Celebrating the Rocket Man, Robert Hutchings Goddard

Miniature Robert Goddard biography that went to the moon with Buzz Aldrin

On 16 March 1926, Dr. Robert Hutchings Goddard launched a rocket from his aunt’s farm (now a golf course) in a town a few miles from where I live.

The rocket did not go far in terms of physical distance. It shot up forty-one feet into the air and landed one hundred eighty-four feet away, having traveled for two and a half seconds.

That short flight changed everything.

In July 1969, the little book pictured above, a biography of Goddard, was the first book to travel to the moon. Astronaut Buzz Aldrin took it there.*

Artemis II, the first crewed flyby mission to the Moon in more than 50 years, is expected to launch in a few weeks, if all goes well.

In short, that brief flight started us on the path to the moon and beyond. It showed what was possible and led to more than space travel. But I’m not going to tell a story that others have covered. You’ll find abundant links, with wonderful images, online, that are part of the Goddard Centennial celebration. The images exist thanks to Goddard’s wife, Esther. She documented all he did and kept his memory alive. During Women’s History Month, of course it makes sense to recognize Esther Goddard. You can see many of Esther’s images online.

The Goddard Library is offering several exhibitions and two lectures. The latter will be available to view online, as well. On 17 March at 7PM, John Emond, former NASA program manager offers, “Robert Goddard: A Vision. A Reality. A Hope.” On 19 March at 4PM, Kevin Schindler, co-author of Robert Goddard's Massachusetts, offers “The Dreamer Who Launched the Space Age.”

You can learn more about Clark University’s Goddard Centennial events here.

Dr. Robert H. Goddard and a liquid oxygen-gasoline rocket at Auburn, Massachusetts.

If you’re in the Central Massachusetts area between now and 1 August, you can also visit the Museum of Worcester’s Goddard exhibition, “Worcester to the Stars: The Goddard Rocket Centennial.” If you’re around between now and early April, you might want to catch “The Rocket Man: The Robert Goddard Musical.”

More about Goddard celebrations here.

I’ll finish by pointing out that this celebration, which has gone nationwide, very likely would not have happened if not for my indefatigable friend, fellow alum, and former colleague at Clark, Charles Slatkin.

*A couple of years ago, I saw the little book up close and personal at the Robert Hutchings Goddard Library. This is a building with which I’m familiar, having studied there as an undergraduate and post-graduate student as well as having done research some years later for my historical romances.

Photo credit for miniature Goddard bio, Walter M. Henritze; Goddard and rocket image courtesy NASA via Wikipedia.

Happy Valentine's Day & A Save-the-Date

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Valentine’s Day entry from Hone’s Every-Day Book, originally published in 1825-26:

Two hundred thousand letters beyond the usual daily average, annually pass through the twopenny post-office in London on St. Valentine's Day. “Two hundred thousand twopences,” said an old gentleman as he read this in a March newspaper, “are four hundred thousand pence,” and he was going to cast up the amount—"Why, papa," said his daughter, "that's just the number of young folks there must be in love with each other that's the way to reckon." "Ah, my child, that's not the way to reckon; you have taken something into the account that has no business there: all Valentine-writers are not in love, nor are all lovers Valentine-writers; and remember, my dear girl, that as smiles on the face sometimes conceal cruel dispositions, so there are some who write Valentines, and trifle with hearts for the mere pleasure of inflicting pain."

Well, Papa isn’t wrong. And his remarks hold plot potential for a romance novel. Reading one, I believe, is a fine way to celebrate Valentine’s Day.

The exchange of notes or cards goes back to the Romans. This article from the American Antiquarian Society briefly summarizes the history. You can also click on the links to see examples of early Valentines, and discover Esther Howland, a 19th century entrepreneur from my hometown. The 1914 card I’ve used for this blog post was the front of a post card. You can read the card if you follow this link.

5th Annual Romance Festival

In other romance news, the Ashland (Massachusetts) Public Library will hold its annual Romance Festival (formerly RomCon) on 16 May. I will be there. I wouldn’t miss it for anything except a month in London, which kept me away last year. For details, please follow this link. The event is free, but you are asked to register, so that planners can make sure there’s room for everybody. You can register directly via this link.

Happy New Year!

Image (public domain) by George Wolfe Plank for Vanity Fair magazine, November 1917 or October 1913 (depending on the source), with my slight interference.

2025 saw the release of the third Difficult Dukes book. After much whining and beating-head-against-wall, I turned My Inconvenient Duke into an actual book. It went out into the world, was greeted with kindness and affection, and I—and all those who have to deal with me—celebrated.

This year I’ll be working on what looks like a spinoff. There will undoubtedly be more whining and beating-head-against-wall, because that’s the way I roll these days, it seems. Maybe that’s the way I always rolled. Who can remember?

It was a rocky year in many ways, private and public, but there were certainly some major bright spots, like the month in London, which resulted in so many discoveries and rediscoveries that I’ll continue to share them with you for at least the first half of 2026.

My talented assistant Jessica and I have set up my YouTube Channel, which will finally get some material in the coming weeks. This, I believe, will make it easier for you to watch the short videos. Squarespace is a good space for blogs/newsletters like this, but the process can get tedious and clumsy when one is uploading numerous videos, brief though mine are. Much simpler to offer a link, and let you view the things at a size of your own choosing.

You can also expect some reports from warmer climes as my husband and I make our annual escape to parts south. We’ll be trying a new location, and I’m looking forward to exploring and finding some history, nerdy or otherwise, to share with you. And/or botanical wonders. And/or other wonders.

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On the nerdy history front, historical novel author Susan Holloway Scott & I (aka Two Nerdy History Girls) will once again join our host, Meena Jain, Library Director, Ashland Public Library,* for conversation about the way people lived in the past. Unlike those secondary school history courses you may remember not so fondly, our chats don’t focus on politics and wars, but on daily living: what people wore, what they ate, how they traveled, how they managed hygiene, what their environments were like—that sort of thing. If you’d like to join us, please set aside 7-8PM on Monday 5 January for our gathering on Zoom. (Details here.) And don’t hesitate to bring questions. We won’t know all the answers, but we’ll do our best, then we’ll do some digging afterward for better information—because of, you know, the historical nerdiness of us. You can expect an official invitation/update in the coming days.

In other words, there’s plenty to look forward to.

So let’s say a cheerful Bye-Bye to 2025, and look forward with hope for a brighter, gentler, and more peaceful 2026. Thank you for spending time with me and my books. I’ll continue to try to make it worth your while.

*Ashland, Massachusetts