Russell J. Archives - Page 8 of 12 - Evanston Public Library

There’s More Than Crime in Scandinavia

December 15, 2011

If you’re a connoisseur of fine Scandinavian crime fiction, 2011 has given you plenty more to enjoy. Back in March, for instance, genre forefather Henning Mankell wrapped up his wildly-popular Kurt Wallander series with The Troubled Man, and a mere two months later rising star Jo Nesbo’s The Snowman finally hit U.S. shores. Now with Hollywood’s take on The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo hitting theaters in just a few short days, crime fiction lovers are likely giddy with their good fortune. But what if you’re not a fan? What if you’ve yet to acquire that particular taste for dark Nordic mysteries? Well worry not, gentle reader, for there’s more than one dish cooking in Scandinavia’s literary kitchen. Truth be told, the Scandinavian lit scene is a veritable smorgasbord of top-notch sci-fi, satire, historical and literary fiction, horror, and more. So don’t delay in sampling Scandinavia’s full fiction menu. The following list will get you started, but there is still plenty more to discover.

Continue reading “There’s More Than Crime in Scandinavia” →

An Interview with Cameron McWhirter

November 26, 2011

Cameron McWhirter is a Winnetka native and a staff reporter for The Wall Street Journal. In 2007, he was awarded a Nieman Fellowship in Journalism at Harvard University where he began work on his first book Red Summer: The Summer of 1919 and the Awakening of Black America. Published in July, this well-researched history chronicles the explosion of race riots and lynchings that followed World War I and shook American cities from Charleston and Washington D.C. to Chicago and Omaha. Both riveting and unsettling, Red Summer traces how this widespread violence gave rise to the NAACP and ultimately set the stage for the civil rights movement. On October 16th Mr. McWhirter visited EPL to read from Red Summer, and as an encore, he recently spoke with us via email about the reaction to his book, the complex causes of 1919’s racial violence, why this important episode in American history has been is so widely forgotten, and what he hopes readers will take away from Red Summer.

Continue reading “An Interview with Cameron McWhirter” →

An Interview with Lorrisa Julianus

November 19, 2011

Lorrisa Julianus is a local painter, actress, model, and the latest artist to be featured in our ongoing exhibition series Local Art @ EPL. Her show – titled Embrace the Night – is currently on display on the 2nd floor of EPL’s Main Branch and uses classical chiaroscuro styling to give dimension and mystery to paintings inspired by “the duality of light and dark.” You can catch the eclectic acrylics of Embrace the Night through the end of November, and after that, you can learn more about Ms. Julianus’ many artistic endeavors by visiting her website. We recently spoke with Ms. Julianus via email about her artistic resume, Michelangelo and Caravaggio, inspiring audiobooks, and diverse and controversial art.

Continue reading “An Interview with Lorrisa Julianus” →

Poetry 365

November 17, 2011

This month for Poetry 365 we’re highlighting the latest collection from experimental poetry pioneer Michael Palmer. Author of 21 volumes and winner of the 2006 Wallace Stevens Award, Palmer is often associated with Robert Duncan, Robert Creeley, and the Language Poetry movement. In Thread, he presents 86 new poems structured in two parts and frequently linked in stunning suites that reintroduce the Master of Shadows from 2005’s acclaimed Company of Moths. Lyrical, visceral, and surreal, Thread offers wry meditations on mortality and war that feature “fresh images and experimental language that will haunt readers’ minds long after they’ve stopped reading.” So check out this excellent intro to the avant-garde, sample a poem below, and make sure to stop back next month for Poetry 365. Continue reading “Poetry 365” →

An Interview with David Royko

November 9, 2011

For over 30 years, famed newspaper columnist Mike Royko visited fans five days a week on page 2 of the Chicago Daily News, the Chicago Sun-Times, and the Chicago Tribune. Syndicated in over 600 newspapers nationwide, the Pulitzer Prize-winner wrote with eloquence and street-smart wit on wide-ranging topics including civil rights, Chicago’s political machine, the Cubs, and sensitive, “quiche-eating” men. But despite his more than 7500 columns, it wasn’t often that Royko offered readers even a passing look into his personal life. However, fans can finally glimpse his rarely-shared private side in the new book Royko in Love: Mike’s Letters to Carol. Edited by their son David Royko, the book collects the 114 letters a 21-year-old “Mick” wrote to his childhood sweetheart Carol Duckman from Washington’s Blaine Air Force Base in 1954. Seductive, sarcastic, and riddled with self-doubt, the letters capture the burgeoning brilliance of the future legend as he courts his soon-to-be wife from 2000 miles away. On Sunday, November 13th, you can hear David Royko read from Royko in Love when he visits EPL’s 1st Floor Community Meeting Room at 3 p.m. In anticipation of his visit, we recently spoke with him via telephone about the disappearing art of letter writing, discovering his family’s “holy grail,” his Dad’s many chat room personas, and why Royko in Love makes for “dandy chick lit.”

