Daily Thoughts 10/31/2009

A portrait of Samuel Johnson by Joshua Reynolds showing Johnson pulling a book's cover back and concentrating intensely on its words. It also, Johnson felt, shows his weak eyes. 1775

Daily Thoughts 10/31/2009

I am reading Small Unit Leadership A Common Sense Approach by Col. Dandrige M. Malone. I am not a military person, but I find this book to be quite interesting. The author uses oral accounts of people who experienced combat. Right now, there are two different American soldiers giving accounts of their unit leaders as they experienced them in Vietnam. The language is in the vernacular, it is full of expletives, but it is also very real sounding. The book is very readable.

Daily Thoughts 10/30/2009

Reading Woman, August Macke (1887-1914)

Daily Thoughts 10/30/2009

I read some more of Sandman Slim during lunch. It is very entertaining. I am almost finished reading it. It might be a bit too dark for some people. It is also a bit profane so some people may not like it. The story is very good though and the writing is excellent for the type of story it tells.

This morning, I did a display of mysteries from the storage area. I was trying to come up with a set of words that would simplify the word storage and sound good. We actually call the storage area, the mezzanine. I pulled books by authors like Dashiell Hammett, Agatha Christie, Wilkie Collins, Erle Stanley Gardner, Sherlock Holmes Pastiches, Simenon, Rex Stout, and others to display. We let people check out books from our displays and replenish them most of the time.

Two new bookmarks were also printed up, one for writing books and another for poetry books. Hopefully, people will take them and find something worthwhile to read.

This morning, I was reading the review magazines. They are coming out with more titles like Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. The latest one that I have seen is a holiday book; It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Zombies by Michael P. Spradlin.

I picked up a few items to take home, mainly videos, Little Lulu Potato Kids, The Color of Magic which is also an entertaining fantasy book, and Blade Runner the 2 Disc Edition, I have seen Blade Runner many times, this edition includes material on the making of Blade Runner. Blade Runner is based on the book, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick. It is possibly the best science fiction film ever made.

Daily Thoughts 10/29/2009

François Rabelais lisant, Anonymous drawing, beginning of 17th century

Daily Thoughts 10/28/2009

I was reading Sandman Slim A Novel by Richard Kadrey on the train this morning. It is a fantasy novel about a man who escapes from hell to seek his revenge against some magicians who killed his girlfriend. It is an interesting premise. It reads like noire crossed with urban fantasy. Very gritty, dark and intense.

Today has been fairly pleasant. I have a variety of projects going on; having library aides shift the nonfiction and preparing a plan to rearrange the fiction in the storage area so it is more orderly. I also have ben looking at displays for the new books section and thinking about choosing a graphic novel for the graphic novel club.

I read some more of Sandman Slim. The book is engrossing. It holds my attention quite well. I almost missed my train stop on the way home. I can only say that it gets better as you read the story. The challenges get harder for the main character as he progresses through the novel.

Web Bits

There will be a manga library with over 2 million manga opening in Japan in 2015. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/japan/6443382/Japan-to-create-huge-manga-library.html

10/28/2009

King Alfred the Great was fond of reading and learning.

Daily Thoughts 10/28/2009

Today has been a very slow day. I am looking to pick out a graphic novel for a graphic novel club. I am also thinking about the film which will be shown this weekend.

I did not do a whole lot today. I am looking at a book on Small Unit Leadership A Common Sense Approach by Col. Dandridge M. Malone, USA (Ret.).

Banned Books??

A few years ago, a group of parents protested the book, The Goats. I watched them march and carry protest signs on the evening news. I recalled that I had a copy of that book in my 7th grade classroom. Curious, I read the book during the next few days. It was about some kids who got bullied at summer camp. I guess those parents thought it might give ideas to kids interested in bullying. Actually, no one had been interested in the book on my shelf until the fuss was made about it. Then it became a very popular book among my students. The book was banned in a nearby city.
Another book that comes to mind is Go Ask Alice, which is the actual diary of a young girl who became addicted to drugs, which took her life. The mother found the diary and had it published hoping it would deter other young people from following her daughter's footsteps. In the diary, the girl gave explicit examples of her reactions to drugs and dependence on them, how they ruined her life, and how her addiction destroyed her family. This book was one of many books sent to our school by the Dept. of Education, as books young adults should read. Many girls told me how the book opened their eyes to the dangers of drug use. I heard, "I'll never use drugs after what happened to Alice," more than once.
One day I received a complaint from a mother whose daughter had taken the book home to read. I told the mother it wasn't required reading; the girl had chosen it for a book report. She was free to choose another book. However, the mother didn't just not want HER daughter to not read it, she didn't want anyone to read it. She went to the principal and threatened to take it before the school board unless the book was taken off the shelf. The principal removed the book from my classroom library. That is book banning. It made me sick.
by Marlis Day, author of The Secret of Bailey's Chase
Visit me at http://wwwmarlisday.blogspot.com

Daily Thoughts 10/27/2009

Taganrog Chekhov Library & Museum (built in 1911) by Fyodor Schechtel

Daily Thoughts 10/27/2009

I finished reading The Art of Innovation by Tom Kelley. It was a satisfying and entertaining read. I think I may have gotten some useful insights from reading the book.

Today, I talked about doing shifting with my colleagues. It was quite interesting.

