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Posted by: Neely Tucker
U.S. politician and diplomat Joel R. Poinsett was also an amateur botanist. In 1828, he brought back a bright red plant from a posting in Mexico, grew it in his South Carolina greenhouses and was so identified with its popularity that it was soon named after him -- the poinsettia, the ever-popular holiday decoration.
Posted in: Christmas
Posted by: Mark Hartsell
Judy Garland insisted that the original gloomy lyrics of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" be rewritten to a warm, wistful tone in what is now a holiday standard. Garland debuted the song in the 1944 musical, "Meet Me in St. Louis."
Posted in: Christmas, Music, Performing Arts
Posted by: Neely Tucker
"A Christmas Memory," Truman Capote's bittersweet short story about his small-town Alabama childhood with his eccentric elderly cousin, has been one of the nation's most beloved tales in the holiday canon since it was first published in 1956. The Library has Capote's handwritten draft of the story, which reveals much about the young Capote.
Posted in: Christmas, Manuscripts, Writers