JOHN GOULD

John Gould (1804-1881) fue el artista ornitológico más prolífico del siglo xix y el único equiparable a John James en ambición y calidad. Gould compartió el entusiasmo romántico de su época por las aves, asi como el delirio por clasificarlas, y unio su pasion por la historia natural con sus dotes cientificas, artisticas y empresariales. Gracias a sus conocimientos, se embarco en una serie de proyectos que lo convirtieron en el principal editor de ilustraciones ornitologicas de la Inglaterra victoriana. La carrera sin igual de Gould abarco cinco decadas, en las cuales produjo una serie de libros con dibujos de aves de todo el mundo. Las deslumbrantes ilustraciones de Monograph of the Ramphastidae, or Family of Toucans (Monografia de los ranfastidos, o la familia de los tucanes) suelen considerarse sus obras mas espectaculares. La increible gama de colores vivos negro satinado y vibrantes rojos, amarillos y naranjas ofrece una sensacion de animacion sin precedentes. Representadas sobre un fondo neutro, las aves, grandes y fascinantes, parecen proyectarse fuera de la pagina. Los tucanes de Gould parecen estar vivos, no son meras representaciones en dos dimensiones. La inspiracion para dibujar tucanes le vino cuando, trabajando en Birds of Europe (Las aves de Europa), quedo fascinado por la coleccion de tucanes de un colega ornitologo. Viajo varias veces a los museos centroeuropeos en busca de material para su nuevo libro y, tras publicar la primera edicion, redibujo algunas laminas y añadio 20 nuevas a la segunda edicion revisada y ampliada. Todas ellas estan incluidas en este libro.

Twelve Grindstones continues the laughter and wisdom, the leg-pulling and the literate chuckling of John Gould. Starting down the road to hilarity, there are some old stories and some new stories, all of them great stories from the canon of Maine folklore. Within are some long and some tall tales about blueberry picking, railroading, wood buying, lobster wars, and bootlegging.So sit down and put your feet up and prepare for some of the most amusing, preposterous, and heartwarming tales youve likely heard in a very long time. Youre in for a treat.

In 1940, the 1780-farmhouse that noted Maine essayist and curmudgeon John Goulds great-grandfather built burned to the ground. To honor the generations that came before him, Gould there and then decided to rebuild the house in Lisbon Falls. Like his great-grandfather, Gould cut the timbers from the same woodlot, and the new house rose so smoothly, it seemed as if Great-Grandfather Jacob was building it himself. Memories clung to every beam and rafter and this host of recollections form the substance of this memoir. Woven in are stories of how Goulds Grandfather Thomas started the Battle of Gettysburg and all the rich associations of a family whose roots dug deep over five generations.

Unparalleled tall tales and heroes wander freely through this collection of John Goulds "reminiscences" of life in Maine. Here youll find stories of unlicensed Maine guide Flint Johnson and his group of Yankees and Red Sox ball players, the time L.L. Bean invited the whole town of Freeport to help him choose the best ax, and Goulds grandfathers claim to have fired the shot that started the Battle of Gettysburg.Gould does not wish his memories to be in any way taken as an autobiography, but rather they are intended to convey just how much fun he has had living and writing in Maine.

Part fable, part folklore, The Fastest Hound Dog in the State of Maine is Yankee story telling at its very best. A man needs a dog to catch long-legged rabbits, so he buys a hound with longer legs than the rabbits. Its the fastest dog hes ever seen--the fastest dog anyone has ever seen. The dog is so fast, in fact, the man takes on the Bangor & Aroostook Railroad in some friendly competition. Hilarity ensues.Based on Maine folklore, and told as only John Gould can tell it, this story rightfully belongs to the times before television, before radio, when folks sat and talked and told stories. Yet it is a story for all times with its humor--warm as a Maine hearth--and distinct Yankee voice.

John Gould believes that food should consist mostly of good things to eat. Here, he summons up, with a generous garnish of risible anecdote, an earlier day when natural foods were the only kind there were and meals were lovingly prepared. Recalling simpler days, Gould waxes nostalgic about such subjects as bread, coffee, and molasses cookies. Being of practical mind, he even throws in a few mouth-tingling recipes--from custard pies to clambakes. Rounded out with humorous drawings from his old friend F.W. Saunders, this is a truly original take on Yankee cookery.

"You know that fall is here and winter comes soon when the summer people leave and Maine is restored to righteousness."So says celebrated essayist John Gould in this wonderful collection inspired by the changing of the seasons in Maine. These forty-nine essays revel in the seasonal magnificence the state has to offer and offer just enough humor, seasoned with country lore and wisdom to keep you turning the pages as you read in front of the wood stove on a cold winter afternoon.No wonder the critic Mark Kramer said, "If there is reincarnation, Im selfish enough to wish that the next time around John Gould would come back as a writer again."

For more than six decades, John Gould charmed readers of the Christian Science Monitor with his regular column Dispatches from the Farm," in which he extolled the virtues of Maine life. Gathered here are fifty favorites from among his "dispatches," comprising a wholesome potpourri of Yankee wit. With its zany variety, native flavor, and good-natured needling, this collection will warm the hearts of both Down Easters and folks from away.

"We left our Maine and our United States at home and we journeyed amongst other peoples with courtesy to them and credit to ourselves."That is John Goulds definition of good travelers; and he and his wife are charming examples of this as they tour through Germany, Denmark, Austria, Italy, France, England, and Scotland. Youll discover what a delight it is to travel Gould family style, for that is Maine style with the extra sparkle of Goulds wry Down East humor. Its a friendly book, but Gould lets no country, group, individual, or menu get away with pomposity or an unearned reputation. There is much to discover, both good and bad as the Goulds search for the quality of European life and bring readers into the presence of ordinary, and fascinating, Europeans.

John Goulds unrestrained humor is a pleasure--the dry Yankee kind that makes you laugh in retrospect. Throughout Neither Hay Nor Grass radiates the happy glow of warm family relationships studded with shrewd appraisals of nature--human, animal, governmental, and divine. Goulds signature salty irreverence is on full display as water pollution, bankers, income tax, education, and interior decorators all come in for a hearty lacing. At the same time, his articulate and boundless delight in everyday things is deeply refreshing.

It is Not Now is collection of stories based upon real life, as well as a reflection on lost ways and changing values. It is a celebration of the eccentric people and lives of small towns all across Maine. Goulds wise, charming, and irreverent writing, honed by half a century of acute observation and practice of his craft, brings the American past to life even as it finds humor and hope in the American present.

When John Gould was young, a boy learned about the sea--and arithmetic and knots and geography and life--from the old deep-water men living out their lives in snug harbors. He grew up knowing the woods; the way a church supper smells; the way the Ladies Aid bargained together before a food sale. The friendly, close-knit community life and the deep family affection gave him a foundation of sound sense to last through the years ahead.This is a book to read and reread. You will be glad to know that once, in Maine, a boy could have this kind of childhood; and you might be envious because you did not.