Graphic Novels from a Woman’s POV 2

Some time ago I talked with you about my specific interests in the area of graphic novels. That previous post provided suggestions for reading material by female graphic artists. I’ve been reading more items along those same lines as of late, so here are a few more to put on your “to read” list, if you haven’t already.

Alone Forever by Liz Prince – Liz Prince is trying to find someone, a man, to share her life with. Problem is that she can’t seem to get the guys she’s interested in to even look at her sometimes. She worries that it’s her approach, her looks, how she dresses or the types of music she listens to. Trying to find love in the big city is never easy. Not in person and not online either. At least she has cats…

Pregnant Butch: Nine Long Months Spent in Drag by A.K. Summers – When you look like a fat guy instead of a pregnant woman, people will not offer you a seat on the subway. This is just one of the hard lessons learned by the author as she carries the child for herself and her partner Vee. Coming to terms with this most feminine of body functions was difficult for Summers. How do you adjust your view of yourself when your body is changing constantly? This is a sentiment that all pregnant women can relate to, no matter what their gender or sex identification is.

Lena Finkle’s Magic Barrel by Anya Ulinich – Being an immigrant is never easy. Trying to adjust to your new country is almost as difficult as never feeling at home again in your old one. Add to that a childhood trauma, a long distance relationship, a bad marriage or two and online dating, and you have one person in need of friends. As long as those friends give you good advice!

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi – If you thought the 80s here was rough, try the 80s in Iran. It seemed to Marjane that all of a sudden things changed for the worse. her school became segregated by sex, she had to wear a veil, people were always watching for her to behave inappropriately. At home, most of her family were political activists, and her uncle was ultimately executed. Because she was always taught to stand up for herself and the oppressed, Marjane was eventually expelled from school. Her parents thought a life in Europe might be better for her, but she never quite found a safe place and ended up living on the streets. After returning to Iran her life became even more confused. This graphic novel explores life behind a curtain many Americans never see.

An Age of License: A Travelogue by Lucy Knisley – Lucy Knisley is fast becoming my favorite graphic novel artist/writer.  Her travel memoirs are always studded with the great food she eats wherever she goes. Since traveling and food are two of my favorite hobbies, this combination really speaks to me. In this latest work, Lucy is planning an extended trip to Europe. This trip begins with an invitation to speak at a comic fest in Norway and continues with stops in Sweden for a love affair, France for wine and Paris, because well, Paris. Along the way, she realizes that the chaos she feels as she’s in her mid-twenties is exactly where she’s supposed to be. As her mom says, “If you hadn’t been screwing things up along the way – then I’d be worried.”  A-men!

Happy Reading!

Melissa M.

Branches are people too.

Come visit us!

With all of the amazing activities taking place at the Mothership Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh-Main (language lessons, poetry, author visits, crafting) it is easy to forget that CLP has 17 neighborhood branches and the Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. And we’re all busy little bees, planning awesome programs for all ages, all year round. But since I’m the manager of CLP-South Side, let’s talk about me!

Every Week

Teen Lounge
Mondays 4-6 pm
The South Side Library is the place to be every Monday afternoon. There’s tons of fun happening at Teen Lounge from gaming, snacking and crafting, to working on projects around the Library and around the South Side. Come and kick it at Teen Lounge.

Crochet & Knitting Club,
Wednesdays 5:30-7:30 pm
Join us for our Crochet and Knitting Group. We are a group of friendly crochet and knitting fans, looking to teach and learn from other friendly crafters. Bring your current projects or start something new!

Storytime
Thursdays 11 am – 12 pm
All kids are welcome at these storytimes designed for children 18 months to age 5. Get up and get moving with stories, songs, rhymes and silly fun! In these 30-40 minute storytimes, children and adults will actively explore books that expand the imagination and inspire self-discovery.

Gaming
Saturdays 12-3 pm
Feel like getting your game on? Head down to the library for an assortment of video and tabletop games for all ages! Meet new people to challenge, or bring a friend along for gaming fun.

Special Events

All Day Movies
Thursday, 11/28- Family Blockbusters
Saturday, 12/13- Holiday Favorites
Friday, 12/26- Holiday Favorites
Join us at the library for an all day movie marathon! Each month we’ll feature a day long celebration of films on a fun theme.

The Labs
Monday, 12/8
3:30 pm – 6:00 pm
The Labs is the place to make and learn with art and technology. During this workshop, teens can explore a variety of processes with the help of mentors. Mentors will provide equipment and expertise related to music/audio production, design, circuitry/robotics and photo/video. Stop by and make something cool with us!

