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Updated: 1 hour 47 min ago
Wrinkle Visits Five Points West Library to Discuss Her Debut Novel, Wash
Margaret Wrinkle
Birmingham native Margaret Wrinkle has created a masterpiece with her debut novel titled Wash. The New York Times describes it as “haunting, tender and superbly measured . . . both redemptive and affirming.” It is the fictional account of a man named Washington or “Wash.” Born into slavery and owned by Revolutionary War veteran General James Richardson, Wash struggles to hold onto his spirituality as Richardson uses him to sire another generation of slaves.
Wrinkle will discuss her novel and the photographs which helped inspire it on Wednesday, April 24, 2013 at the Five Points West Regional Branch Library. She has paired each photograph with a selection from the novel “to give a sense of the story, the characters, and the landscape in which they lived,” she stated. Photographs from the collection will be on display at the library through the middle of May.
Where: Five Points West Regional Branch Library
Date: Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Time: 10:30 a.m.
Phone: 205-226-4013
"In this deeply researched, deeply felt debut novel, documentarian Wrinkle aims a sure pen at a crucial moment following America’s War of Independence. . . . The novel well evokes the tragedy not only of [its] lovers’ untenable positions, but also that of their master and his fragile country." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Wrinkle will discuss her novel and the photographs which helped inspire it on Wednesday, April 24, 2013 at the Five Points West Regional Branch Library. She has paired each photograph with a selection from the novel “to give a sense of the story, the characters, and the landscape in which they lived,” she stated. Photographs from the collection will be on display at the library through the middle of May.
Where: Five Points West Regional Branch Library
Date: Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Time: 10:30 a.m.
Phone: 205-226-4013
"In this deeply researched, deeply felt debut novel, documentarian Wrinkle aims a sure pen at a crucial moment following America’s War of Independence. . . . The novel well evokes the tragedy not only of [its] lovers’ untenable positions, but also that of their master and his fragile country." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Smithfield Library Houses Unique Pieces Donated by Local Artists
Over the years many talented people have passed through the doors of the historic Smithfield Library. During Black History Month this year, we spotlighted and thanked some of the generous artists who have donated their works.
Our artists:
Reverend Clyde Carter, sometime referred to as the Michelangelo of Birmingham, has pieces on display at the prestigious Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. His bas relief pieces in copper of the Smithfield Library and Parker High School were generous and beautiful donation.
Joe Minter is a nationally known, self-taught, visionary artist who works with all kinds of found objects to create multimedia sculpture. He uses his artwork to spread the knowledge of God, and to make political statements as well. His whimsical art donated from his famous African Village are real treasures for our library.
Shirley Ramsey is a retired Birmingham Public Library Paraprofessional whose works are in primarily oil pastels. Her main subject matter is African Americans who have made significant contributions to society. We appreciate the beauty of her artistry and her generosity of spirit.
Submitted by Yolanda Hardy
Smithfield Library
Our artists:
Reverend Clyde Carter, sometime referred to as the Michelangelo of Birmingham, has pieces on display at the prestigious Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. His bas relief pieces in copper of the Smithfield Library and Parker High School were generous and beautiful donation.
Joe Minter is a nationally known, self-taught, visionary artist who works with all kinds of found objects to create multimedia sculpture. He uses his artwork to spread the knowledge of God, and to make political statements as well. His whimsical art donated from his famous African Village are real treasures for our library.
Shirley Ramsey is a retired Birmingham Public Library Paraprofessional whose works are in primarily oil pastels. Her main subject matter is African Americans who have made significant contributions to society. We appreciate the beauty of her artistry and her generosity of spirit.
Submitted by Yolanda Hardy
Smithfield Library
It's Time to Plant Your Garden!
In addition to the above workshop, Birmingham Public Library has many resources to help you create a flourishing garden. Here are just a few of them.
For adults The Art & Practice of Gardening. England, Ireland & America [videorecording] The All-New Illustrated Guide to Gardening The Dirt Cheap Green Thumb Gardening Basics for Dummies Guide to Alabama Vegetable Gardening Incredible Vegetables from Self-Watering Containers Renovation nation. Gardening [videorecording] : watch your green grow / Planet Green. The Vegetable Garden's Bible
For children: A Backyard Vegetable Garden for Kids The Gardening Book Ready Set Grow!
The library staff has prepared a subject guide entitled Gardening in the South which lists local events, organizations, catalog topics and magazines and journals of interest to southern gardeners.
What Is Your Favorite Poem?
April is National Poetry Month, and we invite you to share with us—what’s your favorite poem and why?
National Poetry Month was inaugurated by the Academy of American Poets (AAP) in 1996 and is now held every April, when schools, publishers, libraries, booksellers, and poets throughout the United States band together to celebrate poetry and its vital place in American culture. For more information about this celebration visit the AAP website.
Curious about what other people had to say about their favorite poems? Then take a look at The Favorite Poem Project to find out how Americans of all ages from all walks of life responded. Robert Pinsky, the 39th Poet Laureate of the United States, founded the Favorite Poem Project shortly after the Library of Congress appointed him to the post in 1997 as a way of celebrating, documenting and encouraging poetry’s role in Americans’ lives.
During the one-year open call for submissions, 18,000 Americans wrote to the project to share their favorite poems — Americans from ages 5 to 97, from every state, of diverse occupations, education and backgrounds.
Check out these anthologies that may remind you how powerful poetry can be:
100 essential modern poems / selected and introduced by Joseph Parisi
Americans' favorite poems : the Favorite Poem Project anthology / edited by Robert Pinsky and Maggie Dietz
Essential pleasures : a new anthology of poems to read aloud /edited by Robert Pinsky
Good poems / selected and introduced by Garrison Keillor
Staying alive : real poems for unreal times / edited by Neil Astley
Ten poems to change your life again and again / edited by Roger Housden
Ten poems to set you free / edited by Roger Housden
National Poetry Month was inaugurated by the Academy of American Poets (AAP) in 1996 and is now held every April, when schools, publishers, libraries, booksellers, and poets throughout the United States band together to celebrate poetry and its vital place in American culture. For more information about this celebration visit the AAP website.
