The eNotes Blog Seven Reads To Lift Your HolidaySpirit

Seven Reads To Lift Your HolidaySpirit The hustle and bustle of the holiday season are in full swing. While some of us may be roasting chestnuts on an open fire, others are feeling overwhelmed by the chaos. Winter is the perfect reading season, so why not avoid the mall mayhem and indulge in some light reading? Here are seven holiday reads sure to leave you feeling festive! A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens When has A Christmas Carol not made a holiday reading list? Arguably, its the most classic Christmas tale that has remained a seasonal staple for generations. Dickens crafted a timeless ghost story that reminds us of the often overlooked joys of the holiday season. One of the most iconic characters in literature, Ebenezer Scrooge symbolizes the redemptive qualities of human nature, reminding us all that it is never too late to make positive changes for a brighter future. As the year comes to an end, this is the perfect novel to encourage reflection on this past year and establish resolutions for the upcoming one. A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote A classic story based on Truman Capote’s childhood, A Christmas Memory is a nostalgic account of the author’s last Christmas spent with his older cousin. This novel is full of classic feel-good activity, like baking fruitcakes and flying kits, and inspires readers to hold on to some tethers of tradition. A heartfelt, coming-of-age story, Capotes short story reminds us to reminaboutce on the people and practices that make our holidays truly special. Journey of the Magi by T.S Eliot The Journey of the Magi is a poem from the first-person recollection of a Magus, one of the Persian Magi, who came to visit the Christ child as recorded in the second chapter of Matthew. Beyond the biblical nature of the poem, Eliot explores universal  themes of uncertainty and fear that can accompany times of transition. The next time you pass a Nativity scene this holiday season, whether youre Christian or otherwise, take note of the three wise men bearing gifts and muse on these universal human feelings highlighted in Eliots poem. Skipping Christmas by John Grisham Fed up with the materialistic conventions of Christmas, a married couple decides to save money and abandon their yearly traditions. Their community is not amused by the couple’s efforts to boycott the holiday and purposely try to make the couple regret their decision. While Christmas may be intended to be a unifying occasion, its original purpose is often clouded by the commercialization of society. Grisham’s humorous novel is a reminder of what really matters during the holidays. Hint: its not buying stuff. Kwanzaa and Me by Vivian Gussin Paley KWANZAA AND ME is a series of dialogues based on meetings with the author and teachers, as well as parents, exploring the idea of African-American children being placed in all-black schools to provide more cultural support. Paley’s work encourages readers to have conversations about institutional racism, the education system, and the importance of celebrating heritage. Kwanzaa is a time to honor the virtues that strengthen community, therefore this is a fantastic read to not only shine a light on current issues present in our country but to also gain some perspective this holiday season. Amazing Peace by Maya Angelou During the White House’s Sixty-Third Annual Pageant of Peace in December 2005, Angelou read â€Å"Amazing Peace† before President George W. Bush lit the national Christmas tree. Influenced by the rhetoric, rhythm, and imagery of Southern black preachers and gospel choirs, Angelou acknowledges that humanity has still not found peace, despite the countless progressive efforts made throughout history. Regardless of what you choose to celebrate this holiday season, Angelou’s poem is a reminder that we should all practice peace.   A New Year’s Eve Adventure by Ernst Theodor Wilhelm Hoffman A New Year’s Eve Adventure is a story-within-a-story, merging reality with fantasy. Essentially, it’s about a man who falls in love with a beautiful woman, sells his soul to the devil, and is doomed to wander eternally in search of his lost self. While this may be far from your ideal New Year’s Eve adventure, this story is an entertaining, romantic fantasy sure to inspire a good look into the mirror. Do you want to learn more about these authors and their other literary works? Check out to find detailed biographies of your favorite authors alongside full summaries and study guides! (Feature Photo via Pinterest)