Web Bits

A plan to make libraries open to the public, both public and university in Nova Scotia, Canada.

http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6703659.html

A coming new obsession: how to handle a smaller print-book business.

http://www.idealog.com/blog/a-coming-new-obsession-how-to-handle-a-smaller-print-book-business#disqus_thread

Daily Thoughts 10/26/2009

China Miéville at Picadilly Waterstones, 26 April 2006, Creative Commons Attribution 2.0Photograph taken by Andrew M. Butler, Found On Wikimedia.

Daily Thoughts 10/26/2009

I read some more of The Art of Innovation on the train to and from work. It has a lot about breaking down barriers and being very creative. The pictures are entertaining and the book is well designed. I am almost done reading it.

I watched The Beatles Yellow Submarine yesterday. There was a lot which I picked up which I did not understand before. I especially like the sequence on Nowhere Man. It reminds me a bit of myself in some ways. The cartoon was very psychedelic and interesting. I don't think that there will be anything quite like it ever produced again.

I worked on talking to people about shifting the collection. It was a very challenging, interesting, and somewhat sad day today.

Magic, Mayhem, Mary & McPhee

by Pam Ripling

I’m late. What else is new? Would that I was Samantha Stephens, and could twitch my nose and turn back the clock so that I’d be on time. Or Mary Poppins, just open my umbrella and lift myself right out of this predicament. One of my favorite magically-mayhemic characters is Nanny McPhee, who can create—or diminish—chaos by the slamming down her wooden walking stick. I could wield one of those lovely canes about now.

Yes, I’m talking about video magic when we are supposed (?) to be talking about books. But being a somewhat visual person, I cannot help but thrill to the enchantment of television and movies, and the incredible magic they create on the small—and silver—screens. It all starts out as an idea in a writer’s mind, right? Written into text, stories, novels, screenplays, television scripts. From Tolkien to Jackson, the magic of “the one ring” certainly creates dark, diabolical mayhem for Frodo and his band of hairy hobbits. I won’t even begin to touch on the super-natural, the paranormal, the other-worldly… and please don't forget dear Harry Potter.

Maybe I’m oversimplifying, but I equate fantasy and much of sci-fi with magic. I mean, flying dragons are definitely magic, but couldn’t you choose to believe that “the Force” used by Luke Skywalker is just a little bit of magic, too? I do. (But to me, even a cellular phone is magic.)

With Halloween just a few days off, I’d best go find my broom. Have a magical week!

Pam Ripling is the author of middle-grade mystery, LOCKER SHOCK! Buy it at Quake, Fictionwise or Amazon today! E-book version now available for your Kindle! Visit Pam at www.BeaconStreetBooks.com.

Bushman of the Kalahari

I have mislaid a week of my life!

Not really, but that's what it feels like. I was sitting at the SASA Annual Exhibition at Kirstenbosch last week until Thursday, then Friday first thing, it was on the 'plane to Johannesburg for a friend's daughter's wedding. Only got back last night, so have done nothing with a brush for over a week!

This painting is of a Bushman, one of those incredible hunter gatherer people who are the original inhabitants of this country. They owned no land (they believe only God owns the land) and lived off it in much the same way the Aboriginal people of Australia and the Red Indians in America did.

Their ability to live in desert conditions is amazing and in this painting he is using his bow and arrow as a musical instrument.

The Bushmen, often referred to as the San or the generic term Khoisan, are the remnants of Africa's oldest cultural group, genetically the closest surviving people to the original Homo-Sapien core from which the Negro emerged. They are small in stature generally with light yellowish skin, which wrinkles very early in life. Despite the later massive expansion of the pastoral and agrarian tribal cultures, those Bushman groups that utilised environments that were unsuitable for farming, survived until fairly recently with a high level of genetic purity.

Magic and Mayhem in Cynthia's Attic!

Cynthia and I may not have understood the term, "magical mayhem" before our time-travel trips through the old trunk in her attic. But, that all changed when we met our 12-year-old grandmothers in 1914, encountered a shape-shifting Puma named SuRana in the Louisiana Bayou, and ran our "invisible selves" all over a steam ship crossing the Atlantic Ocean.

Our latest adventure, "The Magician's Castle," has taken mayhem to new heights. Here's a little background:

Sebastien the Great, a magician whose fiancée, Kathryn, disappears through the magic trunk, vows revenge. If Cynthia and Gus don't find a missing page from the “Book of Spells,” Cynthia’s family could face financial and personal ruin.

Follow this time-traveling duo as they journey back to a 1914 Swiss castle where Eva, Sebastien’s grandmother, gives them clues on where to begin their search. Their journey takes them through miles of tree tunnels, an enchanted garden ruled by a cranky rock monster, and even high in the Alps. They get the surprise of their lives when they're sent 50 years into the future, have a shocking encounter with another set of best friends, and receive a fresh set of clues that could lead to Kathryn's return. But, at what price?

So, as you can see, magical mayhem is getting pretty ho-hum for Cynthia and me. Evil pirates? Bologna-loving alligators? All previous journeys must've been leading up to the latest one. Time-traveling into the future? Nothing prepared us for the face-to-face surprise we discover in 2014! No, I'm not gonna give it away.

Discover the Magical Mayhem for yourself!

I'm proud to announce the release of Book Four in the award-winning series, "Cynthia's Attic" will be released by Quake (Echelon Imprint) DEC 2009!

