Due West

I recently ventured into western Nebraska and visited a rather strange site - Carhenge. A uniquely American replication of Stonehenge, a prehistoric monument located in County Wiltshire, England, Carhenge is the creation of Jim Reinders who built the site as a memorial to his father. Though I am sad to say I missed the solstice celebrations, I nevertheless enjoyed the experience of wandering amongst the ‘ruins’. You will definitely have a new appreciation of vintage American cars and the sacredness therein. Don’t miss the outlying sculptures, especially ‘The Four Seasons’

For those interested in learning more about ‘Henges’ and their significance, the Library has the following items available:

‘Lost Treasures of the Ancient World - Stonehenge & the Ancient Britons’ (DVD)

‘Mysterious Britain’ (DVD)

‘Stonehenge: Opposing Viewpoints’ - Roop, Peter

‘Stonehenge Decoded’ - Hawkins, Gerald S.

Our library recently assisted an English couple with genealogical research. They sought information on Frank Yates, a notable citizen of Rock Springs during the 1920’s. Yates emigrated to Wyoming in 1911 and over the next 16 years worked as a sheep rancher, lawyer, and state senator for Sweetwater County. The search on Yates brought to mind the role the British played in the history of the West.  Indeed, Rock Springs at one time was host to legions of Cornish, English, Irish, Scottish, and Welsh who worked the mines and played a prominent, if not infamous, role in the Rock Springs Chinese Massacre of 1885. One interesting group of expats were the Remittance Men. The following books are avaliable at the Library for those interested in learning more:

‘Marmalade & Whiskey: British Remittance Men in the West’ - Olson, Leo

The British system of primogeniture created generations of offspring with little or no purpose in life, save as backup heirs in case the eldest son died before fathering a successor. The younger siblings were often sent into military, clerical, or civil service, or became settlers in Australia or America, where they were known as “Remittance Men.” They were raised with the notion that gentlemen do not actually work, and so they existed on the remittance, or allowance, sent from the family estate. Olson explains the situation clearly before launching into some highly entertaining and excruciatingly poignant tales of individuals caught up in this system on the American frontier. The influence of these Britishers upon the settling of the West is cleverly illumined. Relatives of Winston Churchill, Charles Dickens, and other well-known figures are among the cast assembled in this selective, enlightening coverage.

‘British Gentlemen in the Wild West: The Era of the Intensely English Cowboy’ - Woods, Lawrence M.

In the first full account of this little known chapter of American history, Lawrence M. Woods provides a deft and winning portrait of an eccentric cast of characters - a highly improbable colony composed of second sons, adventurers and sportsmen, and a few very black sheep. It also sheds light on the elusive link betweeb the Old World and New. Woods’ portrait of two cultures meeting and mixing on the open range reveals that aristocrats, schooled at Eton and Cambridge for Imperial leadership, and the rough independent American cowboys understood each other well, sharing a common moral code and a concept of personal honor based on courage and resourcefulness.

I’ve friends who are journeying far and wide this summer - Australia, Bermuda, Croatia, Greece. I, on the other hand, will remain in the Cowboy State. (Perhaps Tórshavn next autumn?) Fortunately, I needn’t despair, for Wyoming offers many attractions capable of satisfying my wanderlust. Listed below are some Wyoming guidebooks I’ve made use of in the past. Let them guide you as well.

‘Wyoming: Off the Beaten Path - A Guide to Unique Places - McCoy, Michael

Tired of the same old tourist traps? Take the road less traveled and discover the hidden attractions, unique finds, and unusual locales other guidebooks just don’t offer. Off the Beaten Path features the things you’d want to see-if only you knew about them! From the best in locale dining to quirky cultural tidbits, you’ll say over and over again: ‘I didn’t know that!’ OTBP 5th ed.

‘Wyoming Curiosities: Quirky Characters, Roadside Oddites, and Other Offbeat Stuff - Mishev, Dina

Th definitive collection of Wyoming’s odd, wacky, and most offbeat people, places, and things. Whether you’re a born and raised Wyomingite or a recent transplant, author Dina Mishev will have you laughing out loud as she introduces you to the neighbors you never knew you had and takes you to places you never knew existed - right in your own backyard

‘Hiking Wyoming’s Medicine Bow National Forest: A Trail Guide to the Snowy Range, Sierra Madre, Medicine Bow, Pole, and Laramie Mountains’ - Smith, Marc

This second edition of hiking Wyoming’s Medicine Bow National Forest covers more than 60 diverse hiking areas-ensuring you’ll find the perfect trail for your activity. Whether you are looking for an easy stroll in the woods, a challenging back-packing trip, or a day of fishing or hunting, this guidebook will lead the way.