Biography of Meriwether Lewis, American Explorer

Biography of Meriwether Lewis, American Explorer Meriwether Lewis, born August 18, 1774 in Virginia, is best known as the co-captain of the historic Lewis and Clark Expedition. But in addition to his role as a famed explorer, he was a young plantation owner, a committed military man, a controversial politician, and a confidant of President Jefferson. Lewis died in 1809 of gun shot wounds while en route to Washington, D.C., a trip he undertook with the intentions of clearing his muddled name. Fast Facts: Meriwether Lewis Occupation: Explorer, Governor of Louisiana TerritoryBorn: August 18, 1774,  Albemarle County, VADied: October 11, 1809, near Nashville, TNLegacy: The Lewis and Clark Expedition traversed the country through nearly 8,000 miles, helping consolidate Americas claims to the West. The explorers produced over 140 maps, collected over 200 samples of new plant and animal species, and established peaceful relations with 70 Native American tribes along the way.Famous Quote: As we passed on, it seemed as if those scenes of visionary enchantment would never have an end. Adolescent Planter Meriwether Lewis was born at Locust Hill plantation in Albemarle County, Virginia, on August 18, 1774. He was the eldest of five children born to Lt. William Lewis and Lucy Meriwether Lewis. William Lewis died of pneumonia in 1779 when Meriwether was just five years old. Within six months, Lucy Lewis married Captain John Marks and the new family left Virginia for Georgia. Life on what was then the frontier appealed to young Meriwether, who learned how to hunt and forage on long treks through the wilderness. When he was about 13 years old, he was sent back to Virginia for schooling and to learn the rudiments of running Locust Hill. By 1791, his stepfather had died and Lewis moved his twice-widowed mother and siblings home to Albemarle, where he worked to build a financially stable home for his family and over two dozen slaves. As he grew to maturity, cousin Peachy Gilmer described the young plantation owner as â€Å"formal and almost without flexibility,† determined to the point of obstinacy and filled with â€Å"self-possession and undaunted courage.† Captain Lewis Lewis seemed destined for the life of an obscure Virginia planter when he found a new path. A year after joining the local militia in 1793, he was among the 13,000 militiamen called up by President George Washington to put down the Whiskey Rebellion, an uprising of farmers and distillers in Pennsylvania protesting high taxes. Military life appealed to him, and in 1795 he joined the nascent U.S. Army as an ensign. Soon thereafter, he befriended another Virginia-born officer named William Clark.   In 1801, Captain Lewis was appointed as an aide to incoming President Thomas Jefferson. A fellow Albemarle County planter, Jefferson had known Lewis all his life and admired the younger man’s skills and intellect. Lewis served in this post for the next three years. Jefferson had long dreamt of seeing a major expedition across the American continent, and with the signing of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, he was able to win funding and support for an expedition to explore and map the new territory to find â€Å"the most direct and practicable water communication across this continent, for the purposes of commerce. Meriwether Lewis was a logical choice to lead the expedition. â€Å"It was impossible to find a character who to a complete science in botany, natural history, mineralogy astronomy, joined the firmness of constitution character, prudence, habits adapted to the woods a familiarity with the Indian manners and character, requisite for this undertaking,† Jefferson wrote. â€Å"All the latter qualifications Capt. Lewis has.† Lewis chose William Clark as his co-captain and they recruited the best men they could find for what promised to be an arduous multi-year trek. Lewis and Clark and their 33-man Corps of Discovery left from Camp Dubois in present-day Illinois on May 14, 1804. Map of the Northwestern United States depicts the route taken by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark on their first expedition from the Missouri River (near St. Louis, Missouri) to the mouth of the Columbia River (at the Pacific Ocean in Oregon), and their return trip, 1804-1806. (Photo by Stock Montage/Getty Images) Over the next two years, four months, and 10 days, the Corps of Discovery covered nearly 8,000 miles to the Pacific coast and back, arriving in St. Louis in early September 1806. Altogether, the expedition created over 140 maps, collected over 200 samples of new plant and animal species, and made contact with over 70 Native American tribes. Governor Lewis Back home in Virginia, Lewis and Clark each received about $4,500 in pay (equivalent to about $90,000 today) and 1,500 acres of land in recognition of their accomplishment. In March 1807, Lewis was appointed governor of the Louisiana Territory and Clark was appointed general of the territorial militia and Agent for Indian Affairs. They arrived in St. Louis in early 1808. In St. Louis, Lewis built a house big enough for himself, William Clark, and Clark’s new bride. As governor, he negotiated treaties with local tribes and tried to bring order to the region. However, his work was undermined by political enemies, who spread rumors that he was mismanaging the territory. Lewis also found himself deeply in debt. In carrying out his duties as governor, he accrued nearly $9,000 in debts- equivalent to $180,000 today. His creditors began to call in his debts before Congress approved his reimbursements. In early September 1809, Lewis set out for Washington, in the hopes of clearing his name and winning his money. Accompanied by his servant, John Pernier, Lewis planned to boat down the Mississippi to New Orleans and sail along the coast to Virginia. Stopped by illness at Fort Pickering, near present-day Memphis, Tennessee, he decided to make the rest of the trip overland, following a wilderness path called the Natchez Trace. On October 11, 1809, Lewis died of gunshot wounds at an isolated tavern known as Grinder’s Stand, about 70 miles southwest of Nashville.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Murder or Suicide? Word quickly spread that the 35-year-old Lewis had committed suicide as the result of depression. Back in St. Louis, William Clark wrote to Jefferson: â€Å"I fear the weight of his mind has overcome him.† But there were lingering questions over what had occurred at Grinder’s Stand on the night of October 10 and 11, with rumors that Lewis had, in fact, been murdered. Over 200 years later, researchers are still divided on how Lewis died. For decades, descendants of the explorer have sought to have his remains exhumed for examination  by forensic experts to see if they can determine if his wounds were self-inflicted or not. To date, their requests have been denied. Sources Danisi, Thomas C.  Meriwether Lewis. New York: Prometheus Books, 2009.Guice, John D.W. Jay H. Buckley. By His Own Hand?:  The Mysterious Death of Meriwether Lewis. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2014.Stroud, Patricia Tyson. Bitterroot:  The Life and Death of Meriwether Lewis. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2018.