These melting pot moments have a really important place in American history overall. Immigrating a little after, but also around the same time as the Irish, were the Italians. But there was a huge backlash (as there always seems to be) against immigrants in America. “For most of American history, anyone not Anglo-Saxon fell somewhere on a descending scale of human ‘pollution.’ […] … the immigrants arriving from southern and eastern Europe, the ‘scum and offscouring,’ as a former Virginia governor put it, newcomers who purportedly brought crime and disease and polluted the bloodlines of […]
What’s Your Culture?
My little one came home from school with a project. Their class was making a “culture blanket” out of pieces of paper and they want the students to come up with things from their culture to populate their square of the blanket with. For families who are more recent immigrants, I feel like this is an easier assignment. But as people whose ancestors are more distant immigrants, this was a bit harder. So much of our pre-immigration culture has been washed away by the melting pot. My husband’s father’s family is Italian (and a little […]
“First of May, sir! Out of the Way!”
It being a fine, bright, mild morning, I got up early, to take a walk on the Battery, the most glorious place for a morning or evening stroll, to be found in the world. Coming down into the entry, I found it cluttered up with a specimen of almost every thing that goes to the composition of house keeping, and three or four sturdy fellows with hand barrows, on which they were piling Ossa upon Pelion. I asked what the matter was, but all I could get out of them was, “First of May, sir—please […]
Astoria and John Jacob Astor
When I set out to start a newsletter about research rabbit holes, the sort of deviation from what I was supposed to be doing research on is sort of what I was thinking of. I see a sentence or two that sends me into a totally different direction than I thought I would be heading. I was reading through The Life and Letters of Washington Irving compiled and annotated by his nephew, Pierre Monroe Irving, when I found the following: For upwards of a month I have been quartered at Hell Gate, with Mr Astor, and I have not […]
Quebec and the American Revolution
Did you know that we invaded Quebec? The Quebecois sure know that we invaded Quebec. They don’t much like us up there. If you’ve ever taken a tour of the Citadel in Quebec City, you would also know this. Our tour guide spent a good long time telling us of all the things that the Quebecois do not like about the British or the Americans. If you spend enough time in Vermont, you’ll also know that we invaded Quebec. When we weren’t invading Quebec, we were thinking about it. And part of that history is […]
Happy Pub Day (15 July 2025)
It’s a COZY FANTASY SORT OF DAY!!!! SARAH BETH DURST – this book is AMAZING. So cozy, and Lotti is so snarky! I love it! Also, out today is A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping
Happy Pub Day! (8 July 2025)
Super excited for today’s release by Sarah MacLean! I’ve been reading Sarah’s books for a while now, so I’m really psyched to see what she can do with contemporary settings! Her book was also picked as one of the Book of the Month selections for July! Now is also a GREAT time to shop via Bookshop.org since their Anti-Prime Sale is on now! Free shipping for the next week! As usual, if you click on a link to Bookshop.org from my website, it is an affiliate link and I might make a few cents! Cheers!
Happy Pub Day! (24 June 2025)
Yep yep yep! It’s yet another pub day that I will be spending sitting by the door because the newest Harper St. George is out today! And yes, I finished both of the books I was looking forward to last week by Sunday night! Ashley Poston never disappoints! Speaking of: I got to meet Ashley Poston in NYC on Saturday! She had a fantastic conversation with Casey McQuiston. So much fun to listen to, and it was really cool to learn that they both played clarinet, same as me! So, that was really cool. That […]
Tuesday Can’t Come Fast Enough!
If you spend enough time with new releases in books in the United States, then you know: Pub Day is Tuesday! And this coming Tuesday, I am getting excited about TWO books that should be arriving on my doorstep TOGETHER. Ashley Poston and Claudia Gray both have books coming out this coming Tuesday that I couldn’t be more excited for. Claudia Gray because it is the FOURTH installment of her Juliet Tilney and Jonathan Darcy series, and Ashley Poston because she has written something fantastic practically every release she’s done. (The Dead Romantics is still […]
Digging the Fortifications on Breed’s Hill
On the 16th day of June, 1775, at night after roll call, I was furnished with a shovel and ordered to march. I was ordered to Bunker Hill, to use my shovel in throwing up a breastwork. I was compelled to labor till daylight. As soon as we were discovered, the British ships and batteries opened a tremendous fire upon us; this they continued till about ten o’clock in the day, when they began to cross Charlestown Ferry. Here they landed their forces and soon after set fire to the town, then formed their troops […]