Footnotes to a Conversation, June 27, 2022
Summer Reading
The more things change, the more they stay the same. If you’re on the lookout for a romance or thriller to take with you to the lake, you’re not alone. In 1872, Charles Scribner publishing house started advertising summer reading. These were books that could be “taken up and laid down without fear of losing the trend of anything in it”. However, “Brooklyn preacher Rev. T. DeWitt Talmage warned in an 1876 sermon that paperback romance novels were ‘literary poison.’ ‘Do not let the frogs and the lice of a corrupt printing press jump and crawl into your Saratoga trunk or White Mountain valise,’ he counseled.” [JSTOR Daily]
And if that hasn’t deterred you, here are 50 suggestions for summer reading. [The Guardian]
Unjust Obscurity
Two women lived in the shadow of their famous brothers, and yet they ran a successful arts and crafts enterprise for over 30 years. The Cuala Press, run by Elizabeth and Lily Yeats, “employed only women and produced handcrafted books, cards and prints that won glowing reviews at exhibitions in Paris, London, Chicago and elsewhere … After Ireland won independence from Britain in 1921 the Cuala Press bolstered fragile national confidence – and impressed foreigners – with vibrant images of a prosperous Dublin and thriving rural traditions. It was a rebuttal to racist British tropes of a land populated by feckless, simian-like hooligans.” [The Guardian]
Let the Nose Lead the Way
The wild roses are flowering and I am constantly stopping to sniff and enjoy. The waves lap against the shore, and I feel calmer immediately. Can – and should – urban planners take into account smells and sounds as well as appearance? Would you enjoy a blindfolded sound tour or a “smelly map”? Of course, “sensory perceptions are not neutral, or simply biological; whether we find something pleasant or not has been shaped culturally and socially.” One London neighbourhood became gentrified. “It used to smell like fried chicken … but newer residents found that aroma offputting rather than welcoming. Now it smells like cappuccinos.” [MIT Technology Review]
Access to Nature
I can remember visiting Grasslands National Park when I was waiting for a hip replacement. I was so pleased that there was a driving route that allowed me to get a glimpse of the park without having to walk. I’m pleased to see parks, municipalities, and organizations starting to respond to the needs of people with disabilities. It’s piecemeal, but hopefully what is done in one location can be imitated in another. [EcoFriendly West]
La Belle France
I will be travelling for a week in August before starting my first housesit in France. If you’ve visited Nîmes, Uzès, or Narbonne, do send me your recommendations. Thank you!
Footnotes to a Conversation is a weekly Monday feature covering an assortment of topics that I’ve come across in the preceding week – books, art, travel, food, and whatever else strikes my fancy. I also post occasional articles on other dates, including frequent book reviews and travel tales.
If you share my love of nature, check out EcoFriendly West, an online publication encouraging environmental initiatives in Western Canada, and Nature Companion, a free nature app for Canada’s four western provinces.