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Nice memories, Max. Interesting that it's his signature rather than the books that catch your attention. My wife's father died recently & at the funeral a number of things associated with him were on display. There was a book he won for being best student back in the 30s, I forget the author, but was intrigued to see that he had been a popular one, but the title stays with me: The Moneymoon: A Romance. Long gone from all memory, but there it is.... Doug On 8-Nov-06, at 3:49 PM, Max Richards wrote: > My Father's Signature > > As I sort unwanted books, > 'Arthur C. Richards - > Awakino, 1933' - > his elegant penmanship > on the fly-leaves of old texts, > renews an old pang. > > Newly-wed and years before my birth > he taught in the bush, enrolled > extramurally for a B.A... > Shakespeare, Milton, Pope, Spenser: > here they are with glosses in his hand > like 'extended metaphor'... > > He threw it in. Poetry > he never mentioned to me. > The same year he became > Awakino tennis champ, jumped > the fence to the bowling green > and also won that competition. > > This was much mentioned. > Meanwhile his father, Arthur S., > opposition backbencher, > read Left Book Club books > on Fascism and the other isms. > > Labour waited its turn. When > it came they made New Zealanders > 'secure from the cradle to the grave'. > Tennis and bowls maintained themselves. > > Just for the signature > I'll keep the books, and go on > looking for his 'Tale of a Tub' > and 'Battle of the Books.' > > > November 2006 > > Max Richards > > Doncaster, Melbourne > > > ------------------------------------------------------------ > This email was sent from Netspace Webmail: http://www.netspace.net.au > > Douglas Barbour 11655 - 72 Avenue NW Edmonton Ab T6G 0B9 (780) 436 3320 http://www.ualberta.ca/~dbarbour/ Latest book: Continuations (with Sheila E Murphy) http://www.uap.ualberta.ca/UAP.asp?LID=41&bookID=664 You may allow me moments not monuments, I being content. It is little, but it is little enough. John Newlove