Entries by Peter Cates

REVIEW POTPOURRI: Sir Eugene Goossens

by Peter Cates Sir Eugene Goossens Sir Eugene Goossens (1893-1962) conducted the Rochester Philharmonic during the 1920s; succeeded Fritz Reiner as Music Director of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra from 1931 to 1946; moved to Australia to lead the Sydney Symphony for ten years until forced to resign in 1956 due to his involvement with a […]

REVIEW POTPOURRI: Samuel de Champlain

by Peter Cates Samuel de Champlain In his fascinatingly detailed Voyages, Samuel de Champlain (1567-1635) wrote of traveling up the Penobscot River in the following entry for September 5th, 1604: “The same day we passed also near to an island about four or five leagues long. From this island to the main land on the […]

REVIEW POTPOURRI: Poet Lee Sharkey

by Peter Cates Poet Lee Sharkey Poet Lee Sharkey (1945-2020) moved to Maine in 1971 and taught writing for several years at the University of Maine’s Farmington campus. She was also a social and peace activist, mentored aspiring writers from many walks of life, particularly those in prison and psychiatric hospitals, and protested the Iraq […]

REVIEW POTPOURRI: The Cathedrals

by Peter Cates The Cathedrals The Cathedrals – Masters of Gospel; Riversong 84418-2876-4, 1992 cassette. The Cathedrals is a gospel men’s quartet in the tradition of the two most well known ones from the Deep South – the Blackwood Brothers; and the Statesmen. This cassette is a generously filled anthology of 15 previously released selections- […]

REVIEW POTPOURRI: Maine Speaks anthology

by Peter Cates Maine Speaks anthology The 1987 Maine Speaks anthology contains what has elsewhere been often considered the most famous 20th century short story from our Pine Tree State – The Ledge, by Lawrence Sargent Hall (1915-1993). However, before today (February 2, 2025), I was totally unfamiliar with the story, and the writer, let […]

REVIEW POTPOURRI: Interesting people

by Peter Cates Former New York Gov. Thomas Dewey Former New York Governor Thomas Dewey (1902-1971) has been pretty much tossed in the dumpster of 20th century ancient American history, except for brief mentions as the Re­pub­lican opponent of FDR – Franklin Delano Roosevelt – in 1944 and of Harry S Truman, in 1948, (the […]

REVIEW POTPOURRI – Author: Judith Thurman

by Peter Cates I Became Alone I Became Alone is a 1975 book by Judith Thurman on five major woman poets. They are Sappho from ancient Greece; Louise Labe of the 16th century French Renaissance; Anne Bradstreet, who wrote out of her own experience living among fellow Puritans in 17th century Boston; Juana Ines de […]