LIBRARY NOTES: ANNIVERSARIES


PAUL BIRKHEAD – DECEMBER 25, 2011

Something I always enjoy at the dawn of a new year is learning who or what will be marking an anniversary during the next twelve months. Did you know that 2011 marked the 100th year Rowan Public Library has been in existence? The library has celebrated all year with special programs and guest speakers at each location.

The year 2012 will see continued interest in all subjects concerning the American Civil War. Battles marking their 150th anniversary this year include those at Fort Donelson, Shiloh, Fredericksburg, and Antietam. Rowan Public Library has an extensive collection of books and DVDs that discuss these events as well as others. Do you have an ancestor (or two) who fought in the Civil War? If so, you’ll want to stop by the Edith M. Clark History Room on the third floor of the Headquarters library in Salisbury. There you’ll find thousands of books, microforms, manuscripts, and other materials that can help you discover your own genealogical gems.

In the literary world, there are several anniversaries that ought to be remembered this year. It’s amazing to me that, even after all this time, the following works continue to be read (or watched in movie form) and loved by subsequent generations.

200 years ago (1812) – Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss

100 years ago (1912) – Riders of the Purple Sage by Zane Grey

75 years ago (1937) – Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck and The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

50 years ago (1962) – Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury

25 years ago (1987) – Patriot Games by Tom Clancy and Beloved by Toni Morrison

As you can see, there are several literary milestones that you’ll have a chance to celebrate with the library this year. Are there two or three titles on that list that you’ve never read - or has it been a long time ago? Stop by Rowan Public Library and check out our collection. We’ll be here to help you and looking forward to our next one hundred years serving Rowan County.

Gretchen Beilfuss Witt


December 11, 2011

Holy Days, Holidays

This time of year can be hectic for everyone but special as well. We each have our own unique traditions to observe either community-wide or family specific, religious or cultural. I am always curious as to how these observances got started. Some customs began eons ago – our custom of giving gifts dates back to early Roman winter solstice celebrations - and some are much more contemporary.

Valerie Menards' "The Latino Holiday Book" describes two Hispanic-American contributions to main stream Christmas celebrations. Cuetlaxochitl, is the Aztec name for the beautiful la flor de nochebuena or the flower of Christmas Eve. One story claims that a poor girl in Mexico wishing to take flowers to church was instructed by an angel to gather weeds and take them as an offering. These weeds were miraculously transformed into poinsettias. The U.S. name comes from the first U.S. minister to Mexico who brought the plant to the United States in 1829, Joel R. Poinsett. Luminaries are an even more complex amalgam of traditions. Native Americans in New Mexico, adapting their bonfire custom, made little fires outside churches and houses. In the 19th century when Chinese paper lanterns came into the picture; luminaries were placed in paper bags. These little fires symbolically light the way for the journey to Bethlehem.

Kwanzaa began in the 1966 by Maulana Karenga as an effort to establish a cultural observance, specifically for African-American and others of African descent; a way to celebrate heritage. Using Swahili, a common language among much of East Africa, and synthesizing elements from African harvest festivals, Kwanzaa is celebrated from December 26-New Year's Day. In "Kwanzaa: An African-American Celebration of Culture and Cooking" Eric Copage shares recipes as well as cultural and historical samples to illustrate Kwanzaa principles and experiences.

There are many older practices commemorating the Christmas season. The practice of sending Christmas cards began in England with Sir Henry Cole, a founder of the Victoria and Albert Museum. By the mid-1840s the custom was adopted by the royal family and as postage became less expensive more people participated. Cards in the United States were too expensive until a lithographer Louis Prang around 1875 mass produced them. Other customs signify the ending of the holiday season. Historically, Christmas Day was the beginning of the twelve days of Christmas ending on Twelfth Night or Epiphany when the Magi came to visit the Christ Child. Special cakes were made and gifts exchanged. In Shakespeare's time, Twelfth Night was one of masquerades and revelry. An almond in a sliver of cake brought good luck to the finder. Another tradition has the Christmas season ending on the day of ritual purification of Mary, forty days after the birth of Christ. The custom of blessing candles on this day gave it the name Candlemas. Decorations would be taken down, the last piece of the Yule log put away for next year and the Christmas plants burned and spread over the gardens. Candlemas day was a good day for weather casting. If a sunny day, folks could expect forty more days of cold and snow; in America, February 2 is more commonly known as Groundhog Day.

These and other interesting facts can be found at your library. However its observed, enjoy your holiday season.

Library Notes


Rebecca Hyde  


What is “aging”? It is not a disease, but a developmental process that affects body and mind. In the “Art of Aging: A Doctor’s Prescription for Well-Being,” Dr. Sherwin Nuland, clinical professor of surgery at Yale University, describes the aging process and suggests ways we can “attune” ourselves to its progress. We can choose to take an active, creative part in cultivating our personal art of aging. According to the professional literature of geriatrics, the ability to adapt, to learn and then accept one’s limitations is a determinant of “successful aging.” Dr. Nuland prefers “attune” to “adapt”: attuning ourselves to the passage of years means being “newly receptive to signals welcome and unwelcome, to a variety of experiences not previously within our range, while achieving a kind of harmony with the real circumstances of our lives.”

For Dr. Nuland the “real circumstances of our lives” do not include a vision of an ageless future in which the responses of our bodies to the passage of time, heredity, and the biology of life can be rearranged to prevent or even reverse aging. His “prescription for well-being” is not a detailed list of rules to follow but rather a description of those people who have lived creative and productive lives, managing limitations and chronic illnesses. There is a remarkable portrait of Michael DeBakey, who lived a life of “vibrant longevity.” What goals did he have at the age of ninety-six? He just had a schedule of things that needed to be done, but didn’t dwell on whether he was going to be alive to do them. “I’m absolutely sure I”ll arrive to where I’m going” was DeBakey’s philosophy, which applied to getting on a plane or death.

Two other books examine aging with differing doses of inspiration and hard realism. In “The Gift of Years: Growing Older Gracefully,” Joan Chittister, a Benedictine Sister, offers a collection of essays on the rewards of “mature life,” or aging well. It is time to let go of fantasies of eternal youth and fears of getting older, and engage in a new stage of life. And it has its own purpose, which is to give us time to assimilate and make new choices in the way we live.

Susan Jacoby wrote “Never Say Die: The Myth and Marketing of the New Old Age.” She is a critic of the “young old age” or “new old age” featured in American culture. This new norm presents “a formidable obstacle to any effort to deal pragmatically with the social, economic, and medical problems associated with real old age.” As for the individual, the right to feel rotten affords better preparation for suffering and loss than inflated expectations that lead to real despair: it’s energizing. Jacoby was amazed at the intensity (and poetry) of her grandmother’s awareness of death. The old woman mourned the end of her usefulness but looking at the river said, “It’s good to know that the beauty of the world will go on without me.”

Culinary Cozy Reads
Sara Grajek

These days, there are many styles of murder mysteries. Some are written to keep you guessing throughout the book, wondering ‘whodunit’. Some keep you jumping at every turn of the page, with plot twists and turns. Others can be defined as cozy mysteries. These usually feature an amateur detective, are set in a small town or village, and are gentle reads. The murder is not gruesome or graphic and may even take place out of sight with only a quick description. Most of the book takes place with the main character (who is usually very likeable) tracking down the killer, with the help of the local police (who is often very handsome). Sub-categories have even developed within cozy mysteries, with culinary, quilting, animals, and home repair themes. Culinary mysteries may be set in a restaurant or catering business and recipes are usually included for the dishes that are mentioned in the story.

In Jessica Beck’s, The Donut Shop Mysteries, Suzanne Hart is owner of the local donut shop. When she finds her friend and loyal customer dead in front of her shop she quickly takes on more than just baking. With the help of a hunky state police officer, she becomes an amateur investigator, determined to find out who killed her friend. A cast of characters including an ex-husband, a wacky best friend, and an ex-cop who gives inside information all add up to create a fun, light-hearted mystery. Start with Glazed Murder and work your way through to the most recently published Tragic Toppings. Pair with your own Krispy Kreme doughnut and a cup of coffee for extra fun.

While you are making your coffee, you can start Cleo Coyle’s Coffeehouse Mystery series. With titles such as Through the Grinder, Roast Mortem, and her newest, Murder by Mocha, Coyle serves up a shot of mystery and love in each offering. Set in New York City, the Coffeehouse Mysteries are written by a husband and wife team under the pseudonym of Cleo Coyle and each book is set in a popular NYC location. Tidbits about coffee and coffee making are interspersed with murder mystery as barista Claire Cosi tracks down murderers in the Metropolitan Museum of Art and sleuths with NYPD firemen.

Laura Childs has several popular mystery series, including one set in a Tea Shop. In Death by Darjeeling, the Indigo Tea Shop is a local Charleston favorite. At a catered event, one of the guests is found dead due to drinking tea. Naturally, the shop owner, Theodosia Browning, is the first suspect. She must take the investigation into her own hands in order to prove her innocence and save the tea shop. Look for other titles in the series such as Shades of Earl Gray and Scones and Bones. For light mysteries that will make you hungry for more, stop by Rowan Public Library for one of these delicious reads today!

Fall Into a Great Children’s Book
Dara L. Cain

Fall is the perfect time for outdoor family activities. What could be more enjoyable then spending time with your family bobbing for apples, pumpkin picking, attending festivals, and jumping into piles of fallen leaves! To get in the spirit of the Fall season be sure to get your hands on these great books to share with your child.

