The Actress and The Bishop

Seven Weird Things

2007-06-08T09:33:00.000-05:00

Some time ago, I was told by my sister that I have to post Seven Weird Things About Me. Since I'm new to blogging, I decided I should follow the rules and not argue too much. So what follows are seven weird things. If you don't find them weird, please let me know and I will feel slightly relieved. Now, I know that some of these things I find weird can be explained by modern medicine/science/Psychology 101 class, but since I've never been good in any of those topics, I will still consider them weird.

1) I can watch CSI (my favourite show) while eating dinner, which is how my schedule usually plays out, and not be sickened by the bugs, blood, bullets, or broken bones that pop up all over the place on that show. However, if anyone (especially my sisters) start to tell a story about what either of them learned while studying to be a nurse or midwife, I will become lightheaded, nauseated, and need to leave the room. Which leads me to #2 . . .

2) When I was young, perhaps 6 or 7 years old, my mother took all us girls (I have two sisters, for those of you who've forgotten) to have our check-ups at the same time. My younger sister, 3 or 4 at the time, had to have blood drawn. She was just as quiet and calm as can be, sitting on my mother's lap and not crying at all. I, however, was on the other side of the room, pacing up and down and feeling very nauseated as I watched the blood being drawn. And the next thing I remember is the nurse waking me up (for I had fainted), and giving me orange juice. Which leads me to #3 . . .

3) Just a few months ago, I had to go into my doctor's office for a check-up, and I was told I would have blood drawn. Now, I had long since calmed down when it came to blood being drawn. I still become a little apprehensive because, unfortunately, I have horribly weak and small veins and nurses have a difficult time sticking needles in me (please see #4). That morning the nurse just couldn't find a strong vein and asked me to come back next week, after drinking lots of water beforehand, as that might plump up the veins. I walked out to the main desk to schedule an appointment for blood drawn, took out my Day Planner, and nearly fainted. The reception nurse took me into a room and had my lie down and fetched the nurse and a student doctor. The nurse was asked how much blood she drew and she looked at me oddly and said, "None."

4) I would like to give blood. I think it's a polite and selfless act. However, I have never been able to donate, since my veins are too weak (please see #3). The one and only time I attempted to do so, the nurse couldn't find a vein big enough, gave me cookies anyway, and sent me on my way.

5) I think one of the best love songs of all time involves a vegetable singing about cheeseburgers.

6) I think (and I know I am joined by Jayne in this opinion) that Jason Issacs is a great actor. No, that's not the weird part. The weird part is that Jayne and I will just swoon when we see him with long hair. Any other role, he's just fine; but put him in a long wig (see below) and he's devine! Below, and on the left, is J.I. in Peter Pan, and on the right, he is Lucius Malfoy in the upcoming Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

7) I am allergic to apples. And bananas, but from what I understand, the itchy and/or dry mouth after eating a banana is fairly common. I have yet to meet anyone else who is allergic to apples.

So now you (all out there in the blogosphere) know the weird things about me. I can't think of anyone to tag, since I don't think many people read this blog. However, if RickLibrarian would like to take up the suggestion, I would be happy to learn more about him.

Done with Reader's Advisory

2007-06-06T21:04:00.001-05:00

As you have most likely noticed, there has been a lull in my posts. That is because, as I mentioned earlier this year, I had been posting book reviews because of an assignment for my Reader's Advisory class. The class has now ended (yes, I did pass) and unfortunately I do not have the drive to write and post reviews on a regular basis. If you are wanting such a blog, I suggest you check out RickLibrarian, who is much more coherent than I.

Today I would like to leave you with my lingering thoughts on Reader's Advisory.

1) This is what I envision when I think of Reader's Advisory in a random Public Library.

Not only is it true to life, it's wonderfully acted by Fry & Laurie.

2) No matter what you suggest, the patron will always find some tiny thing not to their liking.

3) The real goal of the Librarian, I have always thought, is to teach the patron how to search for and find books on their own. Therefore I highly recommend Librarian's Booklist Search, created by RickLibrarian, which can be useful, as well as easy-to-use (keeping in mind the helpless patron).

4) Unshelved brilliantly depicts public library life. A few months ago, there was a run of strips regarding RA, and I've included the best here. For more, please travel here, here, here, and also here.

More Fun with Librarian Movies

2007-05-23T08:29:00.000-05:00

I do indeed love books. Don't you?

The Fellowship of the Ring by Tolkien

2007-05-10T23:06:00.000-05:00

The first thing that struck me while reading this was that it is truly part of a whole book; there was a reason why Tolkien wrote (what we know as) The Lord of the Rings (Trilogy) as one book – the stories seem to flow and ebb together nicely. The second thing that struck me is that there is no religion in these stories. Really. If you really root around in the books, you could argue that the characters (especially the Men of Gondor and the Elves) have a kind of ancestor-worship. In his introduction (I believe it was written for the 196? edition), Tolkien explains that he never intended for his books to be viewed at as or made into allegory (I am reminded of Twain’s similar attempt to forbid anyone to take his Adventures of Huckleberry Finn seriously : “Persons attempting to find a motive in this narrative will be prosecuted; persons attempting to find a moral in it will be banished; persons attempting to find a plot in it will be shot.”). Tolkien seemed to describe Middle Earth and the people in it so effortlessly that the reader believes that there is so much more to Middle Earth than this small (in comparison) story about a ring and some Hobbits. As we discovered after this Trilogy’s original publication, there were many other stories to be told from Middle Earth.

Other than the fact that this book is excellent in its dialogue, pacing, plot, and descriptions, Tolkien did not write very strong female characters (which Peter Jackson tried to achieve in his fantastic movies). I also especially like Tolkien’s way of juxtaposing plot and setting – of going against what is usual and expected in literature. For example, Frodo and Gandalf discuss the ring at length for the first time in the morning, with the sun shining and Sam outside the window, whistling.

Overall, I am very happy I’ve finally read this book, and I look forward to completing the trilogy.

If you enjoyed this book, please consider one of the following :
Fiction Recommendation : The Two Towers by Tolkien. The adventure continues in the second book of the trilogy.
Fiction Recommendation : The Hobbit by Tolkien. Here is where Gandalf and Bilbo’s adventures begin.
Nonfiction Recommendation : The Languages of Tolkien's Middle-Earth by Ruth S. Noel and J.R.R. Tolkien. This is the book on all of Tolkien's invented languages, spoken by hobbits, elves, and men of Middle-earth -- a dictionary of fourteen languages, an English-Elvish glossary, all the runes and alphabets, and material on Tolkien the linguist.

Attempting to be a Student Librarian

2007-05-09T21:39:00.000-05:00

I'm sure most of you will forgive the lack of posts. This one isn't long, but is rather important. I would like to share with you a wonderful movie which I first learned about almost two years ago when I started my MLS and read this article. When I heard that the world Premiere of this wonderful documentary, Hollywood Librarian, would be this summer at ALA, I was very tempted to attend. In the end, I've decided to put my meager funds towards Rare Book School, but I wait eagerly for my chance to see it. Please take the time to view the trailer for this film (added below), and also read the director's (Ann M. Seidl's) blog. Please share your thoughts and comments, and pass this information on to your other Librarian friends. (And here is some fun footage of behind-the-scenes). Thank you for stopping by.

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

2007-05-03T10:21:00.000-05:00

This book is deep, intense, and teetering so close to the edge of melodrama that it can only involve High School Students (with all their intense, dramatic, and misunderstood issues in life). Isabella Swan (Bella, please) is just the average American teenager. She was living in Phoenix but when her mother remarries and moves to Florida, Bella goes to live in Forks, Washington with her father, Charlie. Bella is absolutely miserable. Trying to not stick out in the tiny town of Forks with its even smaller High School, she soon finds herself the object of attention by one of the most beautiful ~~human beings~~ creatures she’s ever met, Edward Cullen. There are five Cullens in the school, and their history is shrouded in mystery. After Edward saves her life but is uninjured himself, Bella begins to wonder about what he could possibly be. After a talk with a member of the Native American tribe of Forks she comes to realize what The Cullens are. Vampires.

This wonderful book is a twist on a centuries-old theme, but it only adds to the powerful characters and passionate emotions that fly (yes, indeedy) through the air. I eagerly await the third book in this series. One of the most fascinating anecdotes about this book is how the idea came to Ms. Meyer. According to her website, she saw scenes between Edward and Bella, complete with dialogue, in her dreams. Upon waking, she wrote down everything she remembered, but it took her months to figure out what it all meant.

If you enjoyed this book, please consider one of the following :
Fiction Recommendation : New Moon by Stephenie Meyer. In this sequel to Twilight, Bella and Edward’s adventures continue and relationship deepens.

Nonfiction Recommendation : The Vampire Encyclopedia by Matthew Bunson. With over 2,000 entries in A-to-Z format, this book is a one-stop reference for everything and anything to do with vampires, from books and films to the history of the vampire legend and ways to ward off these creatures.

The Pooh Perplex by Frederick C. Crews

2007-05-02T08:38:00.000-05:00

In 1963, this light and amusing book gave the Literary Criticism world a much-needed jab in the ribs. This wonderful satire on conventional criticism is so cleverly written that I can believe that academics actually wrote this dribble (for dribble it is, if taken seriously). (Or perhaps I have simply spent too much time with Literary Critics.) In this collection of twelve essays, Crews rips poor Winnie-the-Pooh to shreds with his theories including Freudians, Aristotelians, and New Critics. In addition, he compares these works by Milne to Shakespeare and Dante. As a final act of hilarity, Crews twice looks at Pooh from a Religious angle, with different results each time (at one point, Eeyore is the embodiment of Christ, at another time, Christopher Robin is). This slim volume comes complete with ridiculous footnotes, tongue-in-cheek "questions and study projects," and hilarious biographical notes on the contributors.

If you enjoyed this book, please consider one of the following :
Fiction Recommendation : Winnie-The-Pooh by A.A. Milne. These delightful stories are wonderful in their childlike simplicity and playfulness. And the original illustrations by Shepard convey more emotion in their simplicity than Disney ever accomplished.
Nonfiction Recommendation : Pride and Promiscuity : The Lost Sex Scenes of Jane Austen by Arielle Eckstut. In 1999, two amateur Jane Austen scholars staying at an English state stumbled upon a hidden cache of manuscript pages and made the literary discovery of the century -- the lost sex scenes from Jane Austen's novels. Published here for the first time, the lost pages display Emma taking self-satisfaction to a whole new level, and reveal Henry Crawford's thorough exploration of "brotherly love" at Mansfield Park.
Nonfiction Recommendation : Postmodern Pooh by Frederick C. Crews. This sequel is, if possible, more trenchant and hilarious than the original. This is partly circumstantial, as the English Lit profession has become more self-parodying than ever. In 11 sham essays (complete with footnotes of brilliantly chosen actual texts), Crews takes on deconstruction, queer theory, gender/body studies, post colonial studies, chaos theory, etc.

The Innocent Man by John Grisham

2007-05-01T10:51:00.000-05:00

The tagline to this book is, “If you believe that in America you are innocent until proven guilty, this book will shock you. If you believe in the death penalty, this book will disturb you. If you believe the criminal justice system is fair, this book will infuriate you.” And I couldn’t agree more. Perhaps I’ve been conditioned from watching CSI and other forensic/crime drama shows, but I became physically mad at times while reading this book. Despite the first-person pronoun in the title, Grisham introduces the reader to at least four men who were accused of, and in some cases executed for, crimes they did not commit. The main focus of the book is on Ronald Williamson, a former Minor league baseball player who, in the early 1980s, was a couch potato. When a young woman in his hometown, Debbie Carter, was brutally raped and murdered, he was implicated by one man, and for reasons that are still sketchy, the Chief of Police and the local District Attorney focused their entire investigation on Mr. Williamson, nearly to the exclusion of anyone else, including one man’s videotaped confession that he had killed Ms. Carter. Over the course of many years, the police put together a case against Mr. Williamson that was based on hearsay, shaky evidence, and prison snitches. One major piece of evidence that was used against Mr. Williamson was a dream that he told the police he had. In that dream, he had raped and killed Ms. Carter. Mr. Williamson and a friend, Dennis Fritz, were eventually convicted of the rape and murder, and Mr. Williamson was put on Death Row. After many years, with the help of The Innocence Project, both convictions were overturned and both men were freed and given a monetary compensation. While this story does have a satisfactory ending for the family of Mr. Williamson, Debbie Carter’s murder is still unsolved. By the time I finished reading the book, I was no longer angry, but I was disappointed that there are places in America where injustice is so obvious and ramped. I wasn’t surprised, which is the sad part, but I am pleased that Grisham took the time to convey this story to the American public. Perhaps the nation will soon be able to really learn from its mistakes.

