Saturdays @ the South: Easing past your Metrophobia

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Recently, one of our wonderful librarians took on the touchy subject of poetry here on the blog, namely getting over the apprehension that often comes with the suggestion of reading poetry. I completely agree with her, both that reading poetry can cause that knot in your stomach that often comes with trying something unfamiliar, but that it can also be a rewarding experience. I loved poetry in high school so much that I became co-founder and president of my high-school’s poetry club and continued to love it in college, but as an adult (at least in theory), I’ve found my poetry-reading falling to the wayside and only occasionally reading a poem and even rarely reading a volume of poetry. I’ve been grateful that the Classics book group has embraced National Poetry Month and our coinciding April selection has been a book of poetry the last few years as it reminded me how enjoyable poetry can be. So why did I all but stop reading it?

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The hard truth of it is, poetry requires thought. It doesn’t have a plot that you can follow (usually- ballads are often an exception here and I highly recommend Loreena McKennit’s rendition of Alfred Noyes’s “The Highwayman” for a thrilling poem-turned-song/story). Meaning isn’t always discernible upon the first reading, so poetry often requires time as well as effort and with so many books to read, who has the time for poetry? It’s also a hard truth that not all poetry is for everyone. When I visited Scotland, I took a brief day-tour into the Highlands including a whisky distillery visit. The tour guide told us Scotch novices that not all whisky is for all people and his father gave him some advice: “Finding the right whisky is like finding the right woman. You often have to test out several types before you find the one you want to spend a lot of time with.” Scottish pragmatism aside, I think there’s a solid parallel to poetry here. Some people like free verse, others prefer that poems rhyme. Some people like haiku, while others prefer long ballads. There may be people who want to think long and hard about a poem, while others prefer to have at least some meaning visible from the start. Not everyone likes the same type of poetry and that’s OK because there is plenty of great poetry in many different styles out there to choose from. It just may take a little experimentation to find what you like.

All those poetry choices can be bewildering and further contribute to the anxiety that comes with starting poetry. So how does someone get over it? There are a lot of different options, and like poetry itself, it may take a couple of tries to find the one that works for you. The Millions has offered a brief list of poems for people who hate poetry, so that may be a good place to start. My humble suggestion might be a bit radical, but if you’re truly a metrophobe looking to overcome your fears, it may help to remember the fun of poetry and start with perusing collections that are designed for kids. I’ve already talked about how kids’ books can be an appealing, entertaining respite from adult books and I believe the same holds true for poetry. Furthermore, there are plenty of children’s poetry collections that have poems with broad appeal from traditional “classic” authors. Kids’ poetry titles can be a way of easing yourself into poetry and a reminder that poetry can be fun and enjoyable.

To that end, here are a few suggestions that might just get you over your metrophobia and help you to enjoy poetry:

3175294I’ve Lost My Hippopotamus by Jack Prelutsky

Next to Shel Silverstein, Jack Prelutsky might be the poet most synonymous with kids’ poetry, and for good reason. Many of his verses are light, funny and downright absurd. This compilation includes some hysterical animal combinations like the “penguinchworm” and the “buffalocust” that remind us all that there’s nothing wrong with being silly, particularly when it’s such a productively creative outlet. But there are some deeper poems too, like “The Afternoon My Hamster Died” which deals (albeit briefly) with themes of loss, conflicting emotions and the sense of not really knowing someone. This (and plenty of his other collections) have great potential to bring the joy back into reading poetry.

1180076Cool Melons Turn to Frogs by Matthew Gollub, Kazuko G. Stone and Keiko Smith

This book is an amazing blend of biography and poetry that can easily appeal to nonfiction readers of all ages. While the book tells the story of Issa, a Japanese haiku master, the biography is punctuated with Issa’s haiku poems. This sense of background information allows the reader to gain greater insight into the poems’ meanings, the genre of haiku and how life and poetry can inform each other. The illustrations illuminate the verses beautifully offering additional levels understanding into the poems offered. If you’ve ever thought that a picture book was just for kids or if you’ve ever thought that poetry’s meanings are impenetrable, this sophisticated book will almost certainly change your mind.

