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I’m New Here…Week Three
March 1, 2019 by Stephanie Williams · 2 Comments
These last few days have been highlighted by fascinating rare newspaper excursions that touched on Johnny Appleseed and hot air balloons and genealogy searches and gold ink newspaper editions and even “mourning rules” (a post-worthy ramble in itself). As this week closes, I find myself musing on all things literary.
I recall my first encounter with Walt Whitman’s poetry as being somewhat controversial. Compiling an anthology for a sixth grade project I stumbled across “Song of Myself” and laboriously copied it out onto its own page — carefully fitting text to margins and indents that defined, despite lackluster rhyme or rhythm scheme. Abruptly, I was the focus of adults pontificating on the perils of the modern age and the coming doom symbolized by artists throwing off established norms and strictures. In college, I was perplexed to find that Whitman wrote his grieving “Lilacs” four months after the eloquently detailed sixteen hundred mile funeral procession for Abraham Lincoln. From all the squawking, I had assumed the poet lived in my time, or my parents’ time — not contemporaneously with the sixteenth president. I’m keen on Frost and Dickinson and Oliver and all the greats, but Whitman broke the lingering nursery rhyme cadence of Robert Louis Stevenson with a clear voice of plain-speaking, beauty filled, heartwrenching truth. And so, with ten minutes of unscheduled time this week, I delved into the directories of perhaps the largest Civil War newspaper collection in the world, to see what we might have within our archives. Three years after Lincoln’s assassination, the popular New York Herald was the first to publish the words “…to all cut off before their time, Possess’d by some great spirit of fire Quenched by an early death.” It is signed in block type, “WALT WHITMAN”. And, yesterday, I held it in my very own 21st century hands, looking at this poem irreverently sandwiched between complaints against Kansas senators and the connection of the Minneapolis/Montreal railroad. In 1888 Walt Whitman’s words were taken at face value, distinct from any of the acclamation or aspersion that would come with the passage of time. Reading them, this way, is a little bit like traveling back two hundred years to look at things from a completely different view. Many of you who call or email or write or browse online in search of particular subjects, dates and people are reaching for the insight from the immediate context of newsprint columns, to hear what was once merely words in print, chronicling the events of the day.
At any rate, no one can live by poetry alone, so next Friday I am honor bound to tell you of one or two colossal mistakes I have made, and balance this week’s ponderous tone with a humorous tale or two. Things around here are often funny and deep — a little bit like those old, modern poets.
They Put It In Print… Black Americana…
February 25, 2019 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
Few nations can boast of a peaceful trek from being a slave state (at least in part) to the enslaved people-group holding the highest position in the very land that had once enslaved their ancestors. Whereas there is still much work to be done, the United States’ governmental structure allows, and even promotes such progress. Since much of these historic events were put in print, the link below is able to provide a chronology of many of the highlights of this amazing, albeit bumpy road. Since the link only provides a snapshot of each issue’s content, in order to view the related coverage you may need to click on the item number of several in order to view the item’s full description.
BLACK AMERICANA (and more)
Note: While perusing the issues shown in the link above, one might wonder why a link to a chronology of “Black Americana” issues includes those from outside the United States. Answer? Life rarely happens in a vacuum – and this is equally true with the trek shown above. Both the related tragedies, atrocities, and eventual progress which transpired outside the U.S. were often foundational in the thinking of those within. As a result, they have been included.
Announcing: Catalog #277 (for December, 2018) is now available…
December 1, 2018 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
- Catalog 277 (in its entirety)
- Noteworthy Catalog 277 ($250+)
- Combined Catalogs (current, w/ remnants of previous)
Don’t forget about this month’s DISCOUNTED ISSUES.
(The catalog links above will redirect to the latest catalog in approx. 30 days, upon which time it will update to the most recent catalog.)
Announcing: Catalog #276 (for November, 2018) is now available…
November 1, 2018 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
- Catalog 276 (in its entirety)
- Noteworthy Catalog 276 ($250+)
- Combined Catalogs (current, w/ remnants of previous)
Don’t forget about this month’s DISCOUNTED ISSUES.
