The story of Benjamin Bird is set in Western Oklahoma in the Dust Bowl years of the Great Depression. Benjamin was born in 1934, the third child of a sharecropper. Ben's heritage encompasses the history of late nineteenth-century frontier America, for his grandfathers were born in the aftermath of the Civil War. His paternal grandfather was the son of a former slave owner, and his maternal grandfather, the youngest son of a Confederate veteran, was from an extended family who, for generations, h
In Southwestern Oklahoma in 1953, nineteen-year-old Benjamin Bird had not yet learned how amazingly diverse human sexuality could be. Growing up in a devout rural Christian family who believed that homosexuality was an abomination justifying death, he dared not reveal his yearning for sexual intimacy with certain attractive males in his small circle of acquaintances, for fear of being attacked or shunned.Because Benjamin was also sexually attracted toward certain desirable females and because he shared his beloved family's belief in Christian principles, he hoped and prayed that he could overcome his homosexual propensity.Ben's confusion over his sexuality occurred more than a generation before the gay rebellion at New York's Stonewall Inn took place, and more than two generations before homosexuals could legally marry. Ben felt he had no alternative but to conform to a heterosexual life style, so he sought a formal education to prepare him for a fulfilling career that would afford him an opportunity to prosper, marry a desirable young woman, and raise his own family.This story traces Benjamin's journey into adulthood, a journey of challenges, achievements, failures, self-doubt, discovery, confrontation and intrusive family influence--a search for truth, faith, and courage to be who God created him to be.
During the adolescent years of Benjamin Bird, he wrestled with inevitable post–World War II socioeconomic and technological change, the breakup of his extended family, transitioning from the country to the city, from public school to college, and from confusion over his bisexuality. The following is an excerpt from Chapter Three. Benjamin pulled his socks tight in his shoes to avoid getting blisters on his heels, and he began trotting across the Dover pasture out to the county road. There he crawled under the barbed wire fence and headed home on foot. He did not mind walking, even three miles. Walking always seemed to clear his mind. He was relieved to be escaping from Denver's influence, at least for a time. Every step he took away from Denver was a step in the right direction. Step, step, step. Denver is sexy, all right, Ben admitted to himself, but not as desirable as Jacob Jiggs had been, not sexy enough for me to start daydreaming about Denver, or any other male, or I will fall into a trap that might haunt me for the rest of my life. Step, step, step. Don't think of Denver's masculinity, don't think of the arousal I felt riding behind Denver on old Misty, don't think of Denver's broad shoulders or his beautiful backside. Step, step, step. Don't think of Denver's naughty nature, don't think of what Denver might be doing with old Misty. I don't ever want to know. Step, step, step. Stay on the right side of life. Think of girls. Think of becoming attracted to girls. Think of which girl I will try to win for my sweetheart when school starts up again. Step, step, step. Should it be Peggy Blessing? Peggy is so feminine and dainty. I actually felt manly when I was sitting beside her in assembly! Step, step, step. Imagine putting my arms around Peggy Blessing and having babies and building a nice home and becoming a good husband and father. Step...by...step...by...step. Ben's shoes became hot to his feet, so he sat down and took them off, stuffed his socks into his shoes, tied the shoestrings together, and slung them over his shoulder. His feet felt good tramping in the warm sandy ruts. His toes felt liberated. At least his toes were liberated. ***** Watch for the forthcoming sequel, The Rootless Years of Benjamin Bird.