Continue reading “An Interview with David Royko” →

An Interview with Matt Golosinski

October 17, 2011

Matt Golosinski is a local photographer, musician, writer, and the latest artist to be featured in our ongoing exhibition series Local Art @ EPL. His show – titled Everyday Departures – is currently on display on the 2nd floor of EPL’s Main Branch where it reveals the extraordinary aspects of ordinary moments captured during meditative walks through the local cityscape. You can catch the stunning photographs of Everyday Departures through the end of October, and after that, you can learn more about Mr. Golosinski’s art by visiting his Noir Imp Images website. We recently spoke with Mr. Golosinski via email about the power of Parliament-Funkadelic, the tradition of the flaneur, fixed-focal length prime lenses, and authenticity in art.

Continue reading “An Interview with Matt Golosinski” →

Poetry 365

October 1, 2011

October is here, and we couldn’t be further from National Poetry Month. At this point, April is but a speck on the distant horizon, we’ve lost radio contact, and even the most steadfastly optimistic are starting to worry she’ll never return. But take heart, dear reader. April may be far away, but poetry never left. It lives here year round, and to celebrate this happy fact, we’re unveiling Poetry 365. Each non-April month, this new Off the Shelf feature will highlight a contemporary poet’s most recent work as both prelude and encore to the big poetry party in the spring. We kick things off with Griffin Poetry Prize finalist Matthew Rohrer’s collection Destroyer and Preserver. Tender, organic, and unnervingly humorous, Rohrer’s latest “illuminates the modern plight: trying to figure out how to be a thoughtful citizen, parent, and person as the landscape of terror and history worms its way into our everyday existence.” Check it out, sample a poem below, and make sure to stop back for Poetry 365. Continue reading “Poetry 365” →

Happy National Coffee Day!

September 29, 2011

If you’re looking to justify your second or sixth cup of coffee this morning, then my friend, you’re in luck. Today from Philly to Phoenix and St. Paul to San Antone java junkies are hoisting their ceramic mugs high in celebration of National Coffee Day. For the next twenty-four glorious hours, you can feel free to throw caution to the wind and make that extra coffee run, upsize to the venti, and drink in all the holiday cheer. Chances are good, however, that after sipping Americanos all afternoon you’ll need some way to occupy your time as you lie awake into the wee hours humming with caffeine. So as our holiday gift to you, allow us to present the following coffee-related books and movies in honor of today and your future sleepless night. Without question, these histories, mysteries, travelogues, and thrillers are sure to become part of your Coffee Day traditions for years to come.

Continue reading “Happy National Coffee Day!” →

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. You can catch the photorealistic paintings of Black Tie through September 28th, and after that, you can see more of Mr. Vanoudenhove’s artwork by visiting the websites for his paintings and photography. I recently spoke with Mr. Vanoudenhove via email about Belgian furniture and chocolate, his artistic awakening in a Barrington art class, Chicago skyscrapers, and his plans to dramatically expand the scale of his work.

Continue reading “An Interview with Bruno Vanoudenhove” →

An Interview with Nina Sankovitch

July 31, 2011

VermeerNina_10 — Author Nina Sankovitch read at EPL on July 14th.

Nina Sankovitch has always been a book lover, and now she’s an author as well. In June the former Evanstonian celebrated the publication of her debut book Tolstoy and the Purple Chair – an inspiring memoir that recounts her year spent reading one book a day in order to heal from her older sister’s tragic death. Moving and insightful, Purple Chair has been lauded by of the L.A. Times, O Magazine, and Publisher’s Weekly who called it “an entertaining bibliophile’s dream… [that] champions the act of reading not as an indulgence but as a necessity.” On July 14th Ms. Sankovitch visited EPL to read from Tolstoy and the Purple Chair, and as an encore, she recently spoke with us via email about how her reading journey evolved into a book, the pleasures and perils of sharing books, Purple Chair’s life lessons, and letters as an “endangered species.”

Continue reading “An Interview with Nina Sankovitch” →