3553227Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

If the slew of honors (Newbery Honor, National Book Award and Coretta Scott King Award) gracing the cover of this book don’t convince you that it’s worth reading a book of poems, perhaps the premise will. This book is a fascinating and brilliant combination of free verse poems that tell the story of Woodson’s life growing up in the North and the South during the 1960’s and 70’s. Each poem acts as a chapter furthering the story of her life during that time and each chapter/poem offers deeper insight into thoughts and feelings in a way that expository prose simply can’t accomplish. This is not only an important work, ingeniously formatted, but an accessible one as well and a great, accessible start to poetry.

3217594National Geographic Book of Animal Poetry ed. by J. Patrick Lewis

Come for the pictures, stay for the poetry. This book is simply amazing. It’s filled with stunning animal photography that you would expect from National Geographic and pairs those photos with poems about the animals depicted. But this compilation is so much more than that. Instead of taking  takes existing poems and excerpts from well-known names like Emily Dickinson, Walt Whitman, Alfred Lord Tennyson, Benjamin Franklin and more. Maybe you were intimidated by some of these poets in school, but somehow, when combined with gorgeous, detailed photos illustrating what the poets are talking about, the poems don’t seem quite so ominous. Instead, they seem joyful, whimsical when taken out of a stodgy textbook context. Organized by animal type (winged ones, strange ones, water ones, etc.) this book is ripe for browsing and picking and choosing. You’re certain to find a poem you appreciate, and maybe even will want to share somewhere among these pages.

Bonus Selection:

2693913Essential Pleasures ed. by Robert Pinsky

This book is in the adult section, not the kids’ section, but it has one essential item in common with many children’s books: the idea of reading aloud. Poetry, like kids’ books are often at their best and most meaningful when they are read aloud. There’s something wonderfully comforting about having someone read to you and this poetry collection does just that. Pinsky, former U.S. Poet Laureate and creator of the Favorite Poem Project, collected a number of poems that work best, not when they are read, but when they are heard. To enforce that, the book is accompanied by a CD of 21 of the poems read aloud by Pinsky. I don’t like to play favorites with my library books, but this book is one that I’m extremely proud to have in the South’s collection. If this concept strikes a chord with you or if you get addicted to hearing poems read aloud (as many were meant to), consider checking out PoemsOutLoud.net which has a large collection of poets reading poems. For the ultimate read-aloud poetry experience, you can also check out this blog’s feature on the Illiad executed by the Almeida Theatre in London.

samuel-johnson-poetry-quotes-poetry-is-the-art-of-uniting-pleasureThis weekend, dear readers, I invited you to take a step towards easing that poetical anxiety and simply read a poem. Bonus points if you read it out loud, triple score if you read it out loud to someone else. Pick one, pick a few, just pick something that resonates with you and sparks an interest. Feel free to laugh! Poetry doesn’t have to be serious, but, as the Pinsky title intimates, it should always be something pleasurable and enjoyed.

Five Book Friday!

In 2005, Cliff Arnall, a former lecturer at Cardiff University, was commissioned by a U.K. travel agency to determine the most depressing day of the year in order to best a market winter vacations.  It turns out, according to his not-so-very scientific study, that the third Monday in January is “Blue Monday”, the most depressing day of the year.

And since this week began with Blue Monday, I thought the best way to introduce today’s list of books was with a list of things to make you smile a bit.  So, without any further ado…..

1) Peabody the Owl, taking a bath.  And, by the way…Library Trustees?  Could we please have a Library Owl named Peabody?  Please?

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2)  Buzzfeed’s list of “The 27 Most Exciting Books Coming In 2016”, which is obviously subjective, but still gives you plenty of things to look forward to this year.

3) This stunningly beautiful poem about not giving up hope.

4) This plush piece of pizza that looks super-happy to see you:il_570xN.720325247_iaa5

And, finally….

