#irish american heritage center

[sinceileftyoublog]

Beth Orton Live Preview: 11/10, Mayfair Theatre, Chicago

Photo by Eliot Lee Hazel

BY JORDAN MAINZER

For Beth Orton, Weather Alive (Partisan) is somewhat of a rebirth. Her first album in 6 years, it was written on a described “cheap, crappy” piano set up in her garden shed that she had purchased at Camden Market. Following periods of grief and trauma surrounding the deaths of close collaborators Andrew Weatherall and Hal Willner and incorrectly diagnosed health problems, Orton was able to write songs about simple, yet abstract things that moved her: love, sex, music, and, yes, the weather. She found an all-star band to help realize her compositions, including drummer Tom Skinner, multi-instrumentalist Shahzad Ismaily, bassist Tom Herbert and saxophonist Alabaster dePlume. Best, Orton self-produced the record, name-checking and somehow nailing a who’s who of influences: Solange, Talk Talk, Springsteen’s Nebraska. The result is easily the best album of her career.

From the get-go, with its stunning title track, Weather Alive introduces its palate, clacking, gentle percussion and piano, muted, but emotive saxophone and bass, and Orton’s raspy, weary drawl. “Almost makes me wanna cry,” she sings, “The weather’s so beautiful outside.” Coming out of an age where realized how much we took for granted the ability to simply be outside, it’s easy to resonate with Orton’s words, awestruck at the natural world. On “Fractals”, explicitly inspired by Willner and Weatherall’s deaths, Orton sings over funky bass, skittering hi hats, and fluttering saxophone. The mathematical nature of the title contrasts how Orton describes creating with cohorts past and present: as “magic.” “Friday Night” is like a microcosm of the beginning of the summer, a symbol for vague hope before a period of time. For Orton, it’s a feeling of being able to potentially see loved ones again. “And though I’ll never get too close,” she sings, “I still hold you now and then.”

At the same time, Weather Alive is sometimes subsumed by dark moments that are no less gorgeous than the hopeful ones. “Lonely” begins with trombone from Aaron Roche, which has a suitably more foreboding quality than dePlume’s saxophone, and goes on to illustrate the depths of Orton’s shame. “Lonely likes my company,” she sings as Skinner’s drums crash. Later, her parents, who passed away when she was a teenager, appear on the song to scold her, telling her to “shut your mouth if someone desires you.” On “Haunted Satellite”, Orton’s voice is persistent, but ultimately shaky and broken. Album closer “Unwritten” unfurls over 7 minutes of sprinkling piano and light drums. “I was getting unwritten,” signs Orton before a droning instrumental outro. It’s an appropriate ending for an album steeped in mortality and sadness but appreciating the dreams along the way.

Tonight, as part of her first US headlining tour in 5 years, Orton performs at the Mayfair Theatre in the Irish American Heritage Center, somehow, someway adapting the “magic” of Weather Alive to the live stage. Expect to hear the full album as well as favorites from favorite records like Trailer Park and Central Reservation. Musician and composer Heather Woods Broderick, who’s playing in Orton’s band, will give an opening set of her material.

[thepastisalreadywritten]

Story and photographs by Ronan O’Connell

September 26, 2023

In the middle of a field in a lesser known part of Ireland is a large mound where sheep wander and graze freely.

Had they been in that same location centuries ago, these animals might have been stiff with terror, held aloft by chanting, costumed celebrants while being sacrificed to demonic spirits that were said to inhabit nearby Oweynagat cave.

This monumental mound lay at the heart of Rathcroghan, the hub of the ancient Irish kingdom of Connaught.

The former Iron Age center is now largely buried beneath the farmland of County Roscommon.

In 2021, Ireland applied for UNESCO World Heritage status for Rathcroghan (Rath-craw-hin). It remains on the organization's tentative list.

Rooted in lore

Spread across more than two square miles of rich agricultural land, Rathcroghan encompasses 240 archaeological sites, dating back 5,500 years.

They include burial mounds, ring forts (settlement sites), standing stones, linear earthworks, an Iron Age ritual sanctuary — and Oweynagat, the so-called gate to hell.

More than 2,000 years ago, when Ireland’s communities seem to have worshipped nature and the land itself, it was here at Rathcroghan that the Irish New Year festival of Samhain (SOW-in) was born, says archaeologist and Rathcroghan expert Daniel Curley.

In the 1800s, the Samhain tradition was brought by Irish immigrants to the United States, where it morphed into the sugar overload that is American Halloween.

Dorothy Ann Bray, a retired associate professor at McGill University and an expert in Irish folklore, explains that pre-Christian Irish divided each year into summer and winter.

Within that framework were four festivities.

Imbolc, on February 1, was a festival that coincided with lambing season.

Bealtaine, on May 1, marked the end of winter and involved customs like washing one’s face in dew, plucking the first blooming flowers, and dancing around a decorated tree.

August 1 heralded Lughnasadh, a harvest festival dedicated to the god Lugh and presided over by Irish kings.

Then on October 31 came Samhain, when one pastoral year ended and another began.

Rathcroghan was not a town, as Connaught had no proper urban centers and consisted of scattered rural properties.

Instead, it was a royal settlement and a key venue for these festivals.

During Samhain, in particular, Rathcroghan was a hive of activity focused on its elevated temple, which was surrounded by burial grounds for the Connachta elite.

Those same privileged people may have lived at Rathcroghan. The remaining lower-class Connachta communities resided in dispersed farms and descended on the site only for festivals.

At those lively events they traded, feasted, exchanged gifts, played games, arranged marriages, and announced declarations of war or peace.

Festivalgoers also may have made ritual offerings, possibly directed to the spirits of Ireland’s otherworld.

That murky, subterranean dimension, also known as Tír na nÓg (Teer-na-nohg), was inhabited by Ireland’s immortals, as well as a myriad of beasts, demons, and monsters.

During Samhain, some of these creatures escaped via Oweynagat cave (pronounced “Oen-na-gat” and meaning “cave of the cats”).

“Samhain was when the invisible wall between the living world and the otherworld disappeared,” says Mike McCarthy, a Rathcroghan tour guide and researcher who has co-authored several publications on the site.

“A whole host of fearsome otherworldly beasts emerged to ravage the surrounding landscape and make it ready for winter.”

Thankful for the agricultural efforts of these spirits but wary of falling victim to their fury, the people protected themselves from physical harm by lighting ritual fires on hilltops and in fields.

They disguised themselves as fellow ghouls, McCarthy says, so as not to be dragged into the otherworld via the cave.

Despite these engaging legends — and the extensive archaeological site in which they dwell — one easily could drive past Rathcroghan and spot nothing but paddocks.

Inhabited for more than 10,000 years, Ireland is so dense with historical remains that many are either largely or entirely unnoticed.

Some are hidden beneath the ground, having been abandoned centuries ago and then slowly consumed by nature.

That includes Rathcroghan, which some experts say may be Europe’s largest unexcavated royal complex.

Not only has it never been dug up, but it also predates Ireland’s written history.

That means scientists must piece together its tale using non-invasive technology and artifacts found in its vicinity.

While Irish people for centuries knew this site was home to Rathcroghan, it wasn’t until the 1990s that a team of Irish researchers used remote sensing technology to reveal its archaeological secrets beneath the ground.

“The beauty of the approach to date at Rathcroghan is that so much has been uncovered without the destruction that comes with excavating upstanding earthwork monuments,” Curley says.

“[Now] targeted excavation can be engaged with, which will answer our research questions while limiting the damage inherent with excavation.”

Becoming a UNESCO site

This policy of preserving Rathcroghan’s integrity and authenticity extends to tourism.

Despite its significance, Rathcroghan is one of Ireland’s less frequented attractions, drawing some 22,000 visitors a year compared with more than a million at the Cliffs of Moher.

That may not be the case had it long ago been heavily marketed as the “Birthplace of Halloween,” Curley says.

But there is no Halloween signage at Rathcroghan or in Tulsk, the nearest town.

Rathcroghan’s renown should soar, however, if Ireland is successful in its push to make it a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The Irish Government has included Rathcroghan as part of the “Royal Sites of Ireland,” which is on its newest list of locations to be considered for prized World Heritage status.

The global exposure potentially offered by UNESCO branding would likely attract many more visitors to Rathcroghan.

But it seems unlikely this historic jewel will be re-packaged as a kitschy Halloween tourist attraction.

“If Rathcroghan got a UNESCO listing and that attracted more attention here that would be great, because it might result in more funding to look after the site,” Curley says.

“But we want sustainable tourism, not a rush of gimmicky Halloween tourism.”

Those travelers who do seek out Rathcroghan might have trouble finding Oweynagat cave.

Oweynagat is elusive — despite being the birthplace of Medb, perhaps the most famous queen in Irish history, 2,000 years ago.

Barely signposted, it’s hidden beneath trees in a paddock at the end of a one-way, dead-end farm track, about a thousand yards south of the much more accessible temple mound.

Visitors are free to hop a fence, walk through a field, and peer into the narrow passage of Oweynagat.

In Ireland’s Iron Age, such behavior would have been enormously risky during Samhain, when even wearing a ghastly disguise might not have spared the wrath of a malevolent creature.

Two millennia later, most costumed trick-or-treaters on Halloween won’t realize they’re mimicking a prehistoric tradition — one with much higher stakes than the pursuit of candy.

[sl-newsie]

American Woman (Thomas Shelby x American OC) Ch. 29: I Hope You're Happy

Masterlist: https://www.tumblr.com/sl-newsie/739551758747090944/american-woman-thomas-shelby-x-american-oc?source=share

Beep! Beep!

“Get a move on!”

“Watch it, toots!”

The streets of Brooklyn are one of the aspects of home that aren’t the best. But in a strange way the shouting brings a form of comfort to me. All these people, all different backgrounds, scrambling around to make a living. Bunches of people crammed into a giant city.

And the boat docks bring in even more people.

“Grace! Thomas! Hello!” I shout over the noise and wave them over away from the crowd. “Welcome to Brooklyn, where everyone sounds angry but they’re actually not… Most of the time.”

The sight of their joined hands makes my smile falter by a hair. Lovely engagement ring. Relax, Steenstra. You should be honored they chose your country for a holiday. 

“Hello, Verena.” Thomas smiles politely, scanning the bustling streets. “We’ve got one week here. Since this is your turf, what should we know?”

I can handle playing tour guide. “First, you need to see Lady Liberty. Prospect Park is good too. Also be careful in ‘Hattan ‘cause there’s construction for the new Rockefeller Center.”

