Carla Emery
Encyclopedia
Carla Emery DeLong (January 19, 1939 – October 11, 2005). Born in Los Angeles where her parents had gone in search of employment after being displaced from their Washington State home by a crop failure, but grew up as a rancher's daughter in Montana
after her parents moved there during her infancy (her father, Carl Harshbarger, had worked as chauffeur for Dorothy Lamour
in Los Angeles for about two years, and had saved enough funds to buy some land there). Proponent of organic farming
, the "back-to-the-land movement", and author of the Encyclopedia of Country Living. Opened the "School of Country Living" in Kendrick, Idaho
in 1976 with her husband Mike Emery to teach homesteading
skills. The "School" was destroyed by a flash flood the next year, and could not successfully be reestablished. Mike and Carla divorced in 1985. Carla married constitutionalist legal scholar (with a special interest in Title 18, Oath of Office) Donald DeLong November 25, 2000 and moved to San Simon, Arizona
.
Carla self-published the first mimeographed edition of the Encyclopedia under the title An Old-Fashioned Recipe Book. Although she began intending to write a book, she published it in installments starting in 1970 as she wrote it, as if it were a newsletter. The first complete book was finished in March 1974. By the end of 1975 she had sold 13,000 copies. Around that time the book was listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the "largest mimeographed volume in general circulation" (700 pages) and was listed as having sold the most copies of a self-published guide: 45,000 mimeographed copies as of 1977. The author believed that it might set a record for the most typographical errors in a book of its size, but reported that she did not have time to count them.
In the mid-70's she made several television appearances, including on "The Mike Douglas Show, "Johnny Carson's "Tonight Show"
and "Good Morning, America," and even demonstrated goat-milking
on "Donahue"
.
Her book did not find a commercial publisher until the 7th edition, published by Bantam in 1977. The most recent edition of the Encyclopedia, the "updated 10th edition," was published by Sasquatch Press in 2008. (ISBN 1-57061-553-5)
During the 1990s she researched somnambulism, hypnosis
, and mind control
. She wrote a second book, Secret--Don't Tell: The Encyclopedia of Hypnosis, published in 1998. The book criticized hypnosis in general, and what the author considered to be its unethical uses.
The Encyclopedia of Country Living presents an exhaustive overview of virtually every topic relevant to homesteading and self sufficiency.
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
after her parents moved there during her infancy (her father, Carl Harshbarger, had worked as chauffeur for Dorothy Lamour
Dorothy Lamour
Dorothy Lamour was an American film actress. She is best remembered for appearing in the Road to... movies, a series of successful comedies starring Bing Crosby and Bob Hope .-Early life:Lamour was born Mary Leta Dorothy Slaton in New Orleans, Louisiana, the daughter of Carmen Louise Dorothy...
in Los Angeles for about two years, and had saved enough funds to buy some land there). Proponent of organic farming
Organic farming
Organic farming is the form of agriculture that relies on techniques such as crop rotation, green manure, compost and biological pest control to maintain soil productivity and control pests on a farm...
, the "back-to-the-land movement", and author of the Encyclopedia of Country Living. Opened the "School of Country Living" in Kendrick, Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
in 1976 with her husband Mike Emery to teach homesteading
Homesteading
Broadly defined, homesteading is a lifestyle of simple self-sufficiency.-Current practice:The term may apply to anyone who follows the back-to-the-land movement by adopting a sustainable, self-sufficient lifestyle. While land is no longer freely available in most areas of the world, homesteading...
skills. The "School" was destroyed by a flash flood the next year, and could not successfully be reestablished. Mike and Carla divorced in 1985. Carla married constitutionalist legal scholar (with a special interest in Title 18, Oath of Office) Donald DeLong November 25, 2000 and moved to San Simon, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
.