5) A list of some new books to make your weekend a little more fun:

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3698393The Rogue Not Taken: Romance author extraordinaire Sarah MacLean is back with a new series that is guaranteed to delight her fans, and perfect for new comers.  This first Scandal and Scoundrels book features Sophie, a heroine who is a magnet for scandal–she’s already landed her philandering brother-in-law in a fishpond, and is desperate to find a new start in London.  But the carriage in which she’s stowed away isn’t empty.  It’s full of trouble–and Kingscote, “King,” the Marquess of Eversley.  Their chemistry is a recipe for disaster…but in the close confines of their carriage, Sophie and King might just find that opposites attract…MacLean’s books are good for whatever ails you, and, as RT Book Reviews said of this monumental success, “MacLean has the magic touch… This lovely story is perfect in so many ways; it’s funny, with rapier wit, sweet and super-sexy, one of those stories you’ll keep close to your heart.”

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The Old Farmer’s Almanac 2016: Who is the Old Farmer?  No one is quite sure.  In fact, no one is quite sure how the good people at the Old Farmer’s Almanac make their predictions.  According to their website, “We derive our weather forecasts from a secret formula that was devised by the founder of this Almanac, Robert B. Thomas, in 1792. Thomas believed that weather on Earth was influenced by sunspots, which are magnetic storms on the surface of the Sun.  Notes about that formula are locked in a black box in our offices in Dublin, New Hampshire.”  Though these predictions are now enhanced with state-of-the-art magic weather wands, the Old Farmer is still a joy to read for the snippets of poetry, growing advice, and weather lore included in it, along with weather predictions, tide charts, and growing seasons.

3660916EleanorOn the surface, Jason Gurley’s newest release is a tale about a girl who attempts to heal her family after her twin sister, Esme, dies in a tragic accident.  But it is also so very much more than that.  Because in the course of her struggle, Eleanor finds herself whisked off into another reality, and forced to contend with the real cost of grief and the price she will have to pay to appease it.  A fascinating genre-mash up that is part surrealist fiction, part science fiction, part tragedy, and part coming-of-age story, this book was originally self-published, but has been reworked and re-edited into this current edition.  The San Francisco Book Review cheers, “Jason Gurley weaves a gorgeous story…that grabs a hold and won’t let go…As with most of Gurley’s work, this novel is the very best kind of mash-up between the fantastic and the literary. It’s a smart, beautiful story with vivid images and polished prose, the kind of novel you can read over again and will want to recommend to others.”

3706550American HousewifeHelen Ellis is a master of black comedy, and this collection of short stories is being hailed by all and sundry as one of the funniest books of the year.  Though, on the surface, the women of American Housewife look the part, with their strings of pearls, their perfectly coiffed hair, and their perfect casserole recipes, beneath the surface, they are just as vicious, snide, snarky, and brutal as the rest of us.  They just do it with better style.  Vogue summed up this quirky, madcap collection thusly: “Delightful in its originality and eerie, almost demented, humor… Ellis’s stories start in a place that’s quite familiar—the domestic sphere of New York City’s ritzy Upper East Side, where the author also resides—and end in a place that’s decidedly not. Her characters are stealthily complex, their perfectly composed, well-maintained exteriors the ideal cover for inner lives that seethe with pathos and ambition.”

3703503MapleOk, I admit it.  This book isn’t strictly “new”.  But it’s full of 100 recipes that use maple syrup, and maple syrup is a perfect food.  Yay maple syrup!  (Also: if anyone needs a taste-tester for the recipes in this book, you know whom to call……)

Still thinking about the Edgars…a mysterious If/Then post…

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A bit of a warning: I really, really enjoy talking about Edgar Allan Poe.  I find his work equal parts engaging, emotional, and genuinely skin-crawlingly creepy, and I find the man himself, in all his moody, tragic, cantankerous glory, throughly intriguing.  My fascination only grew when, after writing yesterday’s post on Edgar and the Edgars, I saw this article that (perhaps slightly facetiously) suggests that Edgar Allan Poe had a time machine.

