Mark Graham
Bio
I am a person who really likes to read and write and to share what I learned with all my education. My page will mainly be book reviews and critiques of old and new books that I have read and will read. There will also be other bits, too.
Stories (1801)
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The Lightkeeper's Ball
Colleen Coble has written 'The Lightkeeper's Ball' that is a historical romance that has a lot of historical references. This is a novel that takes place at about the second decade, the 1910's of the twentieth century. The main character of Oliva Stewart is a woman who wants to know the culprit who killed her sister in the time that everyone thought that Halley's Comet was going to destroy the world. At this time some people bought a scam known as comet pills that were to protect people from the poisonous gasses of the comet. Other inventions were the aeroplane and common use of the telephone. She uses her official title of Lady Devonworth instead of her real name. She thinks she knows who killed her sister and she also wants to find someone to love that wants her and not her money. To me even as a male reader was interesting even just for the historical parts.
By Mark Grahamabout a year ago in Critique
Green Acres
Ready for another trip to Hooterville and some of the gang. 'Green Acres' was all about Oliver Wendell Douglas, a New York lawyer and his wife Lisa played by Eddie Albert and Eva Gabor. Oliver wanted to be a farmer and wanted to move to the country, but Lisa did want to leave New York and her penthouse view, but as the theme went 'you are my goodbye city life Green Acres you are mine. Other characters were Ep their farmhand and kind of adopted son, Sam Drucker, Mr. Haney, and two carpenter/handymen that were sister and brother (cannot remember their names). A couple things I really remember from the show was Lisa was forever making hotcakes, Mr. Haney always finding a way to make money through cheating, and Oliver always climbing the telephone pole to make a call. This was a spinoff from Petticoat Junction I think.
By Mark Grahamabout a year ago in Critique
Petticoat Junction
"All aboard the Cannonball, everyone!" We're heading for a very small village by the name of Hooterville just out of Pixley. Who remembers 'Petticoat Junction'? There was Uncle Joe, Kate, Billie Jo, Bobbie Jo and Betty Jo. There was Sam Drucker the grocer and postmaster and even at times a justice of the peace if I remember right. Uncle Joe and Kate and three girls lived at the Shadyrest Hotel. There were many adventures thanks to Uncle Joe to keep the Shadyrest open for there always seemed to be the need for cash money for there seemed to be never enough. 'Petticoat Junction' was a show that started out in black and white and was then in color for those were the ones I remember watching when I was younger. Through the years things changed, for example when I watched some of the older black and white episodes there were two different actresses who played Billie Jo and Bobbie Jo that were replaced with Meredith Macrae (not sure of the spelling) and Lori Saunders and the one that played Betty Jo was now Linda Kaye Henning. I remember that the woman who played Kate died and believe it or not June Lockhardt played a psychologist and doctor at the Shadyrest.
By Mark Grahamabout a year ago in Critique
World Peace
(This is an unofficial entry into the lipogram contest.) This is also a micro fiction story. What's all the world about. We all just want peace to love all people. No matter what's to do about every person and how to get people to love one another. There's a way to do what needs to be done. We just have to be able to see a way. One way we should be able to do World Peace could be to once again take part could be "Hands Around the World". How should we do such a project? We could ask questions, or we could just move along as we have been. World peace a concept that should be easy but not.
By Mark Grahamabout a year ago in Fiction
Marcus Welby, MD
Another old medical program I remember from the 1970's was the show 'Marcus Welby, MD' starting Robert Young better known in earlier days as the father from 'Father Knows Best'. The show also had a costar by the name of James Brolin who played Steve Kiley, MD. Marcus Welby was a doctor known as a General Practitioner or GP that covered all specialties. Marcus Welby had his own office in the suburbs that if I remember right could have been an upscale neighborhood. Once again for a medical show it did cover various kinds of illnesses and diseases of the time from basic first aid to traumatic issues. Again, the way they acted really did not show how the real doctors and nurses appeared for real in a sense.
By Mark Grahamabout a year ago in Critique
Medical Center
Other than situation comedies of the 1970's there were medical shows, and one that came to mind really just now was one named 'Medical Center' is starred Chad Everett and James Daly has two doctors in a community hospital. These two doctors were faced with injuries, diseases and even psychological issues that kind of affected us back in the day. As a nurse in today's world I remember how nurses had to dress from dresses and pantsuits to even wearing a nurse's cap. The doctors were always wearing suits, but today they just wear what they want unless they have a meeting or something. 'Medical Center' was a show that could give you an idea what this profession was about but only in a very general sense and really not very accurate but good television for the time. "I am not a doctor, but I play one on tv."
