In a rural Kentucky river town, "Old Jack" Beechum, a retired farmer, sees his life again through the shades of one burnished day in September 1952. Bringing the earthiness of America's past to mind, The Memory of Old Jack conveys the truth and integrity of the land and the people who live from it. Through the eyes of one man can be seen the values Americans strive to recapture as we arrive at the next century.
I have this canoe that is tied to my imagination and docked to my memory bank. This book is simply a ride down the rivers of my memories. I grew up in the mountains of western NC under the shadow of Mount Pisgah. The mountain way of life during the 40's and 50's is worth writing about and preserving for future references. It is my story, seen and experienced through the eyes of a young boy. And for me the canoe rides are real, for the places and folk it takes me to are real. The river of my memories is deep and wide, for there are 70 plus years of storage. The traditions, the way of life in the 40's and 50's, Mountaineer spirit and humor are worth talking and writing about. There is nothing really spectacular about what I have to say, but I do hope the stories of growing up in a time that has almost slipped away help you take your own ride down your river of memories. The good times have left me upbeat and positive and extremely happy to have lived in those years. The tragedies have left me raw and exposed and extremely emotional. I truly hope these stories bring some smiles and joy to you. And I really hope you just relax, hop in my old canoe and take a river ride with me. Part of life that comes too sudden is the 'last time'. The last time you see a friend. The last time you talk to your folks. The last time you hugged a family member. One part of writing these stories is remembering the last time I had with some of my people. That is why tears have been shed while trying to write this memoir. I wish I had asked more questions. I wish I had had hugged a bit harder, and loved a lot sweeter. So as for me, I have tried to show in words just how much those folk, growing up in that time, and my Faith have meant to me. Be a blessing because you are blessed.
Commemorating the 40th anniversary of his assassination, JFK: Remembering Jack is a compelling homage in word and image to one of the world's great leaders. Culled primarily from the archives of the Kennedy Museum and Library, JFK weaves together quotations and anecdotes with both rare and familiar photographs of the public figure and the private man. A 60-minute audio CD featuring some of Kennedy's greatest speeches, press conferences, and phone calls from the White House brings Kennedy's voice to life for a new generation. A singular package, attractively priced, JFK: Remembering Jack speaks to every man and woman, just as the President it honors spoke for them.
To mark the centennial of John F. Kennedy's birth, the editors of People celebrate his life, his family and his presidency. Filled with intimate historic photographs, this collector's edition captures the glamour of the age and the cultural shift he and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy brought to the White House and the nation-from Kennedy's upbringing and launch into politics, to their courtship, wedding and young family; through the crises of the early 1960s at home and abroad to the tragic and sudden end to the era that came to be known as Camelot.
A collection of Courtney's columns from the Texas Monthly, curing the curious, exorcizing bedevilment, and orienting the disoriented, advising "on such things as: Is it wrong to wear your football team's jersey to church? When out at a dancehall, do you need to stick with the one that brung ya? Is it real Tex-Mex if it's served with a side of black beans? Can one have too many Texas-themed tattoos?"--Amazon.com.
From the darknessā¦ came a call from the trees. Deep in the soul of the world a being is growing, feeding on the destruction of the natural world. The Forgetting is seeping through the Rings of Time, bringing dark rain, poisoned mists, and deep fractures in the earth. The Rings are nearing collapse, the Ancient Tree Council needs help. Escaping the torment of his neighbours, the twins, Jack runs to the woods and the Ancient Tree Council see their chance, Jack is their hope. They ask him and his scruffy dog Stan to undertake a dangerous journey to help restore balance, to bring about a remembering. To Jacks horror, the trees mistakenly bring Mia, one of the twins and their lives are entwined in a way they could never have anticipated. The adventure takes them beyond their wildest imaginings, meeting wise elders, facing tempestuous primal worlds, turbulent rivers, and a mighty storm - with near tragic consequences. Discovering strength, friendship, belonging and hope. A thrilling adventure to the heart of the earth.
The banks of the Schuylkill once echoed with the hum of the steel mills, and immigrants came across the sea to transform Conshohocken and West Conshohocken into thriving industrial towns. When the storm clouds gathered in Europe, the neighboring communities proudly sent more sons and daughters per capita to serve in World War I than any other town in America. Author Jack Coll chronicles the history of these Pennsylvania mill towns with a series of compelling vignettes. From stories of Ned Hector, an African American soldier who fought valiantly during the Revolutionary War, to the heroics of the Conshohocken fire companies, Coll pays tribute to his home and evokes times gone by.