Curious about what other people had to say about their favorite poems? Then take a look at The Favorite Poem Project to find out how Americans of all ages from all walks of life responded. Robert Pinsky, the 39th Poet Laureate of the United States, founded the Favorite Poem Project shortly after the Library of Congress appointed him to the post in 1997 as a way of celebrating, documenting and encouraging poetry’s role in Americans’ lives.
During the one-year open call for submissions, 18,000 Americans wrote to the project to share their favorite poems — Americans from ages 5 to 97, from every state, of diverse occupations, education and backgrounds.
Check out these anthologies that may remind you how powerful poetry can be:
100 essential modern poems / selected and introduced by Joseph Parisi
Americans' favorite poems : the Favorite Poem Project anthology / edited by Robert Pinsky and Maggie Dietz
Essential pleasures : a new anthology of poems to read aloud /edited by Robert Pinsky
Good poems / selected and introduced by Garrison Keillor
Staying alive : real poems for unreal times / edited by Neil Astley
Ten poems to change your life again and again / edited by Roger Housden
Ten poems to set you free / edited by Roger Housden
50th Anniversary of Birmingham Public Library's Desegregation
Photo courtesy of the Birmingham Public Library Archives
Today marks the 50th anniversary of the integration of the Birmingham Public Library.
Following Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth’s court case in 1961 in which Judge Hobart Grooms had ruled in favor of integrating public parks, theaters, auditoriums, etc., the City Commissioners vowed to close all public areas that fell under this ruling, they even threatened to close the public libraries, but they were not in the jurisdiction of this particular case.
For the next two years the mood in Birmingham shifted. By 1963 the SCLC had come to Birmingham to assist the ACMHR in organizing demonstrations. April became a pivotal month for race relations in the Alabama and eventually the nation.
On April 9 three students from Miles College (U.W. Clemon, Sandra Edwards, Catherine Jones), accompanied by Addine “Deenie” Drew, staged a sit-in at the Birmingham Public Library. On this occasion they did not request service, but sat and read quietly while white patrons stared at them. No police were called and the students left without incident. The next day, April 10, a larger contingent of Miles College students (12) staged another sit-in. This time Shelly Millender, an ex-serviceman, was appointed the spokesperson of the group. Upon arrival at the Library, Millender went to the service desk and asked to join the library. He was told that he was to go to the library for blacks in the suburbs of Smithfield and apply there. This time the police were called and came to the library, but seemed reluctant to jail the protesters.
On April 11, Fant Thornley, Director of the Library, made the decision to call a special meeting of the Library Board. Before April of 1963, the Library Board had included Eugene “Bull” Connor as ex official. But since the election, the Library Board had less to fear from the city’s powerful segregationists. Although the board did not approve of the students’ use of the library “for sit-in demonstrations or for the agitation of racial incidents,” they did eventually approve a resolution integrating Birmingham’s Public Library System and directed that “no persons be excluded from the use of the public library facilities on account of race.”
Part 1 of an interview with Judge U.W. Clemon, the first African-American federal judge in Alabama. In the interview Judge Clemon reflects on his time on the bench and his role in desegregating the Birmingham Public Library. Interviewed by James L. Baggett, January 26, 2009.
Submitted by Catherine Oseas
Archives Department
Central Library
Today marks the 50th anniversary of the integration of the Birmingham Public Library.
Following Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth’s court case in 1961 in which Judge Hobart Grooms had ruled in favor of integrating public parks, theaters, auditoriums, etc., the City Commissioners vowed to close all public areas that fell under this ruling, they even threatened to close the public libraries, but they were not in the jurisdiction of this particular case.
For the next two years the mood in Birmingham shifted. By 1963 the SCLC had come to Birmingham to assist the ACMHR in organizing demonstrations. April became a pivotal month for race relations in the Alabama and eventually the nation.
On April 9 three students from Miles College (U.W. Clemon, Sandra Edwards, Catherine Jones), accompanied by Addine “Deenie” Drew, staged a sit-in at the Birmingham Public Library. On this occasion they did not request service, but sat and read quietly while white patrons stared at them. No police were called and the students left without incident. The next day, April 10, a larger contingent of Miles College students (12) staged another sit-in. This time Shelly Millender, an ex-serviceman, was appointed the spokesperson of the group. Upon arrival at the Library, Millender went to the service desk and asked to join the library. He was told that he was to go to the library for blacks in the suburbs of Smithfield and apply there. This time the police were called and came to the library, but seemed reluctant to jail the protesters.
On April 11, Fant Thornley, Director of the Library, made the decision to call a special meeting of the Library Board. Before April of 1963, the Library Board had included Eugene “Bull” Connor as ex official. But since the election, the Library Board had less to fear from the city’s powerful segregationists. Although the board did not approve of the students’ use of the library “for sit-in demonstrations or for the agitation of racial incidents,” they did eventually approve a resolution integrating Birmingham’s Public Library System and directed that “no persons be excluded from the use of the public library facilities on account of race.”
Part 1 of an interview with Judge U.W. Clemon, the first African-American federal judge in Alabama. In the interview Judge Clemon reflects on his time on the bench and his role in desegregating the Birmingham Public Library. Interviewed by James L. Baggett, January 26, 2009.
Submitted by Catherine Oseas
Archives Department
Central Library
Tips For Job Searching Online
Job searching in a struggling economy is a difficult task. It can also be intimidating. It isn't enough to just have a parchment paper-printed resume, but many companies now require or prefer that candidates submit their information online, along with a digital copy of their credentials. Today, libraries have embraced the demand for the digital career chase by providing services and computer access to their patrons.
People who are seeking employment use the public computers on a daily basis to peruse through openings and descriptions, hoping that at some point, clicking “Apply” will translate to a “You’re Hired.” Many libraries even offer resume workshops and business writing courses, some for free, as well as software classes.
