Author Topic: The Library (Read 208145 times)

mabel1015j · « **Reply #600 on:** March 07, 2009, 12:49:08 PM »

The Library

Our library cafe is open 24/7, the welcome mat always out.
Do come in from the cold and join us.

We look forward to hearing from you, about you and the books you are enjoying (or not) right now.

Let the book talk begin here!

Everyone is welcome!

Suggestion Box for Future Discussions

Mabel: CSPAN2 is broadcasting a wonderful program w/ a panel talking about the list that the NYTimes printed on their front page of the list of books that Pres Obama has read thruout his life. They're discussing how they may have eaffected him and what it means to have a president who is a reader and specifically a reader of these books. I don't know the whole list, but they've talked about STuds Terkel, James Baldwin, Portnoy's Complaint, The Golden Notebook, etc. Books that many of us read in schools and as feminists/liberals. They've also talked a lot of his being a citizen of the world, and what Obama has written in his books...............it's one of the most fascinating discussions i've ever heard, of Obama in particular, but of reading and it's effects in general........................i'll see if i can get a link to the NYTimes list..........some of you who are one the NYT e-news may be able to bring it up faster than i can................the question also arises that we've discussed in other discusssions here of "what is truth?" or "is there truth in our memories?" ........or is there only "perspective?".........................jean

mabel1015j · « **Reply #601 on:** March 07, 2009, 12:52:12 PM »

Here's an article about the books that Pres Obama's read, i don't think it was on the front page as was mentioned in the discussion, but in the book section, there may be other articles.............................Team of Rivals by Goodwin, which some of us are discussing, is one on the list.....................how many have you read? are there any favorites of yours in the list - not just the list on the left of the page, but those mentioned thruout the article? ........................jean

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/19/books/19read.html

JoanP · « **Reply #602 on:** March 07, 2009, 01:01:17 PM »

Thanks, Jean! Aren't we topical with Team of Rivals!

Hats! You must have special radar this morning - I had just checked Matthew Pearl's website to see when his new Dicken's thriller will be released in the US. (March 19.)
Some of you might remember Matthew's participation in our SeniorNet discussions - both of them fiction, based on famous author's works - the Dante Club and the Poe Shadow. Matthew was a lit major at Harvard...and sometimes teaches literature classes. When we discussed his novels, we also read and discussed Dante's Inferno and Poe's Murders in the Rue Morgue.

One didn't have to read and discuss both, but it was a great experience for those who did.
This time, Matthew has written a mystery (The Last Dickens) based on Charles' Dickens unfinished work - the Mystery of Ëdwin Drood. A mystery, based on a mystery. What could be more fun then that?

I had never heard of Dicken's Edwin Drood, but he seems quite popular lately.
Since there are many interesting titles mentioned here, and since we are always looking for titles for discussion, we have put up a new

Suggestion Box for Future Discussions

Do drop in - nominate titles, or simply stop in now and then to see what others are suggesting! See you there.

hats · « **Reply #603 on:** March 07, 2009, 01:19:05 PM »

Hi JoanP,

We were on the same wave length.

hats · « **Reply #604 on:** March 07, 2009, 01:19:34 PM »

Mabel,

Thanks for the link.

mabel1015j · « **Reply #605 on:** March 07, 2009, 01:19:39 PM »

Here is an article w/ a more comprehensive list of Obama's reading, scroll down a few paragraphs of the comments from other publications to "abe books" for most of the list.

http://www.oldmustybooks.com/2009/01/20/all-the-presidents-books-barack-obama/

I love the name of this site "old mustybooks".................jean

hats · « **Reply #606 on:** March 07, 2009, 01:32:49 PM »

I like that name too.

Steph · « **Reply #607 on:** March 07, 2009, 01:48:29 PM »

All those texans,I have a dear friend who lives in Halletsville, which is somewhere near the Hill country.. Lots of Germans and Czechs where she is.

CallieOK · « **Reply #608 on:** March 07, 2009, 03:03:13 PM »

Hello to y'all in "Baja Oklahoma" (title of a book by Dan Jenkins - made into an original HBO movie in 1988) from your neighbor north of the Red.

My Texas connection was 5 years in Amarillo, during which I met my husband; however, he was a native of Mississippi.

mabel1015j · « **Reply #609 on:** March 07, 2009, 04:20:48 PM »

Thank you Jane for the Internat'l Women's Day site. lots of good info there.

