Release date is 2005-05-07

The perfect reader -- The autogenesis of a poet -- The old reliable -- In memoriam, Francis Barton Gummere -- Adventures at lunch time -- Secret transactions of the Three Hours for Lunch Club -- Initiation -- Creed of the Three Hours for Lunch Club -- A preface to the profession of journalism -- Fulton Street, and Walt Whitman -- McSorley's -- A portrait -- Going to Philadelphia -- Our tricolor tie -- The club of abandoned husbands -- West Broadway -- The rudeness of poets -- 1100 words -- Some inns -- The club in Hoboken -- The club at its worst -- A suburban sentimentalist -- Gissing -- A dialogue -- At the Gasthof zum Ochsen -- Mr. Conrad's new preface -- The little house -- Tadpoles -- Magic in Salamis -- Consider the commuter -- The permanence of poetry -- Books of the sea -- Fallacious meditations on criticism -- Letting out the furnace -- By the fireplace -- A city note-book -- Thoughts in the subway -- Dempsey vs. Carpentier -- A letter to a sea captain.

E-text prepared by Janet Kegg and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team

"Plum Pudding: Of Divers Ingredients, Discreetly Blended & Seasoned" by Christopher Morley is a collection of essays and sketches written in the early 20th century. The book delves into themes of literature, friendship, and the joys of life—including notable reflections on reading, poetry, and dining in New York City. Through its whimsical yet insightful commentary, Morley vividly explores the intricacies of human experience and relationships, often through the lens of a group of friends known as the Three Hours for Lunch Club. At the start of the work, Morley introduces the concept of the "Perfect Reader," a figure who enjoys literature without the professional anguish that writers endure. The opening reflects on the contrast between readers and writers, highlighting the pure joy of reading. As he paints a vivid picture of this ideal reader, Morley transitions into discussing the nature of poetry and the profound connections it fosters. The narratives unfold organically, detailing the intimate gatherings and conversations of the Lunch Club, as they engage with food, ideas, and evocative memories, setting a rich and engaging tone for the essays to follow. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

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