Buy the first three books on Amazon and pre-order "The Magician's Castle." Echelon Press

Mary Cunningham

Daily Thoughts 10/25/2009

Inlaid mahogany break-front bookcase. Designed by Thomas Sheraton for "The times" newspaper, and now the property of "The times" book club. Mahogany pedestal centre table. From the "cabinetmaker's drawing book" published 1791-94. Mahogany high-case clock, late eighteenth century.

Daily Thoughts 10/25/2009

I have been reading some more of The Art of Innovation. Right now, the author is writing about how to lay out offices for creativity and make sure work places have both open areas, quiet areas, and closed in conference rooms. He also describes things that encourage innovation like boxes of different unique materials used by engineers. It is entertaining and interesting.

Author Bans His Own Book

Free speech is so misunderstood these days. To many believe it gives everyone the right to say whatever they like, whenever they like and to whomever they like. This is not true. Most of us are familiar with the rule about how you can't shout fire in a crowded theater. However, this is about a single word that came to me when I was thinking of this topic:

Rage

I read this book in high school, as part of the Bachman Books, a four-pack of twisted tales from the mind of Stephen King. It has always been one of my favorite collections, and the memories of the stories have all been vivid. The Long Walk, Roadwork and The Running Man stood out, but none so much as Rage.

Charlie Decker, a senior in high school, brings a gun to the classroom and launches a horror-filled episode where teens are forced to face the ugliness within each of them. The better known book and movie Carrie covered some of the same concepts of peer cruelty. Today, these themes are still relevant, maybe even more so in a society where both parents are forced to work longer and longer hours and children are often left to handle the world on their own.

The book Rage became an issue of controversy after a number of school shootings were perpetrated by teens who had read and perhaps recognized their own pain in the character of Charlie Decker.

After a time, and too many deaths, Stephen King chose to pull the story from print completely. In a speech on violence, he said: "That such stories, video games (Harris was fond of a violent computer-shootout game called Doom), or photographic scenarios will exist no matter what--that they will be obtainable under the counter if not over it--begs the question. The point is that I don't want to be a part of it. Once I knew what had happened, I pulled the ejection-seat lever on that particular piece of work. I withdrew Rage, and I did it with relief rather than regret."

Everyone faces the choice, sooner or later, what they're willing to accept, what they're willing to promote. These choices define who they are as a person. I may find banning books by Mark Twain or Maya Angelou laughable, but I deeply respect Stephen King for his choice to remove his own work. I respect his decision not to shout fire in a crowded theater.


J.R. Turner is the author of the Extreme Hauntings series. The first book, DFF: Dead Friends Forever is available at Amazon.com, Kindle, Fictionwise, and Echelon Press.com

Daily Thoughts 10/24/2009

Columbia University Library, New York, 191-

Daily Thoughts 10/24/2009

I did more weeding of the trade paperbacks today. I am almost done with the main area. Then I have to do the urban fiction. I may have to get a colleague to help. It is not my strongest subject.

Another book came in for me, Sandman Slim by Richard Kadrey. I am also going to watch The Beatles Yellow Submarine Starring Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. This will be the third time I have watched this film. I like the animation. It is really interesting.

I tried out Learning Express computer training database but found out I had to load Adobe Flash Player 8 in order to use the program. Maybe, I will get to do it on Monday.

I read some more of the Art of Innovation. It is talking about how to form teams, brainstorm, and prototype what you plan on doing for the future. There is a lot about breaking down barriers to getting things done. Most of the book covers different products which Ideo designed.

Ban the Books! Oh, yeah, that works...

The concept of banning books cracks me up. It's hysterical. Obviously, whoever came up with the concept never actually met a child or teen, or talked to one at any length. I can tell you definitively that every single thing my parents told me not to do, I did. If this wasn't a family show here, I'd run down the list, but it is. Not to mention most of them were illegal and possibly punishable by fines, jail time, or deportation. Like that stopped me.

The primary contraband of the girls in my middle school wasn't drugs or alcohol...it was V.C. Andrews. One girl would be assigned "lookout" at the cafeteria table, while another read particularly entralling passages out loud. This wasn't the first group of 7th graders these teachers had dealt with, and they could spot a shiny, cutout cover and an overworn spine clear across five tables.

I was an avid reader, but these were the only non-assigned books I ever saw come out of anyone else's backpack. Other than Go Ask Alice, that is. A rather free-thinking teacher of ours assigned that in Reading. Only time you never caught anyone trying to nap in class.

But sex, drugs and rock n' roll aren't the main reason books are banned, at least in my opinion. It's ideas.

Take a look at the banned authors list. Maya Angelou. Steinbeck. Shakespeare. Benjamin Franklin. Kurt Vonnegut. Great thinkers who encouraged people to look at things from a different viewpoint, to challenge the accepted ways of thinking, the ways pressed on them by the government and the church. People are scared of thoughts, because thoughts turn into actions, and actions can become revolution. Martin Luther (not King, Jr.) nailed a paper to a church door, and it not only changed the course of Western civilization, but was also used almost 500 years later to fuel the Nazi's war on Jews. Common Sense, by Thomas Paine, started another revolution. If it weren't for his pamphlet, we Americans might still be paying for our morning coffee with British pounds.

