SJCPL Blog

I love pictures and enjoy photography, so I was happy to find a book called Photocraft: Cool Things to Do with the Pictures You Love by Caroline Herter, Laurie Frankel, and Laura Lovett. I enjoyed this book because there are so many things to do with your photographs! There are step-by-step directions from the simple to the sophisticated. There are resources and informative websites at the end of the book, and of course, an index, which to me is a measure of a good nonfiction read. Please place a reserve or check it out at your favorite library location!

“Music speaks what cannot be expressed, soothes the mind & gives it rest, heals the heart & makes it whole, flows from heaven to the soul. ” Come soothe your mind & give it rest.  Hear the South Bend Symphony String Ensemble perform at the German Township Library @4:00 p.m. this Friday, March 12th.

Fiction
Antiques Bizarre by Barbara Allan
The Infinities by John Banville
The Man from Saigon: A Novel by Marti Leimbach
Requiem by Fire: A Novel by Wayne Caldwell
Tooth and Claw by Nigel McCrery

Nonfiction
The Cook’s Herb Garden by Jeff Cox
The Daniel Fast: Feed Your Soul, Strengthen Your Spirit, and Renew Your Body by Susan Gregory
The Pacific by Hugh Ambrose
Reality Hunger: A Manifesto by David Shields
The Unauthorized History of DX by Triple H & Shawn Michaels

DVDs
The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day
Old Dogs
Planet 51
Precious
Up in the Air

CDs
The Best of DMX—DMX
Celtic Woman 4—Celtic Woman
Crows—Allison Moorer
Workout & Worship—Various Artists
Youth in Revolt: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack—Various Artists

Children’s
Let’s Say Hi to Friends Who Fly! by Mo Willems (Grades K–1)
Mallory Goes Green by Laurie Friedman (Grades 3–4)
Mama Miti: Wangari Maathai and the Trees of Kenya by Donna Jo Napoli (Grades K–Adult)
Slow Down for Manatees by Jim Arnosky (Preschool–Grade 2)
Standing Small: A Celebration of 30 Years of the Lego Minifigure by Nevin Martell (All ages)

Audiobooks
A Dark Matter: A Novel by Peter Straub
The Lone Ranger: The Stage Line Challenge Rhino Ranch by Larry McMurtry
Too Many Murders by Colleen McCullough
Touching Stars by Emilie Richards

• How to Rap: The Art and Science of the Hip-Hop MC by Paul Edwards

• Mothership (songbook) by Led Zeppelin

• The Rough Guide to Nirvana by Gillian G. Gaar

• Your Pretty Face Is Going to Hell: The Dangerous Glitter of David Bowie, Iggy Pop, and Lou Reed by Dave Thompson

• Let It Bleed: The Rolling Stones, Altamont, and the End of the Sixties by Ethan A. Russell, with Gerard Van der Leun

• Hit Hard: A Story of Hitting Rock Bottom at the Top by Joey Kramer with William Patrick and Keith Garde

• Rock & Roll: And The Beat Goes On by “Cousin Brucie” Morrow with Rich Maloof

Find  Nirvana, Led Zeppelin, the Rolling Stones, Iggy Pop (and the Stooges), and David Bowie as well as various hip-hop tunes on CD at various SJCPL locations!

March is Women’s History Month. Why not continue the trend of celebrating wonderful people right here, right now? Sharon Augusta White was born in Chicago on June 8, 1963. She moved to South Bend when she was 12. Sharon is a loyal patron who uses both the LaSalle and Western Branches. Sharon is an Instructional Assistant for Coquillard Elementary School. She has been married to Eric White for almost 19 years. Sharon has three daughters: Monique (26), Ariyan (12), and Erica (9).

“It was fun going through the process of auditioning.” Something that I did not know about Sharon is that she loves to sing. She loves theatre and musicals. She participated in drama at Washington High School, she was a stage hand at the Morris Performing Arts Center, and she auditioned at the South Bend Civic Theatre. Sharon also enjoys karaoke, world music, and southern traditional gospel music. “It’s the music of my childhood.” Sharon is learning how to read music and play the recorder.