Work. Nights.
Thursday, 12/4
6 pm-midnight
Scott talked about Work. Nights. in a previous post, but I wanted to remind everyone that it is taking place at CLP- South Side!
Accelerate. Collarborate. Innovate.
Stay up late at the Library. Network. Get stuff done. Connect with other innovators. Research your ideas and jumpstart your ingenuity! Come to the library for:

• a creative co-working environment
• guidance from library professionals well-versed in technology, entrepreneurism and more
• late night snacks and coffee

Gingerbread Houses
Saturday, 12/6
11 am – 1 pm

Add a sweet touch to your holiday with edible arts and crafts! We’ll supply the gingerbread, icing and decorations—everything you need to make a delicious gingerbread house. Due to limited space, registration is required. 412-431-0505 or southside@carnegielibrary.org

Book Sale
Saturday, 12/13
10 am – 5 pm
Browse our new and gently used books. Homemade baked goods will be available for purchase, as well as gifts made by our Crochet and Knitting group. All proceeds benefit the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh- South Side Friends group.

Make-and-Do
Saturday, 12/13
2:30 – 3:30 pm
Be social, Be spontaneous and Be artistic! Check out this program dedicated to cooking, crafting and technology based making for teens.

Whew! This is only one month of one branch’s activities! You could probably find something to attend every day of the month if you tried. Hope to see you here!
suzy

 

Happy Birthday, Joe DiMaggio!

Born on this day in 1914, “Joltin'” Joe DiMaggio played thirteen years for the New York Yankees from 1936 – 1951. This included three years interrupted by the tumult of WWII. Mr. DiMaggio served in the armed forces  from 1943 – 1945, and while he never saw combat, he did play a role in public relations as a morale booster.

This Hall of Famer still holds Major League Baseball’s longest hitting streak at 56 games. Almost every year since Mr. DiMaggio set that record one player or another has made a run at it, but none have really come close. Pete Rose hit in 44 straight in 1978. No one has come any closer since then. It’s no surprise that a man so supremely talented on the field, and so haunted in his post-baseball retirement years, would become the subject of some truly fascinating books. Here’s a short list of my favorites:

56: Joe DiMaggio And The Last Magic Number In Sports by Kostya Kennedy. You can’t really know Joe DiMaggio without knowing about the streak. This book brilliantly depicts how one of the most enduring accomplishments in sports history wove itself into the fabric of American culture.

Joe DiMaggio: The Long Vigil by Jerome Charyn. Mr. Charyn explores Joe DiMaggio’s post-baseball life, his nine month marriage to starlet Marilyn Monroe, and his lifelong devotion to her. While often depicted as cruel and uncaring off of the field, Mr. Charyn’s book digs more deeply into Joe DiMaggio’s wounded psyche and reveals a more sympathetic man.

The DiMaggios: Three Brothers, Their Passion For Baseball, And Their Pursuit Of The American Dream by Thomas Clavin. Most folks know about Joe DiMaggio, but this book discusses the professional baseball careers of his brothers Dom and Vince, both also highly successful players. Many sets of brothers have played in Major League Baseball, but this trio sets the gold standard for total career accomplishments.

Joe DiMaggio passed away on March 8, 1999. His legacy of talent, professionalism, and loyalty lives on.

Scott P.

  

Baby It’s Cold Outside!

As I’m writing this, it’s a balmy 30 degrees outside and I’m feeling thankful that it’s at least sunny out there. You will never, ever hear me complain about hot weather but the cold is a whole other story. Here are a few of my ideas for surviving the cold weather in Pittsburgh:

Phipps Conservatory: Just up the street from the Main Library, I spend a lot of time here every winter. There’s nothing like escaping the cold by wandering around lush tropical flowers and cacti, not to mention the gorgeous holiday decorations at this time of year. The Winter Light Garden is also a fun distraction from the cold, and on weekends my kids love the Saturdays with the Sugarplum Fairy dance class and photo ops with Santa!

CLP events: I spend a lot of time at the library, obviously. But despite working here, I come here a lot during cold weather weekends too– where else can you find something that will entertain everyone in the family (especially stir crazy kids)? We like to come to the Sunday Lego Club in the Children’s department and the various Sunday music programs (like this one), but whenever I’m stuck for something to do on a weekend I check our events page for other options.

The Oliver Bath House: I love being able to go swimming in the winter! One of my favorite things about Pittsburgh is its extensive network of community recreation centers like this one.

Divergent by Veronica Roth: Really, any series of YA literature would do here, the more dystopian the better. I love reading series of books after they’re already written. This trilogy, set in a post-apocalyptic Chicago, is on my reading list for these cold weekends.

