This Civil War ballad – ‘The Slain at Baltimore” – was sent to us By Martha Mayo – Director of the UML/Center for Lowell History and longtime member of the Lowell Historical Society. The ballad was made available to the public as a Civil War penny-song sheet or as a broadside.…
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In today’s NYTimes, David Brooks has his mind-gears turning about trends. He likes to spot and dissect long-term trends in social behavior. He doesn’t always get it right, but he makes his readers think. See what he has to say today, and get the NYT if you want more.
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It’s been ten years since writer Neil Miller in the Boston Globe Magazine shone a spotlight on the Merrimack Valley literary renaissance that was getting noticed at home and far away. The region of Bradstreet, Thoreau, Whittier, Frost, Kerouac, and others has emerged in our time as a literary hotspot. Read the…
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I like the awards shows on TV this time of year. They summarize. It’s a great opportunity to catch up to the culture that never stops changing, adding to itself, morphing, circling back and repeating, sprouting new shoots, blending forms and forging new arrangements, all that and more. The Grammy Awards…
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MassMoments tells us this morning that in 1849 – the first American-made Valentine cards were created and sold in Worcester, Massachusetts by Mt. Holyoke graduate Esther Howland. Modeled on the English-style Valentine, her fancy designs, embossed, cut and colored paper along with romantic sentiments and hidden messages soon grew into a…
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Erin Smith of the SUN uncovered another piece of the Kerouac experience in Lowell with her story about faithful followers clearing the snow from his gravesite all winter. Read her article here, and get the SUN if you want more. web photo courtesy of juggle.com
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These ten districts will be downsized in to nine districts as a result of the 2010 Census. (Note: Include Middlesex above with Essex.) A headline in yesterday’s MetroWest Daily News asks: ” Is there political gamesmanship in Mass. redistricting?” Redistricting in Massachusetts – and elsewhere – is always political – it’s the nature…
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The public is invited to a panel discussion about “Egypt’s Future” on Tuesday, Feb. 22, in the O’Leary Library Auditorium, Room 222, 61 Wilder Street, on the South Campus of UMass Lowell. A reception with refreshments starts at 5 p.m, with the program follwing at 5.30 p.m. Presenters will include…
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The SUN story this week about performers for the upcoming 25th Lowell Folk Festival sent me to the vault to find a non-web “log” entry before the blog days about the origin of the Festival. I was cultural affairs director of the Lowell Historic Preservation Commission at the time. After…
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I’m excited and here is why…BeatleJuice is coming to Middlesex Community College. I must admit I love the Beatles. On February 9, 1964, they began what became known in music circles as the “British Invasion”. The Rolling Stones, The Dave Clark Five, and Gerry and the Pacemakers joined the Beatles…
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