Sharon also loves gardening, cooking, and sewing. She holds an associate’s degree in electronics and worked in the printing business for many years. We end the conversation with a great quote from Sharon: “At any age, you can be free to do different things and achieve your dreams.” Well said, Sharon.

Well, it’s that time of year again, when Hollywood gets all glitzed up for what will almost certainly be the most important event in many of their lives.

Who will win? Will the show be entertaining? I have hopes for Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin to actually be moderately funny (not high hopes, but hopes nonetheless).

Feel free to post comments and I’ll be reading and responding as the night goes on.

8:02 pm: E!’s pre-show coverage was awkward at best. Why is Kathy Ireland even here? Also; no Jake Gyllenhall, Prince of Persia will not finally give video game fans what they want in a movie.

8:14 pm:  Sorry David, Tom cruise is not hurt and was not in an accident. According to E! News (http://ca.eonline.com/uberblog/b170572_tom_cruise_in_motorcycle_accident_dont.html).

8:15 pm: Ugh, I though the awards were going to start at 8:15, now they’re not happening until 8:30. More pre-show!

8:20 pm: I know that “Poise” commercial with Whoopi Goldberg was supposed to be funny, but it wasn’t. At all.

8:24 pm: Why is it that as he ages Jeff Bridges looks and acts more and more like the Dude?

8:29 pm: Alright, the pre-show is over, and it appears I’m going to be fighting the spam filter all night. Wish me luck!

8:31 pm: NPH was a great idea for opening act. Can anyone explain to me why they announced the acting award nominees at the very beginning? Is Hollywood trying to do a non-linear storyline for the Oscars?

8:35 pm: So because they added 5 more movies to the best picture category someone got nominated for best supporting actor which still only has 5 nominees? That makes no sense. Not a terrible monologue (dialogue?) from Steve Martin & Alec Baldwin thus far.

8:38 pm: Steve Martin just referenced The Jerk!

8:45 pm: Alec Baldwin Vs. George Clooney should definitely be a cage match.  No surprise at all here; Best Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz from Inglourious Basterds.

8:55 pm: Jude Law has better things to do than be at the Oscars? Best animated feature: Up

9:00 pm: Nicholas Sparks adaptations for the win! Amanda Seyfried looks like this girl I went to high school with. Seriously. T Bone Burnett is so much cooler than I could ever be. Sunglasses at night? Corey Hart is nodding in approval right now. Best original song: “The Weary Kind” from Crazy Heart.

9:07 pm: Wow, so many spoilers during the District 9 montage.

9:15 pm: Great bit between Robert Downey Jr. and Tina Fey. Mole people are awesome. Best Original Screenplay: The Hurt Locker

9:30 pm: I can’t help but think of how wildly inappropriate the John Hughes montage was. I remember when Marlon Brando died and all he got was the generic mention that everyone gets. Hmm…. I’ll still accept it.

9:32 pm: Logorama looks awesome. I want to see this. Oh, right; best animated short: Logorama, and best documentary short: Music by Prudence. Best live action short: The New Tenants. I know as much as you do about these movies, but I’m at least interested now. Did anyone else notice the weird Kanye’esque moment in there?

9:37 pm: Someone had to do it. Obligatory Avatar Na’Vi/blue people reference, but at least Ben Stiller played it pretty well. Best Makeup:  Star Trek

9:50 pm: Nothing to really see here. Best Adapted Screenplay: Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire. This is the first miss I’ve had all night. I’m pretty upset about it. I thought for sure Up in the Air would take it. Also; I really do not enjoy typing out the entire title for Precious. So if it wins again; I will refer to it only as Precious.

10:00 pm: I constantly forget that Robin Williams won an Oscar for Good Will Hunting. I’m glad I get to use my last post’s statement/threat so quickly. Best Supporting Actress: Mo’Nique from Precious.

10:10 pm: Best art direction: Avatar, best costume design: The Young Victoria.