Who doesn’t think of Johnny Chapman, known best as Johnny Appleseed during this time of year. Jane Yolen’s biography Johnny Appleseed: The Legend and the Truth recounts both the facts and the legend of this historical figure. The text is fixed in rectangular boxes that give the appearance of frayed-edge leaf torn from an old book and the beautiful paintings are sure to captivate your child’s attention. The author in poetic stanza talks about the legends of Johnny and under the verses details about Chapman’s family, his growing desire to travel west, and the heritage he left behind are included.

It’s always fun to go to the pumpkin fields each year as a family to search among the many different sizes and shapes of pumpkins in hopes of finding the perfect one. Turn your pumpkin outing into a teachable moment by sharing with your child the story Life Cycle of a Pumpkin by Ron Fridell and Patricia Walsh. Your child will have a fun time learning about the life cycle of a pumpkin through simple text and full-color photographs. Discover how big pumpkins grow, why pumpkins have very big leaves, and what you can make with pumpkins.

It is so beautiful to witness the leaves on the trees change color from green to yellow, red, and orange during this wonderful time of year. In the book Autumn Leaves by Ken Robbins explore with your child an album of life-size autumn leaves and their changing colors. The photographs realistically show the imperfections of the leaves found from various areas of the country and their intriguing shapes. Observe the leaves of the smoke tree and how they resemble paddles, how the linden tree consists of leaves that appear to be hearts, and many more. For the inquisitive child a one-page explanation as to why green leaves of summer change color is included at the end of the book.

Here are a few more noteworthy books you’ll definitely want to read with your child for enjoyment. The protagonist in the story Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert is cleverly made from an assortment of real autumn leaves to form his body and acorns for eyes. One day Leaf Man is carried away by the wind and it is up to the reader to follow his trail “past the chickens, towards the marsh, over the ducks and geese” which are all creatively arranged from leaf collages too. The characters Cat, Squirrel, and Duck each have their own assigned duties when it comes to cooking their famous pumpkin soup in the story Pumpkin Soup by Helen Cooper. When Duck decides one day that instead of pouring the salt he wants to be the stirrer all chaos breaks loose among the friends. Linda White tells the story of Rebecca Estelle, an old woman who has despised pumpkins ever since she was a girl. When an enormous pumpkin falls off a truck and crashes into her yard she covers the pumpkin with dirt. You must read the story Too Many Pumpkins to find out how one forgotten pumpkin turns into many. One of my personal favorites The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams is about a little old lady who is not afraid of anything. She encounters a pumpkin head, a tall black hat, and other spooky objects that follow her through the dark woods trying to scare her.

All of these wonderful Fall books are available at Rowan Public Library!

Library Notes November 4, 2011

Culinary Cozy Reads

Sara Grajek

These days, there are many styles of murder mysteries. Some are written to keep you guessing throughout the book, wondering ‘whodunit’. Some keep you jumping at every turn of the page, with plot twists and turns. Others can be defined as cozy mysteries. These usually feature an amateur detective, are set in a small town or village, and are gentle reads. The murder is not gruesome or graphic and may even take place out of sight with only a quick description. Most of the book takes place with the main character (who is usually very likeable) tracking down the killer, with the help of the local police (who is often very handsome). Sub-categories have even developed within cozy mysteries, with culinary, quilting, animals, and home repair themes. Culinary mysteries may be set in a restaurant or catering business and recipes are usually included for the dishes that are mentioned in the story.

In Jessica Beck’s, The Donut Shop Mysteries, Suzanne Hart is owner of the local donut shop. When she finds her friend and loyal customer dead in front of her shop she quickly takes on more than just baking. With the help of a hunky state police officer, she becomes an amateur investigator, determined to find out who killed her friend. A cast of characters including an ex-husband, a wacky best friend, and an ex-cop who gives inside information all add up to create a fun, light-hearted mystery. Start with Glazed Murder and work your way through to the most recently published Tragic Toppings. Pair with your own Krispy Kreme doughnut and a cup of coffee for extra fun.

While you are making your coffee, you can start Cleo Coyle’s Coffeehouse Mystery series. With titles such as Through the Grinder, Roast Mortem, and her newest, Murder by Mocha, Coyle serves up a shot of mystery and love in each offering. Set in New York City, the Coffeehouse Mysteries are written by a husband and wife team under the pseudonym of Cleo Coyle and each book is set in a popular NYC location. Tidbits about coffee and coffee making are interspersed with murder mystery as barista Claire Cosi tracks down murderers in the Metropolitan Museum of Art and sleuths with NYPD firemen.

Laura Childs has several popular mystery series, including one set in a Tea Shop. In Death by Darjeeling, the Indigo Tea Shop is a local Charleston favorite. At a catered event, one of the guests is found dead due to drinking tea. Naturally, the shop owner, Theodosia Browning, is the first suspect. She must take the investigation into her own hands in order to prove her innocence and save the tea shop. Look for other titles in the series such as Shades of Earl Gray and Scones and Bones. For light mysteries that will make you hungry for more, stop by Rowan Public Library for one of these delicious reads today!

Library Notes
October 28, 2011
Erika Kosin

Using Books to Talk to Children about Family Illness and Death

 Throughout the month of October the focus has been on Breast Cancer awareness where children of all ages hear the word Cancer and learn to recognize the significance of the color pink, but many are unaware of what cancer is and how it can affect them. In fact, most parents shelter their children from the disease until the day that they need to speak to their children about a loved one who is seriously ill, or even worse, the parent him/herself. There is nothing to truly prepare a parent for this day, but there are books that may help parents talk to their children that deal both with the disease and also the loss of a loved one. While broaching these subjects may be tricky and scary, sometimes letting a child know what to expect can help them process the information and understand that it is not their fault.

Some books available at Rowan Public Library for children about Cancer include:
Mom Has Cancer! by Jennifer Moore-Mallinos – This short picture book explores the fear a child has when he notices something isn’t right as Mom and Dad are always sad and going to the doctor. When Mom explains to her son that she has cancer and what that will mean for the family, the boy is of course scared and sad, but is able to cope with the changes happening in the home. While in the book, mom’s cancer goes into remission, it does tell children that the doctor’s visits won’t stop and that mommy can get sick again, but they should be happy that everything is ok right now.

My Mommy has Cancer by Carolyn Stearns Parkinson – Written by a mother of three who’s youngest was only five when she was diagnosed with cancer, this book is meant to explain cancer to a very young child. The author felt that it was important to let children know that even though mommy is sick and it is a scary, sad time, it is alright for them to be happy and enjoy life.

Nana, What’s Cancer by Beverlye Hyman Fead and Tessa Mae Hamermesh – A book of questions and answers between a 10 year old girl and her grandmother as the girl tries to understand this illness that effects so many people. Factual and informative for children who are either curious about the disease or want to understand what a loved one is going through.

Good Luck, Mrs. K.! by Louise Borden - While family is important to children, they also feel the loss of a teacher when one is seriously ill and can not return to the classroom. Ann loves her third-grade teacher, from her interesting name to the way she knows all of the children in her class. When Ann’s teacher gets sick and a substitute comes in, she is faced with a reality that sometimes illness is not fair. As the class sends their teacher letters in the hospital, the students learn about cancer and see how it can affect those around them.

When Someone Has a Very Serious Illness and When Someone Very Special Dies from the series Children Can Learn to Cope with Loss and Change by Marge Heegaard – Both of these titles are set up in workbook form where parents can make copies of the pages and have children participate in the activities to help them deal with the emotions they are feeling when dealing with a serious illness or the loss of a loved one.

“Private Viewing – On-line Library Resources for Your Home Theater,” by Pam Everhardt Bloom

October 23, 2011

If you’re looking for something a little different to view or just trying to save pennies, look no further than your Rowan Public Library. All you need are your library card number and your personal PIN number. If you don’t have a PIN, simply request one in person at the circulation desk of any Rowan Public Library and you’ll be ready to select movies and documentaries on-line for personal viewing.

NCLive Digital library is easily accessed from home using the Rowan Public Library Home Page at www.rowanpubliclibrary.org . Open the library’s home page and look under “Related Links” on the left side. A click on “On-Line Tools” will open up a variety of choices. Select NCLive Resources and then, if you can resist the other entries that are available using your library card and PIN number, scroll down to the NCLive Video Collection and enjoy the many choices.

Catagories available include American History, The Arts, Biography, Business & Investing, Cultural Studies, Current Issues, Education, Health & Medicine, Kids, Military History, North Carolina, Science, and World History. Series available are American Experience, American Masters, Art 21, Cyberchase, Empires, Frontline, Ken Burns, Liberty’s Kids, Masterpiece, Wilkes County, NC Oral Documents, and Scientific American Frontier. You may also browse by individual title or by titles with closed captions.

Math adventures abound in Cyberchase and may provide a fun learning advantage for your child or a quick remediation for adults helping with homework. Liberty’s Kids provides another link for an enjoyable supplement to the social studies book. Masterpiece lovers will find favorite editions of past shows and possibly new favorites. For a different twist, the series Art 21 explores art themes that range from the topics of “Place and Spirituality” to those of “Power and Memory.” For the curious mind, look no further than Scientific American Frontiers. Episodes ranging from Animal Einsteins to Body Building and on to Natural Born Robots provide something for everyone and these are just a small sample of the many science topics available.

Should you encounter any difficulty navigating this site, go back to Rowan Public Library Home Page and click on NCLive Directions after opening the On-Line Tool link for additional instructions. There’s also a help and FAQ icon at the NCLive Digital Library site if you have other questions.
Once you’ve met your video needs, don’t forget to look at the many other resources available through NCLive. You will be pleasantly surprised. Happy viewing!

