Today we’re talking about a charming 1835 letter—recently found in a New England attic and purchased by the shop—from Ralph Waldo Emerson to a girl named Lucia. In the letter, Emerson exhorts his young correspondent to listen in solitude to the voices of nature, to the “great old gray ocean” and the “withered leaves that chatter in the cold March wind.” These themes would recur in his 1863 essay, Nature, a foundational text of the Transcendentalist movement. Although this particular letter is not in perfect condition, the author’s voice shines through, kindly and respectful, carrying a message that can still touch our lives today.
Brattlecast #189 - A Whitman Letter
During the American Civil War, Walt Whitman left his bohemian life in New York City to volunteer at Union hospitals in Washington DC, spending time with wounded soldiers and distributing small gifts of fruit, paper, and money. To fund these efforts, the poet solicited charitable donations from his network of friends via letter, one of which we have in the studio with us today. Over its four pages he thanks the recipient for their gift of $75 (a substantial amount of money in 1864) and details overwhelming conditions at the hospitals as they received trainload after trainload of sick and injured men. The suffering and mass death he witnessed in the war—punctuated by quiet moments of courage and affection—would have a transformative impact on Whitman and his later work; these were, in his own words, “real, terrible, beautiful days!”
Brattlecast #183 - Famous Old People
In today’s episode we’re talking about a first edition copy of Nathanial Hawthorne’s Famous Old People, a book for young readers about American historical figures. The book was published in 1841 on Boston’s West Street—just a few doors down from where the Brattle stands today—by Elizabeth Palmer Peabody, a fascinating historical figure in her own right. The first woman publisher in the United States and an early champion of Hawthorne’s work, Peabody ran a book shop and lending library at 13 West Street, where her salons became an important meeting place for the transcendentalist and early feminist movements. Although it tells the stories of New England puritans and political leaders, Famous Old People is also a reminder of Boston’s rich literary history, in which the Brattle is honored to play a small ongoing role.
Brattlecast #141 - Boston Book Fair 2022!
This year’s Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair takes place at the Hynes Convention Center on the weekend of November 11 - 13. After two long years of online-only events, we’re looking forward to seeing all our favorite booksellers and book shoppers in person again. Admission is free on Saturday and Sunday—but the Brattle might be able to hook you up with a free pass for Friday too. Today’s episode features a sneak preview of our most exciting fair offerings: signed volumes from major American poets, first editions of feminist landmarks and beloved children’s classics, and an unusual treatise on… rat-catching. Come for the book fair pregame, stay for Jordan’s J.F.K. impression, and learn more at bostonbookfair.com.
Brattlecast #44 - Boston Latin
Founded in 1635, Boston Latin School is the oldest public school in the United States, and boasts many famous graduates, including Benjamin Franklin, Henry David Thoreau, and Leonard Bernstein. One could build a collection consisting entirely of works by and about its illustrious alumni, as Ken suggests to one of his former Boston Latin classmates during a seemingly fairly raucous high school reunion. Plus, some tips on insuring your own rare book collection.