The whole time I’m speaking Grace looks at me with confusion. “Did you know we were coming?”

“I spoke of it in the letter I sent,” Thomas answers for me.

Grace, still looking at me, nods. “I see.”

Message received. This is my home but I’m not welcomed to visiting with them. 

“You need to have a drink in Irishtown. Find The Wicked Monk, the best Irish pub on the East Coast. And stop by our joint if you want! Father would be happy to meet you.”

Grace doesn’t like that one bit.

“I’ll leave you to see the sights. I’ve gotta get back home to the shop. Tot ziens! Was good seeing you!”

Back into the bustling noise. Good. It will drown out my anger… By seeing people shout who are much angrier than I am. Now my own home, my used-to-be haven, is now stained with jealousy because of their voyage.

Two years later.

Words. Words. Words. The only thing linking me to the Shelbys. After Thomas and Grace went back to Birmingham I waited to hear back from someone. Anyone. Anything saying when they want me back. Nothing was said. Only a few letters describing their new happy lives and how the company is growing. Everyone is happy…

“Verena! Over here!”

And today is another reminder of the happiness I’m leaving behind. The wedding I hoped for but will never have. 

“Thomas! It’s been too long!” I greet as I haul my trunk off the train. “Oh my, you haven’t changed a bit!”

Same clean-shaven handsome face, same sharp suit. 

“And you look stunning, as usual,” the gangster smiles. “Welcome back to Birmingham.”

We start walking off the platform, no doubt to a car he has waiting for us. It’s so good to see him it's all I can do not to hug him. To look at those eyes.

“I won’t be staying too long, I don’t want to impose-”

“Nonsense. There’s plenty of room,” Thomas replies with ease. In the corner of my eye I see him looking. “You’re wearing your hair in braids?”

I raise an eyebrow. “Is that a problem?”

“Guess not. ‘S just you’ve never done it before.”

“I do at home. Just thought I’d show some Dutch culture.”

Thomas chuckles. “You’re not going to start wearing clogs, are you?” 

I dramatically hold a hand up to stop him. “Heavens, no. That part of my heritage I can live without. But enough of me. How are you? This is a big day.”

A little enthusiasm doesn’t hurt. Despite my dislike for the given situation he still needs all the support he can get. I can tell his mind is in many places.

“‘M nervous,” Thomas says, anxiously rubbing his face. “But excited.”

“My brothers thought the exact same way on their wedding days.” With my free hand I give him a comforting pat on the back. “Don’t stress, it passes. Eoin nearly fainted on his wedding day.”

I was right. Today's car is a beautiful black Fiat 501. Thomas still spares no expense when it comes to his cars. He packs my luggage in the trunk and, like the gentleman he is, opens the door for me. A guts and glory gangster yet he still remembers how to treat a woman.

“Thanks for being here,” he says when we start driving. “Ada still doesn’t always see eye to eye with me and the boys just keep joking around.”

“Of course. Glad to be of service.” Time to throw on the American charm. “You’ve probably heard this multiple times but congratulations! These two years are up and now it’s time for you to tie the knot! It’s not every day one gets to witness an English wedding. Is it any different?”

The word ‘wedding’ throws Thomas’ smile off for a split second but the usual catch-up chatter resumes as we make our way out of town. We pass a sign that says Warwickshire. Apparently Thomas bought his own house and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t itching to see it. Maybe a quaint cottage with a nice horse barn-

Or a freaking mansion. That… That works too, I guess.

“Verena, welcome to Arrow House.”

‘House’ does little to describe it. This is an all-out mansion! Thomas’ castle. He drops me off to the front door and has a handyman drive the car away. I walk through the grand entrance and notice the gorgeous decorations for the special day.

A grand long table dressed in white, decorated with colorful flower centerpieces. They even brought out the best china. All around maids and waiters are scurrying to and fro, finishing the last-minute touches. Above the table is a giant portrait of Thomas holding the reins to one of his magnificent white horses.

“Like it? Got a good price for it.”

As much as I want to be glad for him I can’t help but think he’s using his wealth to compensate for happiness. I must be honest.

“This isn’t you, Thomas. All this money? Living like royalty?”

He walks us further into the house to the edge of a large staircase. “I’d say the family’s earned it.”

I shake my head with sympathy. “You can paint many pictures of yourself but you’re still Thomas Shelby. A simple life can be just as rewarding as an expensive one.”

But he’s amused by this. “Ah, Verena. Still philosophical as ever.”

There’s no use trying to change his mind. This is his world. He’s proud of it. We get to the top of the stairs and I see a familiar framed picture of Lady Liberty.

“I see you kept the picture from your trip.”

Thomas sees where I’m looking. “New York is a wild place. I don’t know how you grew up there.”

I quirk an eyebrow. “Birmingham is no tamer.”

Thomas smirks. “Touché. I did enjoy it, really. The Statue of Liberty was one of Grace’s favorites.”

“If you liked that then next time I’ll show you guys Niagara Falls. Gorgeous place.”

Thomas starts to reach for my hand. “Do you need help with your bags?”

I quickly pull away. “No no, it’s quite alright. This city girl can haul her own luggage.”

He shows me to a room at the end of the hall. A room so big it’s the size of our living room back home. Um, is this a good idea? Inviting another woman to stay in the house of a newly-married couple? I really should find somewhere else to stay. Grace will have my eyes if she sees me here.

“Is this alright?” Thomas asks.

“Thomas, this- The room is perfect. But I should really-”

“Great! I have to finish up some things downstairs. The wedding starts in one hour, I’ll arrange for someone to drive you.” He strides back down the hall.

“Wait!” I run to catch up and meet him at the top of the stairs. “I know my vote doesn’t count but I must say that I am very proud of what you’ve made of yourself. You’re not the same man I met all those years ago, Thomas. You’re a father. A husband. A legit businessman. May God smile upon your family today.”

This is probably the last time I can talk to him alone, and I really do want the Shelbys to be happy. Today is a day for good spirits.

“Verena, that… That means a lot,” Thomas says, looking up from a few stairs below. “Thank you. I-”

“Mr. Shelby!” A maid calls from the bottom.

“Be right there!” Thomas looks at me one last time before heading down. “I’ll see you later.”

Yes. Later. When he’s married.

“Wow. Royal in-laws? You’ve moved up in the world,” I comment as we drive by multiple uniformed men.

“It’s Grace’s relatives,” John says from up front. “Between us, I’m still not used to the uniforms. None of us are. They’re only here for her.”

“It’s good to have you here!” Finn says for the tenth time.

“It’s worth it to see you all. And Arthur, you look very handsome as the best man.”

The man driving us to the church smiles bashfully. “That’s nice of ya, Steenstra. I can’t wait for you to meet Linda. Will you be here for the toast?”

“No, no. I’ll be around for the reception.”

There’s already enough drama between the Shelbys and Grace’s family. I’ll only add to the mix. A quick congrats, a small drink, and I’ll pop out.

I’ll give it to the Brits, they sure know how to have a proper wedding. This church is marvelous! I take my seat next to Finn and see Polly waving from a few seats down. Such a welcoming reunion. If only it weren’t for this occasion. Thomas strides down the aisle, looking very handsome in his spiffy tux, and stands next to Arthur at the altar. The usual music begins and all eyes turn to the silhouette approaching from outside.

Oh my goodness… That dress! A gorgeous lavender if I ever did see one. And the veil… a cascade of purple lace. No wonder Thomas is so happy. Grace gets to the end of the aisle and Jeremiah approaches the couple.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we have gathered here today to join these two together in holy matrimony. Thomas Michael Shelby and Grace Helen Burgess.”

I try to keep listening but my mind wanders elsewhere. He chose her. Not me. I’m the one keeping myself trapped in this world. I chose to come back. It’s my fault for feeling this way. But it’s fine. Isn’t it?

Same routine as all my brothers’ weddings. I do, I do, kiss the bride, cheers. What’s different about this wedding is that the cheers seem one-sided. All of Thomas’ family jumps to their feet and shouts with delight, while the other side remains seated and claps. Thankfully Finn sees my discomfort and drags me outside. Everyone files out after us. The bouquet is tossed and all the single women scramble to wrestle over it.

“Fight! Fight! Fight!” Finn and I chant.

“Verena, are you edging them on?” John asks.

I smile sheepishly. “Only a little.”

“Why don’t you try?” Finn asks.

I scoff at his attempt at a joke. “Oh, please. I hardly believe in such superstitious nonsense.”

“Says the woman who won’t sleep without a cross above the bed.”

“Hey! It’s religious, not superstitious.”

Finn shrugs. “Maybe there’s a blend?”

Thomas shouts for everyone to gather and a photographer readies himself in front.

“Go on, take the photograph!” Arthur says.

I’m pushed to the side by Grace’s family and before I can protest the camera flashes. Everyone’s thinking it. I don’t belong here. I could have refused. The only reason I decided to attend was to support Thomas and his family. But she’s part of their family now and more than likely I won't be welcomed as often. 

Oh, my mistake. Pair the gossiping barmaid with the blood-thirsty gangster? They’re perfect for each other! He’s married. It’s done. I can’t have him. I need to let him go.

@meadows5

[pinkscaped]

🩰𓈒 ⋆ ⑅ ˚ ₊ ୨୧      ANALISE was a soloist under FLOWERBANK Entertainment. She was once a member of ALLUME's THIRD GENERATION as their main vocalist and center. Once graduating the group in 2015, Analise would go on to have a prolific solo career and was on the rise to being the top-performing soloist under Flowerbank. Tragically, just three years after her solo debut in 2019, she passed away in hospital due to unknown reasons. In 2021, sasaengs of the late singer would go on to reveal she died of a drug overdose in an attempt to tarnish her name even after death.

TW // DEATH, CHILD EXPLOTATION, ONLINE HARASSMENT, AND DRUG OVERDOSE.

🩰𓈒 ⋆ ⑅ ˚ ₊ ୨୧     CHAPTER   ONE.     ──     HUMBLE   BEGINNINGS.

Analise Yan was born in Brooklyn, New York on December 21st, 1997 to an Irish-American mother and a Chinese father. Her mother was a set designer and her father was a talent manager. Analise has no memories of her life without a camera in her face, her first memory being of her on the early 2000's sitcom "Our House" when she was just three years old. She had a very successful acting career, becoming a silver-screen darling before age ten. She scored multiple TV show roles, direct to VHS/DVD movie roles, and began a music career.