If you enjoyed this book, please consider these :
Fiction Recommendation #1 : The Testament by John Grisham. This novel tells the story of Nate O’Reily, a lawyer set on a wild goose chase in order to pin down the heir of a great fortune. Nonfiction Recommendation #1 : The Dreams of Ada : A True Story of Murder, Obsession, and a Small Town by Robert Mayer. This book, published in 1987 first brought the story of the unfairness of the trials in Ada, OK, to the general public. Mr. Grisham cites it on occasion.

The Bluebird and the Sparrow by Janette Oke

2007-04-30T13:30:00.000-05:00

Oke’s books are often set in a little town that is located in the vague “Old West,” time and place being unimportant compared to her plot and characters. This idiosyncrasy only makes her novels more memorable and endearing, since her characters are the ones that truly stick in your memory and their struggles touch your heart. This book focuses on two sisters, Berta and Glenna, who are as different as sisters can be. Berta, the older, quickly resented the fact that her younger sister, Glenna, was showered with compliments and praise just because she was a beautiful child, who soon grew up to be a beautiful young woman. Berta knew she could never be as beautiful and kind-hearted as Glenna, so she was determined to excel in her schoolwork and other areas. As they grew up, their mother took to calling Berta her “dependable one” and Glenna her “beautiful one.” This unspoken rivalry continued as the girls grew into adulthood, while Glenna married the most handsome man in town and Berta became a librarian. It wasn’t until a series of hardships, the death of Glenna’s oldest child, the death of their grandmother, their mother’s sudden illness, and the destruction of the town library, that Berta was able to admit her vehemence towards life itself and have a spiritual awakening. By the end of the novel, Berta has accepted her role in life, and has even made room for a beau. This is another wonderful example of Christian fiction, showing not only a lovely story with interesting characters without using profane language, sex, or violence, but also having Christianity be a large part of the central characters’ lives. Both Berta and Glenna are two-dimensional characters who stick in your memory long after you put the book down. Oke’s books “just make you feel good,” in the words of one satisfied library patron.

If you enjoyed this book, please consider reading :
Fiction Recommendation #1 : Roses for Mama by Janette Oke. This quiet novel by Oke focuses on Angela’s small family. She and her older brother are left to raise their young siblings after the death of their parents. Readers who enjoyed Berta’s character and its development in The Bluebird and the Sparrow should also enjoy this book and its central female character.

Fiction Recommendation #2 : The Postcard by Beverly Lewis. Again set in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, this novel tells the story of a young Amish woman, Rachel, whose husband and children are killed in a horrible traffic accident. Stricken blind, she convalesces at her parents’ B&B, where a kind man, an “Englisher,” takes notice of her.

Nonfiction Recommendation #1 : Janette Oke: A Heart for the Prairie : The Untold Story of One of the Most Beloved Novelists of Our Time by Laurel Oke Logan. This biography on Oke tells her story as one of the first Christian Fiction authors ever, and how her books became “bestsellers,” and eventually “best loved.”

The Preacher's Daughter by Beverly Lewis

2007-04-26T16:50:00.000-05:00

I have enjoyed all of Lewis’ books, and this one was no exception. Lewis’ style of writing pulls the reader completely into whatever setting is currently on the page. Although Lewis often sets her books in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, a fair amount of this book’s action is also set in Colorado. The book, the first in a trilogy entitled “Annie’s People,” focuses on two young women, Louise and Annie, who are trying to find their path in life. Annie is part of an Old Order Amish family, and her secret desires to be an artist have been forbidden by church doctrine. Louise has just ended her engagement and fled her over-bearing parents to stay with Annie and her “simple life.” The climax of the story pulls together not only the two girls’ desires and their future, but also their faiths and beliefs, which once again establishes this as a Christian fiction book. I thought this was a wonderful book, but my opinion could be biased because I identified strongly with both major characters. Not to sound very gushy or over-dramatic, but at times the characters in this book were saying and doing things that I have said and done in my own past. While this could be considered “chick lit,” I think it has appeal to all ages and both genders. Both characters are entirely complete and believable, and I am anxious to read the rest of the trilogy, which has already been published.

If you enjoyed this book, please consider one of the following :
Fiction Recommendation : The Englisher by Beverly Lewis. This is the sequel to Lewis’ The Preacher’s Daughter, and continues the story of everyone in Paradise, Lancaster County.

Nonfiction Recommendation : Amish Women: Lives & Stories by Louise Stoltzfus. This is a lovely book written by an Amish woman, explaining her life and values, and those of 10 other women of her community. A wonderful nonfiction resource to those readers who wish to learn more about the Amish Community.

Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi

2007-04-25T23:15:00.000-05:00

“Living in the Islamic Republic is like having sex with a man you loathe . . . if you’re forced into having sex with someone you dislike, you make your mind blank - you pretend to be somewhere else. You tend to forget your body; you hate your body. That’s what we do over here [in Iran]. We are constantly pretending to be somewhere else.”

This vivid description is one of hundreds given by Dr. Azar Nafisi, professor of literature. Born in Persia/Iran, she was educated in Europe and America, and returned to Iran in time to see the rise of the Taliban and the systematic quelling of both women’s rights and Western culture permeating Iran. As a professor, she meets some very intelligent, very gifted young women who all gravitate together because of the literature they read in her classes. Eventually, when Dr. Nafisi quits her job rather than being forced to wear the Veil, she starts her own class in her home. There, she invites seven of these certain young women, who have become her friends over the years, to join her. Together they read and discuss forbidden Western literature - Lolita, of course, but also Pride and Prejudice, Daisy Miller, and The Great Gatsby. What they do is illegal, and more than one woman is punished and beaten because of her interest in Western culture and higher education. Even though these women, including Dr. Nafisi, come from very different backgrounds and go on to lead different lives once the time period of this book ends, when they do come together, they loose themselves in their beloved novels for a time, and then trudge back into the world that both despises and controls them. This regular Thursday morning class continues for two years.

For most of this book, I was rather depressed, reading about Dr. Nafisi’s experiences and reminding myself it wasn’t a novel, but a memoir. This happened, and is still happening today. However, I was encouraged by the end of the book, when Dr. Nafisi and her family find the courage to emigrate to America, and many of her beloved students leave Iran as well.

If you enjoyed this book, please consider one of the following :
Fiction Recommendation : The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler. Five women and one man meet periodically to discuss the work of (arguably) the greatest novelist in English. Six people, one for each Jane Austen title. It is California, a hot summer in the Central Valley early in the 21st century, and these are ordinary people, neither happy nor unhappy, but each of them hurting in different ways, all of them mixed up about love.
Fiction Recommendation : Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov. There is a reason why this novel about a pedophile rapist who lusts after a bratty ‘tween’ is not only in the title of Nafisi’s memoir, but also still considered great literature.
Note : Jeremy Irons reads an unabridged recording of the audiobook of Lolita. He is wonderful, and I highly recommend it!
Nonfiction Recommendation : Kabul Beauty School: An American Woman Goes Behind the Veil by Deborah Rodriquez. Rodriguez's account tells the story of one Michigan woman's quest to help women in Afghanistan after the fall of the Taliban the best way she knows how: by opening a beauty school. After spending a couple of years in her adopted city, she realizes that she is giving women the power to earn both money and autonomy, and fights fiercely to keep the school open.
Nonfiction Recommendation : Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi. This memoir in graphic novel form goes into great detail of Satrapi’s childhood in Iran during the Iran-Iraq war. The stark black-and-white drawings only add to the bleakness of her immediate future and barrenness of the landscape.

Acting like a Librarian

2007-04-19T08:41:00.000-05:00

Ok, so the last few weeks have been very busy for me. I would like to share with you how I have been acting like a librarian lately.

First off, I read a really interesting article, brought to my attention by my Prof, regarding disappearing reference desks. The fact that reference services seem to be disappearing in the past decade didn't make me sad, since what's really happening is that Library Services, and therefore Librarians, are evolving. I know that I will have to be prepared to be easily adaptable if I plan to have a career in Academic Librarianship.

Secondly, I have found some wonderfully hilarious videos about Librarians on YouTube. Here is one comparing librarians to penguins, here is one telling the story of what Librarians do to patrons who don't follow the rules. "I want to be a librarian." Mwaa haa haa haa haa!

I have to go act like a Secretary now.

Will in the World : How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare by Stephen Greenblatt

2007-04-18T20:05:00.000-05:00

While I read this book, and it's pretty darn good by the way, I was constantly thinking about the imagination Greenblatt must have. The author perks up the bare facts of Shakespeare's life with some speculation about his parents' lives, his "lost years," his marriage. True, the hypotheses he presents to the reader about what might have happened in Shakespeare’s life leading up to and during the time he wrote his plays are all based on evidence he has uncovered, but the evidence is weak and full of holes, which if you know anything about Shakespeare (or “William ‘Billy Bob’ Shakespeare” as my high school class called him), you know this is inevitable. I suppose Charles Mee said it best, “A brilliant book written by a virtual eyewitness who understands how a playwright takes the stuff of his life and makes it into theatre.” (From the flyleaf).

Because this book makes reference to all of Shakespeare's plays, some of which I haven't read, I'm strangely inclined to read all 37 ("Thirty-seven?!" you say? Why yes, indeed-y) of his plays. I own two complete works, the Riverside Shakespeare and a facsimile Chris gave me a few years ago, and lots of individual volumes of some plays, including four translated into Italian (which makes the plays actually set in Italy all that more interesting). I like his work. He's good people.

If you enjoyed this book, please consider one of the following :
Fiction Recommendation : My Father Had a Daughter by Grace Tiffany. An ordinary girl seeks revenge on her celebrated father in this, a fictionalized "memoir" by the Bard's youngest daughter, Judith. When her twin brother Hamnet accidentally drowns, she is grief-stricken; when she finds her grief used as material for Twelfth Night, she blames her absentee father.
Fiction Recommendation : The Book of Air and Shadows by Michael Gruber. In this ingenious literary thriller, the lives of two men (Jake Mishkin and Albert Crosetti) are changed forever by William Shakespeare and the letters of Richard Bracegirdle, a 16th-century English spy and soldier. Together, Mishkin and Crosetti travel to England in search of a previously unknown Shakespeare manuscript mentioned by Bracegirdle.
Nonfiction Recommendation : A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare by James Shapiro. The year 1599 was crucial in the Bard's artistic evolution as well as in the historical upheavals he lived through. That year's output—Henry V, Julius Caesar, As You Like It and (debatably) Hamlet—not only spans a shift in artistic direction and theatrical taste, but also echoes the intrigues of Queen Elizabeth's court and the downfall of her favorite, the Earl of Essex.
Nonfiction Recommendation : Christopher Marlow: Poet and Spy by Park Honan. Marlow is yet another Elizabethan playwright who attracts intrigue (perhaps even more than Shakespeare) even up to the current year.

Moments of Levity

2007-04-16T20:08:00.000-05:00

I would like to apologize for the lack of posts the past two weeks. I promise (if anyone really cares) to put more up soon.

In the meantime, I have included a wonderful Monty Python sketch, redone for a benefit for Amnesty International. I was reminded of this sketch Monday evening at class when my Prof. (Hi NC!) used that sketch to compare bibliographers studying texts from different centuries. Honestly!

And for even more laughs, below is one of the best bits Eddie Izzard has ever written and performed (in my humble opinion). Enjoy!

The Memoirs of Elizabeth Frankenstein by Theodore Roszak

2007-04-03T08:46:00.000-05:00

Near the end of this book, Roszak writes, “Horror . . . has little to do with haunted castles and graveyards. True horror is compounded of human intentions; it arises from a soul depraved.” In brief, this book, a retelling of Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley’s Frankenstein from Elizabeth Lavenza’s point of view, did not live up to even the author’s standards, according to his own description. This book had plenty of dark, mysterious rooms and towers in the Frankenstein château, as well as dark, mysterious forests and churchyards with the ever-present ‘spirits’ that come from Mother Earth, according to Elizabeth and the women who become her tutors. What this book did not have, were clear motivations for many of the characters. They seemed to be arriving to point B from point A only because Roszak had to fit his story into the outline already made by Shelley’s immortal tale. Roszak rambled on and on about Elizabeth’s education, and how her adoptive mother (Lady Caroline Frankenstein) had destined for she (Elizabeth) and Victor to marry as intellectual equals. This concept/desire is juxtaposed against Baron Frankenstein’s wish that Victor be a product of the Enlightenment, and learn all about the new-fangled electricity and medical advances, while Elizabeth should content herself with painting and gardening. (And I’d like to add that I find it extremely strange that Lady Caroline’s second and youngest son, Ernest is completely forgotten and not mentioned again before the book is even halfway through. No mention of his death - indeed a preface indicates that the character lived long after the rest of his family died. Odd.). I kept hoping for true elements of horror all the way up to the end of the book, at which point I finally gave up. Nothing in this book made me scared, or even worried for the future of mankind, save for the fact that such a disappointing and (yes) crappy book could be accepted and even published by Random House.

