dad’s eye view

You can order Dad’s Eye View (and any other book you desire) from Powells.com through Sunday and get free shipping!

Offer valid at Powells.com (not in our Portland-area stores) on orders placed by 11:59 p.m. (Pacific Time) July 24, 2011. No minimum purchase required. Applies to packages shipped to U.S. destinations via Economy Mail.

The book is also available through MHS Press, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and (for now, at least) Border’s, as well as at many local booksellers and gift shops (it’s been spotted on the shelves at the History Center, Mill City Museum, Bibelot, Corazon, Barnes & Noble, and Creative Kidstuff), and through IndieBound, who partner with local independent booksellers. But a free shipping deal from one of the country’s best and biggest booksellers is certainly a great excuse to order up a copy of Dad’s Eye View for yourself or as a gift!

The Irish Gazette, St. Paul’s Irish monthly, mentions the book in the current issue:

Michael Hartford, Gaelic speaker, has penned a book that is making him very popular with parents of young children that live or visit the Twin Cities. “Dad’s Eye View,” which is published by The Minnesota Historical Society Press, has been a big hit with book buyers. In the book Hartford describes 52 of his family’s favorite Twin Cities spots — one for each week of the year. To secure a copy go to your favorite book store or to www.mhspress.org.

I am indeed a (passable) Gaelic speaker–I can successfully discuss the weather, order a beer, and recite poetry in Irish, which are useful skills in only a few places. (One of which is the Irish Fair on Harriet Island, coming up in a couple weeks–don’t miss it!) The book is, of course, entirely in English.

If you’re interested in the Irish (and Scots and Welsh) goings-on around the Twin Cities and Midwest, you should pick up your copy of the Gazette, available at just about anyplace with an Irish angle (Irish on Grand, local pubs, and so on). It’s packed with news from Ireland as well, essays on music and dance, and lessons in Irish.

Full disclosure: Jim Brooks, the publisher of the Irish Gazette, is an in-law of mine in some convoluted and typically St. Paul Irish manner; I long ago gave up on trying to understand how exactly I’m related by marriage to half the St. Paul Irish population, and simply accept that they’re all cousins of some sort.

Sl´inte!

I hope all the Dads out there had the best Fathers Day ever! Despite the threat of rain, the weather held pretty well here in the Twin Cities: a little overcast, a little muggy, but still reasonable enough for outdoor adventures. We had a great time at Elm Creek Park, trying out the brand new playground, and ate some brats and drank some root beer when we got home: low key, but a great time.

I thought I’d share a few Fathers Day items that gave me pause this weekend to think about the job that Dads do.

First, there’s the poem by Robert Hayden, “Those Winter Sundays,” that I think speaks best to that job. It’s about as wise and warm a poem as I’ve ever read.

Then there’s the This American Life episode for this weekend, with its typical mix of touching, ironic, and funny stories. I dare you not to get a little choked up despite some of the (often funny) “bad dad” moments in this show.

And finally, the new fatherhood initiative from the White House has some really interesting resources, including tips on helping with homework, volunteer opportunities, and stories from the front lines of Dad-hood.

If you got Dad’s Eye View as a Fathers Day gift this year, or grabbed a copy for yourself before The Big Day to find some ideas for kid-led adventures, I’d love to hear about it! Did you find a new favorite place, or revisit an old favorite with a fresh perspective?

And if you didn’t get Dad’s Eye View yet, worry not! It’s available at your favorite Twin Cities bookstores and gift shops (including Barnes & Noble, Creative Kidstuff, Corazon, and the Bibelot Shop), or at the usual online places (plus the MHS Press store), and is full of things that are sure to keep you exploring all summer long!

At least, it’s on the shelves at the Minnesota History Center bookstore (and in very good company, I should note). But orders have shipped out to the bookstores around the Twin Cities, so it’s only a matter of unpacking and shelving to get them out to a store near you! Ask at your local bookseller or gift shop if you don’t see it.

Now that the book is out there, I’m interested in hearing how it’s being used, and also seeing it in the wild. This seems like a great idea for a contest–watch this space tomorrow for a “Dad’s Eye View on the Streets” photo challenge!

Dad's Eye View

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