frumiousb

(Available at Google Books, if you're interested.)

John Burroughs was an American essayist. Wikipedia describes him as a "literary naturalist". He met Walt Whitman during the Civil War, and this little book serves two purposes. It is a meditation on Leaves of Grass as well as a memoir of that friendship. Amazon tells me that it was the first biographical sketch of the author. I can't substantiate that, but it seems likely to be true.

Whitman has long been one of my great literary loves, and this book was a pleasure to read simply for reminding me how much I love Leaves of Grass. My copy is so fragile (1872 second edition, in poor shape) that I didn't dare linger over the pages, but have gladly bookmarked online text versions so that I can spend more time with it later. There are obviously more complete biographical texts, but it is fascinating to read a personal sketch from someone who knew him personally and who was a good friend. The closeness to the man adds its own touch as reading experience.

Recommended for anyone who loves Whitman, and doesn't mind spending a little time on something unusual.

( and the apology )

Found in Amsterdam. The culprits had tried to burn the notes to cover up the evidence:



My daughter
has my permission to get a piercing
but it cannot cost more than 50 euros.

With Friendly Greetings, F.J. de Jong

( four more )

With much love and many thanks again for a lovely week in Paris!

love, Emily x

(found in Amsterdam close to the Ij. I've altered the image so that email, full name, and full address aren't visible. Dr. Google informs me that the note writer is a fairly well known classical musician.)

( image )

Found in Amsterdam, January 2009.

Translation:

O: Hi I am Onur
Ya: I am Yavuz
Yi: I am Yigit
O: we have worked together on the theme 'Amsterdam'
Ya: we made three maps.
Yi: our first map was nature map 1.
O: we had to make a brochure about parks.
Ya: all three of us made a brochure.
Yi: we're going to read what we wrote.
O: our second map was "things to do" map 1.
Ya: we had to make hints in that one.
Yi: we're going to tell you a few.
O: our third map was language map 1.
Ya: we had to made a (crossword?) and we made several different ones.
Yi: we needed these things: paper, scissors, glue, internet, black construction paper and white paper.
O: we split the work.
Ya: we learned more about Amsterdam and how you can give hints about it.
Yi: we also met our goals.
O: And that was the presentation and I hope that you have enjoyed it.

Help with the translation gratefully accepted. I'm not sure at all that I should really be translating "kaarten" as "maps" and I also have no clue what "wordveld" means here.

( image )

Found discarded on the ground in Amsterdam. It would have originally been attached to a bouquet of flowers. I've translated the text.

Front:

Big Kiss!

Back:

31 roses for your 31st year! Kiss from the two nearly rested gentlemen with enormous calves.

( images )

A question and a series of answers as seen in Singapore graffiti.

( one question, three answers )

Found on the street in Amsterdam. Not the most exciting of finds. My Google-Fu tells me that there is a filmmaker named Roelf van Til who runs a web tv station. So this sticky was once attached to a DVD with material or something like that?

Translation:

Kim,

Hopefully Roelf van Til can do something with this format.

Greetings,

Morven

( image )

Found on the street in Amsterdam, November 2008. The same strange sentence is written over and over again on both the front and the back of the sheet. Most of the writing was leached out by the rain. The name and grade of the assignment are no longer visible. The top of the paper notes that this was an assignment from a school for the people challenged in hearing or communication.

(Found on the ground near Muiderpoort train station, Amsterdam. Loosely translated, corrections and suggestions gladly accepted)

My dear Kariem,

How are you?
I'm fine!
I'm doing my internship now and I really like it.
The only thing that I miss is my sweet but sometimes mean darling.

But yeahhhh- my sweetie. I really hope that you stay my man for a long time, but preferably without fighting! I am completely crazy about you, and I don't want to lose you. Only, I'm sick of our pointless fights and your aggressive behaviour. Please learn to control yourself-- you talk with your mouth and not with your hands! So please don't frighten your little Alice any more.

But oh well, my angel. I love you!
& you are the only one for me.

Kisses,
Alice

( cut for image )

Found on the ground outside a research hospital in Amsterdam, October 2008.

Found on the street in Amsterdam, October 2008. No idea why it is written in English.

I found this written on a wall in Siracusa, April 2008. I don't speak Italian, so this translation is done with the help of my poor French, Babelfish and some judicious guesses. Corrections gratefully received and credited.

Grateful thanks to mewtopia, who came to my rescue with the translation.