Her music career was primarily targeted towards children her own age, performing on the Disney channel and having her music videos showcased on Nickelodeon. In 2007 at just ten years old, she starred in the popular and now classic Nick TV show iCarly as the character "Melody" who acted as Carly and Spencer's youngest sister.

Her run on iCarly was shortlived as in the second season in 2008, she would leave the show due to unknown reasons and would disappear from the American entertainment industry for good.

🩰𓈒 ⋆ ⑅ ˚ ₊ ୨୧     CHAPTER   TWO.     ──     THRID  GENERATION.

After she vanished from the American limelight, Analise shocked many by appearing in the Korean Pop Scene. At just 13 years old, she debuted in the third generation of ALLUME. During their debut ceremony, Analise revealed she had begun training in 2008 after leaving iCarly. She also would say she was a big fan of f(x), 2NE1, and Wonder Girls and they inspired her to take up Flowerbank's offer to begin training for the third generation of Allume.

Though showing exceptional talent at just 13 in singing and dancing, she was heavily scrutinized by netizens for a multitude of reasons. From her mixed heritage to her "annoying" persona, she seemed to be the target of online harassment. The harassment continued off-screen as well, often being yelled at by fans of the other members to "get out of the way" or having marriage proposals shouted at her.

Despite having a hate train against her, she remained one of the most popular members during her run in Allume many comparing her to the likes of Jung Krystal or Bae Suzy in terms of icon status and notoriety. She's easily considered one of the most widely-known idols in South Korea in the 2010s.

🩰𓈒 ⋆ ⑅ ˚ ₊ ୨୧     CHAPTER   THREE.     ──     SOLOISMS  .

After her graduation from Allume in 2015, she instantly began her highly anticipated solo career. She debuted solo just a month after her graduation with the mini album "Graduation" with the promotional track "I'm Shy" which became an instant chart-topper and K-pop classic.

The success of her debut would be repeated with each comeback, growing in fame and popularity with every performance she gave. In every sense of the word, Analise was a star. You could not walk down the street without seeing her face or hearing her music.

She picked up acting again in 2016, acting in her first major movie role in "The Train to Busan" to major success. She also starred in "My Annoying Brother" and made her drama debut in "Love In Our Hands" as the lead actress. Her acting was highly praised, with many saying Analise is the perfect all-rounder and can do anything she sets her mind to.

Throughout her musical career, she had six mini-albums, seven singles, and three full albums. You can find her discography on the Flowerbank Website (WIP).

🩰𓈒 ⋆ ⑅ ˚ ₊ ୨୧     CHAPTER   FOUR.     ──     THE  CONCLUSION.

In the early morning of June 15th, just two weeks after announcing her third full album, news broke that an unnamed idol had been rushed to the hospital via ambulance under mysterious circumstances. This news sent social media into a frenzy as people attempted to uncover the identity of the idol and the nature of the incident.

For about three hours, netizens engaged in wild speculation, tossing around various names in an attempt to solve the mystery. Eventually, the Seoul police department stepped in, issuing a statement that identified the hospitalized idol as Analise Yan, who was in critical condition. However, the specific reason for Analise's hospitalization was never disclosed due to "personal reasons," a detail that sasaeng fans did not respect.

Sasaeng fans began making numerous harassing calls to various hospitals in an effort to uncover the truth behind Analise's condition. This prompted the police to issue another statement, warning of legal consequences for anyone who continued to pester hospitals for information.

Finally, after five hours of intense speculation and uncertainty, Flowerbank Entertainment released a statement on behalf of Analise.

"Hello, We are Flowerbank Entertainment, During the early hours of the morning, our beloved artist, Analise, required immediate medical attention and was transported to the hospital under urgent circumstances. To safeguard her privacy and well-being, we must emphasize that the specific reasons for her hospitalization will not be disclosed. We are committed to taking legal actions against any attempts to breach her privacy. At this moment, Analise's condition remains critical. Regrettably, we are unable to provide additional details. We kindly request your heartfelt thoughts and prayers for Analise as she faces this challenging period. Your unwavering love and support are deeply appreciated. With gratitude, The Flowerbank Entertainment Team"

Tragically, on June 18th Analise passed away in the hospital after three days in the hospital. There are still little to no details about her final days in the hospital. Flowerbank would release a statement around three hours after she passed

"Hello, This is Flowerbank Entertainment, It is with profound sadness and heavy hearts that we must share the devastating news. Our beloved artist, Analise, has passed away at the hospital. Analise fought valiantly during her time in the hospital, but despite the best efforts of the medical team, her condition became insurmountable. She departed peacefully, surrounded by loved ones. We extend our deepest condolences to Analise's family, friends, and all those who cherished her and her artistry. This is an immense loss, not only to Flowerbank Entertainment but to the entire entertainment community. Analise's memory will forever live on through her music and the impact she made on the world. We ask that you continue to keep her in your thoughts and prayers during this incredibly difficult time. In memory of our dear Analise, The Flowerbank Entertainment Team"

Analise's funeral, against the wishes of her family and loved ones, was very publicized. The entire industry mourned the beloved child star turned superstar, all of her co-workers, co-stars, and labelmates attending her funeral as well as other notable celebrities. Hundreds of fans gathered to pay their respects at various balloon-releasing ceremonies and fans held memorial services.

Flowerbank would create a memorial site for Analise in their building for fans to mourn her, leave letters and flowers for her, and celebrate her as an artist. The memorial site is still up in their museum.

At her personal request, Analise was buried at Yeongnak Park in Busan, South Korea, and is where she currently rests.

🩰𓈒 ⋆ ⑅ ˚ ₊ ୨୧     CHAPTER   FIVE.     ──     LIFE  AFTER DEATH.

Even in her passing, Analise continues to hold a special place in the hearts of Flowerbank Entertainment and the broader K-pop community. Her posthumously released third album not only climbed to the top of the digital charts but also sold an impressive 1.5 million copies, solidifying its status as one of Flowerbank's best-selling soloist albums.

The title tracks from the albums "New" and "One Chance" enjoyed a remarkable ten-month reign atop the Goan charts before gradually descending from the top ten. Meanwhile, the B-side track "My Sky" maintained its chart-topping position for an impressive seven months. Furthermore, all the associated music videos garnered over ten million views within just one week, marking a significant milestone in her career.

Every year, Flowerbank Entertainment commemorates Analise's birthday on their social media platforms, as well as the day she departed this world, ensuring that her memory lives on and reminding the world of the star she was.

However, in 2021, despite her enduring popularity, there were those who sought to tarnish her legacy by leaking her hospital records, which revealed the tragic truth that she had succumbed to a drug overdose. This revelation answered the long-standing question surrounding her passing. Flowerbank Entertainment promptly took legal action against the individuals responsible for the leak, who have since refrained from posting online.

Nevertheless, despite these efforts to sully her image, Analise remains an artist who is adored and cherished by countless fans.

[uwmspeccoll]

It’s Fine Press Friday!

This copy of James Joyce’s, Dubliners, with introduction by American academic Thomas Flanagan and photogravures by Irish artist Robert Ballagh (b.1943), was published in 1986 by the Limited Editions Club (LEC), New York, in an edition of one thousand copies signed by Flanagan and Ballagh. It was in 1905 that Joyce first took his manuscript to a publisher, although he had a lot of difficulty finding someone to print his book. After many rejections a publisher accepted but demanded changes, resulting in the termination of their agreement. This drama continued for years until the book was finally published in 1914 by Grant Richards Ltd., London. 

Dubliners is a collection of fifteen short stories that is a portrait of Dublin during a time when Irish nationalism was at its height. Joyce used his own family, friends, and acquaintances to depict the people of Dublin “in all their uniqueness, their generosity, and love of music, as well as their moral confusion and psychic paralysis” (LEC Letter number 547). This psychic and moral paralysis stems from the long history of Ireland’s subordination to British rule. 

Robert Ballagh was born and raised in Dublin and shares Joyce’s fascination with his city. His six photogravures express the sense of isolation and paralysis that exists within the stories. They are velvety and still, and rest alone in the center of the page. They themselves are isolated by the many pages of text that exist between it and the next image.

The type design also illustrates a sense of isolation, with each short story beginning with a title in a single line on the right resting in the expanse of an empty page spread, and after turning the page, another blank page, and opposite to it the beginning of the text with no header, but space for one.  

The type was printed at Wild Carrot Letterpress and Heritage Printers. The text was set in Monotype Scotch by Dan Carr and Julia Ferrari at Golgonooza Letter Foundry. Benjamin Schiff, son of then LEC owner Sidney Schiff, designed the book. The photogravure plates were made by Jon Goodman and printed by Bruce Chandler, Peter Pettengill, Catherine Mosely and Greta Lintvedt. The paper was made at Cartiere Enrico Magnani. The book was hand sewn and bound at the Jovonis Bookbindery in West Springfield, Massachusetts. Our copy is a gift form our friend Jerry Buff.

View more Limited Edition Club posts.

View more Fine Press Friday posts.

– Teddy, Special Collections Graduate Intern.