Librarians, teachers, and parents will use excuses, like language, sexual content, etc. for banning a book, but if you look more closely, actually open the book and read, you'll find those few scintillating passages mostly obscured by the revolutionary thoughts they inspire.

In one of my favorite books, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (which, along with its fellows, has spent a fair amount of time on certain schools' banned lists), Hermione is thrilled when a magazine containing an inflammatory interview with Harry is made contraband by a professor. Harry is confused, until Hermione says, " If she could have done one thing to make absolutely sure that every single person in this school will read your interview, it was banning it!"

So grab yourself a banned book, and Viva La Revolution!

Jacquelyn Sylvan is the author of Surviving Serendipity, a YA Fantasy novel. Click below to get your copy...before someone bans it!

Tudo aquilo que já era para você ter visto, mas eu não tinha tempo pra mostrar

Eu já disse várias vezes que ando produzindo um monte de coisas, mas nada de mostrar... Fica até parecendo papo furado... Poi aí está, em fotos que não estão lá essas coisas, mas...

Lembram desse caderninho? Eu disse que queria colocar mais alguma coisa, então coloquei só mais um detalhezinho. Achei que ficou bem melhor assim!

Esta almofada eu ainda não decidi se vai para a minha cama ou para o sofá do quarto dos meninos.

Sessão panos de prato:
Estes também têm aqueles fiozinhos dourados na trama da etamine...

O gráfico desta rosa está no blog da Dayane.

Para cobrir refeição:

Jogo americano, feito com as sobras de um jogo de lençol:

Toalhas de rosto bordadas com vagonite:

Inspirada (copiando com deficiência...) nos lindos organizadores da Isabella Kastrup:

Claro que, como estou quilômetros da perfeição da Isabella no quesito máquina de costura/viés, por isso preferi investir no acabamento com bordado.

Espero que tenham gostado, apesar das péssimas fotos! Prometo que assim que tiver tempo vou conhecer os recursos da minha nova máquina para poder tirar fotos melhores...

Beijos!

Daily Thoughts 10/23/2009

Benjamin Franklin. Martin, David, 1737-1797 -- Artist, Stipple Engraving, New York Public Library Digital Image Gallery

Daily Thoughts 10/23/2009

I started reading The Art of Innovation this morning on the train. It has some very nice color photographs in it of design. I find design to be rather interesting.

I did more weeding in the fiction room, this time focused on the trade paperbacks. There is a lot of overflow from all the new books we are ordering lately. I'll probably be doing the urban fiction soon. It is getting very crowded as well.

This evening I read a little bit more of The Art of Innovation. There were a few interesting sections on brainstorming and teamwork.

Books Which Should Be Banned

Ban these books! Ban them now! Protect our children (whom we all know can’t think or formulate ideas all by themselves) from the influence of these so-called ‘authors’, who obviously have an nefarious agenda beyond simply entertaining the youth of America and encouraging them to drop the XBOX controller for a few hours in order to read:

The Harry Potter series. How dare J.K. Rawling! She has the audacity to inspire grade school kids to read 600+ page novels when that time could be better spent watching TV, not to mention the number of young readers who select wizardry as a career choice afterwards.

The Twilight series. Of course, we all know vampires are evil, but that’s not why Stephanie Meyer’s books should be banned. It’s for selfish reasons, because her novels have disrupted my sleep patterns. My oldest daughter insisted on attending the midnight release party of Breaking Dawn, which meant I had to drive her and her friends downtown in the middle of the night so she could be one of the first to get a copy. I had to stay awake until 2:00 AM to pick them up, and was grumpy all the next day from lack of sleep. To make matters worse, my daughter didn’t clean our cats’ litter box because her face was buried in the book all day.

Every other teen vampire novel. They teach impressionable youth that vampires aren’t monsters to be feared, but simply teen emos (teemos?) in love. That ain’t gonna help them much if they ever come across a real vampire, who probably won’t look like Robert Pattinson.

Everything by Edgar Allen Poe. He’s just too weird to be trusted with our children.

Halo (and any other book based on a video game). I’m actually half-serious here. You know you are obsessed when the time you spend away from your favorite game is spent reading about them. See that shiny orb in the sky outside? It’s called the sun. Go enjoy it.

Captain Underpants. This popular series could influence kids to imitate the actions of its hero. And there reaches a point in a child’s life when running around in his underpants is no longer cute.

Green Eggs and Ham. Oooh! Stay away from this one, kids! It might encourage you to put weird-colored things in your mouth that don’t belong there. What’s next, Bleu Cheese and Drano?

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. Now I know why I have currently a problem with rodents in my house. My kids are giving them chocolate chip cookies! Well, there goes their allowance. I need that money to pay for an exterminator.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Poor Cindy Lou Who, waking in the middle of the night to see a man without pants hovering over the Christmas tree.

Hop on Pop. Kids, why would you want to jump on your dad? You know he has acid reflux and digestive issues. Or is this book encouraging you to slowly kill him for the insurance? Did your mom put you up to this? Just for that, I’m revising my will to leave everything to the dog. At least he leaps on me because he’s simply happy to see me again.

Goodnight Moon. Talking to inanimate objects, such as mittens, bowls of mush and socks, is a tell-tale sign of insanity. Do we want our kids to talk to articles of clothing just before they go to bed? If Edgar Allen Poe (see above) wrote for children, he’d have come up with something like this, only the baby bunny would have killed the old lady whispering hush, then stashed her remains under the floorboards.

