This Week in Reading August 26- Sept 1

Not only do we find the creator of Frankenstein's monster born this week but also the creator of Tarzan of the Apes. One of the authors this week is not only a Nobel prizewinner and a potential saint, another was perhaps the most influential Supreme Court Justice ever. (I particularly like his witty poetry, however, especially The Wonderful One-Hoss Shay.) The rest are merely justifiably famous for literature itself, philosophy, psychology, ornithology, and the law.

But the Pulitizer prizewinning author that lifted the spirits of millions of downhearted Americans during the Great Depression and World War II was California's own William Saroyan, also born this week. Look for big doings around the state this time next year, the one hundreth anniversary of the birth of this humane, charming and altogether sentimental writer who understood a lot about people.

This Week's Question: There is a sentimental quote from one of William Saroyan's works next to his picture on the author birthday list this week. On which of his novels, stories, plays did he write this timely advice?

Answer to Last Week's Question: If you followed the link in the question you may have found out that the word used to describe books printed in the infancy of printing is 'incunabula,' from the Latin word 'cunae' which means 'cradle.' We don't have much to look at here but you can see many examples on the Berkeley Incunabula database or better yet, visit the Huntington Library in nearby San Marino and look at some real copies of rare books from this period and later, such as the Gutenberg Bible itself and some of Shakespeare's folios. Have high tea while you're there.