On this edition of ST, an engaging chat with Shaun Usher, a writer, researcher, and blogger based in the U.K. Usher tells us about his new book, just out, which he edited and compiled: "Lists of Note: An Eclectic Collection Deserving of a Wider Audience." Hailed in the British press as "beautiful and immensely satisfying" (The Observer) and as "1. Splendid. 2. Addictive. 3. Sumptuously produced with interesting photos and facsimiles" (The Independent), this book curates 125 charming, off-the-wall, surprising, and/or heartbreaking lists that have been jotted down over the centuries by different writers for different reasons. For example, in this book, we find: Albert Einstein's shockingly harsh list of demands for his estranged wife, Scott Fitzgerald's playful and extensive conjugation of "to cocktail," Walt Disney's list of fifty (!) different names for the dwarfs who would appear in his landmark "Snow White" film, and a raw, almost stream-of-conscious list of people who might have assassinated JFK (as composed only hours after the tragedy by JFK's personal secretary). Lavishly illustrated and irresistibly readable, "Lists of Note" is that rare book that's equally fun and fascinating to read.
"Lists of Note: An Eclectic Collection Deserving of a Wider Audience"
