Bavaria’s Most Wanted

While doing some random Google searches, I stumbled upon a fascinating resource on Google Books – the Bayer[ische] Zentral-Polizei-Blatt, or the Bavarian Central Police newspaper.  In short, Bavaria’s Most Wanted. While my German language skills are lacking, it seems that this paper was distributed throughout Germany and perhaps neighboring countries – presumably to police departments.  [...]

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It was a Dark and Stormy Night

Weather has always been big news, and the more severe the weather, the bigger the news. I was surprised to discover that the media obsession with weather-related events isn’t new – it also happened in my Bavarian ancestors’ hometown back in 1813. I recently found this newspaper account of a violent storm that occurred in [...]

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Vote for Your Favorite Genealogy Blogs!

Once again, Family Tree Magazine has announced the nominees for the “40 Best Genealogy Blogs” for 2011.  And once again, I’m honored to be in the running – thanks for anyone who nominated What’s Past is Prologue.  There are many great genealogy blogs on the list!  The voting polls close at midnight on December 20th, [...]

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Family Tree Magazine’s Top 40 Blogs – Thanks for Voting for Me!

What’s Past is Prologue has been named one of Family Tree Magazine’s 40 Best Genealogy Blogs!  Many thanks to all of my readers and friends who voted for me.  It is truly an honor to be recognized.  I am also honored to be in the company of the other 39 Best – for they truly [...]

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A Blog-Caroling We Will Go

Today it’s time for the esteemed (if not old) tradition of Christmas blog caroling!  This great tradition was begun by footnoteMaven and continues this year as geneabloggers everywhere “sing” their favorite carols.  First up – in the non-religious category – one of my favorite Christmas songs when I was growing up: We Need a Little [...]

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O Night Divine

Today many genea-bloggers will go blog-caroling together by blogging about our favorite Christmas carol.  The flannel-jammied yet stylish footnoteMaven will post a round-up of all of our favorite carols.  And the best part?  You don’t have to hear us actually sing. If I had been asked about my favorite Christmas song as I was growing [...]

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8 Things About Me*

*that you probably don’t need to know… It’s meme time again, and this one’s an all about me meme.  I’ve been tagged by Thomas once again!  The Rules: 1. Each player starts with eight random fact/habits about themselves. 2. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post [...]

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Science Fiction for Genealogists

One of the great loves of my life has been science fiction.  After just one sentence, I can guarantee that about a quarter to a third of you readers are nodding your head in agreement, or saying, “I knew I liked her for a reason!”  But the rest of you probably groaned – that is, [...]

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Fact or Fiction? Only Research Will Tell!

The great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie — deliberate, contrived and dishonest — but the myth — persistent, persuasive and unrealistic.  ~ John F. Kennedy In the current issue (December 2008) of Discovering Family History magazine, I have an article entitled “Fact or Fiction?  Top Genealogical Myths.”  I define a [...]

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Push Not the River: An Interview with James C. Martin

Historical fiction does not merely tell a good story – the reader also learns about the time and place of the novel’s events.  In conclusion of What’s Past is Prologue’s celebration of Polish-American Heritage Month, I can think of no finer novel to highlight than Push Not the River by James Conroyd Martin.  Genealogists will [...]

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From a Far Country

They have called [me] from a far country — far, but always so close through the communion in the Christian faith and tradition… October 16, 2008 marked the 30th anniversary of Karol Wojtyła becoming Pope John Paul II – the first Slavic Pope ever and the first non-Italian Pope since the 16th Century.  In 1978, [...]

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Polish Literature

As an English major in both college and grad school, I’ve read a fair amount of literature.  But in my entire academic life I never encountered a Polish author on the syllabus other than Joseph Conrad, who, though Polish, wrote in English and can be found in English lit books as opposed to “World” lit.  [...]

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