(The catalog links above will redirect to the latest catalog in approx. 30 days, upon which time it will update to the most recent catalog.)
Announcing: Catalog #275 (for October, 2018) is now available…
October 1, 2018 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
- Catalog 275 (in its entirety)
1500-1799 (full view OR quick-scan/compact view)
1800-1899 (full view OR quick-scan/compact” view)
1900-2015 (full view OR quick-scan/compact” view)
- Noteworthy Catalog 275 ($250+)
- Combined Catalogs (current, w/ remnants of previous)
Don’t forget about this month’s DISCOUNTED ISSUES.
(The catalog links above will redirect to the latest catalog in approx. 30 days, upon which time it will update to the most recent catalog.)
Announcing: Catalog #274 (for September, 2018) is now available…
August 31, 2018 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
- Catalog 274 (in its entirety)
1500-1799 (full view OR quick-scan/compact view)
1800-1899 (full view OR quick-scan/compact” view)
1900-2015 (full view OR quick-scan/compact” view)
- Noteworthy Catalog 274 ($250+)
- Combined Catalogs (current, w/ remnants of previous)
Don’t forget about this month’s DISCOUNTED ISSUES.
(The catalog links above will redirect to the latest catalog in approx. 30 days, upon which time it will update to the most recent catalog.)
Nobody like me, everybody hates me… 1863…
August 27, 2018 by GuyHeilenman · 44 Comments
Nobody likes me, everybody hates me
I think I’ll go eat worms!
Big fat juicy ones
Eensie weensy squeensy ones
See how they wiggle and squirm!
Down goes the first one, down goes the second one
Oh how they wiggle and squirm!
Up comes the first one, up comes the second one
Oh how they wiggle and squirm!
I bite off the heads, and suck out the juice
And throw the skins away!
Nobody knows how fat I grow
On worms three times a day!
Nobody likes me, everybody hates me
I think I’ll go eat worms!
Big fat juicy ones
Eensie weensy squeensy ones
See how they wiggle and squirm!
When a child sings, “Nobody Likes Me,” rarely does it inspire the reaction (from those within listening distance) hoped for. The reality is, the child may be down in the mouth, but they’re likely not going to eat worms. After all, who would do such a thing? Of course we forget the times throughout history when many have chosen to do so as a result of severe famine, long sea voyages (where food was scarce – and refrigeration was limited), and of course, in the present as a means of what we often call entertainment on a plethora of reality television shows. Speaking of the latter, when such is put upon others against their will, the result is no laughing (or entertaining) matter. Perhaps it is the contrast between a willing act and one which is unjustly perpetrated upon others which drew my attention to the following article found in the New York Daily Tribune, September 3, 1863: 
PS Please don’t respond with comments stating this post was in bad taste. I realize the song itself is sung with tongue firmly planted in cheek – just for fun.
Who’s Who in Newspapers? Karl Marx edition…
August 23, 2018 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
The 6th installment of Who’s Who in Newspapers:
George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton… Babe Ruth, Jesse Owens, Vince Lombardi… John Wayne, James Dean, Katharine Hepburn – these individuals, among many, are easily recognizable. However, there are quite a few historical figures who, while having adorned the pages of many a newspaper, are far from household names, or, if they are, their connection with historic newspapers might be a bit of a surprise. Such is the case with Karl Marx. While his name is well-known, few are aware he was a foreign correspondent for the New York Tribune before his name became synonymous with socialism and communism.
Feel free to peruse the following chronological list of newspapers to explore his articles, and a few others which were written about him:
KARL MARX
Snapshot 1864… Washington and Lincoln for President…
August 20, 2018 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
The following snapshot comes from the New York Tribune, November 11, 1864…
Announcing: Catalog #273 (for August, 2018) is now available…
August 2, 2018 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
- Catalog 273 (in its entirety)
- Noteworthy Catalog 273 ($250+)
- Combined Catalogs (current, w/ remnants of previous)
Don’t forget about this month’s DISCOUNTED ISSUES.
(The catalog links above will redirect to the latest catalog in approx. 30 days, upon which time it will update to the most recent catalog.)