Here are some job searching sites from the Birmingham Public Library Subject Guides Resources and other job search engines that could open doors:
- Alabama JobLink offers all the services provided by the Alabama Career Center System, including information for jobs in the state of Alabama and job fairs.
- Al.com combines job listings from regional newspapers and news media, allowing job seekers to customize their search by industry, region, or skills.
- Job Quest is your gateway to civil service in Jefferson County, Alabama
- CareerBuilder also has millions of job postings as well as thousands of employers and headhunters for potential candidates.
- Craigslist is probably best known for classified ads, but many employers also post open positions on the job board. It is especially helpful when you are looking for jobs in your area.
- Indeed combs other job sites, news media, and company sites for job postings. Unlike CareerBuilder, it isn’t a full-service job search site, but it will provide you with links and the option to get email alerts.
- LinkedIn is a social networking site emphasizing on professional networking and career advancement. Rather than sorting through hundreds of databases, you can obtain a position from your networks or by companies looking at your professional profile.
- Monster.com has more than a million job postings and has one of the largest job search databases. The site also offers advice about careers and information about companies.
- Be selective about the process, if you can. There are thousands of jobs out there, but choose one that fits your interest and in your career path. If you cannot afford to be picky, then choose a job in which you will be comfortable until you find the job you want. However, seeking a permanent employment is preferable to your career path as well as to you employer.
- Don’t apply for jobs above your education and qualification level. However, it’s okay to go beyond your comfort level. There’s nothing wrong for reaching outside the box, but make sure you’re qualified. Companies will only ignore your application if you don’t meet requirements they need or want in a candidate. If you don’t have some skills, take a class or learn on your own. Take the initiative to fill those areas where you might be lacking.
- Watch out for scams. If it’s too good to be true, it probably is. Those promising quick and easy income or asking for fees or other personal information are more likely scams. Also, if you are being asked to pay a fee, do some research to make sure the company is legitimate.
- Make it personal. A cover letter that’s well-written and customized demonstrates that you have put thought and research into a company. This is your chance to showcase your qualifications as it relates to the company’s requirements and interests.
- Check your spelling and grammar. Don’t neglect the basics. When you submit your cover letter, resume, and application, you want to make sure that they are free of typos and errors. Also, don’t go overboard with fonts and formatting. While you want to stand out, you want to do it in a good way. You don’t want your resume to look like the font machine regurgitated everything it had in its system.
Poetry Slam Winners Set Their Sights on Chicago Competition
WORD UP! 2013 winner Eboni Wallace
Second and third place winners Patrice Talley and Miaya Webster
For the second year, Eboni Wallace was named winner of the annual WORD UP! competition sponsored by the public libraries of Jefferson County and Real Life Poets. As the winner, she received a cash prize of $300 and the 2013 trophy. Eboni is a student at Tarrant High School and an active participant in the monthly teen poetry workshops led by the non-profit group Real Life Poets. The workshops are held on the first Saturdays of the month at the Central Library. Patrice Talley from the Alabama School of Fine Arts (ASFA) won second place, and Miaya Webster, also from ASFA, placed third. This year’s competition had even more meaning for Eboni and the other contestants because the top 6 finalists this year will, if selected to participate, represent Alabama in Chicago this August for the international Brave New Voices poetry competition—the first time representatives from Alabama may have an opportunity to take the stage.
WORD UP! is an annual poetry slam for high school students who are enrolled in schools or home schooled in Jefferson County. The Sixth Annual WORD UP! competition was held Sunday, April 7 at 3:00 p.m. in the Birmingham Public Library’s Richard Arrington, Jr. Auditorium. Participating students represented high-schools including the Alabama School of Fine Arts; Birmingham City Schools—Parker and Woodlawn; Jefferson County Schools—Center Point, Minor, Pinson and Shades Valley; Jefferson County International Baccalaureate School/Shades Valley; and independent systems comprising, Hewitt-Trussville, Leeds, Vestavia, and Tarrant. Jim Reed, owner of Reed Books and a prominent figure in the local arts scene, served as the emcee. The judges were Yolonda Carter, David Hornbuckle, and Dee Byrd Smith.
Each year, students in grades 9 through 12 write and perform an original work of poetry inspired by a theme selected by the WORD UP! planning committee. In keeping with the spirit of the city of Birmingham’s 50th anniversary civil rights commemoration, contestants performed original poetry inspired by photographs of scenes from the civil rights era. Each participating high school held a preliminary contest, and the first and second place winners from each school competed in the WORD UP! competition. The contestants were judged on content and performance by a panel of three judges.
Word UP! 2013 was made possible by grants from the Alabama State Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Second and third place winners Patrice Talley and Miaya Webster
For the second year, Eboni Wallace was named winner of the annual WORD UP! competition sponsored by the public libraries of Jefferson County and Real Life Poets. As the winner, she received a cash prize of $300 and the 2013 trophy. Eboni is a student at Tarrant High School and an active participant in the monthly teen poetry workshops led by the non-profit group Real Life Poets. The workshops are held on the first Saturdays of the month at the Central Library. Patrice Talley from the Alabama School of Fine Arts (ASFA) won second place, and Miaya Webster, also from ASFA, placed third. This year’s competition had even more meaning for Eboni and the other contestants because the top 6 finalists this year will, if selected to participate, represent Alabama in Chicago this August for the international Brave New Voices poetry competition—the first time representatives from Alabama may have an opportunity to take the stage.
WORD UP! is an annual poetry slam for high school students who are enrolled in schools or home schooled in Jefferson County. The Sixth Annual WORD UP! competition was held Sunday, April 7 at 3:00 p.m. in the Birmingham Public Library’s Richard Arrington, Jr. Auditorium. Participating students represented high-schools including the Alabama School of Fine Arts; Birmingham City Schools—Parker and Woodlawn; Jefferson County Schools—Center Point, Minor, Pinson and Shades Valley; Jefferson County International Baccalaureate School/Shades Valley; and independent systems comprising, Hewitt-Trussville, Leeds, Vestavia, and Tarrant. Jim Reed, owner of Reed Books and a prominent figure in the local arts scene, served as the emcee. The judges were Yolonda Carter, David Hornbuckle, and Dee Byrd Smith.
