"A classic evocation of childhood . . . a masterly mixture of up-country drawl and Huckleberry Finn."―The New Yorker A hugely popular bestseller when it first appeared in 1957, Where Did You Go? Out. What Did You Do? Nothing. is Robert Paul Smith's nostalgic and often wry look back on his 1920s childhood. Smith agitates against what he perceives as the over-scheduled and over-supervised lives of suburban children as he celebrates privacy, boredom, and time to oneself away from adults. Arcane games and pastimes including mumbly-peg, horse-chestnut collecting, and Indian scalp burns pervade the book, alongside tales of young love―"I loved the smell of kerosene. Rose smelled of kerosene. I loved Rose."―and hard-won observations by Smith the elder. Where Did You Go? Out. What Did You Do? Nothing. still conveys the essence of adventure that forms the basis of a fondly recalled childhood. Ten black-and-white illustrations

Where Did You Go? Out. What Did You Do? Nothing.

Smith, Robert Paul.

History

W.W.Norton&Company

What exactly is "the tender trap"? It's the bachelors' creed of resisting marriage, of course. Ah, the ideal life of the carefree bachelor (think 1950's Sinatra) who lives in a "swanky" N.Y.C. apartment, has a good job, and dates plenty of "chicks" (ringa ding ding)... until he finds himself engaged to TWO of them at the same time! One amusing scene after another results until the bachelor manages to get rid of the wrong young lady and marries the right one. This "acting" edition has a black/white photo of the original Broadway production, the original cast list, credits, time & place - with a detailed description of the bachelor's apartment, the original scene design, and a complete prop plot - used in the original production. The cast requires four men and four women; the set requires one interior. Still popular (in the style of the recent Broadway revival of BOEING, BOEING), this light comedy entertains with considerable and farcical situations - a delightful choice for little theatre/community groups.

The Tender Trap

Literature & Fiction

Shulman, Max

Max Shulman and Robert Paul Smith

Dramas & Plays

Dramatists Play Service, Inc.

Very Good; Moderate wear to the dust cover. The binding is tight and square., clean ppgs. Satisfaction is Guaranteed!

Lost & found;: An illustrated compendium of things no longer in general use: the hatpin, the icebox, the carpet beater, and oven, household possessions they don't make that way any more

Charterhouse

"A classic evocation of childhood . . . a masterly mixture of up-country drawl and Huckleberry Finn."â€”The New YorkerA hugely popular bestseller when it first appeared in 1957, Where Did You Go? Out. What Did You Do? Nothing. is Robert Paul Smith's nostalgic and often wry look back on his 1920s childhood. Smith agitates against what he perceives as the over-scheduled and over-supervised lives of suburban children as he celebrates privacy, boredom, and time to oneself away from adults. Arcane games and pastimes including mumbly-peg, horse-chestnut collecting, and Indian scalp burns pervade the book, alongside tales of young loveâ€”"I loved the smell of kerosene. Rose smelled of kerosene. I loved Rose."â€”and hard-won observations by Smith the elder. Where Did You Go? Out. What Did You Do? Nothing. still conveys the essence of adventure that forms the basis of a fondly recalled childhood. Ten black-and-white illustrations

Biographies & Memoirs

Lexikos Pub

The classic guidebook to everything from paper airplanes to spool tanks to slingshots is back in print, and is as fun, inventive, and charming as ever. How to Do Nothing literally tells "how to do nothing with nobody all alone by yourself"―real things, fascinating things, the things that you did when you were a kid, or your parents did when they were kids. This is a book to free your kid from video games for a few hours, a handbook on the avoidance of boredom, a primer on the uses of solitude, a child's declaration of independence. If you don't remember how to make a spool tank, what to do with an old umbrella, whether "pennies" come before or after "spank the baby" in mumbly-peg, or how to make rubber-band guns, slings, or clamshell bracelets, it's OK because Robert Paul Smith has collected all of this and more in How to Do Nothing. It's a book for kids, but parents are not prohibited from reading it.

How to Do Nothing with Nobody All Alone by Yourself: A Timeless Activity Guide to Self-Reliant Play and Joyful Solitude

Children's Books

Activities, Crafts & Games

Tin House Books

A handbook on how to avoid boredom, a primer on solitude, a child's declaration of independence. 
Remember how to fold a paper airplane? 
What to do with a discarded umbrella? 
How to make a pin piano? 
You don’t? You’ve forgotten? Or you never learned these things in the first place, to forget in the second place? Well, Robert Paul Smith remembered and set it down just for you―and everyone else―these things and many others, like broken-umbrella bows and arrows; and slings;and clamshell bracelets, and the collection, care, and use of horse chestnuts. 
This is a handbook on how to avoid boredom, a primer on solitude, a stand-in for "screen time." This is a child's declaration of independence. Smith tells you “how to do nothing with nobody all alone by yourself”―real things, fascinating things, the things that you did when you were a kid, or your parents did when they were kids. It’s a book for kids, but parents are not prohibited from reading it. Line drawings throughout

Arts, Music & Photography

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Smith, Robert Paul.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Smith, Robert Paul.

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Smith, Robert Paul.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Where Did You Go? Out. What Did You Do? Nothing.

The Tender Trap

Lost & found;: An illustrated compendium of things no longer in general use: the hatpin, the icebox, the carpet beater, and oven, household possessions they don't make that way any more

Where Did You Go? Out. What Did You Do? Nothing.

How to Do Nothing with Nobody All Alone by Yourself: A Timeless Activity Guide to Self-Reliant Play and Joyful Solitude

How to Do Nothing with Nobody All Alone by Yourself: A Timeless Activity Guide to Self-Reliant Play and Joyful Solitude