All Hallows Eve: A Villanelle

Dear George,

Here is a poem to celebrate the season.  Villanelles were first popularized by French poets in the nineteenth century.  They are 19-line poems that only use two rhymes (“ite” and “air” in my poem below).  There are five three-line stanzas, followed by a final four-line stanza.  The first and third lines of stanza #1 are repeated, on an alternating basis, as the third line of each of the subsequent three-line stanzas.  Both lines are included at the end of the final four-line stanza.  Villanelles are a tricky business, as you might guess.

Love,

Dave

            All Hallows Eve: A Villanelle 

The wind turns chill and whistles through the night

Tricksters in masks scurry everywhere

Halloween eve, time for thrills and fright

A pirate and a banshee wait for the light

A witch casts her spell, they stop to stare

The wind turns chill and whistles through the night

Vampires hug shadows, ready to bite

A child screams out, “Bloodsuckers!  Beware!”

Halloween eve, time for thrills and fright

A bumblebee clutches his lantern bright

Wails of lone wolves pervade the dark air

The wind turns chill and whistles through the night

A swarm of zombies lurches into sight

Returning to Earth from a spooky nightmare

Halloween eve, time for thrills and fright

Bags full, kids return to their porches bright

Greeted by mothers and fathers there

The wind turns chill and whistles through the night

Halloween eve, time for thrills and fright

Heroes of My Youth

Dear George,

While family and friends have enormous influence on who we become as persons, the larger culture also provides us with a potpourri of heroes and heroines who epitomize the society’s values and provide role models for behavior.  Many of these figures take on an almost tangible presence in one’s life.  For example, I probably knew more in childhood about Dick Tracy or Batman than I did about many neighbors and acquaintances.  To get a better handle on these role models, here are some of the “heroes” that I recall as important to me between the ages of eight and twelve (mid to late 1940’s). 

Captain Marvel

I did a lot of reading as a child, and many of my heroes came from books, either about historical figures, e.g., Daniel Boone, Kit Carson, or fictional creations, e.g., Robinson Crusoe, Paul Bunyan, Huckleberry Finn.  My true passion, though, was comic books.  My Uncle Kent’s Rexall drugstore was a half block from my grade school, and I’d eat lunch there on schooldays and stop in again after school.  Kent allowed me to read all the store’s comic books as long as I took them back to his office and didn’t bend any pages.  There were, of course, many heroes – Superman, Batman and Robin, the Flash, Aquaman, Wonder Woman, Plastic Man, the Green Lantern, etc.  My favorite, though, was Captain Marvel (a.k.a, Billy Batson).  Like Superman, Captain Marvel possessed superman strength, speed, and the ability to fly.  Teenager Batson would transform himself into Captain Marvel by uttering the magic word, Shazam.  “Shazam” stood for the wisdom of Solomon, the strength of Hercules, the stamina of Atlas, the power of Zeus, the courage of Achilles, and the speed of Mercury.  Captain Marvel, of course, battled evil-doers of all sorts.  In 1944 Captain Marvel was the most popular comic book hero in the U.S. beating out Superman and all the others.  More recently Wizard Magazine ranked Captain Marvel the 55th greatest comic book character of all time, but, in my mind, he will always be number one.  

Hopalong Cassidy

In grade school my friends and I went to weekend matinees at the Menominee Theater (the old opera house) and the Lloyd Theater, as well as Thursday afternoon films at the D.A.R. Boys’ Club.  Most of the main features were cowboy westerns, featuring Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, Hopalong Cassidy, the Lone Ranger, the Cisco Kid, and others.  Roy Rogers was the king of the cowboys, but, because he and Gene Autry always included singing in their movies, my friends and I preferred Hopalong Cassidy.  Hoppy had white hair, wore black clothes and a black hat, and rode a magnificent white horse named Topper.  Gabby Hayes played his sidekick, Windy Halliday.  Hoppy had astonishing skills with his six-shooter and lariat, and I don’t think he ever lost a fistfight, even against four or five villains at once.  Like other cowboy heroes, he acted on behalf of honest citizens who were being preyed upon by criminal gangs and rogues. 

