Jean Merrill, RIP

Photo by Conrad Gilbert in NYT

Jean Merrill, author of my favorite book as a little kid, The Pushcart War, died August 2. As a small kid who wasn't much of anything, I liked the theme of the little guys standing up to the big guys, the pea shooters, and the cooperation and help between the underdogs. I'm left wondering how much what were exposed to as small children guides our attitudes and personality -- an old question, to be sure. For me, the little guys standing up like they did in the book was a revelation; how they did it was something I fantasized about. And it introduced me to New York. I only knew Ms. Merrill through this book, but how fine an acquaintance that was.