Eric D. Lehman

Since its founding four hundred years ago, New England has been a vital source of nature writing. Maybe it’s the diversity of landscapes huddled so close together or the marriage of nature and culture in a relatively small, six-state region. Maybe it’s the regenerative powers of the ecosystem in a place of repeated exploitations. Or maybe we have simply been thinking about our relationship with the natural world longer than everyone.If all successive nature writing is a footnote to Henry David Thoreau, then New England has a strong claim to being the birthplace of the genre. But there are, as the sixty entries in this anthology demonstrate, many other regional voices that extol the wonders and beauty of the outdoors, explore local ecology, and call for environmental sustainability. Between these covers, Noah Webster calls for our stewardship of nature and Lydia Sigourney finds sublime pleasure in it. Jonathan Edwards and Helen Keller both find miracles, while Samuel Peters and Mark Twain find humor. Author Nathaniel Hawthorne discovers a place to hide his metaphors, while the enslaved James Mars discovers an actual hiding place.Through it all is the apprehension of a profound and lasting splendor, “the glory of physical nature,” as W.E.B. Dubois calls it, something beyond our everyday concerns and yet tied so closely to our daily lives that we cannot escape it. Nature writing cultivates our sense of beauty, inflaming curiosity and the passion to explore. It opens us to deep, primal experiences that enrich life. Anyone wanting to understand our relationship with the world must start here.

Since its founding four hundred years ago, New England has been a vital source of nature writing. Maybe it's the diversity of landscapes huddled so close together or the marriage of nature and culture in a relatively small, six-state region. Maybe it's the regenerative powers of the ecosystem in a place of repeated exploitations. Or maybe we have simply been thinking about our relationship with the natural world longer than everyone. If all successive nature writing is a footnote to Henry David Thoreau, then New England has a strong claim to being the birthplace of the genre. But there are, as the sixty entries in this anthology demonstrate, many other regional voices that extol the wonders and beauty of the outdoors, explore local ecology, and call for environmental sustainability. Between these covers, Noah Webster calls for our stewardship of nature and Lydia Sigourney finds sublime pleasure in it. Jonathan Edwards and Helen Keller both find miracles, while Samuel Peters and Mark Twain find humor. Author Nathaniel Hawthorne discovers a place to hide his metaphors, while the enslaved James Mars discovers an actual hiding place. Through it all is the apprehension of a profound and lasting splendor, "the glory of physical nature," as W.E.B. Dubois calls it, something beyond our everyday concerns and yet tied so closely to our daily lives that we cannot escape it. Nature writing cultivates our sense of beauty, inflaming curiosity and the passion to explore. It opens us to deep, primal experiences that enrich life. Anyone wanting to understand our relationship with the world must start here.

At the 400th anniversary of the pilgrims’ arrival (1620-2020), it’s time to look back, commemorate, and reflect on what New England has meant to its people, and to the world. New England at 400: From Plymouth Rock to Present Day describes how every generation of immigrants and natives, Puritans and patriots, has defined this land anew. It is a story of transformation, but also continuity, since “New England” embodies both a collective philosophy and a shared past. Each chapter covers a decade of important incidents and events that defined or shaped the regional character, land, and culture.

Author Eric D. Lehman chronicles the lives of two dozen men and women who left their marks on Connecticut and the world as a whole.Noah Webster, Charles Goodyear, P.T. Barnum and Katharine Hepburn all have Connecticut in common. Like

Noah Webster, Charles Goodyear, P.T. Barnum and Katharine Hepburn all have Connecticut in common. Like so many other residents, they had an inventive spirit and drive that changed the course of history for the rest of the state. Some of the state's natives, like Eli Whitney and Henry C. Lee, pioneered new methods. Prudence Crandall and Helen Keller championed the rights of the underprivileged. Some, like Frederick Law Olmsted and Sol LeWitt, changed our perception of the world. Author Eric D. Lehman chronicles the lives of two dozen men and women who left their marks on Connecticut and the world as a whole.

On September 6, 1781, Connecticut native Benedict Arnold and a force of 1,600 British soldiers and loyalists took Fort Griswold and burnt New London to the ground. The brutality of the invasion galvanized the new nation, and “Remember New London!” would become a rallying cry for troops under General Lafayette. In Homegrown Terror, Eric D. Lehman chronicles the events leading up to the attack and highlights this key transformation in Arnold—the point where he went from betraying his comrades to massacring his neighbors and destroying their homes. This defining incident forever marked him as a symbol of evil, turning an antiheroic story about weakness of character and missed opportunity into one about the nature of treachery itself. Homegrown Terror draws upon a variety of perspectives, from the traitor himself to his former comrades like Jonathan Trumbull and Silas Deane, to the murdered Colonel Ledyard. Rethinking Benedict Arnold through the lens of this terrible episode, Lehman sheds light on the ethics of the dawning nation, and the way colonial America responded to betrayal and terror.

The state of Connecticut has 170 town or village greens that still exist today. These greens date back to Colonial times where they served as the physical and spiritual centers for these early towns. Today many town greens continue to be the center of town events, fairs, and other gatherings. Connecticut Town Greens explores the history of these remarkable greens and provide a guide to current events.

Insiders' Guide to Connecticut is the essential source for in-depth travel information for visitors and locals to the Nutmeg State. Written by a local (and true insider), Insiders' Guide to Connecticut offers a personal and practical perspective of the state that makes it a must-have guide for travelers as well as residents looking to rediscover their home state.

