Free Books

Promotion Ends
Sorry, but this promotion, because of demand, has already terminated. No more free books available. (For cheapest O'Hara books, go to www.philabooks.webs.com). Hope to post your free books Monday. That's NOT a holiday, right? Anyway, look out for more cooperative promotions between the Society and @philabooksbooksellers. Happy Fourth of July!

Get a Free O'Hara Book

@philabooksbooksellers is offering subscribed members of The John O'Hara a free book authored by John O'Hara. These are second-hand books, and most are paperbacks. Condition varies. Offer applies as long as supplies last. Send a e-mail to philabooks@comcast.net, noting your membership and your mailing instructions. Offer expires 1 August 2009.

Contact us at John.OHara.Society@comcast.net, or by telephone at +(00)12672531086. We're always looking for contributors. Join the conversation! © 2009 Writers Clearinghouse.

Worldwide View

International Interest in Society, Study Says During the past year, this website of the John O'Hara Society has received visitors from 39 countries, with the United States and the United Kingdom topping the list as the locales producing the most hits. This is some of the information StatCounter, our statistical source for the website and its companion site, http://www.junto.blogspot.com/, shows. In descending order, the following are some of the countries represented in the data: Canada, Germany, Ireland, France, Spain, Japan, Thailand, Finland, Denmark, China, and Italy. How did visitors come to the site? According to the data, the most common 'keywords,' directing interested parties were, in the following order: 'o'hara novels,' 'john o'hara society,' 'john o'hara,' 'john o'hara novels,' 'john o'hara club,' 'john o'hara blog,' 'dunhill gold plated lighter,' 'wylie o'hara,' 'john o'hara philadelphia,' 'writers clearinghouse press,' 'john o'hara fan club,' 'john o'hara pal joey,' @philabooks,' and the like. Some of the more interesting hits included the following keywords: 'mere sex,' 'john o'hara still living,' 'my father came home at four o'clock one morning in the fall of 1918, and plumped down on a couch in the john' ohara,' 'date to love author john o'hara,' 'john o'hara jew,' 'erloff,' and the like. (Some others were pretty raunchy). If you'd like more details about the continuing survey and how it's compiled, just let me know. --- RDC

Writer's Query

Did O'Hara Get it Wrong?

In the Companion Guide project I am working on, I think I noticed two mistakes in Appointment in Samarra, and I was wondering if you had the time whether you could check things out in your first edition.

Early on Al Grecco picks up Julian driving home from the Country Club after the drink throwing incident. The books states that Al Grecco is driving a V-61 Cadillac Coach. I went online, and there is no V-61 Cadillac Coach. There is, however, a V-16 Cadillac Coach.

In the scene where Julian wakes up the next day with a hangover, there's a reference to his Kappa Beta Phi Key. There is no Kappa Beta Phi. Instead there is of course Phi Beta Kappa.

I have an email in to Penn State. They promised me an answer. I want to look at the original manuscript to see what was written down. Was this the error of the author or the publisher.

All the more reason for the pilgrimmage to Penn State. Any help you can give me would be appreciated.

--Robert Saliba

The Big Question?

Left to Right, James Checket, Robert Saliba, Robert Knott, Richard Carreno in front of old O'Hara house, 'Linebrook.'

Photo: Writers Clearinghouse

Why Did O'Hara Move to Princeton? That was the big question over lunch at the Nassau Inn. Lots of reasons: Near Philly and Pottsville. It wasn't New Haven It embodied Wall Street money Ivy League School Firzgerald? WASP population Thanks to Robert Saliba, we also get the official view from the late and pal Matt Bruccoli: '...Belle wanted to get John out of New York where there were too many distractions and to many bars. He concurred, admitting that it was time for him to make "21" a restaurant and not a career. When Wylie showed a mild asthma condition, the O'Haras began town hunting. Saratoga Springs, where Frank Sullivan lived, was considered, but was rejected because the winters were harsh and it was a long way from the reference sources O'Hara needed. No serious consideration was given to Potttsville. He wanted a college town for the library facilities and for the people; and Princeton won out over New Haven...He liked Princeton's location between Philadelphia and New York and had the theory that the social structure of a college town is set by the living standard of the full professors, This is not the case in Princeton. As John O'Hara certainly knew, Princeton is full of big money, and its social structure is more influenced by Wall Street than by Prospect Street." -- Bruccoli, Matthew J., The O'Hara Concern, p 199.