Each year, students in grades 9 through 12 write and perform an original work of poetry inspired by a theme selected by the WORD UP! planning committee. In keeping with the spirit of the city of Birmingham’s 50th anniversary civil rights commemoration, contestants performed original poetry inspired by photographs of scenes from the civil rights era. Each participating high school held a preliminary contest, and the first and second place winners from each school competed in the WORD UP! competition. The contestants were judged on content and performance by a panel of three judges.
Word UP! 2013 was made possible by grants from the Alabama State Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Meet Birmingham Public Library Young Professionals Board Member Leah Bigbee
The Young Professionals of the Birmingham Public Library celebrate the rich history and prosperous future of Birmingham's oldest cultural institution. The Young Professionals support the Library financially and culturally and promote its remarkable treasures. By hosting dynamic lectures, special collection tours, and other social events and by volunteering time and skills, the Young Professionals increase public awareness of and access to the Library's resources.
Leah Bigbee
What is your full name, age, and occupation? Leah Marie Bigbee, 24, Account Manager at Metro Monitor.
What is your favorite place to eat in Birmingham? Over Easy in Homewood.
Why did you get involved with the BPLYP? I got involved with BPLYP because library advocacy is something I aim to invest in my whole life and the BPLYP arose as a great opportunity to serve my community.
Which is your favorite (or most frequented) library branch? Avondale.
Name some of your favorite books as a child or teenager. Number the Stars, The Giver, All The Kings Men.
What genres do you read the most as an adult? Literary fiction, short story anthologies, books of poetry.
Who are some of your favorite authors? Anne Carson, George Saunders, Hilda Doolittle.
What is your wish for the city of Birmingham? My wish for the city is for us to say hi to each other more—especially in our libraries.
What is your favorite quote or inspirational saying? “A word after a word after a word is power.” – Margaret Atwood
Leah Bigbee
What is your full name, age, and occupation? Leah Marie Bigbee, 24, Account Manager at Metro Monitor.
What is your favorite place to eat in Birmingham? Over Easy in Homewood.
Why did you get involved with the BPLYP? I got involved with BPLYP because library advocacy is something I aim to invest in my whole life and the BPLYP arose as a great opportunity to serve my community.
Which is your favorite (or most frequented) library branch? Avondale.
Name some of your favorite books as a child or teenager. Number the Stars, The Giver, All The Kings Men.
What genres do you read the most as an adult? Literary fiction, short story anthologies, books of poetry.
Who are some of your favorite authors? Anne Carson, George Saunders, Hilda Doolittle.
What is your wish for the city of Birmingham? My wish for the city is for us to say hi to each other more—especially in our libraries.
What is your favorite quote or inspirational saying? “A word after a word after a word is power.” – Margaret Atwood
Wolves of the Beyond Series Book Series Review
Wolves of the Beyond SeriesBy Kathryn Lasky
The writer who gave us the Guardians of Ga’Hoole returns readers to the World of the Beyond, and then, Beyond the Beyond. In this excellent series for both boys and girls, it is impossible to not fall in love with the noble characters yet fear the cruel characters. Such is the wolf pup, Faolan, who has been abandoned by his mother but is raised to adulthood by Thunderheart, a grief-stricken bear that has lost her bear cub. It would be difficult not to cheer for Faolan and Thunderheart as they overcome obstacles necessitated by their battle for survival.
Each of the books’ plots is engaging. Yes, these are beautifully written fiction, but the beauty becomes meaningful by appealing to the reader’s ability to care about the characters and their fate, which comes naturally.
Elizabeth Kennedy, a top Curriculum and Training Developer, recommends series that encourage children to read on a regular basis, “ And then, try to find a series that she (he) really likes and will want to continue reading,” and the Wolves of the Beyond is a winner among series . For further recommendations on encouraging reading follow this link: http://childrensbooks.about.com/bio/Elizabeth-Kennedy-5394.htm
The writer who gave us the Guardians of Ga’Hoole returns readers to the World of the Beyond, and then, Beyond the Beyond. In this excellent series for both boys and girls, it is impossible to not fall in love with the noble characters yet fear the cruel characters. Such is the wolf pup, Faolan, who has been abandoned by his mother but is raised to adulthood by Thunderheart, a grief-stricken bear that has lost her bear cub. It would be difficult not to cheer for Faolan and Thunderheart as they overcome obstacles necessitated by their battle for survival.
Each of the books’ plots is engaging. Yes, these are beautifully written fiction, but the beauty becomes meaningful by appealing to the reader’s ability to care about the characters and their fate, which comes naturally.
Elizabeth Kennedy, a top Curriculum and Training Developer, recommends series that encourage children to read on a regular basis, “ And then, try to find a series that she (he) really likes and will want to continue reading,” and the Wolves of the Beyond is a winner among series . For further recommendations on encouraging reading follow this link: http://childrensbooks.about.com/bio/Elizabeth-Kennedy-5394.htm
Bag Lunch Program Features a Discussion on King's Letter from Birmingham Jail
Today's Brown Bag Lunch program has been cancelled. Sorry for any inconvenience.
Samford University professor Jonathan Bass will discuss the events surrounding the writing of King's letter. Students from Birmingham's Phillips Academy and Advent Episcopal School will recite excerpts from the letter. Wednesday, April 10, noon.
Feed your body and mind at BPL's Brown Bag Lunch programs. You bring the lunch and we'll bring the drinks. Central Library, Linn Henley Research Building, Arrington Auditorium, 4th floor. For more information call 226-3604 or visit www.bplonline.org.
BPL@Night Presents Author Talk on "Letter from Birmingham Jail" Book, Gospel of Freedom, April 9
C-SPAN will visit the downtown Birmingham Public Library on Tuesday, April 9, 2013, at 6:00 p.m. to record an author talk and book signing. The talk will be broadcast at a later date on the television program Book TV.