The Shadow

TV, of course, didn’t exist in the Twin Cities during my grade school years.  Instead, my siblings and I huddled around the family radio in our living room, especially on Sunday nights.  My favorite shows were comedies – Jack Benny, Fred Allen, the Great Gildersleeve, Fibber McGee and Molly, Duffy’s Tavern, etc. – though these didn’t feature “heroes” as we normally think of them.  However, the detective/mystery radio dramas all featured great heroes of the era, e.g., Sam Spade, Charlie Chan, Boston Blackie, the Shadow, the Saint, the Thin Man, etc.  My favorite was the Shadow, who possessed “the power to cloud men’s minds so they cannot see him.”  The Shadow’s real name was Lamont Cranston, “a wealthy young man about town,” and he and his love interest, socialite Margo Lane, took on villains of all sorts.  Every show began with the statement, “Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men.”  That invariably sent shudders up and down our spines.

President Harry S. Truman

World War II had an enormous impact on children in our community.  I was five when the U.S. entered the war in 1942 and was about to enter third grade when the war ended in August, 1945.  My dad was in the Navy in the Pacific.  We learned about wartime events from family, from radio and the Movietone News, and from our teachers and the Weekly Reader at school.  President Franklin D. Roosevelt, of course, was a central leader of the allies’ efforts in World War II, and consequently the nation was shocked and frightened when Roosevelt died on April 12, 1945.  His vice-presidential successor, Harry Truman, was a relatively obscure senator from Missouri who had run a haberdashery in Kansas City before beginning his political career.  Despite controversy that continues to the present day about Truman’s decision to unleash the atomic bomb, he was credited with bringing the war to an end.  We children, whose fathers would soon be coming home, regarded him as a hero who had risen to the occasion.  Unpopular in his day, Truman was recently ranked fifth among U.S. presidents in a C-Span poll.

Don Hutson

Many of the heroes of my childhood, of course, were college and professional athletes.  Menominee is located 45 miles north of Green Bay, and the adults and kids in our community were avid members of Packerland.  The Packers had won NFL championships in 1936, 1939, and 1944, thanks in good part to their star player, split end Don Hutson.  Historians of the game conclude that Hutson created many of the modern pass routes used in the NFL today.  During Hutson’s eleven seasons with the Packers, he was an eight-time All-Pro selection and was named the NFL’s Most Valuable Player twice.  By the time of his retirement in 1945, Hutson held nearly every major NFL receiving record, including career receptions, yards gained, and touchdowns.  He still holds the Packers’ record for most receptions in a game.  We kids playing touch football at Triangle Park all pretended to be Don Hutson when we ran out for a pass.   

George Mikan

When I entered sixth grade at Washington Grade School, my grandfather insisted that I join the school basketball team.  It scared the wits out of me, but, within a few months, I became totally devoted to learning the game.  My brother Steve and I played endlessly in our driveway.  The nearest professional team was the Minneapolis Lakers, and the local radio station broadcast their games.  Their star was George Mikan, a six-foot ten-inch center who dominated the professional game and who was known as “Mr. Basketball.”  This was long before the era of big men in basketball, very tall players being regarded as lacking athletic ability and unlikely to perform adequately at a professional level.  Mikan was so dominant that he caused several major rule changes in the NBA, most notably the ban on goaltending, the widening of the foul lane from 6 to 12 feet, and the introduction of the shot clock.  Mikan was regarded as a “Gentle Giant,” fierce on the court but friendly and personable in private life.  I’ve watched basketball on and off over the decades, but there’s never been anybody as thrilling to me as the great George Mikan.

Joe Louis

My friend Frank St. Peter was a boxing fanatic, and, with his encouragement, I started listening to the Friday Night Fights on the radio each week.  The late 1940’s were a golden age of boxing, with the likes of Rocky Marciano, Ezzard Charles, Jake LaMotta, Jersey Joe Walcott, and Sugar Ray Robinson.  The greatest of all, however, was the “Brown Bomber”, heavyweight champion Joe Louis.  Born in rural Alabama in 1914, the grandchild of former slaves, Louis was the number one contender in the heavyweight division by 1935, and he won the title against James J. Braddock on June 22, 1937.  He was world heavyweight champion for the next twelve years, scoring 52 knockouts in 70 professional fights.  Ring Magazine rated Louis #1 on its list of the “100 Greatest Punchers of All-Time,” and he is widely regarded at the first African American to gain the status of a nationwide hero in the U.S.   Frank and I were thrilled with Joe Louis’s power and invincibility, and he was near the top of my list of heroes.  