Killer Cows. My upcoming novel. I can’t think of any reason it would be banned, but if any of you can, that’s a lot of free publicity for me. After all, nothing says ‘buy me’ more than a media product which sparks moral outrage in a few loudmouthed individuals who think their own personal values will save the world. Thanks in advance.

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author, who doesn’t really believe anything he just posted.

D.M. Anderson
http://dmanderson.blogspot.com

The Quiet War by Paul McAuley

The Quiet War by Paul McAuley

This is a science fiction novel about low intensity conflict set in the 23rd century a.d.. Earth is ruled by a set of rich families who are trying to fix the environmental depredations of the previous centuries. Brazil is the rising military power.

On the opposing side are the democratic colonies of moons of Jupiter and Saturn. Mars was previously in a conflict with earth where the martian colonists were wiped out.

Both sides have strong ideological differences. There is spy craft, subterfuge, sabotage, and political maneuvering which eventually leads to full scale war.

The novel is hard science fiction. The author, Paul McAulety is a botanist by training; he includes a bit of biotechnology and ecological engineering. This makes the descriptions quite interesting. This is especially true of the descriptions of the Brazilians trying to clean up a despoiled earth.

My favorite character is Macy Minnot, a biome technician, who is caught up unintentionally in the conflict and does some very entertaining heroics. The ending makes me wonder if there will be a next novel. If there is I will definitely read it.

Paul McAuley has been nominated for the Arthur C. Clarke Award, is on the 2008 Locus recommended reading list, has won the British Fantasy Award, the Philip K. Dick Award, and is a wonderful writer. His website is http://unlikelyworlds.blogspot.com

Daily Thoughts 10/22/2009

Brownie Books, Palmer Cox, 1893-1924, New York Public Library Digital Gallery

Daily Thoughts 10/22/2009

I am off today. I am thinking a little bit about the trade paperbacks. The last librarian who was ordering books ordered a number of specialty books in our fiction trade paperback collection; african writers, caribbean writers, international writers, literary writers from small presses. This makes it challenging sometimes in weeding. There are some titles that are part of obscure series based on modern classics or avant garde writing. I have found a few university press books, Dalkey Archive Press, and Black Sparrow Press books which are quite interesting. There are also a number of classic quality writers I am moving into storage because although they do not have tremendous circulation, they are representative of early lesser known works of very prominent writers.

I was off today because I work Saturday. I walked over to my local library and picked up The Art of Innovation Lessons In Creativity From Ideo America's Leading Design Firs by Tom Kelley and Jonathan Litman.

Daily Thoughts 10/21/2009

Jacque, Charles Emile, 1813-1894 -- Etcher Title Liseur, From New York Public Library Digital Gallery

Daily Thoughts 10/21/2009

I am about to order some civil service tests for the library. We currently have people requestsing Accountant, Court Officer, and Police Offer tests. I sometimes think that some books weigh heavier in garnering good will from the people who come to the library. Books which get jobs are critical.

I also did some more weeding in the trade paperback fiction. I am also moving some of the books to storage. There are some older trade paperbacks by quality authors which are no longer available.

A list of the Top Independent Bookstores on Twitter. http://www.nfiresearch.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=305&Itemid=119

I finished reading Sunflowers A Novel of Vincent Van Gogh by Sheramy Bundrick. At the end of the novel in the afterword, she says she got the idea for the novel while visiting Vincent Van Gogh's grave. The novel posits the question who was Rachel, the prostitute who Vincent Van Gogh gave his ear to? It is at once a love story, a story about art, and a story about madness.

It is not a light easy story to read. There are many historical references throughout the novel that are directly borrowed from Vincent Van Gogh's life. Sheramy Bundrick even has a bibliography of the works she used to compose the novel. There is an authentic feeling to the writing which shows she has visited many of the places where the novel occurred.

It is a beautifully described novel as it draws from the paintings which Vincent Van Gogh painted with their vivid contrasting colors. It is a story that is very full of life. The author cites the paintings which she described in the back of the book. As the story includes both Sunflowers and The Starry Night, it is very pleasing to read. The Starry Night is one of my favorite paintings.

At the same time this novel is very human. It is a story which touches on some very dark subjects, prostitution and madness in addition to love which can never truly come to a good end because of the protagonists limitations. The story is a tragedy. But, it is a very poignant tragedy. I especially like the imaginary letters between Mlle. Rachel Courteau and Vincent Van Gogh, they can be quite touching.

This is worth reading. It is a reminder of how even the most tragic lives can produce great beauty.

Ban This Book - I Dare You!

Being one who talks a lot, I can't fathom anything beyond free speech. And book banning? Yes, while some books have no useful purpose other than to cause anarchy, harm others, or create chaos, it's the other books I'm more concerned with - one person's banned book may be someone else's fun read.

Take The Witch Tree, a perfect little Halloween read. It's a dark little tale. A story of man vs. nature, good vs. evil. There're some yucky parts, too, perfect for a horror tale. Definitely not some people's cup of tea. I like to read scary stuff. I grew up with Stephen King. I like scary movies. I like to write scary stories sometimes too.