If you enjoyed this book, please consider the following suggestions :

Fiction Recommendation : Frankenstein or A Post-Modern Prometheus By Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley. As mentioned before, Roszak’s book is but another version of Shelley’s immortal tale.

Fiction Recommendation : Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë. Roszak’s book is similar in style and pacing as Brontë’s, but the tone and plot are much different. And that’s a good thing.

Nonfiction Recommendation : Frankenstein : Penetrating the secrets of Nature edited by Susan E. Lederer. As science penetrates the secrets of nature, with each discovery generating new questions, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein will sound its note of warning. Many scientific developments have provoked references to Frankenstein, a story that, for nearly two centuries, has gripped our imaginations and haunted our nightmares. How can society balance the benefits of medical discoveries against the ethical or spiritual questions posed?

Movie Recommendation : Mary Shelley's Frankenstein directed by Kenneth Branagh. This movie, like the book I reviewed, does not envoke any horror. It is, however, a bloody mess (in both artistry and gore-level).

The Awakening by Kate Chopin

2007-03-30T08:40:00.000-05:00

The main reason why I did not find this book to be as outrageous and shocking as its first readers (circa 1899) had seen it was perhaps because of the language. Chopin uses phrases that very subtly introduce her characters’ motivations, actions, and opinions. Belatedly I realized that an annotated edition would have been better, as there were a number of cultural references and French phrases, and I didn’t know whether or not they were important to the plot, or were perhaps simply there to make the setting more colourful. This novella centers on Edna Pontellier and her life after she meets Robert Lebrun at the island resort she and her family were attending one summer. She and Robert at first have a simple flirtation, but Edna’s feelings for him do not diminish as the summer ends. She suspects that he reciprocates her growing love, but before they have a chance to discuss the matter, he moves to Mexico City and she is brought back to New Orleans by her husband, Léonce. While in New Orleans, she pines for Robert’s company, though at the same time pushing forward with a new-found desire to paint. Her artistic endeavors, as well as her new opinions regarding her duties as mistress of an upper-middle-class household greatly distress Léonce, but his friend Dr. Mandelet convinces him to leave Edna alone, and everything will return to ‘normal’ eventually. Léonce heeds this advice, and leaves for an extended business trip to New York City. During his absence, Edna ships her two small children off to her mother-in-law’s, continues with her painting, and starts to move in new social circles. Still pining for the relationship and connection she had with Robert during the summer, she begins a sexual affair with another young man, Alcée Arobin. Alcée has no depth to his personality, and because of that, Edna obtains no satisfaction from her relationship with him. Robert’s sudden reappearance in Edna’s life begins yet another chain of events that culminates in Edna deserting her family – but not for the reason you might think. This book is a true study of the many different types of ‘awakenings’ a middle-aged (or younger) woman might go through, at any time in history. There are times in the book when I thought that Chopin is trying to make a statement, but is hindered by the plot. Therefore, it might be better to read this novella not as a linear story, but as a study, or perhaps an exercise; that’s probably the best way to explain the distance I felt with the characters.

If you enjoyed this book, please consider one of the following :
Fiction Recommendation : Lady Chatterley’s Lover by D.H. Lawrence. Even more shocking; almost as old.

Fiction Recommendation : Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys. Very similar setting and characters, but Chopin and Rhys differ in the way they handle forbidden love. If you’ve never been told the connection Wide Sargasso Sea has with another literary classic, then don’t ask; you’ll enjoy the book even more when the realization comes.

Nonfiction Recommendation : A Doll’s House by Ibsen. This play deals with the struggle and eventual awakening of a wife and mother. While it does not have the sexual theme that Chopin discusses, it still leaves the reader with plenty to consider and debate.

The last time to be excited about a Harry Potter Cover

2007-03-29T08:29:00.000-05:00

I realize this news is already 24 hours old, but I have been fighting both a mountain of homework and a bad head cold the past two days. I'm sorry for the lack of posts.

Below are the wonderful new covers for the seventh (and last!) Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows : The American cover, the British cover for Children, and the British cover for Adults. Here is the news story according to the BBC, and here is the official publishing site, where you can see even more of the American cover (the back, etc.)

Please share your thoughts and comments.

The Meaning of Night by Michael Cox

2007-03-20T09:48:00.000-05:00

With echoes of Charles Dickens and Wilkie Collins, Cox has created a very intricate thriller which some reviewers have dubbed a “Victorian Noir.” The story, written as a “confession” but a narrator who is not always trustworthy, opens with the narrator (Edward Glyver) murdering a complete stranger in cold blood simply “to practice” for his true target – a gentleman named Phoebus Daunt. Glyver and Daunt have been acquainted for years, and Glyver is convinced that Daunt has set out to make his (Glyver’s) life miserable, to the extent of framing him for a theft, having him expelled from school, stealing his fiancée, and taking his birthright and inheritance to an estate and title of the gentry. I would argue that this book is a psychological thriller, as it starts with such a horrific event (the murder), and then flashes back to Glyver’s childhood, and works its way up to that murder Glyver committed. It made the reader wonder what on Earth could have happened in this man’s past to make his mind so twisted and his focus so narrow. That Glyver will attain his goal and enact his revenge on Daunt is not surprising, but the events that follow that second murder are what really kept my interest. Throughout this (at times) long-winded book, I will not deny that a frequent thought was, “Oh, just kill him already!”

The research Cox completed for this complex novel is to be commended, but much of the every day descriptions and other small plotlines that were stretched throughout the book seemed not to aid the protagonist in his ultimate goal of revenge. And when he finally achieves his revenge and has his crow of triumph, the reader isn’t entirely certain that he deserves it. You see, Edward Glyver is just as much of a mystery as is the plot he tries to unravel – the plot that ultimately leads him to blame Daunt for everything. From the opening sentence, “After killing the red-haired man, I took myself off to Quinn's for an oyster supper,” one is decidedly unsettled. However, I believe that is the author’s intentions.

If you enjoyed this book, please consider the following :
Fiction Recommendation : Montmorency : Thief, Liar, Gentleman? by Eleanor Updale. Updale’s protagonist, Montmorency, is remarkably similar to Edward Glyver, as is his plot of revenge. However, Updale’s book is more concise and leaves the reader more emotionally satisfied. This is the first in a small series of novels surrounding Mr. Montmorency.
Fiction Recommendation : The Interpretation of Murder by Jed Rubenfeld. The search for a serial killer during Sigmund Freud's 1909 visit to New York City, his one trip to the U.S., propels the plot of Yale law professor Rubenfeld's ambitious debut. Readers will learn much about Freud's relationship with his then-disciple Carl Jung, the building of the Manhattan Bridge, the early opponents to Freud's theories and the central problem posed by Hamlet's "to be or not to be" soliloquy.
Nonfiction Recommendation : Thunderstruck by Erik Larson. Larson's page-turner juxtaposes scientific intrigue with a notorious murder in London at the turn of the 20th century. It alternates the story of Marconi's quest for the first wireless transatlantic communication amid scientific jealousies and controversies with the tale of a mild-mannered murderer caught as a result of the invention.

V for Vendetta by Alan Moore and David Lloyd

2007-03-15T13:57:00.000-05:00

Remember, remember the fifth of November,

Gunpowder treason and plot.

We see no reason

Why gunpowder treason

Should ever be forgot!

Having already seen the wonderful movie made of this graphic novel, I was eager to read the original work. As others have reported earlier in this class, this book is set in England’s near future, when a totalitarian government watches over the entire population and controls everything that is communicated to them. The leaders have code names for each other and the business they carry out; free speech and any other kind of resistance is quickly crushed by some of the “fingermen” who look and sound as sinister as the Gestapo. Out of this world of terror emerges (what else?) a terrorist – at least, that is what the leaders call him. In truth, he is both a victim and a villain, vowing to vanquish the vermin that he sees as the current decision-makers; he is a superhuman vigilante who has a vendetta and is out for vengeance. Throughout the novel, he is only called ‘V.’ He dresses himself in a caricature of Guy Fawkes, the 17th English terrorist who almost succeeded in blowing up the House of Lords. This wonderfully complex character spouts Shakespeare as he enacts his vengeance, while saving the life of the young Evey Hammond along the way. As a kind of protégé, Evey assists V with some of his plots, although she eventually balks at the extent of his murders, and runs away from him. I thought this story could only be told in a graphic novel, since the colouring and shading of the panels greatly contributed to the understanding of the moods and setting. The wordplay is witty and lively, even if the dialogue is stilted at times. This novel began as a series of comic book first published in the mid-1980s, as a reaction to the British government at that time under the rule of Margaret Thatcher, and therefore I cannot catch some of the historical references. According to his preface to the paperback edition, Alan Moore hated that time in English history – a time when, among other things, England was considering passing laws making homosexuality illegal. “I’m thinking of taking my family and getting out of this country soon, sometime over the next couple years. It’s cold and it’s mean spirited and I don’t like it here anymore,” he wrote in 1988. He and Lloyd, along with other talented artists, created a wonderful piece of 20th century literature. This novel at the same time questions, breaks down, and strengthens the reader’s beliefs. And at the end of the book, when Evey also dons the cape and mask of Guy Fawkes, they prove that even such a tyrannical government as the one depicted here cannot kill the idea of freedom.
Although this graphic novel does have frank depictions of violence, sexuality, vulgarity, and nudity, it should be appropriate for mature teens.

If you enjoyed this book, please consider reading the following :
Fiction Recommendation #1 : 1984 by George Orwell. Another novel set in a futuristic England, dealing with technology and human defiance. The two main characters, Smith and Julia, fight Big Brother. This groundbreaking novel influenced many works of the later 20th century, including V for Vendetta, as well as introduced a number of words into our vocabulary : Thought Police, Big Brother, Sex Crimes, Orwellian.
Fiction Recommendation #2 : The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux. This wonderfully gothic novel deals with another masked, hidden, and misunderstood character that is often taken for a villain.

Fiction Recommendation #3 : Marvel 1602 by Neil Gaiman and Andy Kubert. Another graphic novel, this time taking the well-known Marvel comic book heroes and transporting them to Elizabethan England.
Nonfiction Recommendation #1 : The World Hitler Never Made: Alternate History and the Memory of Nazism by Gavriel D. Rosenfeld. What if the Nazis had triumphed in the Second World War? What if Adolf Hitler had escaped Berlin for the jungles of Latin America in 1945? Rosenfeld’s pioneering study explores why such counterfactual questions on the subject of Nazism have proliferated in recent years within Western popular culture.

Librarians Unbound

2007-03-14T12:11:00.000-05:00

While browsing through blogs after the weekend, I found this really insightful essay by T. Scott. I encourage all people of the librarian persuasion to read this, and even those who do not work in libraries.

Have a good day!

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

2007-03-12T14:46:00.000-05:00

The only way I made it through this Science Fiction book, for I do not usually enjoy Science Fiction books, was Adams’ wonderfully crazy sense of humour. The book follows Arthur Dent as he is saved at the last moment from the destruction of Earth by his alien friend Ford Prefect. Ford and Arthur travel the universe by hitching rides from passing ships, using the hugely popular book The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy to guide them. On the way they meet another fortunate Earthling, Trillion; the President of the Galaxy, Zaphod Beeblebrox; a very depressed robot called Marvin; and two mice who are trying to figure out the answer to the Ultimate Question : What is the meaning of Life, the Universe, and Everything? (And if you don’t know the answer already, the one Adams gives will surprise you). As with any book introducing an entirely new world and set of theories, there are entire chapters of exposition. This book is wonderful because the reader doesn’t realize he is reading nothing but exposition; the reader learns everything from Ford and his wonderful book because Arthur does as well. While at times the book delves into some serious philosophy, Adams always saves the situation from becoming too somber. I will say that my favorite character so far is Marvin, one of the first robots ever built with a human personality. Unfortunately, the personality he was given was one of depression. This book, the first in a widely popular series which spawned British radio dramas, television programs, albums, a computer game, a stage production, a comic book, and more stories and novels before it finally came to the big screen in Spring 2005, introduces very detailed and imaginative characters who, as you have read, endure throughout a plethora of “Hitchhiker” media.

