Los Angeles CA
7-05-2024 10:06pm

Writing Classes: Be Inspired by Letters of John Cooldige Jr. Death

Journaling, creative writing, or sending intimate details of an event by email or a handwritten letter should not be dismissed; the historical letters of a mother losing her son highlight this.

Historical

The antibiotics, nor the understanding of germs, we take for granted were not present when President Garfield was shot neither 43 years later when John Coolidge Jr. was injured.

An accounting, combined with diary entries, of the long-suffering injury and ultimate death of President Andrew Garfield is detailed in the 2011 book by Candice Millard in "Destiny of the Republic: : A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President" .

A bundle of letters written by Mrs. Coolidge, was given by her granddaughter's husband to the Calvin Coolidge Memorial Foundation two-years after the death, in 2000, of his wife Lydia Coolidge Sayles

One letter was written July 17, 1932, by Grace Coolidge to her son John Coolidge and his wife Florence. It describes Calvin Coolidge Jr's dying hours, due to an infected blister on his toe which led to blood poisoning; in a time before antibiotics. Calvin Coolidge had died 8 years prior, July 7th, 1924.

“I leaned over his bed knowing that he was fast slipping beyond the reach of my voice, perhaps even then would not hear, and I said, ‘You’re alright, Calvin,’ as I had said it so many times in the days when he was troubled about some little matter. Without opening his eyes, he nodded his head, ever so little and the flicker of his old smile came and was gone. Then, they began giving him oxygen and kept his heart beating, but his spirit had slipped away,” she wrote. “All the afternoon, dark, awe-inspiring clouds had rolled across the sky, the lightening was almost constant and thunder followed it in mighty roars of majestic power. Calvin’s dilerium (sic) seemed to be a part of it all and for a long time, he seemed to be on a horse leading a cavalry charge in battle. He called out, ‘come on, come on; help, help!’ and, for a time, he thought he was sitting backwards on his horse and asked us to turn him around. Father put his arms under him and tried to persuade him that he had turned him but he thought he was still wrong side around. Finally, he relaxed and called out, ‘We surrender, we surrender!’” Dr. Boone said, ‘never surrender, Calvin.’ He answered only, ‘yes.’ And somehow I was glad that he had gone down, still fighting.” “I have written all this down for you, this morning, because I want you to know that death seems to me a very natural, even a very beautiful transition, a passing from life here, interesting though it is, into a more abundant life, in which our spirits develop more beautifully and strongly and where opportunity for service is greater, where all is more clearly understood and selfishness and greed are unknown,” she wrote to her surviving son and his wife.
Letters provide a personal look at the Coolidge family | News | timesargus.com

Creative Writing View Schedule of Classes from any & all Community Colleges(laccd.edu)

Valley College

  • MEDIART 116 - Introduction to Screenwriting - no real time meetings are required.All activities are online. Starts July 15 Ends August 18th
  • English 101 - College Reading & Composition I This is a college-level freshman composition course, which focuses on expository writing and require the writing of a minimum of 6000 words in essays and a research paper.

Summer 24 web.pdf (lavc.edu)

Mission College

summer-fall-2024.pdf (missioncollege.edu)

Summer Classes July 15th - August 18th Last day to enroll in classes with permission number July 17, 2024

  • ENGLISH 103 - Composition & Critical Thinking 7/15/2024 - 8/18/2024 Prerequisite: English 101 or English 101x or English 101y or English 101z or ESL 110
  • ENGLISH 124 - P01 Short Story Writing I 8/26/2024 - 12/15/2024
    Prerequisite: English 101 with a grade of "C" or better. For courses completed outside of the LACCD, proof of eligibility must be taken to Counseling.

Pierce College

Summer Classes July 15th - August 18th Last day to enroll in classes with permission number July 17, 2024 LAPC_Schedule_of_Classes_Summer_2024_Session_B_2.pdf

    • English Courses | LAPC
    • ENGLISH 124 - P01 Short Story Writing I 8/26/2024 - 12/15/2024
      Prerequisite: English 101 with a grade of "C" or better. For courses completed outside of the LACCD, proof of eligibility must be taken to Counseling.

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