I look at my list with some nostalgia and still have twinges of admiration for the various entries.  I do note that all of my childhood heroes were male, though this was probably typical for a boy.  Girls of my age might have included Wonder Woman, Eleanor Roosevelt, Annie Oakley, Brenda Starr, and others.  The culture’s offerings of heroes and heroines for children probably has more to do with the reinforcement of stereotypic gender roles than with anything else.  When I look over my list the themes cutting across the various figures seem particularly heavy on attributes that our culture has traditionally deemed “masculine”: e.g., dominance, achievement, leadership, competition, strength.  Many of these “heroes” excelled in capacities for physical aggression and violence, though always channeled in socially legitimate directions.  There are few that I would characterize as high in empathy, emotional expressiveness, nurturance, or interpersonal skills.  That could be because I grew up in a historical era marked by rigidly defined gender roles.  I don’t have any sense of who little kids’ heroes and heroines are today.  I’ll have to check with our grandkids.  

Love,

Dave

Seasons on the Menominee

Dear George,
My Poetry Writing Workshop is back in full swing, so I've been re-inspired.  Our first assignment was to write a poem drawing upon the five senses.  I picked my favorite topic and came up with the following result.
Love,
Dave

Seasons on the Menominee

Spring

The ice on the river broke up in mid-spring 

The clattering crystals produced a dull roar

On shore we’d watch what the current might bring 

A bucket, a rope, a boat’s single oar

By May Pig Island turned pale green 

The trillium blossomed at Brewery Park 

Violets and buttercups lit up the scene

Downriver at night we could hear a dog bark

Too cool for swimming, we’d take our green boat

Searching for treasure in a neighbor’s lagoon

Sometimes we’d stop to relax and just float

Listening to the cries of a heron or loon

           

Summer

Swimming began by the first week in June

Steven was always the first to dive in

The shock of the water made young kiddies swoon

We marveled at the goosebumps that dotted our skin 

We swam underwater with eyes open wide           

The view was gritty, distorted, and brown

Sounds were muffled and warped by the tide

We held our breath and worked to stay down

Snapping turtles were life’s greatest fear

They’d swim by at dusk, their noses breathing air

Underwater we feared that these monsters were near

We’d splash away with a shudder and a prayer

Autumn

Pig Island exploded with colors galore 

The birch were golden, the maples deep red 

At twilight we’d spot two deer on the shore

Or find their shed antlers in the forest instead

The weather turned cool, time for swimming now over

The smell of burnt leaves filled the autumn air 

We searched on the lawn for a four-leaf clover

The sunsets on the river were a glitzy affair

We gathered cattails from the river’s shore

Then left them to dry for eight long weeks

We set them on fire with a joyful roar

And raced round the drive with howls and shrieks

Winter

The river in winter was enveloped in white 

And oaks in the forest had shed all their leaves

The sun on the snow was uncomfortably bright

Huge icicles stretched to the earth from the eaves

Tiny chickadees dined at my mother’s feeder

Squirrels gathered lost seeds from the ground

The deer came at midnight to nibble our cedar

The howl of the wind made a ghostly sound

We shoveled the ice for a skating rink 

And built large forts for a snowball fight 

We’d stop by the house for a hot chocolate drink

Then back to the river in the waning light

Epilogue

It’s sixty years since I lived on the river

It’s as fresh in my mind as the day that I left

Poems about rivers always make my heart quiver

That may well explain why I’m feeling bereft

The Curious Case of Smarmy K.: A Moral Story for Our Age

Dear George,

In my school, like schools everywhere, we had an elected student council whose charge was to debate the issues of the day affecting the student body.  Elections were held in first-bell classrooms shortly after Labor Day, and the chosen representatives met every Thursday until school concluded in June. 