For those of you who prefer your books to be in Audio form, please visit RickLibrarian for a review of this book as read by Stephen Fry.

If you enjoyed this book, please consider the following :
Fiction Recommendation #1 : The Restaurant at the End of the Universe by Douglas Adams. This second book in Adams’ “Hitchhiker” series continues the journey of Arthur, Ford, Zaphod, and Marvin as they search for the answer to the Ultimate Question.

Fiction Recommendation #2 : Douglas Adams’ Starship Titanic by Terry Jones. This novel, from Jones of Monty Python fame, is based on a computer game, which was in turn based on Adams’ “Hitchhiker” books.

Nonfiction Recommendation #1 : Field Guide to the Apocalypse: Movie Survival Skills for the End of the World by Meghann Marco. You can survive the apocalypse without this book. But the apocalypse isn't the problem: It's what happens afterward. You against the other people left in the world. You'd better be prepared.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

2007-03-08T08:44:00.000-06:00

To be fair, this was the second time I’ve read this Pulizter Prize-winning novel by the elusive Ms. Lee. I was surprised to discover how much of the book I remembered since High School (was it really that long ago?). This is the kind of book which stays with the reader, and I think that is why it is a) still being taught in High School classes around the country since its publication in 1960, and b) constantly on numerous top-ten lists for Best American novel; Best Novel of the 20^th Century, etc. Lee’s descriptions of life in Alabama during the Great Depression are so complete that they envelope the reader in that time and place, and the people who live there. This novel made me remember my (long-ago) American History classes and the events that led up to and indirectly influenced this sleepy town of Maycomb. I enjoyed this book very much, but it’s difficult to explain why. The story doesn’t have a very happy ending, with the conviction and murder of an innocent man, the attempted murder of two children, and the death of the town drunk. However, I felt very pleased somehow with Scout’s actions and conclusions at the end of the book. The way she behaved towards Boo Radley made her so much more amture than anything her Aunt Alexandra could have accomplished. I’d like to think that the people of Maycomb County (for they were all based on real people from Lee’s adolescence) were changed as well, but history has proved that to be unlikely. While a part of me would have liked a sequel of sorts, or an epilogue that explained whether or not Scout ever grew to enjoy school or if Jem ever became a lawyer, I’m glad Lee never wrote one because then the characters wouldn’t remain the same. Lee’s characters are so well-defined and full of personality that they are almost literature archetypes. Once again, I enjoyed this book and recommend it to anyone, anywhere.

It is worth noting that this book was made into a wonderful movie, which has just had a 45th Anniversary DVD released.

If you enjoyed this book, please consider the following :

Fiction Recommendation #1 : The Land by Mildred D. Taylor. This novel, a prequel to the Newbery-award winning Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, tells a similar story of racism and injustice in the American South. However, this book isn’t as depressing as it sounds.

Nonfiction Recommendation #1 : In Cold Blood by Truman Capote. Capote’s well-known “nonfiction novel” was instrumental in starting the genre of contemporary true-crime novels. In Cold Blood tells the story of two men convicted and executed for murdering a Kansas family in 1957. If you liked the crime drama plot in To Kill a Mockingbird, this book might also appeal to you.

All About the Cuteness

2007-03-05T13:13:00.000-06:00

Recently I have been overcome by all the cuteness around me. I have decided to share some of it with all of you.

This Cute Animal Quiz really does make sense! Just answer the questions and it will tell you what kind of Cute Animal you are. This was originally shown to me by my sister, who turned out to be a squirrel.

I have always admired Kristin Chenoweth's work, and I first heard her sing this song on A Prairie Home Companion last Saturday. Here she is singing "Taylor the Latte Boy" on another show, care of Youtube.com. And I think she's so cute!

I Can Has Cheezburger ? Here is a very cute website full of adorable photos of animals, mostly cats. I subscribe to the RSS feed, so I can have a daily dose of "aww."

And finally, here is a photo of my cousins. Granted, it was taken a few years ago. But I can assure you that the girls have only grown more cute.

Catching Up Part 4

2007-03-01T11:08:00.000-06:00

Because I don't know if I will ever have the time to do this properly, I suppose I'll just insert a photo or two here and there in order to show you what I've been up to the last two months.

Here is a photo of a tapestry that hangs in the Vatican Museum. It was commissioned by a family (whose name I've forgotten) who had four Popes elected from that family. The man kneeling in the center of the tapestry is a cardinal who will soon be named Pope, as he is shown receiving a blessing here.
But I mainly took it because it reminds me so much of Michael Palin in Monty Python's "Spanish Inquisition" sketch.

Fruits Basket by Natsuki Tayaka

2007-02-28T14:11:00.000-06:00

The story is gripping, inventive, and very entertaining. The book itself was difficult, frustrating, and at times completely confusing. And the reason for this is that this manga was published in the original form (but with English lettering instead of Japanese characters), with the story beginning at the back of the book, and being read right to left. This proved very difficult, as the panels were not always horizontal, and the story jumped back and forth, in and out of flashbacks. The story follows Tohru Honda, an orphan who stumbles upon a mysterious family. The Sohma family, made up of three young men who are cousins, agree to let her live with them. She repays their kindness by cooking and cleaning for them. She soon finds out that the young men, Yuki, Shigure, and Kyo, had an ancient curse put on their family. The spirits of the zodiac follow them around, and whenever a member of the family is hugged by someone of the opposite gender, they turn into an animal from the zodiac calendar. Tohru is soon accepted into this family, and agrees to keep their secret. This story is very character-driven, as no real enemy was introduced. The characters are realistic, even in their animal form, and are drawn very well. I enjoyed the story and the new (to me) graphic design. I did not enjoy the book format, but perhaps I will acclimate myself to it, if I continue the series. This is the first book in a series that is at least 15 books long, most likely more. They are first published in Japan, and seem to sporadically find their way to America. This edition included information on the Fruits Basket history and following in Japan, and a brief lesson on the Chinese Zodiac, since much of the plot depends on the reader’s understanding of it. If I had to recommend a manga to a first-time reader, I might not choose this one because of the format and the time-jumping plot. One must be patient in order to read this book.

If you enjoyed this book, please consider :

Fiction Recommendation #1 : Fruits Basket, vol. 2 by Natsuki Tayaka. Tohru attempts to lead a normal High-school girl life, but problems ensue when she invites friends for a sleepover, while attempting not to disclose the secret of the Sohma family’s curse of the Chinese Zodiacs.

Nonfiction Recommendation #1 : Watching Anime, Reading Manga: 25 Years of Essays and Reviews by Fred Patten and Carl Macek. Patten, an anime scholar for decades, has put together this collection discussing the influence anime has had on American popular culture.

Ghost World by Daniel Clowes

2007-02-26T10:03:00.000-06:00

Clowes’ Ghost World illustrates, rather disjointedly, the summer after High School Graduation, focusing on two best friends : Enid and Rebecca. Even though this graphic novel is a collection of previously published comics and therefore doesn’t have the conventional exposition-rising action-climax-falling action-conclusion, the narrative flows well and I came to care for the characters without knowing them very well, which is rare for me because the books I usually read are novels that are lengthy enough to provide enough character explanation. This one summer in the lives of Enid and Rebecca is a definite turning point, when they not only look back on their childhood and adolescent memories, but also look to their respective futures, and question whether or not they will be in each other’s futures. I thought Clowes did a remarkable job in capturing the utter confusion that goes on inside a female’s head, especially a female who is no longer a child but not yet a woman. Both the dialogue and the illustrations work wonderfully together to convey how the girls see the world, particularly after Enid and Rebecca have a fight and sulk alone in their respective houses. I enjoyed this graphic novel very much because it shows people and situations that are different than what is normally published, in regards to contemporary teenagers and young women. This graphic novel made me feel sad because it reminded me in so many ways of my own High School years, which just shows how talented Clowes is as a writer.

I feel it worth mentioning that this was made into a very interesting movie a few years back. Like the graphic novel, it is disjointed and confusing at times, but the acting talent and the resolution are both very good.

If you enjoyed this book, please consider :
Fiction Recommendation #1 : Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on Earth by Chris Ware. Another graphic novel which deals with similar themes in Ghost World – social isolation, abandonment, and despair. This book covers four generations of one family and the unusual stories that keep retelling themselves.

Fiction Recommendation #2 : Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi. This memoir in graphic novel form goes into great detail of Satrapi’s childhood in Iran during the Iran-Iraq war. The stark black-and-white drawings only add to the bleakness of her immediate future and barrenness of the landscape.

Nonfiction Recommendation #1 : Girls Who Bite Back: Witches, Mutants, Slayers and Freaks by Emily Pohl-Weary. This book is a commentary on the rise of strong female characters in popular culture, covering graphic novels, movies, and television.

Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding

2007-02-25T14:37:00.000-06:00

This novel spoke to me on such a personal level, it was almost scary at times. I thoroughly enjoyed this book – the characters, the weird references to 1990s British pop culture that I usually didn’t get, the wildly inventive cursing, and (of course) the humour. One perfect example : "The rich, divorced-by-cruel-wife Mark Darcy --quite tall-- was standing with his back to the room, scrutizing the contents of the Alconbury's booksheleves . . . It struck me as pretty ridiculous to be called Mr. Darcy and to stand on your own looking snooty at a party. It's like being called Heathcliff and insisting on spending the entire evening in the garden, shouting 'Cathy' and banging your head against a tree."

Bridget is a 32-year-old career girl who lives in London and is pining for a boyfriend. This novel, written in diary form, chronicles just over one year in her life, during which she loses a total of 72 pounds (but gains a total of 74); quits her job in publishing because she shagged her boss; demonstrates that she is an appallingly bad public speaker; starts a career as a television reporter; finds herself caught between two sets of friends – the Singletons and the Smug Marrieds (whose dinner parties offer ever-new opportunities for humiliation); and is finally asked out by a normal, kind, and very handsome man called Mark Darcy. This novel did cause a bit of a commotion when it was first published in England in 1996, because it was one of the first to openly and without apology talk about the fact that there were – are - hundreds, if not thousands, of thirty-something career women who are still Singletons, and who are starting to worry because they haven’t found The One yet. Bridget Jones is a wonderful role model, in a weird anti-herione sort of way, because no matter how horrible her situation becomes, she pulls herself together and convinces herself that everything will be better in the morning. Even though I thought this book was wonderfully hilarious, I will admit that I was frightened at times, because I am worried I might end up like Bridget. Yes, I do tend to over-exaggerate things, since I am only a twenty-something and do not live in London; however, I have been a Singleton for more than three years, and fear that that lifestyle won’t change even after I finish all my schooling. In the meantime, I’ll enjoy Bridget’s escapades and the movie versions of the books as well.

If you enjoyed this book, please consider reading:

Fiction Recommendation #1 : Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella. Like Bridget Jones’s Diary, this book is a light, funny novel set in England. Rebecca writes for a financial planning magazine, yet has huge credit card debt from which she cannot seem to break free. Hilarity and chaos ensues.
Fiction Recommendation #2 : Bridget Jones’s Guide to Life by Helen Fielding. This slim volume is a collection of some of the original newspaper columns Fielding wrote about Bridget, which prompted her to write a full-length novel in the first place.
Nonfiction Recommendation #1 : Becoming a Goddess of Inner Poise: Spirituality for the Bridget Jones in All of Us by Donna Freitas. For those readers who completely identify with Bridget, but have failed in capturing their own Mr. Darcy, then this self-help book may be right for them.

Laughter Through Tears

2007-02-23T10:30:00.000-06:00

While reading Mermaid, I stumbled across this list, arguing why Unicorns are better than zombies. Well, after reading it, I had such a laugh. I hope you enjoy it as well. :)

And I need a laugh because an acquaintance of mine died last week. Her death was a surprise, as it usually is when the person is 16 years old. What pissed me off the most was not her death, ironically, because life is unplanned and we have to accept that; nor the 2-block-long line I had to stand in in 20 degree cold in order to fit into the smallest funeral home ever; nor the photos of she and I together in a 2003 production of Guys and Dolls; what made me mad was that many of her female schoolmates and friends were standing with me in only short skirts, no pantyhose, and long-sleeved sweaters. It's like they were courting death.