At the program, to be held in the Arrington Auditorium of the Linn-Henley Research Library, Barnard College and Columbia University professor Jonathan Rieder and Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Diane McWhorter will discuss Rieder’s new book Gospel of Freedom: Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Letter from Birmingham Jail and the Struggle That Changed a Nation. Called “A sparkling reconsideration” by Booklist, Gospel of Freedom delves deeply into Martin Luther King’s Letter, examining its timeless message and its crucial position in the history of civil rights. Rieder, who interviewed King’s surviving colleagues and located rare audiotapes of King speaking in the mass meetings of 1963, finds in King not a hopeful “dreamer” but an angry prophet who chastised American whites, found solace in the faith and resilience of the slaves, and knew that moral appeal without struggle never brings justice.
Praise for Gospel of Freedom:
“‘Letter from Birmingham Jail’ has been long overshadowed by Martin Luther King's ‘I Have a Dream’ speech. Now Jonathan Rieder has written a vital book that gives the Birmingham letter its due as a piece of sacred literature in the long war against Jim Crow. A compelling book.”
—Jon Meacham, author of American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House and Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power
“For those of us who fought the fight for freedom in Birmingham, Jonathan Rieder’s Gospel of Freedom brings alive the extraordinary events of 1963 with insight and eloquence. Rieder beautifully captures the spirit of fierce but loving defiance that was key not just to Martin’s ‘Letter from Birmingham Jail’ but all our efforts to transform America into a vital democracy.”
—Ambassador Andrew Young
Copies of the book will be available for purchase and signing.
For more information contact Jim Baggett at 205-226-3631 or jbaggett@bham.lib.al.us.
Meet Birmingham Public Library Young Professionals Board President, James Sullivan
The Young Professionals of the Birmingham Public Library celebrate the rich history and prosperous future of Birmingham's oldest cultural institution. The Young Professionals support the Library financially and culturally and promote its remarkable treasures. By hosting dynamic lectures, special collection tours, and other social events and by volunteering time and skills, the Young Professionals increase public awareness of and access to the Library's resources.
James Sullivan, YP Board President
What is your full name, age, and occupation? James Anthony Sullivan, 29, Material Sourcing - Supply Chain Management, Southern Nuclear.
What is your favorite place to eat in Birmingham? Crazy Cajun’s.
Why did you get involved with the BPLYP? I wanted to get more involved with the community and learn some history about Birmingham.
Which is your favorite (or most frequented) library branch? Central.
Name some of your favorite books as a child or teenager. Dick Tracy, Goosebumps, anything that dealt with mystery and detectives.
What genres do you read the most as an adult? I love investment, business, and financial education books.
Who are some of your favorite authors? Robert Kiyosak, Paulo Coelho, Thomas J. Stanley, Napoleon Hill.
What is your wish for the city of Birmingham? Find ways to give incentives to help build small businesses.
Do you have a special talent? If so, what is it? Yes, I am an artist. I enjoy sketching still life, cartoons, and people in pencil and charcoal. I also enjoy painting.
What are some of your favorite activities in Birmingham? I love the performing arts and also going to hear the symphony orchestra during the holidays.
What are some of your favorite quote or inspirational saying? "If you don’t stand for something you will fall for anything." "Do unto others as you would want done to you."
James Sullivan, YP Board President
What is your full name, age, and occupation? James Anthony Sullivan, 29, Material Sourcing - Supply Chain Management, Southern Nuclear.
What is your favorite place to eat in Birmingham? Crazy Cajun’s.
Why did you get involved with the BPLYP? I wanted to get more involved with the community and learn some history about Birmingham.
Which is your favorite (or most frequented) library branch? Central.
Name some of your favorite books as a child or teenager. Dick Tracy, Goosebumps, anything that dealt with mystery and detectives.
What genres do you read the most as an adult? I love investment, business, and financial education books.
Who are some of your favorite authors? Robert Kiyosak, Paulo Coelho, Thomas J. Stanley, Napoleon Hill.
What is your wish for the city of Birmingham? Find ways to give incentives to help build small businesses.
Do you have a special talent? If so, what is it? Yes, I am an artist. I enjoy sketching still life, cartoons, and people in pencil and charcoal. I also enjoy painting.
What are some of your favorite activities in Birmingham? I love the performing arts and also going to hear the symphony orchestra during the holidays.
What are some of your favorite quote or inspirational saying? "If you don’t stand for something you will fall for anything." "Do unto others as you would want done to you."
Book Review: The Perfect Marriage
The Perfect Marriage
Kimberla Lawson Roby
From the outside looking in, the Shaws seem like a dream couple. Derrek, a hospital administrator and Denise, a prestigious nurse, have power, connections, money…. and a serious drug problem. The Shaws think that they can just quit when they’re ready, but they soon find out that quitting is easier said than done. As their lives spiral out of control, they are forced to confront family secrets, deep emotional wounds and family tragedy in order to survive the toll that the drugs have taken on them.
The Perfect Marriage, the newest literary offering from popular African-American author Kimberla Lawson Roby, is a wonderfully engrossing read that shows that all people, no matter how successful they may appear, have their own personal struggles that they must endure. Mrs. Roby is the author of the enormously popular Curtis Black series of books, but she announced last year that she would continue to publish stories outside of the series. This book, while a stand-alone title, also tackles tough topics and issues within families that have made Mrs. Roby’s Curtis Black series books so popular. Coming in at under 200 pages, this book is the perfect quick read to take along on a vacation or to curl up with on a rainy day.
While most of Mrs. Roby’s following eagerly awaits the release of each new book in her Curtis Black series, this novel proves that the author is capable of realistically writing about serious and timely topics that appeal to everyone.
Submitted by Pam Jessie
Woodlawn Library
Kimberla Lawson Roby
From the outside looking in, the Shaws seem like a dream couple. Derrek, a hospital administrator and Denise, a prestigious nurse, have power, connections, money…. and a serious drug problem. The Shaws think that they can just quit when they’re ready, but they soon find out that quitting is easier said than done. As their lives spiral out of control, they are forced to confront family secrets, deep emotional wounds and family tragedy in order to survive the toll that the drugs have taken on them.
