It’s hard to maintain one’s interest and motivation in hobbies and interests during these bizarre times; for me, a curious mind is the best defense against defeat. Today’s discovery has helped .
You may recall an episode of the 1990’s series “Northern Exposure” in which laid-back local DJ Chris, played by John Corbett, reads a children’s book for his listeners. That book is a 1941 Caldecott Honor Book called Paddle-to-the-Sea, and it was written by Holling C. Holling. (I’ll write a review of the book in a separate post, and will post the review link when it’s done.)
I bought the book a few years after the show aired. Although it’s a favorite and holds a place of honor on my bookshelf, I don’t pick it up very often. Something (I don’t remember what) prompted me to revisit the book this week, and I was pleasantly suprised to learn that its author (Holling) is a Michigan Native! He was born in Jackson County, as was my grandmother, in 1900.
In researching Holling online just now, I discovered that the largest known Holling collection is on display at the Leslie Area Historical Museum, less than 90 minutes from me. I’ll definitely be paying a visit one day this summer.
I learned about the museum by way of a blog devoted to Holling, authored by Walt Giersbach. Sadly, Mr. Giersbach, a resident of New Jersey, died in January of this year, but the blog still exists and is a treasure chest of information on Holling and his wife Lucille, also a gifted artist and illustrator. I’ll be visiting that blog for a while; I’m sure its days are numbered.
My main source (click to follow the link): Holling C Holling blog
Bookish in the Mitten 