In my home room a girl nominated Susan B. to be our student council representative.  Susan was the smartest kid in the group, if not in our entire grade, and she was hard-working and responsible to boot.  A second student nominated Johnny T.  Johnny was an outstanding athlete and one of the most popular kids in our cohort.  Then a kid in the back row raised his hand.  He said he was nominating Smarmy K. (the nickname of a classmate who I will otherwise leave unnamed).  For a moment the nomination was met with silence, but then the room erupted in titters and giggling.  Smarmy was the most unlikely nominee imaginable.  He was looked down upon by virtually everyone.  He was a bully, coarse and vulgar, self-centered, ridiculed girls, slandered blacks and Jews, was hostile toward teachers, and was generally regarded as stupid, if not moronic.  He smoked, he drank, and he spent much of his time scratching his crotch and rolling his eyes.  Nobody expected Smarmy to remain in school much longer, much less be nominated for student council.

     

The election was held the following day.  Of the 24 votes cast in our room, Susan got 8, Johnny T. got 7, and Smarmy got 9.  The teacher decided that no one had gotten a majority, so she called for a runoff between Susan and Smarmy.  I think she was privately certain that Susan would win.  However, Susan only got 11 votes.  Smarmy got 13.  He became our new representative. 

It had been a secret ballot, and nobody talked much about their choices afterwards.  However, it seemed clear that there were a bunch of angry student voters — angry at the school and the teachers, envious of more successful classmates, and even rejecting of the premise of a student government.  It wasn’t that anybody admired Smarmy or thought he would do an adequate job.  However, voting for Smarmy, and thus electing the worst possible person, was a slap in the face at the powers that be.  I’d like to say that this story had a happy ending, e.g., by Smarmy being transformed into a much improved person by virtue of his new role.  However, to my knowledge, he never went to a single meeting of student council, and he remained as much of an outcast as he’d ever been.  He dropped out of school the following year.  

We were taught in civics class, of course, that democracy is the highest form of government, and our student elections were pitched as a real-life laboratory in democracy.  I did acquire an appreciation for democracy in school, but also some appreciation of its risks and occasional failings.  A successful democracy rests upon an intelligent, informed, and responsible electorate.  An angry and irresponsible electorate, on the other hand, can reap destruction.  Let’s hope that voters won’t re-elect Smarmy K. or his ilk the next time around.

Love,

Dave

A Clifton (Cincinnati) Trivia Quiz

Dear George,

We’ve lived in Cincinnati’s Clifton neighborhood for well over half of our lives, but it turns out there are many important facts about our community that we’ve never known.  Clifton has a long, rich history, and it’s one of the city’s most distinctive neighborhoods.  Here is a Clifton trivia quiz that draws from the various sources listed at the end.  Even if you’re a lifelong Clifton resident, this is a challenging quiz.  My personal opinion is that you’re doing well if you get 16 or more of the 32 items, and, if you get 24 or better, you’re ready to be a contestant on a Clifton edition of Jeopardy.  I hope you’ll write down your answers and see how you do.  (Correct answers are given at the end of the quiz.)

Love,

Dave

THE QUIZ

1.  Clifton was incorporated as a village in:

(a) 1850; (b) 1870; (c) 1890; (d) 1910

2.  Clifton was named after: 

(a) a wealthy landowner

(b) the first European to reach southwest Ohio in 1642

(c) the highest mountain in the Tri-State region

(d) a large farm

3.  What percent of adults in Clifton ride bicycles to work?

(a) 0.2%; (b) 2%; (c) 12%; (d) 22% 

4.  The longest street in Clifton is:

(a) Clifton Ave.; (b) Lafayette Ave.; (c) Ludlow Ave.; (d) Vine St. 

5.  What percent of housing units in Clifton are occupied by renters (vs. owners)? 

(a) 35%; (b) 51%; (c) 67%; (d) 79%

6.  Henry Probasco, who donated the Tyler Davidson fountain to the city and whose mansion (Oakwood) is on West Cliff Lane in Clifton, made his fortune in:

(a) the slaughterhouse business

(b) the liquor business

(c) the railroad business

(d) the hardware business

7.  13% of adult Cincinnatians have master’s degrees or beyond.  In Clifton the comparable figure is:

(a) 21%; (b) 31%; (c) 41%; (d) 51%

8.  Dixmyth Avenue is named for:

(a) The wealthy family whose mansion anchors one end of the street

(b) Journalist and Gazette editor Richard “Dick” Smith

(c) The famous horse that won the 1898 Kentucky Derby

(d) The Myth of Dorothea Dix

9.  Skyline Chili at Ludlow and Clifton Avenues, the most popular restaurant in the company’s chain, was opened by brothers John and Pete Georgeton in:

(a) 1946; (b) 1956; (c) 1966; (d) 1976

10.  Compared to the city of Cincinnati as a whole, Clifton has a greater % of households with annual incomes:

(a) Under $25,000; (b) Over $150,000; (c) Both of these; (d) Neither of these

11.  What is the most frequent household income category among Clifton residents?

(a) Under $10,000; (b) $20-24,999; (c) $40-44,999; (d) $60-64,999; (e) $80-84,999

12.  Early 1900’s political boss George B. Cox’s mansion is now:

(a) The Clifton public library branch

(b) The Clifton post office branch

(c) The Sigma Kappa Pi fraternity house

(d) Clifton Commons (the neighborhood charter school)

13.  Originally an automobile repair shop, the Ludlow Garage was a rock and roll venue which offered national acts  between: 

(a) 1956 and 1968; (b) 1969 and 1971; (c) 1972 and 1977; (d) 1978 and 1986

14.  The overall crime rate in Clifton is ______ than the national average.

(a) 17% higher; (b) 9% higher; (c) about the same as; (d) 9% lower; (e) 17% lower

15.  How many houses of worship are located in Clifton?

(a) 7; (b) 10; (c) 14; (d) 19

16.  According to local legend, which Clifton landmark is haunted by ghosts?

(a) Arlin’s Bar; (b) Ludlow Garage; (c) Roanoke apartment house; (d) Graeter’s ice cream parlor

17.  According to neighborhoodscout.com, Clifton’s Ludlow Avenue has more same-sex couples living together than ___ percent of U.S. neighborhoods.

(a) 62%; (b) 74%; (c) 86%; (d) 98% 

18.  Rawson Woods at Middleton and Warren was donated to the city in 1923 by the Joseph Rawson family to establish a:

(a) wildflower preserve

(b) bird preserve

(c) southern pine and magnolia grove

(d) wildlife sanctuary

19.  Which age category is most frequent among Clifton residents?

20-29; (b) 40-49; (c) 60-69; (d) 80-89

20.  The Esquire Theatre originally opened in Clifton in:

(a) 1911; (b) 1928; (c) 1940; (d) 1963

21.  Clifton has a greater concentration of historic residences than ___ percent of all U.S. neighborhoods.

(a) 69%; (b) 79%; (c) 89%; (d) 99%

22.  The child poverty rate in Clifton is:

(a) 3%; (b) 11%; (c) 23%; (d) 53%

23.  In the 1980s Clifton residents successfully opposed the opening of a  _____ in the Ludlow Avenue shopping district. 

(a) Family Dollar store; (b) Wendy’s restaurant; (c) discount liquor store; (d) Victoria’s Secret

24.  Among Clifton residents, male median earnings are __ percent higher than female median earnings.

6% higher; (b) 18% higher; (c) 25% higher; (d) 41% higher

25.  Clifton residents most frequently identify their ancestry as:

(a) English; (b) German; (c) Irish; (d) Italian

26.  The website AshleyMadison,com, which caters to married people seeking affairs, has 64,500 users in Cincinnati.  Among Cincinnati’s 52 neighborhoods, Clifton ranks number ___ in AshleyMadison use. 

3; (b) 17; (c) 31; (d) 51

27.  What percent of Clifton residents are non-white?

10%; (b) 20%; (c) 30%; (d) 40%

28.  Which of these educational institutions is located within Clifton’s official boundaries? 

(a) Cincinnati State Technical and Community College

(b) Hebrew Union College

(c) University of Cincinnati

(d) All of these

(e) None of these

29.  How many homes in Clifton are worth a million dollars or more?

14; (b) 34; (c) 54; (d) 74

30.  The inscription on the Probasco Fountain in front of the former Clifton School reads:

(a) In teaching others we teach ourselves

(b) Thirsty and ye gave me drink

(c) Teachers open the door but you must walk through it yourself

(d) Where there is love there is life

31.  What % of Clifton children (K-12) are enrolled in private (vs. public) schools?

(a) 26%; (b) 36%; (c) 46%; (d) 56%

32.  Sitwell’s coffee shop is named for:

(a) British poet Edith Sitwell 

(b) a village in Ireland

(c) Sitwell Street in Clifton

(d) a Union Civil War general

ANSWER KEY (numbers in parentheses refer to sources listed at the end)

