Thursday, September 4, 2008

Library Way



Plaques such as this one are set into the sidewalk
along a couple of blocks of 41st Street, leading up
to the main branch of the library. You can see them
all by going here and scrolling down. Wouldn't you love 
to have been one of the people who got 
to decide which books/quotes they featured?

3 comments:

  1. Alexa, this one is so grand! Love both of these authors. Great find. I suppose if Strunk's name wasn't on "Elements of Style", that book would have found itself on this plaque, too. EB White's short story "Once More to the Lake" is one that I refer to often in teaching narrative and descriptive writing. And Thurber? My family and neighbors in my youth typified the zany antics and characters in his writing. My sister was always under the Walter Mitty spell. Hope you've had a good week. One more day and then we can chill! Ciao.

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  2. coltrane -- am hoping that whatever hurricane is threatening doesn't arrive on Saturday, because the Lone Sharks are scheduled to play on the beach with Sleepy LaBeef (do you know him? -- the granddaddy of American Roots music).
    I knew you'd be an E.B fan. My father had a first edition of Stuart Little, and arranged (through someone at the New Yorker, to which he subscribed from the very first issue) to send it up to Maine for White to sign. My dad spent several hours composing the accompanying letter (to his hero), in part explaining the color that had been added to the illustrations (mea culpa, with crayons). Anyway, when the book came back to him, it had not just White's signature but a beautiful letter that filled a whole page at the front of the book.
    Somehow, because I had colored in it, I'm the one who inherited that book -- in this case, no bad deed goes punished, I guess.
    As for Thurber, I have a vivid memory of my brother David laughing so hard at Alarms and Diversions that he woke me up!

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  3. When I was a child I read a story about a man who found everything and became fascinated with it. I began to scan the floor looking for things.
    So because of this I have always paid special attention to signs placed on the floor.
    I really like this one!

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Thanks, merci, grazie, danke, hvala, gracias, spasibo, shukran, dhanyavaad, salamat, arigato, and muito obrigado for your much-appreciated comments.