Johnny Appleseed was a Swedenborgian.
That's why he planted striplings in the manner he did.
He shared the belief with Swedenborg that everything, every object, (every quality?) we see on earth had an analogue in heaven.
Everybody in American drank hard cider (alcohol).
This was prudent since many mortal illnesses were waterborne.
By 1830, we were a country of alcoholics.
Entire towns spent their workdays drunk. You got drunk at breakfast and you got drunk while you were working. Some Americans still adhere to this solid 19th century work ethic.
Apples trees were demonized.
There were editorial cartoons showing evil apple trees and the roots had words like hard cider and brandy and ciderkin written on them.
The demon apple tree.
Incensed people chopped down the evil apple trees.
Later, apple trees made concessions and promised to do good and become things like applesauce or apple pies.
Thank You, History Channel.
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10 comments:
You're too sweet. I enjoy reading about history that I get to hear second hand because I'm not watching at the television.
I do enjoy your blog a lot and go to it for inspiration when the Goldfish seem terribly aggressive.
Thank you thank you.
I like goldfish in poetry (and pottery).
The Thomas Gray poem. The Barbara Guest poem based on the Matisse. Others come to mind.
The feeling is mutual.
Your blog does the same thing for me.
I love the playfulness and formalistic swerves of your writing....I like how you cross into prose strategies at times, how poems and short stories merge...
Great bookable stuff.
Book him!
I didn't know Johnny Appleseed was real. They told us about him in elementary school, but then I never heard about him again, so I figured he didn't really exist. Huh. Neat.
Have you ever read any Matthea Harvey? I'm reading her book Modern Life and I'm really enjoying it.
Snorkle, I have not.
Laura Moriarty's Selected arrived today and I was thinking you'd probably dig it. Her recontextualizing lines and narrative flirtations would be right up your alley, I think.
The only shame is the books are so thoroughly books, and the excerptings (with one exception) are so scanty, that I'm tempted to just say pick up a book by her instead of the Selected...like Symmetry or Rondeaux especially.
Matt, I think he was real.
He had long legs and a very gay stride in the illustrations.
Next week, the History Channel will no doubt tell us about the philosophical leanings of Babe the Blue Ox.
The History Channel spends 90% of its time talking about Nostradamus so cum grano salis.
But I think Johnny AppleLush was real.
excerpts*
I don't think the clunky excerptings is a woid.
Oh yes, in ye olden days everyone strode gaily.
Must have been that Appleseed "wide stance."
applewide.
I'll check out Moriarty, thanks.
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