Archive for the 'publications' Category

“What Makes People Laugh?”

Wednesday, August 12th, 2009

Charles E. Clark, Ph.D. asked himself, “What Makes People Laugh?” and then launched into a review of periodicals to find jokes and humorous stories published in early New England during the 1790s and beyond.

His talk, “What New Hampshire Thought Funny Two Hundred Years Ago,” is a program sponsored by the New Hampshire Humanities Council. We heard this lecture at the Libby Museum in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire on August 11, 2009. All talks in this series repeat in various New Hampshire locations.

Libby Museum, Wolfeboro

Libby Museum, Wolfeboro, New Hampshire

The lecturer explored recurrent themes that were the basis for laughter. Early New Hampshire settlers made fun of the clergy, lawyers, doctors, sex, or ethnicity, particularly, the Irish. Jokes often centered on a contrast of the sophisticated, educated person with the country bumpkin.

Additionally, people enjoy laughing at themselves, or their situations, for the sake of comic relief. An audience member mentioned the television series, “Mash,” as a modern day example; and another person recalled the movie, “Glory,” to illustrate that same point.

Professor Clark read quite a few examples of early, published humor, especially notable quotes from “NH Farmer’s Journal and the Farmer’s Weekly Museum,” (a name that changed a few times), based in Walpole, New Hampshire, and primarily written by Harvard-trained lawyers who wrote many “lawyer jokes,” thereby making fun of themselves. “The Walpole Wits,” as they were called, succeeded in producing a publication with an extraordinary circulation for their time.

Citing another source, the presenter shared the story of a man who wanted to steal a pound of butter from a Vermont country store. He put it under his hat and tried to slip out the door. The storekeeper realized what was happening and invited the man to sit down next to a hot fireplace and cordially provided him with a hot toddies, which made him very “hot.” Butter soon began to drip down the man’s clothes and when he was thoroughly saturated, the storekeeper thanked him for providing so much amusement, and said that the price of a pound of butter had been worth it all.

When the audience was asked to share something that they found humorous, I mentioned the Irish song about a sweet old dearie, retiring for the night. The verse goes: “She was pullin’ ‘em up, and pullin’ ‘em down, and forgot to pull down the shade.”

Click on this link to see an overview of the program and to learn more about Dr. Clark.

We have attended ten nightly educational events of this kind this summer and have to say that we have thoroughly enjoyed them. From Dr. Martin Fox’s “History of Photography,” to Edie Clark’s discussion of regional cooking, to three memorable musical programs, and many other worthwhile programs, I believe I’ve probably mentioned all of these events on this blog. So, scroll backwards to other pages to see those comments. Many thanks to Dr. Clark for this most recent, delightful program!

lake in Wolfeboro

View of Lake Winnipesaukee, at sunset, across from the Libby Museum

One presenter, Steve Blunt, who reenacts the character of “John Hutchinson” of The Hutchinson Family Singers, is a consummate showman who dresses in period costume. He tells me that he will be performing at Eastern States Exposition on September 25, 2009, in the morning, with the gal who sometimes accompanies him. We enjoyed seeing him at the Hancock Public Library. I can’t say enough about the NH Humanities Council’s dedication to providing excellent speakers and presenters!

By the way, the Libby Museum offers many interesting artifacts including an early schoolgirl Sampler, a piece of Tapa cloth from Hawaii, and a coin from Pres. Harrison’s campaign, just a few of their many treasures. In 1912, Dr. Henry Forest Libby started the museum as one to focus on natural history. Since then, many additional items have been added. We hope to visit there again soon!

Ever a learner!

Patricia Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications

UNH Professor Publishes Book – Asian Americans in New England: Culture and Community

Tuesday, July 7th, 2009

Press Release
Media Contact: Lori Wright
603-862-0574
UNH Media Relations
July 6, 2009

Monica Chiu photo
Photo of Monica Chiu

DURHAM, N.H. – Monica Chiu, associate professor of English at the University of New Hampshire, has published a book on the history, culture, and role of Asian Americans in New England, the first collection to address Asian and Asian American contributions to the region.

