The Mennonite Encyclopedia, Volume II: D-H. Scottdale: Herald, 1956.
The Mennonite Encyclopedia, Volume III: I-N. Scottdale: Herald, 1957.
I bought Volumes I, IV, and V of The Mennonite Encyclopedia over a decade ago at a conference at a steep discount ($15.00 apiece when they are normally $85.00) because they each had a few damaged pages. I’ve been meaning to complete my set since then, but there were numerous other book purchases that took priority since admittedly I rarely consult the volumes I had. But they look so pretty on the shelf!
My Mennonite Encyclopedia set, right next to Martyrs Mirror and The Complete Writings of Menno Simons.
I finally decided to complete my set when I received some money from my grandfather’s estate. He was very interested in Mennonite history, thus I think he would appreciate the purchase.
I bought this book from the National Baseball Hall of Fame bookstore during my visit to Cooperstown on Monday. It’s a signed copy. I am intrigued by 1970s pop culture in general and am especially intrigued by the 1973 baseball season because the Mets won the pennant that year, so Silverman’s book caught my eye immediately.
I grew up in New York City and lived in Lancaster, Pennsylvania; Goshen, Indiana; DeKalb, Illinois; and Salt Lake City, Utah before coming to Utica, New York. My mother’s family is Swiss-German Mennonite (i.e., it’s an ethnicity, not necessarily a theological persuasion) and my father’s family is Puerto Rican. I have a Ph.D. in English and currently teach at Utica College. I have also taught at Northern Illinois University and Westminster College in Salt Lake City. My teaching and scholarship are motivated by a passion for social justice, which is why my research focuses on the literature of oppressed groups, especially LGBT persons and people of color. While I primarily read and write about fiction, I am also a devoted reader of poetry because, as William Carlos Williams writes, “It is difficult / to get the news from poems / yet [people] die miserably every day / for lack / of what is found there.” Thinkers who influence me include Marina Abramovic, Kathy Acker, Di Brandt, Ana Castillo, Samuel R. Delany, Percival Everett, Essex Hemphill, Jane Jacobs, Walt Whitman, and the New York School of poets. I am also fond of queer Mennonite writers such as Stephen Beachy, Jan Guenther Braun, Lynnette Dueck/D’anna, and Casey Plett. In my free time I’m either reading, writing the occasional poem, playing board games (especially Scrabble, backgammon, and chess), watching sports (Let’s Go, Mets!), or cooking (curries, stews, roasts…).
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