Much has changed in the lives of children, and in the health care provided to them, over the past century. Formative Years explores how children's lives have become increasingly medicalized, traces the emergence of the fields of pediatrics and child health, and offers fascinating case studies of important and timely issues. With contributions from historians and physicians, this collection illuminates some of the most important transformations in children's health in the United States since the 1880s. Opening with a history of pediatrics as a medical specialty, the book addresses such topics as the formulation of normal growth curves, Better Babies contests at county fairs, the "discovery" of the sexual abuse of children, and the political radicalism of the founder of pediatrics, Dr. Abraham Jacobi. One of the first long-term historical and analytical overviews of pediatrics and child health in the twentieth century, Formative Years will be a welcome addition to several fields, including the history of medicine and technology, the history of childhood, modern U.S. history, women's history, and American studies. It also has ramifications for policymakers concerned with child welfare and development and poses important questions about the direction of children's health in the twenty-first century. Alexandra Minna Stern is Associate Director of the Center for the History of Medicine and Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and American Culture at the University of Michigan. Howard Markel is the George Edward Wantz Professor of the History of Medicine, Professor of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases, and Professor of History at the University of Michigan, and Director of the Center for the History of Medicine.
Once a winter pastime for socializing and courtship, skating evolved into the wildly popular competitive sport of figure skating, one of the few athletic arenas where female athletes hold a public profile--and earning power--equal to that of men. Renowned sports historian James R. Hines chronicles figure skating's rise from its earliest days through its head-turning debut at the 1908 Olympics and its breakthrough as entertainment in the 1930s. Hines credits figure skating's explosive expansion to an ever-increasing number of women who had become proficient skaters and wanted to compete, not just in singles but with partners as well. Matters reached a turning point when British skater Madge Syers entered the otherwise-male 1902 World Championship held in London and finished second. Called skating's first feminist, Syers led a wave of women who made significant contributions to figure skating and helped turn it into today's star-making showcase at every Winter Olympics. Packed with stories and hard-to-find details, Figure Skating in the Formative Years tells the early history of a sport loved and followed by fans around the world.
The Pauline Corpus in Early Christianity: Its Formation, Publication, and Circulation offers a comprehensive and wide-ranging examination of the canonical development of the collection of writings associated with the Apostle Paul. The volume considers a number of clues from the New Testament writings, ancient literary conventions related to the composition and collection of letters, and a variety of early witnesses to the early state of the corpus such as biblical manuscripts, canonical lists, and the testimony of writers. As a conclusion to these inquiries, Laird argues that at least three major archetypal editions of the Pauline corpus—those containing 10, 13, and 14 letters—appear to have been collected and edited as early as the first century. These major archetypal editions, Laird concludes, circulated simultaneously for many years until editions containing 14 letters became nearly universally recognized by the fourth century. The volume serves as a valuable resource of information for those engaged in the study of the early state of the New Testament canon and offers a fresh perspective on the process that led to the formation of the Pauline corpus.
After 13 years in America, Abu Saheeh has returned to his native Iraq, a nation transformed by the American military presence. Alone in a new city, he has exactly what he wants: freedom from his past. Then he meets Layla, a whimsical fourteen-year-old girl who enchants him with her love of American pop culture. Enchanted by Layla's stories and her company, Abu Saheeh settles into the city's rhythm and begins rebuilding his life. But two sudden developments -- his alliance with a powerful merchant and his employment of a hot-headed young assistant -- reawaken painful memories, and not even Layla may be able to save Abu Saheeh from careening out of control and endangering all around them. A breathtaking tale of friendship, love, and betrayal, One Hundred and One Nights is an unforgettable novel about the struggle for salvation and the power of family.
A historian once said of Theodore Roosevelt's education that it had been "the best kind, for he was both teacher and pupil." by the time he went to Harvard, he had preserved several hundred birds for a collection. How did he become an accomplished scientist at a young age? He: --was curious, always wanting to know more and find out the "why" of things. --learned from playing: imitating animal sounds and habits and making up his own games. --looked up to mentors, including his father, uncles, and a companion of Audubon's. --read deeply from fiction and nonfiction. --continually made observations, filling diaries and notebooks with charts and essays. --sketched nature in letters and notebooks. --took risks, ready to pay the piper if he thought something was worthwhile. --customized learning to his own needs, starting a natural history museum at home when he was eight and inventing a code for bird songs. --studied the real thing, with "being there" experiences in the outdoors. --shared information with family and friends. Look for more in this book, and get to know a unique boy who still inspires others today.
