My high school American history teacher supplemented our textbook with readings from “A People’s History of the United States.” At the time, the book seemed like a crazy secret no one had dared tell us about before; a hidden undercurrent of untold American history. As he read from “A People’s History,” I realized how many of our notions about this country and its meaning are based on myths. Myths can only take you so far.
Zinn’s ability to tell the other side of history, the untold tales, was enlightening: he made history real and relatable. He proved that the truth is always more difficult to handle, but completely engaging and worth fighting for.
But there is no such thing as a pure fact, innocent of interpretation. Behind every fact presented to the world…is a judgement. The judgement that has been made is that this fact is important, and that other facts, omitted, are not important.
There were themes of profound importance to me which I found missing in the orthodox histories that dominated American culture. The consequence of those omissions has been not simply to give a distorted view of the past but, more important, to mislead us all about the present.
- Howard Zinn, “A People’s History of the United States”
It’s still snowing, but my bike and I are holding out hope that the roads will be clear and the temperatures in the 30s (as promised) on Sunday, so we can test my brand new (effing gigantic) panniers.
Aren’t they awesome? I think I can fit an entire week’s worth of groceries in there. If I can’t, then I’m probably eating too much.
I’m mostly hoping for clear roads soon. Lower temperatures, I can work with, but I don’t have studded tires – and I’m pretty sure my bike could use a pair of new standard tires anyway. Maybe next winter I’ll have a good setup for snow and ice, but for now I’ll just read about it on blogs like Let’s Go Ride a Bike and be very, very impressed.
Happy New Year, everyone. I’ve been pretty busy trying to keep up with freelance work and this blog is suffering for it. This video is pretty awesome, though.
I have a million potential resolutions floating around in my head but nothing official. Last year’s resolution worked out pretty well, but so far the only ones I can think of are the really general “be nicer, save more money, eat better” kind. We’ll see.
Here’s my deeply thorough list of all the Twilight-mocking stuff people have sent me/the internets have blessed me with in the last few weeks.
(Everyone knows how I feel about Twilight by now, right? If not, here is a better explanation. I truly, deeply enjoy hating on Twilight. I will never change.)
- How Twilight works
- LOL Cats Twilight
- New Moon, 10 times more honest
- YALSA post on Twilight (okay, fine, this isn’t funny, but it makes me feel better)
- FacePunch
- Ew Moon
In a half-hearted effort to throw Twihards a bone, I will admit that Jacob is super hot. (Though not technically age-appropriate for me. Hear that, Edward? AGE-APPROPRIATE. Look it up.)
Also: seriously?? WTF.
Oh, hi, blog. I’m digging these felt trees from CB2 (and yes, I realize I could make them myself, but aren’t they cute?).
I don’t know about you, but I love me some drop caps.
Typographer and illustrator Jessica Hische is posting a new drop cap every day – heavenly.
Huxley and I took a walk out to the Shawnee Indian Mission this morning. I’ve never toured it, but now that I know tours are a mere $3, I’ll have to go sometime. Who wants to experience some (probably very depressing) history?
View of the East building.
Yes, that sounds awfully enlightening and depressing, all at once. At least the Kansas State Historical Society of 1953 (they’re credited at the bottom of the sign) was keeping it real.
Girls’ dormitories.
St. Agnes Church/School is just around the corner and is very, very pretty. I will always maintain that no other denominations’ churches can hold a candle to the Catholic ones.
Also, this morning I learned that I love figs – both because they taste awesome and because they look like brains.
If you see this book innocently on display at your library, do not, I repeat, do NOT pick it up.
It may say it’s about time travel, and Irish wolfhounds, and olden times, but it’s actually about Being a Lady Who Needs to Find Herself (not that I’m opposed to that sort of thing. I’m not. However, if you get that vague implication, check the publisher’s imprint. If it is called Avon, run away. Quickly.).
Admittedly, the blurb did start out with “After a horrible divorce…” or something like that. I just hoped it could get beyond that. I was wrong. I’m a little disappointed in myself for picking up this book on impulse, since it’s clearly marketed to women in my age group. More reasons I should stick to the things I have on hold and not browse.
Time to read Northanger Abbey again to cleanse my palate.