Asian Americans in New England: Culture and Community, published by University Press of New England, explores 19th century Chinese American friendship albums, Japanese American acrobats, the 20th century influence of Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts on regional and national Asian arts collections, contemporary Vietnamese American community art, and the construction of Asian Indians and religion in New England, among other topics.

book cover
Cover of Asian Americans in New England: Culture and Community

The collection highlights a broad range of Asian American communities and historical experiences. From the poignant writings of a young Chinese immigrant to the influence of hip-hop in a New Hampshire Lao American community, the collection seeks to establish a regional template for the study of Asian American lives and art far from the West Coast. The essays provide a record of particular achievements, as well as an understanding of the rich Asian American culture in New England, along with an analysis of the depiction of New England Asian Americans, one of the fastest growing minority populations in the region.

“If we look back to the region’s reception of ‘Orientals’ at the turn into the 20th century, we find curious New England audiences intrigued and surprised by Asian visitors, many of whom had never seen Asians before. Their reception and visibility afford us a window into understanding what political, economic, and social practices influenced New Englanders’ acceptance or rejection of Asian visitors and later second-generation Asian Americans and Asian refugees. What Asian Americans in New England created from that reception, as well as from their own creative integration into regional citizenship, are the artistic and cultural legacies presented in this volume,” Chiu says.

Chiu’s book has received critical acclaim from her colleagues.

“A sparkling collection of essays across disciplinary formations, ‘Asian Americans in New England’ reveals the reciprocal impress of New England and Asian America. Moreover, this foundational volume illustrates how spatial distinctions, whether regional, national, or transnational, are human creations and as such invite observance and transgression,” said Gary Okihiro, professor of international and public affairs at Columbia University and author of Island World: A History of Hawaii and the United States.

“This collection deals another crushing but healthy blow to the West Coast-centric Asian American Studies paradigm, all but assuring the continuing growth of this vibrant field in race and ethnic studies. The book’s contributors challenge the dominant historical images of Asians in America as manual laborers, shopkeepers, and victims of crude nativism, without minimizing the impact of racialization and orientalism on community and identity formations,” said Evelyn Hu-DeHart, professor of history and director of the Center for the Study of Race and Ethnicity in America at Brown University.

Monica Chiu is the director of the University Honors Program and an associate professor of English at the University of New Hampshire. She specializes in Asian American literature, criticism, film, popular culture, and twentieth-century American literature. She is the author of Filthy Fictions: Asian American Literature by Women (2004).

The University of New Hampshire, founded in 1866, is a world-class public research university with the feel of a New England liberal arts college. A land, sea, space-grant and community-engaged university, UNH is the state’s flagship public institution, enrolling 11,800 undergraduate and 2,400 graduate students.

Another book by Monica Chiu

This press release is offered as a public service announcement by Quilter’s Muse Publications, with permission from UNH Media Relations writer Lori Wright.

Coincidentally, and as a point of interest, a current article in the September 2009 issue of The Quilter magazine, written by Patricia Cummings and photographed by James Cummings, focuses on the Genesis Center of Providence, Rhode Island, and their exhibit of Hmong textiles (at RISD, last Spring). The embroidered pieces were made by refugees from Southeast Asia, namely, Laos. This article is Part 2 of a series, the other issue having been published with a July 2009 cover. Contact us at: pat@quiltersmuse.com

Patricia Grace Cummings, University of New Hampshire class of 1973

Retired Dentist Sees Slave History and a “Code” in an 1887 Crazy Quilt/ New Book Available

Thursday, June 4th, 2009

Dr. John E. Allen and his family's Crazy Quilt

John E. Allen, D.D.S. and his ancestral Crazy Quilt from 1887

A new book published by Trafford Publishing is titled, The Content of Their Character: The Story Behind This Antique Quilt and the History of the African American Family That Made It. Written by John E. Allen, D.D.S., a retired dentist and jazz musician, the book explores 150 years of family history, and adds to the quilt code controversy, as he proclaims. The quilt was made by ex-slaves and contains its own “code,” he states. More information is available at the publisher’s site.

The price is US$44.48. Call 1-888-232-4444, where a friendly voice will take your order, or order through amazon.com with the link below.

This notice is brought to you as a public service. I try to keep my readers informed.

Patricia Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications

New Book Available Today: Redwork Renaissance Revisited

Monday, May 4th, 2009

Patricia Cummings
Patricia Cummings, author of yet another book about Redwork and outline stitch embroidery!