[brookston]

Holidays 8.11

Holidays

Alcatraz Day

Annual Medical Check-Up Day

Border Guard Day (Turkmenistan)

Brother's Day

Builder’s Day (Former USSR Nations)

Burry Man Parade Day (Scotland)

Cheech and Chong Day (San Antonio, Texas)

Chris Hemsworth Day

Constitution Day (Anguilla)

Day of the Latvian Freedom Fighters (Latvia)

Deimos and Phobos Discovery Day (Moons of Mars)

Dog Days of Summer end

811 Day

Fair Day (Puck Fair, Day 2; Ireland)

Festival of Happy Feet

Fiesta de Santa Clara (New Mexico)

Flag Day (Pakistan)

Freethinkers Day

Gay Uncles Day (a.k.a. Guncles Day)

Global Kinetic Sand Day

Green Bay Packers Day

Health Center Staff Appreciation Day

Heroes' Day (Zimbabwe)

Hip Hop Celebration Day

Hug a Tiny Day

Ingersoll Day

Inula Day (French Republic)

Koomu Alezer’i (Elder Scrolls)

Mountain Day (Japan)

National Align Your Teeth Day

National Canine Companion Graduation Day

National Day of Civic Hacking

National Face Mask Day

National Hip Hop Day

National Minority Day (Pakistan)

National Safe Digging Day

Navy Day (Bulgaria)

Nutritionist Day (Mexico)

Play in the Sand Day

Presidential Joke Day

Roller Rink Day

Son’s and Daughter’s Day

SOS Day

Veterinary Workers Day (Ukraine)

Watts Riots Anniversary Day (Los Angeles)

WIT Brag Day

World Krill Day

World Steelpan Day (Trinidad & Tobago)

Food & Drink Celebrations

International Fufu Day

National Bakewell Tart Day (UK)

National Instant Coffee Day

National Panini Day

National Raspberry Bombe Day

National Raspberry Tart Day

Independence & Related Days

Balochistan (from UK, 1947) [unrecognized]

Chad (from France, 1960)

Ebenthal (Declared; 2014) [unrecognized]

Penang (Ceded to the British by Rajah of Kedah; 1786)

2nd Sunday in August

Bagel Day [2nd Sunday]

Children’s Day (Chile) [2nd Sunday]

Day of Cantabria (Spain) [2nd Sunday]

Father’s Day (Brazil, Samoa) [2nd Sunday]

Gay Uncles Day [2nd Sunday]

Melon Day (Turkmenistan) [2nd Sunday]

National Day [2nd Sunday]

Spirit of ’45 Day [2nd Sunday]

Victory Day (Rhode Island) [2nd Sunday]

V-J Day (a.k.a. Victory Day) [2nd Sunday]

Weekly Holidays beginning August 11 (2nd Full Week of August)

Feeding Pets of the Homeless Week (thru 8.17) [2nd Week]

National Health Center Week (thru 8.17) [2nd Week]

National Resurrect Romance Week (thru 8.17) [2nd Full Week]

National Smile Week (thru 8.17) [2nd Full Week]

Festivals Beginning August 11, 2024

Beacon Sloop Club Corn Festival (Beacon, New York)

Bludfest (Milton Keynes, United Kingdom)

Carytown Watermelon Festival (Richmond, Virginia)

Comiket [Comic Market] (Tokyo, Japan) [thru 8.12]

Czech Heritage Festival (Bechyn, Minnesota)

Hugo Awards (Glasgow, Scotland)

Italian American Festival (Akron, Ohio) [thru 8.13]

Kadayawan Festival (Davao City, Philippines) [thru 8.18]

Montrose Blueberry Festival (Montrose, Michigan) [thru 8.18]

Oslo Jazzfestival (Oslo, Norway) [thru 8.17]

Feast Days

Alexander the Charcoal-Burner (Christian; Martyr)

Alex Haley (Writerism)

Ancestor Day III (Pagan)

Andre Dubus II (Writerism)

Athracht (a..k.a. Attracta or Araght; Christian; Saint & Virgin)

Blaan (a.k.a. Blane; Christian; Saint)

Byron (Positivist; Saint)

Clare of Assisi (Christian; Saint)

Clare Foley Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Claude Joseph Vernet (Artology)

Day Honoring Oddudua (a.k.a. Mother of All Gods; Santeria)

Don Freeman (Artology)

Enid Blyton (Writerism)

Equitius (Christian; Saint)

Fiacre (Christian; Saint)

Gaugericus (a.k.a. Gery; Christian; Saint)

Gerard of Gallinaro and His Companions (Christian)

Great Quackini (Muppetism)

Jim Lee (Artology)

John Henry Newman (Church of England)

Leila (Christian; Saint & Virgin)

Mick Foley Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Morris Weiss (Artology)

Philomena (Christian; Saint)

Puck Fair (Irish Fertility Festival; Everyday Wicca)

Rakish Bandhan 2022 (Hindusim) [Last day of Śrāvaṇa]

Rum Quaffing Day (Pastafarian)

Sidhe (Place of Peace; Celtic Book of Days)

Susanna (Christian; Saint)

Taurinus of Évreux (Christian; Saint)

Tiburtius and Chromatius (Christian; Martyrs)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Fortunate Day (Pagan) [32 of 53]

Prime Number Day: 223 [48 of 72]

Tomobiki (友引 Japan) [Good luck all day, except at noon.]

Premieres

The Abyss (Film; 1989)

Advise and Consent, by Allen Drury (Novel; 1959)

After Dark, My Sweet, by Jim Thompson (Novel; 1955)

Almost Human (TV Series; 2013)

American Graffiti (Film; 1973)

Atypical (TV Series; 2017)

C’est Chic, by Chic (Album; 1978)

Childhood's End, by Arthur C. Clarke (Novel; 1953)

Corduroy, by Don Freeman (Children’s Book; 1968)

Dangerous Minds (Film; 1995)

Danny Deckchair (Film; 2004)

Doug (Animated TV Series; 1991)

Down to Earth, by Jimmy Buffett (Album; 1970)

Food for Feeding’ (Disney Cartoon; 1950)

Free Ride, by The Edgar Winter Group (Song; 1973)

A Hard Day’s Night (Beatles US Film; 1964)

The Harmony of the World, by Paul Hindemith (Opera; 1957)

Henpecked (Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Cartoon; 1930)

Hey, Soul Sister, by Train (Song; 2009)

His Better Elf (Woody Woodpecker Cartoon; 1958)

His Hare Raising Tale (WB LT Cartoon; 1951)

Hypnotic Eyes (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1933)

Le Freak, by Chic (Song; 1978)

I Left My Heart in San Francisco, by Tony Bennett (Song; 1962)

In This Corner (and Other Corners) of the World (Anime Film; 2017)

The Life of Emile Zola (Film; 1938)

The Magicians, by Lev Grossman (Novel; 2009)

Need You Know, by Lady Antebellum (Song; 2009)

Orphan’s Benefit (Disney Cartoon; 1934)

Party in the U.S.A., by Miley Cyrus (Song; 2009)

Pete’s Dragon (Film; 2016)

Popeye Makes a Movie (Fleischer/Famous Popeye Cartoon; 1950)

Puppet Love (Fleischer/Famous Popeye Cartoon; 1944)

The Psychedelic Experience, by Timothy Leary (Science Book; 1964)

The Ren & Stimpy Show (Animated TV Series; 1991)

The Replacements (Film; 2000)

Rugrats (Animated TV Series; 1991)

Runaway Brain (Disney Cartoon; 1995)

The Screwdriver (Woody Woodpecker Cartoon; 1941)

Step Up (Film; 2006)

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly, by Pam Adams (Children’s Book; 1973)

3:47 EST, by Klaatu (Album; 1976)

Two-Headed Giant (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1939)

The View (TV Talk Show; 1997)

A Walk in the Clouds (Film; 1995)

What If…? (Animated TV Series; 2021)

You Beat Me To the Punch, by Mary Wells (Song; 1962)

Today’s Name Days

Klara, Susanna (Austria)

Jasminka, Jasna, Klara, Suzana (Croatia)

Zuzana (Czech Republic)

Herman (Denmark)

Sanna, Sanne, Susanna, Suusi (Estonia)

Sanna, Sanni, Susanna, Susanne (Finland)

Claire, Gilberte, Suzanne (France)

Klara, Susanne (Germany)

Efpious (Greece)

Tiborc, Zsuzsanna (Hungary)

Chiara, Lelia, Susanna (Italy)

Liega, Olga, Zita (Latvia)

Klara, Ligija, Visalgas, Visvilė, Zuzana (Lithuania)

Tarald, Torvald (Norway)

Aleksander, Herman, Ligia, Lukrecja, Włodzimierz, Włodziwoj, Zula, Zuzanna (Poland)

Zuzana (Slovakia)

Clara, Susana (Spain)

Susanna (Sweden)

Susanna (Ukraine)

Laila, Layla, Leila, Leilani, Lela, Lelia, Nayeli (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 224 of 2024; 142 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 7 of Week 32 of 2024

Celtic Tree Calendar: Coll (Hazel) [Day 9 of 28]

Chinese: Month 7 (Ren-Shen), Day 8 (Ding-Wei)

Chinese Year of the: Dragon 4722 (until January 29, 2025) [Wu-Chen]

Hebrew: 7 Av 5784

Islamic: 5 Safar 1446

J Cal: 14 Purple; Sevenday [14 of 30]

Julian: 29 July 2024

Moon: 41%: Waxing Crescent

Positivist: 27 Dante (8th Month) [Byron]

Runic Half Month: As (Gods) [Day 4 of 15]

Season: Summer (Day 53 of 94)

Week: 2nd Full Week of August

Zodiac: Leo (Day 21 of 31)

[yves-and-scessernee]

I've been thinking about some things, and I wanted to clarify for some folks outside of the US:

When people in the United States talk about heritage, it's always with the implication of American nationality. Two friends in the US might chat casually about themselves and their families by saying "I'm Irish" and "I'm Polish." What they mean is "I'm Irish-American" and "I'm Polish-American" but, because the context of being in America is present, the "-American" part goes assumed.

That's why the "Where are you from?" / "Where were you born?" / "Where are your parents from?" questions exist. Between friends, those are casual ways to tell if someone is talking about X as a familial heritage or X as a nationality without saying outright "Hey, so are you a member of this American subculture or are you from another country?" It is absolutely rude to ask these questions without the context of friendship, but within a friendship people often share information about their heritage and nationality quite freely. Those two friends I mentioned above might go on to talk about how "My grandparents were born in Dublin and immigrated to the US, and my parents grew up together in Boston." "Oh, that's cool that they grew up together! My great-grandmother moved from Kraków as an infant with her family, but my dad met my mom through an exchange student program and she just finalized her dual citizenship."

Stripped of the context of "being in America", such statements can come off as presumptuous and deceptive. I understand that. Someone who has gotten used to chatting about their family while in America will likely default to keeping the "-American" part assumed on their behalf, which they shouldn't do. But an American saying "Oh! I'm Irish" to you when you know already that they are American is telling you this in the context of being American: what is actually being conveyed is "I'm Irish-American." To them, they're sharing what American subculture they belong to, rather than claiming participation in a different country.

And Irish-American culture in the US is alive and well! Irish-American cultural centers, museums dedicated to generations of Irish-American immigration, and festivals sharing what Irish-American families have brought to America are found all over the US. So it is with many other cultural communities. People care about the cultures they and their families brought over with them, and American subcultures are living entities unto themselves shaped by decades of history.

And of course some American families keep in touch with their parent cultures. As I write this, a friend is making arrangements with his family to spent next month with his grandparents in Mexico. My own parents just got back from visiting my sister in Ireland, where she's been studying veterinary sciences. Sometimes that's why Americans drop the hyphen in casual conversation: for my friend, where does Mexican culture end and the Mexican-American subculture within the greater American culture begin? A conversation with him actually got me thinking about this entire thing, because, for him, the distinction between being Mexican, having Mexican heritage, and being Mexican-American can be really blurry, particularly given the United States' history with Mexico.

