On "Letters from Hollywood": A Book Review

Title: Letters from Hollywood: Inside the Private World of Classic American Moviemaking
Editors: Barbara Hall & Rocky Lang
Genre: Non-Fiction 

About the book...
A collection of letters, notes, and telegrams ranging from the 1920s to the 1970s written by and to legends of classic Hollywood.

What I think...
I loved this book! While it's always fun to read old Hollywood correspondence, this book goes a step further and has included images of the actual items rather than just transcribing them, so you can see the actual document. Part of the fun of this was getting to see who had the messiest writing, preferred typing, and what type of stationary was used, so I was delighted they went this route.

Each item is accompanied by a short write up providing background context pertaining to the writers, recipients, and subject matter, which I appreciated for films and stars I was less familiar with and in some cases built up a greater understanding of a few of the topics being addressed.

 

In terms of presentation, the layouts were great and they did a nice job including photos that corresponded with the writers of the letters or the subject matters. For a coffee table sized book with glossy pages, I also thought it was really nicely bound.  

I also really enjoyed getting to read some of the "behind the scene" process that occurred during the making of some of the golden era movies and just . My favorites included a very sweet 1957 letter from Ingrid Bergman to Cary Grant thanking him for accepting her Oscar for her and a letter about how problematic adapting Double Indemnity was in terms of the Hays Code.

To sum it all up...
A treasure trove of correspondence that will delight any classic film fan! ♥ 

On Ten Years of Blogging!

Having sneaked up on me as stealthily as a Boojum, today marks the 10 year anniversary of this blog!

This blog has come a long way since it came into being, starting out with creative writing posts, moving into the area of sewing and vintage (I was insistent when I began, I was not going to venture there-clearly when one primarily follow vintage blogs and loves old things, one eventually ventures there) book reviews, and bits of non-sewing crafting. 

While I have not always been the most consistent in posting, in the past usually due to various time constraints due to coursework and more recently health issues, and I've considered giving it up a couple of times (primarily due to the former), I'm happy and proud to have been at it this long. I have made some very dear friends along the way, have a lovely log of how I've grown in my sewing skills, and, while it's waned over time, enjoyed being part of the vintage blogging community.

With my blog's name stemming from the poem "The Walrus and the Carpenter" my blogging journey started with a few posts addressing several of the topics the Walrus says it's time to talk about, specifically shoes, ships, and sealing-wax. With a decade of posts, I think it's about time to get around to writing on cabbages and kings this month. As to why the sea is boiling hot and whether pigs have wings, I shall leave to your own personal speculation for the time being. 

Thanks for reading and here's a glass of "treacle and ink and anything else that is pleasant to drink" raised to more posts to come! ♥

On Gunter the Turtle: A Photo Post

 I was going to sew a hippo, but then ended up sewing a turtle instead. His name is Gunter.

He goes remarkably well with the doll I had made for an elderly relative in 2012 from a Joan Russell doll pattern found in the November 1965 edition of Woman's Day. 

 

♥ ♥ ♥

On "Beatrix Potter: A Journal": A Book Review

This month's book chosen in honor of Beatrix Potter's birthday, which was July 28th! (And for fun, you might want to check out her recipe for gingerbread shared on LitHub this week!)

Title: Beatrix Potter: A Journal
Genre: Non-fiction

About the Book...
Compiled in scrapbook fashion, a presentation of  journal entry excerpts, correspondence, photos, artwork, and other epherma chronicling Beatrix Potter's life.

What I Think...
This is a lovely book and as an adoring fan of Beatrix Potter (as indicated in my review of a biography about her) I was delighted to be given this book earlier this year. 

While it's aimed at children, this is definitely one of those books that can be enjoyed by all ages.

The layouts are beautifully done, mixing photographs of Potter, those close to her, and locations as they were when she was alive; Potter's artwork; and fun elements, such as facsimiles of correspondence, various programs, and other things you would expect to be saved in a scrapbook, alongside the text from her journals.

 

 

The later elements are probably one of my favorite aspects and really make the book special, including things like letters that can be unfolded or removed from the book, her Peter Rabbit board game, and at the very end, resting within the fairly thick cover, a facsimile of her personal copy of The Tale of Peter Rabbit that is removable.

While I have never ventured into fully reading her journals beyond bits and pieces, I enjoyed the selection included in this book and thought that the editor did a nice job finding material that showed her growth as a person and her journey of becoming an artist and writer.

To Sum it All Up...
If you're a fan of Beatrix Potter, you will love this book! ♥