Carla self-published the first mimeographed edition of the Encyclopedia under the title An Old-Fashioned Recipe Book. Although she began intending to write a book, she published it in installments starting in 1970 as she wrote it, as if it were a newsletter. The first complete book was finished in March 1974. By the end of 1975 she had sold 13,000 copies. Around that time the book was listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the "largest mimeographed volume in general circulation" (700 pages) and was listed as having sold the most copies of a self-published guide: 45,000 mimeographed copies as of 1977. The author believed that it might set a record for the most typographical errors in a book of its size, but reported that she did not have time to count them.
In the mid-70's she made several television appearances, including on "The Mike Douglas Show, "Johnny Carson's "Tonight Show"
The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. It is the longest currently running regularly scheduled entertainment program in the United States, and the third longest-running show on NBC, after Meet the Press and Today.The Tonight Show has been hosted by...
and "Good Morning, America," and even demonstrated goat-milking
Milking
Milking is the act of removing milk from the mammary glands of an animal, typically cows , water buffalo, goats, sheep and more rarely camels, horses and donkeys. Milking may be done by hand or by machine.-Hand milking:...
on "Donahue"
Phil Donahue
Phillip John "Phil" Donahue is an American media personality, writer, and film producer best known as the creator and host of The Phil Donahue Show. The television program, also known as Donahue, was the first to use a talk show format. The show had a 26-year run on U.S...
.
Her book did not find a commercial publisher until the 7th edition, published by Bantam in 1977. The most recent edition of the Encyclopedia, the "updated 10th edition," was published by Sasquatch Press in 2008. (ISBN 1-57061-553-5)
During the 1990s she researched somnambulism, hypnosis
Hypnosis
Hypnosis is "a trance state characterized by extreme suggestibility, relaxation and heightened imagination."It is a mental state or imaginative role-enactment . It is usually induced by a procedure known as a hypnotic induction, which is commonly composed of a long series of preliminary...
, and mind control
Mind control
Mind control refers to a process in which a group or individual "systematically uses unethically manipulative methods to persuade others to conform to the wishes of the manipulator, often to the detriment of the person being manipulated"...
. She wrote a second book, Secret--Don't Tell: The Encyclopedia of Hypnosis, published in 1998. The book criticized hypnosis in general, and what the author considered to be its unethical uses.
The Encyclopedia of Country Living presents an exhaustive overview of virtually every topic relevant to homesteading and self sufficiency.
See also
- Back-to-the-land movement
- Food independence
- Fossil fuelFossil fuelFossil fuels are fuels formed by natural processes such as anaerobic decomposition of buried dead organisms. The age of the organisms and their resulting fossil fuels is typically millions of years, and sometimes exceeds 650 million years...
- HomesteadingHomesteadingBroadly defined, homesteading is a lifestyle of simple self-sufficiency.-Current practice:The term may apply to anyone who follows the back-to-the-land movement by adopting a sustainable, self-sufficient lifestyle. While land is no longer freely available in most areas of the world, homesteading...
- HypnosisHypnosisHypnosis is "a trance state characterized by extreme suggestibility, relaxation and heightened imagination."It is a mental state or imaginative role-enactment . It is usually induced by a procedure known as a hypnotic induction, which is commonly composed of a long series of preliminary...
- InteractionismInteractionismIn sociology, interactionism is a theoretical perspective that derives social processes from human interaction. It is the study of individuals and how they act within society. Interactionist theory has grown in the latter half of the twentieth century and has become one of the dominant...
- Mimeography
- Mind controlMind controlMind control refers to a process in which a group or individual "systematically uses unethically manipulative methods to persuade others to conform to the wishes of the manipulator, often to the detriment of the person being manipulated"...
- Organic agriculture
- Somnambulism
- SomniloquySomniloquySomniloquy or sleep-talking is a parasomnia that refers to talking aloud while sleep. It can be quite loud, ranging from simple sounds to long speeches, and can occur many times during sleep...
- TaxonomyTaxonomyTaxonomy is the science of identifying and naming species, and arranging them into a classification. The field of taxonomy, sometimes referred to as "biological taxonomy", revolves around the description and use of taxonomic units, known as taxa...