For the record, if this is true:

EDGAR ALLAN POE!  COME HANG OUT WITH US AT THE LIBRARY!  WE ARE LOADS OF FUN.

Edgar-Award-goldAhem…anyways….As I mentioned yesterday, the Edgar Awards, handed out by the Mystery Writers of America, is one of the most recognized awards, particularly within the mystery/crime/thriller genres, for both books and for television.  Having been handed out for nearly fifty years, they are a tried and true stamp-of-approval for those looking for a mystery that will challenge or chill.  So, in the hopes that you will find some new favorites among previous Edgar Award Winners, and also in the hopes of further enticing the time-traveling Edgar Allan Poe to come and visit, might we suggest that…

If you want to know more about the Edgar Awards, Then check out:

3489710Mr. Mercedes: I can think of very few times when I would not whole-heartedly recommend a Stephen King novel,but in this case, the good Mystery Writers of America had the good sense to agree with me.  In this darkly compelling, race-against-time thriller, a depressed and retired cop finds himself unwittingly pitted against a ruthless killer who drove straight into a crowd of job-seekers at an unemployment fair.  This is King at his darkest, but also, perversely, at his most humane, capturing the failures and foibles of human nature in a way that manages to be honest, frank, and still somehow empathetic. If you enjoy this, be sure to check out Finders Keepersthe next installment of this proposed trilogy.

3178099Live by Night: Right up there with Stephen King is Dorchester’s own Dennis Lehane–a man whose imagination is worryingly dark, but whose prose are some of the most memorable you’ll ever read.  This third book in his trilogy of Coughlin novels (featuring gangster Joe Coughlin) tells of our hero’s misadventures during Prohibition, from the dark streets of Boston to the heady nightlife of Cuba–but it’s a dangerous time, filled with exceptionally untrustworthy men…and for those who live outside the law, the end is usually an early grave…Lehane has proven himself surprisingly adept at historical settings and details, and his obviously love for his characters and subject matter make these stories into epic stories that should not be missed.

3205211 (1)The Last PolicemanIt’s great for readers that the Edgars aren’t afraid to celebrate authors who bend genres, and play with the elements of mysteries to create a work that is wholly original, and sometimes, quite a challenge.  This winner of the Best Paperback Original for 2013 is one of those books.  When the Earth is doomed by an imminent and unavoidable asteroid collision, New Hampshire homicide detective Hank Palace not only investigates a suspicious suicide that has gone overlook, but also must contend with knowing that his work will end in six months, whether he wants it to or not.  This unsettling, philosophical novel won author Ben H. Waters a great deal of recognition, as well as a legion of fans.

2427553QueenpinDetective noir novels are a classic in the mystery genre, but it largely remains a genre dominated by men…that is, until Megan Abbott came onto the scene.  In this fascinating glimpse into the sordid and strangely alluring world of 1960’s Las Vegas, a young woman is hired to keep the books at a seedy nightclub, and finds herself the protégée of the infamous mobqueen Gloria Denton.  But even as Gloria spills all her secrets, it’s clear that these two women aren’t going to take any chances on each other, and that one wrong move might be their last.  The cover art for this book is pitch-perfect, as well, harkening back to the pulp novels in which noir was born.

Celebrating The Edgars, Celebrating THE Edgar…

And the list of birthday celebrations continues, with the master of the gothic, the macabre, and the darkly, seductively imaginative…Edgar Allan Poe, himself.

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Poe was born in Boston (hooray!) on January 19, 1809, the child of two actors.  His father abandoned the family when Poe was still an infant, and his mother died the following year.  Poe was then taken in by the Allan family, and though never formally adopted by them, he remained a part of their family into his young adulthood.  It was with the Allans that Poe moved to London as a child, a topic we mentioned during our first Postcards From Faraway Series, and John Allan also financed Poe’s tuition to West Point–though, when he failed as an officer’s cadet and declared his decision to become a writer and poet, he and John Allan parted ways for good.

