Tag: Ipswich

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Science Traveling the Northeast

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David J. KentFor some reason I thought of the old days in Catholic confessional in which I would ask the priest to bless me from my sins and say “It has been 30 days since my last confession.” Well, I’m not really confessing, and I don’t consider it a sin, but I must admit “It has been 30 days since my last science traveling.” That trip was to Scandinavia – Denmark, Sweden, Norway. As you read this I’ve already been several days into my current trip to the northeast – New England and Quebec.

Fireworks and fourth of July parades will highlight (have highlighted) the first part of the trip. But even before that we stopped off in West Orange, New Jersey to visit the Thomas Edison National Historic Park. While Edison was nicknamed “The Wizard of Menlo Park,” he actually spent more time working out of his much larger laboratory complex in West Orange. It was here that he had his grand mansion called “Glenmont,” his multi-story laboratory, several separate smaller labs, and the Black Maria – the film studio where he made motion pictures. This was a must-visit for me as I write my book on Edison; so too was a stopover in the town of Edison (as Menlo Park was later renamed in his honor).

Edison Lab, Menlo Park, NJ

After a few days with the family and the fireworks we’re headed even further north. A couple of days in a Quebec City B&B will let us see Montmorency Falls, the funicular, the aquarium, and, of course, Maison Kent. From there it’s on to Montreal for the Notre Dame cathedral, Musee des Beaux Arts, and for the science part, the Biosphere and Jardin Botanique.

Quebec City

The rest of the trip will be spent leisurely working our way back down western Vermont, Massachusetts, and Connecticut where the main goal is to do some old bookstore hopping. Some of the coolest books in my Lincoln collection have come from old barns and basements, so I’m hoping to make some lucky finds.

I’ll be posting periodically during the trip, both on here and on Facebook, so keep checking back for more science traveling tidbits.

David J. Kent has been a scientist for over thirty years, is an avid science traveler, and an independent Abraham Lincoln historian. He is the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and the e-book Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time. He is currently writing a book on Thomas Edison.

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Writer’s Retreat

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I’m mostly off the grid this week in my own version of a writer’s retreat in my home town. So far it’s been incredibly productive – my new book is taking shape.

I did find these stocks used by town officials to punish distracted writers.

But I’ve also found inspiration in the local wilds.

And found sustenance in the local food houses.

And checked out my old haunts. And I mean really old haunts.

Okay, it’s back to work Finished a chapter yesterday so scoping out the next tonight. Gotta keep the momentum moving forward.

David J. Kent is an avid science traveler and the author of Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America, now available. His previous books include Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World (both Fall River Press). He has also written two e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate.

Check out my Goodreads author page. While you’re at it, “Like” my Facebook author page for more updates!

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Science Traveling – Ipswich

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It’s a busy week of writing – I’m working on articles for the Lincoln Group of DC newsletter, for Tesla Magazine, and for the Smithsonian Civil War Studies website. Amidst all of this I’m out science traveling. More on that in the future. Which gets me to a quick visit in Ipswich.

I previewed my most recent trip to my hometown in Massachusetts in this article. More articles are here (click and scroll down). The talk on Nikola Tesla I gave at the Ipswich Museum is here.

Ipswich is the “Birthplace of American Independence,” the home of the famous Ipswich clam (aka, steamers), the Clam Box, Crane Beach, and “The Castle.” It’s also home to more first period houses than any other place in the United States. In short, it’s pretty cool.

Some of the more famous houses include the Whipple House:

Whipple House, Ipswich

The John Heard House (now home to the Ipswich Museum), typical of the wealthier folks in town:

John Heard House, Ipswich

Directly across the street from the Heard House is a reconstruction of a simple timber frame structure called the Alexander Knight House, circa 1657. This was the kind of house that most families lived in during early Ipswich days (incorporated 1634):

Alexander Knight House

And then there is this yellow house. I actually don’t know much about it even though it has stood on this prominent rise overlooking the main downtown area for my entire life. I’ll  dig up more information for a later post.

Big yellow house, Ipswich

There is much more to Ipswich than these glimpses. I’ll write more later but for starters you can check out the Stories from Ipswich blog by Historian Gordon Harris.

And don’t forget – if you downloaded my e-book, Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time, please leave a rating and review.

Come back on Thursday for more science traveling from Argentina. I’ll also post from the road as internet connection allows.

David J. Kent is an avid traveler and is currently working on a book about Abraham Lincoln’s interest in science and technology. He is also the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and an ebook, Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time.

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Traveling, talking, and tripping through memories

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I hope everyone had a great 4th of July holiday. I’ve been doing a little science traveling, mostly without internet access. But I did stop off at Sandy Hook to see the marine lab I worked at many years ago.

The 32,000 gallon aquarium has been recreated (the lab burned to the ground when I was there and was rebuilt). I’ll talk more about this in the future.

A bit rainy but managed to get in the Independence Day parade in Manchester-by-the-Sea.

And the beautiful weather at the Ipswich River. Tomorrow I give my Tesla presentation at the Ipswich Museum if you’re in town at noon.

I’ll have more once I have internet access.

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Halloween in Ipswich – David Ortiz and the Scariest Pole Competition You’ll Ever See

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Happy Halloween everyone! You really have to love this time of year. When else can you express your inner weirdness and have people applaud you for your creativity rather than run away from you as if you had lost your mind?

On a recent trip to my home town of Ipswich I came across the local pole-decorating contest. No dancers, just scary things. Truly scary things. Okay, sort of scary things. But you get the idea.

There were pole monsters.

Ipswich pole monster

For movie trivia buffs, there were screaming women being attacked by birds (extra credit to anyone who can name the movie, director, and star).

The Birds

Some wolf bane? (or is that wolf baying?)

Baying wolf

Of course, some were still under construction.

Under construction

Two heads are better than one this time of year.

Two heads are better than one

The best way to escape the graveyard? Swinging on a wrecking ball, of course.

Skeleton wrecking ball

Wait, this is my better side. Yes, much better. We have a winner! Congratulations to the bony guy (or is it gal?). It won the competition.

Skeleton_Photo credit Dan Mac Alpine

And, of course, there were plenty of pumpkins.

Halloween pumpkins

But the scariest sight of all, especially if you were the Rays, the Tigers, or the Cardinals, was the vision of David Ortiz coming up to the plate. Congratulations to the Boston Red Sox for winning the World Series and David Ortiz for taking home the trophy for Most Valuable Player. Go Sox. Boston Strong!

David Ortiz MVP_Photo credit Matt Slocum

David J. Kent is the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity. You can order a signed copy directly from me, download the ebook at barnesandnoble.com, and find hard copies exclusively at Barnes and Noble bookstores.

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Two Historic Events Regarding Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity

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Tesla: The Wizard of ElectricityTalk about having to wait a long time for delivery of a book. How about 9 months? Yep, that’s the time elapsed between being the first person to pay for Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and actually receiving delivery. It was one of two big events on August 15th, 2013.

As I wrote last November, I had donated a copy of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity to the silent auction at the annual meeting of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC). The ink on the manuscript was still wet, at least figuratively, and the cover design and title were still not finalized. So the “book” took the form of a short brochure on a padded backing. That facsimile received five bids, with the final bidder paying that amount to SETAC for its fund to help students building their scientific careers. I get a donation, the winner gets a book, and students get some much needed funding. Everyone wins.

Ah, but the book hadn’t actually been physically produced at that point. So the winning bidder, Diana Eignor, waited patiently for nine full months to receive her book. She even attended my book launch party in July this year, only to find that a delay in shipment meant I still didn’t have any books. Yesterday we remedied that by meeting for lunch on the plaza near her office, which given that the SETAC meeting had been in Long Beach, California, fortuitously turned out to be only a short walk from my own office in Washington DC. After some great food and delightful conversation I signed and inscribed the book over to her. The longest waiting book delivery ever (at least for my book).

The second big event yesterday was even more astonishing. I made the front page of my hometown newspaper, the Ipswich Chronicle. Growing up in a relatively small town in New England was something I probably didn’t appreciate enough when I lived there but I definitely appreciate every time I go back to where my parents and much of my extended family still resides. It’s my detox place. A way to shed the high stress craziness of the Washington DC area and remind myself what is really important in life.

I did know that a profile article on me was in the works. A freelance writer named Beverly Perna had been contracted by the paper’s editor to interview me and write up a piece about a “local boy done good.” We’ve actually been waiting a month for a slot to open up so it could be printed. Yesterday (August 15) was that slot. What was surprising is that the article made the front page! With a photo of me holding my Tesla book. The very nice article continues from page 1 onto page 3.

I can’t wait to see it. Yes, as exciting as this event is I have yet to actually see it in print. I received a call from my parents and Facebook notes from friends, but since I’m several hundred miles away I haven’t seen the paper yet. They will post the article in a few days on the website version of their paper (Wicked Local Ipswich), and when it’s up I’ll be sure to post a link on my Facebook author’s page. After all, now I’m a celebrity. 🙂

All in all a nicely exciting week.

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Within These Walls – Ipswich at the Smithsonian

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Yesterday, after shipping out a copy of my book to Nikola Tesla’s grand-nephew William Terbo, I took a break and headed downtown to Washington DC. I had read in the “Wicked Local” online version of my hometown paper, Ipswich Chronicle, that The Actors Company would be performing Within These Walls at the Smithsonian Museum of American History. I had to go.

For those who didn’t know it, an entire house once located at 16 Elm Street in Ipswich was disassembled in 1963 and reconstructed at the Smithsonian. The exhibit is one of the largest objects in their collection, and is displayed such that visitors can look into the various rooms of the house and experience the respective lives of five residents over the years.

JT Turner Within These Walls

Within These Walls was written by playwright, actor, and director J.T. Turner, who was asked by the Smithsonian to tell the stories of the people who lived there. As the house itself looms behind them, the play opens with the two Ipswich housewives, Kay Thompson and Helen Lunt, pleading with the demolition man not to tear it down. Reminiscent of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, as the workman settles in for the night intending the demolition to start the next morning, he begins to hear the house reveal its history. As he questions his sanity, residents of the house appear in sequence representing major historical time periods.

It begins with Abraham Choate building the house in 1760 for his growing family. He is followed by Abraham Dodge, a revolutionary war patriot who explains how Ipswich came to be known as “The Birthplace of American Independence” (hint, it has to do with being the first to refuse to pay taxes to the British crown). Ahead to the Caldwells, active in the fight to abolish slavery prior to the Civil War, then to the Lynch family of Irish immigrants struggling to pay the $50 a year rent to the wealthy Heard family who then owned the house. And finally to the Scott’s as they supported the World War II effort at home while their two sons fought overseas.

Abraham and Sarah Choate

Throughout the play the spectators become entranced both by the individual stories of the people who lived in the house and by the historical periods they represent. Having been born and raised in Ipswich, and just recently spent my 4th of July holiday there, the play was especially poignant as the family names and stories remain part of the ongoing life-thread of the town. At times the memories it invoked became personally emotional. After the play ended I was lucky enough to have a brief conversation with J.T. Turner. As I thanked him for his wonderful writing, the actress who played “Grandma” Scott gaze at me with that look that actors get when they see how their craft affected others. I can safely say that I was affected by the performance. Thank you all.

David J. Kent is the author of Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America, now available. His previous books include Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World (both Fall River Press). He has also written two e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate.

Check out my Goodreads author page. While you’re at it, “Like” my Facebook author page for more updates!

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