The Perfect Marriage, the newest literary offering from popular African-American author Kimberla Lawson Roby, is a wonderfully engrossing read that shows that all people, no matter how successful they may appear, have their own personal struggles that they must endure. Mrs. Roby is the author of the enormously popular Curtis Black series of books, but she announced last year that she would continue to publish stories outside of the series. This book, while a stand-alone title, also tackles tough topics and issues within families that have made Mrs. Roby’s Curtis Black series books so popular. Coming in at under 200 pages, this book is the perfect quick read to take along on a vacation or to curl up with on a rainy day.
While most of Mrs. Roby’s following eagerly awaits the release of each new book in her Curtis Black series, this novel proves that the author is capable of realistically writing about serious and timely topics that appeal to everyone.
Submitted by Pam Jessie
Woodlawn Library
Brown Bag Lunch Program - Blessed Are the Peacemakers
Samford University professor Jonathan Bass will discuss the events surrounding the writing of King's letter. Students from Birmingham's Phillips Academy and Advent Episcopal School will recite excerpts from the letter. Wednesday, April 10, noon. This program will be held in the Story Castle in the Youth Department on the second floor of Central Library's East Building instead of the Arrington Auditorium.
Feed your body and mind at BPL's Brown Bag Lunch programs. You bring the lunch and we'll bring the drinks. Central Library, Linn Henley Research Building, Arrington Auditorium, 4th floor. For more information call 226-3604 or visit www.bplonline.org.
The Impressive Anime Collection at Five Points West Library
The Five Points West Library is the repository of one of the largest anime collections in the Jefferson County public library system. The collection consists over 40 series, containing over 500 individual DVDs. Some of the classic titles found in our collection are Akira, Cowboy Bebop, Lupin the Third, Outlaw Star, Ranma ½, Silent Mobius, Trigun, Vampire Hunter D, and Wolf’s Rain.
Some of the most important directors in anime are also represented in our collection. If you are familiar with the 2002 Academy award winner for Best Animated Feature, Spirited Away, then you realize that I’m referring to Hayao Miyazaki. Director Miyazaki is an icon in the world of Anime. Other Miyazaki titles represented in our collection are: Castle in the Sky, Howl’s Moving Castle, Kiki’s Delivery Service, My Neighbor Totoro, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, Princess Mononoke, The Secret World of Arrietty, and Whisper of the Heart.
Also represented in our collection is Director Hajime Yatate, creator of that most iconic anime, Cowboy Bebop. He is also famous for his work on the Gundam (Mech) series, Escaflowne, and The Big O, I and II. However, we also try to keep our collection current. Some of our latest acquisitions include: Bleach the Movie: Hell Verse, Book of Bantorro, Fate/Stay Night, Hetalia Axis Powers, Infinite Stratos, Kenichi: the Mightiest Disciple, Spice & Wolf, Tiger & Bunny, and Vampire Knight and its sequel, Vampire Knight Guilty.
If you’re in the mood for some action, don’t forget about Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040, Get Backers, New Fist of the North Star, Ninja Scroll, the Series, Samurai Champloo, Silent Mobius, and Trinity Blood. If your tastes run more toward funny or light romances, check out Fruits Basket, His & Her Circumstances, I, Me, My Strawberry Eggs, Love Hina, or Peach Girl.
For anime reviews, I recommend www.themanime.org. It is an excellent source which gives ratings based on the star system (1= bad, 5=excellent). They can be sorted alphabetically, by rating, or by year or release. The reviews are thorough and easy to understand.
If you would like to locate our collection via the catalog, check under the following subject headings: Animated films, Animated films Japan, Animated films Japan video recordings, Animated films Japanese, Animated television programs, Animated television programs Japan, Animated Television programs Japan video recordings. Search the JCLC catalog for these subjects/titles. Reserve your copies today.
Submitted by Lorraine Walker
Five Points West Library
C-SPAN and Book TV to Visit BPL
Click to enlarge
C-SPAN will visit the downtown Birmingham Public Library on Tuesday, April 9, 2013, at 6:00 p.m. to record an author talk and book signing. The talk will be broadcast at a later date on the television program Book TV.
At the program, to be held in the Arrington Auditorium of the Linn-Henley Research Library, Barnard College and Columbia University professor Jonathan Rieder and Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Diane McWhorter will discuss Rieder’s new book Gospel of Freedom: Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Letter from Birmingham Jail and the Struggle That Changed a Nation. Called “A sparkling reconsideration” by Booklist, Gospel of Freedom delves deeply into Martin Luther King’s Letter, examining its timeless message and its crucial position in the history of civil rights. Rieder, who interviewed King’s surviving colleagues and located rare audiotapes of King speaking in the mass meetings of 1963, finds in King not a hopeful “dreamer” but an angry prophet who chastised American whites, found solace in the faith and resilience of the slaves, and knew that moral appeal without struggle never brings justice.
Praise for Gospel of Freedom:
“‘Letter from Birmingham Jail’ has been long overshadowed by Martin Luther King's ‘I Have a Dream’ speech. Now Jonathan Rieder has written a vital book that gives the Birmingham letter its due as a piece of sacred literature in the long war against Jim Crow. A compelling book.”
—Jon Meacham, author of American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House and Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power
“For those of us who fought the fight for freedom in Birmingham, Jonathan Rieder’s Gospel of Freedom brings alive the extraordinary events of 1963 with insight and eloquence. Rieder beautifully captures the spirit of fierce but loving defiance that was key not just to Martin’s ‘Letter from Birmingham Jail’ but all our efforts to transform America into a vital democracy.”
—Ambassador Andrew Young
Copies of the book will be available for purchase and signing.
For more information contact Jim Baggett at 205-226-3631 or jbaggett@bham.lib.al.us.
C-SPAN will visit the downtown Birmingham Public Library on Tuesday, April 9, 2013, at 6:00 p.m. to record an author talk and book signing. The talk will be broadcast at a later date on the television program Book TV.
