How Low Can "ART" Go?

Ok! here is the deal. I'm not an artist but I know what art I like. Artists need people like me to appreciate what they do or they starve. Come to think of it if they had to live on what monies I devote from my pocket to art they ALL would starve. I might trade and barter though. Then through eBay they might make a a few bucks...

Anyway! Art I like has to usually make sense. I do like some of the stuff that is like inkblots and you have to guess what it is. I also like the find it pictures like "Where's Waldo". And mazes. But I learned early in life if you start in the center and work out it is easier.

But I digress. ... Rereading I find this whole post is, so far, digression...

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In London at Trafalgar Square there are four "Plinths" or large bases for statues. One of them, the Forth Plinth has been vacant since it's construction initially due to insufficient funds but left empty due to political arguments over what to put there.

Use for the empty plinth has temporarily been settled with a deal called "One & Other", "A grand project that is meant to stretch the boundaries of sculpture by placing 2,400 people on the square’s usually vacant fourth plinth, for an hour apiece (only one at a time), from now through Oct. 6."

"This is not about privilege, not about power, not about war or honoring the dead," said the artist, Antony Gormley. "It’s about celebrating the living." Britons (only) are lifted to the empty plinth by a 'cherry picker' and you can watch. The website has a disclaimer that there might be offensive content and Gormley stated in an interview, "Nakedness is absolutely essential," ... "Nakedness is to art what the ball is to football."

London’s mayor, Boris Johnson, had a different take: “It’s a triumphant meditation on the themes of fame and glory,” he declared. “My friends, someday your plinth will come.”

The idea seems simple, but has been fairly complicated to pull off. More than 17,000 people have applied for the slots, mostly through the Internet, with winners — who have to be over 16 and living in Britain — selected by a computer algorithm that accounts for geographical diversity. The slots for September and October have yet (at the time of this posting) to be filled.

Well I only have seen two people so far and I'm still waiting for the art...

In the first 24 minutes I saw one lady holding her hands in supplication to the sky, bringing them down to a prayerful attitude, then bending to place her hands on the ground, then back up to the sky. Some kind of art or perhaps just a statement that I could not understand. She should have set up a sign to proclaim what the heck she was doing. Praying to the Living God or worshiping the sky and earth... The next gal I saw was tearing Kleenex (Reg TM for facial tissue) into little tiny pieces and allowing the wind to litter the city with it. An hour of littering London with bits of paper is art? ... Well I am glad I'm not paying for it. Nor do I have to clean it up. I'll sit entranced wondering if she might have to blow her nose and if she will tear that one into little pieces.

At least it is not a crucifix in a jar of urine, a picture of Mary made from elephant dung nor a bullwhip up some rectal aperture's anal aperture.

This gal with the Kleenex looks self satisfied like she really accomplished something. They are now coming with the cherry picker and the replacement. Some character wearing what looks like a cow costume.

Now That is ART!

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The Hoosier Schoolmaster by Edward Eggleston

Once again I'm posting on a book that can be had for relatively cheap. I've found a few on Amazon and eBay plus going through Bookfinder.com Author: - Edward Eggleston - Title: - The Hoosier Schoolmaster - there are a few copies at various booksellers.

My copy is not for sale today but it might be someday. It seems like a keeper but someyear I might decide to release it to the wild. Space will be the issue at that date... - Addendum to this line. - I started this posting before I finished the book. I've finished reading it tonight... It is staying in my personal library and my daughter will have to deal with it after Jesus takes me home. -

One thing I will suggest is writing to the book seller in advance of purchase and making sure you get the "revised" edition (1892 and 'perhaps' after) with the authors footnotes. (More on that later. Plus it might be cheaper than a "First Edition".) - The story can also be had for free at Project Gutenberg but you will have to suffer through reading it on your computer screen or printing it out, which could be more expensive than buying it used (depending on your printer).