Poe did earn quite a name for himself during his lifetime, both for his fictional writing and poetry, and for his irascible, cantankerous personality.  His editorial reviews were often acidic, to put it mildly, and his public appearances were dicey events, at best.  When invited by the Boston Lyceum to read his works, Poe grew annoyed that the first lecturer went on and on (and on…for over two hours).  So, instead of reading from his wildly popular poem “The Raven”, he recited “Al Aaraff”, a very, very long poem, which he wrote in his teens.  When he was attacked by the Boston press for his act, Poe used his own newspaper, the Broadway Journal, to respond:

We like Boston. We were born there – and perhaps it is just as well not to mention that we are heartily ashamed of the fact. The Bostonians are very well in their way. Their hotels are bad. Their pumpkin pies are delicious. Their poetry is not so good. Their common is no common thing — and the duck-pond might answer — if its answer could be heard for the frogs. But with all these good qualities the Bostonians have no soul.

We got over it, eventually, though, and put up this statue on the corner of the street where Poe was born:

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Yup…Poe and a Boloco…..

But for all the fame and infamy Poe garnered during his life, and by his throughly mysterious death, his true immortality came from the influence his work had, no only on individual writers, but on American Literature as a whole.  He invented the modern detective novel with his stories of Auguste Dupin, the man that Arthur Conan Doyle used as the inspiration for his own Sherlock Holmes.  He gave us the real meaning of the macabre.  He exploited our deepest fears and insecurities, and made them into something haunting, yes, and grim, certainly–but also something beautiful.

Stephen King has noted, “He wasn’t just a mystery/suspense writer.  He was the first.”  Louis Bayard, who wrote a fascinating novel featuring the young Poe, explained that “Poe is so ingrained in us—so deeply encoded into our cultural DNA—that we no longer recognize him.  And yet whenever we write a mystery, whenever we write horror, whenever we write science fiction—whenever we write about obsession—we’re following in his tracks.”

download (1)Perhaps this is why the Mystery Writers of America have named their most prestigious award after our Edgar.  They announce the shortlist for these awards, auspiciously, every year on Poe’s birthday.  These awards honor “the best in mystery fiction, non-fiction and television published or produced in 2015”, but are most associated with mystery novels, and are regarded as one of the highest awards a mystery writer can achieve.

This year’s shortlist was announced yesterday, on Poe’s 207th birthday, with the actual awards to be handed out at the end of April.  You can check out the full list of nominees right here, and we’ll be breaking down some elements of this list in the weeks to come, but here are a few highlights for you to peruse, in honor of the good Mr. Poe’s legacy (and maybe have some pumpkin pie?  Edgar seems to have been pretty partial to pumpkin pie…).

BEST NOVEL

The Strangler Vine by M.J. Carter
The Lady From Zagreb by Philip Kerr
Life or Death by Michael Robotham
Let Me Die in His Footsteps by Lori Roy
Canary by Duane Swierczynski
Night Life by David C. Taylor

BEST PAPERBACK ORIGINAL

The Long and Faraway Gone by Lou Berney
The Necessary Death of Lewis Winter by Malcolm Mackay
What She Knew by Gilly Macmillan
Woman with a Blue Pencil by Gordon McAlpine
Gun Street Girl by Adrian McKinty
The Daughter by Jane Shemilt

BEST YOUNG ADULT

Endangered by Lamar Giles
A Madness So Discreet by Mindy McGinnis
The Sin Eater’s Daughter by Melinda Salisbury
The Walls Around Us by Nova Ren Suma
Ask the Dark by Henry Turner

BEST TELEVISION EPISODE TELEPLAY

“Episode 7,” – Broadchurch, Teleplay by Chris Chibnall
“Gently with the Women” – George Gently, Teleplay by Peter Flannery
“Elise – The Final Mystery” – Foyle’s War, Teleplay by Anthony Horowitz
 “Terra Incognita” – Person of Interest, Teleplay by Erik Mountain & Melissa Scrivner Love
“The Beating of her Wings” – Ripper Street, Teleplay by Richard Warlow

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Happy (Belated) Birthday, A.A. Milne!