10:12: Yes, I heard a salute to horror films as well, which is awesome

10:20 pm: A salute to horror films from two of the kids from Twilight: New Moon…eh, I guess. All are good, and then there’s a reference to Leprechaun. Why couldn’t it be Leprachaun in the Hood?

10:25 pm: Best sound editing: The Hurt Locker, best sound mixing: The Hurt Locker.

10:35 pm: Something about Sandra Bullock makes me not like her. I can’t really figure it out, but it’s there. Best cinematography: Avatar.

10:40 pm: First of all, I was not ready for James Taylor to appear out of nowhere tonight, and then he goes and plays a Beatles song. This doesn’t really compute. I’m getting older and now I have to recognize people that have died this past year. Boo.

10:50 pm: as Rob has pointed out; break dancing and pop-lock routines to all of the best original score nominees. I’m not sure this is how you make the kids care about the Oscars. Best original score: Up

10:55 pm: Special effects. Usually where Transformers shows up at the Oscars. Sadly they got shut out, and were relegated to being nominated for sound editing. Best visual effects: Avatar.

11:05 pm: Really, a series of commercials with Oscar winner Marisa Tomei and Dan Cortese of MTV’s The Grind? Also; Modern Family is pretty good stuff. Best documentary: The Cove. If anyone I know texts dolphin to the number the man held up. I will personally laugh at you.

11:08 pm: not a bad job Tyler Perry. Good snuggie shot. I bet they were warm. Best film editing: The Hurt Locker. did I hear a shout out to Sam Raimi? Win.

11:17 pm: Quentin Tarantino never ceases to amaze me with his pure zest for life, sorry to Pedro Almodovar for having to deal with it. Best foreign language film: El Secreto de Sus Ojos.

11:20 pm: Thanks for pointing out who the odds on favorites are, and reminding everyone that certain movies nominated for best picture have absolutely  no chance at winning. How does it roll only one way? If it’s a roll of toilet paper, it can’t be forced to go one way….Oh, I get it, it’s a joke.

11:25 pm: The best actor montage actually made me want to watch each of the films, then I saw all these random people pop up on stage to share memories like they had a talking stick handed to them. I’m sorry, but I don’t want to Oscars to seem like an intervention. Best Actor: Jeff Bridges from Crazy Heart.

11:43 pm: Best actress is a repeat of best actor, meaning awkward confessions and anecdotes about the actresses nominated. Why the spoilers for An Education? What was Sean Penn talking about? Best Actress: Sandra Bullock from The Blind Side.

11:54 pm: Why is Barbara Streisand giving away best director? They couldn’t get anyone else? Best director: Kathryn Bigelow from The Hurt Locker

11:59 pm: Tom Hanks walks out and just blurts out the best picture winner. Best picture: The Hurt Locker. I’m just glad it wasn’t Avatar. They won some technical awards, which is far, but The Hurt Locker was far beyond Avatar as far as storytelling goes.

Midnight am: Well, it’s over, thanks for hanging out. I’ll see you again next year. Otherwise, I’ll see you a the library.

Published March 5, 2010. View the complete list from The New York Times.

Hardcover Fiction:

1. FANTASY IN DEATH, by J. D. Robb. (Putnam, $26.95.) Lt. Eve Dallas investigates the murder of a fantasy-game entrepreneur; by Nora Roberts, writing pseudonymously.

2. THE HELP, by Kathryn Stockett. (Amy Einhorn/Putnam, $24.95.) A young white woman and two black maids in 1960s ­Mississippi.

3. BLACK MAGIC SANCTION, by Kim Harrison. (Eos/HarperCollins, $25.99.) A witch who is also a bounty hunter is shunned by her kind; the eighth Rachel Morgan book.

4. SPLIT IMAGE, by Robert B. Parker. (Putnam, $25.95.) Jesse Stone, the police chief of Paradise, Mass., copes with divorce, the bottle and the murder of a mob soldier.