I am the Upsetter: The Story of Lee “Scratch” Perry Golden Years:  Maybe it’s a subconscious longing for warmer days, but every winter I start listening to reggae and dub again. This box set has several hours worth of music so you don’t have to think about what you’ll listen to next.

Who else has some tried and true winter diversions?

-Irene

Strange Characters: The Cinematic Pairings of Tim Burton and Johnny Depp

Photo taken from MTV.com – all rights reserved to same – click through to read an interview with Tim Burton

In anticipation of Tim Burton’s Big Eyes coming out on Christmas Day, I’ve been having my own Burton retrospective and recently watched Edward Scissorhands for the umpteenth time.  With this film, Burton found a kindred spirit in Johnny Depp that has survived over two decades and has resulted in some of Burton’s best-known films. While he isn’t in Big Eyes, Depp has starred in eight of Burton’s seventeen films. That is, when he isn’t busy making drunken appearances at awards shows or getting fossils named after him.

Below is my much mulled-over ranking of those eight Burton/Depp cinematic pairings.

8. Dark Shadows (2012)

This film had the potential to be a hit.  On paper, a film about a dysfunctional family with a vampire patriarch is right in Burton’s wheelhouse. And besides, he and Depp both had a fondness for the soap opera from which the movie was based.   Sadly, that passion is never present on-screen.  While Burton has previously struck a wonderful balance with macabre humor and black comedy, he falters and stumbles here.  Perhaps it was the audience’s vampire fatigue or the overwhelming presence of the juggernaut known as The Avengers, but the film only grossed just over half of its production budget.  This film, along with the next one, really made me question whether or not Burton and Depp’s artistic relationship had grown stagnant.

7. Alice in Wonderland (2010)

The movie that grossed over a billion dollars worldwide also has a 51% rating on Rotten Tomatoes so make of that what you will.  One would think that it would be a visual treat, but it’s apparent the actors are acting against a green screen for most of the film. The backgrounds look flat and lifeless and that’s exactly how I’d summarize the entire film—flat and lifeless.  It’s truly saying something when the scenes that take place before Alice falls down the rabbit hole look more vibrant than the scenes in Wonderland Underland.

Giving a plot to a story that famously had no plot could have worked, but Linda Woolverton concocted the most generic chosen-one-must-fulfill-a-prophecy-and-vanquish-evil plot imaginable.  It was doubly disappointing for me because longtime musical collaborator Danny Elfman’s score was one of the best he’s done in recent years.  I listened to the score before I saw the movie and it conjured up images of fantastical epics.  Sadly, the only thing fantastic about the movie is that someone thought it would be a good idea to commit this to film.

6. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)

I remember freaking out when that trailer came out and loved the movie when I saw it, but have since reassessed my opinion of it.  There’s nothing really technically wrong with it, nor is it a bad film; it’s just an unnecessary remake.  Then again, I don’t have an intense fondness tied to the original, despite Gene Wilder’s wonderful turn as the eccentric chocolate maker.  Still, this interpretation is closer to Roald Dahl‘s book and I actually prefer Elfman’s songs to the ones written by Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse.  Wilder’s interpretation was, and still is, iconic, so it was important for Depp to do something completely different in the role.  And, sure enough, he did.  I always felt that it was unfair that Depp’s performance was compared to Michael Jackson.  If you’ll recall, Michael Jackson loved kids.  Willy Wonka hated them and turned them into candy.  Get your facts right, Internet.

What are the top five Burton/Depp movies? Click through to find out!

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Sharp Short Stories

Short story collections are a great way to get to know an author, and reading them is a win-win situation: if you enjoy the tales, you can see what else s/he’s written; if you don’t care for them, you haven’t wasted a lot of precious reading time. Short story collections are also a treat for people who already love an author, and are pining away for her/his next novel.

There have been a number of really solid short story collections released this year. Here are three that pair nicely with the cold, dark winter ahead of us.

The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher, Hilary Mantel. Quiet people leading quiet lives that suddenly take turns for the uncomfortable, supernatural, or just plain deadly are the meat and potatoes of this collection. They’re all outstanding, but my favorites were “Harley Street,” which, up to the very end, pretends to be one kind of story and then suddenly turns into another; “The Heart Fails Without Warning,” which reads like an homage to Kate Chopin‘s “The Story of an Hour”; and “The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher,” which plays fast and loose with English history. Available in print, audio book, eBook, and eAudio.