Americans should stop assuming everyone knows the context of "having American nationality" when they talk about heritage. I agree. It can be easy to come onto the internet with the same assumptions you have in your everyday community, particularly if you're young. If you're American and you're reading this and you're just realizing that someone probably interpreted you as saying "I'm a member of this country" when what you meant was "I'm a member of this American subculture," I understand the embarrassment. This often isn't laid out clearly inside or outside the US.

But that's why I'm explaining it now. If what you mean is "I'm [Heritage]-American" and you're talking about your participation in an American subculture, you probably should start saying the whole phrase aloud. It's more polite to assume that someone doesn't know your nationality than that they do. It'll forestall misunderstandings and frustrations with friends and strangers alike.

[pineapplerightsideupcake]

u do realize that the world isnt just americans and europeans right...not every anti american post is coming from a european lol

This website is over 85% North American/Australian/Western European

The chances I’m talking to someone outside that demographic is slim in the first place but I find that people from countries with actual grievances talk about their specific issues with America. You are invited to notice how I don’t police people bringing up American imperialism or our war crimes.

I think the American government and military are evil. I’m never looking to defend them.

But it toasts my ass cheeks that Europeans, grumpy that their empires are waning, write endless self pitying posts about how “America isn’t the whole world!” But they want our music and fashion and movies and TV and tech. Then they complain about how the ubiquity of American culture is oppressing them somehow. A Native Hawaiian can complain American culture was forced on them. I’d never dream of calling that out. I’d reblog them. We came with guns and worse and have done everything possible to erase their culture. But I’m sorry Pierre and Gustav, no American came and tied you to a chair Clockwork Orange style and made you watch “Iron Man VII”. If you hate that American culture is ubiquitous, feel free to go see a local film and skip Barbie! Vote to invest in entertainment. Koreans are killing it with producing TV and music the whole world wants to enjoy. Japan has had global anime fans for decades. I’m rooting for Indian and Thai movies to gain more popularity. Like stop bitching and make your own media and prioritize it.

And God forbid Americans on an American website use Fahrenheit instead of Celsius. Or don’t tag a legal tip with #sorryforbeingamerican

It’s the height of hypocrisy that Europeans frequently accuse Americans of always centering themselves while un-ironically demanding that 50% + of tumblr’s userbase cater to the preferences of its Euro users and not you know, their own.

And this isn’t even getting into Europeans using America’s problems and issues to deflect their own history of brutal imperialism. Let’s talk about their appalling treatment of Romani people. Let’s talk about “cultural purity” being a dog whistle for white supremacy and ugly Nationalism. Let’s talk about rampant anti semitism.

When Europeans rant about “hey American you’re not ackshully Italian/Irish/French/German because your great great grandfather came from there.” despite Americans explaining we know we aren’t literally from another country you can feel them dying to call you a mongrel race american that has no blood right to their country. Because if they didn’t care about cultural and racial purity they’d listen when Americans explain what our mixed heritages mean to us and how we express it as individuals, communities, and as national points of pride. They’d be excited that so many Americans do try and learn the language and do want to visit and do want to learn the culture.

Oh and by the way, let me know how Western Europe feels about the US military if Putin ever sets his sights further west than old soviet countries. Because I’d bet money suddenly they don’t have a problem with the American military-industrial complex. Most Europeans aren’t anti imperialist- they’re anti AMERICAN imperialism. They like us just fine when we enable their subjugation of their own empires. They love our money and our protection.

Anyway Tl;dr I’m aware not everyone criticizing the US is European, but the butthurt hypocritical posts they make are they only ones I’m talking about.

[poemswhileyouwait]

“Monasticism” by Kathleen Rooney -- Irish American Heritage Center, 10.14.22

[uwmadarchives]

The challenging task of selecting a research topic

By Elisa Miller, Student Historian 2022/2023

As I step back and reflect on the work I’ve done over the last two months as a student historian, it’s incredible how much I’ve learned about UW. I’ve researched such a broad range of topics and experiences that I can’t even begin to list them all. I will share some of my favorite finds! 

As an Asian-American, I immediately started researching the history of Asian-Americans on campus. One of the coolest things I found was an Asian Theater program. Founded by Professor A.C. Scott in 1963, it was the only program of its kind in the country. I should note that Scott was white and had no Asian heritage. He served with the Royal Air Force in World War II and spent much of this time in East Asia. This is where he was introduced to Asian theater. After publishing several books, he moved back to the states where he was eventually approached by UW to start an Asian Theater program under the Ford Grant. He put on several plays and brought in prominent PhD students and actors to teach his students. When the grant money ran out sometime after 1972, Scott decided to stop putting on plays and focused on teaching Chinese martial arts techniques to his acting students. 

Scott left the university in 1978, and despite having a successor, the program seems to have died off sometime before 2000. All that seems to remain is a course, Theatre 351: Fundamentals of Asian Stage Discipline. Although Scott was essentially putting his white students in yellow face, as pictured below, he seemed to have great respect for Asian culture. He spent extensive time in Asia and got involved with the theater community in Hong Kong and Tokyo. I believe costume was a major part of these plays, and both Scott and the students treated the plays/culture with respect and reverence.

Image from "A Theater of the Senses," by P. Shaw, 1966, Wisconsin Alumnus, Volume 68, No. 2, p. 10.

I felt I had reached a dead-end with the Asian Theater program because there was a very limited number of results on the online collections at University of Wisconsin Digital Collections (UWDC) and general Google searches (more to come on this…), so I ended up talking with Kacie Lucchini Butcher, the director of the phenomenal Public History Project, to brainstorm some new ideas. She steered me in two directions: humor magazines and the International Club. 

As a huge comedy nerd, I dove into the UW humor magazine collections. There were two: the Sphinx which ran from 1903-1913 and the Octopus which ran from 1919-1959. I spent weeks pouring through these magazines, but never found anything compelling enough to me to make it my research topic. Because I’m supposed to focus my research on underrepresented/under researched groups on campus, I tried to hone in on this when looking through the magazines. There was some grotesque stuff about minorities, but they were actually pretty few and far between. 

For example: the ‘Fightin’ Irish’ cartoon pictured below. Obviously, the Irish are not really an underrepresented group, but I thought it was interesting to see that they were not truly considered white in the early 1900s. 

Many of the discriminatory pieces I found were about women, like this piece “Ain’t Nature Wonderful” from a March 1920 issue of The Octopus. It seems like a normal enough story, until it takes a very violent turn for the “punchline.” This was just one of many pieces where the butt of the joke was violence against women. 

For the most part, however, the magazines were actually quite tame. They mostly poked fun at professors, classes, majors, Greek life, etc. While the jokes about women and minorities were quite shocking and hard to read at times, I couldn’t really find a running theme to center a research project around.

I moved on to the International Club. It was founded in 1903 by a Japanese student, Karl Kawakami (Kawakami named himself after Karl Marx). Initially, the club was a place for students to debate international issues, but by the end of the decade it became more of a social club. It was actually the first International Club (also known as the Cosmopolitan Club) in the country. Many other schools such as Illinois, Harvard, Indiana followed suit. They had a national meeting of the club in 1910 in Chicago. 

As UW had no formal support/program for international students until the 1950s, the International Club welcomed them to campus and introduced them to American culture. Almost every single international student on campus was a member of the club, but anyone was welcome to join. I went onsite to the Archives to look through documents and found tons of flyers, letters, and even a scrapbook. 

One thing that caught my eye was a booklet recapping a year, 1947, of the club. One of the pages was a transcription of a debate between a few club members. I was fascinated at their eloquence and how well rounded their perspectives were. Even though the language is more formal than most students would use today, it felt like a modern conversation. It was really interesting to see a Russian student’s perspective who actually lived in the USSR and his perception of America. While disdain may be a strong word, the Asian and Russian students definitely had a bone to pick with America, which is interesting considering they had decided to attend school here.

Photo by Elisa Miller

After going through the archives and exhausting UWDC, I thought it was a fascinating club, but again couldn’t find the hook for me to make an entire project about it. I felt like there wasn’t really much I wanted to say about it or add to it. It also seems to have disappeared from campus sometime in the 1980s or 1990s and its prominence was in the 1910s and 1920s, and there wasn’t much documentation on the club from that time. 

After finding that transcribed conversation between club members, I thought about what anti-Americanism has looked like on campus. I immediately thought of Communists, especially during the McCarthy era. So, over the last few weeks I’ve been researching Communism/Leftism on campus in the 1950s. I’ve found a lot of interesting information about tensions between Communist clubs and administration, as well as a slew of Communist speakers. One of my favorite finds was some articles about Joe McCarthy getting laughed off stage when he came to speak at UW. I also found a piece that directly contradicted the McCarthy situation about Joe Bollenbeck, a man who would attend communist speakers' events and essentially berate them.

Newspaper clipping from the "Daily Cardinal Comment," 1951.

Newspaper clipping by R.O.W., 1971, Insight and Outlook: A Journal of Conservative Student Opinion, Volume XI, No. 1, p. 5

While I was working on this blog, I went over it with my supervisor, Cat Phan. She gave me some helpful notes, but then she asked me about the Asian Theater program. She thought Asian theater on campus would be super interesting and would make a great topic. I agreed! We discussed why I had given up on it, and she helped me realize I may have tossed in the towel a bit too quickly. I had kind of forgotten about it until I was looking back through all my old research to make this post. It had always been a personal favorite of mine, especially because of the personal connection I felt to it. She encouraged me to give it another try and gave me some more resources. So, that’s where I stand now! With Cat’s encouragement, I’m really excited to dive deeper into the program and this is the strongest I’ve felt about any of these topics. 

I have also only really researched online using UW resources. I want to start going onsite to the archives, like I did with the International Club, and reaching out to people on campus to get a wider breadth of information. There is only so much material that has been digitized. Although, I do think I reached my personal dead-end with most of my topics with just the material I found online, the Asian Theater program is something that I will have to go out and look into. It is recent enough, at least in comparison to things like the comedy magazines or communists on campus, that I am confident I can find people who have personal experience or firsthand knowledge of the program. 

