Raindrops on roses, warm woolen mittens, brown paper packages… these are somebody’s favorite things for sure. But for me, one thing’s for certain: there’s nothing I like more than learning as much as I can about my own favorite things. With the resources here on campus, I have plenty of opportunity to learn as much as I can.
Favorite things: Cats!
Who doesn’t love our feline overlords? According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, there are roughly 71 million pet cats in the United States alone – the most preferred (pre-furred?) pet in the country. For all their fuzzy charm, however, these popular, beloved, adorable animals are still something of an enigma to most people. For centuries, cats have been featured in medical and religious books, plays, short stories and how-to manuals. The oldest depiction of a cat in the IU libraries dates to 1440, where a cat is shown chasing a mouse in the margin of a manual dedicated to medicinal herbs. But if you’re interested in more recent information about understanding your cat, why not check out this article on the feline gaze? Or this letter to the editor of the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine regarding cats’ ability to sniff out hypoglycemia? Or this article about understanding your cat’s personality? Perhaps you want to view what is often considered the world’s first cat video, from 1894? Maybe you prefer vintage cat food ads, like this one from 1971. Whatever your curiosity about cats, we have just the resources to help you out.
Favorite things: Chocolate!
Chocolate has been with us for about 4000 years. It can be traced back to the Olmec, with traces of theobromine and caffeine (two of the chemicals that make chocolate what it is) found on pottery linked to their civilization. But chocolate, and more specifically the cacao seeds which make chocolate, has been used for much more than eating and drinking. Cacao was used as currency, in funerals and religious ceremonies, as medicine and as a trade good. Chocolate played a role in the industrial revolution with the invention of the Dutching process.
Yet lots of questions remain about one of the world’s most beloved foods. Is chocolate healthy? Perhaps. Or maybe not. Is chocolate going extinct? Possibly, but not anytime soon. Is fair trade really fair? Not likely. Seriously not likely. As I come up with more questions, I can always turn to IU East library resources to aid me in my quest for answers.
Favorite things: Rock and Roll!
The Twist. The Pony. The Mashed Potato. The Hand Jive. These are the only dances I know, and all of them stem from a tiny window of American history – the era of rock and roll. Roughly defined by the years 1955 (when Bill Haley’s “Rock Around the Clock” hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart) and 1969, rock and roll refers to the melding of disparate musical styles to create a uniquely American art form.
Much of that story involves a number of seminal figures who helped define the image of rock and roll we hold today. While Elvis Presley was not the first rock and roll star, he remains the preeminent example of the mesmerizing, powerful impact of the music, and remains the most successful musician of the rock era. He was born in near-poverty in Tupelo, Mississippi, a surviving twin, and grew up an only child who listened closely to all of the music around him. Country, gospel, blues, bluegrass and folk music were all part of his upbringing, and his versions of songs like “Old Shep”, “Blue Moon of Kentucky” and “Peace in the Valley” incorporated all of his influences. Presley died in 1977, but his presence can be found in virtually every popular music recording since his career began. Other highly important rock and roll figures include guitarist Chuck Berry, songwriter and performer Buddy Holly (one of the very first musicians who wrote most of his own songs), “Mr. Excitement” Jackie Wilson and, later, The Beatles, who rank as the second most successful act in popular music history.
But what matters most is the legacy of the art form itself. The energy, the rawness and the unpolished yet frenetic sounds of rock and roll changed popular music forever. In modern artists from Beck to Luis Fonsi to Imagine Dragons, rock and roll continues to make itself known.
Interested in discovering more about your favorite things? We’re here to help! Ask Us at iueref@iue.edu.