Lynn Denison
Library Notes
October 16, 2011

Autism is one of the most disabling and puzzling conditions known to mankind. According to the latest report from the Centers for Disease Control, the rate of autism is one in every 110 births. Checking the shelves at Rowan Public Library, I found that we have four recently published books on the subject. Each book approaches the topic from a different aspect, making each informative to parents, family members, teachers, or anyone interested in the subject. Of course, we have other helpful books on the topic, but these four books published in 2011 have the very latest on the breakthroughs being made in the field.

Temple Grandin, Ph.D., has a remarkable story. Her life began with autism. She was completely nonverbal and had a variety of inappropriate behaviors. Today, among her many accomplishments, she is a professor of Animal Science at Colorado State University and the author of eleven books. The movie based on her life brought in 7 Emmy’s, a Golden Globe, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. Her latest book is The Way I See it: A Personal Look at Autism & Asperger’s. This book is a “how to” guide to both inform and inspire readers. With her “insider” perspective and a great deal of research, she offers helpful do’s and don’ts, practical strategies, and try-it-now tips. Just a few of the specific topics that Temple delves into are “How and Why People With Autism Think Differently”, “Economical Early Intervention Programs that Work”, and “Employment Ideas for Adults with Autism.”

Autism Solutions: How to Create a Healthy and Meaningful Life for Your Child, was published in 2011 by Ricki G. Robinson, M.D, M.P.H. Dr. Robinson has treated autistic children for the past 20 years. In her book she provides parents with a solution-oriented guide that covers all the latest research, evaluation, diagnosis, education and treatment options for the autistic child. Above all she provides hope, encouragement and understanding for families searching for answers to the many challenges of autism.

Ken Siri and Tony Lyons are both parents of children with autism. In their book Cutting Edge Therapies for Autism, 2010-2011, they seek to provide articles about the progressive work being done in the field. It is a book written for people who want to learn as much as possible about the therapies available and about how to do everything possible to help the growing number of children affected with autism. According to the authors, “Autism is the country’s fastest-growing medical emergency, affecting more children than cancer, diabetes, Down syndrome and AIDS combined.” This compendium includes articles by leading doctors, therapists, teachers, scientists, educators, social workers and parents. Siri and Lyons’ goal is to update the book annually because of the rapid changes in the field.

Another very fascinating new book is The Myth of Autism: How a Misunderstood Epidemic Is Destroying Our Children by Dr. Michael J. Goldberg. Dr. Goldberg is an expert on neuro-immune and auto-immune dysfunctions and believes there is a likely connection between these treatable dysfunctions and conditions such as autism.

Please stop by Rowan Public Library soon to acquaint yourself with either the books mentioned here or the many treasures of all kinds that your library has to offer.

Cookbooks let children stir things up a little

By Edward Hirst

Rowan Public Library

Cooking with children requires time, patience and some extra cleanup, especially when the children are younger. But many experts think it is well worth the effort. Cooking with children can help get them interested in trying healthy foods they might normally turn up their noses at and Rowan Public Library has some great cookbooks for kids to help you get started.

“Pretend Soup” by Mollie Katzen and Ann Henderson is a well written and illustrated, great introduction to cooking for small children. Each recipe has detailed instructions for the grown-up helper, followed by a two-page children’s recipe that includes step-by-step pictures and simple word instructions. Unlike some other children’s cookbooks, the recipes are all real, healthful foods (“Pretend Soup” is a real recipe for a fruit salad in a yogurt/orange juice soup). Easy to follow illustrations demonstrate the recipes for the youngest chefs, while captivating cartoon characters liven the pages.

“What’s Cooking” is a fun cookbook that is both useful and well designed. Each of the 27 recipes takes up a two-page spread. On one side is the recipe, on the other a full-page color photo of the food. Even better, the book has a hidden spiral binding, so it lies flat on your countertop. Focused mainly on French cuisine, the recipes range from easy to “master chef” and are divided into five sections: breakfast; lunch; breads, salads and soups; dinner; and desserts. Many of the recipes include an extra tip, such as how to flip a crepe or what bread works best for French toast.

In “The Fun of Cooking,” author Jill Krementz visits 19 boys and girls ranging from age 6 to 16 who demonstrate that cooking can be fun. Almost 200 photos show the happy youngsters busily preparing their dishes in the kitchen. They tell why they like preparing their specialties, how they got started and other interesting details. Even the youngest exudes authority: At 6, Alix is already a master at mixing and baking apple cinnamon muffins. There are recipes for entrees, soups, salads and desserts. The chapters begin with safety rules, as nicely written as the young chefs’ comments.

If you want to cook great food that is fun and easy to make, then Emeril’s “There’s a Chef in My Soup! Recipes for the Kid in Everyone” is for you. Although the recipe titles are a little silly, the food is great, and everyone will love it. The book features 75 recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks that are truly kid friendly in their appeal. Preparation is enhanced for young cooks with how to chapters on cooking basics and kitchen safety.

You can find these and other titles to get started cooking at Rowan Public Library.

Series for September
Marissa Creamer
9/16/11

Rowan Public Library has some fresh new releases in some of our favorite series for teens and younger readers:

Gilda Joyce, everyone’s favorite psychic detective, is back with another adventure in “The Bones of the Holy,” by Jennifer Allison. The fifth installment of this popular mystery series finds Gilda in St. Augustine, Florida, reportedly one of the most haunted cities in the U.S. Although relishing the ghostly atmosphere of this historic city, Gilda is concerned about her mother’s impending wedding to Eugene Pook, an antiques dealer. Her “psychic signal” warns her that something is wrong. What happened to Eugene’s former fiancé, who mysteriously vanished many years ago? Who is the ghostly woman in white, who appears in Gilda’s dreams? (And will Gilda really ask Eugene to complete “The Joyce Family Application?”) You won’t want to miss Gilda’s most ghostly adventure yet.

Ally Carter brings us a new “Heist Society” novel: “Uncommon Criminals.” Raised in a family of art thieves, Katarina Bishop has decided to rebel by using her skills to return items to their rightful owners. Returning priceless objects of art plundered by the Nazis is one thing, but stealing the infamous Cleopatra Emerald from an unscrupulous dealer is another job altogether. Kat will need to assemble her team of cohorts and concoct a scheme to liberate the jewel, which has not been seen in public in thirty years and is said to be cursed. Could Kat be in over her head this time? It’s another whirlwind adventure around the globe as Kat seeks the elusive Cleopatra. Will she be able to dodge the curse and return the emerald to its rightful owners?

Speaking of curses, are the Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place really under a curse, as Madame Ioneseco says? There certainly are mysterious goings on when the three feral children and their governess, the unflappable Penelope Lumley, are sent to London in “The Hidden Gallery,” the latest Incorrigible adventure by Maryrose Wood. The children have made much progress since last we saw them. They hardly ever howl at the moon, and for the most part, they resist the urge to chase squirrels up trees. (But encountering the palace guards in their bearskin hats may prove to be a bit of a challenge.) This entertaining tale features a mysterious fortune-teller with an ominous warning, a horde of angry pirates, a secret passageway, and some very strange behavior by Lord Ashton during the full moon. Be on the lookout for clues to the children’s (and possibly Penelope’s) mysterious past.

Come to Rowan Public Library, where you can find the complete series for each of these exciting titles.

HIT THE ROAD
PAUL BIRKHEAD – SEPTEMBER 18, 2011

Did you hit the road this summer? My family and I took several trips to see family, so we put a lot of miles on the old minivan. Like the millions of other Americans we joined on the highway, we didn’t give much thought to how smooth and worry-free our trips were thanks to the Interstate Highway System. The Interstate Highway System began in the 1950’s and continues to provide a network of roads that make it relatively painless to drive just about anywhere in the continental United States. If you stop by Rowan Public Library, check out these materials that show just how much travelling by car has progressed through the years.

Just a century ago, travelling across the United States required major planning and a commitment to spend several months doing it. I know that’s hard to imagine, but if you need help, watch Horatio’s Drive, a DVD at Rowan Public Library. Horatio’s Drive is a PBS documentary directed by the legendary Ken Burns. The story features the remarkable journey of Horatio Nelson Jackson, a retired doctor from Vermont, who makes a wager that he can drive a car from San Francisco to New York City in 90 days. Piece of cake, right? Well, the year is 1903 and no one has completed a journey cross country in a car yet. What follows is an exciting tale of Horatio and his companions, auto mechanic Sewall Crocker and a pit bull named Bud. The journey is filled with perils and numerous setbacks. Partway through the trip, others join the race to reach New York City first. Will Horatio win the race or can he even complete it

After watching Horatio’s struggle on the bad roads crossing America, I was really grateful that we now enjoy a network of smooth interstate highways. Just how those highways came to be is a fascinating story in itself. If you’re interested in learning more about it, I recommend Earl Swift’s book, The Big Roads: The Untold Story of the Engineers, Visionaries, and Trailblazers Who Created the American Superhighways. This book sheds some light on some of the characters that helped design and build the interstate system and actually debunks some previously-held myths.

If the subject of automobiles or travelling interests you, or you enjoy learning about the history of America, hop in your car and make the quick trip over to Rowan Public Library.

Just remember to drive safely.

Library Notes
Rebecca Hyde – August 28, 2011


Have you dreamed of being a writer or are you just curious about how writers write? Then follow the example of the armchair traveler: read about the experiences of other people. You may become a better reader, if not a writer.

The following three books are not standard “how to write” manuals. They are engaging if you accept writing as a road to self-discovery, as a way of truth-telling, or turning life into art.