At the program, to be held in the Arrington Auditorium of the Linn-Henley Research Library, Barnard College and Columbia University professor Jonathan Rieder and Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Diane McWhorter will discuss Rieder’s new book Gospel of Freedom: Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Letter from Birmingham Jail and the Struggle That Changed a Nation. Called “A sparkling reconsideration” by Booklist, Gospel of Freedom delves deeply into Martin Luther King’s Letter, examining its timeless message and its crucial position in the history of civil rights. Rieder, who interviewed King’s surviving colleagues and located rare audiotapes of King speaking in the mass meetings of 1963, finds in King not a hopeful “dreamer” but an angry prophet who chastised American whites, found solace in the faith and resilience of the slaves, and knew that moral appeal without struggle never brings justice.
Praise for Gospel of Freedom:
“‘Letter from Birmingham Jail’ has been long overshadowed by Martin Luther King's ‘I Have a Dream’ speech. Now Jonathan Rieder has written a vital book that gives the Birmingham letter its due as a piece of sacred literature in the long war against Jim Crow. A compelling book.”
—Jon Meacham, author of American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House and Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power
“For those of us who fought the fight for freedom in Birmingham, Jonathan Rieder’s Gospel of Freedom brings alive the extraordinary events of 1963 with insight and eloquence. Rieder beautifully captures the spirit of fierce but loving defiance that was key not just to Martin’s ‘Letter from Birmingham Jail’ but all our efforts to transform America into a vital democracy.”
—Ambassador Andrew Young
Copies of the book will be available for purchase and signing.
For more information contact Jim Baggett at 205-226-3631 or jbaggett@bham.lib.al.us.
Holocaust Survivor Michael Stolowitzky Discusses Gertruda's Oath, April 8
On April 8 the Birmingham Public Library, in collaboration with The Birmingham Jewish Federation, will be hosting a program in honor of Holocaust Remembrance Day. Michael Stolowitzky, a Polish survivor who now lives in New York, will be sharing his amazing account of his experience during the Holocaust. Michael was just three years old when war broke out and his family lost everything. His father, desperate to settle his business affairs, traveled to France, leaving Michael in the care of his mother and Gertruda Bablinska, a Catholic nanny devoted to the family. When Michael's mother had a stroke, Gertruda promised the dying woman that she would make her way to Palestine and raise him as her own.
In 2007 Israeli author Ram Oren recreated Michael's amazing journey in the book Gertruda's Oath. It is a story that transcends history and religion to reveal the compassion and hope that miraculously thrives in a world immersed in war.
Copies of Gertruda’s Oath will be for sale at the program.
Event: Discussion on Gertruda's Oath
Presenter: Michael Stolowitzky
Place: Central Library, Arrington Auditorium
Date: Monday, April 8
Time: 12:00 p.m.
Cost: Free and open to the public
A clip of Michael Stolowitzky's testimony in the Rescued by Righteous
Among the Nations series.
Links:
The International School for Holocaust Studies' book page for Gertruda's Oath
http://www.yadvashem.org/yv/en/education/books/gertrudas_oath.asp
Teacher's Guide
http://www.randomhouse.com/book/124785/gertrudas-oath-by-ram-oren#reader%27sguide
Book trailer featuring Michael Stolowitzky
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llH7tiVFhKs&safe=active
In 2007 Israeli author Ram Oren recreated Michael's amazing journey in the book Gertruda's Oath. It is a story that transcends history and religion to reveal the compassion and hope that miraculously thrives in a world immersed in war.
Copies of Gertruda’s Oath will be for sale at the program.
Event: Discussion on Gertruda's Oath
Presenter: Michael Stolowitzky
Place: Central Library, Arrington Auditorium
Date: Monday, April 8
Time: 12:00 p.m.
Cost: Free and open to the public
A clip of Michael Stolowitzky's testimony in the Rescued by Righteous
Among the Nations series.
Links:
The International School for Holocaust Studies' book page for Gertruda's Oath
http://www.yadvashem.org/yv/en/education/books/gertrudas_oath.asp
Teacher's Guide
http://www.randomhouse.com/book/124785/gertrudas-oath-by-ram-oren#reader%27sguide
Book trailer featuring Michael Stolowitzky
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llH7tiVFhKs&safe=active
Students Commemorate Civil Rights Movement in Annual Poetry Slam
Students from Tarrant performing at WORD UP! 2012
Young poets from high schools all over Jefferson County will add their voices to the 50th anniversary commemoration of the Civil Rights Movement in Birmingham. They will perform at the sixth annual WORD UP! student poetry slam on Sunday, April 7, at 3:00 p.m. in the Arrington Auditorium of the Central Library. Their poems will be inspired by photographs that document events that took place in Alabama a half century ago—many years before these students were born.
Justin Wright who attends the Jefferson County International Baccalaureate program will be representing Shades Valley High School at WORD UP!. He was the third place winner at last year’s WORD UP! In a recent article in Weld, he states, “For me, it (the photograph) created a feeling of more than just the event but of loss and hurt and frustration…I believe it is a good way to celebrate the Civil Rights Movement. We as teenagers are so far distanced from these events that we sometimes forget them, and this competition helps us to connect with it on a different and more personal level.”
The poets who will be competing at WORD UP! are the first and second place winners of contests held at their schools. This year, sixteen high schools will be participating at the slam. The contestants are scored by a panel of three judges both on the content and performance of their three-minute poems.
BPL is partnering with the non-profit creative writing organization Real Life Poets (RLP) to nurture the talents of these budding poets in a project we are calling “Flow Tactics.” Every first Saturday, RLP leads a workshop for teens from middle-school to high-school age. John Paul Taylor, director of RLP, observed that students get the opportunity to interact with people from other schools who they may not have had a chance to meet otherwise. And they discover they’re not the only ones who are interested in poetry.
Patrick Johnson, award-winner filmmaker and board member of RLP, observes that he has seen these young people really grow through their experience in the poetry workshops. He gives the example of one student who was extremely shy and reluctant to read her poetry out loud at first. But she gradually gained the confidence to voluntarily perform her work.
