Thank you to everyone who participated in Our Community Reads! We will wrap up the blog with another interesting way to explore The Brief History of the Dead by Kevin Brockmeier: a reading map. Created by Laura Foutch (a newly minted librarian and addition to our Library staff) it pulls together related books, movies and websites, tracing the themes that make the book such a fascinating read. Click below and take your exploration of the book even further!
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On Tuesday evening we had a terrific time listening to author Kevin Brockmeier talk about his book The Brief History of the Dead, as well as writing, music, movies, art and much more!
One thing we learned is that Kevin keeps extensive lists of his favorite items and, as requested by the audience, we now have copies of them available. Please stop by the Reader Services Desk or you can view/print below.
KB’s 50 Favorite Children’s Books
Thank you to everyone who attended the Our Community Reads author event! There wasn’t nearly enough time for all the topics we could have discussed, so feel free to keep going using our Online Book Discussion page.
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As we lead up to the Our Community Reads discussion of The Brief History of the Dead in April, we’re sharing articles and news of related interest.
In an earlier post I referred to a familiar quote that is usually given as: “Nothing in this world is certain but death and taxes.” As I checked for the source of this saying, I was surprised to learn that the origin is somewhat of a mystery!
Most credible sites give the source as Benjamin Franklin, who wrote in a 1789 letter: “Our Constitution is in actual operation; everything appears to promise that it will last; but in this world nothing is certain but death and taxes.”
However, researchers have also noted that in 1716, an English playwright named Christopher Bullock wrote a short farce, based on the Induction from Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, titled The Cobler of Preston in which an actor states:
“‘Tis impossible to be sure of any thing but Death and Taxes.”
Was Franklin perhaps aware of this rowdy parody and simply echoing Bullock’s words in his letter?
Another
possible origin is from the 1726 book by Daniel Defoe, The History of the Devil (which you can read online if you’re interested): “Things as certain as Death and Taxes, can be more firmly believ’d.”
And finally, although this appears in print much later (1936) it is worth noting that Margaret Mitchell has Scarlett O’Hara (who, by the way, was almost named Pansy) pick up on this theme in Gone with the Wind: “Death and taxes and childbirth! There’s never any convenient time for any of them!”
So, just how and when did this saying became part of popular culture? No one seems certain.
The connection of any of this with Our Community Reads is, admittedly, a bit tenuous, but I anticipate that one of the many things to discuss about The Brief History of the Dead, will be that while death is certain, we can still be “kept alive” in the memories of those who remain after we are gone.
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In April the St. Charles Public Library and Elgin Community College are cosponsoring a variety of events for “Our Community Reads.” Members of the community are encouraged to read the book, The Brief History of the Dead by Kevin Brockmeier and join in the conversation.
As we lead up to our discussion of The Brief History of the Dead in April, we’re sharing articles and news of related interest.
USA Today recently ran an article pointing out an increase in popularity of books written by those who have had a near-death experience. At the Library we certainly saw a long “holds” list on Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo for several months and have had requests for similar books. In The Brief History of the Dead, author Kevin Brockmeier presents an interesting scenario of what happens immediately after dying that may or may not ring true to readers. But the fact remains that many of us are fascinated by the “what if” questions of life after death and so, of course, we will be intrigued by those who claim to have first-hand knowledge.
I also wonder if, in these times of so much uncertainty, we are more prone to take a look at “big picture” questions? As it is often said, one thing we can be certain of is death. Considering the possibilities of what happens afterwards is an investigative journey many people undertake. Have you found any certain book to be enlightening? Feel free to share now in the comments and later as part of Our Community Reads!
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An evocative tale of adventure, apocalypse and the afterlife.