Librarian's Muse

Polish Sausage with Cabbage & Mushrooms from Nourish Soups by Rebecca Woods Rebecca’s version is unusually sophisticated, marrying smoked sausage with dried and fresh mushrooms, grated apple, cabbage and the beautiful spice of juniper berries and caraway seed. Do take the time to find both juniper berries and caraway seeds because it is that spicing that makes the humble ingredients of this soup really sing. Find instructions at https://www.splendidtable.org/recipes/polish-sausage-with-cabbage-mushrooms Ladle into four warmed bowls to serve.

One of over 100 indigenous languages of Nepal, Seke is mainly spoken in Yulinga, ‘the five villages’ of Chuksang, Chaile, Gyakar, Tangbe, and Tetang, in the Upper Mustang district of highland Nepal. There are also many speakers in the nearby town of Jomsom and the larger cities of Pokhara and the national capital of Kathmandu (sometimes on a seasonal basis), and in diaspora centers such as New York City. The language database Ethnologue estimates the number of Seke speakers at around 700, but the real number may be significantly lower as many younger speakers, in particular, have migrated out of the area seeking work and are shifting to Nepali (and in some cases Loke/Baragaon, Tibetan, and English). https://elalliance.org/languages/himalaya/seke/

In 1964 Henry Littlefield, a Columbia University-trained historian, wrote a breakthrough article in the scholarly American Quarterly titled “The Wizard of Oz: Parable on Populism.” In the article, Littlefield made the bold claim that Frank Baum's 1900 book "conceals an unsuspected depth." The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was, Littlefield thought, “a Midwesterner’s vibrant and ironic portrait of this country as it entered the twentieth century.” Specifically, Littlefield argued that the story of The Wizard of Oz was an elaborate metaphor for the Populist movement (a rising political force in the 1890s) and a critique of the complicated national debates over monetary policy. What made Littlefield's claim bold was its departure from common wisdom. Up until this point The Wizard of Oz was well known in the United States, but only as a popular children’s fairy tale (written in 1900), a successful musical stage production (opened in 1902), and a motion picture (debuted in 1939). https://americanhistory.si.edu/blog/populism-oz Thank you, Muse reader!

As Dorothy travels west toward the Emerald City (read: Washington, D.C.), she is joined first by the Scarecrow, an agrarian figure (no accident here) in quest of brains who eventually learns that real intelligence comes from experience, which he has in abundance. Then the Tin Woodman falls in with them. A worker from the East, he has been turned into a heartless machine by the Wicked Witch of the East. Next comes the Cowardly Lion, who may represent William Jennings Bryan, the failed Populist (and Democratic) candidate in the 1896 presidential contest. Silver Slippers and a Golden Cap: L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and Historical Memory in American Politics" by Gretchen Ritter, in Journal of American Studies (Aug. 1997) http://archive.wilsonquarterly.com/in-essence/real-meaning-oz See also Money and politics in the land of Oz at https://www.ahschools.us/cms/lib08/MN01909485/Centricity/Domain/818/Grade%2012%20Economics/oz.html

Learn Which Breed Lays Which Chicken Egg Color There are three breeds that lay blue eggs: Ameraucanas, Araucanas and Cream Legbars. The blue color is created by oocyanin, which is applied early in the laying process. The blue pigment goes right through the shell, unlike the brown pigment. So blue eggs are blue inside and out. Green egg-layers, such as Easter Eggers and Olive Eggers, are created by cross breeding a blue-egg-laying breed and a brown-egg-laying breed and those hens possess both blue and brown genes. Therefore the eggshells are green on the outside (created by mixing blue and brown) and blue on the inside, having been ‘painted’ with both blue and brown dye. Varying shades of browns and greens are for the most part dictated by the breed laying the egg, although within a breed, there might be some shade variation. Some brown-egg-laying breeds apply less brown pigment to the shell than others, resulting in light tan eggs. Some breeds lay extremely light-colored eggs, such as Faverolles and Light Sussex, that can look almost pink or cream in color. Other breeds, such as Marans and Penendesencas, lay extremely dark brown eggs. Lisa Steele https://backyardpoultry.iamcountryside.com/eggs-meat/how-blue-eggs-get-their-color/

Mary Higgins Clark, the bestselling "Queen of Suspense" who wrote dozens of suspense novels sold worldwide, died January 31, 2020 at the age of 92. Clark's writing career spanned decades, and included bestselling suspense titles such as "Loves Music, Loves to Dance" and "A Stranger Is Watching." Two of her novels were made into feature films, including "A Stranger Is Watching" while others were turned into television movies. The mother of five started her career by writing short stories before becoming a prolific novelist. "Trust me, you do not make a living selling short stories and bringing up five kids," Clark told CNN in 2002. "So I started writing radio scripts for a living, and it actually taught me a great deal about writing." Clark published her first suspense novel, "Where Are the Children," in 1975 followed by about 40 other books, including some with her daughter, Carol Higgins Clark. She also published short stories, a memoir and children's books. Faith Karimi https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/31/us/mary-higgins-clark-dead/index.html