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Ambrose Bierce: What He Saw of Shiloh–April 6-7, 1862
On this date in 1862, American writer Ambrose Bierce participated in the Battle of Shiloh in Tennessee. Bierce is one of a handful of noted authors from either side to have served in the American Civil War. Bierce and Connecticut novelist John William DeForest were probably the two distinguished writers on the Union side to…
Read MoreLowell Thomas: Born in Darke County, Ohio, April 6, 1892
Today is the birthday of Lowell Thomas, a writer, broadcaster, traveler, and publicist who became famous helping to boost the legendary T.E. Lawrence–“Lawrence of Arabia”– into the limelight. Thomas was born in the town of Woodington in Darke County, Ohio, the same county that sharpshooting legend Annie Oakley hailed from. When Thomas was eight the…
Read MoreAn Evening With Rick Sowash
It’s been a long, cold winter here in southwestern Ohio, just like so much of the United States. I didn’t venture out much when I didn’t have to, but I certainly enjoyed one evening in late January. On January 23, storyteller, musician, author and filmmaker Rick Sowash visited the Wyoming Historical Society in Wyoming,…
Read MoreMarch 18, 1958: Merton’s Epiphany
On this day in 1958, Thomas Merton had a spiritual epiphany at the corner of Fourth and Walnut in downtown Louisville, Kentucky. As he later wrote in Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander, “In Louisville, at the corner of Fourth and Walnut, in the center of the shopping district, I was suddenly overwhelmed with the realization…
Read MoreA nod to the ould sod: Irish-American writers of the Ohio Valley.
It’s St. Patrick’s Day. I’ve always enjoyed this unusual holiday, not only because I’m Irish-American and have memories of the celebration through the years, but also because of its peculiar nature. I can’t think of any other American holiday when one particular ethnic branch of the American tree is so loudly celebrated. It’s a day…
Read MoreVirginia Hamilton: Out of the Heartland.
“Everything I write comes out of Ohio.” –Virginia Hamilton in a talk to Fairborn, Ohio teachers on February 24, 1995. Virginia Hamilton (March 12, 1936–February 19, 2002). Children’s book author, folklorist, anthologist, biographer, born in Yellow Springs, Ohio on a family farm dating back to the 1850s. Many readers know her from her books The…
Read MoreWinter: Hail and Farewell
“Farewell to winter’s frozen water-weeds. Farewell to dark hills and clouds that foul the sky; Farewell to snowbirds eating ragweed seeds And winds that blow dead leaves across the rye. And shake old sparrow nests among the eaves; Farewell to daisies under pasture stumps; Farewell warm rabbit blood upon dead leaves And greenbriar thickets where…
Read MoreWorks by Ohio Valley writers adapted into Oscar-nominated films.
In honor of the Academy Awards this evening, I’ve got an overview here of some of the Academy Award-nominated movies based on books by Ohio valley authors. All of these writers will eventually be profiled here at Buckeyemuse. The man who dominates the list here with two film adaptations is Indiana novelist Booth Tarkington. What…
Read MoreIt’s Statehood Day in Ohio!
Today is the 211th anniversary of the date Ohio was formally admitted to the Union, making it the 17th state admitted to the young United States of America. Happy Birthday, Ohio! Patrick Kerin
Read MoreBorn March 1, 1837: William Dean Howells of Martin’s Ferry, Ohio.
Today is a big day here at Buckeyemuse. In addition to being the first day of the month when spring arrives in the Northern Hemisphere, it’s also William Dean Howells’ birthday. Howells is one of the most important of Ohio’s literary lights. Novelist, editor, poet, short story writer, dramatist, promoter of realism in literature, Howells…
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