January is a wonderful month for birthdays, and sometimes it’s tricky to make sure we talk about all the things about which a Library’s Official Blog should talk.  So it is with profuse apologies to the great Alan Alexander Milne that we offer him a belated happy birthday the day after what would have been his 134th birthday.

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Milne was born in Kilburn, London, in 1882.  His father ran a small private school out of the family’s home, so Milne was, naturally, a student, and had the good fortune to have H.G. Wells as a teacher between 1889-1890.  He studied mathematics at Trinity College, Cambridge, and was also a member of the Allahakbarries, the amateur cricket team that also featured the (not-so-stellar) talents of the likes of J.M. Barrie and Arthur Conan Doyle.  He served in the Royal Warwickshire Regiment before being seriously injured at the Battle of the Somme on July 7, 1916, and was recruited to Military Intelligence to write propaganda articles for the rest of the war.

Christopher_Robin_MilneFollowing the war, in 1920, Milne’s son, Christopher Robin was born, and it was for him that Milne’s most well-known stories were written.  What is less known is how much Milne struggled with the fame that his stories about Winnie-the-Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, and his son’s other stuffed toys brought him.  Up until the publication of Winnie-The-Pooh in 1926, Milne has found success as a playwright, a satirist, a mystery author, and a poet, among other titles…but following the debut of Pooh, Milne became a children’s writer.  This title was only further cemented with the publication of The House at Pooh Corner in 1928.

Nevertheless, Milne kept quite busy into his later life.  He produced a stage version of Kenneth Graehme’s The Wind in the Willows (which was a recent favorite selection of our Classics Book Group!), and wrote a number of screenplays for the burgeoning British film industry, specifically Minerva Films, which was founded by Leslie Howard.  But it was for Pooh Bear and his friends that Milne will forever be remembered.  In 1979, Christopher Robin unveiled a plaque in Ashdown Forest–the setting for the Hundred-Acre Wood–that echoed Milne’s immortal words: “In that enchanted place on the top of the forest a little boy and his bear will always be playing”, reminding us that there is a space, not only Out There, but within our own hearts and imaginations, that will forever be childhood, where Woozles roam, and friends abound–and that gift is one for which we should always be thankful.

And just yesterday, the good people at Brainpickings, we have this glorious recording of Milne reading the third chapter from Winnie the Pooh, made in 1929 by the Dominion Gramophone Company:

While you savor this utterly delightful reading, consider checking out a few of these books by Milne, that really highlight his talents, and give us a glimpse into the history of the denizens of the Hundred Acre Wood:

3591698Winnie : The True Story of the Bear Who Inspired Winnie-the-Pooh:  While Pooh Bear himself is a remarkable character, the real-life story of his inspiration is equally as engaging.  Winnie was a bear who was adopted by Harry Coleburn, a Canadian veterinarian who brought Winnie with him to his training camp at the outset of the First World War.  Sally M. Walker’s book is both very informative and wonderfully compelling–and just a little tear-jerky–and will leave readers with a whole new respect for Winnie the Bear, and the character he inspired.  Jonathan Voss’ illustrations round out the story beautifully as well (I dare you not to get just a little sniffly at that cover…).  Another super rendition of this history can be found in Lindsay Mattick’s Finding Winnie.

3142595The Red House MysteryMilne’s only mystery novel (first published in 1922) has remained a classic “locked room mystery”.  Even though Raymond Chandler was somewhat less than complimentary of its plot, it has remained a staple of the mystery genre, featuring a house party, the arrival of a surprise guest, and an inexplicable murder that is taken on by a local amateur sleuth who fashions himself as a modern-day Sherlock Holmes.  All signs point to the fact that Milne loved crafting this story, and really enjoyed pitting an amateur detective and villain against each other, in an age when fingerprinting, filing, and profiling were taking a good deal of the mystique out of crime solving–and for that reason alone, it’s worth a re-read soon.