For those of you who have't yet seen me "talk" about Alice Paul - the Martin Luther King of the women's suffragage movement, except she did it first (1910 - 1920) and then wrote the Equal Rights Amendment - here's a website about her and the institute we've founded to honor her. www.alicepaul.org ..............jean

CallieOK · « **Reply #610 on:** March 07, 2009, 05:42:06 PM »

Jean, a good friend of mine does a Living History presentation as Alice Paul. Here is the web site about her as AP (and others). Scroll down and click on "Alice Paul" to get the information. http://www.americanlivinghistory.org/Erma/Erma.html She goes all over the country doing these presentations. I have only heard her do Eleanor Roosevelt and Carrie Nation.

Persian · « **Reply #611 on:** March 07, 2009, 07:53:52 PM »

I'm just catching up with all the interesting posts here. It's such a pleasure to know that this site has been moving along in such an interesting manner.

I tried to access Seniors&Friends, but kept getting a notice that it could not be found. Has that one been discontinued?

Hope all are enjoying the weekend. I'm getting ready to travel to Ft. Stewart, GA on the 24th to welcome my son as he and family are transferred from their current Army base in Germany.

I'll check in again.

Mahlia

Frybabe · « **Reply #612 on:** March 07, 2009, 07:59:11 PM »

I got the same thing, Persian, since about 11:30pm last night. It seems to happen quite frequently, especially on the weekend.

BarbStAubrey · « **Reply #613 on:** March 07, 2009, 08:57:10 PM »

Yes, most of yesterday and today but it is back now - I think it takes awhile for the guy - forget his name - who keeps things in order over there - to get home and check on things - once he knows there is a problem he fixes it pretty quickly - Pat continues to have to go to a larger and larger server and so maybe that is what they were doing - usually there is a quip from her saying what happened - but they are back now.

Judy Laird · « **Reply #614 on:** March 07, 2009, 09:49:51 PM »

I am glad they are back I have been checking so I will go in now.
That is a massive undertaking. I am enjoying the "Village" outlay of it.
Its fun.

mabel1015j · « **Reply #615 on:** March 08, 2009, 12:13:31 AM »

Callie that's wonderful that Emma does that. Thank you so much for letting me know about her. I'll give her website to the staff at the AP Institute. I'm going there on Mon for a mtg. They may know of her, they stay pretty current of anything having to do w/ AP. ..............

This is a post i had made on Team of Rivals after Ella said she had watched "Iron-jawed Angels"
I met Alice Paul - the REAL Alice Paul - here in a Moorestown, NJ Quaker nursing home on her 92 nd birthday the year before she died in 1977. She was a fascinating woman. In 1985, which was her centennial year, a small group of us started the Alice Paul Centennial Foundation and had a dinner that honored some women who were "first" - one was Sally Ride who had just come back from space. We tho't we might buy a tombstone for AP's grave w/ the money that we made from the dinner at which we had over 250 people. ......... long and short of it, we are still in existence, have bought her childhood home and have turned it into an institute to teach leadership skills to women and girls, and educates people about AP and women's history in general. See www.alicepaul.org ............what a ride that has been......................jean

CallieOK · « **Reply #616 on:** March 08, 2009, 12:21:09 AM »

Jean, I will ask Erma if she knows about the AP Centennial Foundation/Institute (I'm sure she does - her research is very throrough) and give her the web site. Would you mind if I tell her about you?

mabel1015j · « **Reply #617 on:** March 08, 2009, 12:55:55 AM »

I don't mind at all Callie, i love talking about Alice!!................jean

Steph · « **Reply #618 on:** March 08, 2009, 09:05:30 AM »

Amazing what I learn here. Never heard of Alice Paul, but I am rapidly catching up on that.

CallieOK · « **Reply #619 on:** March 08, 2009, 10:14:13 AM »

Thank you, Jean.

Steph, I was vaguely aware that "a woman" had been imprisoned and badly treated for her actions re: Suffrage, but Alice Paul's name didn't sink in until my friend began developing that "character".

