Saturday, December 5, 2009

Giving you the Dickens...


In my last post featuring a photo of an original copy of A Christmas Carol, I noted in a response to Rebecca that Charles Dickens loved to read this story aloud and had edited the text especially for public readings. I can't believe I missed this short feature yesterday on NPR's "Morning Edition" which addresses this very subject, but thank goodness, the ever attendant Colonel did not. He was telling me all about it this morning over his coffee & my tea! Additionally, he reported that he had read in the Wednesday, December 2nd New York Times of a hand written manuscript of this Dicken's classic which is on display at the Morgan Library & amp; Museum in Manhattan . This historical manuscript has profuse editorial notes revealing the author's writing process concerning such details as converting "a spot of mustard" to a "blot of mustard" -- all are particularly fascinating when one considers he wrote the book in less than six weeks. He was trying to raise some extra funds.
As my students would say, "I feel you, Mr. Dickens!"
Now here is the fun part , dear bloggy readers: The NYT invites us to examine this manuscript online, and submit what we think is the most interesting edit in the work. Declan Keily, curator of literary and historical manuscripts, will read the submissions. He will select the most worthy response, and that reader will be invited to afternoon tea at the Morgan. When you get a chance, take a look, and let me know what you think! Also, can you guess who has finally taught herself how to create text links today for her 50th post? As we say in the South, "Lawdy......who'd 've thaaawt it!"

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yes A Christmas Carol is THE classic Christmas story. And I love the original the very best.
QMM

Lizzie said...

Oh how cool! I am SO going to check this out. I am always intrigued by this Christmas story and the different interpretations each year of it. Thanks so much for sharing this. I LOVED this post. :)

Rebecca said...

Oh, how wonderful is this? Tea with Charles Dickens!..Well, sort of ...LOL!!

I'm off to check this out before our Christmas Tea this afternoon..Lovely!

Thank you, and congratulations again for winning the Tea drawing.

Have a lovely Sunday...

Unknown said...

I had to smile at your new found ability to link texts; there's still lots about posting blogs that I have to learn as well!

Congrats for winning the tea drawing Firelight, I know it made you so happy.

Unknown said...

Hello FireLight,

Super new header. How did Gracie get into the picture?! I shall have a look at your links; well done!

Anonymous said...

I will have to check this out! We just went to Dickens of a Christmas yesterday in our town. They performed A Christmas Carol live outdoors. It was fun...but cold : )

FireLight said...

Derrick, that Gracie, she gets into everything!
Once when I was looking for an artist to do a portrait of my male Berner, Fritz, I came across artist Robert Duncan. He lives and works in Park City, Utah. He said he did not do portraits, but as someone who had owned and loved his Bernese Mountain Dog, he knew why I wanted one. At the very time I discovered him, my older son was working in the same town at the airport (as an ATC for the Department of Defense) for the Winter Olympics 2002. When he came home, he told me about some paintings he had seen in different buisnesses there. He brought me a local magazine that featured some of his work. Many of these paintings are available as cards at the website Robert Duncan Studios. Click on the image in my sidebar to visit.

Michael said...

With blogger it's so easy to create links and definitely adds to the blog experience. It's why I like it so much better than just journal, let alone the interaction with others.

Oh how fun it would be to go to tea at the Morgan. This was most interesting.

Tess Kincaid said...

I ADORE "A Christmas Carol". How fun is this?!! I'm off to visit the New York Times to browse the manuscript. Is George C. Scott your favorite Scrooge? I happen to like Alistair Sim's portrayal best.

FireLight said...

You know, Willow, on any given day...it may be Scott...then it may be Albert Finney in the musical SCROOGE...I do like the old Alistair Sim...grew up on that one on TV...We saw the new film today--the one with Jim Carey...pretty amazing...and in 3D! I love the photo of the school girls in NYT article. I knew you would like this!

Betsy Brock said...

Ah...one of my very favorites! It would be so wonderful to own a first edition. Can't let the season go by without watching the movie, either! Thanks so much for the link...I'm going to go take a look!

The Silver Fox said...

The incredible "Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol" introduced me to Dickens, for which I shall be forever grateful. So Magoo is my favorite Scrooge for primarily nostalgic reasons!

I have an idea for a humorous take-off of "A Christmas Carol" -- much as I once "updated" a classic Poe tale -- but haven't yet found the right approach to it.

In addition to having a photo of Dickens in my sidebar, I also had two relatively brief posts mentioning him. This one should be of interest to anyone reading today's post, and the second concerns a rather involved story idea I had several months ago, but have characteristically shelved for the nonce.

So glad I found this blog! And... the Colonel has his morning coffee while you have your morning tea? I like this guy already!

FireLight said...

I almost answered Willow's query with Donald Duck...in the Disney production! Mr. McGoo! I have not seen that in years!
The greateast thing about this 50th post was
overheard at the cottage Sunday morning:
The usually passive if not blog disinterested Colonel, "I am eager to see if WE had any comments on my two articles!"
And Silver Fox, I am so glad you stopped by!

Skip Simpson said...

Great post! I'm glad you "mastered the art" of the linkies within your post. "A Christmas Carol," has always been a personal favorite of mine... no matter WHO plays Scrooge.
Your site is beautiful, and there's so many dicoveries to make on it! I'm glad to have "met" you through this, and you can tell "The Colonel," his "two articles" are a hit!
Peace, my "Alabama Sister."

Jen said...

Hooray for learning how to post links! I know I was super excited when I finally learned. It revolutionized my posting :)

I LOVE the George C. Scott version of A Christmas Carol. It always feels more like Christmas after I see that one.

I'll definitely wander over to view the manuscript. What a wonderful opportunity to view it!!

Happy Monday,
Jen

Tom Atkins said...

I am a HUGE Dickens fan, so I can't wait to check this out!

My Farmhouse Kitchen said...

I loved this too....posting links..huh? oh, I do have alot to learn here....

I met my first Bernese Mountain Dog at a Christmas Party on Sunday.His name is Teddy and what a love bug...I can't stop thinking about that dog....I am IN LOVE....

I'll check back later.
Kary
xxx

FireLight said...

Kary, send me an email, and I will reveal the secret! Teddy, I love it! I understand completely; Berners are total "love bugs" and make great therapy dogs...if you can calm them down. Gracie has only just recently slowed down this year at age 8. She will be 9 in April. If you want to read more about the breed, click on the top photo of her in the sidebar.

My Farmhouse Kitchen said...

Firelight..thanks for the kind words regarding Buddy...He is on 2 new medications today..trying something different...the other just wasn't working..and we really haven't sleep since Friday with his coughing...Poor Sweet Buddy... but as I write this the coughing has FINALLY stopped and he just settled down. Praise The Lord......

I don't seem to be able to find your email...am I just not seeing it....

I am originally from Los Gatos..we're neighbors...have family in the bay area too..

more later,
fondly,
kary and buddy
xxx

My Farmhouse Kitchen said...

Firelight..well, i got to your email, but i don't have outlook mail set up....

i am really computer challenged....

could you email me and i could reply to you....would that work?

i'll check back later...

fondly,
kary and buddy

karen said...

Love your header artwork! I'll also be checking out the link. Thanks.

About Me

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Recreational scholar, former high school and junior college English teacher. Animal lover (especially horses, dogs, and people), lives in the South, sometimes poet and essayist... "Ireland, Scotland, Britain, and Wales...I can hear those ancient voices calling..." Van Morrison from Celtic Heartbeat