Roger Rosenblatt is an essayist, playwright, and novelist. He is also a professor who teaches English and writing. His book, “Unless It Moves the Human Heart: The Craft and Art of Writing,” is a narrative of one semester in his “Writing Everything” classes at Stony Brook University. In his postscript letter to his students, Rosenblatt offers parting advice: Write as if your reader needed you desperately, because he does; both you and the human heart are full of sorrow, but only one if you can speak for that sorrow and ease its burdens and make it sing.

Anne Lamott’s “Bird by Bird” describes the reality of a writer’s life: feeling overwhelmed by the task, letting perfectionism ruin your writing, having writer’s block. As Lamott’s father told her ten-year-old brother, who was struggling to write a report on birds, “Just take it bird by bird.”

Jill Conway is an autobiographer and former Smith College president. In “When Memory Speaks,” she examines the work of memoirists over the centuries, reflecting on the different ways men and women narrate their lives and why autobiography is so popular with modern readers and writers.

The fourth book is about writing a journal: “A Trail Through Leaves: The Journal as a Path to Place,” by Hannah Hinchman. Using observation and drawings, Hinchman records the details of her life. We are shown how to patiently observe and enjoy our surroundings.

Here are several more books about the experience and craft of writing. In the classic “Writing Down the Bones,” Natalie Goldberg offers help in “freeing the writer within.” Susan Witting Albert’s “Writing from Life: Telling Your Soul’s Story,” is based on her workshops on “life-writing” for women. In “Write the Story of Your Life,” Ruth Kanin examines the popularity of autobiography and also instructs through examples and suggested readings. Evelyn Nichols and Anne Lowenkopf offer practical advice in “Lifelines: A Guide to Writing Your Personal Recollections.”

Library Notes
August 21, 2011
Sara Grajek

“If you look the right way, you can see the whole world is a garden,” wrote Frances Hodgson Burnett in The Secret Garden. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise, gardening is not a hobby for the faint of heart. Blink and nature will take over. Gardens can also produce some of the most beautiful things you’ve ever seen. The following fictional books will take you into the world of gardens, families, and whimsy and perhaps remind you why you garden. Check one out at Rowan Public Library today!

Sarah Addison Allen’s Garden Spells is set in Bascom, NC, a fictional town but distinctively southern. Claire Waverly creates scrumptious dishes using edible flowers that affect the eater in unusual ways. Her garden is known throughout the town and the apple tree is rumored to grow a very special kind of fruit. Sydney, her younger sister, traveled the country for years but then silently returned one day with her 10 year old daughter. As with many stories, all is not as it seems as Sydney was running away from her abusive boyfriend. Fans of Alice Hoffman will enjoy Allen’s books, and as an added bonus, readers can find recipes from the novel on her website www.sarahaddisonallen.com.

The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton not only takes place in a garden, but throughout multiple time periods. Several characters take turns telling the story of a young girl’s mysterious disappearance from an English estate in the early 1900’s. Each part of the story becomes a piece that ties the mystery together – the aunt who spends her entire life searching for her, the fairy tales woven through the book, the stately estate with the garden hidden in the center. Morton admits to the parallels of The Secret Garden by Frances Hodges Burnett in her novel but was actually first inspired by a true “forgotten garden” in Cornwall, England, “The Lost Garden of Heligan.”

The Secret Garden was one of the last books Frances Hodgson Burnett wrote in her long career. A highly celebrated author, she was considered the J.K. Rowling of her time. Little Lord Fauntleroy was her most popular work, published in serial form in a magazine and highly anticipated by her readers before each publication. The Secret Garden was also published in serial form, released in American Magazine in 1910 before being compiled as a book in 1911. In the story, Mary Lennox discovers the door to a garden that has not been touched in ten years. As she starts to work the garden, she also makes friends with other children at Misselthwaite Manor including her mysterious cousin Colin.

Rowan Public Library will be continuing its centennial celebration with a special edition of the Book Bites Book Club. Join us Tuesday, September 13 at 6:30 pm, for a book discussion of The Secret Garden in the Stanback Room in Salisbury. Also make plans to come again on Tuesday, September 27 at 6:30 pm for a free viewing of the movie, The Secret Garden, with popcorn and lemonade!

Library Notes / August 5, 2011
Dara L. Cain


Travel the World through Childrens' Books

Reading provides your child with a wonderful opportunity to travel through books without leaving the comforts of home. Below are some noteworthy books that will open up your child’s mind to different people, places, and things. An introduction to geography, language arts, and cultural heritage can be explored in these great titles:
Wouldn’t it be fun to explore animal sounds with your child in other languages? In the book Everywhere the Cow Says Moo by Ellen Slusky Weinstein your child can learn how to say dog, frog, duck, rooster, and cow in four languages: English, Spanish, French, and Japanese. As you read the book you will be surprised to learn that the cow sounds the same in all four languages. This is a fun read that includes a list of the animals with their corresponding sounds, spellings, and pronunciations in each language.

A classroom of children receives gifts of clothing from aunts, uncles, grandparents, and great-grandparents living around the world in the story The World Turns Round and Round by Nicki Weiss. Some of the special gifts received are cowboy boots from an aunt in Colorado, a furry hat from a babushka in Russia, a dashiki from a mjomba in Kenya, and a sari from a chachi in India. At the end of the book the classmates are shown wearing their gifts and looking at a globe. Included is a map to introduce the countries discussed in the book and a small glossary with pronunciations and definitions.

Have you ever met a finicky child who didn’t want to eat his food! In the story The King’s Taster by Kenneth Oppel the cook and his dog Max encounter a fussy young king who refuses to eat the cook’s food. In an attempt to satisfy the king the cook and Max travel the world in search of the most scrumptious delicacies including french fries from France, pizza from Italy, and chilli tacos from Mexico. The story will have you laughing when Max finally discovers what has been ruining the king’s appetite and a cook’s promise to tell the king’s mother if he doesn’t eat his food.

Calabash Cat is a West African cat whose curiosity leads him on a journey to find out where the world ends in the story Calabash Cat and his Amazing Journey by James Rumford. Each time Calabash Cat thinks he has found the end of the world he meets another animal: a camel, a horse, a tiger, and then a whale who takes him further. The cat travels through a desert, the grasslands, a jungle, and an ocean but it is not until he meets a wise eagle who carries him into the sky and shows him a world without end. This story is beautifully illustrated in the “calabash” style engraving from the African country of Chad.

Baby mouse has “gone missing” and mother mouse can not find him anywhere in the story Gorilla, Gorilla by Jeanne Willis. In pursuit of her baby a big, scary gorilla chases after mother mouse shouting “Stop!” In fear that she will be eaten mother runs far away to China, Australia, the Arctic, and western America in hopes of evading Gorilla and finding Baby Mouse. Young children reading the story will be delighted to learn that Gorilla never planned to eat Mother Mouse but was only trying to return Baby Mouse safely to her. This story provides a great introduction to various countries, landscapes, and types of transportation for your child to discover.

Library Notes
July 29, 2011
Erika Kosin

One World, Many Stories Summer Reading Program

As the Rowan Public Library’s Summer Reading Program winds down, it is nice to look back and reflect on the great time we had. With this year’s theme, One World, Many Stories, we encouraged both children and teens to travel the world from home through books. While our library is fortunate to have tremendous support from both the Friends of the Rowan Public Library and the County, allowing us to fund all of the wonderful programs we offer, the emphasis is on the children reading throughout the summer. We know that many children view reading as a chore they have to complete for school, but at the library, we say reading is for fun, that is why we do not require children to read a certain list of books, instead we tell them to read what they want during the summer. Also, by allowing the children to choose the books they want to read, whether fiction, non-fiction or a picture book, they learn that the library has books that cater to each individual taste.

Those who work with children know that the simple act of reading keeps their brains engaged during the summer months and will help them stay ahead at school. In fact, studies have shown that those students who read over the summer months return to school better prepared and those who have not read tend to slip back one to two years on their reading ability. With the knowledge of how important it is for children to read over the summer, the library does it’s best to encourage children to read and so far we have seen many children doing just that. This is done by helping children keep track of the hours spent reading and rewarding them for turning in those hours in 5 hour increments, thus creating an incentive to keep reading in a fun atmosphere.

Encouragement to read does not end at the elementary school level at Rowan Public Library, we also offer summer reading programs for the students in Middle School and High School, but their program follows a different format. While this summer’s programs are ending, the teens wrapped up their final program on July 28th with a cookout at the South Branch, and the children’s programming also ended the last week in July, we do encourage everyone to keep reading until school starts at the end of August. Summer Reading 2011 may be winding down, but the staff at Rowan Public Library are already looking towards next summer’s installment and hope to see everyone back and some new participants in June of 2012.

Children ages 1 through fifth grade can turn in their hours through August 12th and our prize basket raffle winners will be announced on August 15th.

Library Notes
July 1, 2011
Lynn Denison

We’ve all heard it said that crime does not pay. Recently I came upon some facts that may refute that theory in certain instances. In April 2011 the British newspaper The Guardian published a “Crime Writers Rich List.” The list is based on recorded sales, box office returns, license fees and company accounts. The list revealed that two living crime writers from the United States, John Grisham and Dan Brown, were in first and second place. Third and fourth place go to British authors Ian Fleming and Agatha Christie. Both of these authors are deceased but continue to live on through the successful sales of their works.

John Grisham holds the title of most successful and highest earning crime writer of all time at $600,000,000. His first book, A Time to Kill, was not a success. His next book, The Firm, spent 47 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and became the bestselling novel of 1991. His next books, The Pelican Brief and The Client, were bestsellers. A Time to Kill was then republished and this time around it was also a bestseller.
Grisham usually publishes one novel a year and to date each one has been an international bestseller. Nine of his novels have been made into films.

