It is hard not to think of Nebraska without thinking of its greatest writer. Here is a marvelous piece by Capote, Remembering Willa Cather . I remember seeing a stage production of O Pioneers! and being deeply moved by its raw emotions. I had read My Antonia before, and soon found myself hooked, like Capote was by the simple elegance of her prose and the way she was able to evoke so many feelings through her characters. Much of it came from the fact that she had lived those experiences herself. Her father dragged the family from Virginia to Nebraska in 1883, when it was still a young state, settling in the town of Red Cloud. named after one of the great Oglala chiefs. Red Cloud was still alive at the time, living on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, in the aftermath of the "Great Sioux Wars" of 1876-77. I don't know whether Cather took any interest in the famous chief, although it is hard to imagine not. Upon his death in 1909, he was eulogi
At the moment I am reading Fraser's ''Flashman's Lady'' and am about half way through it. I found the parts about cricket to be more attention grabbing than the rest of the tale but it is somewhat entertaining.
ReplyDeleteFor some reason in my old age I've become a cricket fanatic. Too bad there isn't all that much cricket fiction available in the USA. There is much in the UK but our libraries don't have the books I want to read. Argh!
I have never read any Flashman books, although I know they are hugely popular with all of the NY Times book people.
ReplyDeleteWhen Gintaras posted this one, I looked for a copy at my local bookstore, but they don't have a single copy in stock. I'm surprised given how popular the series is.
I think it's best to read the Flashman titles in time sequence not as the titles were released as he jumped around a bit early on.There are references to earlier events in some which is why they read better in sequence.I only bemoan the fact there won't be anymore with his passing and he never got around to the Civil War novel as Flashman skirts the events in a few novels.
ReplyDeleteI can't recall which book but in one of the earlier Patrick O'Brian Aubrey/Maturin series there are pages on a cricket match played at Aubrey's house while home from the sea.Cricket Fiction would be an interesting subheading at online sites.
ReplyDeleteJust an aside but a high school friend from Rochester NY who comes from old blue blood money had a mother named Cricket.I saw last year that a sister of his named her daughter Cricket.It's an odd name to be sure but they named her brother Ryder because he was born the year the Ryder Cup was in Rochester.
ReplyDeleteThe site I know of that has a cricket fiction section can be found at Guardian. Indeed, there is much crciekt fiction but usually only in the UK.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was kind of funny the way Fraser tied Flash in with Cassy from Uncle Tom's Cabin.
ReplyDelete