Books to read if you're planning a vacation in "Amherst", sorted by average review score:
From These Roots and Other Poems
Published in Paperback by Ivy House Publishing Group (November, 1996)
Average review score: 
Meanings
Powerful use of line, comments on race, folkloreIn only two sentences Perry can present a powerful poem like "Translation." A brilliant, enlightening poem is "Must I Be a Race?" I wish my Hispanic, Afro-American, Native American Indian friends could hear or read it. Perry knows folklore in two languages (Spanish or Puertorican and English, and he presents the "folk" and their animals in such philosophical poems and translations as "The Ox."
-- James W. Byrd, Professor Emeritus of Literature and Languages, Texas A&M University- Commerce Emerituds
My favoritesThe "Ox" and "Translation" are two of my favorites. "Translation -- When I was thrust into this strange and awesome world,/ I gave myself to What is here." We came into this sometimes baffling world with no volition of our own. We inevitably ask ourselves these questions: Who am I? Where did I come from? What am I here for? There is only one answer: "Trust to Caring Arms." In a few short years we must leave this baffling world behind forever. "What is there" we cannot know. Again our only answer is "Trust in Caring Arms." -- Father Paul W. Barrus, Parochial Vicar, St. Elizabet Ann Seton Church, Plano, Texas
Queen Silver : The Godless Girl (Women's Studies (Amherst, N.Y.)
Published in Hardcover by Prometheus Books (December, 1999)
Average review score:
An invaluable bookShe was a brilliant child lecturer, an incorrigible brat, a devoted freethinker, and a lifelong feminist. Queen Silver is one of those people that should be presented in any high school civics class (if such things still exist).
McElroy has given readers a book that can be appreciated on different levels. It can be read as a straightforward biography, detailing not only Queen's life but that of her mother, Grace Vaughn Silver, socialist lecturer and union advocate, who was the dominant figure in Queen's life. At 17, Grace left an abusive home with 5.00 in her pocket and the determination never to be anyone's slave. Ten days after giving birth to Queen, the pair resumed the lecture circut and Queen's life of freethought and self-education began.
This book also serves as a valuable collection of lectures and essays, illustrating Queen's diverse interests. These writings cover a wide variety of subjects, from the lesser known subversive works of Mark Twain to one of the earliest explorations of the Salem Witch Trials.
McElroy has written an engaging history of one of America's more intriguing subversives.
An astounding story of an authentic child prodigy.When she was just eight a little girl with an odd name delivered six astounding public lectures on Darwin and Einstein. A child prodigy, Queen Silver was a feminist at a very early age and in later years worked to further women's rights. This biography examines her life and times, her achievements, and her strengths. An astounding survey of a young girl's early public awareness and social strengths.
Wendy McElroy makes me wish I had met Queen SilverWendy McElroy is one of this century's most brilliant women. She writes better than almost everybody else. More, what she writes about is so seldom dealt with intelligently or even rationally, and she does both beautifully. Her friendship with Queen Silver is worthy of a book itself, since the two disagreed about almost all the fundamentals: Queen was a socialist, Wendy is a libertarian. But both shared a love for an open society and freedom of speech, and a love for honor and honesty that seems almost absent from modern politics, among other things. Queen Silver was a major participant in a turbulent era, and Wendy McElroy has done her proud, and has done us, her readers, a major service with this fascinating and very personal history.
Adventures in Contentment
Published in Paperback by Renaissance House Pub (October, 1987)
Average review score:
Simply the greatest . . .My first exposure to this book was ten years ago, when in the LSU library I stumbled upon some very old, very dusty books. Being intrigued by old books, I found his simple titles (Adventures in Contentment, Adventures in Friendship, Adventures in Solitude, etc.) irresistible. I read 5 David Grayson (Ray Stannard Baker's pseudonym) books in two days. I returned them to the library, then soon afterward moved to California. I could not remember Grayson's name, though I would tell stories about those wonderful books that influenced my life and my writing.
7 years later, I came across a 90 year old copy of Adventures in Contentment, and found that it struck me as even more profound, having tasted a little of the cynical world that drove the main character from the city to the farm. This is the only book I have ever read that made me cry tears of human experience -- and then the very next chapter had me laughing out loud. (I was sitting at a coffee house with my friends when this happened, after which they wanted to borrow the book.)
If you are a person of thought, this book will move you. Grayson will take you on a tour of his farm and his mind. You will give him a voice, and you will hear that voice speak the words as you read. You will quote this book, you will reread this book, you will think of this book with the fondness of a close friend.
The simplicity of the essays will charm you, his masterful vocabulary will force you to grab your dictionary, and his expressive literary patterns will strike you as being as close to poetry as prose could possible come.