5. BIG GIRL, by Danielle Steel. (Delacorte, $28.) A woman with weight issues learns to accept herself.

Hardcover Nonfiction:

1. GAME CHANGE, by John Heilemann and Mark Halperin. (Harper/HarperCollins, $27.99.) Behind the scenes at the 2008 election with Barack Obama, Bill and Hillary Clinton, John and Elizabeth Edwards, John McCain and Sarah Palin.

2. THE IMMORTAL LIFE OF HENRIETTA LACKS, by Rebecca Skloot. (Crown, $26.) Race, poverty and science intertwine in the story of the woman whose cancer cells were cultured without her permission in 1951 and have supported a mountain of research undertaken since then.

3. I AM OZZY, by Ozzy Osbourne with Chris Ayres. (Grand Central, $26.99.) Recollections of heavy metal’s “Prince of Darkness.”

4. THE POLITICIAN, by Andrew Young. (Thomas Dunne/St. Martin’s, $24.99.) A tell-all by John Edwards’s closest aide.

5. HAVE A LITTLE FAITH, by Mitch Albom. (Hyperion, $23.99.) A suburban rabbi and a Detroit pastor teach lessons about the comfort of belief.

Children’s Chapter Books:

1. THE HUNGER GAMES, by Suzanne Collins. (Scholastic, $17.99.) In a dystopian future, a girl fights for survival on live TV. (Ages 12 and up)

2. PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS (THE ULTIMATE GUIDE), written by Mary-Jane Knight. Designed by Philip Chidlow. (Disney-Hyperion, $12.99.) Gods, beasts and tips for children with one immortal parent, based on the series by Rick Riordan. (Ages 10 and up)

3. CATCHING FIRE, by Suzanne Collins. (Scholastic, $17.99.) The protagonist of The Hunger Games returns. (Ages 12 and up)

4. SWEET LITTLE LIES, by Lauren Conrad. (Harper/HarperCollins, $17.99.) The heroines of L.A. Candy in a new Hollywood story. (Ages 14 and up)

5. FALLEN, by Lauren Kate. (Delacorte, $17.99.) Thwarted love among misfits at a Savannah, Ga., boarding school. (Ages 12 and up)

While on my way to work I heard a panel of experts talking about the Oscar races this year. For the experts it came down to Avatar or Hurt Locker, and who’s going to pull down the big one. Buzz vs. “Serious drama?” We know how that one usually ends. The game of respect and history works the same with music, as demonstrated by Elijah Wald’s How The Beatles Destroyed Rock ‘n’ Roll.

Author Elijah Wald’s  subtitle for his new book is a more accurate description of his work–An Alternate History of American Music.  I assumed from the title that Wald would rip into The Beatles for a certain amount of artistic license in songs like, say, “Revolution 9,” or perhaps for being overly pleased with themselves. Instead, Wald seems more interested in reviewing the entire history of 20th century American music as a whole, with a special focus on the difference between the musicians that writers choose to immortalize at the expense of the ones that people actually listened to in their day. In his desire to “deprogram” our popular memory, Wald doesn’t spend much time in Liverpool.

When he finally gets around to looking at The Beatles (in his introduction and the last two chapters only), Wald reveals that he likes his rock ‘n’ roll fast and fun and danceable–and played by live musicians. When The Beatles started to create ‘art’ in the studio, about 1965 with Rubber Soul, they were on their way to being a studio-only band. By creating an enormous market for music not meant for dancers, the Fab Four tipped the balance with critics and the general public in favor of art for art’s sake, bands that never needed to take a stage and please a live audience. Bands that could cut it for people on the dance floor and in music clubs, says Wald, tended to unite everybody. So then, he believes, The Beatles set in motion the forces that segregated the American music listening public.

Wald’s first poster-boy is the 1920s bandleader Paul Whiteman, crowned in his day as the ‘King of Jazz.’ Jazz history, like rock ‘n’ roll history, has been written by people who write history to fit their tastes. Although Whiteman was an influential pioneer, his place in history has been erased or derided by critics who prefer Ellington, Armstrong, etc.

