October 12, 2010
The world’s record for the largest book was just broken last week at the Frankfurt Book Fair on October 6, 2010. An Australian publisher decided to shift the focus away from all the micro-media and printed an enormous atlas which measures 6 by 9 feet and sells for a mere $100,000. (Apparently it is very […]
October 12, 2010
Author Sandra Cisneros (House on Mango Street, Caramelo) appeared at UIC recently and spoke about the difficulty of writing during a time of “Mexiphobia.” She shared some of her writings with the audience. Almost 20 percent of UIC’s student body is of Hispanic background. I felt her observations were revealing and point to tensions in […]
October 11, 2010
Our beloved and fearless Off the Shelf Blog Leader, Andy, convinced me some months ago to read Charles Portis’s wonderful novel True Grit. He assured me that my vague memories of a John Wayne flick were no guide to the treasure that awaited me in the novel’s heroine and narrator, Mattie. Andy’s recommendation , as […]
October 9, 2010
Last night Chicago’s Hyde Park Border’s Books hosted a “Calvalcade of Authors”, librarian reception. Several authors, including L.A. Banks, J. L. Woodson, Sesvalah, Gloria Franklin, Lorraine Elzia, Susan D. Peters and Greta Pope appeared at the book signing. LABanks, creator of a popular vampire series, signed copies of her books and talked about the writing craft. The Librarians & Teachers Reception is […]
October 8, 2010
Today the Nobel Committee announced Liu Xiaobo (劉曉波) the winner of the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize, “for his long and non-violent struggle for fundamental human rights in China.” A writer and former literature professor at Beijing Normal University, Mr. Liu is the first resident of mainland China to become a Nobel Laureate. He is also […]
October 7, 2010
The New York Times has an intriguing article about how picture books are becoming less popular as more and more parents insist that their children should be reading at a higher level instead.
October 7, 2010
Peruvian author and political activist Mario Vargas Llosa has been chosen as the 2010 Nobel Prize winner in literature. This NPR Morning Edition report by Lynn Neary and Renee Montagne profiles the author, his life and his work. Following the main story, NPR re-ran a short feature by Neary (original air date Oct. 11, 2007) […]
October 7, 2010
Despite the intense heat (over 90 degrees!) many people turned out to join in the Library of Congress‘ 10th Annual National Book Festival on Sept. 25, 2010 held at the Mall in historic Washington, D.C. ( For those of you who haven’t been there, this is a wonderfully large, public space where people are encouraged […]
October 4, 2010
I once received from a prison library an Interlibrary loan request for the book, How to Locate Anyone Anywhere Without Leaving Home. That conjured up a picture of a vengeful con trying to find the dirty rat fink who’d testified against him and gotten him sent up the river. It also made me wonder what […]
September 29, 2010
Writer/producer David Simon, whose ground-breaking series The Wire was acclaimed by critics, has received a MacArthur “genius” fellowship worth $500,000. Coincidentally, the October 14 issue of The New York Review of Books has a thoughtful essay by Lorrie Moore on Simon and the impact of The Wire. Mary B., Reader’s Services
