People here in Easthampton swear we live in Whoville.
You all remember Whoville, don’t you? That charming little town at the base of Mount Crumpit where the Whos join hands and sing so loudly to welcome Christmas that they annoy the sole inhabitant of Mount Crumpit to the point where he commits mass burglary? Then repents and joins in the fun while a beaming two year old claps her hands together in joy, glee, and similar related emotions?
Oh, come on — of course you remember Whoville and its holiday fun! Why, that nice Dr. Seuss wrote a whole book about it! Then that funny fellow Chuck Jones did a sparkling little cartoon that brought everything to the small screen!* Whoville is a legend, a true wonderland, and we here in Easthampton are absolutely thrilled beyond measure that Dr. Seuss was inspired by our little town and its mountain to create a true modern classic!
Is it any wonder that Easthampton holds an annual holiday fest called “the Whobalation” by Nashawannuck Pond? That you can purchase shopping bags at the local grocery that list Whoville as one of the town nicknames? That even travel sites are proudly proclaiming that Easthampton is Whoville, and local politicians, residents, and shopkeepers are playing up the connection?
That there is not one single solitary molecule of evidence that any of this is true, or that Dr. Seuss ever even set foot on Mount Tom aside from a single picnic as a teenager, is not relevant. Nor is the strong probability that Dr. Seuss, who spent much of his life in California, was actually inspired by the view from a mountain overlooking La Jolla. No, Easthampton is now Whoville, and that is that.
At least, that’s what my fellow townsfolk say, and who am I to play spoilsport? It’s a cute little myth that does no harm, so it’s not like plastering the downtown with signs saying “WE ARE NOT WHOVILLE, STOP DRESSING LIKE THE GRINCH” would accomplish anything besides getting a great many merchants righteously annoyed at me.
Besides, there’s a long tradition of Easthampton, or at least Mount Tom, being a tourist attraction. The long-gone Summit House (see above) was a popular entertainment venue in the days when middle class families had stereopticon slides in their parlors, and there was an amusement park on the Holyoke side as late as the Eisenhower administration. Even now, a great deal of the mountain is take up by Mount Tom State Reservation and its contiguous neighbor, Skinner State Park, which preserve the woodlands, allow rare plans and animals to flourish, and contain some of the best hiking trails and panoramic views in the entire Pioneer Valley. Adding the claim that Mount Tom is actually Mount Crumpit and Easthampton is Whoville fits right into this tradition.
We haven’t had a summer Whobalation — yet, it’s probably only a matter of time — but right now life is pretty sweet in Whoville by the Manhan. The temperatures are comfortable, the paddleboats meander lazily across the pond, and local restaurants have begun offering outdoor dining. We’re even welcoming back Cultural Chaos, our local summer arts festival, after a two-year hiatus because of the Big C, and what is more characteristic of summer in Massachusetts than that?
This summer also promises to be a productive one for me. I have a book review due mid-June, but after that my time is mine to do as I please. Knitting...singing...maybe going to Tanglewood if I can score tickets...maybe a trip to New York...it promises to be a nice respite from a harried and painful time.
And finally, after all these weeks and months, I will be back on a regular schedule for these diaries.
*We shall not speak of the live action film. Ever.
So, here is the proposed schedule for the rest of the summer. I might do a rewind on August 6th since it’s only a couple of days after my birthday, but this is the plan, which is mine, which I have, and which I will do everything in my power to keep:
June 11 — Formerly Fashionable Food (Book Review Weekend Rewind)
June 25 — The Antisemitic Academic
June 29 — BONUS DIARY for Book Chat (suggestions welcome!)
July 9 — The Great Shaver Mystery
July 23 — The Adventures of Trader Horn
August 6 — The Holocaust Denial of James P. Hogan
August 20 — The Phantom of Time
September 3 — The Worst of the Hugos
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Are you ready for summer? Did the spring wear you out? Are you ready to lie in a heap like a lazy cat baking in the sun? Are you planning a vacation? Prepping your garden? Do you have any ideas for my Book Chat diary? Do you cosplay as the Grinch? It’s a cool and cloudy Saturday night here at the Last Homely Shack East of the Manhan, so step up to the firepit and share….
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