Odd Bits

Adventures with John Buchan

September 27, 2012

Yesterday I decided not to finish a novel by one of my all time favorite authors, John Buchan. It was a hard choice to make. Most of you have probably never heard of Buchan, unless you’re given to reading popular fiction from the first half of the twentieth century. He wrote biographies, adventure novels, historical [...]

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Sita Sings the Blues

September 25, 2012

The Ramayana is one of the classic Indian epics. Ascribed to the great Sanskrit poet-sage, Valmiki, it’s a love story, a moral lesson, and/or a foundation myth, depending on what kind of reader you are. Boy gets girl. Boy loses girl to demon king. Boy rescues girl with the help of monkey-god. Boy worries that [...]

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Log Cabins: Two Ways

September 14, 2012

I always learn something new when My Own True Love and I head out on a Road Trip Through History.  Our recent expedition to Colonial Michilimacinac was no exception. I learned that eighteenth century cooks dried pumpkins as well as apples* and used pig bladders to seal crocks of prickled vegetables. I had long known [...]

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A Grab-Bag of History Documentaries

June 21, 2012

As part of their first-anniversary celebration*, DocumentaryStorm.com, a curated resource for watching documentaries on-line, hand-picked a selection of history documentaries for me to share with you.  They’re very much in keeping with the non-Western, eclectic nature of History in the Margins. I think you’ll find them fascinating. Make yourself a bowl of popcorn, kickback, enjoy [...]

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Squeeze This!

May 17, 2012

I know it’s hard to believe, but even history bloggers sometimes think about something other than history.  We knit, canoe, wrestle bears, feed people, drink whiskey, and play with the cat.* Whenever we get the chance, My Own True Love and I pull on our dancing shoes and two-step and waltz to a Cajun band. [...]

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Wonders & Marvels–and me!

October 19, 2011

For those of you who don’t know it, Wonders & Marvels is one of the best history sites on the web.  Holly Tucker, the author of Blood Work, has put together a lively community “for curious minds who love history, its odd stories and good reads”. In addition to book reviews and guest posts by [...]

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Columbus Sails the Ocean Blue

October 12, 2011

Columbus Day is a problematic holiday.  Schools and government offices close, but most private businesses do not.  There is no public or private celebration.  For many of us, the only impact is the realization that there was no mail delivery, so the book we’re expecting didn’t come.  Dang it. For those of us who study [...]

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