As this exhaustive post makes clear, I have struggled a bit with this research. This is my first research position ever and I’ve really had to learn as I go. I have definitely improved since I began back in July, but still have a lot to work on. I have loved the process, though! What’s great, but also difficult, about this position is how open-ended it is. Everything is completely up to us. The world is our oyster! Cat warned me that choosing a topic has historically been the most difficult part for the past student historians, and that has certainly rang true for me. I had so many ideas at first I just didn’t even know where to begin. I think I’m finally at a good place with my research. I have a clear idea of what I want to look at, and more importantly, why. The Asian Theater program at the University genuinely fascinates me and I would be honored to share more about this story.     

[brookstonalmanac]

Holidays 8.11

Holidays

Alcatraz Day

Annual Medical Check-Up Day

Border Guard Day (Turkmenistan)

Brother's Day

Builder’s Day (Former USSR Nations)

Burry Man Parade Day (Scotland)

Cheech and Chong Day (San Antonio, Texas)

Chris Hemsworth Day

Constitution Day (Anguilla)

Day of the Latvian Freedom Fighters (Latvia)

Deimos and Phobos Discovery Day (Moons of Mars)

Dog Days of Summer end

811 Day

Fair Day (Puck Fair, Day 2; Ireland)

Festival of Happy Feet

Fiesta de Santa Clara (New Mexico)

Flag Day (Pakistan)

Freethinkers Day

Gay Uncles Day (a.k.a. Guncles Day)

Global Kinetic Sand Day

Green Bay Packers Day

Health Center Staff Appreciation Day

Heroes' Day (Zimbabwe)

Hip Hop Celebration Day

Hug a Tiny Day

Ingersoll Day

Inula Day (French Republic)

Koomu Alezer’i (Elder Scrolls)

Mountain Day (Japan)

National Align Your Teeth Day

National Canine Companion Graduation Day

National Day of Civic Hacking

National Face Mask Day

National Hip Hop Day

National Minority Day (Pakistan)

National Safe Digging Day

Navy Day (Bulgaria)

Nutritionist Day (Mexico)

Play in the Sand Day

Presidential Joke Day

Roller Rink Day

Son’s and Daughter’s Day

SOS Day

Veterinary Workers Day (Ukraine)

Watts Riots Anniversary Day (Los Angeles)

WIT Brag Day

World Krill Day

World Steelpan Day (Trinidad & Tobago)

Food & Drink Celebrations

International Fufu Day

National Bakewell Tart Day (UK)

National Instant Coffee Day

National Panini Day

National Raspberry Bombe Day

National Raspberry Tart Day

Independence & Related Days

Balochistan (from UK, 1947) [unrecognized]

Chad (from France, 1960)

Ebenthal (Declared; 2014) [unrecognized]

Penang (Ceded to the British by Rajah of Kedah; 1786)

2nd Sunday in August

Bagel Day [2nd Sunday]

Children’s Day (Chile) [2nd Sunday]

Day of Cantabria (Spain) [2nd Sunday]

Father’s Day (Brazil, Samoa) [2nd Sunday]

Gay Uncles Day [2nd Sunday]

Melon Day (Turkmenistan) [2nd Sunday]

National Day [2nd Sunday]

Spirit of ’45 Day [2nd Sunday]

Victory Day (Rhode Island) [2nd Sunday]

V-J Day (a.k.a. Victory Day) [2nd Sunday]

Weekly Holidays beginning August 11 (2nd Full Week of August)

Feeding Pets of the Homeless Week (thru 8.17) [2nd Week]

National Health Center Week (thru 8.17) [2nd Week]

National Resurrect Romance Week (thru 8.17) [2nd Full Week]

National Smile Week (thru 8.17) [2nd Full Week]

Festivals Beginning August 11, 2024

Beacon Sloop Club Corn Festival (Beacon, New York)

Bludfest (Milton Keynes, United Kingdom)

Carytown Watermelon Festival (Richmond, Virginia)

Comiket [Comic Market] (Tokyo, Japan) [thru 8.12]

Czech Heritage Festival (Bechyn, Minnesota)

Hugo Awards (Glasgow, Scotland)

Italian American Festival (Akron, Ohio) [thru 8.13]

Kadayawan Festival (Davao City, Philippines) [thru 8.18]

Montrose Blueberry Festival (Montrose, Michigan) [thru 8.18]

Oslo Jazzfestival (Oslo, Norway) [thru 8.17]

Feast Days

Alexander the Charcoal-Burner (Christian; Martyr)

Alex Haley (Writerism)

Ancestor Day III (Pagan)

Andre Dubus II (Writerism)

Athracht (a..k.a. Attracta or Araght; Christian; Saint & Virgin)

Blaan (a.k.a. Blane; Christian; Saint)

Byron (Positivist; Saint)

Clare of Assisi (Christian; Saint)

Clare Foley Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Claude Joseph Vernet (Artology)

Day Honoring Oddudua (a.k.a. Mother of All Gods; Santeria)

Don Freeman (Artology)

Enid Blyton (Writerism)

Equitius (Christian; Saint)

Fiacre (Christian; Saint)

Gaugericus (a.k.a. Gery; Christian; Saint)

Gerard of Gallinaro and His Companions (Christian)

Great Quackini (Muppetism)

Jim Lee (Artology)

John Henry Newman (Church of England)

Leila (Christian; Saint & Virgin)

Mick Foley Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Morris Weiss (Artology)

Philomena (Christian; Saint)

Puck Fair (Irish Fertility Festival; Everyday Wicca)

Rakish Bandhan 2022 (Hindusim) [Last day of Śrāvaṇa]

Rum Quaffing Day (Pastafarian)

Sidhe (Place of Peace; Celtic Book of Days)

Susanna (Christian; Saint)

Taurinus of Évreux (Christian; Saint)

Tiburtius and Chromatius (Christian; Martyrs)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Fortunate Day (Pagan) [32 of 53]

Prime Number Day: 223 [48 of 72]

Tomobiki (友引 Japan) [Good luck all day, except at noon.]

Premieres

The Abyss (Film; 1989)

Advise and Consent, by Allen Drury (Novel; 1959)

After Dark, My Sweet, by Jim Thompson (Novel; 1955)

Almost Human (TV Series; 2013)

American Graffiti (Film; 1973)

Atypical (TV Series; 2017)

C’est Chic, by Chic (Album; 1978)

Childhood's End, by Arthur C. Clarke (Novel; 1953)

Corduroy, by Don Freeman (Children’s Book; 1968)

Dangerous Minds (Film; 1995)

Danny Deckchair (Film; 2004)

Doug (Animated TV Series; 1991)

Down to Earth, by Jimmy Buffett (Album; 1970)

Food for Feeding’ (Disney Cartoon; 1950)

Free Ride, by The Edgar Winter Group (Song; 1973)

A Hard Day’s Night (Beatles US Film; 1964)

The Harmony of the World, by Paul Hindemith (Opera; 1957)

Henpecked (Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Cartoon; 1930)

Hey, Soul Sister, by Train (Song; 2009)

His Better Elf (Woody Woodpecker Cartoon; 1958)

His Hare Raising Tale (WB LT Cartoon; 1951)

Hypnotic Eyes (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1933)

Le Freak, by Chic (Song; 1978)

I Left My Heart in San Francisco, by Tony Bennett (Song; 1962)

In This Corner (and Other Corners) of the World (Anime Film; 2017)

The Life of Emile Zola (Film; 1938)

The Magicians, by Lev Grossman (Novel; 2009)

Need You Know, by Lady Antebellum (Song; 2009)

Orphan’s Benefit (Disney Cartoon; 1934)

Party in the U.S.A., by Miley Cyrus (Song; 2009)

Pete’s Dragon (Film; 2016)

Popeye Makes a Movie (Fleischer/Famous Popeye Cartoon; 1950)

Puppet Love (Fleischer/Famous Popeye Cartoon; 1944)

The Psychedelic Experience, by Timothy Leary (Science Book; 1964)

The Ren & Stimpy Show (Animated TV Series; 1991)

The Replacements (Film; 2000)

Rugrats (Animated TV Series; 1991)

Runaway Brain (Disney Cartoon; 1995)

The Screwdriver (Woody Woodpecker Cartoon; 1941)

Step Up (Film; 2006)

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly, by Pam Adams (Children’s Book; 1973)

3:47 EST, by Klaatu (Album; 1976)

Two-Headed Giant (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1939)

The View (TV Talk Show; 1997)

A Walk in the Clouds (Film; 1995)

What If…? (Animated TV Series; 2021)

You Beat Me To the Punch, by Mary Wells (Song; 1962)

Today’s Name Days

Klara, Susanna (Austria)

Jasminka, Jasna, Klara, Suzana (Croatia)

Zuzana (Czech Republic)

Herman (Denmark)

Sanna, Sanne, Susanna, Suusi (Estonia)

Sanna, Sanni, Susanna, Susanne (Finland)

Claire, Gilberte, Suzanne (France)

Klara, Susanne (Germany)

Efpious (Greece)

Tiborc, Zsuzsanna (Hungary)

Chiara, Lelia, Susanna (Italy)

Liega, Olga, Zita (Latvia)

Klara, Ligija, Visalgas, Visvilė, Zuzana (Lithuania)

Tarald, Torvald (Norway)

Aleksander, Herman, Ligia, Lukrecja, Włodzimierz, Włodziwoj, Zula, Zuzanna (Poland)

Zuzana (Slovakia)

Clara, Susana (Spain)

Susanna (Sweden)

Susanna (Ukraine)

Laila, Layla, Leila, Leilani, Lela, Lelia, Nayeli (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 224 of 2024; 142 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 7 of Week 32 of 2024

Celtic Tree Calendar: Coll (Hazel) [Day 9 of 28]

Chinese: Month 7 (Ren-Shen), Day 8 (Ding-Wei)

Chinese Year of the: Dragon 4722 (until January 29, 2025) [Wu-Chen]

Hebrew: 7 Av 5784

Islamic: 5 Safar 1446

J Cal: 14 Purple; Sevenday [14 of 30]

Julian: 29 July 2024

Moon: 41%: Waxing Crescent

Positivist: 27 Dante (8th Month) [Byron]

Runic Half Month: As (Gods) [Day 4 of 15]

Season: Summer (Day 53 of 94)

Week: 2nd Full Week of August

Zodiac: Leo (Day 21 of 31)

[anyfight]

DARKS’ RESEARCH, RESOURCES, & HISTORICAL CONTEXT

VIDEO SOURCES

West Side Story (1961)

RACE – THE POWER OF AN ILLUSION How the Racial Wealth Gap Was Created

TEXT RESOURCES

Vampires, Dragons, and Egyptian Kings: Youth Gangs in Postwar New York

Brooklyn Rumble

My Climb to the Top of the Bottom

The Shook-up Generation

FICTIONAL TEXTS

West Side Story - Irving Shulman ( take it with a grain of salt. I dislike most of this adaptation for its unfeeling nature and missing the point of the story.)

