"Spring is a call to action, hence to disillusion, therefore April is called 'the cruelest month,'" Cyril Connolly wrote in "The Unquiet Grave" in 1945.

In the same piece, he wrote: "Obesity is a mental state, a disease brought on by boredom and disappointment."

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"He is a satirist with a heart, and a moralist with a whoopee cushion," Jay McInerny of the New York Times wrote in a review of Kurt Vonnegut's new book, "Armageddon in Retrospect." The book was written over a lifetime but never before published.

Star books. "Julie Andrews: An Intimate Biography" is a new book by Richard Stirling.

Another biography is "Clark Gable: Tormented Star." Its author is David Bret.

Ada Calhoun, who reviewed the book for The New York Times Book Review, wrote: "This breathtakingly trashy biography does not skimp on sordid anecdotes."

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On a cheerful note, a new novel by Tony Earley is reported to be "irresistible" and "a good old-fashioned love story."

It is "The Blue Star." The Christian Science Monitor reported "Tony Early's novels are the Shaker chairs of American literature." And a review in the Seattle Times reported the book to be "full of moments and humor and tenderness ... A wonderful reminder of how we used to live."

Stop by The ArtsCenter on Main (318 N. Main) to learn about the Southwest Arts and Humanities Council Fundraiser for the Arts on June 28 -- bars, stars and arts, dancing and dining -- sponsored in part by Kansas Arts Commission.

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This winter, Queen Elizabeth, whose 82nd birthday is this month, became the oldest monarch in the history of England. She attained the honor by living longer than her great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria, who died in 1901 at the age of 82 years, 7 months and 29 days after reigning for more than 63 years.

Queen Elizabeth ascended to the throne in 1952 and was crowned a year later. She continues to carry out nearly 450 engagements a year and shows little indication of slowing down, according to an article in the May issue of British Heritage magazine.

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From this British mag, I learned that when Robin Hood roamed the storied Nottinghamshire woodland, it was dotted with ancient oaks and covered some 100,000 acres. Today, Sherwood Forest is reduced to about 450 acres.

"The rest has been carved out for towns, farms, logging and such over the centuries," the magazine reports. "The forest's remaining 997 old-growth oaks (which can live up to 900 years) are each monitored closely for their health by rangers of the Forestry Commission.

"The Saint's Day of Scotland's patron, Saint Andrew, has been traditionally noted by Scots in exile as a day to fly the flag and wear the kilt," the British magazine reported. "Back at home, Nov. 30 has long passed without much notice."

But that changed this year, as the Scottish government made serious effort toward turning the day into a full-fledged public holiday to celebrate the nation's history and culture.

"Thousands took the day off work for the first time; museums, castles and gardens from the Borders to the Northern Isles were open free of charge and events were staged across the country," British Heritage reported.

First Minister Alex Salmond called for St. Andrew's Day to be celebrated as openly in Scotland as it has been by Scots abroad.

E-mail Dolores Hope at dandchope@juno.com.