Babi · « **Reply #620 on:** March 08, 2009, 10:24:56 AM »

I read Dickens' "Mystery of Edwin Drood", as I have always enjoyed his writing. I realized the book was unfinished, which would be a disappointment...and of course, it was...but I entertained myself by speculating as to how it would have ended. It seemed to me fairly evident, but then Dickens could have been laying a misleading trail in the fine tradition of the mystery. Still, he was not basically a mystery writer, and I still thing my 'solution' was quite probable.

mabel1015j · « **Reply #621 on:** March 08, 2009, 10:56:52 AM »

There is a woman author working on a 2-vol bio of Alice Paul. The first vol will be out in the summer or early fall. Then i hope more people will know about her. And maybe we can have a discussion about the book! YEA!.......in the meantime, watch Iron-jawed Angels w/ Hillary Swank. It's very close to being accurate and it focuses on just before and at the time that the suffrage amendment was passed and it's entertaining..................or read From Equal Suffrage to Equal Rights by Christine Lunardini.........she focuses on 1910 to 1920's..............Alice's adult time working on the suffrage amendment in the United States.............jean

pedln · « **Reply #622 on:** March 08, 2009, 01:02:28 PM »

Babi, I haven't read a lot of Dickens, and definitely not Edwin Drood. Without giving anything away, does it just stop, mid-story? Is it obvious that it is unfished?

Jean, the Alice Paul Centennial Foundation is a fantastic example of what a smalll group can do. Impressive. Your dinner honoring women who were first reminds me of artist Judy Chicago's The Dinner Party, a permanent exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum, which honors women throughout the ages. Link below.

The Dinner Party

While we're talking about women's rights and women's suffrage, there is an excellent video/DVD out about Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton that focuses on the early phases of the movement -- Not For Ourselves Alone (Ken Burns directing.) Well worth viewing. Netflix has it, if your library does not.

mabel1015j · « **Reply #623 on:** March 08, 2009, 01:07:18 PM »

Pedin - yes and yes to both of those. ................jean

Judy Laird · « **Reply #624 on:** March 08, 2009, 01:40:11 PM »

YOU REALLY LEARN THINGS HERE!!!!!
I had never heard of Alice Paul am going to have to start looking for these things.
Thanks Jean

lucky · « **Reply #625 on:** March 08, 2009, 03:08:08 PM »

I am a depression baby and lacked much of what is today considered essential for child rearing. I was six months old when circumstances forced us on Home Relief as it was called in those dark days. My family lived on welfare until I was seven. My early childhood was spent in a cold water flat, with a toilet in the hall and a bathbub in the kitchen. It was a childhood of deprivation and ill health. My mother of blessed memory always told me "You are lucky to have what to eat." Needless to say, there were no books in the house. When I was seven my father went back to work ( he was a shoemaker) and one day he came home with a present for me. It was a book of poetry for children. From this volume I learned about the verses of Robert Louis Stevenson, the poems of Edward Lear ( "The Owl And The Pussy Cat" etc.) Christina Rossetti and others. When my children were small I introduced them to the same poetry. I still have the book. When my sister began working she would often buy me books. I still have "Little Women", "An Old Fashioned Girl", "The Red Book of Fairy Tales", "The Blue Book of Fairy Tales" etc. For my ninth birthday she bought me "The Big Book of Stories", which contained "Hans Brinker And The Silver Skates", "Black Beauty", and best of all "Heidi". In second grade I was able to get a library card and every Saturday my mother would take me to the library. Do any of you remember the "Twin" series? My favorite was "The Dutch Twins". I believe that there was a twin series for almost every nationality. I remember "The Chinese Twins", "The Japanese Twins", etc. In the summers I would sit on the fire escape reading most of the day. It was my solace, my escape, and above all, my window to a world that I never knew existed. I learned that I didn't have to live in poverty. I learned that knowledge was the key to a better life. Fiction gave wings to the imagination. Non-fiction gave me the tools to a better life and taught me compassion and empathy. Reading is a wonderful prescription for many ills.

CallieOK · « **Reply #626 on:** March 08, 2009, 03:50:04 PM »

Thank you for mentioning Iron Jawed Angels; I thought I had seen such a movie but couldn't remember the title or who starred.