The Outsiders - S.E. Hinton

The Warriors - Sol Yurick

HEALTHCARE

Changes in childbirth in the United States: 1750–1950

Eugenics and Unethical Clinical Trials on Puerto Rican Women

Medicare and Medicaid Act (1965)

The Past Victim, the Future Abuser

Childhood abuse, household dysfunction, and the risk of attempted suicide throughout the life span: findings from the Adverse Childhood Experiences Study

Victims’ barriers to discussing domestic violence in clinical consultations: a qualitative enquiry

Violence and substance use among female partners of men in treatment for intimate-partner violence

The occurrence of female-to-male partner violence among male intimate partner violence offenders mandated to treatment: a brief research report

IF THEY GROW UP: EXPLORING THE NEIGHBORHOOD CONTEXT OF ADOLESCENT AND YOUNG ADULT SURVIVAL EXPECTATIONS

Health and Urban Development

WOMEN’S RIGHTS/ HISTORY

Women in the 1950s

NEW YORK HISTORY

Hoovervilles in Central Park

The Battle of San Juan Hill: West Side Story and the Demolition.

Remembering the Ramifications of Robert Moses’s Lincoln Square Renewal Project

Lincoln Square Renewal Project (New York, 1955-1969) A case of culture vs. community.

Robert Moses and the Demolition of San Juan Hill

How Lincoln Center Was Built (It Wasn’t Pretty)

The Exploding Metropolis: The Enduring Slums

Business: Tenements (1934)

The Many Lives of San Juan Hill

Uncovering the Stories of San Juan Hill

The Alien Registration Act of 1940

Becoming “Nuyorican”: The History of Puerto Rican Migration to NYC

West Side Story: The Murder That Shocked New York

New Yorkers Without a Voice: A Tragedy of Urban Renewal

SOCIAL/CULTURAL

My Very Personal Taste of Racism Abroad

Why West Side Story Leaves Out African Americans

Youth gangs, Self-expression, and Conversations About Interracial Tension in Postwar New York City, 1945-65

Demolition of the Lower Hill District, Pittsburgh Pennsylvania 1956

Sorry, But the Irish Were Always ‘White’ (and So Were Italians, Jews and So On)

During World War II, the U.S. Saw Italian-Americans as a Threat to Homeland Security

Proclamation 2527 and the Internment of Italian Americans

THE ITALIAN ‘INTERNMENT’ Restrictions Placed on Italian Aliens

Why America Targeted Italian-Americans During World War II

The Italian Internment

Brief Overview of the World War II Enemy Alien Control Program

Secrecy and Injustice: Exposing WWII Italian Internment Camps

The “Privileged Dago”?: Race, Citizenship and Siciliansin the Jim Crow Gulf South, 1870-1924

Linciati: Lynchings of Italians in America

Race and Multiracial Americans in the U.S. Census

White immigrants weren’t always considered white — and acceptable

Afro-Latinos: Shaping the American story

The 1930s: When Irish Catholics Changed America

In Tapes, Nixon Rails About Jews and Blacks

Making the Irish American: History and Heritage of the Irish in the United States

When Irish immigrants were America’s most feared terrorist group

W.E.B. Du Bois, Felix von Luschan, and Racial Reform at the Fin de Siècle

What is Afro-Latin America?

We Weren’t  Always White: Race and Ethnicity in Italian/American Literature

Cardella: The Black Italians

Racialization works differently here in Puerto Rico, do not bring your U.S.-centric ideas about race here!’

MISC

Teenage Tragedy Songs

The History Of Banned Rock 'n’ Roll

The Birth of Rock and Roll

“Oh Daddio!” How Blackboard Jungle Changed Rock & Roll

A (Brief) History of Music Censorship in America

Nat King Cole Assaulted Onstage By White Supremacists In 1956

José Torres Obituary 

Torres’ legacy Extends Beyond the Ropes

Sports Sovereignty and Puerto Rico

Lost in design: The absence (mostly) of cultural heritage in Puerto Rican fashion design

PUERTO RICAN WOMEN’S DRESS, 1895-1920: AN ACCULTURATION PROCESS

The Federal Government and Metropolitan Problems

Chapter 11 - Gay and Lesbian Literary Culture in the 1950s

[dankusner]

“Pennies from Heaven,” — Sinead.

apnews.com

WHO IS ST. PATRICK AND WHY DOES HE EVEN HAVE A DAY?

Patrick was not actually Irish, according to experts. 

Born in the late fourth century, he was captured as an adolescent and ended up enslaved in Ireland. 

He escaped to another part of Europe where he was trained as a priest and returned to Ireland in the fifth century to promote the spread of Christianity.

Several centuries later, he was made a saint by the Catholic Church and like other saints had a day dedicated to him, which was March 17th. 

He became Ireland’s patron saint, and even when religious strife broke out between Catholics and Protestants, was claimed by both, says Mike Cronin, historian and academic director of Boston College Dublin.

HOW DID AN IRISH SAINT’S DAY BECOME AN AMERICAN THING?

The short answer: Irish people came to America and brought their culture with them. 

St. Patrick’s Day observances date back to before the founding of the U.S., in places like Boston and New York City. 

The first parade was held in Manhattan in 1762.

While the day was marked with more of a religious framing and solemnity in Ireland until well into the 20th century, in America it became the cultural and boisterous celebration it is today, marked by plenty of people without a trace of Irish heritage.

It was because people in Ireland started seeing how the day was marked in the U.S. that it became more of a festival in the country of its origin rather than strictly a religious observance, Cronin says, pointing to the parades, parties and other festivities that are held.

Oh, and by the way, for those who like to shorten names: Use St. Paddy’s Day, not St. Patty’s Day. 

Paddy is a nickname for Pádraig, which is the Irish spelling of Patrick.

WHY IS IT SUCH A BIG DEAL TO CELEBRATE A HOLIDAY LIKE THIS?

Holidays aren’t simply days to watch bands go by, or wear a specific outfit or costume.

Being able to mark a holiday, and have others mark it, is a way of “putting down roots, showing that you’ve made it in American culture,” says Leigh Schmidt, professor in the Danforth Center on Religion and Politics at Washington University. “You’ve made your claim on that American calendar, in American civic life, by having these holidays widely recognized.”

The spread of St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in the U.S. was a way for Irish immigrant communities, who in the 19th century faced discrimination and opposition, to stake that ground, he says: “It’s a kind of immigrant Irish way of combating nativist antagonism against them.”

WHAT’S WITH FOUR-LEAF CLOVERS, ANYWAY?

A popular sight around the holiday is the shamrock, or three-leaf clover, linked to Ireland and St. Patrick.

The lucky ones, though, come across something that’s harder to find: a four-leaf clover. 

That’s because it takes a recessive trait or traits in the clover’s genetics for there to be more than the normal 3 leaves, says Vincent Pennetti, a doctoral student at the University of Georgia’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. 

He has been fascinated by the plants since high school.

Four-leaf clovers “are real. They are rare,” he says.

That doesn’t mean they can’t be found. 

People just have to keep their eyes open and “get really good at noticing patterns and breaks in the patterns, and they just start jumping out at you,” he says.

Katie Glerum finds them. 

The 35-year-old New York City resident says it’s not unheard of for her to be somewhere like Central Park and see one. 

She usually scoops it up and often gives it to someone else, to a positive response.

“If it happened every day, then I probably would be less excited about it,” she says. “But yeah, when it happens, it is exciting.”

[downtoearthmarkets]

Get ready to don your Kelly green, look for leprechauns and drown the shamrock as St. Patrick’s Day is this Sunday, March 17th! St. Patrick’s Day commemorates the foremost patron saint of Ireland who is said to have introduced Christianity to the Emerald Isle as a 5th-century missionary from Roman-Britain. Originally a religious holiday centered around feasts and church services, the day has since evolved into a secular celebration of Irish culture and heritage across the globe. Parade or no parade, no matter how you choose to spend St. Patrick’s Day this year, you can always bring the luck of the Irish to your table with these iconic dishes. Corned Beef and Cabbage Corned beef and cabbage is guaranteed to make an appearance on the menu at any St. Patrick’s Day festivity. While cabbage has long been a mainstay of Irish cuisine, salted pork was most likely the centerpiece of a big meal in rural Ireland in past centuries, given how important pig farming was to the economy. It was Irish immigrants to New York in the late 19th century who discovered that the salted beef sold by kosher butchers made a more affordable and readily available substitute for bacon, giving rise to an Americanized version of what they ate back home. Corned beef is made from lean brisket that's been cured in a solution of water, salt and spices. When served on a platter alongside tender farmers market carrots and spring potatoes and dolloped with mustard or creamed horseradish, this corned beef and cabbage recipe is sure to fuel your St. Patrick’s Day revelry all weekend long, with a good chance of leftovers to boot. Prefer a ready-made meal instead? Noble Pies corned beef and cabbage pie features slow simmered corned beef spread over layered boiled potatoes, cabbage, and carrots. The filling is doused with their special seasoned au jus sauce and encased between a delectable all-butter crust. Yum! Plus, Simple Fine Foods special heat-and-eat corned beef and cabbage pies with creamy mashed potato top are back this weekend too! Boxty After a blight wiped out much of the country’s potato yield between 1845-52, Ireland suffered a period of starvation and disease known as the Great Famine. While potato production is no longer at the scale it used to be before this dark period in history (just over 9,000 hectares today, down from 332,000 hectares in 1850), the starchy tuber remains an anchor of Irish cooking.   Boxty is an authentic Irish potato dish that originated in the 1700s when potatoes were a main staple of the common person’s diet. While there are different regional iterations of boxty, the most popular version of the dish consists of finely grated raw potato and flour that is shaped into patties and pan-fried. This quick and simple recipe will produce perfectly crispy potato pancakes that can be served as a sweet treat when drizzled with honey and melted butter or sprinkled with sugar. They can also be filled with vegetables, meat or cheese for a satiating and savory meal:

1 ½ cups grated raw potatoes from 4E Green Farm 

1 cup Great Joy Family Farm all-purpose flour 

1 cup leftover mashed potatoes 

1 large egg from Yellow Bell Farm

1 tablespoon skim milk 

Salt and pepper to taste 

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

Irish Soda Bread Irish Soda Bread is another quintessential St. Patrick’s Day treat that is a must-add to your annual feast. During the years following the Great Famine, many ingredients were in short supply, including yeast for making bread. Consequently, Irish Soda Bread was born of necessity by using a combination of baking soda and buttermilk as a leavening agent instead of yeast.   But there’s no need to miss the parade because you’re stuck at home baking. The pros at Wave Hill Breads have perfected their Irish Soda Bread recipe with King Arthur unbleached wheat flour and raisins soaked in Jameson's Irish Whiskey! The alcohol burns off during baking, leaving behind only flavor and moisture. A slice or two of this hearty bread pairs deliciously with a cup of tea or a glass of cold milk for the kids. While you’re busy enjoying this fun-fueled holiday, we hope we’ve made sure that you won’t go hungry this St. Patrick’s Day weekend! To borrow some lines from the old Irish blessing , “May the road rise to meet you, May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face, The rains fall soft upon your fields...until we meet again.” ShareTweetForward

[mycrawfordcountyancestors]

Week 2-2024 Origins

When I was in third grade, my classmates and I were sent home for lunch with the instruction to ask our mothers about our family heritage. Where did my ancestors come from? I got a vague answer that I was part German and part Scots Irish and part French but that was about all that my mother knew. I returned to school and felt left out when many of my classmates reported that their parents escaped the Soviet Union after World War II, or their grandfather was from the Netherlands, or their great-grandparents immigrated from Italy in 1903.

