|
|
|
Beautiful Dreamer: the Life of Stephen Collins Foster - A Review
By
Jude Wudarczyk
Beautiful Dreamer: the Life of Stephen Collins Foster, written by Ellen Hunter Ulken, is a well written account of Lawrenceville's most popular native son. The chapters flow as gently and gracefully as the Swanee River.
The author is so tuned into Foster's life and character that she even names the chapters after Stephen's songs. The book is written in a style that a teenager could understand it and an adult enjoy it.
The chapters are nicely flavored with the lyrics of some of Foster's songs. Although the text ends on page 76, the book continues with a two page chronology of Foster's life, a listing of all his songs and the year in which they were published, a handy glossary, a bibliography listing 17 sources, a very extensive index, and a map brings the total number of pages to 105. The index makes this excellent book easy to use as a reference tool.
This book can be purchased through Xlibris.com, barnesandnoble.com or amazon.com or at any Borders or Barnes & Nobles store. Readers can also purchase it from the author by e-mailing her at ellen@ulken.com. Cost from the author is $11.00, including postage.
So Open Thy Lattice Love, curl up with Old Dog Tray, and read your very own copy of Beautiful Dreamer: the Life of Stephen Colliins Foster.
|
|
Stephen
Collins Foster (1826-1864)
Born on July 4, 1826, while the country celebrated its 50th anniversary of independence, Stephen Foster has become Lawrenceville’s most famous native son. He was the son of William Barclay Foster, founder of Lawrenceville and Eliza Tomlinson. Foster’s parents moved to Allegheny City (now Pittsburgh’s North Side) when Stephen was very small.
He developed a love for music at a very tender age of about three or four, and from that point forward there was no stopping him. Foster is considered by many to be the world’s foremost composer, and is the only person to have written two state songs – “My Old Kentucky Home” (Kentucky) and “Swannee River” (Florida). A third song “Oh! Susanna” was considered by the state of California as being their state song, but it was rejected.
Today he is considered the founder of “Pop Music” and his works are played throughout the world. There are many books written on Stephen Foster and the University of Pittsburgh maintains the Stephen Foster Memorial Center in his honor. It is located in the Oakland section of Pittsburgh close to the Cathedral of Learning. |
|