This morning, I read a newspaper review of "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett. It's her first novel and is, according to the reviewer, "a wonderful and sometimes shocking view into Southern society during the early days of the civil-rights movement". Main characters are two black domestic workers and their WASP Junior League type employers, one of whom decides to "go against the norm". Sounds as if the three do so in a clever and somewhat devious fashion.
I've reserved a copy from the metro library. There are 9 copies available and 37 ahead of me. It may turn out to be some of my Summer Reading.

Have any of you read the "Miss Julia" books?

Lucky, you posted while I was "modifying". Well said - and the selections you were given were wonderful.

jane · « **Reply #627 on:** March 08, 2009, 04:40:58 PM »

Yes, Callie, I've read all the "Miss Julia" books. They're very light and fun, I think.

That's the cycle I'm in at the moment...light, fluffy, happy stuff.

jane

PatH · « **Reply #628 on:** March 08, 2009, 05:20:34 PM »

Wow, Lucky, I haven't thought of the "Twin" series for probably 60 years. I don't remember much about them, but we did read them.

ginny · « **Reply #629 on:** March 08, 2009, 05:39:51 PM »

We have just opened our newest discussion, an Op/ Ed reflection on some of the articles found in newspapers, magazines and online: anything in print which can be linked online, called Talking Heads.

This is intended as an informal round table where we share our ideas at trends or news, usually but not always pertaining to the written word (always from the written word) and first up is of all things, Cursive handrwiting. They're doing away with teaching it, reasoning that children can keyboard instead.

What do you think of this? When's the last time you wrote a long letter in hand? How's YOUR handwriting? Do you know they say fewer than 15 percent of all adults use cursive handwriting? (What are the rest of you using? hahahaa)

Come on down and read the article first, it's a good one and let's discuss!!!

http://seniorlearn.org/forum/index.php?topic=323.msg13400#msg13400

patcook · « **Reply #630 on:** March 09, 2009, 12:22:36 AM »

I'm back from a week trip to our favorite fishing hole in AZ, and Steph - no WiFi at the RV park, but lots of sun, beautiful weather and great fishing for husby (he fishes and I read). I was sitting out under the awning of our RV reading The Forgotten Man and looked down and there was a 3 foot rattlesnake slithering into our campsite about a foot from my chair. I can not tell you how I got from my chair to the end of our motor home. Another one ventured in the next day - Mike beheaded them both much to my relief - just one of the perils of the desert when the weather heats up. Did get lots of reading in- one really cute book entitled Eats, Shoots, and Leaves about punctuation. Reminds me of the OP /ED discussion about cursive writing. I'm passionate about students being exposed to cursive; it's truly an art form. I taught it in first grade as soon as students were reading fluently which is the only reason we teach printing - to correspond with reading readiness. I have a second grade granddaughter that is loving learning cursive this year. Anyway, Eats, Shoots, and Leaves is a great little book that humorously reviews correct punctuation usage combined with a bit of history about each mark. I also got half way through Middlemarch by George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans) our classic book club selection - 400 pages into it, it reminds me of Anna Karenina. Classics are classics for a reason!
When we got home, there was my Kindle 2. I'm having fun with it. Love getting the Boston Globe (one of my favorite newspapers) downloaded each a.m. before I get up - great read with my coffee and no paper to throw away. The shopping in the Kindle Store is just like shopping on Amazon and the download takes less than a minute after purchase! COOL! Love the ability to look up a word definition while reading - built in dictionary. Also, like being able to underline parts to refer to later when preparing for monthly book club meetings. I'm sure I haven't even touched on all of the capabilities of it. I love learning and combined with reading - I couldn't be happier!
Pedln, I have the Anthony/Stanton DVD in my Netflix queue due to arrive next week. My husband is off to the Baja 250 next week so I have 3 chick flicks due to arrive while he is away.

Steph · « **Reply #631 on:** March 09, 2009, 07:46:17 AM »

Rattlesnake.. Oh me, you sound calm about it. I am afraid I would have insisted on packing up and leaving. I like benign snakes, but the poisonous ones scare me to death.
I am really getting intrigued by the Kindle.. Download a good newspaper. We live close to Orlando and the paper was purchased a while back by a terrible man to loot it. It is all horrible ads about products noone should buy and very little news. Both my husband and I love newspapers and they are getting few and far between. Sad.

nlhome · « **Reply #632 on:** March 09, 2009, 02:50:51 PM »

I think it was in the Guernsey discussion where we discussed the book and movie, The Enchanted April. I had the opportunity to watch the movie yesterday. It was lovely movie to watch while outside we were having March rain/sleet/snow weather. I'd like to find the book to read - the authori is Elizabeth Von Arnim. Our library system has none by her.