Fast-forward twenty-some years. I was looking at Crawford County, Illinois marriage records on microfilm at a Family History Center and found a second marriage record for my widowed great-great grandmother Elizabeth Jones to Joseph Richey in 1884. This marriage record named her parents, Daniel Sayre and Signor (Sinah) Hayman. It’s always exciting to find a new generation for the family tree! Note: another thirty years later and it's possible to look at the same records online from home!

Crawford Co., IL, Marriage Register Book 1, 1878-1901, page 84

As soon as I got home, I dialed up to CompuServe (this was the early 1990s!) and got on the genealogy forum to ask about the Sayre and Hayman families. With the help of other community members, I was able to trace the Hayman family back to the 17th century on the Eastern Shore of Maryland and the Sayre family to 17th century Long Island. From these families, I subsequently found other early New England and mid-Atlantic families, including many who came in the Great Migration of the 1630s and 1640s, several patriots who fought in the American Revolution, and some families who remained loyal to King George. Elizabeth’s grandfather Daniel Sayre served in the Essex County, New Jersey militia during the American Revolution. The father of Elizabeth’s first husband Milton, a man called Seth Jones, fought in the Battle of Bunker Hill and served in the Hudson Valley in New York. Milton and Elizabeth Jones moved to Crawford County, Illinois in the 1860s and raised many children there. They are buried in Green Hill cemetery, south of Palestine and east of Flat Rock.

I remember learning about the American colonies in the 3rd grade, and might have enjoyed it more if I had known I was descended from some of the Puritans, dissenters (I'm a proud descendant of Anne Hutchinson and Mary Dyer!), Huguenots, and others who chose to leave Europe for a new life abroad. It's certainly possible that I descend from the Indigenous people living along the eastern shores during those colonial times, and my mother and I have a wee bit of West African DNA. I have complicated feelings about my ancestors who were colonizers and/or enslavers, but I am dedicated to learn as much as I can about my ancestors and the challenges they faced.

[xtruss]

The unassuming entrance to Oweynagat cave, in Rathcroghan, Ireland, belies its central role in ancient Irish history. It‘s known as a gateway to the demon-filled underworld and the birthplace of the Samhain festival, the traditional roots of Halloween. In 2021, Ireland applied for UNESCO World Heritage status for the archaeological site. Photograph By Ronan O'Connell

Inside The Irish ‘Hell Caves’ Where Halloween Was Born

Go in search of the ancient royal capital that spawned our favorite night of the dead.

— Story and Photographs By Ronan O'Connell | September 26, 2023

In the middle of a field in a lesser known part of Ireland is a large mound where sheep wander and graze freely. Had they been in that same location centuries ago, these animals might have been stiff with terror, held aloft by chanting, costumed celebrants while being sacrificed to demonic spirits that were said to inhabit nearby Oweynagat cave.

This monumental mound lay at the heart of Rathcroghan, the hub of the ancient Irish kingdom of Connaught. The former Iron Age center is now largely buried beneath the farmland of County Roscommon. In 2021, Ireland applied for UNESCO World Heritage status for Rathcroghan (Rath-craw-hin). It remains on the organization's tentative list.

The current archaeological site of Rathcroghan displays an artist’s impression of the temple that once stood there. It was the main meeting place of the Connaught kingdom 2,000 years ago. Photograph By Ronan O'Connell

Rooted in Lore

Spread across more than two square miles of rich agricultural land, Rathcroghan encompasses 240 archaeological sites, dating back 5,500 years. They include burial mounds, ring forts (settlement sites), standing stones, linear earthworks, an Iron Age ritual sanctuary—and Oweynagat, the so-called gate to hell.

More than 2,000 years ago, when Ireland’s communities seem to have worshipped nature and the land itself, it was here at Rathcroghan that the Irish New Year festival of Samhain (SOW-in) was born, says archaeologist and Rathcroghan expert Daniel Curley. In the 1800s, the Samhain tradition was brought by Irish immigrants to the United States, where it morphed into the sugar overload that is American Halloween.

Dorothy Ann Bray, a retired associate professor at McGill University and an expert in Irish folklore, explains that pre-Christian Irish divided each year into summer and winter. Within that framework were four festivities. Imbolc, on February 1, was a festival that coincided with lambing season. Bealtaine, on May 1, marked the end of winter and involved customs like washing one’s face in dew, plucking the first blooming flowers, and dancing around a decorated tree. August 1 heralded Lughnasadh, a harvest festival dedicated to the god Lugh and presided over by Irish kings. Then on October 31 came Samhain, when one pastoral year ended and another began.

Rathcroghan was not a town, as Connaught had no proper urban centers and consisted of scattered rural properties. Instead, it was a royal settlement and a key venue for these festivals. During Samhain, in particular, Rathcroghan was a hive of activity focused on its elevated temple, which was surrounded by burial grounds for the Connachta elite.

Those same privileged people may have lived at Rathcroghan. The remaining, lower-class Connachta communities resided in dispersed farms and descended on the site only for festivals. At those lively events they traded, feasted, exchanged gifts, played games, arranged marriages, and announced declarations of war or peace.

Festivalgoers also may have made ritual offerings, possibly directed to the spirits of Ireland’s otherworld. That murky, subterranean dimension, also known as Tír na nÓg (Teer-na-nohg), was inhabited by Ireland’s immortals, as well as a myriad of beasts, demons, and monsters. During Samhain, some of these creatures escaped via Oweynagat cave (pronounced “Oen-na-gat” and meaning “cave of the cats”).

“Samhain was when the invisible wall between the living world and the otherworld disappeared,” says Mike McCarthy, a Rathcroghan tour guide and researcher who has co-authored several publications on the site. “A whole host of fearsome otherworldly beasts emerged to ravage the surrounding landscape and make it ready for winter.”

Thankful for the agricultural efforts of these spirits but wary of falling victim to their fury, the people protected themselves from physical harm by lighting ritual fires on hilltops and in fields. They disguised themselves as fellow ghouls, McCarthy says, so as not to be dragged into the otherworld via the cave.

Despite these engaging legends—and the extensive archaeological site in which they dwell—one easily could drive past Rathcroghan and spot nothing but paddocks. Inhabited for more than 10,000 years, Ireland is so dense with historical remains that many are either largely or entirely unnoticed. Some are hidden beneath the ground, having been abandoned centuries ago and then slowly consumed by nature.

That includes Rathcroghan, which some experts say may be Europe’s largest unexcavated royal complex. Not only has it never been dug up, but it also predates Ireland’s written history. That means scientists must piece together its tale using non-invasive technology and artifacts found in its vicinity.

A hillside path leads to Keshcorran Caves in County Sligo, which, according to Irish legend, were gates to hell and connected to Oweynagat. Photograph By Ronan O'Connell

While Irish people for centuries knew this site was home to Rathcroghan, it wasn’t until the 1990s that a team of Irish researchers used remote sensing technology to reveal its archaeological secrets beneath the ground.

“The beauty of the approach to date at Rathcroghan is that so much has been uncovered without the destruction that comes with excavating upstanding earthwork monuments,” Curley says. “[Now] targeted excavation can be engaged with, which will answer our research questions while limiting the damage inherent with excavation.”

Becoming a UNESCO Site

This policy of preserving Rathcroghan’s integrity and authenticity extends to tourism. Despite its significance, Rathcroghan is one of Ireland’s less frequented attractions, drawing some 22,000 visitors a year compared with more than a million at the Cliffs of Moher. That may not be the case had it long ago been heavily marketed as the “Birthplace of Halloween,” Curley says. But there is no Halloween signage at Rathcroghan or in Tulsk, the nearest town.

Rathcroghan’s renown should soar, however, if Ireland is successful in its push to make it a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Irish Government has included Rathcroghan as part of the “Royal Sites of Ireland,” which is on its newest list of locations to be considered for prized World Heritage status. The global exposure potentially offered by UNESCO branding would likely attract many more visitors to Rathcroghan.

But it seems unlikely this historic jewel will be re-packaged as a kitschy Halloween tourist attraction. “If Rathcroghan got a UNESCO listing and that attracted more attention here that would be great, because it might result in more funding to look after the site,” Curley says. “But we want sustainable tourism, not a rush of gimmicky Halloween tourism.”

Those travelers who do seek out Rathcroghan might have trouble finding Oweynagat cave. Oweynagat is elusive—despite being the birthplace of Medb, perhaps the most famous queen in Irish history, 2,000 years ago. Barely signposted, it’s hidden beneath trees in a paddock at the end of a one-way, dead-end farm track, about a thousand yards south of the much more accessible temple mound.

Visitors are free to hop a fence, walk through a field, and peer into the narrow passage of Oweynagat. In Ireland’s Iron Age, such behavior would have been enormously risky during Samhain, when even wearing a ghastly disguise might not have spared the wrath of a malevolent creature.

Two millennia later, most costumed trick-or-treaters on Halloween won’t realize they’re mimicking a prehistoric tradition—one with much higher stakes than the pursuit of candy.