Later band leaders like Duke Ellington learned to arrange their pieces and orchestras from his example. Whiteman was the first with a ‘big band,’ and his orchestra was the first to feature pop singers–Bing Crosby was one. Ellington said, “Paul Whiteman was known as the King of Jazz, and no one as yet has come near carrying that title with more certainty and dignity.” His orchestra was The Beatles of his day, but the only recording we have of him at SJCPL is from a time when he backed Billie Holliday.

Wald provides the lowdown on a century of popular music, challenging conventional wisdom in each chapter. Elvis Presley was indeed revolutionary, says Wald, but he wanted to be another Dean Martin–and eventually he was. His rival in popularity in the 1950s was Pat Boone, but critics have labeled Boone as the pale, limp alternative to the exciting R&B artists of his day.

Except for a brief discussion on the disco era, Wald’s history ends as the 1960s end, which means he misses out on the opportunity to mention a few examples of 1970s-era popular favorites, now critically marginalized. I’m thinking about Chicago, Three Dog Night, Grand Funk, The Carpenters–who all have no chance of ever making the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame, despite their overwhelming popularity in their day. Wald’s book goes along way toward explaining why.

Critics have written history to favor the Velvet Undergrounds of the world, at the expense of the Pat Boones. I know which I would prefer to listen to, but who would you rather have playing in a multi-generational gathering? Would you want to explain Nirvana to your grandmother? Cannibal Corpse?  Glen Miller is not now regarded as highly as he was in his day. Guy Lombardo? Mitch Miller? To people of my generation they were a joke, or music for old people. When I was a teen, they were younger than the Rolling Stones are now. Somewhere between the 1950s and the 1970s music stopped being a multi-generational experience.

So Wald doesn’t really hate The Beatles, but he does wonder ‘what if’?  As an eyewitness to that part of our history, I take issue with his contention that The Beatles segregated American audiences. In the late 1970s at LaSalle High School, I saw plenty of common ground. Still, his alternate history is one worth taking and is crucial if you really want to understand the past and present of music. But know that it is unexplored territory.

I discovered the Swiss artist Hans Arp (1887-1966) while perusing the book titled Discovering Great Artists: Hands-On Art for Children in the Styles of the Great Masters.

Something I learned from working in the library is that children’s nonfiction books can provide as good (and sometimes better) information than some adult nonfiction titles. This book is one of my favorites and provides a great introduction to art history for people of all ages who are interested in art.

Anyhow, Hans Arp was considered a Dadaist and invented a style of collage using paper squares and paper. According to the book mentioned above, “Arp never knew where the squares would land, but he loved the surprise of finding out and gluing them in place.”

So, today at 4:00 p.m., we will be making the “collage of happy accidents.” Please join us at the LaSalle Branch. Afterwards, we will be reading some of our own poetry and the poetry of other writers. The poetry portion is for teens and adults, but kids are welcome to participate. Please remember, children under 10 need to have an adult caregiver for any portion of the program.

Hope to see you soon!

“The time has come,” the Walrus said,

“To talk of many things:

Of shoes–and ships–and sealing-wax–

Of cabbages–and kings–

And why the sea is boiling hot–

And whether pigs have wings.”

–Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There

Tomorrow Tim Burton’s cinematic confection Alice in Wonderland will open in theaters across the country. Burton’s tale picks up with 19-year old Alice returning to Wonderland after many years away. She again encounters the Cheshire Cat, White Rabbit, Mad Hatter and other friends who assist her in her quest to topple the rule of the despotic Red Queen.

If you would like to reacquaint yourself before or after the film with Alice’s childhood adventures, follow the White Rabbit to your favorite SJCPL location! We have many copies of Lewis Carroll’s original story, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, which was first published in 1865. You may also want to pick up the continuing tale about Alice, Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There, published in 1872. If you prefer to listen, we have these items on audiobook. And of course we carry a variety of film and television versions if you would like to compare and contrast these interpretations of the text.

If you must read the books right now, the text is posted online at  http://www.literature.org/authors/carroll-lewis/alices-adventures-in-wonderland/.

Enjoy the show, and remember your 3-D glasses!