National Chess Day

The U.S. Senate unanimously passed a resolution last Wednesday that established October 9 as National Chess Day. As a concept, National Chess Day has been around since the time of President Ford, but it evidently had never been an "official" occasion until now. There are a number of events being organized around the country to commemorate the day, though I'm not aware of anything like that currently scheduled in New Hampshire.

On the literary front, I'm embarking on a 735-page journey through, "The life and times of Benjamin Franklin," as laid out in H.W. Brands's The First American. Though history is an interest of mine, I've never been a big one for biographies. All the same, I'm enjoying this volume so far. Through the prologue and into the first chapter, Brands is showing himself a lucid and engaging writer. I especially appreciate that he does not skimp on detail for the sake of readability but instead skillfully weaves the two together. I have high hopes for the remaining 722 or so pages.

The 2010 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded today to Dr. Robert G. Edwards of England, who along with Dr. Patrick Steptoe developed the procedure of in vitro fertilization. It is estimated that more than four million people have been conceived using this method, which debuted with the birth of the first "test tube baby," Louise Brown, on July 25, 1978.

Any mention of the Nobel Prize, in any discipline, usually elicits a diatribe from me against the subjectivity and poor qualifications of the Literature committee, but this year I am going to hold off until the prize is actually announced on Thursday. I've heard rumors that Cormac McCarthy may be under consideration, and as an American author hasn't won since 1993 (when Toni Morrison was the recipient), I would be excited if he did in fact receive the prize.