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Today, we’re doing “The Custom-House,” which served as promo and introduction to The Scarlet Letter, as well as a score-settling political tract, topped off with a few defining paragraphs in which Hawthorne describes the process of “romantic” writing.

Sources:

Dustin Hannum, Sermons Out of Rags: Constitutionalism, Conspiracy Theory, and "Reading" the Scarlet Letter in Hawthorne's "Custom-House" Papers on Language & Literature. Spring 2015

Jorge Luis Borges on Nathaniel Hawthorne, via Immaculada Decepcion. (http://inmaculadadecepcion.blogspot.com/2007/12/jorge-luis-borges-nathaniel-hawthorne.html)

“Writings of Nathaniel Hawthorne,” C-SPAN, May 21, 2001 featuring Brenda Wineapple and Elisa New, hosted by Susan Swain (https://www.c-span.org/video/?164017-1/writings-nathaniel-hawthorne)

“The Civil War of 1812: American Citizens, British Subjects, Irish Rebels, & Indian Allies,” by Alan Taylor, 2010

“The Crowninshield Elephant: The surprising story of Old Bet, the first elephant ever to be brought to America” By George G. Goodwin; Natural History, 1951

(http://www.naturalhistorymag.com/editors_pick/1928_05-06_pick.html)

The Hathorne Curse, (https://www.themystica.com/nathaniel-hawthorne/)