By Mark Grahamabout a year ago in Critique
Sanford & Son
There was an old situation comedy for the mid 1970's about a father and son who owned a salvage yard that was their home and business. This show was called 'Sanford and Son' that starred Redd Foxx and Desmond Wilson. I remember watching this program when a was a young child and also kind of laughed when Fred would foul up his plans to do something and will have to tell the truth and one of his favorite sayings was "This is the big one I'm coming to see ya Elizabeth!" while clutching his chest like he was having a heart attack. This was also a show that Fred (Foxx) and Lamont (Wilson) will do anything to help each other in many situations from dating at any age to making money. There was always some zany story for a show that was primarily for the Negro/Black community.
By Mark Grahamabout a year ago in Critique
The Jeffersons
'We're Moving On Up' is the theme to this next 'All in the Family' spinoff known as 'The Jeffersons' who were the Bunker's neighbors on Houser Street. There was George and Louise and their son Lionel. Lionel was kind of a good favorite person for Archie liked him as much as he did not quite like George. Archie and George were too much alike to be really good friends. As the title song said George and Louise moved on up to the upper West Side, I think, or the East Side along with a whole new set of issues and problems like when Lionel and his girlfriend a child of a white man and black women. This was a show that really got into race relations as well as dealing with other social issues of the time like unemployment, inflation, homosexual issues and others. What would George think of society today?
By Mark Grahamabout a year ago in Critique
Good Times
'Maude' had a spin-off by the name of 'Good Times' that starred Esther Rolle as Florida Evans (Maude's old housekeeper) and her family James, J.J., Thelma, and Michael. Florida and her family lived in the ghetto and just trying to make ends meet. James had many jobs but had to deal with layoffs, unemployment as well as other issues that affected his family. As in the other two series this show was generally depicting what life in the mid to late seventies was like for the Negro or Black community. J.J. was an artist portrayed by Jimmie Walker and his famous line "Dyn-o-mite!" Thelma was into fashion and Michael was the political activist of the family. I really liked this show and watch the reruns even today when I can find them. There are a lot of lessons that one can still learn from this old show today.
By Mark Grahamabout a year ago in Critique
Maude
'All in the Family' was followed up by many spin-offs and the first one that I remember was 'Maude' this one is based on Edith's sister or she was a cousin named Maude who lived in Pawtucket, a suburb of Connecticut, I think. Maude lived with her husband Walter and her daughter and grandson. They also had a housekeeper named Florida. Maude had next door neighbors who were played by Conrad Bain and Rue McClanahan were married and into the scene and will try anything that seem therapeutic for a marriage. 'Maude' was a person who was very outspoken on many issues of the time like abortion and drugs, and really anything that struck her fancy. 'Maude' also had a catchy theme 'And then came Maude' with a catchy melody if I remember right. Like 'All in the Family' 'Maude' was also very controversial.
By Mark Grahamabout a year ago in Critique
All in the Family
Who remembers watching a television show entitled 'All in the Family' that was all about in a lot of ways social and political discourse of the early 1970's the affected the family at 704 Houser Street. There was Archie, Edith, Gloria, and Michael aka Meathead. 'All in the Family' was created by Norman Lear that gave the television audience a chance to see and hear and learn how society wanted to stay the same but also wanted change in many ways, such as women's rights, dealing with welfare and racial relations. This was a television show that let the idea of conservativism and radicalism kind of live together for at least a half an hour. To me this was a comedy/drama but not like today's standards. There were also multiple shows that followed this one.
By Mark Grahamabout a year ago in Critique
The Bad Beginning
Who are the Baudelaire's? Lemony Snicket has written a series of novels that are quite depressing and he warns the readers that if you do not like reading books that sad and mean things happen put the book down. In this series entitled 'A Series of Unfortunate Events' Violet, Klaus and Sunny will stay with a series of odd people with one very despicable person known as Count Olaf that seems to be always in the wind. Book one titled 'The Bad Beginning' the Baudelaire children learn about the disaster that took their parents' lives and put their children in the care of others, and each child has a specific talent that helps gets them these unfortunate events one way or another. At the end of each book Lemony Snicket writes a letter as an introduction to the next volume. All the illustrations are drawn as pencil sketches but are well-defined and describes some of the actions of the story.
By Mark Grahamabout a year ago in Critique
