights to them. This book is being published through an arrangement with The Philadelphia Inquirer. Mr. Grogan has not participated in its publication and is not profiting from it.” Nevertheless, you better believe John Grogan’s name is splattered all over the front cover, to get you to buy the book. I understand that newspapers are feeling the pinch as production costs rise and readership drops. I still don’t like it. I’ll have you know that the Wellsboro Gazette lets me keep the rights to my articles, and publish them on my blog. Joe Parry, who wrote an outdoor column for the Gazette for years, as well as for Pennsylvania Game News, was allowed to keep the rights to his stories, and was able to publish a book which he benefits from. Kudos, Gazette.
(2) This collection has pieces which work for the time and place they were written about, and for, but don’t have the universal appeal that a reader is looking for in a collection like this. That’s what comes from putting newspaper columns into a book. I prefer a collection like this to run a little smoother and broader, like Robert Fulghum’s writing. Except, maybe, instead of “All I Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten”, you should try learning a few things from your cat.
Why not learn a few things from Hobo? Check out his past lessons at his blog, http://frommyshelf.blogspot.com. (Don’t put in the “www” prefix we’re all so used to.) Hobo hopes to be a star on the silver screen, but it might take away from his busy schedule or his book club time, so he’s not sure. Send your suggestions for the next Hobo Book Club selection to frommyshelf@epix.net.
I promised you – my loyal fans, readers, and admirers – that I would declare a “Hobo’s Book Club” selection each month. Kasey reminded me that it’s been more than a month since I wrote about “Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World”. I guess it’s not enough that I work two or three days a month at the bookstore. A cat’s life is hard, but a famous cat’s life is even harder. Though I love you all (even the littlest ones who swoop down on me, shrieking, when I visit the store!), I’d rather sleep on the couch or spy on the neighbors than work.
It is in this spirit that I chose the second book for my club: “Bad Dogs Have More Fun: Selected Writings on Family, Animals, and Life, from The Philadelphia Inquirer”. This is a cross-section of some of the columns that John Grogan wrote for the Philly newspaper from 2003 to 2006. During this time, Grogan was working on his best-selling book, “Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World’s Worst Dog”, which was first published in October 2005, and has gone on to sell an obscene amount of hardcovers, various sizes of paperbacks, children’s book spinoffs, and movie tickets. Go, Marley! Never underestimate the power and appeal of pets, I say! May some of your success rub off on me. (Just for the record, Marley is exactly the kind of dog I like – cute on paper, and on screen. Not live, at my house. Sorry, pups, but I’m a pen-pal kind of friend to the likes of you.)
What I like about “Bad Dogs Have More Fun”: (1) The title. For reasons previously stated above, as well as my general admiration for clever titles. (2) Many people have published this kind of book – a collection of essays, or a selection of columns they’ve written for a newspaper – but many of those newspaper columnists should have stayed with writing columns. John Grogan can write. He’s funny, and thoughtful, by turns sentimental or sarcastic or philosophical. He has great range. (3) This is the perfect kind of book to pick up when you don’t have a lot of time for un-interrupted reading, or if your attention span is short (nothing wrong with that: I’m distracted by important stuff, like naps, or cars going by outside!). This is a “Chicken Soup” kind of book, with a little more grit, more substance, less fluff, but still a lot of “feel-good” stories. Gift this to someone in the hospital, or nursing home, or leave a copy in the waiting home at the office. Put one on your bedside table, or in the wicker basket of magazines next to the toilet.
What I don’t like about “Bad Dogs”: (1) The fine print. John Grogan is not making any money on this book. “Oh, well,” you may say, “he’s already made a mint on ‘Marley’ stuff.” While this is true, it still doesn’t sit well with me. In the tiniest font possible, at the very bottom of the back cover, this is what it says, verbatim: “The articles in this book were originally written by John Grogan and published as columns by The Philadelphia Inquirer, which owns the rights to them. This book is being published through an arrangement with The Philadelphia Inquirer. Mr. Grogan has not participated in its publication and is not profiting from it.” Nevertheless, you better believe John Grogan’s name is splattered all over the front cover, to get you to buy the book. I understand that newspapers are feeling the pinch as production costs rise and readership drops. I still don’t like it. I’ll have you know that the Wellsboro Gazette lets me keep the rights to my articles, and publish them on my blog. Joe Parry, who wrote an outdoor column for the Gazette for years, as well as for Pennsylvania Game News, was allowed to keep the rights to his stories, and was able to publish a book which he benefits from. Kudos, Gazette.
(2) This collection has pieces which work for the time and place they were written about, and for, but don’t have the universal appeal that a reader is looking for in a collection like this. That’s what comes from putting newspaper columns into a book. I prefer a collection like this to run a little smoother and broader, like Robert Fulghum’s writing. Except, maybe, instead of “All I Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten”, you should try learning a few things from your cat.
Why not learn a few things from Hobo? Check out his past lessons at his blog, http://frommyshelf.blogspot.com. (Don’t put in the “www” prefix we’re all so used to.) Hobo hopes to be a star on the silver screen, but it might take away from his busy schedule or his book club time, so he’s not sure. Send your suggestions for the next Hobo Book Club selection to frommyshelf@epix.net.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Fire, Fire, Put Pants on that Liar!