20 June 2009

Society Visits O'Hara's Princeton

After lunch at the Nassau Inn, a favourite O'Hara dining spot, Society pals toured the 'Master's Princeton.' Included were the Princeton Chapel, Trinity Church, the Nassau Club, Linebrook, and O'Hara's gravesite in the Princeton Cemetery. After almost four hours, we wound up having tea at the cafe in the new town Library building across from the cemetery. Among our group were Robert and Jenny Saliba, James and Sally Checket, Robert Knott, Carol Gramer, Joan Kane, and Richard Carreno.

Next trip? O'Hara's study at Penn State University. Stay tuned for details!

Contact us at John.OHara.Society@comcast.net, or by telephone at +(00)12672531086. We're always looking for contributors. Join the conversation! © 2009 Writers Clearinghouse.

Press Released

From: Richard Carreno
Date: 12 June 2009
Re: PRESS ADVISORY (O'Hara Society Field Trip to Princeton, NJ)
Contact: 267.253.1086

When: 20 June 2009, 12:30 PM
Who: John O'Hara Society
Where: Nassau Inn

Society to Princeton Sites Related to Author

The John O'Hara Society, a worldwide group that honours and celebrates the life and work of John O'Hara, arguably America's greatest 20th century short-story writer, will meet Saturday, 20 June, in Princeton, NJ, for a field trip to sites related to the author's life and death.

O'Hara lived in Princeton for many years until his death in 1970.

The group, with its head office in Philadelphia, will meet at 12:30 PM for lunch at the Nassau Inn, Palmer Square, and leave from there for site visits to:

* Princeton Cemetery (O'Hara's gravesite)
* 18 College Road West (his first house in Princeton)
* Princeton University Chapel (site of O'Hara's funeral service)
* Princeton Trinity Church (site of funeral of O'Hara's second wife, Belle)
* Linebrook (O'Hara's house)
* Nassau Club (his club in town)
* Princeton Y.M.C.A. (attended)

The lunch is reserved for CURRENT Society members only. The tour is open to all. Just show up.

For more details about the outing and FREE Society membership, go OHaraSociety.blogspot.com. Or contact the group's membership secretary, Richard Carreno, on 2672531086.

END

Contact us at John.OHara.Society@comcast.net, or by telephone at +(00)12672531086. We're always looking for contributors. Join the conversation! © 2009 Writers Clearinghouse.

John O'Hara @ Facebook

facebook Dear Pals: The following person recently invited you to be their friend on Facebook: Writers Clearinghouse Other people you may know on Facebook: Avery Rome The Philadelphia Inquirer Christopher Lydon Justin Carreno Washington, DC Lise Funderburg Philadelphia, PA Paula Goff Philadelphia, PA Connie Langland Philadelphia, PA Facebook is a great place to keep in touch with friends, post photos and videos, and create events. But first you need to join! Sign up today to create a profile and connect with the people you know. Thanks, The Facebook Team Facebook is free and anyone can join. Sign up To join Facebook, please follow the link below: http://www.facebook.com/r.php?re=15ca966f4069d4f1974e1130b5bf3778&mid=930748G48d264d5G2eaa57G46

Judy Blume on Reading O'Hara

JuAdy Blume on Reading John O'Hara Judy Blume remembers reading John O'Hara when she was young - a book the library wouldn't let her check out and that her mother forbid her to read. At the NCAC event with Toni Morrison and Fran Lebowitz. John O'Hara and censorship: Author Judy Blume discussing her reading O'Hara as a youth -- and what happened!

Provisional Itinerary

June 20 Itinerary

Here's a provisional itinerary for our June 20 field trip to Princeton, New Jersey. It's in no particular order:

Princeton Cementary (John O'Hara gravesite).
18 College Road West (Rental before he moved to Linebrook).
Princeton Hospital (Where Belle died).
Princeton Trinity Church (Belle funeral).
Linebook, intersection of Province Line and Pretty Book roads.
Nassau Club.
Princeton Y.M.C.A.
Princeton University Chapel (O'Hara funeral).

If anyone has any other ideas, please note them here.

Also, if anyone who plans to attend who has a camcorder, please bring that too for a film of the event. For the website. YouTube?
--RDC
Contact us at John.OHara.Society@comcast.net, or by telephone at +(00)12672531086. We're always looking for contributors. Join the conversation! © 2009 Writers Clearinghouse.