So, maybe it's not your cup of tea or coffee. I understand, but I hope it is! If you want to ban it, however, go ahead. It'll only make it more desirable. So, someone ban it, please! (Hint-hint!)

Excerpt from THE WITCH TREE by C.A. Verstraete:

What he noticed first was the sound.

Jimmy Grayson lifted his head from the grimy pillow, stared at the open window, and cringed. The onslaught seemed to come from every direction. He placed a hand over his ear to try to block it out. No such luck. High-pitched screeches, nonstop chattering, the endless wall of freaking sound was making him crazy.

In one swift motion, he threw off the dingy, worn quilt, catapulted from the bed, and rushed to the window. "Shut up!" he screamed, not caring how unhinged he sounded. "Shut the hell up!"

It stopped.

Ahhh. A deep sigh escaped him; an appreciation for the quiet filled him. He exhaled in a soft whoosh of air. The muscles in his neck relaxed as the tension left. His eyes closed almost of themselves-then popped open as the cacophony started up again.
The endless, unendurable shrieks, chirps, and chatters surrounded him from all sides like a blanket. With each passing second, the sound from hundreds of blackbirds increased in volume.

** I dare you to read on! Turn the lights low, or fire up the laptop and read THE WITCH TREE. Oh, don’t forget to lock the door!

* Buy THE WITCH TREE at Fictionwise

Daily Thoughts 10/20/2009

Carter Stone checks out his copy of the new Marvel Comic book geared specifically for U.S. servicemembers during an unveiling ceremony at the Pentagon in Washington D.C. on April 28, 2005. Defense Dept. photo by U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Cherie A. Thurlby

Daily Thoughts 10/20/2009

Today is another quiet day. I put the displays in order this morning. I also am preparing to do some more weeding. There is a resume workshop in the Job Information Center going on now.

One of our staff requested us to order Fledgling by Melissa Scott. She says it is very enjoyable.

Sunflowers is turning out to be an amazing novel. At this point, Vincent Van Gogh has opened a studio with Gaugin and is arguing with him while he is drinking absinthe. He is in a relationship with a young lady of the night and is falling in love. His brother is sending him money. It is just really interesting.

Cory Doctorow is writing a new column for Publishers Weekly. I am looking forward to reading it regularly just like I read his column in Locus Magazine. http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6702526.html

I looked at Peter and Max, A Fables Novel by Bill Willingham, illustrated by Steve Leiloha. The illustrations are in black and white. It includes a graphic story at the end of the novel. The novel is printed by DC Vertigo which is a first for the imprint. At the back of the book, there is a summary of each of the Fables graphic novels. I like to think of it as a hybrid of a novel and a graphic novel. I am looking forward to reading this.

Se a vida fosse um sonho



Se a vida fosse um sonho

Eu gostaria de jamais acordar.

Se a vida fosse uma canção

Gostaria jamais deixar de ouvi-la.

Se a vida fosse uma flor

Gostaria que sua beleza e perfume não morressem.

Se a vida fosse um desejo

O desejo seria da eternidade…

Mas a vida é um caminho

Sem sonhos,Sem canções,Sem flores,Sem desejos…

A vida é o desafio

De cada um de nós

Viver é sobreviver…

Chegar até velhice

É o mesmo que ganhar uma luta

Onde o troféu é a história que se pode viver.

Nada faz da vida

A certeza de um amanhã.

A vida é aprender que não se pode

Esperar o amanhã,Pois o amanhã simplesmente é um mistério.

Viver o presente

É ser sábio,Viver do passado e do amanhã

É acreditar em ilusões concretas.


edição :JOSUÉ NETO
.
.
.

Banned Books

Here's the question I want to pose: Should books be banned?


I believe this question that is present in a lot of mind with a lot of strong opinions on the topic. There are people who strongly believe that books should not be banned while there are others who believe that certain books should not be and should, therefore, be banned. Then, obviously, there are the people in the middle, who are unsure or who simply do not care either way.

According to the first amendment, our country grants the right of free speech. A book is an author's form of his or her own speech. If as citizens we have the right of free speech, why should books be banned based on what they authors have written? Do they not have the right to free speech as is stated in our Constitution?

On the other hand, there are certain things that should not be spoken. There are times when it is important that a book be banned. There are topics that are simply taboo to be spoken about in society and, if an author wishes to discuss them, that author should know that it could land them on a list of banned books.

The first argument is made by one against the banning of books while the second argument is made in favor of banned books. People have their opinions, as exhibited by these separate arguments, and they are entitled to their own opinions. So this entire subject dwindles down to a matter of opinions and whether or not a person chooses to allow his or her opinions to show.

Daily Thoughts 10/19/2009

Pierre Auguste Cot, Ophelia, 1870, Oil On Canvas

Daily Thoughts 10/19/2009

I have been doing a little weeding this morning. I just finished with my first look through the mass market paperbacks. In addition to use, I also looked at condition. Some books were falling apart. I am probably going to start on the trade paperbacks later today.

I put Sandman Slim by Richard Kadrey on hold. It is supposed to be similar in style to Neil Gaiman.

Banning the Bat

I was sitting at a book signing, my books spread out on a table in front of me. A boy walked by, maybe twelve years old, thirteen... I can't tell ages of kids much anymore. His mother was standing back a bit.

Anyway, he was drawn to the covers of my Adventures of Guy series. The book covers are lively and cartoonish, and they often are mistaken as books for the younger'uns.

