4/20/11

I have been very sick and haven't been doing much. But I am still reading the biography of Jackie Coogan and it is a very good biography and a very fascinating look at Hollywood from the twenties to the eighties. The biographer did an excellent job.

I got a book today which will be perfect for the issue I am planning to put together about the history of the Mississippi River. The book is "Cahokia: Ancient America's Great City on the Mississippi" by Timothy R. Pauketat and is the story of a Native American city and its people that flourished on the banks of the Mississippi River near what is now St. Louis. Cahokia was a thriving metropolis at its height, with a population of twenty thousand centered around a sprawling plaza and scores of incredible and spectacular earthen mounds. The city gave rise to a new culture that spread across the plains. But by 1400 it had been abandoned, leaving behind giant mounds of monuments. In this book Pauketat chronicles the story of the city and its people as uncovered in dramatic digs by American archaeologists who presented evidence on the sophistication of the people and their city.

I have been to Cahokia numerous times and have climbed the mounds and have visited Woodhenge and the interpretive center and I am still in awe at what I have seen. This was an amazing city as was the culture that spread and the people who were part of it.

4/18/11

This past weekend has been extremely rough and I am surprised that I got through it. But some disasters hit and some changes will be coming about. Just an awful weekend.

I finished reading "A Wasp Among Eagles: A Woman Test Pilot in World War II" by Ann B. Carr her memoir of her life in aviation during World War II not only as a WASP but also as a test pilot at Wright Field. She tested many different types of combat planes and the first American jet. An incredible life! And she also got to spend time with Orville Wright!

After watching the Chaplin classic "The Kid" I got interested in Jackie Coogan and I found a biography of the once child star and am now reading it, "Jackie Coogan: The World's Boy King" by Diana Serra Cary.

4/15/11

I finished reading another fascinating biography of Louisa May Alcott, "Louisa May Alcott: A Personal Biography" by Susan Cheever . Although written in a different style it was still a very entrancing read. What I find so fascinating about Ms. Alcott is in the way she was raised as her father was an ineffectual philosopher who was unable to support his family which meant that for the Alcotts that the mother and daughters had to earn a living. Plus they got loans from their friends. But for most of the time they lived in abject poverty. Which would impact their health.

Louisa May Alcott got her start writing "blood-and- thunder" stories. Of which she was deeply ashamed and was able to keep secret for a long time after her death. But they were a living and the money was needed. But it was with "Little Women" and the sequels that she achieved the fame and fortune she wanted. What an entrancing story. I am very glad that I found this second biography of one remarkable woman. I am planning to read a biography of Henry James and Harriet Beecher Stowe and I will review these biographies with the biography of Alcott that I have read.

I am now reading "A Wasp Among Eagles: A Woman Test Pilot in World War II" by Ann B. Carr and it is her memoir of her life of her childhood, how she learned to fly, trained as a WASP, and made history as a test-pilot and flew flew experimental planes including the early jets. An incredible story of women in aviation during World War II!

4/14/11

I finished reading the biography of Ned Buntline, "The Great Rascal: The Exploits of The Amazing Ned Buntline" by Jay Monaghan. After all the books that I have read that mentioned Buntline, it was very nice to read a biography of this most interesting man who made his living in so many ways, not just as a writer. I will review his biography with that of Horatio Alger, Jr. as they both should be included in the same issue!

4/13/11

I mailed off 100 bookmarks to a convention in Buffalo, New York and 50 Bookview cards to a convention in San Diego, California. I am planning to send bookmarks and cards to conventions which will be taking place in May and June. Next month I am planning to send bookmarks to libraries throughout the U. S. Should be lots of fun.

I have also been cutting out bookmarks and cards for three convention that take place next month. I have e-mailed the SFWA about sending 100 bookmarks to the 2011 Nebula Awards that are next month. I hope that they allow me to send the bookmarks.

I still found time to read and have been reading a fascinating biography of Ned Buntline an interesting account of a writer who made his living writing "blood and thunder" stories in the 19th century. It was he who made William F. Cody into the Western legend Buffalo Bill Cody. In fact it could be said that Ned Buntline was one who popularized the Western that would take the world by storm. I've read about. Buntline in other books, but it was great to read an actually biography of Ned Justin and the amazing life he lead.

The other book I am reading is the biography of Louis May Alcott, "Louisa May Alcott: A Personal Biography" by Susan Cheever, and is the second biography that I have read of her. Although best known for her book "Little Women," it is quite fascinating that she started writing "blood and thunder" stories that she tried to keep from being discovered. And it took over one hundred years before it was discovered her other writing career!

4/12/11

I got a book today via Amazon.com that has truly made me happy. This biography was published back in 1951, but I will read it and then review it. This book is "The Great Rascal: The Exploits of The Amazing Ned Buntline" by Jay Monaghan which is the story of Edward Zane Carroll Judson who was a man of many talents and probably the most famous as the king of the dime novelists. This biography should make for an interesting read.

4/11/11

Today is a dialysis day which means that I am at the hospital to have the procedure done. Although the procedure doesn't start until 6 a.m., I usually arrive at the hospital around 3:30a.m. so that I have some quiet time in which I read. This is a pleasant time to read and I have delighted in it for a number of years.

4/10/11

It's been a busy weekend getting things done for next weekend. But despite I was able to finish reading two biographies. One a biography of a singing cowboy and one about a legendary comic book genius.

