J Street

J

Jackson St. Percy Jackson & the Olympians is a series of young-adult adventure and fiction books written by Rick Riordan (born 1964). Five supplementary books, along with 3 graphic novels, have also been released. More than 20 million copies of the books have been sold. That’s a lot of books.

James Ave. James and the Giant Peach is a popular children's novel written in 1961 by British author Roald Dahl (1916 – 1990).

Jameson St. Margaret Storm Jameson (1891 – 1986) was an English journalist and author, known for her novels and reviews. Her most controversial work was Modern Drama in Europe, a critical analysis of the progress made in drama in the first part of the twentieth century. Though most of her commentaries are highly critical and sometimes malicious, her boldness reaches its peak when she asserts that William Butler Yeats "represents the last state in symbolic imbecility" (from wikipedia). This author is glad to present that last line as he holds a bit of skepticism for Yeats after reading the wonderful book, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, published in 2009 and written by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. The story includes the historical detail about W.B. Yeats and his editing of the 1936 The Oxford Book of Modern Verse, 1892-1935. Yeats had a 20 year grudge against the British war poet, Wilfred Owen and excluded him from the anthology even though Owen’s poetry was very popular after having been killed in action in World War I. Yeats did not see war poetry as a valid literary genre. His famous statement was a repeat of the 19th century English poet, Matthew Arnold, “passive suffering is not a theme for poetry.” This author doubts that any poet who fights on the front lines is experiencing “passive suffering.” Owen was killed one week before the end of the war in which the Armistice was signed on the famous “eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.” The news of his death took one week to get to his mother. Since the church bells in England had been silenced during the war it is possible that his mother’s doorbell was ringing at the same as she heard the Armistice bells. Here is one of Wilfred Owen’s more well-known poems: Anthem For Doomed Youth What passing-bells for these who die as cattle? Only the monstrous anger of the guns. Only the stuttering rifles' rapid rattle Can patter out their hasty orisons. No mockeries for them; no prayers nor bells, Nor any voice of mourning save the choirs, -- The shrill, demented choirs of wailing shells; And bugles calling for them from sad shires. What candles may be held to speed them all? Not in the hands of boys, but in their eyes Shall shine the holy glimmers of goodbyes. The pallor of girls' brows shall be their pall; Their flowers the tenderness of patient minds, And each slow dusk a drawing-down of blinds.

Jayne St. Caroline Furness Jayne (1873–1909) was an American ethnologist. She wrote the best-known book on string figures, String Figures and How to Make Them: a study of cat's cradle in many lands, published in 1906.

Jefferson Ave. The street was named for the third president of the United States, Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson, Mississippi, is the fictional town in many of William Faulkner’s books. It is in Yoknapatawpha County which is a fictional county created by Faulkner and based upon and inspired by Lafayette County, Mississippi, and its county seat of Oxford, Mississippi. Jefferson Thomas (1942 – 2010) was one of the Little Rock Nine, a group of African-American students who, in 1957, were the first black students ever to attend classes at Little Rock Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. In 1999, Thomas and the other students of the Little Rock Nine were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal by President Bill Clinton.

Jenks Ave. Let Yourself Be Loved: The Life and Letters of Will Jenks was published in  2004 and written by William J. Kane is the story of Will Jenks who became a quadriplegic due to polio in 1951. He was never able to graduate from his college but delivered the 1979 keynote address for the Class of 1954  to the alumni of the College of the Holy Cross.

Jessamine Ave. John Milton (1608 –1674) was an English poet most famous for writing the epic poem, Paradise Lost. He also wrote the poem Lycidas which contains these lines: "the tufted crow-toe and pale jessamine, The white pink, and the pansy freaked with jet, The glowing violet."

Jessie St. Jessie Ann Benton Frémont (1824 –1902) was an American writer and political activist. She was the wife of the explorer John C. Frémont. She wrote many stories that were printed in popular magazines of the time as well as several books of historical value. She was also a strong supporter of the abolition of slavery. Fremont Avenue is named after her husband.

John Ireland Blvd. John Ireland (1838 – 1918) was the first Roman Catholic archbishop of Saint Paul, Minnesota (1888–1918). You can read his story in John Ireland & the American Catholic Church, published in 1988 and written by Marvin R. O’Connell. You can also try Claiming the City: Politics, Faith, and the Power of Place in St. Paul, published in  2003 and written by Mary Lethert Wingerd.