Kaitlyn Miller 1990-2007

Introducing the Book

2007-02-16T15:47:00.000-06:00

In my class last Monday, I was introduced to this wonderful clip at YouTube.com. Take a minute to view this - it's a wonderful way to see what an impact the Book had on people when it was invented.

What Kind of Reader are you?

2007-02-13T09:11:00.000-06:00

I discovered this quiz from reading The Well Dressed Librarian. After completing it, I discovered I was a 'Dedicated Reader.' (Hmm...)

What Kind of Reader Are You? Your Result: Dedicated Reader You are always trying to find the time to get back to your book. You are convinced that the world would be a much better place if only everyone read more.
Literate Good Citizen
Obsessive-Compulsive Bookworm
Fad Reader
Book Snob
Non-Reader
What Kind of Reader Are You? Create Your Own Quiz

I encourage you to take the quiz and learn what kind of reader you are. It'll be fun!

The Paid Companion by Amanda Quick

2007-02-09T11:30:00.000-06:00

I did not enjoy The Paid Companion because of its stereotypical characters, overused dialogue, and (concurrently) overly-complicated and very weak plot. While I can see that some people wouldn’t find these items a problem, I definitely did. The books I enjoy reading have to keep my interest, and I was very bored while reading this book, and looked forward to the end. I hope that those readers who read Quick on a regular basis have also found other authors to try, for I would pity anyone who only reads these bodice-rippers. I don’t plan to read any more books by this author, though I have listed recommendations below, for those readers who do like Quick.

If you enjoyed this book, please consider :
Fiction Recommendation #1 : With This Ring by Amanda Quick. An earlier novel by Quick, which has the same basic characters and storyline as The Pain Companion.

Fiction Recommendation #2 : Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen. This book would cater to the reader who enjoyed the gentle manners of Regency England. S&S is decidedly better in the areas of character development, plot, and dialogue.

Nonfiction Recommendation #1 : Jane Austen's Guide to Good Manners: Compliments, Charades & Horrible Blunders by Josephine Ross. This is a very informative book about Regency Era English Manners, including how to dress and rules on making social calls. If the reader is interested in the finer points of etiquette, this book is for them.

Dark Tort by Diane Mott Davidson

2007-02-08T11:29:00.000-06:00

This latest addition to Mott Davidson’s series involving caterer Goldy Schulz is a wonderful example of an amateur investigator mystery. In Dark Tort, Goldy’s friend is found murdered in a local law firm, and because the victim’s mother is convinced the police aren’t doing enough to find the culprit, she asks Goldy to “find out what happened.” Over the course of her investigation, Goldy uncovers a vast amount of clues and red herrings, to the point where the reader almost has too much information, and one wonders how could this all be a) relevant and b) tied together in the end? Through Mott Davidson’s clever writing and wry humor, everything is resolved at the climax and the main characters are once again restored to their usual states of peace. This book is full of memorable characters and even more memorable recipes, for Mott Davidson includes the recipes for all the dishes Caterer Goldy Schulz prepares in the book. Mott Davidson’s mysteries are a joy to read because her characters are realistic and her plots riveting.

If you enjoyed this book, please consider the following :
Fiction Recommendation #1 : Cherry Cheesecake Murder by Joanne Fluke. This is a novel (part of a series) that has a similar premise to Mott Davidson’s books. The main character (Hannah) is a baker who enjoys solving crimes on the side. However, readers may find that this heroine isn’t as interesting at Goldy Schulz. There are plenty of yummy recipes, though.

Fiction Recommendation #2 : Chopping Spree by Diane Mott Davidson. This earlier book finds Goldy catering at a newly renovated shopping mall and investigating the death of a former classmate. Complications arise when her catering assistant, Julian, is arrested for the murder.

Nonfiction Recommendation #1 : Working the Plate: The Art of Food Presentation by Christopher Styler. If you are really into food preparation, then this cook book might be for you. With many different styles given by many different chefs, the reader will learn many different ways of ‘plating.’

Angels & Demons by Dan Brown

2007-02-07T14:49:00.000-06:00

I had been told by many people that this book (Brown’s first novel to feature Robert Langdon) was better than his immensely popular The DaVinci Code. While I do not now agree with that statement, I will say that this book is just as intense and the ending(s) just as surprising as his later novel. Angels & Demons held my interest from the very beginning, and throughout the course of the novel when the mystery is unfolding before Langdon.

Almost all of the scenes described in Rome and Vatican City I could picture in my mind’s eye not just because of Brown’s wonderful descriptions, but because I had just seen them one month before. While reading, I was very surprised to realize that the main characters were heading for a church, piazza, or monument which I had very recently seen, and in many cases, taken photographs of. This book is a wonderful example of an intricately formed mystery/thriller because the main characters are just as much, if not more so, in the dark as the reader is regarding the murders, terrorism, and kidnappings that happen throughout the novel. When the true criminals are finally revealed at the climax, I felt like the proverbial rug had been pulled from under me; but not in a bad way. I enjoyed this book very much, and look forward to Brown’s next novel featuring Robert Langdon, which I understand will take place in America.

If you enjoyed this book, please consider :
Fiction Recommendation #1 : The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. This is Brown’s next novel, and if readers enjoyed A&D, I’m sure they will also enjoy Da Vinci, since it has the same premise of Langdon rushing to find treasures and save lives while deciphering ancient clues in works of art.

Fiction Recommendation #2 : The Rule of Four by Ian Caldwell and Dustin Thomason. This novel also deals with ancient items and hidden treasures, this time involving a rare manuscript and its interpretation by four university students.

Nonfiction Recommendation #1 : The Gospel According to the Da Vinci Code: The Truth Behind the Writings of Dan Brown by Kenneth Boa. If you are very interested in the two latest novels by Dan Brown, and wonder at his sources, then this book is for you. The reader will learn about the theories Brown worked into his novels, but Boa does show his negative opinion of Brown often.

Lots of Reading

2007-02-07T14:42:00.000-06:00

I've started to read many more blogs lately, and am having trouble keeping up with them and homework and assignments and rehearsal and work. In short, here is a brief post with nothing but "a lick and a promise" for more to come.

So when reading Laura's Blog recently, I learned about this wonderful service for Children's Literature from the University of Illinois. I love the web resources listed for Poetry and Fairy Tales. I encourage you to visit the site and poke around in it, and try to learn something new.

While reading another new blog, The Scattered Librarian, I was reminded of the plan to replace the illustrations in The Little House Books. Full story here. I am disappointed, but I believe The Scattered Librarian said it best.

After watching this video, mentioned by The Laughing Librarian, I still don't understand the context. Perhaps I'm not up on Popular Culture enough. Please let me know if you have figured it out; I would really like to know.

Let the Publishing World Rejoice!!!

2007-02-01T09:48:00.000-06:00

And here is the news!!!

Harry Potter will be back twice over this July!!! WOOO HOOO!

GIGO

2007-01-25T08:51:00.000-06:00

Since I'm just getting around to reading my December edition of American Libraries, yesterday I came across the Opinion article by David Isaacson, "Don't Just Read - Read Good Books." I thought it wonderfully appropriate for my current course, and thus decided to take a closer look at it. Issacson argues that "Librarians ought to have the courage to say that some books aren't worth reading at all." I don't agree with that exact statement, because I know that patrons' reading interests are as diverse as they are colorful. I am reminded of a time when I recommended my favorite mystery to two patrons in the space of one week, and both of them came back and said they just hated it. So I would argue that Librarians should give patrons all kinds of synopsis, reviews, and any other information they request, but should hold off on giving their own opinion unless asked to do so by the patron.

Isaacson concludes with this statement, "Literacy is better than illiteracy, but discriminating readers are ever so much better than undiscriminating ones." And I thought, "Is he right?"

I would say yes, Issacson is correct in his thinking. After reading the article, I went to the OED to confirm the definition of discrimination : "To distinguish with the mind or intellect; to perceive, observe, or note the difference in or between." The ability to make this distinction is of vital importance, I believe. Whether the reader reads "the classics" or is content to read contemporary popular fiction, that person should have the ability to distinguish between the two. That is a point on which Librarians can be of tremendous help; we aren't here to tell a patron that a book is "good" or "bad," but we should encourage the patron to make the decision for him/herself. I can think of nothing worse than having the time to read anything at my fingertips, yet not being able to distinguish between solid, well-written prose or poetry, and the trite, run-of-the-mill fiction that is often published.

That brings me to my subject heading "GIGO." I learned this phrase as a child (I think I even learned a tune to sing it to...) : Garbage In, Garbage Out. If all one reads is garbage (and who decides it's garbage?), then they won't be able to produce any original thoughts or opinions; they will just be regurgitating garbage. There is no need to ban any kind of fiction (or nonfiction) from a library's collection, unless there is a statistical drop in interest for that author/genre. Sections of a collection should not be pulled just because of a few people's opinion.

By adhering to this argument, I, as a Reader's Advisor, would encourage any patron to read the synopsis of a book that they found interesting. I would help them look for reviews of the book, if they wished. Once I gave them all the information and/or advice requested, I would encourage them to read at least three chapters. If they didn't like it after three chapters, then just bring it back in to the library and find another book. There is nothing wrong with not finishing a book that you have started.

Being Useful

2007-01-24T11:31:00.000-06:00

As many of you know, this blog started as a project for one of my Library School classes last semester. Along the way, I began to fill it up with my own personal stories and photos. While I don't know which kind of post is more appreciated - the personal or the scholarly - I've decided to once again use my blog as a project for a Library School class.

One of my classes this semester is for the Reading Interests of Adults. By the end of May, I will have learned how to be a good Reader's Advisor (I hope). Periodically for the next few months I will post reviews of Adult Fiction and Nonfiction. I welcome your comments and feedback.

Catching Up Part 3

2007-01-19T18:27:00.000-06:00

After Christmas had been celebrated, I left the very cold Midwest, USA, for warm and sunny Italy for 10 days. The weather turned out to be not as perfect as I'd like, but I didn't complain too much, as I was on vacation and in Italy! Yay! This vacation was organized by my university's Alumni Association, so I only knew two people at the beginning of the trip. I eventually became acquainted with the 28 others in our group.

What follows is a very brief view of my trip to Italy. If you're interested in seeing more, I am putting together a longer slide show which I will present in a month or so to my friends and family. More information on the time and place of that presentation will be posted on this blog at a future date.

The plane ride to Italy was very difficult for me. (I have never had motion sickness in my life, despite being force-fed Dramamine by my mother when I was a child.) I believe that at various times during the vacation I suffered from High-Altitude Illness. And before you tell me that the plane was correctly pressurized or whatnot, let me tell you that whatever it was, something made me feel very ill. I became nauseated and extremely fatigued. Chris had to support me as I walked off the plane. We soon met up with some of our other travelers in a corridor, and he let go of me, not realizing how weak I was. I fell against the glass wall of the corridor, and stayed there for a few minutes until I felt better. Consequently, the photo below was my first view of Italy.

On the morning of 29 December, our group visited Vatican City. After seeing much of the Vatican Museum and some of the grounds, our tour guide explained that when we entered the Sistine Chapel, we mustn't speak or take photos. However, it seemed as though only our group obeyed that rule, for the Sistine Chapel was humming with noise. The lighting was very poor, so I couldn't see the ceiling or The Last Judgement very well. After five minutes of this (and our group was told that we could stay for 20 minutes), Chris and I ditched the group and went in search of the Vatican Library. My skin was all a-tingle just thinking about the library. I knew we most likely wouldn't be allowed in, but Chris had told me that there are usually books from their collection on display. After a few wrong turns, we found the corridor leading to the library. Alas, no books were on display, and we were not allowed to enter. This photo is of the entrance to the library.

Later that day some of us walked to the Spanish Steps. This is a shot from the top of the steps. In the center of the photo, you can see the dome of St. Peter's Cathedral.

On Saturday, 30 December, many of us journeyed to Assisi (of St. Francis fame). Here is a photo I took while standing in one of the main piazzas in the small hill town. At the bottom of the frame, in the distance, you can see the dome of the Cathedral to St. Mary of the Angels.

On the morning of Sunday, 31 December, some of us went to visit The Colosseum and the surrounding areas. I had to duck out early to meet Giovanni (friend of my mother's), and I was nearly crushed in the subway on the way from the Colosseum to the hotel. Here is one of the beautiful umbrella pines on top of Palatine, one of the seven hills of Rome. These pine trees were everywhere in Rome, and they are spectacular!