TheEnchantedPlacesThe Enchanted Places:  Plainly put, it is incredibly difficult to be the child star of a classic work of literature.  Christopher Robin Milne was only one of any number of people who had to contend with the image of themselves that remained trapped on the pages of a book.  This book deals with this issue to some extend…as Christopher Robin explains, “My father was a creative writer and so it was precisely because he was not able to play with his small son that his longings sought and found satisfaction in another direction.  He wrote about him instead.”  Thankfully, the two were able to make peace as Christopher Robin grew older, becoming as much friends as father and son, and that bond is evident in the latter sections of this memoir, which develops into a heartfelt and honest exploration of the Milne men that offers a charming counterpoint to the stories of Winnie the Pooh and his young best friend.


0805788107.01._SX142_SY224_SCLZZZZZZZ_Winnie-the-Pooh and The house at Pooh corner: Recovering Arcadia: Following the smash-hits of Benjamin Hoff’s The Tao of Pooh and The Te of Pigletpeople truly began to realize the psychological and intellectual complexities of Milne’s creations.  In this highly readable and wonderfully illuminating book, Paula T. Connolly looks at Milne’s own biography, the world in which he wrote, and the finer points of his characters and their world, emphasizing the details that make his lighthearted works into masterpieces.  For those looking for a deeper exploration into these classic pieces, as well as recapture the magic of these works, this is definitely the place to begin.

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The King Holiday

The Library is closed today, but that shouldn’t stop any of us from forgetting the real reason we are celebrating today.   And I can think of no better person to explain it than Coretta Scott King, the wife of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  This text is borrowed with gratitude from the website of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change:

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“The Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday celebrates the life and legacy of a man who brought hope and healing to America. We commemorate as well the timeless values he taught us through his example — the values of courage, truth, justice, compassion, dignity, humility and service that so radiantly defined Dr. King’s character and empowered his leadership…

On this day we commemorate Dr. King’s great dream of a vibrant, multiracial nation united in justice, peace and reconciliation; a nation that has a place at the table for children of every race and room at the inn for every needy child. We are called on this holiday, not merely to honor, but to celebrate the values of equality, tolerance and interracial sister and brotherhood he so compellingly expressed in his great dream for America.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

It is a day of interracial and intercultural cooperation and sharing. No other day of the year brings so many peoples from different cultural backgrounds together in such a vibrant spirit of brother and sisterhood. Whether you are African-American, Hispanic or Native American, whether you are Caucasian or Asian-American, you are part of the great dream Martin Luther King, Jr. had for America. This is not a black holiday; it is a peoples’ holiday. And it is the young people of all races and religions who hold the keys to the fulfillment of his dream….

This holiday honors the courage of a man who endured harassment, threats and beatings, and even bombings. We commemorate the man who went to jail 29 times to achieve freedom for others, and who knew he would pay the ultimate price for his leadership, but kept on marching and protesting and organizing anyway.”

For more information about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., his ideas, and the American Civil Rights Movement, check out these terrific suggestions from the King Institute.

Saturdays @ the South: Getting your Downton Abbey Fix at the Library

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Like so many others, we here at the South love Downton Abbey and are going through that strange blend of excitement and mourning  with the final season now airing on PBS. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a phenomenon quite like Downton Abbey, at least not in relation to a TV show. The series seems to have struck a chord with Anglophobes and Anglophiles alike with likable characters, so many of whom we can relate to, despite not really sharing any of the same experience. I don’t have a lot in common with the landed English gentry, nor the scullery life of servants and yet the personal struggles from both sides of the stairs are engrossing, heartfelt and deeply relatable. It seems that no matter one’s station in life, love, loss, hope and heartache is something we all share. I think that combination of class differentiation and leveling is something that, while not an original concept, is something that Downton has done extremely well. Of course, the delightful quips from the Dowager Countess, Lady Violet Crawley help, though I suspect she wouldn’t be quite as sympathetic to our impending withdrawal pangs…