Dan Brown is the author of numerous #1 bestselling novels, including The Da Vinci Code, which has become one of the bestselling novels of all time as well as the subject of heated debate among readers and scholars. Some of his other books include Angels & Demons, Deception Point, Digital Fortress, and the Lost Symbol. His fortune is valued at $400,000,000.

Number three on the list with a net worth of more than £100 million is British crime writer Ian Fleming, the creator of the world’s most famous secret agent, James Bond. Fleming wrote 14 James Bond novels and to date there have been 22 official James Bond films. According to “the list” more than 100 million copies of Bond books have been sold worldwide. Some of Fleming’s works available at the library are The Man with the Golden Gun, Goldfinger, and Casino Royale.

It is not surprising that the “Queen of Crime,” Agatha Christie, is named as the fourth richest on the list with a total worth of £100 million. Her crime fiction includes 67 novels, 150 short stories, and 16 plays. The Mousetrap, her most successful play, premiered in London’s West End in 1952 and is still running after more than 24,000 performances—the longest running play ever. Christie created two of fiction’s best-loved characters: the fastidious Belgian detective Hercule Poirot, and the elderly amateur sleuth Jane Marple. Christie’s own personal list of favorite novels includes And Then There Were None, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, A Murder Is Announced, and Murder on the Orient Express.

Rowan Public Library is the place to find all of the novels listed above. Many are also available in large print, as audiobooks on CDs or tape, and some movie versions on DVD. Please stop by the library soon and find out for yourself what these talented authors have created that put them at the top of the “Crime Writers Rich List.”

Library Notes
Edward Hirst
July 10, 2011

Gene Weingarten is a two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist known for both his serious and humorous work. A former editor he now writes "Below the Beltway," a weekly humor column for the Washington Post that is nationally syndicated. In 2010 he published a collection of twenty of his best feature stories that originally appeared in the Washington Post. The book is titled The Fiddler in Subway: the True Story of What Happened When a World-class Violinist Played for Handouts. He has the ability to simply tell each story as he sees it from his perspective. Many of the topics don’t sound funny such as, living with terrorism in Jerusalem or life in a remote Alaskan village plagued by alcoholism and suicide.

The book begins with the story of The Great Zucchini, one of the most popular entertainers of preschool age children in the Washington DC area. Eric Knaus as The Great Zucchini makes an annual income of $100,000 working two days a week, yet he has no idea where his money goes. He can’t drive his car since he owes $2000 in parking tickets, he is behind on his taxes and hounded by creditors. “When the lights go out it’s time to pay the bills”, Weingarten writes. Over the course of the story we learn The Great Zucchini is addicted to gambling and this is story of his struggle with his own personal flaws.

The title of the book comes from an experiment to see if rush hour commuters would recognize the talents of a world class violinist playing for handouts. One January morning commuters entering a DC subway station had no idea that the young man with the ball cap and jeans was one of the finest classical musicians in the world. Earlier that morning Joshua Bell took a cab three blocks from his hotel to the subway entrance to protect his violin, a 1713 Stradivarius worth an estimated $3.5 million dollars. For forty five minutes of playing he earned $32.17 in tips from just over a thousand subway passengers who passed him. Days before he played at a venue where the decent seats were $100 each.

In the Pulitzer Prize winning story “Fatal Distraction” he writes of the tragic phenomenon of parents who have left their young children in hot cars. He explores the events through careful reconstructions to let the parents tell their stories of blame and guilt.

“NEED A JOB?” By Pam Everhardt Bloom – July 3, 2011

Need a job? Finding a job can quickly become a full time job in itself. Whether embarking on an unforeseen job search, or planning for a positive career change, maneuvering today’s online job search and applications can be somewhat overwhelming. Your public library can provide unexpected and valuable online job information without ever having to leave your home.
To start this process at home you do need internet access. If that’s not available, free internet and computer time is available at the library. You may either log on with your library card or request a guest pass if without a card. Laptops are also available for check out within the library to patrons with proper identification and no outstanding fees or fines.

Whether at home or at the library, once on the internet, access the home page for the Rowan County Library, www.lib.co.rowan.nc.us/ . Next look at the left hand side of the page and click “Online Tools.” When Online Tools opens, click on “Jobs” and a wealth of job hunting information is available at no cost.

Since many of today’s jobs require an online application, a valid email address is required. If you don’t have an email account or need to set up an email account with your professional name, this page will immediately direct you to free email sites.

Once you’ve taken care of basics, you’ll find extensive information about application procedures. Read all the tips for success when filling out your applications and find a fact sheet to print and complete with pertinent information to carry with you on your job search.

Not quite sure how to write a resume or cover letter? Continue down the list. If looking for a specific agency to help you, the JobLink Career Center, the Employment Security Commission, and other locations, addresses, and numbers are a click away. And should you be nervous about interviewing, learn about everything from the top 35 questions to be prepared to answer, to how to dress, to what questions to ask your interviewer. Also find information about programs such as Goodwill’s Career Connections for no cost personalized career counseling with one-on-one interview coaching.

With all the preliminaries covered, it’s time to look for openings. You’ll find a list of local job listings linked to this site. In addition, you’re also able to search for jobs throughout North Carolina and the nation. Should you need to consider a total career change, other sites such as O*NET and Occupational Outlook Handbook provide information to help you choose a career that matches your interests.

In today’s economy, more and more people who never imagined having to re-enter the job market are out there looking. The better you prepare, the better your chances to find the right job match. Helpful information is just a “click” away using Rowan Public Library’s Home Page.

Good luck!

FATHERS
PAUL BIRKHEAD
JUNE 19, 2011

Dad, Daddy, Papa, Pop – no matter what you may have called him or call him still, many of us set aside time in June to honor and remember our fathers. One thing I’ve come to realize is the relationship between fathers and their children can be as complex as it can be sweet. The shelves at Rowan Public Library hold many items that talk about fathers and our relationships with them.

Good Stuff is a new book written by Jennifer Grant, daughter of the late actor Cary Grant. Through her book, Ms. Grant gives the reader a unique view into the private life of her father – a true American icon. It appears that the two shared a special father-daughter relationship and the book is filled with many fond memories and reminiscences. I’m sure those memories were made a lot clearer since Cary Grant took great care in preserving many stories, notes, and tape recordings of their time together.

Our Fathers’ War: Growing Up in the Shadow of the Greatest Generation by Tom Mathews explores the dynamics between sons and fathers from the era of World War II. Mathews’ relationship with his own father, a WWII vet, inspired his book where he reports on ten households that dealt with “generation gap” issues. While some stories are funny, others are truly sad since they drive home the point that not all wounds were left behind on the battlefield. Many times, the relationships between vets and their children were the last casualty of the war.

My Father at 100 is a memoir of Ronald Reagan written by his son, Ron Reagan. The 40th president’s 100th birthday would have been in February of this year. To commemorate this fact, Ron Reagan gives the reader some fascinating background information on the Reagan family; how they ended up in America from Ireland, and what it was like for Ronald Reagan to grow up in the Midwest during the early part of the twentieth-century. My favorite portion of the book was when Ron Reagan writes about visiting sites from his father’s childhood.

One of America’s most endearing journalists has to be the late Tim Russert. I heard him interviewed once about his relationship with his father, Big Russ, and the book he wrote in 2004 about it. I finally got around to checking out Big Russ & Me from the library last year and I was so glad I did. I actually checked out the audio book version and it sure was nice to hear Tim’s voice again. While both Tim and his father are no longer with us, these stories celebrating their special bond remain.

Another item you can listen to is NPR Driveway Moments for Dads. Part of National Public Radio’s “Radio Stories That Won’t Let You Go” series, this audio CD is dedicated entirely to stories about fathers.

Whether you choose to check out a book or an audio CD, Rowan Public Library offers many items to help celebrate fatherhood.

Gretchen Beilfuss Witt
June 2011

Garden delights

Some among us have green thumbs, my mother and daughter-in-law have them; alas I do not. However, this time of year with flowers, herbs and other plants at every corner store, the yearning increases for fresh fruits and vegetables in your shopping basket, your backyard garden patch or on your plate. While it’s true that little improvement can be made to luscious, juicy summer tomatoes lightly salted and drizzled with olive oil, experimenting with garden fare can be just as satisfying. Perla Meyers’ Fresh from the Garden explores garden produce for each season from spring asparagus to winter squash. Each season and vegetable receives a bit of attention including how to garden, serve and store. Recipes follow, short and clear, covering soups, main dishes, relishes and pickles. Simple ingredients and serving suggestions for mouth-watering recipes like Baby Red-Skinned Potatoes in Maple Nutmeg Butter make this an easy and enjoyable cookbook.

Farmer John’s Cookbook created by Farmer John Peterson extols the benefits of organic and community farming with stories, articles and recipes. It is a philosophical cookbook explaining the need for “slow” food versus fast food, organic over chemical. Recipes include Oven Sweet Potato Chips, Ginger Melon Sorbet and cornmeal crusted Fried Green Tomatoes -- a delicious foray into fixing fresh food. Check out your local farmer’s market for more inspiration.

Want to take all that fresh food out into the fresh air? Take a look at Robin Vitetta-Miller’s Picnics. Packed with scrumptious dishes ready to travel, she intersperses recipes with picnic factoids, fun bits of trivia. Did you know pique-niques first appeared in the late seventeenth century more as a potluck with everyone bringing something to the meal? It was not until later that they became excursions into the countryside. From chicken salad with raspberries and walnuts, parmesan cheese twists, and hazelnut half-moon cookies, delectable goodies are ready for a picnic basket. Suggestions for theme meals and perfect beverages accompany packing and wrapping tips.

