RIP VAN WINKLE. A POSTHUMOUS WRITING OF DIEDRICH KNICKERBOCKER. By Woden, God of Saxons, From whence comes Wensday, that is Wodensday. Truth is a thing that ever I will keep Unto thylke day in which I creep into My sepulchre—— Cartwright. [The following Tale was found among the papers of the late Diedrich Knickerbocker, an old…
Month: October 2021
Rip Van Winkle by Washington Irving – Illustrated by Arthur Rackham – Read the Book Free
Rip Van Winkle was Originally Published in 1819 The Arthur Rackham Edition was Published in 1905 INTRODUCTION The following tale was found among the papers of the late Diedrich Knickerbocker, an old gentleman of New York, who was very curious in the Dutch history of the province, and the manners of the descendants from its…
The Hudson River Painters
“The Hudson River is a 315-mile (507 km) river that flows from north to south primarily through eastern New York in the United States. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York and flows southward through the Hudson Valley to the Upper New York Bay between New York City and Jersey City, eventually…
#MemoirFest Day 15: Write about the Harvest Time of Year
Yesterday, we discussed how, in writing memoir, it is important for us to write about the events of our lives, from our own perspectives. Many people view harvest time as the weeks during which Starbucks serves Pumpkin Spice Latte, or as the time when the craft stores line their shelves with fake pumpkins, orange garlands,…
#MemoirFest Day 13: Write about Your Memories of Going to a Fair
I grew up in the Bootheel of Southeast Missouri, which is about 120 miles from Memphis, Tennessee. The highlight of my autumns was that of going to the Midsouth Fair in Memphis. My mother will soon be 95, and every time I see her, I hear her repeat: “Brush your teeth and comb your hair….
#MemoirFest Day 9: Map Your Way to Your Childhood Home
I have created an actual map of the area around my childhood home, and for today’s #MemoirFest prompt, I want you to create a map for the area around your childhood home, too. You can scribble it on paper, but I primarily want you to walk around that area with your words. I want you…
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving – Read the Book Free
The Headless Horseman – Painted by John Quidor in 1858 The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving Published in 1820 lThe fictional narrator of this story is Mr. Knicerbocker] In the bosom of one of those spacious coves which indent the eastern shore of the Hudson, at that broad expansion of the river denominated…
#MemoirFest Day 7: Write about a Farm – It’s a Matter of Perspective
One of my favorite but older picture books is Rockwell’s Apples and Pumpkins. Apples and Pumpkins is about a family’s visit to a farm to pick from the bounty that was growing there. The simple book exemplifies the fact that various people in the USA view farm life differently than I view farms. Some people…
#MemoirFest Day 6: Write about a Teacher – Hitch Your Wagon to a Star
Seventh Grade was an important year for me. I attended school in a small, rural town, and there were two school buildings there: the Elementary School and the High School. Seventh Grade was the year that my classmates and I shifted from swingsets and monkey bars to metal lockers and Physical Education in a gym…