Hey Janet, thanks for the Valentine's wishes. I was working at the libary today, President's Day, and was impressed with how many students came in right as we opened to start their work. I'm getting the sense that they want to be in good shape with their research before the Spring Break.
Writers Conference will be here soon too. I want to another book discussion on Sunday where I heard a reading of a play by Amiri Baraka (aka LeRoi Jones) called the Dutchman. It was an intense and shocking story that takes place in the mid-1960s on a New York Subway. The entire play takes place in the subway car where the issues of Race and Gender are unflinchingly examined. Mr. Baraka's works are in the popular reading collection, including a post 9/11 poem written when he served as poet laureate of Newark, NJ. The controversy surrounding that poem caused the mayor to dissolve the position of poet laureate. As someone in the book group said, he is truly fitting for this year's Writer's Conference theme of revolution.
Also this week are talks about Salman Rushdie's Midnight's Children on Tuesday, Feb. 19, noon to 1:30 p.m. at the International Centre and Thursday, Feb. 21, 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Barnes & Noble Coffee Shop. I'm currently reading another of his books, The Ground Beneath Her Feet. It takes place in Bombay, India and is a tapestry of historic, mythologic and cultural images. I wish I knew more about all those areas so that I could understand all the allusions he makes. Speaking of which, I should get back to reading.
Take care,
Kristen
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3 comments:
Kristen-Nice Work! I'm glad to see this blog and some positive library input! What a great way to get the word or words out! Now if only we can have something like this for the GFPL!! I'll definitely be checking in!
--Lynn
Thanks Lynn. As you may know (if you're the Lynn I'm thinking of) I worked at the Grand Forks Public Library for many years. While it's an EXCELLENT resource for UND students--music, movies, test prep materials, etc., and UND students can use their ID to check things out from there, it's tough to get popular bestseller books because there's long waiting lists for them. That's why, when I started working here, I wanted to promote the popular reading collection. Did you know that Janet worked at the Public Library too in 1980?
Take care, Kristen
"Controversial author withdraws from writer's conference" according to GrandForksHerald.com 3/7/2008. Amiri Baraka cited personal reasons. He has been replaced by Alexandra Fuller-we have one of her books and will buy more if possible.
Kristen
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