Books, RattleBag and Rhubarb

A Break and Some Rebellious Vulgarity in Very Bad Taste

“When he was nearly thirteen, my brother Jem got his arm badly broken at the elbow.”  You may not remember this, but the whole story of To Kill a Mockingbird is Scout Finch’s account of how and why Jem broke his arm. At best I type with two fingers. I’m now down to one. With the help of a malevolent…

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Books, Education, Politics, RattleBag and Rhubarb

To Kill a Mockingbird on Trial

I haven’t read Go Set a Watchman and I’m not sure I will. I did read the first chapter in The Guardian and was not particularly impressed. If Harper Lee did not want it published then she didn’t want it read. But read it or not, it’s hard to miss all the controversy over the publication and the revelation of…

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Education, RattleBag and Rhubarb

Snow! “Now don’t eat it, Scout, you’re wasting it”

With the chance of a snow day looming and with the news of snow across much of Alabama my mind went to Jem and Scout and children’s priorities: Next morning I awoke, looked out the window and nearly died of fright. My screams brought Atticus from his bathroom half-shaven. “The world’s endin’, Atticus! Please do something-!” I dragged him to…

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