Walking-Stick Papers

Robert Cortes HollidayProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.8

Word count: 335K words
Chapters: 34

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Walking-Stick Papers by Robert Cortes HollidayAuthor: Holliday, Robert Cortes, 1880-1947,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Oct 11, 2004

Editor's review

Walking-Stick Papers is a collection of essays by Robert Cortes Holliday, its title taking the walking stick as a motif that suggests the stance of a leisured observer. The book belongs to the American familiar-essay tradition: the pieces are short, drawn from everyday sights and personal reflections, relaxed in tone, and carry the genial air of early twentieth-century newspaper and magazine essays. Its value lies in a slow-paced observation of city life: the author makes no claim to systematic argument, instead preserving everyday detail and personal whimsy in light prose, so that reading feels like walking alongside an agreeable conversationalist. As a public-domain ebook it serves as light reading in English essays and as material for studying the stylistic features of early American periodical prose. For reading settings it suits commutes, bedtime, or odd afternoon moments, one piece at a time; as a writing model, note how it starts from an ordinary object and lets association unfold. Bear in mind that its subjects and tone belong to a particular era, and today's readers may not respond to every topic.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy English essays and light prose and prefer short pieces
Literature lovers curious about early twentieth-century American periodical essay style
Those who need gentle, leisurely English material for everyday extensive reading
Writing students interested in essays that begin with everyday objects

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting strong plot, dramatic conflict, or suspense
Those seeking systematic knowledge or practical methodology
Younger readers who prefer contemporary topics and fast-paced expression

Reading tips

Read one or two pieces a day and keep to the leisurely rhythm of the essay; there is no need to finish in one sitting.
As you read, note how the author moves from ordinary objects such as a walking stick into a topic; brief notes help.
Read a favorite passage aloud to feel the tone and sentence length of early periodical prose.
For writing practice, imitate its structure and draft a short everyday essay of a few hundred words.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is the walking stick in the title closely related to the content?

The walking stick is more a gesture-like image, signaling that the author looks at daily life as a stroller and observer. The essays range widely and are not all about walking sticks, so readers should not expect a focused treatment of a single object.

Is this essay collection suitable for extensive reading in English?

Yes. The pieces are short and calmly paced, in a periodical-essay style, and the sentences are not especially difficult. In extensive reading, aim first for overall meaning and interest rather than checking every word; if you meet period expressions, skipping them will not obscure the main thread.

How does the reading experience differ from that of Wolfville Nights?

Both are public-domain short texts, but their temperaments differ: Wolfville Nights leans toward western local narrative and dialect humor, with stronger drama; this book leans toward urban everyday essays, gentler in tone and more associative, better suited to slow reading and imitation in writing.

Comments

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About the author

Robert Cortes Holliday Author · American · 1880–1947

Robert Cortes Holliday (1880–1947) was an American writer and literary editor, born in Indianapolis and died in New York. He worked for the New York Tribune and several publishing houses, edited The Bookman from 1919 to 1920, and served as literary executor for the poet Joyce Kilmer. His essay collections, including Walking-Stick Papers, Turns about Town, and Peeps at People, chiefly depict city scenes and everyday characters in a light, finely observant style with gentle humor, giving him a distinctive place in the American essay tradition of his time. He wrote some fifteen books in all; three are held in this collection, commonly classified under inspirational growth. His works record urban life and human nature in an essayistic manner, combining readability with reflection. Public information on the details of his life is limited, and readers generally come to know him through his writings.