Later that afternoon, Donna, Chris, and I walked all around the north and east areas of Rome, and had a wonderful time. I ducked into every bookshop I could find, and ended up buying Harry Potter e la pietra filosofale and Harry Potter e la camera dei segreti. Chris tried an orange from one of the trees lining the sidewalk. It was as sour as a lemon!

That evening, our entire group went to a lovely (and tiny) restaurant where we had a seven course meal (!), along with games and music. There was one very small dance floor, and insisted that, as I may never be in Rome on New Year's Eve again, I wanted to dance. So Chris humoured me. From the photo below, I hope you can distinguish that not only was the dance floor tiny, but it had a large bunch of balloons in its center. Not only that, but something had been spilled on the floor, making it very slippery. Yet I persisted; I was going to dance. And I did.

Thank you for viewing my very long and photo-filled post. Please stay tuned, for in my next post I will share all my Sicilian adventures.

The Need for Information

2007-01-18T12:16:00.000-06:00

While going through my files left over from last semester, I discovered the list of questions I was working on last semester. Those questions were submitted to me by my friends and family, in hopes that I could answer them and write intelligent-sounding posts at the same time. While nearing the end of the semester, I (I will admit it) gave up on the questions listed below. I did research all of them for a time, both online and in the reference stacks of the local University. If any of my kind readers know the answers, or can point me in the right direction, I would really appreciate it.

What two keys must be pressed to suspend an Intellivison console game?
Do you have references about the lay out of the solar system and possible explanations as to its organization?
Do you have references regarding robots—specifically the impact of artificial intelligence on the “thinking skills” of a robot?
I need to find out what the irradiance of the earth is.

Catching Up Part 2

2007-01-15T18:26:00.000-06:00

To continue on with my life in December :

First off, we had Christmas. Here is a shot of my new brother, Nick, having lots of fun with Christmas gifts. Maribeth is in the background.

Also here is Kathy (with Father's foot in the foreground) right before she opened my gift to her, a jar of apple butter from Edward's Apple Orchard, the best Apple Orchard ever!

And here are shots of my wonderfully crazy family, including my cousins Becky and Richard, and my grandmother, Joy. We all had a wonderful time on the 23rd of December when we came to her house early and made breakfast, then attacked the tree.

No, the dog with her (Chloe) isn't demonic.

Catching Up

2007-01-14T08:33:00.000-06:00

The next few posts will be photo-heavy so I apologize now to anyone with dial-up. This will show you what I've been doing in the last month that made me too busy for any new posts.

Last month I took a road trip to see my friend Lori and her family, who now live near Carbondale, IL. The long and mind-numbing drive was punctuated by listing to the unabridged recording of John Berendt's Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. It was wonderful. I would dedicate a post just to review it, but I'm not that good when it comes to reviews. I usually like all the books and Audiobooks I read, and I love discussing them with people who have also read them, but my reviews would be very dull.

I saw Lori in a Christmas Pageant, which was wonderful; however, the next best thing was the tour she gave me of her local Carnegie Library. It was beautiful and very comfortable. I told Lori that she must promise to take me there each time I visit her.

Here is the front door of the library. Isn't it impressive?

And here is Lori's youngest daughter by one of three gorgeous murals that were painted by one of the librarians. This one is right next to the door leading into the Children's Room.

That's all for today. Tune in for the next post, if you're really curious as to what I've been up to the past month. :)

Five Things (Some of) You Don't Know About Me

2007-01-09T08:43:00.000-06:00

Quick Note : I know I haven't posted in awhile, and I promise there will be more postings coming soon!

So I was tagged by ricklibrarian (who has a wonderful blog) to write five things that you may not know about me.

1. Last Friday (5th) I returned from my first ever visit to Italy. So that's why I've been conspicuously absent from my blog. And yes, I'm still jet-lagged.

2. Many years ago, when I was young, I almost stood up in the middle of my cousin's wedding at the point where the minister asks if anyone objects. The reason for this was because she was marrying a man she had known for a few months, and who had been convicted of beating his first wife. I didn't say anything, and the marriage lasted less than 9 months.

3. A few years ago I was in a production of The Glass Menagerie, where I played Laura. In order to affect a limp, I put a small wad of tape and paper in my shoe for every performance. That little thing threw off the angle of my hips so much I had to visit a chiropractor for seven months afterwards.

4. Last year at this time I started to become very annoyed at people when they learned that both my sisters were engaged, and immediately asked why a) I didn't have a boyfriend and b) why I wasn't engaged. For the record, no I do NOT have a boyfriend and I'll become engaged when I'm DARN WELL READY, thank you.

5. One of my hobbies is cross-stitching. I chose that hobby while I was standing in the middle of the aisle in the craft store, and realized that cross-stitching was cheaper than making beaded jewelry.

Dumbledore's Army

2006-12-15T09:32:00.000-06:00

So I read today that a woman in Georgia is trying to ban the Harry Potter Books from her local Elementary School Library. This is not a surprise, but it is a dissapointment. I wish these stories would be accepted as fictional flights of fancy and not the spawn of the devil, as they are made out to be.

Please let me know what you think.

Odds and Ends

2006-12-12T19:46:00.000-06:00

Here are some questions that I’m just getting to now because they’ve been rather tricky to answer. As you can see, I wasn’t able to answer all of them perfectly. Thanks to Mother, Margaret and Angela, who sent them in.

1) Can you help me find recent (last 10-15 years) qualitative studies of race and racism, preferably sociological studies? In particular, I'm interested in studies that examine either public or private “race talk.”
You might find these sources helpful :

Pollock, Mica. Colormute : Race Talk Dilemmas in an American School. Princeton, NJ : Princeton University Press, 2004.

Giroux, Henry A. Channel Surfing : Race Talk and the Destruction of Today’s Youth. New York : St. Martin’s Press, 1997.

“See no evil, speak no evil: white police officers' talk about race and affirmative action” McElhinny, Bonnie. Journal of Linguistic Anthropology. 2001; 11(1): 65-78.

2) What is the by-product of Hydrogen when used as fuel for vehicles?
Heat and water.

Source : A Student’s Guide to Alternative Fuel Cells

3) Where can I find information on aliasing?
While I could not find the answer, I suggest you use the useful tool that the Virginia Institute of Marine Science advertises on their website : Ask Dr. Bob , where anyone can pose questions regarding Oceanography to a scientist.

4) How many fiction books carry the same title?
I was not able to find a number, but I was able to find a short list, as well as to learn that the reason why there are many different books with the same title is because titles cannot be copyrighted. Characters, yes (which is why no one can publish a book about Luke Skywalker without George Lucas’ permission).

Fun with Science and Technology

2006-12-11T19:32:00.000-06:00

1) When were plants first recorded as being dried and pressed in order to study them later?
Luca Ghini (1490-1556), an Italian herbalist, is the first botanist to do so in order to preserve them in herbariums for further research and study.

2) Who invented the condom?
Gabriele Fallopius (1523-1562) claimed to have invented the sheath (condom), but this is questionable since a variety of types were in use for hundreds of years. The term ‘condom’ was not recorded until after the Renaissance. Throughout history, various materials have been used as a condom is today : sheep intestines, linen cloth, oiled silk paper, sausage casings, and a hard material developed by the Japanese that not only prevented conception, but also aided the impotent. However, it was not until Charles Goodyear discovered how to vulcanize rubber that his company produced the first modern latex condoms in 1844.

Krebs, Roberts E. Groundbreaking Scientific Experiments, Inventions, and Discoveries of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Westport, CT : Greenwood Press, 2004.

3) What’s with the American Chestnut tree?
The great North American Chestnut exemplifies a critical concern about importing exotic species. First recorded in 1904 in New York City, a disease from Asian Chestnuts spread rapidly through the American Chestnut, and almost completely wiped out the species by killing the bark and girdling the tree. As a result, American chestnut trees have typically been excluded from landscaping plans.

4) What is the most common tree disease in North American?
Bulldozer blight.

Sternberg, Guy, with Jim Wilson. Native Trees for North American Landscapes: From the Atlantic to the Rockies. Portland, OR : Timber Press, 2004.

5) Have all the species of animals and insects been discovered?
No. New invertebrates (insects, etc.) are still being discovered regularly, but it is rare to encounter previously undocumented mammal species. You can imagine the surprise when, in 1994, the forests of Southeast Asia yielded three new species of small deer known as muntjacs.

6) Besides their pouches, do female marsupials have any other reproductive difference than most mammals?
Featuring two uteri and two vaginas, the internal anatomy of female marsupials differs markedly from that of placental mammals. In addition, male marsupials differ from other mammals; they have a forked penis, which directs semen into both vaginas. Once a female becomes pregnant, she develops a third vagina as a canal for the birth of her young.

Encyclopedia of Animals: A Complete Visual Guide. Berkeley, CA : University of California Press, 2004.

7) Why haven’t any probes or satellites landed on Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, or Neptune?
These planets, known as the gas giants, have little or no solid mass. They are made up of gasses and liquids. One space probe that was sent out traveled right through Jupiter’s “surface” and into the core of the planet before it disintegrated due to the pressure and temperature.

8) What is the closest star to the sun?
The star nearest the sun is Proxima Centauri, at 4.2 light years away from the sun.

Scagell, Robin. Children’s Night Sky Atlas. New York : DK Publishing, 2004.

Shirley Ann Galor Savage 24 September 1927 - 30 November 2006

2006-12-05T12:33:00.000-06:00

The reason why I haven't posted for a while is that Gramma died. Yesterday I was planning to write up how much I loved her and that I wasn't a very good granddaughter because I hadn't been to visit her in awhile. I had a whole long paragraph in mind, but my sister beat me to it.

If you are lucky enough to still have your grandparents living. Go call them. Now. Don't wait. Please.

For the English Majors

2006-11-30T08:23:00.000-06:00

I have found a new and interesting site. The Literature Map will work like a Read-a-Likes, or will just give you something to do. I hope you have lots of fun messing with it. And Read On!

Fat Squirrels

2006-11-22T11:06:00.000-06:00

While attending the Stitch-n-Bitch last Monday night with Kathy, Heather, Sandi, Stephanie, and Jenn, the subject of squirrels was raised. Jenn thought that the squirrels in our town were the fattest she’d ever seen. Sandi countered with the story of her mother making cracker & cheese sandwiches for the squirrels down in her hometown. I decided to look into this topic, and here’s what I found. I thought this was all terribly funny. I can't wait for next week's Stitch-n-Bitch.

Browsing Through More Reference Books

2006-11-21T11:44:00.000-06:00

1) What does the term “Pre-Raphaelite” Mean?
“Pre-Raphaelite” (often used to describe paintings) was actually a Brotherhood, or Society, “founded by young, enthusiastic, and inexperienced students who were dissatisfied with the Royal Academy and the state of British painting in general.” This brotherhood wanted to return the world of art back to the time before Raphael (hence the name) because they thought the art back then was more realistic and true to life.

2) What influence did Shakespeare have on the Romantic Era?
It would be better to say, “What influence did the Romantic Era have on Shakespeare?” This period rediscovered him, and many poets of the day spoke loudly of the influence Shakespeare had on them (Keats, Byron, Shelley). It was also at this time that some of Shakespeare’s personal history was circulated, and the facts that came out fit the standard of the Romantic Hero. On Continental Europe, Shakespeare’s works were being translated and adapted for other art forms (mainly opera).

Source : Encyclopedia of the Romantic Era, 1760-1850. Christopher John Muray, ed. New York, Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group, 2004.

3) Why would anyone ban Hamlet?
Hamlet has been banned in performance since it was first performed. Over the years, and depending on the locale, lines were stricken or re-written because of the way suicide/death was mentioned; Ophelia admonished her older brother; incest was mentioned; gravediggers were disrespectful; the clergy was criticized; Denmark was insulted; Danes were insulted; Ophelia’s bawdy songs; and more.

4) Of the plays listed, were there any that were banned not for their content, but because of the author?
The Importance of Being Earnest is one such play. Even though it opened on 14 February 1895 to wonderful reviews, Wilde was soon on trial for Sodomy. Within weeks of the opening, publicity was changed to strike the author’s name from anything connected with that play, or his others that were running at the time. After its initial run of about three months, no one had the courage to revive it on the London Stage (because of the Sodomite connections) until 1909, when it had another successful run.