Topping off this collection of cookbooks for the summer growing season is Simple Fresh Southern Knockout dishes with Down-home flavor by Matt and Ted Lee. Intriguing combinations abound – Watermelon Margaritas, Radish butter and Rice Pudding pops – and give just a glimpse of the tasty provisions waiting. Beautifully illustrated with mouth-watering pictures, this cookbook takes a new look at southern flavor. Pimento-cheese, a staple of southern cooking, is re-invented in Pimento-Cheese Potato Gratin, traditional Lobster rolls inspire Shrimp and deviled-egg salad rolls, and the customary Banana pudding becomes Banana Pudding Parfaits. Fresh fare and good eating await – checkout a cookbook today and tantalize your taste buds.

Library Notes

May 2011

Betty Moore


I have been enchanted recently watching several RPL DVDs that feature the joy of music and performing, especially by amateurs.

“Young@Heart” follows a chorus by that name during their final weeks of rehearsal before a big concert. It also shows the group’s performance at a prison and the emotional visit afterwards with inmates. What is unexpected is that the average age of the chorus members is 81! Their music is also unexpected. Rather than singing nostalgic hits from their youth, their repertoire ranges from James Brown to Coldplay. They have toured Europe and sung for royalty. Viewers get to know performers personally, since the documentary looks at many of them in their homes as well as in rehearsal and performance.

“Mad Hot Ballroom” follows fifth graders from New York City’s public schools as they learn ballroom dancing and prepare for competition. Going beyond the tango, jazz and other dances, viewers visit students in their homes and learn their thoughts about dance, their hopes, and their families.

“A Musical Quartet” contains four great documentaries. One of them, “Small Wonders,” is about a woman who teaches school children to play the violin. We watch her transform them from beginning musicians to performers at Carnegie Hall.

“The Audition: A Once in a Lifetime Chance on the World’s Most Famous Stage” takes you behind the scenes at the Metropolitan Opera’s National Council Auditions. It shows the intense pressures young opera singers face as they struggle to succeed in one of the most difficult professions in the performing arts. The documentary looks at several regional winners competing for a chance to sing at the Met and to launch their professional careers.

Check out 'Yours Forever: People and Their Letters'

By Rebecca Hyde

Rowan Public Library

Thomas Mallon’s “Yours Ever: People and Their Letters” is not an anthology but a love letter to the art and craft of letter writing.

It is a very personal and judgmental survey. Mallon describes it as “a kind of long cover letter to the cornucopia of titles” in the bibliography, from which the reader can choose the selected or collected letters of so-and-so.

The book is loosely organized around the circumstances of life motivating the letters: absence, friendship, advice, complaint, love, spirit, confession, war and prison.

Sorting the collections was like herding cats. And letter writing itself is changing. What is a blog? “Half diary, half letter-to-the-world,” says Mallon. If a reader is inspired to dip in or consume one of the titles mentioned, Mallon will have no regrets for the years spent on the project.

The correspondence is sometimes an introduction to a family and their times: “The most important letter Jessica Mitford ever wrote was a forgery, addressed to herself (‘Darling Decca’) at the age of nineteen on February 3, 1937.” This forged invitation to a European tour from an imaginary girlfriend and her well-positioned family was intended to be Jessica’s ticket to war-torn Spain and elopement with her second cousin. The couple transmitted news of the Spanish war for a press bureau. Mitford continued to write letters during her life as a muckraker and Communist Party member. A second marriage was long and happy. Before her death in 1996, friends had already died off, and Mitford realized that “she missed the arrival of their letters more than the people themselves.”

Examining Wilfred Owen’s World War I correspondence, Mallon remarks that Owen was never a natural soldier, rather a boy drawn to botany, evangelical religion and Keats. An older poet, Siegfried Sassoon, offered some “military-sounding” literary advice: “Sweat your guts out writing poetry,” and don’t publish too early. Owen was killed a week before the Armistice. The power of the letters, Mallon concludes, makes one almost forget that Owen’s poetry made his reputation.

Will Mallon’s book motivate us to write letters? Perhaps, if we start with a “thank-you”? See “Just a Note to Say...” by Florence Isaacs.

Library Notes
May 15, 2011
Cathy Brown

Authors have long been fascinated with the end of the world. Even the renowned Robert Frost wrote about it almost a century ago in his poem “Fire and Ice.” In the post-apocalyptic genre, however, most lean toward the fire and less toward the ice.

One of the most recent young adult series in the genre is the Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins. With casting recently announced for the main character of Katniss Everdeen in a planned movie trilogy, interest in the book series is sure to increase. In The Hunger Games, readers are introduced to the nation of Panem, which is the successor to an unknown part of the North American continent some time after a devastating war. Panem is controlled by the Capitol, located in the area of the Rocky Mountains, which originally controlled thirteen districts. However, seventy-four years before the events of The Hunger Games, District 13 rose up against the Capitol and the other twelve districts have been told that it was completely destroyed. As punishment for the rebellion, every year each of the remaining districts must send two “tributes”--one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen--to compete in the Hunger Games. The Hunger Games is a fight to the death with the sole survivor and his or her family being provided a home in the Victor’s Village in their home district, while also being paraded through Panem on a Victory Tour as a reminder to the other districts of the power of the Capitol if they ever decide to rebel again. Throughout the three novels, The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mocking Jay, Katniss becomes the inspiration for a new rebellion against the Capitol and the end of the Games.

Another young adult trilogy in the post-apocalyptic genre is the Maze Runner trilogy by James Dashner. The two published books, The Maze Runner and The Scorch Trials tell of a world that has been decimated by a solar flare and a virus called the Flare. In order to find the cure, a mysterious group called WICKED locks a group of teenage boys in a maze in a desperate attempt to find the most intelligent of those not infected. The second book picks up after the boys have left the maze, but have not yet passed the tests that WICKED deems necessary in order to find the cure. The third book in the trilogy, The Death Cure, is expected in October of 2011.

Of course, the end of the world isn’t restricted just to young adult literature. In the past two years, several adult books in the genre have been published, among them Cormac McCarthy’s The Road and Justin Cronin’s The Passage. The Road takes place after an unknown cataclysmic event has caused a “nuclear winter”. Readers follow the travels of the main characters, known simply as the man and the boy, a father and son attempting to move south in order to find warmer weather. Along the way, they fight against starvation, cannibals, and disease.

The Passage is the first in a planned trilogy of novels covering not only the apoclyptic events that end life as humanity knows it, but also a century later as the descendants struggle to continue. In The Passage, the end is brought about by a virus, meant to cure all disease, which instead causes vampire-like mutations to those that are infected. Most of the novel deals with the Colony, located in present-day California. The Colonists are the descendants of children brought there by the US Army when the virus overtook North America. They subsist on century-old generators and batteries, waiting for the day when the lights go out and they are left defenseless against the “Virals,” the name given to the infected. Cronin has given his world a supernatural twist in that the Virals are connected to the original Viral that created them. Otherwise, it fits in well with the post-apocalyptic genre.

Sara Grajek

May 8, 2011

Throughout history, there have been many great women to look to as role models. Harriet Tubman, Clara Barton, and Rosa Parks made history by standing up for what they believed in and for those who needed their help. We have made heroes out of these amazing women, and yet there are many other lesser known stories, just as much a part of our history, available at Rowan Public Library.

The Mercury 13: The Untold Story of Thirteen American Women and the Dream of Space Flight which takes place in 1960 and 1961. Author Martha Ackmann writes of 13 women selected to undergo the same rigorous testing as the Mercury 7 astronauts (which included Alan Shepard and John Glenn). Hoping to become astronauts, the women endured a battery of tests that at times seemed to border on torture. One such test, designed to see how a person would react to orbiting in a gravity-free state required the insertion of a large syringe into the ear. Cold water was trickled into the test subject’s eardrum, to throw off their balance. Nurses evaluated how quickly – or slowly - the test subject reacted. Test subjects reported loss of movement in their hands, rapid movement of the eyeballs, and staggering disorientation. The worst part was repeating it in the other ear. While preparing for the third phase of testing, the 13 were informed by NASA that they would not be moving forward. Sending a woman into space was not a priority and although the women of Mercury 13 had come further than any other in training, it would take until 1983 before a woman astronaut made it into space.

The Woman Behind the New Deal by Kirstin Downey tells the life and achievements of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Labor Secretary. Frances Perkins became the first female Secretary of Labor, agreeing to take the post in 1933 just after a plunge in the American economy that sent real estate values plummeting, un-employment rising, and the stock market into a free fall. Firm in her belief that many thought themselves wealthy, but had little savings; that companies had spent money on expensive machinery to boost productivity and employed fewer workers; Perkins created a list for the new president hoping to make a difference. After FDR was sworn in, he consulted with Perkins. She outlined her dream plan for revamping the Labor Department. In short, the department would need to provide work for the unemployed with short term public works projects, prohibit child labor, limit work days to eight hours, create a minimum wage, implement workers compensation, create unemployment compensation, provide social security for the elderly and move responsibility for immigration to another department. In their final form, these would emerge as a series of programs and departments known as the New Deal. Perkins came to the job with a strong background having witnessed the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire, served as an Industrial State Commissioner of New York (making her the highest paid woman in government at the time, and due to her talks on fire code and safety became known as a national expert on fire prevention.