A picture may say 1000 words, but David Grayson's simple essays about small town life in the early 1900's will paint more vivid images in your mind than 1,000,000 Michaelangelos ever could. Simply stated, this is the greatest literary work ever written. Unfortunately, modern literary critics refer to this type of work as unimportant, sentimental and preachy. So this book will probably never be placed in its rightful spot in the literary canon.
Still, don't think the author died in obscurity without his talent being discovered. He was a lifelong friend of Woodrow Wilson, and in his old age, Ray Stannard Baker won the Pulitzer Prize for his biography of his famous friend.
Most delightful book I have ever read.I wonder why there aren't any reviews on this book? It is the greatest book ever written. This book is about a person who has found a perfect harmony in life. Escaping all the scholastic philosophy and theological quest David Grayson here settles for what I regard the highest wisdom and the true purpose of life, and that is living. The book is potrayal of extra-ordinary experiences of a farmer poet who discovers a world within and without and adds a dream world quality with a sense of humour to our everyday experiences. A return to nature, beauty, simplicity, spontaniety and harmony!
Hedge Away: The Other Side of Emily Dickinson's Amherst: The Other Side of Emily Dickinson's Amherst
Published in Paperback by Daily Hampshire Gazette (May, 1997)
Average review score:
Hedge Away brings Amherst alive like never beforeThe town that Emily Dickinson resided in has never been depicted more vividly. Lombardo leads the reader into Amherst by the hand and paints pictures that I certainly will never forget
Real Life in 19th Century New England"A Hedge Away" brings alive the people and institutions of one small, but vibrant New England community in a way that challenges our preconceptions about what Victorian American small towns were like.
Refreshingly free of heavy-handed political interpretation, Lombardo's text gives us enough detail to draw our own conclusions.
Though I live only a few miles away from the small town that is the subject of this book, until I read it, I had no idea of the richness of the characters who populated its streets a hundred years ago, or of the many tragedies and scandals they endured.
This book is a "must read" for anyone interested in 19th century New England!
Indian Island in Amherst County
Published in Hardcover by Warwick House Pub (September, 1993)
Average review score:
Indian Island In Amherst CountyHaving been married to one of the Johns decendants (in Amherst County, VA), I must say that this is probably one of the most accurate depictions of life for the Monacan Indians as any I have heard. I would like to add that Dr. Houck was my daughters neo-natologist when she was born very prematurely...24 years ago!! If you enjoy this book, read MATOHE, written by Cathy Smoot Carson.
Entry Point for Students of Monacan Indian HistoryPeter Houck and Mintcy Maxham do a wonderful job of presenting a generalized history of the Monacan tribe. As with any generalized History study, consisting of one volume, covering centuries of time, and possibly thousands of individuals, the reader should not expect a complete detailed history of the tribe, but rather a jumping off point to further enhance his or her education of the Monacan past. While lots of specific details are missing, the major events are listed. This list of major Monacan occurrences, along with an ample Bibliography, gives everyone from the begining historical student to the advanced researcher many sources and avenues to approach the study of Monacan history and culture.
Rural by Design: Maintaining Small Town Character
Published in Hardcover by Amer Planning Assn (October, 1994)
Average review score:
A must have if you are interested in land use planning!The bible on proper planning. I wish more planners would read it. I am an average citizen who wanted to learn more about smarter land use plans and this book really has great ideas. It is expensive, but well worth the price. Shows how poor our current clear-cutting practices are compared to the beauty of an open space subdivision design. Buy this-you will really learn a lot!
The best book of its type I have seenThis is a great book, the best ever written, I am sure,
on the very important topic of helping maintain, and
sometimes create livable communities in rural areas.
The only handicap for owning the book is the rather
huge price, $ 86.00, and not discounted by Amazon.
We would like to have all our county planning commission
members have a copy of the book, but can't afford to do
so.
Adventures in Understanding
Published in Paperback by Renaissance House Pub (May, 1989)
Average review score:
Peaceful and SatisfyingI had heard a lot about the author's work from a friend of mine, but hadn't had an opppurtunity to read him. Finally I managed to secure this book, and I must say it is excellent. The book is primarily a collection of essays which the author writes from his own experiences. He is a countryman who has moved to the city and describes his dilemmas of living in a city as compared to the country, and the adventures he has, as he goes along making friends and understanding people in the city. There is nothing melodramatic in this work, however it is excellent literature. The author's style is superb and as you read the essays, you get a feel of the cosy atmosphere of the country and the warmth and simplicity of human relationships, which is what most of us crave for but somehow overlook. In his essays Grayson brings out simple but most profound truths about people and the process of living in general. After reading it one can't help but get the feeling that human relationships are so true, simple and beautiful. All that is required is an open, kind, friendly and fearless mind, so that we can understand (as Grayson says)and thus be at peace and in harmony with nature, ourselves, others and life in general. Overall an extremely charming, enjoyable and enlightening read.