Source : Sova, Dawn B. Banned Plays : Censorship Histories of 125 Stage Dramas. New York, Facts on File, 2004.

5) Where did Sarah Bernhardt study theatre?
Bernhardt, with the assistance of her mother’s lover, studied first at Conservatoire de Musique et Declamation, then the Comédie-Française.

6) Was Marion Davies as untalented as her fictional film alter ego, Susan Kane, in Citizen Kane?
By most accounts, no. Davies started in Broadway chorus lines when she was 16, and soon progressed to the Ziegfeld Follies. She was widely thought to be a talented comedienne, but was not often allowed to show that talent. Her lover, William Randolph Hearst, thought that she should be taken seriously, and he thought that only period pieces and melodramas were considered serious work.

Source : Lowe, Denise. An Encyclopedic Dictionary of Women in Early American Films 1895-1930. Binghamton, N.Y., Hawthorn Press, 2005.

7) The movie The Cat’s Meow suggests that Thomas Ince died on William Randolph Hearst’s yacht from a gunshot wound in the head. Is this true?
As far as anyone can guess, gossip, and conjecture, yes. There was a very small police investigation into the matter, and it is widely believed that Hearst’s power was enough to squash any further rumors or investigations. The movie The Cat’s Meow is likely the most accurate depiction of the rumor.

8) Where was Marilyn Monroe first discovered?
Monroe, born Norma Jean Mortenson, began her career as a model. Some of her photographs ended up in Yank magazine, and she was eventually signed to a contract with 20^th Century Fox.

Source : Siegel, Scott, and Barbara Siegel. The Encyclopedia of Hollywood. 2d ed. New York, Fact on File, 2004.

Searching Through Reference Books

2006-11-18T08:00:00.000-06:00

See what I learned while browsing through the Reference Stacks :

1) Can the membership of the KKK be measured?
The only information I can find is that “in the 1920s, the Klan’s Membership was estimated to be between 3 and 5 million paid subscribers.”

2) How many African-Americans were lynched before the passage of the Civil Rights Act?
White mobs are known to have lynched 3,386 African Americans during the period between Reconstruction and the passage of the Civil Rights Act.

Source : Encyclopedia of Black Studies. Molefi Kete Asante and Ama Mazama, eds. Thousand Oaks, California, Sage, 2005.

1) Who was the first Jew to run for U.S. President?
According to the book, there hasn’t been a Jew running for U.S. President. Joe Lieberman is the first Jew to run for U.S. Vice President on Al Gore’s ticket in 2000.

2) When was the minimum wage established? How much was it?
1938; 25¢/hr.

Source : The New York Public Library American History Desk Reference. 2^nd ed. New York, Stonesong Press/Hyperion, 2003.

1) What is the general reaction to the stereotype that men who do musical theatre are gay?
Theatre is a melting pot, full of all different kinds of people. Those kinds of people are sure to include homosexuals. The authors of American Musical Theatre have, for decades, been dominantly males. Some prominent authors were openly homosexual or bisexual : Cole Porter, Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim, Harvey Fierstein.

2) When was AIDS first linked with homosexuality?
June 1981 in the Center for Disease Control’s publication Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Source : Encyclopedia of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender History in America. Marc Stein, ed. New York, Charles Scribner’s Sons/Gale Group, 2004.

1) Can the Federal Government create laws on any subject?
“The legislative authority of the Federal government in any subject area must be founded on a grant of power expressed in the Federal Constitution.” However, the Supreme Court will interpret the Constitution in whatever way they want it, depending on the circumstances.

2) Does a person own the water on his property, just because he owns the land on which the water is running?
Not necessarily. The laws differ from state to state. There are two systems of water law followed in the United States: riparian rights and appropriative rights. Under riparian law, the landowner does not own the water flowing over his land, but he does have rights to the water. Appropriative rights grant priority in the use of water to those who first put the water to productive use.

Source : The U.S. Legal System. Dennis Campbell and Winifred Hepperle, eds. Boston, Martinus Nijoff Publishers, 1983.

Seahorses Are Cuddly . . . In an odd, sharp-spiked way

2006-11-15T19:59:00.000-06:00

These questions were sent in by a friend. I’m willing to take a guess at what his new hobby is . . .

1) How many varieties of Seahorses are there?
About 35. This List gives both the Latin and common names, as well as some photographs.

2) Which of the varieties are not endangered?
All but one; only one seahorse species, the Knysna Seahorse, Hippocampus capensis, is listed as endangered.

3) Of the varieties that are not endangered, which varieties are the most likely to survive in captivity?
Any Captive-Bred Seahorse has the most luck of surviving.

4) Of the varieties that are most likely to survive in captivity, what items are crucial to creating the most effective Ecosystem? (Live Rock, Coral, Plants, Algae, food, water temperature, water quality, lighting, etc…)
Decorate your tank with plentiful Caulerpa and other macro algae; build small clearings between algae "forests". Seahorses love to hold with their tails onto the vegetation, also they sleep in higher tank regions between the plants. Keep Temp. at 25°C. No special bright lights are needed. Flow pumps that circulate the water 2 to 4 time an hour work best.

5) What creatures are most likely to cohabitate and not threaten the captive seahorse? (Snails, crabs, slugs, fish, shrimp, anemones, etc…)
This Article best describes the ideal Tankmates for a seahorse.

Sources and other Recommended Readings :
Seahorse.org
Docslaw Seaworld
Kingdom of the Seahorse
The Conscientious Marine Aquarist
Saltwater Aquariums for Dummies

Adult Health

2006-11-15T19:14:00.000-06:00

Some requests that have come my way . . .

1) Tried and tested measures of stress, especially for adults. Tests or measurements (surveys, instruments that have been researched and tested).

Some possible resources for you :

A Journal Article from the American Heart Association.
A study published by the American Heart Association.
Everly, George S. Clinical Guide to the Treatment of the Human Stress Response. 2nd ed. Kluwer Academic Publishers, 2002.
“Disorders of extreme stress (DESNOS) symptoms are associated with type and severity of interpersonal trauma exposure in a sample of healthy young women.” Ford, JD; Stockton, P; Kaltman,S; and Green, BL. Journal of interpersonal violence. 2006 Nov; 21(11): 1399-416.
“Symptoms of traumatic stress and substance use in a non-clinical sample of young adults.” Edwards, C; Dunham, D; Ries, A; and Barnett, J. Addictive behaviors. 2006 Nov; 31(11): 2094-104.

2)How often do the benefits for medicare change? Are there changes annually or do changes occur during the year? Are the benefits better in 2006 than they were when medicare was initiated?

Based on the Official Website, you first need to know which plan of Medicare you (or your loved one) is on in order to find out if your section of Medicare has had its benefits changed recently. After browsing some of the information and Q&A pages, it appears that changes to the Medicare plan occur annually. From the Official Website of the U.S Department of Health & Human Services, I learned that Medicare was created in 1965. For more information regarding the improvement of benefits, please visit The Medicare Rights Center

3)How much blood does the average heart pump per minute, hour, day, year?

5 quarts, 75 gallons, 1,800 gallons, 657,000 gallons

Source : “The Human Heart : a living pump.” National Institute of Health, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Washington, DC. 1995.

4) Can you help me find articles or books about women's experiences with aging, particularly how they feel about themselves and their bodies as they age? Actually, anything on men's experiences with aging and their aging bodies would be helpful as well. I'm especially interested in any articles/studies that use a social psychological perspective.

Some possible resources you might find helpful :

“Pilot study comparing physical and psychological responses in medical qigong and walking.” Kjos, V and Etnier, JL. Journal of aging and physical activity. 2006 Jul; 14(3): 241-53.
“Chronic psychological distress and risk of Alzheimer's disease in old age.” Wilson, RS; Arnold, SE; Schneider, JA; Kelly, JF; Tang, Y; and Bennett, DA. Neuroepidemiology 2006; 27(3): 143-53.
“Expression and ambivalence over expression of negative emotion: cross-sectional associations with psychosocial factors and health-related quality of life in postmenopausal women.” Michael, YL; Wisdom, JP; Perrin, N; Bowen, D; Cochrane, BB; Brzyski, R; and Ritenbaugh, C. Journal of women & aging. 2006; 18(2): 25-40.
“Gender and marital-history differences in emotional and social loneliness among Dutch older adults.” Dykstra, PA and de Jong Gierveld, J. Canadian journal on aging = La revue canadienne du vieillissement. 2004 Summer; 23(2): 141-55.
Furman, Frida Kerner. Facing the mirror : older women and beauty shop culture. New York : Routledge, 1997.

Homosexual Demographics

2006-11-15T18:46:00.000-06:00

I was asked to find some specific statistics about American Homosexuals. At first I really didn’t think I would be able to locate them; I didn’t think questions on sexual orientation were asked in the 2000 census. It turns out, they were. I’m glad I was able to learn that. I would also like to point out that if a patron wanted more detailed information on Current Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgendered Studies, the Northern Illinois University Libraries Rare Books and Special Collection Department has an extensive collection on that topic.

I found most of my information in :

Gates, Gary J. The Gay & Lesbian Atlas. Washington, DC : Urban Institute Press, 2004.

1) Facts on % of gay students, % of self medication (alcohol, drugs) % of depression, suicide attempts, correlation of degree of risk for GBLT to suicide/depression with being raised in a conservative home life, etc.

I am not sure that I can answer this question to the patron’s satisfaction, so I’ve listed some resources that may be of use :

Gagnon, John H. and William Simon. Sexual Conduct : the Social Sources of Human Sexuality, 2nd ed. New Brunswick : Aldine Transaction. 2005.
American Sexual Behavior
Gay Demographics
“Context Matters: Effects of the Proportion of Fundamentalists on Gender Attitudes.” Moore, Laura M and Vanneman, Reeve. Social Forces, 2003, 82, 1, Sept, 115-139.
Burack, Cynthia, and Jyl J. Josephson, Eds. Fundamental Differences: Feminists talk back to Social Conservatives. Lanham, MD : Rowman & Littlefield, 2003.

2) What percent of the Population is Gay or Lesbian?
2a) Total in United States 209,128,094
2b) Total in Illinois 8,155,995
2c) Total within a 60 mile radius of Forest Park, Illinois unknown

3) Of the total Gay and Lesbian population what is the ethnic breakdown?
3a) Total in United States unknown
3b) Total in Illinois 68% white, 14% black, 14% Hispanic, 4% other

3c) Total within a 60mile radius of Forest Park, Illinois 62% white, 16% black, 17% Hispanic, 5% other [these figures are based on statistics for Chicago, IL]

More Buffet

2006-11-14T21:44:00.000-06:00

Even more questions and answers. Thank you to ricklibrarian, Nick, and Mother who turned these in.

1) How did Stephen Sondheim decide to write the musical Into the Woods? It is my favorite Sondheim musical and I remember seeing an interview long ago in which he discussed this.
I think that This Article will be helpful in explaining the long, collaborative process that Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine went through to create Into the Woods after their success with Sunday in the Park with George.

2) Define: a) Habeas Corpus and b) Movant
From The Oxford English Dictionary, the only dictionary to go to, in my opinion.
a) A writ issuing out of a court of justice, or awarded by a judge in vacation, requiring the body of a person to be brought before the judge or into the court for the purpose specified in the writ.
b) A person who applies to or petitions a court of law or judge with the intention of obtaining a ruling in his or her favor.

3) How many people were drafted during the Vietnam war?
4.35 million
This answer, according to the U.S. Marines Combined Action Platoons, was very difficult to come by. This question is a perfect example of why wording a question is so important to both the librarian and the patron. I found many different statistics on soldiers who served during the Vietnam War (formerly known as the Vietnam Conflict, according to the LC subject headings); who served in Vietnam during the Vietnam War; draftees who served in Vietnam. However, I continued until I found the answer to the question asked. I was surprised I that I could not find the answer on a government or non-profit organization, as those are marginally more trustworthy than the popular -.com

4) Why do most furniture stores have this awful microfiber for sofa covering? A person can see each handprint put on the furniture. Does any store carry a more traditional fabric and style?
Microfiber is popular because it repels a lot of moisture without having to be treated with chemicals. Also, its fine fibers (hence its name) trap little or no dust or lint. So, despite handprints left on the sofas, it does have its redeeming qualities. As to more traditional fabrics, I’m sure that any decent store would offer a variety of fabrics for a sofa. Home Reserve lets its customers select from over 100 fabric swatches online, and 3-in.-square samples will be mailed to them.

