MacArthur Foundation 2011 Fellows
September 20, 2011
The 2011 MacArthur Fellows have just been announced! Learn more about the winners and the award!
Off the Shelf
An Interview with Bruno Vanoudenhove
September 19, 2011
Bruno Vanoudenhove is a local painter, photographer, business owner, and the latest artist to be featured in our ongoing exhibition series Local Art @ EPL. His show – titled Black Tie – is currently on display on the 2nd floor of EPL’s Main Branch where it elegantly captures Chicago’s world-famous cityscape in striking black and white portraits. […]
The Feminism of Tupac
September 17, 2011
It’s always interesting for me to be both a hip hop enthusiast and a feminist. For obvious reasons, the two may seem totally incompatible, as much of hip hop carries some of the most noticeable expressions of sexism in music. However, there is no reason why one cannot appreciate a particular form of art while […]
Amazingrace: A Piece of Evanston History
September 16, 2011
The fall issue of Northwestern’s alumni magazine contains an excellent cover story about Amazingrace, the Evanston non-alcoholic coffeehouse and nightclub that began in the basement of Northwestern’s Scott Hall in 1971. After moving to Shanley Hall in the spring of 1972, the group enjoyed a reputation beyond Evanston and Northwestern for hosting folk singers. By […]
To Goodread or Not
September 15, 2011
I’ve flirted with Library Thing, and the I’m Reading app on Facebook, but when it all comes down to it; no one wants to have to deal with another online resource. Why would I want to remember one more user name, or have to deal with another password? For a long time, I felt this way about Goodreads. I […]
Should the Holidays Be Here Already? (Or, Isn’t it Still Summertime?)
September 15, 2011
One of my pet peeves, which is shared by the author of this post, is how stores display holiday decorations months in advance. Does Labor Day truly signal the onslaught of Halloween and Christmas shopping? (Not to sound like a fuddy-duddy, but I also remember when December decor only appeared immediately after Thanksgiving.) […]
OMG! LOL! Oxford English Dictionary Adds New Words
September 14, 2011
A few months ago the Oxford English Dictionary updated its new online edition with over 400 words to include slang and Internet abbreviations. A few of of the abbreviations added were OMG (Oh my God), LOL (Laughing Out Loud), TMI (Too Much Information), FYI (For your information) and BFF (best friends forever). The Oxford English Dictionary, […]
Two Authors Become Publishers
September 13, 2011
Popular fiction writer Omar Tyree is experimenting with self-publishing a serialized novel. He has total control over the content and how much material to produce.Ironically, the novel is about the publishing industry and is called Corrupted. ‘Nuff said. The second author to venture into publishing recently is chef Anthony Bourdain, author of Kitchen Confidential. He […]
8,000 books from Borders donated to CPS
September 12, 2011
Hilco Trading LLC, the Northbrook-based company which is handling the liquidation of Borders, is donating 8,000 “academic quality” books (worth approximately $130,000) to Chicago Public Schools. You can read more about it here and here. ~ Olivia
Downton Abbey Addicts Rejoice
September 12, 2011
For anyone who loved the recent Masterpiece production of Downton Abbey and want to know more about its creator, check out this “behind the scenes” article in today’s New York Times. Julian Fellowes is the quintessential “Renaissance man” – accomplished actor, author, and screenwriter, winning an Academy Award for his first produced screenplay of Gosford […]