John St. John H. Watson, known as Dr. Watson, is a fictional character in the Sherlock Holmes stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle  (1859–1930).

Johnson Pkwy. Maya Angelou (born Marguerite Annie Johnson; 1928 – 2014) was an American author, poet, dancer, actress and singer. Angelou is best known for her series of seven autobiographies, which focus on her childhood and early adult experiences. The first, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969), tells of her life up to the age of 17.

Jordan Ave. Jordan Baker is a fictional character in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby.” She is  Daisy Buchanan's long-time friend with "autumn-leaf yellow" hair.

Josephine Pl. Josephine "Jo" March is the  protagonist of the novel Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott (1832–1888).

Joy Ave. Joy Davidman (born 1915 – 1960) was an American poet and writer. For her book of poems, Letter to a Comrade, she won the Yale Series of Younger Poets Competition in 1938. She was married to the writer, C.S. Lewis.

Juliet Ave. Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare.

Juno Ave. Dear Juno is a young children’s picture book by Soyung Pak, published in 1999.

I Street

I

Idaho Ave. Marilynne Robinson (born 1943) is an American novelist and essayist born in Sandpoint, Idaho. She received the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2005 for her novel, Gilead. This author read her first book, Housekeeping, when it was first published in 1980. It was later named by Time magazine as being one of the “100 greatest books of all time.” This author loved the book but wonders how he can get on that list. There was a movie made of the book but, sadly, it as yet to be made available on video.

Iglehart Ave. Don Empson tells us that the street is named for Harwood Iglehart (1829-1893) who served as president of the Mercantile Library Association which merged with the Saint Paul Library Association in 1863 to become the Saint Paul Public Library. This author is particularly fond of libraries and librarians. He would like to make a special mention of Eilenne Boden, the branch manager of the Shoreview, Minnesota, library who very sadly passed away in May of 2015. She was a treasure.

Inner Ct.

Intercampus Transitway

Iowa Ave. Dorothy Marie Johnson (1905 – 1984) was an American author best known for her Western fiction. Her most well-known book is   The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, published in 1949. She was born in McGregor, Iowa.

Iris Pl. Iris Murdoch (1919 – 1999) was an Irish-born British author and philosopher. She was awarded the Booker Prize in 1978 for her novel, The Sea, The Sea.

Iroquois Ave. The Song of Hiawatha is an 1855 epic poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow but which is not connected to the historical Iroquois leader, Hiawatha, a co-founder of the Iroquois confederacy in prehistoric New York State. The historic Hiawatha lived in the 15th century although dates are uncertain. He was a follower of the Great Peacemaker who tried to unify the Iroquois tribes.

Irvine Ave. Yusef Komunyakaa (born 1947) is an American poet who teaches at New York University and is a member of the Fellowship of Southern Writers. Komunyakaa received the 1994 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry for his poem,  Neon Vernacular. He received his Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of California at Irvine.

Isabel St. Isabel Allende (born 1942) is a Chilean-American writer. Her works sometimes contain aspects of the "magic realist" tradition. She is famous for novels such as The House of the Spirits and City of the Beasts.

Itasca Ave. Jane Johnston Schoolcraft, also known as Bamewawagezhikaquay (1800 – 1842) is considered the first known American Indian literary writer. She was of Ojibwa and Scots-Irish ancestry. Her Ojibwa name can also be written as O-bah-bahm-wawa-ge-zhe-go-qua , meaning "Woman of the Sound [that the stars make] Rushing Through the Sky." She married Henry Rowe Schoolcraft (1793-1864) who led the expedition which found the source of the Mississippi River. He coined the name Lake Itasca from the Latin words for veritas (truth) and caput (head). The Ojibwe name for "Lake Itasca" was Omashkoozo-zaaga'igan (Elk Lake). (compiled from wikipedia)

Ivan Way Ivan Doig (1939-2015) was a novelist from White Sulphur Springs, Montana. He is known for his Western settings and themes.

Ivy Ave. Ivy Claire Pochoda (born 1977) is an American novelist and former professional squash player. She grew up in Brooklyn, New York. Her first novel, The Art of Disappearing was published in 2009 by St. Martin's Press. Her second novel, Visitation Street was published by Ecco in 2013.