‘The Rough Guide to Yellowstone & Grand Teton’ - Timblin, Stephen

The Rough Guide to the Yellowstone & The Grand Tetons is your definitive guidebook to the world’s first and oldest national park. From its famous hot springs and geysers to grizzly bears, wolves, and free-ranging herds of bison and elk, the full-colour introduction highlights all the ‘things-not-to-miss’. There are insider reviews of all the best places to stay, eat and drink, with the new ‘Author’s Pick’ feature highlighting the very best options. The guide also takes a detailed look at the park’s history and comes complete with maps and plans for every area.

‘Scenic Driving: Wyoming’ - Parent, Laurence

Thirty drives showcase the spectacular scenery and abundant wildlife of Grand Teton and Yellowstone national parks, the geologic anomaly of Devils Tower, the high and barren Red Desert, the great fishing at Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area, and more.

‘The Wyoming Camping Guide: Where to go and What to do When You Get There’ - McClure, Michael

The Wyoming Camping Guide describes hundreds of public campgrounds so you can find the perfect place for your next outing. This complete guidebook comes packed with recreational information for the outdoor enthusiast. The campgrounds’ descriptions include trails, picnic areas, and natural attractions. You’ll also find where to fish, boat, view wildlife, rock climb, go four-wheeling, or take a scenic drive. The guidebook is complemented with an 8-page color insert as well as dozens of photos and maps. All of the details that campers want to know, such as elevations, parking spur lengths, and operating seasons are included to make your trip easy to plan. So pack up your gear and let The Wyoming Camping Guide lead the way!

‘Wyoming (American Compass Guides)’ - Bur, Nathaniel

Native Wyomingite Burt and photographer Pitcher have captured the spirit of this magnificent state in a guidebook certain to please vacationers as well as armchair travelers. They painstakingly document the history and beauty of every principal region in the state, including some natural wonders not well known to the general public, such as Periodic Springs and Medicine Wheel. Their mixture of anecdotes, history, and beautiful photographs provide a genuine taste of the “Wild West.” Of particular merit is their extensive appendix, which lists addresses for specific information (e.g., accommodations, dude ranches, state parks, museums and historical sites).

‘The Ultimate Wyoming Atlas and Travel Encyclopedia’ - Doughert, Michael & Heidi Pfeil

The essential reference guide to the Cowboy State. 129 detailed maps and mile-by-mile inofmration on all Wyoming State and federal highways.

The Rock Springs Library will celebrate Shakespeare’s ‘birthday’ on Wednesday, April 23 at 6:00 pm. Though the true date of the Bard’s birth is unknown, the 23rd of April is traditionally given the honors. Join us over tea and pastries as we discuss favorites from Will’s repertoire.

Western literature scholar Linda Ross will explore the effects moving to and living on the Great Plains had on its women inhabitants at an April 19th presentation at Rock Springs Library located at 400 C Street. Ross’s program, “Tragedy and Triumph: Women’s Lives on the Great Plains” is presented by the Wyoming Humanities Council and sponsored by the Rock Springs Library.

Sickness, accidents, death, drought, hail, wind, heat, blizzards, isolation, loneliness, distance, and the seemingly monotonous landscape profoundly affected pioneer women. While many lived lives of tragedy, many more were and are successful, defying the elements, the living conditions, and the isolation. Ross will explore these women’s experiences through firsthand accounts, including journal and diary entries, personal memories, and the works of Mari Sandoz.

The free event begins at 2:00 PM and is open to the public. For more information, call Jon Harwood at 307-352-6667 x2410.

Sooth. Cæsar!
Cæs. Ha! Who calls?
Casca. Bid every noise be still: peace yet again! [Music ceases]
Cæs. Who is it in the press that calls on me?
I hear a tongue, shriller than all the music,
Cry ‘Cæsar.’ Speak; Cæsar is turn’d to hear.

Sooth. Beware the ides of March.
Cæs. What man is that?
Bru. A soothsayer bids you beware the ides of March.
Cæs. Set him before me; let me see his face.
Cas. Fellow, come from the throng; look upon Cæsar.
Cæs. What sayst thou to me now? Speak once again.
Sooth. Beware the ides of March. - JC I.ii.12-20

The Ides of March? ‘In the ancient Roman calendar the 15th of March, May, July, and October, and the 13th of the other months; always eight days after the Nones’ - Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable p. 583

However obscure the Ides have become in our own day, in previous ages it was an ominous date. Plutarch, in The Lives of the Noble Grecians and Romans, reveals the foreboding origins of 03/15 - ‘One finds it also related by many that a soothsayer bade him prepare for some great danger on the Ides of March. When this day was come, Caesar, as he went to the senate,met this soothsayer, and said to him by way of the raillery , “The Ides of March are come,” who answered him calmly, “Yes, they are come, but they are not past.” Plutarch p. 601

What did the Soothsayer foresee? Both Plutarch and Shakespeare offer interesting accounts of that particular day of 44 B.C. Visit your local Library for more information.

