REF: HIST: Griff on Mahan's "Classic Irises"

This is Griff''s message, forwarded. If it does not come through in good  
fettle, I will cook up a cut and paste version and take a whack at it that  way.
 
AMW
Return-Path: <jgcrump@cox.net>
Received: from  rly-xb05.mx.aol.com (rly-xb05.mail.aol.com
  [172.20.64.51]) by air-xb02.mail.aol.com (v114.2) with ESMTP id
  MAILINXB21-af4589c4aa356; Wed, 20 Dec 2006 18:18:21 -0500
Received: from  eastrmmtao02.cox.net (eastrmmtao02.cox.net
  [68.230.240.37]) by rly-xb05.mx.aol.com (v114.2) with ESMTP id
  MAILRELAYINXB55-af4589c4aa356; Wed, 20 Dec 2006 18:18:02 -0500
Received: from eastrmimpo02.cox.net ([68.1.16.120]) by
  eastrmmtao02.cox.net (InterMail vM.6.01.06.03
  201-2131-130-104-20060516) with ESMTP id
  <20061220231701.SWWC9317.eastrmmtao02.cox.net@eastrmimpo02.cox.net>
  for <chatowhitehall@aol.com>; Wed, 20 Dec 2006 18:17:01 -0500
Received: from HPpavillion ([70.174.183.67]) by eastrmimpo02.cox.net
  with bizsmtp id 1BFn1W0121TfmSE0000000; Wed, 20 Dec 2006 18:15:47
  -0500
Message-ID: <00d201c7248c$f528c660$43b7ae46@HPpavillion>
From: "J. Griffin Crump" <jgcrump@cox.net>
To: "Anner Whitehead" <ChatOWhitehall@aol.com>
Subject: Fw: Classic Irises
Date: Wed, 20 Dec 2006 18:17:02 -0500
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
X-Priority: 3
X-MSMail-Priority: Normal
X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2900.3028
X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.3028
X-AOL-IP: 68.230.240.37
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative by demime 1.01d
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain

Anner  --  I'm completely baffled by the fact that I can't get this message
through.  If you receive it, would you please try to forward it to the list
for me?  Thanks.  --  Griff

----- Original Message -----
From: J. Griffin Crump
To: iris@hort.net
Sent: Wednesday, December 20, 2006 6:11 PM
Subject: Classic Irises


My copy of Classic Irises and the Men and Women Who Created Them, by Clarence
Mahan, was delivered yesterday evening.  I slid the book from its packaging
and gasped at its external beauty.  One should not, they say, judge a book by
its cover.  But it is also said that there is an exception to every rule.
Believe me, this is a book that you should judge by its cover.  It is,
literally, a work of art from beginning to end  --  simply magnificent.  I
guarantee that the beauty of the illustrations will tear at your heart  --
the paintings by Ethel Anson S. Peckham,  the outstanding color photographs by
Mike Lowe, as well as other artistic renderings selected by Clarence from his
own collection and from other sources.  I forgot supper as I scanned the pages
and, serendipitously, read passages here and there.  You will recognize names
of friends as Clarence credits those who helped him to produce this gorgeous
piece of work.  The book is a series of stories, intertwining the development
of great garden irises with the lives of their developers, all told in
Clarence's uncomplicated but richly informative style.  I need not comment on
the scholarship, the humor . . . all that one would expect from the author is
there in plenitude.


This is not a book review.  If it were, I would be a long time in producing
it, because I, at least, must savor its delights in small portions and at
length.  In the preface, Clarence says of the persons of whom he writes, " . .
. they were not just gardeners.  They were also artists. They created beauty
by breeding irises."  This is a book worthy of its subjects and their work, by
an author who is of the same breed.

It's a bit late to add this book to your Christmas wish list, so give it to
yourself as a present.  It will be one of the best gifts you'll receive.  --
Griff

zone 7 in Virginia

---------------------------------------------------------------------
To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@hort.net with the
message text UNSUBSCRIBE IRIS
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index