Friday, July 29, 2005
'These exceptional students': Kara Baskin returns to Acton-Boxborough High School and finds not everything is perfect at her alma mater (sub. required for TNR). ... Hint: The article has to do with the disconnect of many suburban upper-middle-class students with 9/11.
'Hiding some of your light under a bushel': An old Hub Blog boss from Illinois writes in with some historical fiction recommendations about the American Revolution, after expressing mild surprise that I had more of an erudite spark than previously observed:
"I've been reading Hubblog from afar for a few months now ... you were a great reporter for us, but you were hiding some of your light under a bushel, it appears -- obviously, the move back home inspired a tremendous flowering of Boston-centric culture & commentary. Good stuff.
"Anyway, what inspired this note was your mention of the 'Saratoga' book. That made me wonder if you've read any of Kenneth Roberts' colonial-history novels. Roberts was a 1940s writer whose most famous book is 'Northwest Passage,' about Richard Rogers and the French and Indian Wars. But he had a series of Revolutionary War novels as well, at least a couple focusing on fictional characters from Arundel, Maine. I read them all in high school and started re-reading the series when I ran across a couple of them at Prairie Archives. 'Rabble in Arms' covers Saratoga (and more), with a heavy emphasis on the view that Benedict Arnold has been treated unfairly, first by the Continental Congress and later by history. Pretty interesting stuff. .. 'Arundel' and 'Rabble in Arms' should be read as a series. 'Oliver Wiswell' is maybe Roberts' best, a look at the Revolution from a Tory point of view. 'Boon Island' is a short, great novel about the wreck of a sailing ship on said island (again a fictionalized version of an actual event). There are more too, besides 'Northwest Passage.'"
Hub Blog's response -- I could have sworn I blinded them with my brilliant light. ... And I haven't read any of Roberts' novels, though I plan to do so now.
He's back: Dan Kennedy is back -- and he's fortunately not posting running updates on summer beach trips or power naps. ... Via Media Log 2.
'Hiding some of your light under a bushel': An old Hub Blog boss from Illinois writes in with some historical fiction recommendations about the American Revolution, after expressing mild surprise that I had more of an erudite spark than previously observed:
"I've been reading Hubblog from afar for a few months now ... you were a great reporter for us, but you were hiding some of your light under a bushel, it appears -- obviously, the move back home inspired a tremendous flowering of Boston-centric culture & commentary. Good stuff.
"Anyway, what inspired this note was your mention of the 'Saratoga' book. That made me wonder if you've read any of Kenneth Roberts' colonial-history novels. Roberts was a 1940s writer whose most famous book is 'Northwest Passage,' about Richard Rogers and the French and Indian Wars. But he had a series of Revolutionary War novels as well, at least a couple focusing on fictional characters from Arundel, Maine. I read them all in high school and started re-reading the series when I ran across a couple of them at Prairie Archives. 'Rabble in Arms' covers Saratoga (and more), with a heavy emphasis on the view that Benedict Arnold has been treated unfairly, first by the Continental Congress and later by history. Pretty interesting stuff. .. 'Arundel' and 'Rabble in Arms' should be read as a series. 'Oliver Wiswell' is maybe Roberts' best, a look at the Revolution from a Tory point of view. 'Boon Island' is a short, great novel about the wreck of a sailing ship on said island (again a fictionalized version of an actual event). There are more too, besides 'Northwest Passage.'"
Hub Blog's response -- I could have sworn I blinded them with my brilliant light. ... And I haven't read any of Roberts' novels, though I plan to do so now.
He's back: Dan Kennedy is back -- and he's fortunately not posting running updates on summer beach trips or power naps. ... Via Media Log 2.