More than One Way

2006-11-10T09:05:00.000-06:00

While reading a blurb on the back page of "Smart Libraries" Newsletter, I learned that Google has received a patent to help internet users search by voice-activated devices. [See also This Article for more information]. Additionally, this morning I heard on NPR that there is a website that searches for images online, using only images as opposed to Google, which finds images by matching written descriptions with the words or phrases entered by a user.

Incidentally, Chris would call this kind of unintentional convergence of the same topic "Bigley's Law."

As I learned about these two new ways of searching the internet, I was surprised to realize that no one had done this before. Or, have they, and it never caught on? Is this a breakthrough in Internet Searching, or have search engines finally caught up with the demands of all the normal people out there in space who search the internet on a regular basis? [For more lamentations of how the corporate world does not take all kinds of people into consideration when designing items for consumer use, please see my sister's adventures in pre-wedding purchases.]

So what do you think about these websites and the services they offer?

Buffet

2006-11-03T16:25:00.000-06:00

This is a collection of all different kinds of questions. Thank you to Nick, Sarah, Kathy, and Len who sent them in.

1) Which states do not have a sales tax?
From the Federation of Tax Administrators, I learned that Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, and Oregon do not have sales tax.

2) What is the "ferberization method" of helping children sleep?
This method, introduced by Dr. Ferber, encourages parents to teach their children how to go to bed alone, from an early age. More information is available at Babycenter.com. However, there are critics of this practice, as found at this scholarly website.

3) For which team did the Lion of Flanders ride in his final Paris-Roubaix road race?
Not knowing anything about bicycle races, I found this answer by googling some terms. From The Official Website for Le Tour de France, I learned that “The Lion of Flanders” (a.k.a. Johan Museeuw) rode with the QUICK STEP – DAVITAMON team.

4) What is the difference between Calvinism and Arminianism?
Since I had to educate myself on the beliefs of Calvinists and Arminianists, I will share that information here :

Calvinists believe that mankind does not have Free Will, nor has the freedom to decide his own destiny. Therefore mankind is saved by the Grace of God, and their future is predestined.

Arminianists are followers of Jacob Arminius, whose writings were condemned by the Calvinist Snyod of Dort [isn’t that the coolest name for a meeting?] of 1618. The Arminianist movement was a reaction to the Calvinist doctrine of predestination; Arminianists believe that a person is able to earn or to lose the chance of eternal salvation.

Source : The Encyclopedia of World Faiths. Peter Bishop and Michael Darton, eds. New York : Facts of File, 1987.

Speaking Words of Wisdom...

2006-11-02T19:18:00.000-06:00

In a very lackadaisical way, I would like to recommend The Compleat Beatles as a fantastic documentary on the Fab Four. This VHS (because it is not yet available on DVD) stands out from the other anthologies because it focuses just on the title character - The Beatles. Rather than trying to give a biography of each of the four musicians, it tells the life story of the band. A perfect example is that while explaining The Beatles' world tours, the narrator (a wonderfully expressive Malcolm McDowell) occasionally mentions John's wife; but never by name. It wasn't until a partner had an affect on The Beatles that she was named.

George Martin is interviewed extensively, and is a very compelling and charismatic presence. He shares information about recording sessions and orchestrations, and their musical influences (the only influence on The Beatles I had heard about before watching this was The Beach Boys). Brian Epstein's influence is also discussed - how he managed the band and created the neatly attired image America accepted in 1964.

The story begins in the working-class neighborhood of Liverpool, England, and the viewer is aware of the lifestyle the musicians were used to, as well as the drive all local youths felt to become 'somebody' and leave town. After following the band twice to Germany, the story starts to become familiar - but only slightly. I was surprised at how much history I gleaned from this documentary, when I thought I knew most of the story from the other productions and books I've watched/read. What's more, I shared the experience with Xander and Cameron, who knew little about The Beatles, other than what they've read in liner notes. And they (15 and 12) found it interesting. And that is high praise from a teenage male in this technological day and age.

While the documentary is over 20 years old (released in 1984), it does not lack anything; it perhaps benefits from the fact that the band had been apart only 14 years. I highly recommend it to anyone who has two free hours. Check your local libraries for availability.

Oh! The Humanities!

2006-10-30T10:05:00.000-06:00

Some of these questions are from a former professor, Dr. B. Her lectures on the Humanities left a strong impression in me, not only because of what I learned in the classroom. When we covered America’s involvement in WWII, our assignment was to interview a person who had been alive at that time, and learn what life was like. She told us that she preferred if we spoke with those who had been young adults, possibly fighting in or assisting the armed forces. However, Dr. B. told us, there are so few of those people left that if we were only able to find someone who had been a child at that time, she would accept that as well.

I realize now how fortunate I was to have two relatives living at that time who had been directly involved in the War. My Great-Uncle Rudy was part of the 101^st Airborne Division, HQ Company that parachuted into Normandy on D-Day. Many of his friends and comrades were portrayed in the mini-series Band of Brothers. Both my grandfather (Dick) and my step-grandfather (Glen) fought in the Pacific in the Navy. I was able to capture Great-Uncle Rudy and Grampa Glen on tape as they spoke of their memories and opinions of that time in their lives. My father tells me that I am very fortunate to have done that, because my step-grandfather died a short time after that, and now my Great-Uncle is suffering from Alzheimer’s. Neither I nor any other family member ever recorded Granpa Dick's experiences before he died in 1983.

So I thank Dr. B. every time I think that a part of my family’s history that might have been lost if not for her assignment.

1) Who was the first African-American to win the Pulitzer Prize for literature?
Gwendolyn Brooks for Annie Allen (poem) in 1950.

2) Which 19th century British philosopher asked to have himself stuffed after death?

Both The Encyclopedia Britannica and The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy have wonderful articles on Jeremy Bentham, who indeed was stuffed after death. His body is still in a room at University College in London.

3) What did Monet’s father want him to be?
While I have not been able to find the exact answer to this question, from the many encyclopedias I searched I came to the conclusion that Monet’s father wanted him to continue in the family business, rather than become an artist. I realize that I could find the definitive answer from a biography of Monet, but I do not have the time to read such a book, nor would a Reference Librarian. Source : Claude Monet : Life and Art

Thank you for the music...

2006-10-27T13:46:00.000-05:00

Today I will answer the music questions, sent in by Jim, Nola, and Gene.

1) What is the technical term for a 64th note?
Hemidemisemiquaver Source : Picerno, Vincent J. Dictionary of Musical Terms. Brooklyn, N.Y. : Haskell House Publishers, 1976.

2) Is there credible evidence to suggest that Salieri killed Mozart, as the movie Amadeus claimed?
When he attempted suicide in 1823, and again at his death in 1825, Antonio Salieri did accuse himself of poisoning Mozart. This outburst caused controversy in its time, and has remained as one of History’s Mysteries. I refer you to the Official Site for the movie Amadeus, where the filmmakers explain that the movie (as well as the play it was based upon) was not meant to be a biography of Mozart, but rather Mozart’s life as viewed by a dying old man (Salieri). Also, please visit The Mozart Project, which is an excellent resource.

3) How many symphonies did Beethoven write?
Nine.
Source : Stanley Sadie’s Music Guide : an introduction. Stanley Sadie, ed. Englewood Cliffs, N.J. : Prentice-Hall, 1986.

4) Schubert wrote an unfinished symphony. Why was it unfinished?
Schubert’s 8^th symphony is often called the “Unfinished Symphony” because it had only two movements, rather than the standard four.
Sources : Stanley Sadie’s Music Guide : an introduction. Stanley Sadie, ed. Englewood Cliffs, N.J. : Prentice-Hall, 1986. and Dictionary of Music. Theodore Karp, ed. Evanston, IL : Northwestern University Press, 1973.

The Second World War

2006-10-26T15:49:00.000-05:00

There were a number of questions sent to me regarding WWII.

1) What are the names of the 4 Japanese aircraft carriers sunk at the Battle
of Midway?
Akagi, Kaga, Soryu, Hiryu
Sources :The Oxford Companion to World War II. I.C.B. Dear, ed.
Oxford : Oxford University Press, 1995. and
Imperial Japanese Navy Webpage

2) What was the one-word answer the American General gave to the
German General when asked by the Germans to surrender the town
of Bastogne?
“Nuts!”
Source : The Oxford Companion to World War II. I.C.B. Dear, ed.
Oxford : Oxford University Press, 1995.

3) What year was the battleship Missouri commissioned?
June, 1944
Re-commissioned 10 May 1986
Source : Battleship Missouri Memorial and Schroeder,
Richard E., Missouri at Sea. Columbia, MO : University of
Missouri Press, 2004

All Shakespeare - All the Time

2006-10-25T11:16:00.000-05:00

I would like to share some websites that are very helpful with Shakespearean research :

Absolute Shakespeare
Mr. William Shakespeare and the Internet
Notes on Shakespeare
Shakespeare Authorship
Shakespeare-Oxford Society

There were two questions submitted regarding Shakespeare.
1) How many sonnets did Shakespeare write?
Shakespeare wrote 154 sonnets

2) On what research are the claims based that Shakespeare's plays were actually authored by someone else? Francis Bacon? Ben Jonson? Are there contemporary (current) studies which still support such claims?

The claims that Shakespeare’s plays were not written by a man called Shakespeare, or even that there was never any man called William Shakespeare, stem from the basic premise that there is very little hard evidence that a man called William Shakespeare existed, and if he did exist, he did not have a good enough education and/or life experience to write all the plays that are attributed to him.

I could not immediately find information supporting or refuting that Ben Johnson was a possible author of the plays. Regarding Bacon, I quote from Absolute Shakespeare : "A major proof that Sir Francis Bacon truly authored the the Bard's plays is the 'Northumberland Manuscript'. This bore both Shakespeare’s name and Sir Francis Bacon’s. It also mentions by name the plays Richard II and Richard III. Tellingly, it included the phrase 'by Francis William Shakespeare', and the words, 'essays by the same author'. This has been used to prove Sir Francis Bacon used the name "Shakespeare" as a nom de plume."

There are contemporary studies that continue to investigate the authorship of these plays. The Shakespeare-Oxford Society publishes a scholarly journal, The Oxfordian, annually. This journal, and the Society, is “dedicated to exploring the Shakespeare authorship question and researching the evidence that Edward de Vere, the 17th Earl of Oxford (1550 – 1604) is the true author of the poems and plays of ‘William Shakespeare’.”

The Phantom

2006-10-24T18:42:00.000-05:00

My friend Julia sent me this reference question : Do you think you could find out how many people have played the Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera since it opened on Broadway?

Short of contacting The Really Useful Group and asking for their official records, I was able to find this information : according to the Official website ,there are 16 separate actors listed as playing the role of the Phantom in a variety of different tours and companies since it debuted in 1986 in London. While I know 16 isn’t near the actual number, that is what the Official Website says. And according to the Internet Broadway Database , there have been 14 actors portraying The Phantom on Broadway since it debuted there in 1988.

And I hope everyone has a good rest of the week!

Home Library Software

2006-10-24T18:38:00.000-05:00

Today I learned about library software for the Über-geek Librarian (such as I). My local IT guy sent me the link, the URL of which sounds like a bad porn film, but is not. The software looks helpful, and I have a few friends who have, in the past, expressed a desire for something like this to help them organize their substantial book/media collection. Delicious appears to be made just for use on Macs and also geared towards those with large media collections, since the information on the item is gleaned from www.amazon.com (and other websites) after the barcode or ISBN is inputted. Therefore, if one had a book published before 1967, that person would have to enter all the cataloging data for each individual book. And that process could take a while.

Home/Personal Library Software is a wonderful concept, but I will have to look around for more options, since I, and many of my acquaintances, have a good many books in our collections that were published pre-1967. Chris owns so many non-English books I wonder how the software would react. This is something I will have to look into – the search for the best Home/Personal Library Software.

The Maiden

2006-10-20T11:48:00.000-05:00

This maiden post won't be very long, but will let people know what kind of blog this will (hopefully) become. This blog came about mostly because of an assignment in Library School, but also partly because my sister kept suggesting that I write one. My reaction was always that I did not have enough time in my schedule to write one, since I am working and attending school full time.

So, here is my big compromise / experiment. I'm not sure if this will survive after the semester is over, but for now the plan is to answer reference questions submitted to me by my friends and fellow students. I will also endeavor to review books and other media as they catch my attention or as they are thrust upon me.

That’s it. If you are one of the lucky people who submitted a question to me, please wait patiently for the answer. If it is still not answered by the end of the semester, then you may berate me.