Many women have played important roles in history that should be remembered. Browse Rowan Public Library’s shelves to see whose story you can discover.

Library Notes / May 1, 2011
Dara L. Cain

Happy Birthday! Gary Paulsen

Born May 17, 1939, Gary Paulsen is one of America’s most admired writers of contemporary literature for young readers. To date he has written over 175 books and 200 articles and short stories for young people and adults. Many of his books often appear on the best books list of the American Library Association and three of his novels – Hatchet, Dogsong, and The Winter Room were Newbery Honor Books. Paulsen’s books are great for young teens that enjoy reading stories set in the great outdoors and characters that experience thrilling and challenging life obstacles.

Hatchet

Thirteen year-old Brian Robeson is on a small engine plane headed north to the Canadian oil fields to visit his dad. Mid-flight the pilot has a heart attack and dies. Brian is left alone to try and land the plane. When the plane crashes into an icy lake Brian narrowly escapes with his life. The plane is too damaged to radio for help. Armed with only the hatched his mother gave him as a gift and the clothes on his back Brian must learn how to survive alone in the Canadian woods. This is the first book in the Brian’s Saga series. The other titles in the series are The River, Brian’s Winter, and Brian’s Return.

Dogsong

A young teenage boy named Russel Susskit can’t bear to wake up in the morning to the sound of his father’s coughing, the piercing noises of the snow machines, and the stench of diesel oil. He is frustrated with the modern ways of his Eskimo village and longs for the traditions and the songs that celebrated his people. Inspired by the words of the wise Eskimo shaman Oogruk, Russel sets out on a journey with the last remaining dog team in his village. Traveling across tundra, ice floes, tundra, and mountains Russel is troubled by a powerful dream of a long-ago self whose adventures mirror his own. Russel’s heroic journey of self-discovery and his yearning desire to find his own song will ultimately change his life forever.

The Winter Room

Eldon and his older brother Wayne live on a farm in northern Minnesota with their parents, their Uncle David, and their great-uncle. During the course of a year follow this family through the change in seasons while they do the plowing, the harvest and the butchering. The best time of the year is winter when Eldon and his brother spend their evenings in the winter room gathered around the wood stove listening to their Uncle David tell amazing stories. One evening Uncle David tells the story of “The Woodcutter,” and Eldon immediately realizes that his uncle is not the person he believed him to always be. This story has the ability to change everything for the brothers.

Travel back in time to other places with Historical Fiction
By Erika Kosin

These days, the term historical fiction is not as taboo amongst children, especially girls, due to the popularity of historical fiction series such as American Girls and Dear America. Many youngsters who found a love of these stories set in different time periods usually develop an appreciation for historical fiction that carries through into their late teens. What these lucky few find out is that there are many wonderful stories out there that can be found in history and historical fiction is a great place to start.

Many 4th through 8th grade students, however, will answer with a resounding no when asked if they like historical fiction. On the other hand, if you ask them if they would like to read a book about a boy living on Alcatraz with Al Capone as in Al Capone Does My Shirts, or the book Blue about a girl living in North Carolina during the Polio outbreak, they might be slightly more interested. While the authors of these works may have spent months or years conducting historical research in order to accurately set the time and place, the experiences of the characters have to resonate with the youth of today in order to peak their interest. Some interesting stories that can be found at the Rowan Public Library include:

Black Duck by Janet Taylor Lisle – On the beaches of Newport, RI in 1929, Reuben Hart and his best friend Jeddy find a dead body washed up along the shore. They are certain the man is a bootlegger, trying to smuggle liquor onto shore. Suddenly the two are engrossed in the illegal activities happening in their town and when they meet the charismatic captain of the elusive Black Duck, the legendary rum-running boat that worked off of the coast of New England during the time of prohibition, find they are in too deep.

Historical House Series by various authors – This set of six books takes a look at 6 different girls who all lived at No. 6 Chelsea Walk, England during the years 1764, 1857, 1895, 1914, 1941 and 1969. While each twelve-year-old girl has very different experiences tied to the time-period they grew up in, the house, starting as a girl’s school in 1764 and becoming an apartment building by 1914, and the town they live in also accurately portrays the changes in time. This series are for those who like the American Girls series.

Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznik – Set in Paris, this award winning book takes place in 1931 Paris, as 12-year old Hugo lives in the walls of the train station making sure the clocks are running on time. When he befriends a young girl and her grandfather, a toy maker, he is taken on a journey of self-discovery and science as he unravels the mystery of the automated man that his father left behind. Told through both text and illustrations even reluctant readers may find this one interesting.

Nory Ryans Song by Patricia Reilly Giff – The Irish potato famine that began in 1845 was caused by a blight that attacked the potato crops. When 12-year old Nory Ryan wakes up to the foul smell of rotting potatoes, she can’t shake the works of her Grandmother, that without the potato crop they would all starve. As hunger quickly sets in, Nory refuses to give up and uses her new found strength to try to save her family as her community falls apart as they dream of moving to America where no one goes hungry.

Library Notes
Cathy Brown

Did you know that all the really famous (or should that be infamous?) poisoners in history have names that begin with the letter ‘C’? Eleven-year-old Flavia de Luce does. Thanks to the Victorian-era chemistry laboratory left behind by her uncle, Tar de Luce, Flavia knows a great deal about chemistry—both the kind that will kill and the kind that will just really annoy her older sisters.

In the Flavia de Luce series, Canadian Alan Bradley has created a unique heroine. Flavia lives in the small British village of Bishop’s Lacey, which seems to have more than its fair share of murder and intrigue, in the post-World War II years. While being tormented by her sisters and seemingly never able to please her philatelist father, Flavia dreams of the day she will be recognized as the great chemist she knows she is. To that end, Flavia uses her knowledge to help the local police (whether they want her help or not) in the first three novels of a planned six: The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, The Weed that Strings the Hangman’s Bag, and A Red Herring Without Mustard.

One does not have to have Flavia’s knowledge of poisons to enjoy the books, but don’t make the mistake of thinking these are just standard murder mysteries either. With Flavia as the novels’ narrator, Bradley has done a wonderful job of letting the reader see the citizens of Bishop’s Lacey through the eyes of a child. Flavia may be “book smart” beyond her years, but she is not as nearly “street smart,” which leads to her placing herself in a series of dangerous situations in her efforts to find the truth.

Published in 2009, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie involves Flavia in a murder that occurs in her father’s cucumber patch. Through her knowledge of the chemicals, pure stubbornness and riding a bicycle named Gladys, Flavia not only solves that murder, but also solves the twenty-year-old mystery of the suicide of her father’s school headmaster.

Last year, Flavia returned in The Weed that Strings the Hangman’s Bag. When the citizens of Bishop’s Lacey witness the death of a nationally renowned puppeteer during a show, Flavia (and Gladys) once again ride in to bring the killer to justice. In the process, Flavia uses her deductive skills to solve the mysterious eight-year-old death of a local child and find, along with discovering a local drug ring.

This past February, Flavia’s latest adventure, A Red Herring Without Mustard, was published. Due to her guilt over accidentally burning down a gypsy tent, Flavia is tied to one murder attempt, one actual murder, and accidentally solves the mystery of an infant that disappeared several years before.

Those that enjoy a good mystery will definitely take delight in the antics and deductive powers of young Flavia. Contact Rowan Public Library to check out any of the books in the series and to find other great mysteries.

Library Notes
Edward Hirst
If you have been in a grocery store over the last few months it will come as no surprise that prices are rising. One way to ease the crunch from a tight food budget and high prices at the store is to plant a garden. But, what if you live in an apartment or just don’t have much space to create a garden? You can create a small space garden, and at Rowan Public Library we have just the books you need to get started.

My favorite book on this subject is Sugar Snaps and Strawberries by Andrea Bellamy.
Bellamy writes that, “A movement to embrace home-grown edibles, whether propelled by economics or the hope for sustainability, is taking shape around us”.

Her introduction leads to the basics of creating a garden in a small space, in which beauty combines with functionality. Bellamy offers design tips as she discusses assessing space, common site problems, preparing containers, raised beds, and soil; sowing; growing; maintaining plant health; pruning; and harvesting. She highlights edibles from apples to zucchini, with details for the cultivation and enjoyment of each fruit and vegetable, including useful growing tips and information on the most popular varieties. Of particular intrest are Bellamy’s suggestions for “veggie patches” on balconies, patios, and the tiniest of city plots.

Other books at the library that you may find helpful on this subject are Lasagna Gardening for Small Spaces: a Layering System for Big Results in Small Gardens and Containers by Patricia Lanza; Raised-Bed Vegetable Gardening Made Simple: the Three-Module Home Vegetable Garden by Raymond Nones; Beds and Borders: Traditional and Original Garden Designs by Wendy B. Murphy.

Dr. Betty Middleton

Rowan Public Library

SALISBURY — If you are a fan of Patricia Cornwell’s medical examiner novels, then you will love Kathy Reichs’ Dr. Temperance Brennan.

Kathy Reichs’ first novel, “Deja Dead,” propelled her into the spotlight when it became a New York Times bestseller and won the 1997 Arthur Ellis Award for Best First Novel.

To date, she has written 13 novels which have been translated into 30 languages. Her books have been the inspiration for the Fox television series “Bones,” with Temperance “Bones” Brennan as the main character.

A large portion of the novels is based on Kathy Reichs’ real-life experiences.

She is adamant about getting the scientific explanations correct to help the reader better understand her chosen field.

Currently, Reichs is a professor of anthropology at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte, a consultant for the Laboratoire de Sciences Judiciaires et de Medecine Legale for the province of Quebec, and she has also consulted with the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Chapel Hill.

