Author Archives: John Mark Ockerbloom

By 1930, the Harlem Renaissance was undeniably a major force in American culture. While to many the rising visibility of New York Black artists might seem like “a miracle straight out of the skies”, James Weldon Johnson wrote that it … Continue reading →

“I would live all my life in nonchalance and insoucianceWere it not for making a living, which is rather a nouciance” Ogden Nash had tried to make a living teaching, selling bonds, and writing ad copy. But after he sent … Continue reading →

“Destry Rides Again and Again and Again” quipped John D. Weaver in a 1963 article that uses Max Brand’s character as a symbol of western cliches. By then Destry’s story, first serialized in 1930 in Western Story Magazine as “Twelve … Continue reading →

The Public Domain Review has begun its own #PublicDomainDayCountdown to 2026, featuring works and authors joining the public domain in countries around the world. It leads off with William Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying, a sprawling family drama set in … Continue reading →

The Fleischer Studios found success in 1930 with a series of cartoons starring Bimbo, a rascally anthropomorphic dog. But when a curvaceous human with some canine features sang “I Have to Have You” in Dizzy Dishes, both Bimbo and movie … Continue reading →

Evadne Price was asked to write a lighthearted spoof of All Quiet on the Western Front, but went a different way after reading the diary of a woman ambulance driver in France. Not So Quiet…Stepdaughters of War pulls no punches … Continue reading →

“Georgia on my mind” has a long and legendary history. While some say the song’s “Georgia” was composer Hoagy Carmichael’s sister, it’s now generally understood to be the state, particularly since Georgia’s own Ray Charles recorded it. His version was … Continue reading →

Dr. Luella Axtell set up practice with her husband in 1900 Marinette, Wisconsin, and remains a local hero for her public service and advocacy for public health, environmental protection, and women’s rights. She even features in a recent local murder … Continue reading →

Charles Williams is not as well known today as his fellow Inklings CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien. But his work influenced theirs, and that of other writers like TS Eliot. The first of his supernatural thrillers, War in Heaven (reviewed … Continue reading →

Nancy Drew‘s first four mystery stories join the public domain in 37 days. She’s now the star of a multimedia franchise, and subject of a fascinating UMD Libraries exhibit. Nancy’s true authorship was once its own mystery. Syndicate contracts hid … Continue reading →