JoanP · « **Reply #633 on:** March 09, 2009, 03:15:00 PM »

"N" - I came in to tell Babi that her post about the Dicken's Edwin Drood gave me an idea...and saw your post - Amazon has Enchanted April... some used copies too. I'll bet we can find a better price...
Enchanted April

Will be back later when I have more time...

Babi · « **Reply #634 on:** March 10, 2009, 08:52:00 AM »

I was in here yesterday, got off chasing that link, and never did come back to post here.

PEDLIN,..Yes, 'Edwin Drood' just stops short and is obviously unfinished. It appears to be further along than the 'middle'- far enough along to get you involved. And as I said, I felt I knew enough to guess how it must have ended.

LUCKY, the fact that your father bought you a book once he was working again says a lot about how important he felt books are. And your sister did the same when she began working. When money is tight, where one chooses to spend it says a lot about what is valued.

uh, JOANP, what was this idea you had about Edwin Drood?

bellemere · « **Reply #635 on:** March 10, 2009, 09:59:24 AM »

The talk of older mothers reminded me of an expression used by our Newfoundland neighbor , "caught on the turn"
We thought it was hysterical. My own mom was caught on the turn, having my brother when she was in her forties. \
the Barnes and Noble booksellers voted David Sheff the nonfiction author of the year for "Beautiful Boy"
I found it so hard to read; so depressing, and not just because my own family has been touched by the terrible disease of addiction to alcohol and drugs (my handsomegrandson, our own Beautiful Boy) but for the future of his whole generation. What is the answer? Sheff says a War on Drugs that focuses research and education and treatment to the same level as the War on Cancer, but since addiction is largely a disease of the young and disadvantaged, such a War would never gain political support.
The heartbreaking thing is that my grandson's addiction lands him in jail, three or is it four times since he was 18. He is now thirty. But when he does get jailed for violence and brawling, our whole family breathes a sigh of relief. At least he is not dead; not hurting anyone; and clean and sober for a while. That seems to be the best scenario we can hope for.
I understand that Sheff's boy ;has written his own book, called I believe,
Tweaking, a drug term.
Anyway, Beautiful Boy is a classic of the new form: addiction literature, sadly growing in importance.

marjifay · « **Reply #636 on:** March 10, 2009, 11:39:12 AM »

What happened to the other groups here, ie Mystery Corner, Fiction and Nonfiction groups? I can't find them.

marcie · « **Reply #637 on:** March 10, 2009, 11:54:32 AM »

Marjifay, one way to get to those discussions is to click the arrow on the JUMP TO link below the toolbar on the last message on the page. You'll see those discussions listed under "General Book Discussions & More." Click on any one of them. Or just click Discussion Index on the menubar below the announcement/news section at the top of the page and scroll down to the "General Book Discussions & More" category.

Steph · « **Reply #638 on:** March 10, 2009, 01:35:34 PM »

Long day and it is just a little over the sun..Husband had an endoscopy this am.. No food, doctor over an hour late.. Not a nice morning.. This has been the month or so of tests and tests and test. He feels fine, just lost way too much weight in a short time..Some problems swallowing, no saliva.. Mostly the doctors feel it is long term radiation problems, but they seem to want to test all sorts of things to be sure. I guess I see their point, but I get worn down when he gets so angry at lateness...mistakes...etc. Oh well. Excuse the whine..

mabel1015j · « **Reply #639 on:** March 10, 2009, 02:14:16 PM »

Steph - our progress in medicine has created mircles for some of us, but nobody tells us about what i call the constant "body maintenance" and it gets "old" fast! Just to get rid of one more thing, I stopped coloring my hair at a time when i started constantly having "tests." Dermatologist, gynecologist, endoscopy, stress tests, eye exams, dentist four times a year - yada, yada, yada......................MAKE IT STOP! ..............Well, no, i guess that's not a good idea........................

...............I can't even imagine how bad it is to have chemo-therapy or radiation............but the alternative isn't a good choice either

....................hope your husband will be feeling better soon and you get some relief..................jean

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Author Topic: The Library (Read 208145 times)