But my Guy series is filled with a bit more mature of a theme, and as you know I don't like to corrupt the critters (It's okay to corrupt everyone else).

"Actually, that's for a bit older crowd," I said, and then I gestured towards my new book, Fang Face, which was written for his age. "You might like this one more."

He reached out, but before he could take it, his mother grabbed his arm and pulled him away. As she hurried him away to safety, she shot over her shoulder, "We're Christians, we don't support that kind of book."

My mouth dropped open.

Not like that's anything new, but mostly because I'm talking.

But this time no words came out. I was stunned.

She obviously took offense at the topic of Fang Face... vampires... and somehow felt vampires were a threat to her religious views, and that it might taint her vulnerable, young, sensitive son.

Even more, judging from the sneer on her face, she obviously took offense to me, as I am the creator of the book that so offended her sensibilities.

She knows nothing of my religious views.

She knows nothing of my moral compass

She obviously knows nothing of vampires either, because if she'd have given it a thought, she would have realized that the best way to fight a vampire is ... a cross.

You know, a cross. She was probably wearing one.

So how does this diminish her religion? What possible offense can she take to the symbol she holds so dear being held up as the bastion of protection to the threat from the dark side, the undead?

Most of you who know me know I'm rarely at a loss for words. But it wouldn't have helped me to argue with this lady. Obviously, she uses her religion as a platform to lift herself above other people. She uses it in a way not intended. She could have hustled him away without making a loud moral pronouncement on me.

Will this help her son as he casts about for his own moral compass? Will her strict indoctrination lock him into her feeling on the world, or will he turn away from her, rebel and push away from her black and white views on evil?

Will she drive him to seek out the very thing she tries to shelter him from? Forbidden books. Banned books.

There's a reason that some writers try to write books that will be banned. They are popular. People want to read them.

So bring it on, lady. Get my book banned. And I'll see you on the Best Seller lists!

Norm

www.fangface.homestead.com
www.normcowie.com

(exciting day today, It's my anniversary ... 24 years!)

Insomnia

I did so enjoy painting this one, but I battled with the photograph.

I picked up on Dean's tip of using black gesso and then just painting with Prussian blue/Cad red and a bit of white mixed in in varying degrees.

Painting the negative shapes was a total challenge and sometimes I had to double back and constantly check where I was going with those tree shadows.

But the title! I finally settled on Insomnia, but am not 100% happy with it. Anyone got any other suggestions?

Daily Thoughts 10/18/2009

Viktor Vasnetsov. The Flying Carpet (1880). Oil, canvas. 165x297 сm. a depiction of the hero of Russian folklore, Ivan Tsarevich, on exhibit at the Nizhny Novgorod Art Museum

Daily Thoughts 10/18/2009

I started reading The Sunflower last night.

Be Lucky to have an Attitude

My attitude is an important part of my personality. One could go as far as to say it’s a definitive part! It’s what sets me apart from other people. Other peoples’ attitudes are also what draw me to get to know them, and what make them heard in a crowd.

A great example of someone’s attitude setting them apart from the crowd is my cousin. He is six-and-some months younger than me, but what he lacks in age he makes up for in attitude. At first glace he might seem like your typical blonde-haired, bespectacled trumpet player and DnD player extraordinaire, but once you get to know him his intense personality overshadows (almost) all of that.

My cousin is the type of person who speaks his mind. Always. He will also spend hours arguing his opinion until his adversary admits defeat or simply gives in. He doesn’t seem that he stresses too much about what others think of him because of it. And while this does get him some enemies, it also earns him respect. In certain groups, that which he has uttered is now law.

This incredibly assertive and cynical attitude also comes with incredible loyalty. He will defend a friend with the same fervor he possesses when debating about politics (and that is something you do not want to get him started on). Also, he is one of the most amusing people I know.

I often find myself wishing I had an attitude like that. Something about my personality that would make people say, “Ah, here comes Kieryn!” like they do when they see my cousin. But then I realize I’m still not sure how to define my own personality. And until I am, I’ll just have to be content having friends with attitudes.

Kieryn

www.kierynnicolas.blogspot.com

www.kierynnicolas.com

Find me on Facebook!

Daily Thoughts 10/17/2009

Calligraphy example by Barbedor. Look at this example of calligraphy closely, it is different than the way most modern calligraphy is taught, there are lots of loops and cursive motions, one letter flows into the next. It is not the same as the fixed style which most modern calligraphy is taught with. I remember being shown something similar to the way this is taught when I was younger.

Daily Thoughts 10/17/2009

I finished reading The Quiet War by Paul McAuley this morning. It reads like there will be a sequel. I am very much interested in there being one. I really like the character, Macy Minnot. Tomorrow, I'll write a review of the book at the laundromat.

I also just finished reading Warfighting by the U.S. Marine Corp, the 1989 edition. It is published by Cosimo books. http://www.cosimobooks.com/ I sometimes read books on military strategy because I find it interesting. I have read both Carl Von Clausewitz and Sun Tzu. There are often interesting insights in these books. One of my favorite books of philosophy is Miyamoto Musashi's A Book of Five Rings. Most all of these books include insights on life which you would not find anywhere else.