From the father of American English to the most famous novelist in America, Connecticut has produced and inspired a dazzling array of literary talent. Discover the secret passage to James Merrill's study in Stonington or navigate Hartford's Nook Farm neighborhood--a home and hub of inspiration to Harriet Beecher Stowe, Mark Twain and William Gillette. As an adult, Helen Keller's stomping grounds were the woods and gardens of Easton, while Eugene O'Neill's childhood home in New London found its way into the pages of his greatest work. These authors drove the same roads, frequented the same taverns and read the same books as the nutmeggers of today. Explore Connecticut's literary landscape with Eric D. Lehman and Amy Nawrocki as they introduce readers to some of the greatest writers who found a home in the Constitution State.

From the father of American English to the most famous novelist in America, Connecticut has produced and inspired a dazzling array of literary talent. Discover the secret passage to James Merrill's study in Stonington or navigate Hartford's Nook Farm neighborhood--a home and hub of inspiration to Harriet Beecher Stowe, Mark Twain and William Gillette. As an adult, Helen Keller's stomping grounds were the woods and gardens of Easton, while Eugene O'Neill's childhood home in New London found its way into the pages of his greatest work. These authors drove the same roads, frequented the same taverns and read the same books as the nutmeggers of today. Explore Connecticut's literary landscape with Eric D. Lehman and Amy Nawrocki as they introduce readers to some of the greatest writers who found a home in the Constitution State.

When P. T. Barnum met twenty-five-inch-tall Charles Stratton at a Bridgeport, Connecticut hotel in 1843, one of the most important partnerships in entertainment history was born. With Barnum's promotional skills and the miniature Stratton's comedic talents, they charmed a Who's Who of the 19th century, from Queen Victoria to Charles Dickens to Abraham Lincoln. Adored worldwide as "General Tom Thumb," Stratton played to sold-out shows for almost forty years. From his days as a precocious child star to his tragic early death, Becoming Tom Thumb tells the full story of this iconic figure for the first time. It details his triumphs on the New York stage, his epic celebrity wedding, and his around-the-world tour, drawing on newly available primary sources and interviews. From the mansions of Paris to the deserts of Australia, Stratton's unique brand of Yankee comedy not only earned him the accolades of millions of fans, it helped move little people out of the side show and into the lime light.

A History of Connecticut Food aims to acquaint the reader with the long and storied relationship of the state's people and their provisions. Each chapter will focus on a different crop, livestock, game, or prepared dish that Connecticut has either pioneered or made its own. Along with these brief histories, the book will feature traditional and modernized recipes. In short, A History of Connecticut Food will both inform the people of Connecticut about their culinary past and inspire them to explore it.

Wine has been meticulously crafted in Connecticut ever since colonists discovered wild grapes growing on their land. At first glance the New England climate appears inhospitable for this fastidious fruit but a number of varieties thrive here, including pinot gris, chardonnay, cabernet franc, cayuga white and st. croix. These carefully cultivated grapes have produced wines of unique characteristics and surprising quality. Join local wine enthusiasts Eric D. Lehman and Amy Nawrocki as they explore the intricacies of the region's local blends, the vintners that craft them, and the people who taste them. With vineyards and wineries in every corner of the state you're likely to find one that suits your palate in your backyard

Wine has been meticulously crafted in Connecticut ever since colonists discovered wild grapes growing on their land. At first glance the New England climate appears inhospitable for this fastidious fruit but a number of varieties thrive here, including pinot gris, chardonnay, cabernet franc, cayuga white and st. croix. These carefully cultivated grapes have produced wines of unique characteristics and surprising quality. Join local wine enthusiasts Eric D. Lehman and Amy Nawrocki as they explore the intricacies of the region's local blends, the vintners that craft them, and the people who taste them. With vineyards and wineries in every corner of the state you're likely to find one that suits your palate in your backyard

Sail into New Haven Harbor and trek toward the beautiful form of the Sleeping Giant to discover Hamden, a picturesque gem nestled in the rolling hills of Connecticut. Witness the birth of the ?Industrial Revolution with the building of Eli Whitney's famous factory, wander past the buried cars in the Ghost Lot of Hamden Plaza and hear the tale of the courageous Hamden soldiers who fought in the Civil War. Journey with Eric D. Lehman as he uncovers the hidden stories of this fascinating Connecticut town, from its humble Puritan beginnings to its modern-day splendor.

A charming collection of Bridgeport stories and historic images bring this eccentric, enchanting history to life. In the late nineteenth century, P.T. Barnum was known worldwide for his traveling circus, but to the city of Bridgeport he meant much more. The city's mayor and benefactor, Barnum was also a mastermind at urban planning. Thus, amid Bridgeport's growing industrial factories, orchestras played from the bandstand at Seaside Park and bucolic hills surrounded Bunnell's Pond. In this collection of narratives, Eric D. Lehman captures the city's natural beauty and richly eccentric history. From the brave women of the Black Rock Lighthouse to war heroes of 'the nation's arsenal', from 'the tiniest general', Tom Thumb, to the tragic death of Jumbo the elephant, these are the best stories from Connecticut's 'Park City.'

In the late nineteenth century, P.T. Barnum was known worldwide for his traveling circus, but to the city of Bridgeport he meant much more. The city's mayor and benefactor, Barnum was also a mastermind at urban planning. Thus, amid Bridgeport's growing industrial factories, orchestras played from the bandstand at Seaside Park and bucolic hills surrounded Bunnell's Pond. In this collection of narratives, Eric D. Lehman captures the city's natural beauty and richly eccentric history. From the brave women of the Black Rock Lighthouse to war heroes of 'the nation's arsenal', from 'the tiniest general', Tom Thumb, to the tragic death of Jumbo the elephant, these are the best stories from Connecticut's 'Park City.'