Figure this one out. a 2006 copy for $134.33 and on Alibris there is an 1899 copy available for $3.95 Plus S&H - I wrote to the $134.33 seller and asked, "Why so much? Typo???" - No reply!!! - Beware of rectal apertures! They will rob you!!! -

The Hoosier Schoolmaster by Edward Eggleston - (my copy) 1899, Grosset and Dunlap NY - HB/no DJ - 281 pages - w/ B&W Illustrations (with Character Sketches by F. Opper and other Illustrations by W.E.B. Starkweather) - Missing flyleaf which might have had some interesting names to Google...

"Want to be a schoolmaster, do you? You? Well, what would you do in Flat Crick deestrick, I'd like to know? Why, the boys have driv off the last two, and licked the one afore them like blazes. You might teach a summer school, when nothin' but children come. But I 'low it takes a right smart man to be schoolmaster in Flat Crick in the winter. They'd pitch you out of doors, sonny, neck and heels, afore Christmas."

So starts a fascinating story of a young man whose decision to be a schoolmaster of a rural district in 1851 Indiana seems to be doomed before he is even hired.

Written in the dialect of Middle America of the time it is filled with many of the characters, personalities, emotions and complexities of life mankind has known since Adam's fall. Plus it is a good story.

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Going through a few online bookseller's sites I came across one whose advice I did not agree with. I saw a few of the more experienced sellers telling a newbie seller that had recently 'inherited' a lot of books (2500 or so) to dump all the 'Book of the Month Club' books and and only hold onto those books that had a higher value. - One said only keep those that could be sold for at least seven dollars while another said they would not sell their time so cheaply and held onto only ten dollar and up books...

To those so called 'sellers' I say, "Shame on you!!!"

What is selling if it is not giving value to someone that is willing to pay for it. I've sold three books in one eBay auction that could have been purchased for $1.00 each (Plus S&H) and got my ten dollars. Difference is: 1.) Buyer was willing to pay more for the convenience of one transaction instead of three and 2.) I advertised I would pay the S&H (my cost $2.50 or so - Media Mail - U.S. only). Nothing tacked on unless they wanted insurance or faster shipping method (book rate is real slow). A bonus in a sense because a lot of book buyers hate the shipping costs and a lot of sellers jack up the shipping to cover 'costs'...

So three or four of those BOMC books can and will bring in the $10.00 with the proper salesmanship applied. With BOMC listings I 'might' mention that they are getting more popular with budget minded book collectors. This is because it is one way to 'possibly' get an older, earlier edition, depending on the date of publication of course, for considerably less. In fact I've seen the BOMC embossed dot on stated "First Editions". (on the back cover the BOMC might emboss or indent a large period near the bottom to identify it as having been sold by/through the BOMC - This is generally done when the copies are not newly printed with BOMC on the copyright page.)

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But I digress.

Back to The Hoosier Schoolmaster.

This book has gone through several printings. It was popular up to the 1950's. The author originally printed a major part of the the story through his newspaper as a serial. He was encouraged to expand it a bit and make a book out of it. Since then it was printed in England (no residuals to the author) translated into other languages (Still no residuals) and republished several times.

That is when you know that the book you hold is a good one. - The majority of books are never republished. Supply and demand is the only reason for a book to be republished. Except perhaps for 'Professors' who demand their students purchase books they authored as a class requirement. - Even then I guess supply and demand is still in force.

Have I digressed again?

The characters in this first work by Edward Eggleston are not unforgettable. He had a way of bringing out their hopes, fears, and loves be they selfish or other-centric. Be they good or evil. Be they sane or... Well some of the demented ones still had hopes, fears and/or loves (see 'selfish' listed above). And some of those we will find outside of the 'poor house'.

Eggleston, in the revised edition, took many of the words and sayings of 1850's Indiana and broke them down with an etymological explanation which I found fascinating. As I've stated before I love words and the English language. Through the footnotes Added in the revised edition you can learn quite a bit. Some might find them distracting and if so can read the book while ignoring the footnotes then perhaps through a second reading check them out. Well worth having the revised edition because of this feature.

Plus the revised has the "Preface to the Library Edition" which helps explain the goings on during the 21 years from original publication. One of the things he says in this is that people remember him for this, his first novel, and don't know or care that he feels he has done better since. (Bookfinder.com - the author only - Edward Eggleston - )

I am going to keep my eyes open for more of his works in my collection and will report to you if I find something worth posting on.