And these young poets get the opportunity to showcase what they’ve learned in the workshops at a monthly open mic event, Flow Tactics Teen Open Mic, held every third Saturday from 6 to 8 p.m. at the YMCA Youth Center near Phillips Academy. The open mic is limited to high school age students. Though RLP facilitates these events, they are organized by the teens.
Young poets from high schools all over Jefferson County will add their voices to the 50th anniversary commemoration of the Civil Rights Movement in Birmingham. They will perform at the sixth annual WORD UP! student poetry slam on Sunday, April 7, at 3:00 p.m. in the Arrington Auditorium of the Central Library. Their poems will be inspired by photographs that document events that took place in Alabama a half century ago—many years before these students were born.
Justin Wright who attends the Jefferson County International Baccalaureate program will be representing Shades Valley High School at WORD UP!. He was the third place winner at last year’s WORD UP! In a recent article in Weld, he states, “For me, it (the photograph) created a feeling of more than just the event but of loss and hurt and frustration…I believe it is a good way to celebrate the Civil Rights Movement. We as teenagers are so far distanced from these events that we sometimes forget them, and this competition helps us to connect with it on a different and more personal level.”
The poets who will be competing at WORD UP! are the first and second place winners of contests held at their schools. This year, sixteen high schools will be participating at the slam. The contestants are scored by a panel of three judges both on the content and performance of their three-minute poems.
BPL is partnering with the non-profit creative writing organization Real Life Poets (RLP) to nurture the talents of these budding poets in a project we are calling “Flow Tactics.” Every first Saturday, RLP leads a workshop for teens from middle-school to high-school age. John Paul Taylor, director of RLP, observed that students get the opportunity to interact with people from other schools who they may not have had a chance to meet otherwise. And they discover they’re not the only ones who are interested in poetry.
Patrick Johnson, award-winner filmmaker and board member of RLP, observes that he has seen these young people really grow through their experience in the poetry workshops. He gives the example of one student who was extremely shy and reluctant to read her poetry out loud at first. But she gradually gained the confidence to voluntarily perform her work.
And these young poets get the opportunity to showcase what they’ve learned in the workshops at a monthly open mic event, Flow Tactics Teen Open Mic, held every third Saturday from 6 to 8 p.m. at the YMCA Youth Center near Phillips Academy. The open mic is limited to high school age students. Though RLP facilitates these events, they are organized by the teens.
Useful Website Round Up
Although many of your friends might disagree, the internet consists of far more useful resources than the pictures of cats and the virulent political opinions that often clog your Facebook news feed.
In fact, there is quite a lot of useful information available on the web - not all of which is available through the databases and other resources offered by libraries.
This blog post will attempt to point patrons to a few useful websites that can save you some time or maybe even help you to keep a little more money in your pocket book. (Possibly a lot more money in your pocket book.) There is also a chance that some of the sites below may provide some information that will help to improve the quality of your life.
Please leave a comment below if you have any additional suggestions.
Lifehacker
Lifehacker is a blog with the motto "Tips and downloads for getting things done." The site is updated eighteen times each weekday with posts (or "hacks") that can increase your daily productivity and improve the quality of your life. Lifehacker covers everything from finding a good doctor, brewing the perfect cup of coffee, and getting your home organized to handling a co-worker who slacks off, improving your ability to tell a story, and how to deal with negative people. It is definitely a website worth checking out on a regular basis.
Cool Tools
Cool Tools has been around for many years and is currently being curated by Boing Boing's founder Mark Frauenfelder. Cool Tools is simply a website in which its readers submit their favorite tools - which the website defines as "any book, gadget, software, video, map, hardware, material, or website that is tried and true." The site features categories (such as workshop, kitchen, vehicles, and gardens) that can help you identify new tools that may prove useful in your daily life. This is an especially useful website for coming up with gift ideas for the person that has everything.
AskMetaFilter
AskMetaFilter is a crowdsourcing forum in which members can pose questions that will be answered by other members - or what the site refers to as the "hive mind." There are hundreds of really bright people that frequent the site and can answer (or provide suggestions) for all kinds of questions - in fact, I even consulted the site when putting together this blog post. Some of my favorite past questions from the site include: What are the most useful paper catalogs? What would MacGyver pack in his survial kit? What single book is the best introduction to your field (or specialization within your field) for laypeople? There are also plenty of questions related to careers, travel, relationships, as well as financial matters on the site. Much of the site's usefulness can be found by conducting a search of previous questions (there are tens of thousands of them).
Coursera
Coursera is an amazing resource in which you can sign-up for free college classes from esteemed institutions of higher learning such as Duke, Stanford, Emory, and Yale. Four courses have recently been recommended as credit worthy by American Council on Education - so it may not be too long before you can get actual college credit for free courses taken online at the site. Participants can take courses in computer science, the humanities, engineering, economics, and mathematics. All courses include homework assignments as well as tests and participants will receive a grade for their efforts as well as a certificate of completion.
Instructables
Instructables is the ultimate do-it-yourself website. It offers step-by-step user-submitted guides for thousands of different projects that include building robots, arduino, making toys, building furniture, Star Wars projects, canning and preserving foods, and much, much more. They also present interesting contests for submitters - for example, there is currently a bacon themed contest in which all of the eligible submissions have bacon as a main ingredient in a recipe or as the theme of a project. This is a great resource for science projects and summer activities for kids as well as adding some great personal touches (or technologies!) to your home or apartment.
YouTube
Everyone is familiar with this website for its entertainment value, but are you aware that there a thousands of instructional videos on the site for everything from car repairs and building decks to make-up tutorials and hairstyling? My secret to finding worthwhile instructional YouTube videos for repairs around your home is to seek out the tutorials that have been made by companies that sell replacement parts. I recently replaced the ignitor in my gas oven and this video made the installation a less than fifteen minute process (and I found the part cheaper from a different company than the one that created the video).
Also, a few honorable mentions: FlyLady, Wirecutter, Open Culture, One Good Thing, Get Rich Slowly, Ana White, Ubuweb, and Apartment Therapy.