Translation/Transcription:

!Smile!
10/14/06

Arianna

my life without you would be lost.
you're the only friend who is perfect for me.
Even if we fight, these experiences teach me a lot.
I care for you.
Joy & My Life
Rob Ary
See you.

( the image )

translation from Dutch (improvements or suggestions from native Dutch speakers gratefully accepted):

Amsterdam 23 July 2007

Dear Carmen,

With this note I would like to thank you for the guidance that you gave me during the last half year that I worked at the MKBK-club. It was a pleasure to have the PP meeting with you. You were a good support during the meeting, and a a good sounding board afterwards.

When now I find myself writing a PP and begin to weigh the words and sentences, I frequently hear you saying: "What do you mean by that?" It keeps me sharp to write the meaning of a word instead of pointlessly using jargon. I found that you were were very creative with the material. I learned a lot in the "game". I would like to practice it again. Perhaps as a part of the training that you still are going to give?

I would like to wish you much success at your new job. I hope that you find the thread there. But mostly I hope that you are happy in the things that you do. Shame that you are leaving. Waternet will miss a strong force. I wish you well.

(no signature)

(translation updated thanks to voske)

( image and a translation question )

Edited:

Thanks to saucy_21 for the translation!

So there, without having to (soil) wth words, I will soil you with my rotten handwritting.
Anyways, Hello.
How are you? All is well here. Amsterdam is too much (cutoff perhaps) Bizarre but good. A good mix of things, I love the bicycles, and the bicycle culture. It's just so great.
(whore) you made me fantasize with your (mail?). I vowed not to believe you at first, but too much good living in the mountains, calm, around animals, nature. whore, the opposite of me.

That's what I'm looking for. I never told you, more and more these cities that I want, the people are poor and disagreable.
Not as poor as I, but more disagreable in any case.
This surely darkened your childhood. But its me that tells you who imagines it, wasn't that the case? Even after you said yes.

I would really love for you to show me one day at some point, even with the last one I believe, I think of training as a shepherd.
I didn't even know that existed and it (blurry)
but I don't think it would go too well with my effort.
pff. but I dont even know where to start on myself. Maybe I need a little (catalaume, no translation) character to (something) under.
Fine, I will try to do it simply. and I hope quickly. and interestingly.
Pff So Mario, who was in Chypre. He lived his whole life there up to age 18. My parents: my dad is Chyprioile and my mom italian, south of Italy that turned into France, Strasbourge, when she was 5)
So are you French or not Mario? Did you ever ask? Good for me.

I'm French by culture but I have no roots there.

( the letter )

Translated:

"The beer bicycle courier had again this time no beer!"

graffiti found in the Vlaardingen Oost train station, November 2007.

(found in Amsterdam, September 2007.)

Dear Stephen,

Merry Chr. happy NY and all the best wishes for 2007. Sorry for the delayed response. If our tel. nr is not right and my pc is down. So my friend sent this mail.
You can send the crystals to me.
No problem.
I bring them but please call me first
(tel num)
with warm (regards)greetings,
Francis

List on the back of the note says:
foto's van camera
hetty Kroon(?)
post
administratr
site
school
Nine th daagen(?)

zelfstandig (Dutch for "independent")

email address (unreadable)
www.jyotish
fengshuiseminar.com

( click for image )

appears to be the draft of a poem or a song, found thrown away in a city park in Amsterdam.

rough translation & image after the cut.

( cut )

I have long been obsessed with notes, papers, and writings found in used books. These are found in The Heart of Emerson's Journals, edited by Bliss Perry.

This book has had at least three owners before I got it, and what interests me is that all three left traces of themselves in notes on the pages.

First of all was the (I assume) original owner: Helen B. Chenery, who apparently got the book in 1927.



(There seem to be two separate Helen B. Chenery's who are google-able. One who lives in Lexington and breeds horses, and one who died in Westchester in 1967. I assume that the book's owner was the second. Mother and daughter?)

Then there was a second owner who had the book in their possession in 1973:



Then there was a third owner who left a similar note in 1988-- inspired by the second owner, I guess:



And now I have the book. And I'm linked to all three of these people through the ownership. And I may be strange, but I think that this is at least sort of cool.

Found on the street in Amsterdam. Written on the back of a paper CD wrapper.



He Miss,

Goodmorning to you. I'll hope you enjoy the dinner with me. I wish you a good week and take care of your self.

Nice to know you better. Your a good person and I like you.

xx, Wallie.