Dictionary of Superstitions (**SOLD**)

Dictionary of Superstitions, edited by Iona Opie (oversize HC, 1989, $5)

Writes Opie, "The vast subject of 'superstitions', taken by us to include divinations, spells, cures, charms, signs and omens, rituals, and taboos, has never before been systematically organized." ( Superstitions included here are mostly  of Great Britain and Eire.

From the introduction I learned superstitions initially were divided into categories depending on their ability to harm. All beliefs  in powers not coming from God, Christ, or the Christian Church were not  tolerated, though some were more tolerated than others. Deliberate acts of magic were the worst, followed by "vulgar error" practices, and ending with mere superstitions. After the mid-1800s all were lumped together under the category of superstitions. By that time rationalism was strong, and fewer people believed in magic. Today most superstitions have been forgotten, and the ones we do know we never take seriously, or at least usually we don't.

Gathering this collection was surely some task. I loved finding not only listings of superstitions, but also learning where they first were mentioned.. Look for this book on the new non-fiction table.  (L-NAge)

Striptease! **SOLD**

Striptease: The Untold History of the Girlie Show, by Rachel Shteir (HC, 2004, $5.50)

I've only read the introduction, but already I am learning stuff.

Shteir defines striptease as "a distinctly American diversion that flourished from the Jazz Age to the era of the Sexual Revolution." For the first thirty years it was "classic" striptease,  both an expression of women's new sexual  freedom, and an expression of men's oppression. As Shteir points out, "At a time when women were entering the work force and making strides in public social life, it is not accident that striptease emerged as a form of entertainment mostly directed at men."

Striptease was not "quite" pornography, and not "quite" prostitution. Mostly it was "theater", and about what Gypsy Rose Lee called "illusion".  Stripping usually led to poverty, not fame., especially for those dancing in low-end  burlesque theaters.  How far the stripping went, depended, according to Shteir,  on the city,  the theater, or even upon the performance. And usually the stripper showed a sense of fun along with her flesh.

During the war, stripping, and pin-up girls, were seen as patriotic! In the 50s stripping became just "stripping".   There certainly wasn't much teasing  going on, whether it was on stage or in the photos of the new magazine, Playboy. By the time  the end of the 60s rolled around, women wore mini-skirts in public, nudity sometimes showed up in traditional theater,  and striptease was dead.  Or almost. Shteir describes what is now left as"topless and bottomless lap dancing and pole dancing. They are part of the pornography industry: big business, not show business."  On either coast, however, some posh nightclubs  have started shows of "retro" striptease. (!)

All this information just fascinates this preacher's kid. I was pleased to find that the book does include information on Sally Rand and her Fan Dance. Now how, you may be asking, would a preacher's kid know about Sally Rand? Well, I just happen to collect Viewmaster and other 3D stuff, and views of Sally Rand are some of the most expensive out there! I of course, do not have any Sally Rand views. Mine are more in the vein of Bush Gardens, the Lone Ranger, and the coronation of Queen Elizabeth. Well... I do have the Ponderosa TV show reels.... but, hey, if it took Viewmaster years to figure out what the cast was up to, then how was I to know?

But back to my job of selling this book... You can find it on the new non-fiction table.  I don't think it will be around long, but if it is, look for it in the sexuality section.

Encyclopedia of Southern Culture

Encyclopedia of Southern Culture, by Charles Reagan Wilson (oversize HC, 1634 pages, 1989, $6)

Sometimes  while I am sorting  donations I come across an old friend. This is such a time. I forget exactly how much this book set me back in 1989, but it was a lot. I spent a lot of fun hours looking through its pages and learning neat stuff. Finally, I decided to pass it on, and found a library willing to add it to their collection.

This copy is not ex-lib. Come and check it out! You will find it on the new non-fiction table.  (L-HOK)

Yugoslavia's intractable conflicts

Kosovo: A short history, by Noel Malcolm (TPB, 1999, $3)

The Old Bridge: The Third Balkan War and the Age of the Refugee, by Christopher Merrill (small TPB,1995,$2)

Such a sad area.

Look for these on the new non-fiction table  (L- Yug)

History of the Marine Corps

USMC: The Complete History, by Colonel Hon T. Hoffman ( oversize HC, with padded cover and attached cloth medallion, 2002, 656 pages, $25)

This is one heck of a beautiful book.

This could be given as a gift, or kept for yourself. The pages are thick, the print large and bold, and the photos and drawings many.

 "The first American Marines made an immediate impact, sailing with the first Continental Navy squadron in early 1776 and leading the first amphibious landing at New Providence in the Bahamas. The auspicious beginning in the Caribbean heralded what would become the primary mission of the Corps- landings on hostile shores. It was not a natural outcome, since the Royal Marines never focused on this task to any great degree." (Well, don't we Americans always do things a little differently?)

Look for this book on top of the glass case in the front.

Sadly, Groucho Marx never got to become a doctor.**SOLD**

The Essential Groucho: Writings by, for, and about Groucho Marx, edited by Stefan Kanfer (TPB,  2000, $1.50)

Julius Henry (Groucho) Marx was the third of six sons. He looked funny, and was not his mother's favorite. His older brothers hung around together. His younger brothers hung around together. That left him angerly alone with his books.  He was smart, and wanted to become a doctor. His mother wanted the family to become famous in vaudeville.  Guess whose wishes were listened to.

Groucho still wanted to be a doctor, but there was no chance of that now. If he couldn't be a doctor, then he would be a full time writer... except he hated to sit at a typewriter for long. So instead of writing, he hung around comedy writers. Some of them became his collaborators. He could always sell his writing, even if he needed other people to edit and polish it first.

Gloria Stuart, someone who knew him well, commented, "He taught us how to be irreverent." Says Kanfer, "Onstage and in the cinema Groucho impudently kidded the medical, legal, and military professions, politics, the Academy, high society, and virtually every other bastion of power. These have never been the same again. "

But he never got to be a doctor.

Look for this book on the new non-fiction table.  (L-bio)

Lotus Sutra

The Lotus Sutra, translated by Burton Watson (TPB, 1993, $4)

"Since its appearance in China in the 3d century, The Lotus Sutra has been regarded as one of the most illustrious scriptures in the Mahayana Buddhist canon. The object of intense veneration among generations of Buddhists in China, Korea, Japan, and other parts of the world..."

Look for this on the new non-fiction table.  (L-rel.)