Thursday Doors from Plano Texas, Self-Driving Cars, & Arthur Guiterman 1936 Poem

Hello Readers,

Time to join in with Thursday Doors

Today’s doors are from the old downtown area in Plano Texas, other Plano doors (with Walken quotes) are here.

Let’s start with this old poem: 

Title: Our New Religion

“First dentistry was painless.
Then bicycles were chainless,
Carriages were horseless,
And many laws enforceless.
Next cookery was fireless,
Telegraphy was wireless,
Cigars were nicotineless,
And coffee caffeineless.
Soon oranges were seedless,
The putting green was weedless,
The college boy was hatless,
The proper diet fatless.
New motor roads are dustless,
The latest steel is rustless,
Our tennis courts are sodless,
Our new religion–godless.”
― Arthur Guiterman, Gaily The Troubadour, 1936

That poem is almost 100 years old, yet feels relevant today.

And with these “Waymo One” self driving cars – maybe Guiterman would have added: 

“Some cars are now people-less,

while automotive literacy only for scientists” 

 

Now on to the doors for today, which I think fit in with Guiterman’s 1936 poem, which looks at how the old mixes with the new:

And maybe Guiterman would also add: 

“Corner Pubs are used for writing blogs

While pricy Clubs are for our dogs”

• Arthur Guiterman (1871-1943) was an American poet and journalist noted for numerous books and served as editor for Woman’s Home Companion and the Literary Digest. Guiterman also co-founded the Poetry Society of America, serving as its president 1925p-1926.

• If you are looking for another summer 2025 read, check out Literature in the Making, by Some of Its Makers by Joyce Kilmer, free here on Project Gutenberg. This book provides a series of interviews/discussions with notable authors from the early 20th century, exploring their thoughts on writing, the impact of war on literature, and the evolution of the literary landscape. 

Thursday Doors is hosted by Dan Anton at No Facilities blog

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