"Will Eisner: A Dreamer's Life In Comics" by Michael Schumacher which is another biography of the comic book innovator and genius. It was a good read that presented Eisner's life and his entrance into comic books and how he then moved into producing newspaper comic strips to having a company that produced instructional comic boos for the military and private industry and return to the comic book universe and from comic books fans discovered how revered he was. And with his return to the comic book industry he discovered that he still had things to say via comic books through graphic novels and was able to enjoy the honors he received from fandom. A good read,

"Tex Ritter: America's Most Beloved Cowboy" by Bill O'Neal is a biography of one of the singing cowboy stars that were very popular in the movies from the thirties to the fifties. Ritter actually grew up in Texas and had planned to be a lawyer but in college he found he had a voice for singing and enjoyed acting so he went to New York City to study music and found himself on Broadway, radio, the movies, and entertaining and touring on the stages throughout the United States and Europe. He was very important in preserving the legacy of country and western and honoring past singers and Tex Ritter continued entertaining and touring up to his death. A very good biography.

4/7/11

I finished reading "Anna Leonowens: A Life Beyond The King and I" by Leslie Smith Dow today. Anna Harriet Leonowens was born in India, a child of mixed-race blood born in the Victorian era which meant that her future would be very limited. So she proceeded to reinvent herself after the death of her husband and went on to be the tutor of the King of Siam's 64 children, became an acclaimed writer and lecturer, world traveler, and a fighter for the rights of the downtrodden. She had one incredible life. Did you know that her grandnephew was William Henry Pratt (aka Boris Karloff) known for his unusual Eurasian looks. This is the second biography of the incredible Anna Leonowens I have read and it, too, was a great read!

I am now at the Tivoli Theatres in Westport for the showing of Charlie Chaplin's silent film classic "The Kid" which is being presented in a brand new 35mm print. Before going into the theater I put out fifty bookmarks in a perfect location.

I am now reading "Will Eisner: A Dreamer's Life In Comics" by Michael Schumacher which is another biography of the comic book innovator and genius that I am reading and am planning to review in issue 250. I am planning to review the biographies of Charles Schulz, Charles Adams, Milton Caniff, and . It should be a great issue!

I have an interesting Will Eisner story. Back in June of 1995 I was in Chicago for the yearly ABA conference. Among the many famous people I met (Stud Turckel, Colin Powell, Janet Leigh, among others that I had great talks with) one of the most delightful I met was Will Eisner. At first I was tongue-tied when I first met him, but he soon had me conversing with him as though we were old friends. I have met many celebrities over the years, both good and bad, but Will Eisner will always have a warm place in my heart.

4/5/11

Two books I ordered came today and I went right into reading them and I finished both of them. They were short but delightful reads and both were published by BearManor Media which is bringing out many good books. Most of the BearMedia Books I have have been very good reads and very informative too. The books I got and read are:

"The Pulp Western: A Popular History of the Western Fiction Magazine in America" by John A. Dinan which is a chronicle of the pulp magazines that published Western stories, the editors, writers, and artists and the demise of the Western pulp magazine. I have two other books about pulp history that I am planning to put with this one to make an issue.

"He Am What He Am!: Jack Mercer, The Voice of Popeye" by Fred M. Grandinetti and is the biography of Jack Mercer who started off in vaudeville as a baby with his parents and then as a teen took art classes. Mercer then went to work in the field of animation at Fleischer Studios working in all the departments including writing scripts for the animated shorts. And when the original actor who voiced Popeye was fired he became the voice of Popeye and continued that job for over forty years until his death voicing Popeye for Fleischer Studios, Famous Studios, and Hanna-Barbera. Along with the voice of Popeye he provided voices for many other characters in that long running animated series. He also provided voices for many other animated cartoons at the various studios. Not only did Jack Mercer provide voices, but he also wrote hundred of stores for animated cartoons including Popeye, Casper the Friendly Ghost, Felix, Deputy Dawg, and many others cartoons both for the big screen and for television. All this from the 1930s until his death in 1984. Jack Mercer was an animator, writer, and voice talent. This was a very good read and a very fascinating read too! This book will be reviewed in issue 237.

4/3/11

The Border's Books store is closing here in Lawrence, as in many other places, so I went to the store today and got some really incredible savings on books! And I got some interesting books on a variety of subjects.

I finished the book "Red: A Biography of Red Smith" by Ira Berkow and it is the biography of sportswriter Walter Wesley "Red" Smith whose career in journalism began with the Milwaukee Sentinel in 1927 and ended in 1982 with the New York Times. During his career as a sports columnist he covered many different types of sports and eventually won a Pulitzer Prize. This biography was a very good read that I am planning to review with the Damon Runyon biography.

I am now reading "Wayward Reporter: The Life of A. J. Libeling" by Raymond Sokolov. A. J. Libeling was a well respected journalist who wrote articles for The New Yorker covering subjects from boxing to politics to French cuisine. He was there in North Africa and the D-Day invasion and the liberating of Paris in World War II. But he delighted in chronicling the world of New York City his home ground for all his life. This book will be reviewed with the Damon Runyon and Red Smith biographies.

4/1/11

I finished reading "As Seen on TV: The Visual Culture of Everyday Life in the 1950s" by Karal Ann Marling which is an examination of all the cultural factors that made up the decade of the 1950s. And this book really does examination all the factors that made up the decade of the 1950s from Ike and Mamie, to fashions, to cars with tail fins, how television conquered the United States, the houses that were lived in and all that went on in the house and in the backyard. It was a very good read that fully examined the 1950s.

I am now reading "Red: A Biography of Red Smith" by Ira Berkow and is the biography of one of America's best writers and most honored sports journalists who got his start in 1927 and by the 1950s had become the world's most widely read sport columnist. I know where I will be reviewing this biography.

(c) copyright 2011 by William Tienken