In a message dated 1/30/2004 12:04:58 PM Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
> Anthony West writes: > > Dickens was a literary superstar when Spruce Hill was being > > developed. Clark Park embraces the world's only life-sized statue of > > him (with his beloved character Little Nell), so every year the FoCP > > throws a party to honor his legacy. > > Pardon my ignorance, but I've lived here for years and have never been > able to figure out what Dickens' connection to this area was. Did he > visit the area, or is there some Dickens book I haven't read that talks > about Spruce Hill? How did the neighborhood come to have > this statue? > Dickens' novels were extremely popular in Philadelphia, and not merely among the literate. They were published in serial form, a few chapters at a time, and shipped overseas for redistribution. I've read that whenever a new chapter arrived on board an incoming ship, crowds would gather at the docks to hear them read aloud. Dickens' will actually specified that there be no statues of him be erected. His fans in Philadelphia chose to ignore that request, which is why our statue is unique. ---- You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named "UnivCity." To unsubscribe or for archive information, see <http://www.purple.com/list.html>.
