Wehaa:
User Box
Wednesday, January 30,2008
Share
Down Memory Lane
Book Preview
You can
never know too much—not even about sports. The body of human knowledge
is simply too great to be ingested in one sitting, and even those who
hunker down habitually will likely discover new delights in Doug
Schmidt’s new book. Even the title, They Came to Bowl: How Milwaukee
Became America’s Tenpin Capital, may be a revelation to those who had
no idea it was.
This easy-to-read book, full of fun asides and
historic photos, offers a diverting summary of this much-loved pastime.
Schmidt loosely traces its development from the ancient German rite of
“kegel toppling” (claiming that even Martin Luther was rather partial
to a round when he wasn’t nailing articles to the doors of churches) to
its journey to the East Coast of the United States among the cultural
baggage of early European settlers. But primarily Schmidt delivers what
the title of his book promises: a survey of bowling’s popularity in
Milwaukee in the 19th century under the stewardship of those like Abe
Langtry. Schmidt also mentions other bowling personalities—Enrico
Marino, Ned Day and Billy Sixty, to name a few. He even makes a case
for bowling as a kind of brawny, beer-strewn battleground for race and
gender, moving (rather grudgingly) from a “white males only” sport to
gradual acceptance of nonwhite players and women.
But this
nostalgic sojourn down memory lane ends on a somewhat mournful tone.
Schmidt examines the decline of the game’s popularity under the lens of
urban decentralization, inflated scores, even changes in drinking
habits—anything to explain why a pastime that was once as native to
city dwellers as beer-drinking has fallen to the wayside.
You
can meet Schmidt when he comes to Harry W. Schwartz Bookshop in
Brookfield, Jan. 31, at 7 p.m. Meanwhile, for the central character in
Meg Rosoff’s new book, What I Was, looking back at his obsessive youth
conjures up as much intense sweetness as it does squirming indignation.
With the “architectural sadism” of a 19th-century English boarding
school mooring his spirit to incessant misery, young H—an unexceptional
student—stumbles upon a beautiful loner named Finn who seems to occupy
an idyll free from the unwieldy demands of the adult world. In Finn’s
shack, H enjoys moments of awkwardness and bliss, cocooned in a fantasy
of unfettered existence, until he’s finally forced to resurface.
Rosoff will be appearing at Schwartz in Mequon, Feb. 5, at 7 p.m.
Also in Books:
Elections 2008
Obama seeks greater rein on financial institutions
(AP)
AP - President Barack Obama says he wants Congress to pass legislation giving the government greater regulatory authority over financial institutions like American International Group.
Sources: Pentagon to stop forced tour extension
(AP)
AP - The Army will substantially reduce use of the unpopular practice of holding troops beyond their enlistment dates and will pay $500 to those still forced to stay in the service, defense and congressional officials said Wednesday.
AIG head shares US anger of bonuses but backs them
(AP)
AP - The chief executive officer of failed insurance conglomerate AIG acknowledged Wednesday that the company's multimillion-dollar bonuses were "distasteful" to many and had provoked a firestorm of wrath. "I share that anger," Edward Liddy, chairman and CEO of the American International Group Inc., said in testimony prepared for Congress.
Analysis: White House, Dems backpedaling on AIG
(AP)
AP - For the first time since last fall's election, Democrats and the Obama administration are backpedaling furiously on an issue easily understood by financially strapped taxpayers: $165 million in bonuses paid out at bailed-out AIG.
Pence: Return AIG donations
(Politico)
Politico - House Republican Conference Chairman Mike Pence is urging politicians from both parties to strongly consider returning campaign contributions from AIG.
..Search Shepherd Express
Top Stories
AIG head shares US anger of bonuses but backs them
(AP)
AP - The chief executive officer of failed insurance conglomerate AIG acknowledged Wednesday that the company's multimillion-dollar bonuses were "distasteful" to many and had provoked a firestorm of wrath. "I share that anger," Edward Liddy, chairman and CEO of the American International Group Inc., said in testimony prepared for Congress.
Obama seeks greater rein on financial institutions
(AP)
AP - President Barack Obama says he wants Congress to pass legislation giving the government greater regulatory authority over financial institutions like American International Group.
Consumer prices rise by largest amount in 7 months
(AP)
AP - Consumer prices rose in February by the largest amount in seven months as gasoline prices surged again and clothing costs jumped the most in nearly two decades.
Crude
