Blogs

In Case Of Emergency, Eat This Book

Submitted by Chris on March 8, 2013 - 4:41pm
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I recently received Dr. Kessler's book, The End Of Overeating, in the mail. It was from my friend Mary, and included a sweet, heartfelt note that read, "In the event of an emergency, eat this book." Ahh, friends. So far, it's delicious.

Truthfully, Mary and I are both fighting a battle of the bulge. She is my cheerleader and I am hers. Last year, when Dr. Joel Fuhrman visited The Denver Public Library, I had the doctor sign a copy of his book Eat To Live for Mary and I mailed it to her for inspiration. 

Underappreciated Songwriters (Spotify playlist included!)

Submitted by Bobby on March 8, 2013 - 8:32am
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Damien Jurado

On the unique occasions that I listen to contemporary pop radio (usually caused by CPR pledge drives), I'm always struck by the superficiality of the songwriting. The songs aren't always of bad quality, but their priorities lie more with fun, sugary sounds. That's okay, but much like a nutritional diet, balance is key. In case your portion of substantial songwriting is meager, here are ten underappreciated artists just waiting to be discovered at the library.

I go through phases of saturating myself in the canon of older songwriters; Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Nick Drake, Gillian Welch, and Patty Griffin are among my favorites. But I've been fortunate enough to come across great young songwriters of different genres whose words stick with me long after I've turned off the stereo.

Lambda Literary Award Finalists Announced

Submitted by Becker on March 7, 2013 - 9:24pm
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Theft

The finalists for the 25th annual Lambda Literary Awards were recently announced. The Lammys celebrate GLBT literature and are given in many categories, including fiction, romance, biography/memoir, children's/young adult, and sf/fantasy/horror.

If you want your next read to have GLBT themse, this is a great list to start with! For the complete list of finalists, see the Lambda Literary Foundation web site. The site also lists past winners and nominees. 

Denver Public Library hosts Austin Piazzolla Quintet

Submitted by Chris on March 7, 2013 - 6:56pm
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APQ (Austin Piazzolla Quintet) was recently dubbed the Number-One-Not-To-Be-Missed group at the 2012 Houston International Festival. APQ has been stunning audiences in Austin and beyond since 2009. Featuring some of the finest talent on the Austin music scene today, APQ specializes in the intense and passionate compositions of the late Astor Piazzolla.

Nuevo Tango with APQ

Monday, April 1, 7-8 p.m.
Central Library, Ellison Gallery, Level 7

Our Dancing Daughters: Hollywood's Zenith of the Jazz Era

Submitted by Chris on March 7, 2013 - 5:13pm
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Joan Crawford in Our Dancing Daughters. Photo: Glamamor.com

A film considered the great apex of the silent film era, Our Dancing Daughters is a perfect time capsule of 1920s high society and a showcase for the young woman formerly known as Lucille Le Sueur -- Joan Crawford.

She rose to fame as the quintessential Jazz Baby -- a woman of social means and relaxed morals who was liberated of the corsets and sexual mores of the previous age. And Joan Crawford was embraced by American and international film fans as the ideal movie star. She remained a box office favorite until the late 1940s and never stopped being a star until her death in 1977.

Microfinance explained. Let's have a Kiki! (also, kiki explained)

Submitted by Chris on March 7, 2013 - 2:51pm
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Photo: The Art of Entertaining, Cinn. Ohio

Microfinance: A development approach which provides very small loans directly to poor individuals or families in poor areas so that they can start small businesses or expand their already-existing businesses. -- (From Routledge.com)

Kiki: A party including good music and good friends, held for the express purpose of calming nerves, reducing anxiety and stress and generally fighting ennui. -- (From UrbanDictionary.com)

It's good to do good. It's good to meet new people, hang out and listen to music, and sample excellent local beers. It's a kiki when all of those things converge for one amazing night.

Micro Brews for Microfinance
Saturday, March 23, 6-10 p.m.
McNichols Building at Civic Center Park, 144 W. Colfax Avenue, Denver 80202

Holocaust and Hope: Students Speak

Submitted by Chris on March 7, 2013 - 2:36pm
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Currently gracing the main display at the Central Library, these accordion books created by 7th and 8th graders at the Challenge School in Denver showcase the power of words combined with poignant imagery.

Holocaust Remembrance Art Exhibit
Friday, March 1 through Thursday, March 28
Central Library, Level 1 Schlessman Hall

How do today’s middle-schoolers relate to the World Wars and the Holocaust? What can others learn from their reflections?

Scribes, Scholars & Storytellers Series 2013

Submitted by HEvans on March 6, 2013 - 3:04pm
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Featuring Adrian Miller and JD Mason

The Blair-Caldwell Library created the Scribes, Scholars and Storytellers series to assist and uplift members of the Denver African American community that are involved in or trying to break into the published field. We strive to offer material from a wide range of genres. This year we have an awesome variety of talent. 13 Denver based scholars, poets and authors who will be sharing their creativity starting March 11 and ending on May 22. Join us for an exciting series, promising a little something for everyone!

James Tiptree, Jr. Awards Announced

Submitted by Becker on March 5, 2013 - 5:31pm
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The Drowning Girl

The James Tiptree, Jr. Award and honor books were recently announced.

What is the Tiptree? Given since 1991, it is "an annual literary prize for science fiction or fantasy that expands or explores our understanding of gender...The aim of the award is not to look for work that falls into some narrow definition of political correctness, but rather to seek out work that is thought-provoking, imaginative, and perhaps even infuriating." The Tiptree is named after Alice B. Sheldon, who used the pen name James Tiptree, Jr. to publish her science fiction and fantasy stories, genres largely closed to women at the time she was writing.

Teen Book Club at Central Starts March 23

Submitted by extra medium on March 4, 2013 - 3:59pm
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Teens, you've been asking for a book club at Central forever! We can finally start one!

We are going to meet on Saturday, 23 March at 10 AM to talk about what kind of book club you would like and also to pick out some books to read. We will have donuts! Awesome!

Some of you have suggested that we have a sci-fi and fantasy book club-- this can happen if you want it to. Or, we can read a bit of everything. So swing by the library with a list of books you think we should read! Bring a friend so you know that at least 2 cool people will be there. Also, we should probably have a cool name, right? So think about that too.

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