1.a.  Clifton was incorporated in 1850. (16) 

2.d. Clifton was named after a large farm (Clifton Farm). (16) 

3.a. 10 adults (0.2%) ride bikes to work. (8) 

4.b.  Lafayette Ave. (1.59 mi.) is longest, followed by Clifton (1.39), Ludlow (1.36), and Vine (0.98). (7) 

5.c.  67% of housing units are occupied by renters. (8)

6.d. H. Probasco made his fortune in the hardware business. (2) 

7.b.  31% of Cliftonites have master’s degrees or beyond. (7) 

8.b.  Dixmyth Ave. is named after journalist Richard “Dick” Smith. (2) 

9.c. Skyline Chili on Ludlow opened in 1966. (5)

10.c. Both — Clifton has more “under $25K” and “over $150K”. (8)

11.a.  “Under $10K” is Clifton’s most frequent household income category (17%). (8) 

12.a.  The Cox mansion is now the Clifton Public Library branch. (2)

13.b. The Ludlow Garage was a R&R venue from 1969 to 1971. (6) 

14.a. Clifton’s crime rate is 17% above the national average. (3) 

15.c. There are 14 houses of worship in Clifton. (9) 

16.a. Arlin’s Bar is said to be haunted. (12)

17d. Ludlow Ave. has more same-sex couples than 98% of U.S. neighborhoods. (13) 

18.b. Rawson Woods was established as a bird preserve. (10)

19.a. 20-29 is the most frequent age category (27% of residents). (8) 

20.a. The Esquire opened in 1911. (11) 

21.d. Clifton has more historic residences than 99% of U.S. neighborhoods. (13) 

22.d.  The child poverty rate in Clifton is 53%. (13) 

23.b. Cliftonites blocked the opening of a Wendy’s. (11) 

24.d. Clifton males make 41% more earnings than Clifton females. (4)

25.b. German (20%) is the most common ancestry. (13) 

26.a. Clifton is No.3 in AshleyMadison use. (15)

27.c. 30% of Clifton residents are non-white. (14)

28.a. Only Cincinnati State is located in Clifton (16)

29.b. 34 Clifton houses are worth a million dollars or more. (8)

30.b. The Probasco Fountain reads, “Thirsty and ye gave me  drink.” (2) 

31.d. 56% of Clifton children go to private schools (7)

32.a. Sitwell’s is named for British poet Edith Sitwell. (6)

SOURCES:

(1) “Along Lafayette Avenue: Clifton Historic Homes,” by Sue Richmond and Anita S. Marks; 

(2) Cincinnati Historical Society, “Clifton”, pp. 371-391 in “The WPA Guide to Cincinnati,” 1943/1987;  

(3) www.areavibes.com, “Clifton, Cincinnati, OH Crime”; 

(4) www.areavibes.com, “Clifton, Cincinnati, OH Livability”; 

(5) www.books.google.com, “The Authentic History of Cincinnati Chili,” by Dann Woellert, p. 132; 

(6) www.books.google.com, “Clifton Gaslight District: Tree-Lined and Diverse” in “Walking 

(7) www.city-data.com, “Clifton neighborhood in Cincinnati, Ohio”; 

(8) www.cincinnati-oh.gov/planning, “Clifton: Statistical Neighborhood Approximation”; 

(9) www.cliftoncommunity.org, “About Clifton”; 

(10) www.diggingcincinnati.com, “Rawson House”; 

(11) www.esquiretheatre.com, “History and recognition”; 

(12) www.libapps.libraries.uc.edu, “Local Lore: Haunted Buildings of Clifton”; 

(13) www.neighborhoodscout.com, “Cincinnati, OH (Ludlow Ave)”; 

(14) www.places.findthehome.com, “Clifton – Cincinnati, OH”; 

(15) www.wcpo.com, “AshleyMadison.com: Study: Oakley tops Cincinnati neighborhoods for infidelity”; 

(16) www.wikipedia.org, “Clifton, Cincinnati”