Juggling just seems like an obvious book choice for this letter. Yes, I do have several books on juggling and those of you who know anything about me know that I am a juggler and have an interest in the art. Of course I would have some juggling books even though it's not a category most people would think of exploring. Really, though, there are a lot of books about juggling and I have several. Keep looking through the shelves and you'll find some other entries for 'J'...
Jackson history (Colonel Edward Jackson: Revolutionary Soldier)
My actual last name being Jackson makes books about my family history of definite interest to me. Fortunately my aunt Nancy Jackson and another relative Linda Brake Myers compiled this hefty history of over 1100 pages detailing the family lineage from their first arrival in the Americas in 1756 up to the 1990s when this book was published. This highly detailed book is a real gem. Probably difficult to find--I'm not sure how many copies were published--but I'm proud to have such a fine book on my family's history on my father's side. And I'm named in the book as are my children!
Juggling The Art and Its Artists by Ziethen & Allen
Most of the juggling books I have are somewhat smaller books about how to juggle or different juggling tricks. Typically they are cheaply made paperback books so most of these are not on my bookshelves. However the Juggling book by Ziethen & Allen (a writing team made for A to Z) has a place on display in my collection. This is primarily a picture book from 1985 that mostly depicts European jugglers of whom I am not familiar. But there are some jugglers I've met and the photos are very nice. A good coffee table book I guess. Maybe even a collectors' item of sorts.
Jugglers' Bulletins
Speaking of collectors books, here is a one of a kind book that I had custom bound by a book binder in Richmond VA back in 1977 or so. I had visited the former editor of the bulletin of the International Jugglers Association, Roger Montandon who was living in Oklahoma at the time, and he indicated that he had all the back copies of the bulletin from the forties to mid-fifties. I was very interested in collecting juggling materials at the time so I bought a set of these back issues that were just loose paper copies. To keep them in good order I decided to have them bound. Maybe someone else has also done this, but I seriously doubt that it looks like my copy. I ordered it special. I wonder what this might be worth to some serious collector?
Has anyone in your family published genealogies of your lineage? Do you enjoy researching your family history? Have you read any of the books in the Body Farm series?
I also found a deep liking in the early Jefferson Bass books, but they seemed to fall off the deep end later in the series.
ReplyDeleteNever got into Juggling, but have a room full of artistic books, primarily watercolor or acrylics.
Craig, looking at their list of books I see that I've not read any of their books published past 2011 or so.
DeleteI like art books. Have several in fact.
Lee
Jamie (jannghi.blogspot.com):
ReplyDeleteI haven't thought of doing my family history.
I haven't read Jefferson Bass. And I would not have guessed it was two people.
Jamie, tracing family history is interesting especially if good records have been kept. Otherwise, it might be difficult to almost impossible.
DeleteLee
I updated and editied a book my Great Grandfather wrote about his time as a railroader spanning the 1910's to the 30's. It wasn't genealogy, but it was fun to do. I had it privately published and only three copies exist. Your copy of Juggling Art looks nice. I don't juggle (I have three or four left arms), but I enjoy leafing through books like that.
ReplyDeleteKJ, I've read some good accounts of past lives. I love reading that stuff.
DeleteLee
In preparation for the U.S. Bicentennial my grandfather and his siblings wrote a book of family history including a pretty well researched genealogy. I still have a copy of it and enjoy reading it.
ReplyDeleteDave, a family history like that is pretty cool to pass down. I think that family history is important.
DeleteLee
One of my aunts has built the family tree for the Connellys and Doyles on Ancestry. I've been doing what I can to do the same for the Holtons and Welches. I did actually find some second cousins, the children of Grandma Holton's brother. which was pretty cool, and her oldest sister's husband's second wife. None of it is in a book, though...
ReplyDeleteJohn H, I think a lot of my family history is online. Probably partly due to the efforts of my aunts who wrote family histories.
DeleteLee
Lee......before I continue to babble on (Babylon) in your comments section, have you ever seen the documentary "The Booksellers?"
ReplyDeletehttps://youtu.be/IhTY_K3N0BU I have to pause there for now, but will pick up again depending on your response. ZD
ZD, I watched the preview. Looks good. I enjoy documentaries and this looks like a topic that I'd like.
DeleteLee
I was thinking about that movie reading some of your blogs....there is one section in there where a 'bookseller" describes how a copy of some Harry Potter book outsold a first edition of Don Quixote! Hahahaha......Seeing the picture of the Grapes of Wrath also reminded me I would read Don Quixote and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court........I better get on it!
DeleteThat Jackson book is right up my alley- have to put it on my "short list"!
ReplyDeleteCW, I guess you're talking about the "Stonewall Jackson" book since the other one is probably extremely difficult to find.
DeleteLee
The Jackson family history book sounds fantastic! A cousin to Stonewall? Wow. My brothers liked to pretend we were related to Raquel Welch; boys being boys;-) Your interest and background in juggling was one of the first things I learned about you. I’m still impressed. I’m a fan of Robin Cook and Patricia Cornwell, so I’m guessing Jefferson Bass and the Body Farm series would definitely be to my liking.
ReplyDeleteDiedre, my aunt and her colleagues did a great job on the family history. The Jefferson Bass series is pretty solid for the genre. I have Cook and Cornwell books and they are very much like the "Body Farm" series from JB.
DeleteLee