Stone Mattress, Margaret Atwood. Atwood can do terrible just as nicely as Mantel can. However, her terrible tends to have spots of sweetness, melancholy, or other gentler emotions mixed in as well. This tone is set with the fantastical “Alphinland,” which is then followed by two stories that occur in the same universe to the same characters, forming a lovely little world I would’ve liked to see more of. Other highlights include “The Freeze-Dried Groom” (not a metaphor) and “Torching the Dusties,” in which an elderly woman with Charles Bonnet syndrome must flee an attack on her assisted living facility (uncomfortably plausible) with the help of a fellow resident. Available in print, eBook, eAudio, and Playaway.

Spoiled Brats, Simon Rich. Rich sticks it to the clueless and the entitled with this wickedly funny collection of tales, narrated mostly by characters who have no idea how clueless and entitled they are. Rich doesn’t let himself off the hook, either: two of the stories feature a character named Simon Rich who is unpleasant as all get out (one of those tales, “Animals,” is narrated by a classroom’s pet hamster). Other highlights include “Gifted,” which satirizes privileged, pushy parenting, and “Elf on the Shelf” (’tis the season, after all). Available in print only.

Dark fiction for dark nights, in easy-to-read bites!  Are you a fan of the short story form? Who are your favorite authors? Read any good collections lately?

–Leigh Anne

 

 

Ask a Librarian

Image credit: Illustration from The Evening Ledger, Philadelphia, 1916

I feel pretty competent when it comes to finding information and locating books that I’m interested in (As a librarian, you’d hope this would be the case, right?!). I love talking with my colleagues in other departments, but rarely ask for help finding things. The other day though, I had an experience that reminded me of how helpful it can be to just ask for assistance, even when you’re pretty sure you can find something on your own.

I was browsing in the Children’s Department for books to take home to my kids. My 2-year old is still pretty easy (books by Rosemary Wells are a safe bet!), but my 4-year old is suddenly very interested in superheroes, particularly Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman. However, I usually find that books about those characters are slightly too old for him, or maybe just a little too scary. As I browsed the comics I said hi to the librarian, and when she asked if I needed help I asked her opinion (instead of my usual “Nope, just looking!”). She immediately thought of several books about superheroes that a 4-year old might like: Princess Super Kitty, Timothy and the Strong Pajamas, and Superdog: The Heart of a Hero. We also found a Superman book that was written for a younger audience. Success!

In the Reference Services department where I work, people are often reluctant to “bother” us at the reference desk. When people do ask us something, they sometimes apologize or seem a bit reluctant to ask for our help. Those “Ask a Librarian” signs are there for a reason, and we love answering your questions (that’s our job!). We’ll stop and ask if you need help if we find you wandering the stacks with a confused look on your face, but if we haven’t approached you first and you’re feeling stuck, try stopping by a desk with one of those big red signs– we’ll be happy to help you find anything from the newest book in a YA fantasy series to statistics on a neighborhood where you’re thinking of moving to books and articles for your research paper or whatever else you can think of.

-Irene

Pittsburgh Home Movie Day – November 22, 2014

Do you have any old home movies hiding in the closet or the attic?
When was the last time you took a look at them?
Have you ever wondered how to take better care of them?

Disinter some of those old 8mm, Super 8mm and/or 16mm reels and drop by Pittsburgh Home Movie Day 2014 on Saturday afternoon, November 22, at Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh – Main. Film archivists will be available to give you free advice on the condition of your films and, if possible, we’ll screen them for a local audience interested in YOUR celluloid memories!

If you’re bringing home movies to share, you’re encouraged to drop off your films between  12 PM and 1 PM to have them properly inspected and assessed by our archivists. Or you can drop by any time after 1 PM and have a look at some of the personal treasures other folks in the region have brought to share with you. We’ll be screening continuously until 4:30 PM.

For more on Home Movie Day, visit the Center for Home Movies or contact us directly at homemovieday.pgh@comcast.net.

Saturday, November 22nd
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh – Main
Director’s Conference Room, First Floor
Film drop off: 12 PM to 1 PM
Screenings: 1 PM to 4:30 PM

Pittsburgh Home Movie Day 2014 is sponsored by Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh and by the Film Studies Program at the University of Pittsburgh.

– Amy

Exploring the New Star Wars Canon

As a person who has spent a disproportionately large chunk of her childhood (and adulthood) reading Star Wars novels, guidebooks and comics, I was, let’s say, apprehensive when Disney announced they would reset the canon and relabel the “old” novels, comics, video games and other non-movie ephemera as “Legends.”

The purpose of doing this, Disney says, is to ensure that all Star Wars content from here on out will be consistent.