An Atlas of Massachusetts River Systems: Environmental Designs for the Future
Published in Paperback by Univ. of Massachusetts Press (June, 1990)
Average review score:
Useful for Canoeists and KayakersIf you want to know where the water flows in Massachusetts, this is the book. It shows the major river systems throughout the state and the significant tributaries within them. Although it was probably intended for environmental study, it could be very useful to canoeist and kayakers. A rating system describes the smoothness and scenic attractiveness of many navigable rivers, as well as showing the locations of dams.
Austin and Mabel: The Amherst Affair & Love Letters of Austin Dickinson and Mabel Loomis Todd
Published in Paperback by Univ. of Massachusetts Press (October, 1999)
Average review score:
Steamy story behind the publication of Emily's poetry...Emily Dickinson is often a religious poet, and more often than many think, an erotic one. She is famous for her mysteries and contradictions and elusiveness. She died and left more than l700 poems, many almost indecipherable, and a number of them "uncertainly finished." Her sister Vinnie wanted the works to see print, but could not persuade her brother Austin's wife Sue to get the job done, so she turned to Austin's mistress, Mabel, who was also married. This is the lovers' story, told through 13 years of self-justifying letters and diary entries. More importantly, it is the story of how Mabel took on the job of copying and editing the poems to please her lover, and perhaps to irritate her enemy, Sue. Emily became famous about five years after she died due to Mabel's efforts. Polly Longsworth did a fine job condensing love letters and diary entries to give us a picture of these tormented souls, whose relationships all ended badly. The actual love letters between Austin and Mabel clearly show that neither had Emily's literary talent, but both had her passion. Where Emily apparently suppressed carnality, her brother and his "other woman" reveled in it. If you are as fascinated by Emily's life as you are by her poetry, this part of the tale, while largely occurring after she died, is essential to know. A very worthwhile addition to the saga of Emily Dickinson.
The Mouse of Amherst
Published in Library Binding by Turtleback Books Distributed by Demco Media (April, 2001)
Average review score:
The Mouse and "the Myth"....."I am a mouse, a white mouse. My name is Emmaline. Before I met Emily, the great poet of Amherst, I was nothing more than a crumb gatherer, a cheese nibbler, a mouse-of-little-purpose. There was an emptiness in my life that nothing seemed to fill. All that changed the day I moved into the Dickinson residence on Main Street..." Emmaline moves into the simple, quiet, sunny upstairs bedroom, and begins her new life in the wainscoting of Emily's room. She observes the Dickinson family, and is most fascinated by her new roommate, Emily. "She always wore white. She seemed to be everywhere and nowhere at once, fluttering through the house like a ghost, stirring up a batch of gingerbread in the kitchen, or walking in the garden, lost in reverie..." Emily is always sitting at her little desk in deep concentration, writing and scribbling on small scraps of paper, and this intrigues the little mouse. When a small scrap finally lands on the floor near Emmaline's door, she snatches it up and begins reading. "Imagine my surprise when I realized I was holding a poem! The words spoke to me. These were my feelings exactly, but ones I had always kept hidden for fear the world would think me a sentimental fool..." Emmaline turns the paper over and words begin to pour out of her; a poem of her own. Then she returns the scrap with her new poem on the back to Emily's desk. That night while Emmaline slept, Emily read her poem and wrote back, slipping the note paper under her little mouse door. "I'm Nobody! Who are you?/Are you-Nobody-too/Then there's a pair of us!/Don't tell! they'd banish us-you know!..." And that, as they say, was the beginning of a beautiful friendship..... Elizabeth Spires has written an engaging, gentle, and evocative introduction to the great poet, Emily Dickinson. Her charming and creative story, told often in poems passed back and forth between mouse and Myth, is sometimes poignant, often humorous, and always enlightening. Claire Nivola's black and white sketches complement the text beautifully, and together word and art paint a lovely portrait of the elusive and reclusive Dickinson and her genius, with great insight. Perfect for youngsters 9-12, The Mouse Of Amherst makes an even better read aloud book the entire family can share, and includes an Author's note about Emily Dickinson's life and her poetry to augment and enhance the story and open interesting discussions. This sweet little treasure is sure to whet the appetite of both young and old, and send kids out looking for more. It works well as a companion book to Jeanette Winter's Emily Dickinson's Letters To The World, and Michael Bedard's Emily.
An engaging taleEmmaline is a mouse who lives in a house in Emily Dickinson's room. They become friends very quickly and write poems together.
This was an excellent book, and I recommend it to everyone.
An engaging and memorable taleEmmaline is a mouse who lives behind the wainscoting of Emily Dickinson's bedroom and is a small, but courageous writer. The Mouse Of Amherst is a unique and effective little story for young children that aptly introduces wonderful poetry woven into the warm and superbly crafted story. Illustrations by Claire A. Nivola are perfect augmentations to Elizabeth Spires's engaging and memorable tale.
-- Gilbert E. Fleer, Professor/Counselor, Social Science, Wester Texas College