BOOK. OF. AWESOME.

[earlgreytea68]

Okay, so, now, what you've all been waiting for...

 

While in Minneapolis, we all went to a used book store, where jlrpuck located and convinced me to buy THE MOST FABULOUS BOOK EVER. Seriously, I adore this book.

The book is called, simply, "Massachusetts." It was published in 1937 as part of the Federal Writers' Project's American Guide Series. It is 675 pages long, and every page of this is TAXPAYER MONEY WELL SPENT. For real. Here are some bona fide facts about, nuggets gleaned from, and quotes pulled from this book, just in the act of flipping through the first few pages:

--The foreward is called "One Moment, Please!" This alone seals the book's status of utter awesome.

--Massachusetts has "variable climate" and you are advised to carry a topcoat with you for sudden changes in temperature.

--"Poison ivy grows somewhat profusely in certain sections," but have no fear! "Antidotes obtainable at any drugstore."

--Massachusetts had the first golf course in America.

--A flight between Boston and New York in 1937 took 84 minutes. It really takes about the same amount of time today. Oh, progress.

--"Puritanism was always suspicious of anything that made for physical comfort. Many people were sincerely convinced that the use of [railroads] would lower the prevailing standards of morality." Therefore, in 1837, railroad companies sent out a letter to every church in the State asking that "sermons be preached on the beneficial moral effects of railroads."

--The Transportation section of the book talks about the street railways and how automobiles are overtaking the system, but doesn't mention the subway at all. I realize now it's because, in 1937, the subway was negligible. "Although the Boston Elevated Railway, the largest line in the State, which serves the thickly settled Greater Boston district, has been able to retain much of its suburban traffic through its tunnel lines [I assume by this he means the subway], it also operates an increasingly large number of motor coaches [none of which I ever take]."

--From April to September, there were American and National League professional baseball games at Fenway and National League parks.

--From October to November, professional football games were played in Boston.

--Suitable symbols for inhabitants of Massachusetts are: dormant volcanoes; rivers; asocial discords; and petrified backbones.

--Also, apparently, inhabitants of Massachusetts are quite complex.

--"The ideal supposed in Europe to be the tenet of all Americans, that because a thing is bigger it is somehow better, was never adopted by Massachusetts." The author is obsessed with this idea. It culminates in this flowery prose at the conclusion of the chapter titled "Clues to Its Character": "Its sons and daughters live in small houses, worship in small churches, work in small factories, produce small things, and vote in small political units, yet time and again their largeness of spirit has burst beyond State borders." The guy who wrote this book is now at the top of my list of Historical People I Want to Have Dinner With.

--"Massachusetts lies in an area characterized by a forest cover composed mainly of trees which shed their leaves yearly about the time of approaching winter."

The book contains chapters on many major Massachusetts towns and cities. These chapters contain "foot" and "motor" tours of the towns and cities. Dear readers, I am going to embark upon these tours for you, and I will tell you the ways in which Massachusetts has and has not changed in the 72 years since this book was published. I shall share with you the author's inimitable talent for the backhanded compliment, and my own terribly amateurish photographs of the areas he is discussing. This? Is going to be quite a ride.

Comments

[hence-the-name.livejournal.com]

it also operates an increasingly large number of motor coaches [none of which I ever take].

I'm assuming by this he means the Green Line? I lived in Brookline for a year, and I effing hated that train. I'm pretty sure it hasn't changed much in the last 72 years...

Looking forward to your book tour of MA!

[earlgreytea68.livejournal.com]

I thought he was referring to the bus system, but maybe he does mean the Green Line. Which I take every single day. It's terrible. But worlds better than driving.

[hence-the-name.livejournal.com]

Agreed. Driving in Boston = Fail.

[leenah.livejournal.com]

ooooh!!! this sounds FAB!!

[earlgreytea68.livejournal.com]

It's so cool!

[earlgreytea68.livejournal.com]

I know, right!

[earlgreytea68.livejournal.com]

jlrpuck just has mad book-locating skillz.

[earlgreytea68.livejournal.com]

That's because Massachusetts is *awesome.* Well. Boston is. ;-)

[jlrpuck.livejournal.com]

I TOLD YOU SO.

(yes, I plan to keep repeating this refrain whenever you mention the awesomeness of the book)

[earlgreytea68.livejournal.com]

Sigh. That is fine, you are justified!

[frakup.livejournal.com]

Ooh, that does sound like fun. Can't wait to hear your travel reports!

[earlgreytea68.livejournal.com]

This book is going to provide hours of entertainment.

[fishface44.livejournal.com]

jlrpuck is obviously a book selecting genius! I adore the WPA books!!!! (You have now inspired me to order the Arizona and South Dakota books.) You may also want this WPA gem that I found on Amazon:

An Almanack for Bostonians 1939

http://www.amazon.com/Almanack-Bostonians-Federal-Writers-Project/dp/B001167EHE/ref=sr_1_95?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1249868416&sr=1-95

I am wildly excited to read about your Travels in Massachusetts!

[earlgreytea68.livejournal.com]

Okay, now I am going to have to start collecting these books, aren't I?

[chicklet73.livejournal.com]

I shall make sure to bring my topcoat for my upcoming Boston visit.

[earlgreytea68.livejournal.com]

Please do. Our climate is very variable.

[themusecalliope]

Ooo! I can't wait for the tours. Mind you, My grandfather's people came over to Mass. a couple of hundred years ago, and they're still in Taunton. So...I'll expect that the changes won't be major in that area. I'm just sayin'

And yeah. That book sounds uber fun. :)

[earlgreytea68.livejournal.com]

I don't think the changes will be major anywhere in Massachusetts. We're not really known for that stuff. ;-)

[rosa-acicularis.livejournal.com]

Dear readers, I am going to embark upon these tours for you, and I will tell you the ways in which Massachusetts has and has not changed in the 72 years since this book was published.

Actually, that sounds like a charming idea for a book of your own.

[earlgreytea68.livejournal.com]

I know! Wouldn't it be awesome if someone would pay me for that?

[marissa-214.livejournal.com]

That is charming! I love the history of the northeast. Also, the "produces small things" statement makes me laugh. I think of someone laboring over dollhouse amenities!

[earlgreytea68.livejournal.com]

lol - Maybe that's what he means! It's kind of obscure!

[phowah.livejournal.com]

That's a pretty dang cool book! Good purchase!

Now I'm gonna have to check to see if there is one for Wisconsin.

The task you are undertaking sorta reminds me of the movie that is out now, "Julie & Julia." Good luck with the travels!

[earlgreytea68.livejournal.com]

It *is* like Julie and Julia, only I have less free time...

But yeah, there should be one for every state, hopefully!

[crimedoc1.livejournal.com]

Oh! You found one of the WPA American Guide books! You *are* lucky - the Massachusetts one is supposed to be one of the best of the lot! I've been looking for the Florida one for a while without success (well, I could get it on CD Rom if I wanted to shell out about a hundred dollars, but....)

Anyway, if you're interested, there's an explanation of the series, and a list of all of them here:
http://www.senate.gov/reference/resources/pdf/WPAStateGuides.pdf

*is envious*

You know, if you really are going to follow the tours in the book, you quite seriously have the makings of a book of your own.

[earlgreytea68.livejournal.com]

I'm so happy! I had no idea this was such a big deal!

And I do have a goal to *try* to follow the tours. Hopefully, people feel like reading the results!