The first novel in this new canon, Star Wars: A New Dawn, came out in the beginning of September. I bought it, like I’ve bought every other Star Wars novel that’s come out since forever, with few exceptions (example: I wasn’t alive in the 1970s when the first Expanded Universe novel, Alan Dean Foster’s Splinter of the Mind’s Eye, came out, and I was only six in the early 1990s when the Expanded Universe began in earnest with the release of Timothy Zahn’s Heir to the Empire).

A New Dawn sat on my nightstand for weeks while I looked at it, picked it up, flipped through it and read the jacket copy. I could not bring myself to read it for fear of being horribly disappointed.

When I finally did force myself to begin, I didn’t find some strange and unfamiliar new world, but the same worn-in universe in which I’ve been letting my imagination roam free for, well, most of my life.

As a tie-in to the new animated show Star Wars Rebels, A New Dawn tells the story of how TV show characters Kanan Jarrus, a former Jedi apprentice now wandering from one dangerous job to another, and Hera, an agitator for rebellion, meet and deal a significant blow against the Empire.

Written by frequent Star Wars novel and comic author John Jackson Miller, a majority of the tale takes place on a newly-introduced planet named Gorse, which has a moon rich in a substance essential to star ship manufacturing. The Emperor’s efficiency expert Count Vidian is sent to increase production of the substance.

Hera has come to Gorse to learn more about how the Empire is spying on its citizens and to get a closer look at Count Vidian. Kanan is flying mining explosives from Gorse to the moon every day. They meet when a disaffected Clone Wars veteran, Skelly, tries to demonstrate that the moon will be destroyed utterly if mining continues, to disastrous results.

While I wouldn’t call this, or any Star Wars novel, high literature, it is an excellent Star Wars novel and an excellent adventure novel. Its short chapters always end in cliffhangers, pulling you along. The characters feel like real people instead of the caricatures (the hero, the sidekick, the romantic interest, etc.) that sometimes appear in franchise writing.

We learn more of Kanan’s background than Hera’s, but I imagine this will be addressed in either future Rebels tie-in novels or, more likely, the show itself. The novel’s cast is also evenly divided between women and men, with one of the prominent characters even being a woman of color (this kind of equality has been more present in Star Wars novels and comics than Star Wars movies, but I’m still glad to see it continued here).

The era between episodes three and four has rarely been touched upon by the Expanded Universe, so Miller’s job in writing this book must have been relatively easy canon-wise. While my opinion of the new canon is rosy so far, none of my favorite “Legends” characters have been written over yet. The next test will be Star Wars: Tarkin, which came out last week. The biggest test, of course, will be Episode VII, the title of which was recently revealed to be Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

So with cautious optimism, I await the next chapter in this new, but strangely familiar, Star Wars universe.

-Kelly

CLP Gets To Work

Friday, November 7th featured CLP’s first ever installment of Show Your Work, a partnership between the public library and local entrepreneurs and innovators in the fields of commerce, art, and technology. This amazing event, held at our East Liberty branch, included over fifty attendees and featured four presentations from local innovators in various fields. These folks gave five minute lightning talks about their current projects and then took questions and feedback from the audience and an esteemed panel of experts.

The presenters included:

• Todd Medema — CMU alum and serial entrepreneur working on a new way to view the passage of time
• Shannon Miller — co-founder and Chief Gift Officer at giftbug
• Alexandra Oliver — creator of the Collective Archive project to document and archive Pittsburgh culture
• Allison Plummer & Ethan Plummer — creators of the Sentinel Box bicycle safety mapping device

The panelists included:

• Nick End — entrepreneur and leadership team member at Shoefitr
• Rabih Helou — co-founder of the coworking space at The Beauty Shoppe
• Chris Millard — Program Coordinator at AlphaLab Gear

Part cocktail party and part networking session, Show Your Work represents the first of a new type of programming venture for CLP. We saw a need for more common space where Pittsburgh innovators could meet up and share their energy and ideas. As we move forward into 2015, we’ll continue to address that need with more Show Your Work events and with our new Work Nights series of programs.

Debuting at the South Side branch Thursday, December 12 from 5:00 PM – 12:00 AM (yes, that’s right, the library will be open until midnight), CLP Work Nights will offer entrepreneurs and innovators a clean, well lighted space with amenities like free wi-fi, photocopies, coffee, and snacks. While these comforts are all good things, the atmosphere a Work Night offers is what really counts. A gathering of like-minded innovators carries a special energy all its own, and we hope folks can harness that creative power to drive their own projects to completion.

Programs like Show Your Work and Work Nights allow us to further our mission as a community facilitator and economic incubator. We measure the impact of our service in the success stories our patrons tell us. As the new year dawns think about joining us for these special new programs. Work nights. Then tell us about it.

–Scott P.