I was just tickled to be reminded of Strosnider's. I've been away too long. I just checked to see whether Bruce Variety is still in business. It's called Bradley Party & Variety now, and I doubt that is has the actual variety it once boasted. Although I knew it in the days before "Prairie Home Companion," I think we could have said about it (as we did about our TG&Y dime store here) that it was like Ralph's Pretty Good Grocery: "If you can't find it at Ralph's, you can probably get along without it."
No, Bradley Party & Variety isn't what Bruce's was, with its stock of obscure items. Strosnider's is a decent hardware store, but not in the league of the old Community Hardware, RIP, with its wood flooring and nails in barrels.
There was a Ralph's Grocery in Ann Arbor in the late 60s (though it wasn't "pretty good", just overpriced).
I needed a “once was great now not so much” on the first poll. And an “I think I usually blow by the line above the polls” for the second. I would have caught it if I read it, I think. Of course when I was proofreading things, I would have read it and also used to sometimes do that trick of reading each word from the end of the piece to the beginning so meaning doesn’t get in the way. Today can we call that “one weird trick” or maybe a hack?
Hmmmm. I seem to remember that, on the TV show, the lines “There are eight million stories in the naked city. This is one of them” came at the beginning of the story.
Hard to make a diagnosis at this remove, but as far as your recollection, the iconic line was used in both the movie "Naked City" and the TV series based on it. "There are eight million stories in the naked city. This has been one of them”
Re "egregeous," I would have been tempted to instead write "speling," but perhaps that would have been too obvious.
"Egregeous" is yet another of a multitude of examples of what can make English spelling and pronunciation (not "pronounciation" ^_^) so confusing and difficult. (See "gorgeous.") I highly recommend the lighthearted and informative book, "Enough Is Enuf: Our Failed Attempts to Make English Easier to Spell," by Gabe Henry.
Nah. Haven’t been to Mass, other than a Mass of Christian Burial, in ages. I was a wee lad when they quit the mumbo jumbo. Fish on Fridays is the only Catholic ritual that I’ve maintained, mostly because I love seafood.
These are wonderful essays. I wish some paper would have the balls to interview an “illegal” like this every week. Everyone has a story. Each person is a universe.
I had a pastor who said that when we decide to label someone instead of learning their name, we have ceased to love them. And being a actual follower of the teachings, he believed that loving our neighbor was our ultimate calling. And loving them meant going beyond labels to know them by name.
While “extranious” is a spelling error, I don’t think it’s all that egregious an error. Now, if you’d spell the three letter word for a feline as “kat,” THAT would be egregious.
The stories are all terrific, and more proof of your opinion that there are stories everywhere. What an interesting mix of insights into the human condition.
Well, it was almost 30 years ago, so some of them might have retired. A little googling led me to John Liu, who is now a deacon at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church in Gaithersburg (rendered as "North Potomac" in the narrative, but everyone in those parts knows its G'burg.) And the Kilbournes have moved back to New Jersey. Those two stories touched me the most.
Being good at spelling and being good at proofreading are different skills
What is this “phone book” of which you speak?
Just wait until we tell you how they put the yellow into the Yellow Pages.
A phone with a Kindle app?
Not you too Gary! All is lost.
Kindle?!?!?! Noooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
well, darling, I am so good at spelling I worked at it professionally for twenty years. And I don't do it on my unpaid time.
Thank you for calling me darling.
well, bless your heart!
Loved the stories. The first one, about John Liu, made me teary. And the last one, about Tom Doherty, made me smile.
The stories may be ordinary and unembellished. But I'd venture that the nails from Strosnider’s were finishing, not common, nails.
I was just tickled to be reminded of Strosnider's. I've been away too long. I just checked to see whether Bruce Variety is still in business. It's called Bradley Party & Variety now, and I doubt that is has the actual variety it once boasted. Although I knew it in the days before "Prairie Home Companion," I think we could have said about it (as we did about our TG&Y dime store here) that it was like Ralph's Pretty Good Grocery: "If you can't find it at Ralph's, you can probably get along without it."
No, Bradley Party & Variety isn't what Bruce's was, with its stock of obscure items. Strosnider's is a decent hardware store, but not in the league of the old Community Hardware, RIP, with its wood flooring and nails in barrels.
There was a Ralph's Grocery in Ann Arbor in the late 60s (though it wasn't "pretty good", just overpriced).
If you have yet to read Gene's Book "One Day," quit depriving yourself. Read it.
I needed a “once was great now not so much” on the first poll. And an “I think I usually blow by the line above the polls” for the second. I would have caught it if I read it, I think. Of course when I was proofreading things, I would have read it and also used to sometimes do that trick of reading each word from the end of the piece to the beginning so meaning doesn’t get in the way. Today can we call that “one weird trick” or maybe a hack?
Hmmmm. I seem to remember that, on the TV show, the lines “There are eight million stories in the naked city. This is one of them” came at the beginning of the story.
Am I nuts??
Hard to make a diagnosis at this remove, but as far as your recollection, the iconic line was used in both the movie "Naked City" and the TV series based on it. "There are eight million stories in the naked city. This has been one of them”
You could be right
Or: "It happened that way, moving west."
Re "egregeous," I would have been tempted to instead write "speling," but perhaps that would have been too obvious.
"Egregeous" is yet another of a multitude of examples of what can make English spelling and pronunciation (not "pronounciation" ^_^) so confusing and difficult. (See "gorgeous.") I highly recommend the lighthearted and informative book, "Enough Is Enuf: Our Failed Attempts to Make English Easier to Spell," by Gabe Henry.
It’s Friday. I’m having ghoti for dinner!
Bet you also prefer TLM.
Nah. Haven’t been to Mass, other than a Mass of Christian Burial, in ages. I was a wee lad when they quit the mumbo jumbo. Fish on Fridays is the only Catholic ritual that I’ve maintained, mostly because I love seafood.
Why restrict fish to Fridays?
I don’t!
Et cum spiritu tuo.
Thank you, Gene. These stories were wonderful and took me away for a brief time. from this chaotic, mind numbing, world in which we live.
These are wonderful essays. I wish some paper would have the balls to interview an “illegal” like this every week. Everyone has a story. Each person is a universe.
I had a pastor who said that when we decide to label someone instead of learning their name, we have ceased to love them. And being a actual follower of the teachings, he believed that loving our neighbor was our ultimate calling. And loving them meant going beyond labels to know them by name.
Stories like this do that.
While “extranious” is a spelling error, I don’t think it’s all that egregious an error. Now, if you’d spell the three letter word for a feline as “kat,” THAT would be egregious.
The stories are all terrific, and more proof of your opinion that there are stories everywhere. What an interesting mix of insights into the human condition.
Great stories. What happened to the writers? I assume that none are at the Post since they write too well.
Well, it was almost 30 years ago, so some of them might have retired. A little googling led me to John Liu, who is now a deacon at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church in Gaithersburg (rendered as "North Potomac" in the narrative, but everyone in those parts knows its G'burg.) And the Kilbournes have moved back to New Jersey. Those two stories touched me the most.
What was the backup plan if someone in the phonebook didn’t want to be interviewed? Would you pick a name near theirs?
Yeah, Gene. What was the contingency plan?
I haven’t read the stories yet but am jealous of that assignment, what fun!
A lot of great things left the Washington Post in the years I read it, and I think the first one that did was Peter Carlson's Magazine Reader.