In 2002, I wrote my first book, Redwork Renaissance: 49 Designs from an 1893 Coverlet. After a good run, we went on to other things, and the book was out of print for quite awhile. I began getting inquiries about its availability from friends of people who had bought the bound copy. Within the last year, we decided to bring the title back as an e-book on CD, with greatly-expanded content and additional information. The result is Redwork Renaissance Revisited by Patricia Lynne Grace Cummings and James Cummings, ISBN: 978-0-9769763-6-3. “Greatly-expanded” are the operative words with historically-significant textiles, and just downright cute motifs on many different items. Many designs are one to a page, ready to print out and trace for a project of your own.

The Crescent Moon Goddess was the central focus of the 1893 coverlet and I had adapted that pattern to a large framed Bluework piece. One reader, Linda Mageske, followed suit and added the moon goddess to her Crazy Quilt block. Here it is:

Linda Mageske's Crazy Quilt block
Linda Mageske’s Crazy Quilt block with a smaller version of the Crescent Moon Goddess. (There is a second, large, nineteenth century design of this type in our e-book, as well as directions for making a framed piece.

If you would like to learn how to do the stitches of Surface Embroidery, this book is great for any beginner. With the many quaint antique designs, the book is perfect for a child making a first quilt, or even a smaller item, such as decorating a pillowcase, my first project when I was five years old. I have a larger write-up about the book and its contents. One feature of the pdf file format of the book is that one can view thumbnails images on the left hand side of the screen. That makes it easy for finding the full size pages of patterns, without scrolling through dozens of them.

kitty design from an antique baby coverlet
This kitty design, on a new baby quilt made by Pat, was re-created from an antique quilt made in Canada. Notice the many straight stitches. It doesn’t get more simple!

I think there is a lot to like about this e-book and it features many designs that could be incorporated into Crazy Quilts or other projects that are smaller than full-size quilts or coverlets. As always, we hope that our products are synonymous with quality.

antique motif from unfinished quilt top - goose w/hat
The goose wearing a hat is one of 49 designs provided from an antique, unfinished, quilt top, a new acquisition for me.

For more information about this new product, please visit our Products Available page. We will mail you the actual CD. This is not a downloadable file. Offer good to U.S. addresses only. This is a really fun e-book. We have spent a great deal of time, effort, and expense to develop it, and we hope that you enjoy the results. There is additional information on the publications by Pat page of the website, and on the home page.

Patricia and James Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications

Irish Quilting

Friday, February 27th, 2009

I have always associated the color “Green” with Ireland, land of my forebears. Here is an old photo of me, wearing a green outfit, during my high school years (1960s).

Pat wearing a green outfit

I love the idea of Irish themed quilts and so, I decided that you might like to know about a new magazine on the subject!

I am posting the following letter I received, after I inquired as to how to purchase the new Irish Quilting magazine. Here is a link to one of their sites:

http://www.irishquilting.ie/

~~~

Slainte Patricia!

Thank you for your interest.

In US or Canada, please contact our distributor below for our magazine. You can buy or subscribe to Irish Quilting by contacting:

Stonehouse Publications
Toll Free 1 800 461 1640 ext.224
Fax 1 905 428 7554
Email info@stonehouse-publications.com
www. Stonehouse-publications.com

Alternatively, you can contact Stonehouse Publications for a list of retailers near you.

Thanks very much for your interest. Be sure to write us what you think when you get your first copy!

Slainte!

Thank you for your interest.

If you are in Ireland, you may purchase a magazine or subscribe by contacting us at Irish Quilting, 01 201 9938.

If you are in UK, please find the list of retailers attached.

If you are in Australia or New Zealand, please contact our distributor at www.honeysucklecottage.au.com. (Pat’s note: This link does not appear to be working!)

If you are in US or Canada, please contact our distributor for our magazine. You can buy or subscribe to Irish Quilting by contacting

Stonehouse Publications
Toll Free 1 800 461 1640 ext. 224

Fax 1 905 428 7554

Email info@stonehouse-publications.com

www.Stonehouse-publications.com

Alternatively, you can contact Stonehouse Publications for a list of retailers near you.

Thanks very much for your interest. Be sure to write us what you think when you get your first copy!

Sincerely,

Sherry Nugent

Editor

+353 1 201 9938

Irish Quilting
Knockraheen
Roundwood
Ireland

~~~

The subscription I ordered cost $47. + change for six issues and will begin with issue #2. Being of Irish descent, how could I resist a magazine with a title like that? Our own Mark Lipinski of Quilter’s Home magazine is featured in issue #2. I can’t wait to see this new magazine!

For the meaning of “Slainte,” please see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sl%C3%A0inte

Here is a link to an article I wrote about Irish Quilts.

Patricia Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications