Brochure, and the Other Members of the Cambridge Bike Committee Who Helped Run the Ride
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BIKE TOURS OF CAMBRIDGE 2009 Sponsored by Cambridge Bicycle Committee RIDE INFO: www.cambridgebikes.org Literary Cambridge by bike t Saturday, May 16 2009 A Cambridge GoGreen Month event Vladimir Nabokov Preface (1899–1977) page 6 Cambridge is a great place to bike, with few hills and a growing network of streets with accommod- ations for bicycles. The Cambridge Bicycle Committee, made up of volunteers (appointed by the City Manager) and representatives from relevant city departments, seeks to get more people to use their bikes more often. With that goal in mind, the committee reviews development and road projects, suggests changes to city policies, and sponsors activities to encourage people to ride bicycles. getting more people out of their cars to bike or walk creates a more livable city for everyone by reducing traffic congestion, air pollution, and noise — and of course, physical activity improves individual health. also, studies show that the more cyclists there are on the streets, the safer it is for each rider. The committee sponsors twice-a-year bicycle tours of Cambridge to show why the city is a great place to bike and to highlight interesting ways to get from one part of town to another. The spring and fall rides are often organized around a theme such as public art, parks and playgrounds, green buildings, history and geography. This year’s ride is the twelfth in the series, and the theme is Literary Cambridge. page 1 Books & CaMBridge Introduction it all started in 1640 with the if boston was once viewed as publication of the first book the “athens of america,” then in british North america: the Cambridge and Harvard were Bay Psalm Book was printed by the acropolis and Parthenon. t stephen day, who lived a long list of poets, novelists, in Harvard Square. Thirty and non-fiction writers lived in, ministers including John eliot wrote in, or wrote about our fair and richard mather had been city — Anne bradstreet, margret commissioned to translate the and H.a. rey, W.e.b. dubois, Psalms from the Hebrew. The Vladimir Nabokov, T.S. eliot, psalter, without music, was and robert Frost, to name a printed in Cambridge on a press few. and Cambridge figures in that became the property of the story line of dozens of books Harvard. although 1,700 copies (and the films based on them), were printed, only 11 survive; two from The Sound and the Fury to Love are in the boston Public Library. Story. in 1663, t John eliot The following mentions only of roxbury published the a small number of the many Algonquin Bible. it was the first literary figures associated bible printed in Cambridge with Cambridge. also, only and was produced at the shop residences of writers no once owned by day. eliot longer living in Cambridge translated both the Old and New (or no longer living at all!) Testaments into algonquin to are documented, but the help his work in evangelizing the tradition continues: massachusetts tribe. Cambridge is t anne Bradstreet currently home to (1612–1672) The first american two former U.S. poet lived for a time at 1384 poet laureates massachusetts avenue (near and many today’s Out of Town News) contemporary where she wrote the poems writers. collected in Tenth Muse Lately Sprung Up in America (1650). She was the subject of poet John berryman’s first book in 1956, Homage to Thomas Wentworth Higginson Mistress Bradstreet, which garnered (1823–1911) page 6 much attention and acclaim. Stop I t William James (1842– t Julia Child (1912–2004) 1910) The philosopher of The author of the two-volume pragmatism and pioneering Mastering the Art of French Cooking psychologist wrote Varieties of and star of “The French Chef” Religious Experience. in 1889 he lived across the street at 103 built a house at 95 irving Street. irving. Her kitchen is now in the He said when he was at home he Smithsonian National museum was “in elysium.” of american History. She shopped at Savenor’s market on down the street is 104 irving, kirkland Street. the family home of t e.e. cummings (1894–1962), On the way to the next stop, the experimental poet and we ride by 119 Oxford Street, non-lecturer. His only novel, where, in Love Story by t erich The Enormous Room, drew on his segal, Jenny and Oliver live experiences in the great War. after they marry and before they The house is said to have had the move to New York. first telephone in Cambridge. 