Tag: Books & Authors

Ray Bradbury, 1920-2012

June 6, 2012

Known as the master of science fiction, Ray Bradbury died Tuesday at the age of 91. More than eight million copies of his books were sold during his lifetime, including the short-story collections The Martian Chronicles, The Illustrated Man and The Golden Apples of the Sun, and the novels Fahrenheit 451 and Something Wicked This Way Comes. Born in Waukegan, Illinois, he and his family moved to California when he was 13. “Waukegan had everything that was good about a small town,” he told the Chicago Sun-Times in a 1991 interview. “ There’s a park in Waukegan named in his honor. Mr. Bradbury was presented with the National Medal of  Arts in 2004 and received a special Pulitzer citation in 2007 “for his distinguished, prolific and deeply influential career as an unmatched author of science fiction and fantasy.” You can read the entire New York Times article here. For more of Mr. Bradbury’s works check the EPL catalog.

Richard Roeper’s column in today’s (June 7) Chicago Sun-Times is also worth reading.

Laura

Oprah's Book Club is Baaack

June 4, 2012

Oprah Winfrey is reviving her book club after a 2-year break.  This new version of  her book club is called Oprah’s Book Club 2.0 and has been updated with with digital and social-media elements such as Facebook and Twitter.  Her first pick is Wild by Cheryl Strayed, a nonfiction tale of the author’s author’s epic hike of the Pacific Crest Trail that was published in March.  Wild is sure to climb up the NYT best-seller list now that it has the Oprah seal of approval.  Check out today’s article in the New York Times.

Laura

Maurice Sendak, 1928-2012

May 8, 2012

Maurice Sendak, widely considered by many to be the most important children’s book artist of the 20th century, died Tuesday  at the age of 83.  He wrote and illustrated more than a dozen picture books, and is most well known for Where the Wild Thing Are  which won the Caldecott Medal in 1964.  Other favorites include In the Night Kitchen, The Sign on Rosie’s Door,  and Chicken Soup with Rice. A posthumous picture book, My Brother’s Book is scheduled to be published next February. Check out the library catalog for the rest of his works.

Today’s New York Times has a wonderful article on Sendak, including a link to his 2-part interview with Stephen Colbert.

Laura

2012 Hemingway/PEN Award

March 9, 2012

The Hemingway/PEN Foundation Award honors outstanding first works of fiction.  This year’s winner is 36-year-old author  Teju Cole for his novel Open City.  Born in the U.S. and raised in Nigeria, he is writer in residence at Bard College. His novel was also nominated by the National Book Critics Circle in January as one of five finalists for best novel of 2011.   Previous winners of the Hemingway/PEN award include Bobbie Mason, Renata Adler, Ha Jin, Jhumpa Lahiri and Dagoberto Gilb. You can read more about Mr. Cole’s book  in the Arts Beat section of The New York Times.

Laura

A "Novel" Idea at Chicago's Lyric Opera

February 28, 2012

A newly-commissioned opera based on Ann Patchetts’ novel Bel Canto will have its world premiere at Chicago’s Lyric Opera during the 2015-16 season.  Opera star Renee Fleming said she selected her friend Ann Patchett’s book as the subject for the Lyric commission because she was moved by it and found it “opera-worthy.” “It’s about terrorism, on one level, but it’s also about what happens when people are forced to live together for a long time, and how art can raise their level of humanity as a group.” Read the entire article in this Arts & Entertainment section of the Chicago Tribune.

Laura

What the "Dickens" Were They Thinking?

February 16, 2012

First there was Disney World, then the Wizarding World of Harry Potter – and now Dickens World. New York Times’ magazine critic Sam Anderson writes a mixed review of the theme park. A recreation of the London of Charles Dickens’s novels (including the smells), the park was to open in Chatham, England (Dickens’ childhood home) in April 2007, but was delayed due to lots of last minute construction problems. When Mr. Anderson returned to the park last month before Dickens’ 200th birthday he noted that “Dickens World was an attraction very much down on its luck. Posts were abandoned; displays were broken; animatronics failed to animate. The visitor experience consisted mainly of listening to recorded speeches, many of which were either dull or unintelligible.” And many of the attractions at the park, marketed to children, were “surprisingly grisly”. Despite this he found Dickens World a “perfect tribute to Charles Dickens”. You can read the entire and very insightful NYT article here.

Laura

Charles Dickens – Still Crazy About Him After All These Years

February 6, 2012

Tomorrow February 7 is the 200th birthday of the great English novelist Charles Dickens, whose works continue to inspire, delight, amaze, and engage us today. From a ceremony at Westminster Abbey starring actor Ralph Fiennes to the “Dickens at 200” exhibit at New York’s Morgan Library and Museum, celebrations will be held on both sides of the Atlantic. There have been countless movies adapted from his books, with more on the way. PBS’ Sunday night Masterpiece Classic series will air new British productions of “The Old Curiosity Shop” (Feb. 26), “Great Expectations” (April 1 and 8) and “The Mystery of Edwin Drood” (April 15). Yesterday’s Sun-Times has a wonderful article on the author and his lasting influence.

Laura

Happy 150th Birthday, Edith Wharton

January 24, 2012

January 24 is the 150th anniversary of Edith Wharton’s birth. A native New Yorker, her birthday is being celebrated throughout the city. Some of her most well-known work includes The House of Mirth, Ethan Frome, and The Age of Innocence. Yesterday’s New York Times has a wonderful article about her and her connection to the popular BBC series Downton Abbey. And check out the accompanying slide show, as well – it’s somewhat sobering to know that Wharton’s childhood home at West 23rd Street is now home to Starbucks.

Laura

Yeah, There’s a Book Like That

May 21, 2010

Whether you’re looking for a new book to read and aren’t sure exactly what you want or you’re looking for your next great read and are absolutely certain what kind of book you want, than have we got a tool for you. For the next two weeks EPL is featuring a free preview of Books & Authors, a great research resource for readers of all types. The site lets you browse for books in all the usual ways–title, author, (extraordinarily detailed) genre–but also includes some far more unique and individualized search options as well. Continue reading “Yeah, There’s a Book Like That” →

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