Growing up, Sylvester and the Magic Pebble was one of my favorite books, so it is with enormous pleasure that we at the Free For All celebrate it’s author, William Steig, who was born this day in 1907. Steig was the child of two Polish-Jewish immigrants from Austria; his father Joseph was a house painter, and his … Continue reading Happy Birthday, William Steig!→
And a very happy Free For All birthday wish to Hans Fallada! You might not have heard of Hans Fallada. That’s ok. His work fell into general obscurity over the second half of the twentieth century. However, the grand and glorious people at the Melville House Press (whose blog is very nearly almost as terrific … Continue reading Five Book Friday!→
And many very happy Free-For-All birthday wishes to poet, prose writer, diplomat, and translator, Czesław Miłosz! Miłosz was born on this day in 1911 in Szetejnie, then part of the Russian Empire, now Lithuania. A polymath from a young age, Miłosz became fluent in Polish, Lithuanian, Russian, English, and French. His first volume of poetry … Continue reading Five Book Friday!→
And a happy winter to all of you, dear readers! In honor of this past week’s Solstice, and in looking forward to the holidays coming up this weekend and next week, it seemed like a good moment to share a bit of good cheer and high hopes for the future, before we get to the … Continue reading Five Book Friday!→
The Library is closed today, beloved patrons, in honor of Veteran’s Day. As we mentioned before, the origins of the holiday are rooted in the armistice that ended hostilities on the western front during the First World War, on November 11, 1918. Generally speaking, the United States’ involvement in the First World War was quite an … Continue reading A Commemorative Five Book Friday→
And once again, beloved patrons, we arrive at another Friday, and another round-up of some of the fascinating books that are frolicking on our shelves, eager to go along with you on a weekend adventure. And speaking of this weekend, don’t forget to stop by the International Festival this Sunday, September 11, from 12-6pm! There will be … Continue reading Five Book Friday!→
Readers of the Free For All will know that I am rather an enormous fan of dark fantasy, horror, and all the odd things that boggle and beguile the imagination. So it was, naturally, with great interest that I read of this years nominations for the Shirley Jackson awards, which were established in 2007 specifically … Continue reading Celebrating the Shirley Jackson Awards!→
"Once you learn to read, you will be forever free." ~Frederick Douglass