This is an excellent article about ebooks and the brain from the New York Times. http://roomfordebate.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/14/does-the-brain-like-e-books/#gloria

Daily Thoughts 10/16/2009

This is a Walter Crane illustration for Bluebeard. I have seen Bluebeard in play form, comic book form, and fairytale form.

Daily Thoughts 10/16/2009

I spent some time weeding today in the paperbacks. Right now I am weeding the romance paperbacks. Romance is the most popular style of fiction. I am checking labels, condition, and circulation. I spent several hours going through the paperbacks today.

Two books came in for me to read, Sunflowers A Novel of Van Gogh by Sheramy Bendrick. The author is an art historian. She lists the paintings which she writes about in the novel in the back of the book and the museums they are currently in. She also has a set of questions for reading groups at the back of the book. I found this kind of interesting. The other book which I checked out is Warfighting by the U.S. Marine Corps. I occassionally read books on military strategy.

Last night I was watching Jules Verne, Mysterious Island. My favorite scene so far is a fight between the shipwrecked Americans and a giant crab where they knock the crab into a geyser and it boils. I like Ray Harryhausen's Superdynamation.

Aos amantes do Ponto Cruz

Vale a pena conferir o blog Bordados da Vida! Lá a Dayane posta lindos gráficos.
Dayane, imprimi vários, e espero ter tempo de bordar todos!
Beijos!

Daily Thoughts 10/16/2009

Henri Fantin-Latour The Two Sisters 1859

Daily Thoughts 10/16/2009

I am thinking about doing Fahrenheit 451 The Authorized Edition by Tim Hamilton as the choice for the first graphic novel book club. It might go well with the film as well. There is an interesting line in the novel, Fahrenheit, about people choosing comic books over books. The theme matches with the content. I still have not finalized this. I may choose another title with more copies of the book in the system.

I have my new bookmarks for Poetry and Writing on my desk. I also talked to a local poet who writes a column in the small newspaper we have in the city. I am thinking it might tie in with the slam master we spoke to earlier.

I selected some large print Danielle Steel books to order. I also did some weeding of the fiction paperbacks. As part of the weeding of the paperbacks, I am also making sure they are labeled by genre correctly. It is a short reprieve before I go back to weeding the 800s.

Keeping a Good Attitude

Sometimes, it can be hard to keep a good outlook on life. Bad days happen, and sometimes, it can feel downright impossible to smile when your hair looks scary on the night of your big date, your dog died, or you got in a fight with your best friend. Sometimes it's all you can do to not hide from the world... (I would have had an image here of my husband's cat, hiding under blankets, but I couldn't get it to load)

I've been told I've got a really good outlook on life. Most are surprised when they find out I've had depression because apparently I'm "always sunny."

Part of keeping a good attitude, in my humble opinion, is making yourself crawl out from under that blanket and do things. From the writers' perspective, bad days can be especially knarly. When I feel down, I have a hard time writing. Words evade me, and I find myself picking out flaws in my work (regardless of if they're true flaws at all). But I sit down at that computer anyway and try to put down something, and it helps. Often, all it takes is one decently crafted sentence to brighten my day -- silly and simple as it is.

When I'm with friends who feel cruddy, I drag them out somewhere with a "c'mon lets go get ice cream," or a "Let's go take a walk" or "Let's go check out that exhibit at the museum." Doing things, no matter how small, helps get your mind of the bad stuff. The main thing to remember is that life doesn't stop on a bad day -- life keeps rolling.

Make the choice to roll with it, because, tomorrow is a clean slate. :)

GROUP PROJECT

Krysia explains..

http://krysiakordecki.blogspot.com/2009/10/word-up.html

WHITE

Daily Thoughts 10/15/2009

The lion statues at the New York Public Library, with a mantle of snow during the record December 1948 snowfall. Public Domain. A lion in winter.

Daily Thoughts 10/15/2009

I finished reading Confessions of A Radical Industrialist by Ray C. Anderson. This is a reminder that there is a better way when it comes to sustainability and clean technology. He calls for large scale home insulation, more efficient energy appliances, benign chemicals to replace toxics, better recycling technology, more renewable energy, a new transmission infrastructure for electricity, and new hybrid vehicles. I would add greener cities, more green buildings, more urban agriculture, and more locally focused businesses.

This is an excellent book if you want to understand large enterprise and how it relates to sustainability. Earlier in the book, he reminds the reader that General Electric, Toyota, and Cisco Sytems are moving towards sustainability and Google has a program to make electricity cheaper than coal from renewables.

Today is another quiet day. I am working with a colleague to get some signage removed. I also contacted someone about doing a poetry program. I am going to be ordering some Danielle Steel large print for the book mobile because people are asking for it. The book mobile is going to
use the patron request form soon as well.

We started counting the books in the Job Information Center. It has been a steady day. Nothing revolutionary. Some more of the signage is going to be changed. I am thinking about doing a graphic novel book club. I am trying to find something which is available at a lot of different libraries that not everyone has read. It might have to be something a little older.

Paul J. McAuley has won the Philip K. Dick Award, The Sideways Award for Alternate History, the Arthur C. Clarke Award, the John W. Campbell Award, and the British Fantasy Award. His writing is superb. I hope he wins the Hugo Award or the Nebula Award eventually. I am reading his book,The Quiet War. It is hard science fiction. He uses a lot of biology in his stories, much more so than many science fiction writers. He is trained as a botanist.