2 Stop II t Pauline Hopkins (1856– 1930) an african-american novelist, she published four novels set in slavery and post- Civil War times. She was also the editor of Colored American and New Era magazines, both published in boston. Hopkins lived at 53 Clifton Street from 1896 but e.e. cummings (1894–1962) in 1914 moved to Jay Street in Cambridgeport, where she died in 1930. On the way to the next stop, we pass by the corner of Fayerweather and reservoir streets, location of the former home of massachusetts governor t William Weld (in office 1991–1997), who has since published several novels. Pauline Hopkins (1856–1930) Ryan O’Neal and Ali MacGraw in William Weld, Massachusetts scene from Love Story (1970) Governor, 1991–1997 3 C e St d y a rve r Ha S t Y e C 5 II rxa l d F if Sh t R ro o R d e n d n s r la t St m p ve St a e A U n dal S ich 4 t R G St o t rh t am St St Sco ett er O Ev x fo St rd t S 19 cy St n e u 13 a Q n i Co h u p ncord C i Ave n 12 c Al 14 V F y a 15 S y t e 10 rw 16 IV 17 18 t e Green S a 9 t Ki h 6 rn St H n e 7 St 11 ubu o n r le A w a S tt Mt a ird t rd Bra S St t 8 III Bl a cks to n e St Map Key CitySmart Start of ride to official start Dana Park to CrLS (1.2 miles) Miles Start at CrLS/Library I Stop i t e.e. cummings corner 0 0.4 0.8 II Stop ii t Pauline Hopkins house 1. William James, 95 irving St. III Stop iii t elmwood 2. e.e. cummings, 104 irving St. IV Stop iV t Longfellow House 3. Julia Child, 103 irving St. V Stop V t Harvard University at the broadway underpass 4. Love story House, 119 Oxford St. End at riverside Press Park 5. Pauline Hopkins, 53 Clifton St. Return to CrLS 1.16 miles 6. William Weld, 28 Fayerweather St. 7. May sarton, 5 Channing Place 8. James russell Lowell, 33 elmwood ave 9. Bartlett House, 165 brattle St. 10. robert Frost, 29 brewster 4 Literary C e Cambridge St d y a rve r a S H Y by t e C rxa l d F if Sh t R ro o R d e n d n s r la t St m p St a Ave U n ale d bike S ich t R G St o t r t ha m 3 I St 2 St Sco ett 1 er O Ev x fo St rd t S cy St n e u Start a Q n i Co h u p ncord C i Ave n c Al V F y 20 a S 26 y t e 21 rw t e 22 Green S a 25 t Ki h rn St H n e St ubu o n r le A 23 w a S tt Mt a ird t rd Bra S St t Bl CitySmart Start a cks Return to n e 24 St End Miles 0 0.4 0.8 11. Vladimir Nabokov, 9 maynard Place 21. grolier Poetry Book shop, 6 Plympton St 12. Thomas Wentworth Higginson, 29 buckingham 22. Harvard Lampoon, 44 bow St. 13. William dean Howells, 37 Concord ave 23. W.e.B. duBois, 20 Flagg St 14. Vladimir Nabokov, 8 Craigie Circle, Suite 35 24. riverside Press 15. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, 105 brattle St. 25. richard Henry dana, Jr, 257 green St. 16. archibald MacLeish, 4 Willard St. 26. Margeret Fuller, 71 Cherry St. 17. T.s. elliot, 16 ash St. 18. Margaret and H.a. rey, 14 Hillard St. 19. Vladimir Nabokov, 16 Chauncy St. 20. James Family, 20 Quincy St. BIKE TOURS OF CAMBRIDGE 2009 Sponsored by Cambridge Bicycle Committee RIDE INFO: www.cambridgebikes.org 5 James Russell Lowell (1819–1891) Stop III t James russell Lowell t Thomas Wentworth (1819–1891) The first editor Higginson (1823–1911). an of The Atlantic Monthly, he wrote abolitionist, Civil War soldier, satirical works such as The Biglow and proponent of equality Papers, which featured american for women, he moved to 29 dialects. He lived at elmwood, buckingham Street in 1878. now the home of the president He is best known today as the of Harvard. He succeeded longtime friend from afar and his friend Henry Wadsworth editor of emily dickinson. He Longfellow at a post at Harvard. called her poetry “remarkable though odd.” as the route enters Old Cambridge, we pass by the t William dean Howells homes of many literary notables (1837–1920) While editor of on the way to the next stop.