Notes for this week’s CBC radio segment of Things I Found in My Mother-in-Law’s House. UPDATE: Listen to the actual interview! **** Souvenirs seem to have some strange mesmeric power over travelers. You visit a place with beautiful scenery, a long and fascinating history, great restaurants and a vibrant night life, and somehow you decide …
Tag: history
Things I Found in my Mother-in-Law’s House: The Kitchen
Here are this week’s notes for the “Things I Found in my Mother-in-Law’s House” segment that will be on between 4:30 and 5 p.m. today on CBC Saskatchewan’s Afternoon Edition. In the radio version, the segment about the aluminum coffee pot got left out, so that’s your special blog bonus for the week! (And again, …
The half-million-dollar guitar
The first guitar Jimi Hendrix set alight on stage has sold at auction for $527,044. Which is a great excuse for an excerpt from the biography of Hendrix I wrote for Enslow Publishers, Jimi Hendrix: Kiss the Sky: The Experience finished the album that spring, and called it Are You Experienced. Before it was released, …
"Things I Found in my Mother-in-Law’s House…"
…which I’ve long talked about turning into a book (and maybe a CD, and a stage show, and…) finally became a reality in one form today: I’ve started a new limited column series for CBC Saskatchewan’s Afternoon Edition, hosted by Colin Grewar, with that as its title. So here’s today’s entry, more or less (these …
My new book is out!
No, not Terra Insegura–I haven’t even done the revisions on that yet. I’m talking about my newest nonfiction book, Historic Walks of Regina and Moose Jaw, published by Red Deer Press. I saw a bunch of them on sale in the Smith Books in the Cornwall Centre here in Regina today. I haven’t receieved any …
The people of Frijoles Canyon
From Denver, site of last week’s column, I and my family headed south to the Land of Enchantment, a.k.a. New Mexico. It’s a state famous for many things: beautiful scenery (it greeted us with a vast vista of green plains, blue mountains, and a rainbow); the fact that I was born there (okay, maybe “famous” …
Willett of the Day: Edward S. Willett, merchant
Here’s another interesting Edward Willett of the past. The following biographical sketch, written by Stefan Bielinski , is from the New York State Museum’s site; the links within it point to various sources. The image above is of St. Peter’s Anglican Church in Albany as it appeared when Edward S. Willett became a member of …
Willett of the Day: The Willett House(s)
View Larger Map Not all interesting Willetts are people. There are also businesses, such as The Willett House, which “has made a name for itself as one of Westchester Country’s premier steak houses.” (Fair warning: its web site also features a really annoying theme song. ) Located approximately one hour north of Manhattan and hugging …
Willett of the Day: Marinus Willett, Revolutionary War Hero
When my family moved to Canada in 1967 (as I think I have recounted before) we were asked, during the process of becoming landed immigrants, what our nationality was. We (or rather, my parents; I was only eight and had little to do with the process) replied that we were American. We were told we …
Willett of the Day: Marinus Willett, Revolutionary War Hero
When my family moved to Canada in 1967 (as I think I have recounted before) we were asked, during the process of becoming landed immigrants, what our nationality was. We (or rather, my parents; I was only eight and had little to do with the process) replied that we were American. We were told we …
Willett of the Day: Henry Willett and his Collection of Popular Poetry
Today’s Willett is Henry Willett, a founding father of Brighton Museum, and reportedly “a man of great energy, enthusiasm and wide-ranging interests.” Born in Newhaven, the youngest of 11 children, he moved to Brighton in 1841, where he ran the West Street Brewery. By the end of his life, he was worth an impressive £230,000. …
Willett of the Day: Henry Willett and his Collection of Popular Poetry
Today’s Willett is Henry Willett, a founding father of Brighton Museum, and reportedly “a man of great energy, enthusiasm and wide-ranging interests.” Born in Newhaven, the youngest of 11 children, he moved to Brighton in 1841, where he ran the West Street Brewery. By the end of his life, he was worth an impressive £230,000. …
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