Kevin Coolidge
“A Man spends many sleepless nights on the riverbank trying to understand women and many sleepless nights in bed trying to understand carp.”
The mighty Thor had Mjolner, King Arthur had Excalibur, and Wyatt Earp had his Buntline Special. Natural born storyteller Paul Lepp has the Monster Stick. The Monster Stick, a remarkable fishing pole of mythical proportions, is Paul’s nine-foot, surf-casting rod full of six miles of brand new, 50-pound test Stren Carp cord with 20 pound, custom made, stainless steel, slip-sliding sinkers. The Monster Stick, born of magic, baptized in the rivers of West Virginia, and able snag DC-10’s or lunker-sized catfish.
Meet Paul and Bil Lepp, natural born storytellers and two repeat winners of the West Virginia State Liars’ Contest. There’s Bil’s dog, Buck, a thirty-seven inch irony, whose mother was a German Sheppard, and whose father was a prolific and extremely determined Basset hound. Buck can pull you through a knothole, and hold his own against a monster truck, but is a gun-shy hunting dog who can’t track a bunny rabbit in a shoebox. Between the Monster Stick, and Buck, you get an original bunch of hilarious short stories and tall tales that you’ll want to share with everyone from your poker buddies to your preacher.
The West Virginia State Liars’ Contest is held every year on Memorial Day weekend. The contest is only open to West Virginia residents. The “lies” should be short stories (humorous, dramatic, supernatural, etc.) with a maximum length of 3 to 5 minutes. The winner receives a golden shovel. You can imagine why. Paul Lepp won six “Biggest Liar” titles before his death in 1998, and his brother Bil Lepp has taken first place five times since he first entered in 1990, proving that lightning – or at least lying – does sometimes strike twice.
Bil Lep, a former Methodist preacher, has published a collection of stories with his brother called The Monster Stick & Other Appalachian Tall Tales. Generally, the fishing stories are Paul’s and the dog tales Bil’s. These twenty three tales have lots to offer on women and carp, more than a little on dogs, trains and cars, a considerable amount on hunting, and more politics than shows on the surface. There’s plenty to keep a thinking man laughing and awake at night.
In his follow-up, Inept: Impaired: Overwhelmed -- Tall Tales from West Virginia and Beyond, Bil Lepp spins more tales of his super-dog Buck, introduces us to his best friend, Skeeter Barth, and keeps a smile on your face with stories about catfish-grabblin’, summer camp, moose-trappin’, and that misunderstood mishap with the FBI. In these books, imagination is the ammunition, and Paul and Bil Lepp have more than most…
“A Man spends many sleepless nights on the riverbank trying to understand women and many sleepless nights in bed trying to understand carp.”
The mighty Thor had Mjolner, King Arthur had Excalibur, and Wyatt Earp had his Buntline Special. Natural born storyteller Paul Lepp has the Monster Stick. The Monster Stick, a remarkable fishing pole of mythical proportions, is Paul’s nine-foot, surf-casting rod full of six miles of brand new, 50-pound test Stren Carp cord with 20 pound, custom made, stainless steel, slip-sliding sinkers. The Monster Stick, born of magic, baptized in the rivers of West Virginia, and able snag DC-10’s or lunker-sized catfish.
Meet Paul and Bil Lepp, natural born storytellers and two repeat winners of the West Virginia State Liars’ Contest. There’s Bil’s dog, Buck, a thirty-seven inch irony, whose mother was a German Sheppard, and whose father was a prolific and extremely determined Basset hound. Buck can pull you through a knothole, and hold his own against a monster truck, but is a gun-shy hunting dog who can’t track a bunny rabbit in a shoebox. Between the Monster Stick, and Buck, you get an original bunch of hilarious short stories and tall tales that you’ll want to share with everyone from your poker buddies to your preacher.
The West Virginia State Liars’ Contest is held every year on Memorial Day weekend. The contest is only open to West Virginia residents. The “lies” should be short stories (humorous, dramatic, supernatural, etc.) with a maximum length of 3 to 5 minutes. The winner receives a golden shovel. You can imagine why. Paul Lepp won six “Biggest Liar” titles before his death in 1998, and his brother Bil Lepp has taken first place five times since he first entered in 1990, proving that lightning – or at least lying – does sometimes strike twice.
Bil Lep, a former Methodist preacher, has published a collection of stories with his brother called The Monster Stick & Other Appalachian Tall Tales. Generally, the fishing stories are Paul’s and the dog tales Bil’s. These twenty three tales have lots to offer on women and carp, more than a little on dogs, trains and cars, a considerable amount on hunting, and more politics than shows on the surface. There’s plenty to keep a thinking man laughing and awake at night.
In his follow-up, Inept: Impaired: Overwhelmed -- Tall Tales from West Virginia and Beyond, Bil Lepp spins more tales of his super-dog Buck, introduces us to his best friend, Skeeter Barth, and keeps a smile on your face with stories about catfish-grabblin’, summer camp, moose-trappin’, and that misunderstood mishap with the FBI. In these books, imagination is the ammunition, and Paul and Bil Lepp have more than most…
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