I have recently acquired Albion's Seed: Four British Folkways in America. This was after reading a rapturous reference to the work in Dennis Covington's Salvation on Sand Mountain. Covington's book, about snake handlers in southern Appalachia, clearly doesn't fit in the list of works discussed in your post. But that two such different people whose offerings I admire could both recommend it makes me look forward to opening its pages.
If the average upper class American by Birth knew more average working and middle class Americans by Choice the tone of Elite Discourse would be fundamentally different.
My Aunt Jennie Lindquist was one of the first children's librarians in the country and was at Albany Public Library for many years. You are probably not old enough to have overlapped with her, but it would be close. She retired to NH in the mid-70s and died soon after. She was also editor of the Horn Book, on the Newbery committee, and was the author of a Newberry finalist children's book, The Golden Name Day, about Swedish-American children. I always think of her when your child mentions the APL sponsorship on your podcast.
It all continues for us. I married a children's librarian, as did my second son.
I remember the slightly guilty feeling the first time I adventured from the children's section into the high school section to find more advanced reading.
I have recently acquired Albion's Seed: Four British Folkways in America. This was after reading a rapturous reference to the work in Dennis Covington's Salvation on Sand Mountain. Covington's book, about snake handlers in southern Appalachia, clearly doesn't fit in the list of works discussed in your post. But that two such different people whose offerings I admire could both recommend it makes me look forward to opening its pages.
East of Eden got on my radar recently. Thanks for the appreciation of all things American!
If the average upper class American by Birth knew more average working and middle class Americans by Choice the tone of Elite Discourse would be fundamentally different.
My Aunt Jennie Lindquist was one of the first children's librarians in the country and was at Albany Public Library for many years. You are probably not old enough to have overlapped with her, but it would be close. She retired to NH in the mid-70s and died soon after. She was also editor of the Horn Book, on the Newbery committee, and was the author of a Newberry finalist children's book, The Golden Name Day, about Swedish-American children. I always think of her when your child mentions the APL sponsorship on your podcast.
It all continues for us. I married a children's librarian, as did my second son.
I remember the slightly guilty feeling the first time I adventured from the children's section into the high school section to find more advanced reading.
Wallace Stegner is top
tier.