Christopher ‘Kit’ Marlowe, a noted Elizabethan playwright, was christened this day in 1564, Canterbury, England. A contemporary of Shakespeare, he won fame for his plays, poesy, and dissolute (?) life. Let us a take a moment and remember a talent of the age - reprobate, spy, poet, dramatist, rakehell - whose life ended as mysteriously as it was lived.

‘The Reckoning’ - Nicholl, CharlesFor those fans of mystery and intrigue, Nicholls takes the reader to darkest Deptford. Was Marlowe slain in a pub quarrel or were the reasons for his demise more nefarious? A fine work on a brilliant man.

‘The Tragedy of Doctor Faustus’ - Marlowe, Christopher

The author takes the legend of Faustus and creates a drama of fire and brimstone fame. The Devil will indeed have his due. A personal favorite.

‘The Portable Elizabethan Reader’ - ed. Haydn, Hiram

Hadyn collects excerpts from many notable works of the period. Included is a selection from ‘Tamburlaine the Great(The Sacking of Babylon)’, a drama of a shepherd turned conquerer with all the vicissitudes therein. The play was famed in its day for stylistic elements lacking in other dramas of the day.

‘A Book of English Pastoral Verse’ - ed. Barrell, John & Bull, John

‘Come live with mee and by my love…’ Yes, who recalls memorizing the ‘The Passionate Shepherd to His Love’ in school? The poem is a famed tribute to pastoral bliss and idyll. For the nymph’s reply, read Sir Walter Ralegh’s equally famous, ‘The Nymph’s Reply to the Shepherd’

‘A Dead Man in Deptford’ - Burgess, Anthony

A fictional account of Christopher Marlowe, secret agent in the Elizabethan government, who infiltrates the Catholic underground though he is more interested in atheism and the new pleasure of smoking tobacco.

‘Tamburlaine Must Die’ - Welsh, Louise

Another fictional account in which the author imagines the eve of Marlowe’s death. Beware nightly messengers from the Queen’s Privy Council…

‘Christopher Marlowe : [electronic resource] : (1564-1593) Biographies, Criticism, Journal articles, Work overviews’

Wyoming history is the focus of two books recently acquired by the Rock Springs Library. One is a comprehensive collection of maps, the other a photographic exploration of things left behind. Both would interest anyone with an interest in Wyoming that was.

As I was walking to work this morning, the surrounding winter storm brought to mind a few books in which the authors explore the possiblilties of snow. Whether building snowflakes or snow shelters, these books allow for that certain sense of wonder that comes with each snowfall.

 ‘How to Build an Igloo and Other Snow Shelters’ - Yankielum, Norbert E.

Though ice blocks may not be commonplace in our area, the reader may find this book useful when wondering about slab shelters, drift caves, and snow quality as a building factor. The author explores a variety of snow structures and directs the reader in their construction. Happy building…

‘The Snowflake: Winter’s Secret Beauty’ - Libbrecht, Kenneth

Perhaps you have pondered unsuccessfully, as have I,  the intricacies of ice nucleation and snow-crystal morphogenesis. Prepare to be enlightened. This book will answer your questions by deciphering those ‘hieroglyphs from the sky’. A well illustrated work, Libbrect’s field guide to falling snow is a must read for those who love the stuff.

‘The Snowflake Man: A Biography of Wilson A. Bentley’ - Blanchard, Duncan C.

The Snowflake Man is a biography of “Snowflake Bentley”, the farmer from Jericho, Vermont, who pioneered the technique of photographing snowflakes and who then went on to take over 5000 photomicrographs of snowflakes, ice, dew, and frost. Although his photographs were taken between 1885 and 1931, they have never been equaled and are still much admired today.– Most extensively researched biography on Bentley to date– Bentley coined the phrase, “No two snowflakes are alike”.

Have you ever finished a good book and found yourself wondering what you should read next? Yes, you could consult your comrades, coworkers, friends, and kin for advice. You could browse bookshelves, seek solace from media hype or commune with a book club. But there are other tools, other ways to divine an answer to that burning question: What shall I read next??

The Library offers its patrons some help when wrestling with this dilemma. Nextreads is a reader’s advisory subscription service which allows subscribers to choose genres of interest and have book and audiobook newsletters delivered monthly by email. Each Newsletter is composed of a series of titles, summaries, and links to our catalog wherein the subscriber can check availability and request said title at his or her leisure.

 Another resource is Novelist, available both at home and at all Library locations. This fiction database includes over 125,000 fiction entries which can be searched by title, author, series, or plot characteristics. Tell Novelist what you like - plot, settings, locale - and it will provide recommendations on the criteria you’ve selected. A tutorial from the Wyoming State Library is available for those interested.

Contact your local library for further assistance.