I hope I do.

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This story was made into 3 movies which were all apparently unsatisfactory to those who read the book.
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Gus the Great

Tim Stanley got on me for not posting. OK Tim! Here it is.

A book review of Gus the Great by Thomas W. Duncan - 1947 (first editions will be 'stated' This was reprinted and became a BOMC.) J. B. Lippincott Company

One thing people should think about when faced with a decision of purchasing a used book. - Am I purchasing this as/for a collector's copy? Never to be read but to sit on a shelf. A shrine of sorts. To be adored as such. - OR - Am I purchasing this for enjoyment to be read, handled, perhaps smudged a bit more than it already was before I picked it up?

Ok. That's two things. To quote someone else that once made a mistake, "So sue me!".

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I would suggest purchasing Gus the Great for the second reason. It will never attain much value as a collectible issue even in it's first state with a fine, fine, super fine book jacket and signed by the author.

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- (From bookfinder.com - First edition. Fine in near fine dust jacket with the original price on front flap. Signed by the author "For.. friend of long standing, Thomas W. Duncan." $35.00) -

- (Another DREAMER from the UK lists their copy as: - Good condition Publisher: Lippincott Date of Publication: 1947 Binding: Hard Cover Condition: Good/No Dust Wrapper; $116.63/£49.95)

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- RESEARCH BEFORE YOU BUY BOOKS ONLINE!!! -

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My copy is not for sale...

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So I just purchased a library. I'm looking to sell 95% of the books. And now I'm posting on a ratty covered book that I can find on eBay for less than 5 bucks (shipping included) or could hopefully come across in a thrift store for a dollar.

Whyzat???

Because I enjoyed reading it and think that others might also.

I hated doing book reports in school but now I find myself doing the same of my own volition. - For what it is worth. Here it is.

This book starts out with a fat man, one that had recently been fast losing weight, (Wattles exquisitely described as author paints pictures with words in an artistic manner. - Much painted in this book is prettier than this picture...) CAREFULLY approaching a piece of land described in the first sentence as having "elephants buried on it". Yet this is not Africa. It is in the middle of the U.S.A..

We learn that this is Gus. "Augustus Howard Burgoyne", who was named after two men, one of which was definitely his father.

From here the book goes back in time. With a brief pause here and there, to the late 1800's, through the story of the birth, beginnings, early adolescence, young to old life of Gus.

Here is a likable, lovable man who never read, or if he did read never understood the 10 Commandments. Boisterous and influential. A leader who often drew people into situations that would cost them. The kind of person that if you met him you would like and want to be friends with but you would be smart to stay away from if it meant money out of your pocket. A con artist with a good heart.

From his low beginnings Gus rises to that position he dreamed of as a child. A successful circus owner. - Hence the elephants in the first sentence.

But what is success without scruples?

Often humorous and even more often than we like to admit to ourselves and others this book shows a side of life that includes us all. - Whether we want to admit it or not... - Somewhere in this book every person on the planet is brought forth and paraded for all to see. There is even a printer, as I am, in it. Actually two or three of 'em but I don't think all of 'em are like me.

I would suggest that those who enjoy fiction, romance and humor purchase the book. This books deals with the late 1800's to early 1900's America. A time frame that went from horse to auto, gas to electric, telephone, movies, and so many more changes.

YET! men's hearts remained the same...

Thomas W. Duncan worked hard on writing and this book shows it. - Going through the timeline you will ask questions and at the last sentence ALL will be answered. - Very well written and should be considered a classic.

prying1 rating: Four Thumbs Up (Don't ask about my rating system. I have not figured it out yet. When I do I'm sure 'Four Thumbs Up' will be very high up there. - Just get the book and read it at your convenience. Hopefully you will find it in a thrift shop and not have to pay shipping.

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~~~~~
Write in Cary Cartter for President in 2008
~~~~~
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- "I'm Thinking of the "O" Word..." -