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Having watched all the episodes so far and kept up with some of the news briefs that have come out about the show (or rather, had conversations with my mom, who has kept up with Downton-related news), I thought there would be little from Downton that could still surprise me. And yet, it browsing the web for some tidbit for this post, I came across something that thoroughly surprised me: the Downton Abbey theme song, “Did I Make the Most of Loving You” has lyrics?! (To be honest, I didn’t even  know the theme song had an official title beyond the “Downton Abbey theme.”) The song’s instrumentals came from composer John Lunn, who contacted Don Black, the Oscar-winning lyricist known for such songs as “Born Free.” Black had never seen the show but apparently, after watching just one episode, he had the song’s title and general theme worked out. For those of you who have listened to the Downton Abbey soundtrack, this may not have been the surprise it was for me, but for those of us who didn’t know, it’s somewhat comforting to know that there are still things to learn about this show that made such a mark on our television viewing. Hopefully there will still be things to learn even after the show has run its final credits.

 

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There’s a display set up of Downton Abbey-related reads at the South, but if you’re unable to stop by in person, here are are some titles that can tide you over until the next episode, or to ease your withdrawal symptoms once the series has come to an end. For some stellar viewing recommendations, feel free to check out the Library’s blogger-in-residence Arabella’s suggestions here.

3614406To Marry an English Lord by Gail MacColl and Carol McD. Wallace

In a way, this is the book that started it all. Recounting the mass exodus of more than 100 American heiresses who flocked (or were sent) to England in order to exchange their new family money for an old English title, this book details the surprisingly scintillating marital exchanges of Victorian and Edwardian England. After reading this book, Julian Fellows, the creator of Downton Abbey, was inspired to create the character Cora Crawley and from there established the premise of what would be his hit show.

3512451Minding the Manor by Mollie Moran

If you’ve ever wondered more about the internal life of Daisy, the hopeful, scrappy young kitchen maid, this book will give you a fairly solid idea. This is the true memoir of a young woman who worked her way through the “downstairs” life from scullery maid, to kitchen maid and then to cook in England in the 1930s. Despite being somewhat on a later timeline than most of Downton, Moran reminds the reader of Daisy while adding her own unique personality and struggles. This was also recommended as a great read by a loyal patron here at the South!

3458060Lady Catherine, the Earl and the Real Downton Abbey by Fiona, Countess of Carnarvon

To be honest, the tile of this alone is enough to entice me. The current Countess of Carnarvon, who runs Highclere Castle, the manor used as the real-life setting for Downton Abbey, digs into the castle’s archives to tell the story of Catherine Wendell, an American woman who married the soon-to-be 6th Earl of Carnarvon and presided over the estate during the time frame when much of Downton Abbey takes place. If you’re hooked on this book, you may also want to check out the companion piece, Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey.

3594930Fiercombe Manor by Kate Riordan

Riordan’s novel is an engrossing dual narrative that looks at the lives of those in an estate similar to Downton Abbey during the height of their place in society and those who pick up the pieces after the manor has been all but abandoned and derelict. Haunted by her own troubles and the air of mystery that hangs over the house in its decrepit state, the current resident of the house find that she has common ties with the former lady of the house as she delves into the family, and the manor’s secrets.

3519009Edwardian Cooking: The Unofficial Downton Abbey Cookbook by Larry Edwards

If you watch Downton Abbey for its sumptuous meals and beautiful party scenes or if you’d like to recreate some of the dishes you’ve seen on the show (perhaps for a screening party of the final episode?), this book is your resource. Edwards has compiled 80 recipes that are authentic to the Edwardian era and organized into High Tea, Dinner and Desserts (who wouldn’t want to try some of Mrs. Padmore’s sweets?!) each broken down into courses. Unlike the kitchens of the time, however, this book breaks down the recipes and walks you through instructions, so you don’t have to rely on the head cook’s memory.

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As I’ve mentioned before, I think I’ll miss Maggie Smith’s brilliant portrayal of the Dowager Countess the most, but feel free to stop by and chat with us at the South about your favorite parts of Downton Abbey. Till next week, dear patrons, take comfort in the fact that, even though new episodes won’t be forthcoming for much longer, all 6 seasons will be here at the South on DVD for your binge-watching pleasure.

"Once you learn to read, you will be forever free." ~Frederick Douglass