In the novel “Break no Bones,” Dr. Temperance “Tempe” Brennan takes her archaeological students from UNCC to work on a site of prehistoric graves on Dewees, a barrier island north of Charleston, S.C. During their excavation they uncover a “not so prehistoric” body.

“Fatal Voyage” brings the forensic anthropologist back to North Carolina to join the Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Team in the investigation of an airplane crash in North Carolina’s Smoky Mountains. She stumbles upon a body part that doesn’t match up with the remains of any of the plane’s passengers. As usual, she works to trace the remains, which turn out to belong to a man killed 40 years ago.

In “Cross Bones,” the death of a middle-aged orthodox Jew in Montreal leads Brennan to the Holy Land, where the clues lead to ossuaries found in Masada and Jerusalem. The carbon 14 dating of the ancient skeletons indicates a first century AD connection and the names seem to link all of this to the family of Jesus.

Brennan, the fictional heroine in the novels, also a forensic anthropologist, shows the parallels with the real life of Dr. Kathy Reichs. Reichs’ ability to hold the reader’s attention is due to the real-life experiences she brings to her writing, and the professional expertise which helps her explain the details so we can all understand.

Library Notes
March 12, 2011
Lynn A. Denison

An intriguing title caught my eye recently as I was browsing the section in the library for new nonfiction. The title is How to Get Things Really Flat. Reading the subtitle piqued my interest even more: Enlightenment for Every Man on Ironing, Vacuuming and Other Household Arts. I found myself reading and laughing out loud at some of the ridiculously funny anecdotes the British author Andrew Martin describes. Although the target audience is men, the tips are helpful for women as well. This is not a dry guide to doing household chores. Some of the chapter headings will give you an idea of the book’s tone: Chapter 3 on ironing includes sections such as “Do I Need to Bother with the Controls on the Iron?” and “What Is the Worst Thing That Can Happen During Ironing?” Chapter 6 on dusting includes a section on “During Dusting, Where Does the Dust Go?” Chapter 7 on cleaning includes a section on “How to Impress People with Bicarbonate of Soda.”

This book set me on the trail of similar “How To” books that we might have on our shelves. The trail led to two books written by Erien Bried, How to Sew a Button and Other Nifty Things Your Grandmother Knew and How to Build a Fire and Other Handy Things Your Grandfather Knew. The author, a senior staff writer at SELF magazine for the last nine years, gives hope to the domestically challenged among us in a practical, useful, yet humorous manner. Some of my favorite topics in How to Sew a Button include, “How to Properly Fold a Fitted Sheet.”, “How to Use Vinegar to Clean Almost Anything”, “How to Rid Your House of Mice”, and “How to Polish Your Image by Shining Your Own Shoes.”

Written for men but with women still in mind is the wonderfully helpful, back-to-basics, you can do anything guide, How to Build a Fire. Whereas How to Sew a Button deals with home-ec type things, this book offers a number of lessons on being a grown up. Some of my favorite tips include: “How to Keep a Secret”, ‘How to Make a Good Cup of Coffee”, “How to Buy a Car”, and even “How to Make Toast.”

The explanations in each book are short but helpful and most importantly, fun. After reading these books from the library, you may even decide to purchase two or three to keep on hand. They make wonderfully impromptu gifts for friends and family. As a librarian, I always feel that a book you have read and then care enough to share with a friend is a pretty special gift. Of course, Rowan Public Library is your headquarters for all kinds of “How To” books. Come by to check out our wide selection on books of all topics and experience the friendly and helpful service we always strive to provide for our patrons.

WAR STORIES
PAUL BIRKHEAD – MARCH 6, 2011

“I have seen enough of one war never to wish to see another.”
~ Thomas Jefferson

There are a multitude of quotes about war and seldom will you find ones glamorizing it. Just like General Sherman famously said, “War is Hell.” If you haven’t actually been in combat, one way to get a feel for warfare is to read a memoir of someone who witnessed the horror first-hand. Rowan Public Library’s shelves are stocked with personal narratives from servicemen and women who have fought in all branches of America’s armed forces.

An Ace of the Eighth: an American Fighter Pilot’s Air War in Europe is a first-person account of World War II written by Norman “Bud” Fortier. Mr. Fortier was an aviator in the U.S. Army Air Corps who flew over one hundred combat missions in the skies above Europe. This narrative is full of interesting facts about the men and the aircraft that helped subdue Nazi Germany and is punctuated with photographs of Fortier, his comrades, and the aircraft that they piloted.

In No Bugles, No Drums, the setting is the Korean War. In this book, freelance journalist Rudy Tomedi gathered the reminiscences of dozens of Korean War veterans. Set roughly in chronological order, these narratives tell the story of the conflict in Korea from several points of view which makes for very interesting reading.

We Were Soldiers Once and Young by Harold Moore is the story of a small group of American soldiers in the 7th Cavalry who fought against all odds in the first significant engagement with Viet Cong regulars in Vietnam. In this battle, fought in the fall of 1965, the Lt. Col. who commanded the American forces was none other than the author himself. The book is sure to shock the reader with its descriptions of the bloody and gritty combat experiences of Moore and the men of his battalion. By the way, if the book’s title sounds familiar, it was made into a movie starring Mel Gibson back in 2002.

Speaking of personal narratives of war, and Vietnam in particular, Rowan Public Library is partnering with Waterworks Visual Arts Center to honor and illustrate the Vietnam experiences of Rowan County servicemen and women. Photos and oral histories are being collected at Rowan Public Library and will culminate in a photography exhibit at Waterworks in August 2011. Please call Paul Birkhead, at RPL’s East Branch (704-216-7841) if you would like more information.

Gretchen Beilfuss Witt
February 21, 2011


Going Green

Our culture is increasingly aware of the impact our choices make on our environment. Recycling is part of our everyday life, yet when it comes to larger concerns, what can we do? I have a house built in the 1920s which I love; it has character and a coziness which makes it home. Yet it is drafty, hard to heat and it's not getting any younger. As rooms are remodeled and appliances need to be replaced, how can I maintain my cozy cottage and have a healthier, more energy efficient home that is kinder to the environment?

Barry Katz's "Practical Green Remodeling" has some of the answers. This colourful and engaging work clearly explains what the advantages of a green home are from an economic as well as from a philosophical stand. Even small improvements can make a big difference; "If just one quarter of the single-family homes in the United States reduced their energy use by 20%, it would prevent 48 million tons of CO2 from being released into the atmosphere each year." Katz categorizes the fundamentals of green housing into three classifications – "energy efficiency, resource conservation and healthy living environments."

He offers practical advice on finding a green contractor and what questions to ask. Excellent examples and sidebars illustrate how to build or remodel with the least impact to the environment without sacrificing aesthetics or comfort. The book explains R-Values and what can be done to reduce a buildings demand for heat and cooling. Katz discusses the types of appliances, heating units, toilets, faucets and other items that use resources of all types. Energy Policy acts and EPA criteria are addressed as well as how to comply with new equipment requirements. He offers practical advice on how to save water without it costing you a cent. Did you know that by cutting one minute from a daily shower can save 1,000 gallons of water per year per person? Or putting a few drops of food coloring in your toilet tank can help you determine if you have a leak.

Katz also discusses types of healthy, sustainable, non-toxic materials to use in construction, interior design and decorating. House plans, air flow illustrations and other helpful diagrams are plentiful and make this a very usable resource. "Toward a Zero Energy Home" by Johnston and Gibson, "A Healthy Home Handbook" by John Warde and "How to Plan, Contract and Build your own Home" by Scutella and Heberle are among the books related to green building, energy efficiency and healthy home environments waiting to be checked out.

Serendipity at the Library
by Betty Moore

What better place for serendipity could there be than a library? “Serendipity” is accidentally stumbling upon something fortunate, especially while looking for something completely unrelated.
Have you ever come to the library to get one particular item, then left with several others – after overhearing another reader tell how much he enjoyed what he just turned in, or passing by an interesting DVD on the “New DVD” rack by the door? Maybe you came in to get a tax form and discovered the ongoing Friends Book Sale.

Give yourself the time to discover things you didn’t even know you wanted to know – at the library! Recently, a gentleman asking a question at the reference desk told me, “Last year I made a resolution to spend at least an hour in the library each week.” He was pleased with what he’d learned over the year, just by setting aside a time for exploring the library.
It’s not too late to add this to your own New Year’s resolutions.

Maybe you’ve never been on the second floor or visited the children’s room. You may not have taken the time to look at the display cases, or decorative stained glass windows. You may not know there are murals and sculpture. You may not have seen the historic maps and prints.
Wander through the 149 magazines and 13 North Carolina and national newspapers at Headquarters. I recently passed through the magazine section at the Salisbury branch and a circus train on the cover of “Trains” magazine caught my eye. The fascinating photo-filled cover story on “what it takes to put Ringling on the rails” contains circus train history and culture as well as how older cars are adapted for circus train use.

Finally, treat yourself by visiting a library branch you’ve never been to before. Rowan Public Library’s Salisbury, China Grove, and Rockwell locations each have attractive, comfortable surroundings full of resources with unique activities and displays. You’ll be surprised and pleased to see both familiar and different things at each branch, plus you’ll get to meet other helpful, friendly staff members.
Be open to serendipity at the library!

Library Notes
Rebecca Hyde


The question could be “Can you tell me about yourself?” or “Why did you (or could you) do that?” or “What are my options?” Our answers may or may not come easily. Understanding why we think the way we do (our personal philosophy) is difficult for most of us. Why make the effort? Our philosophy can help or hinder us. As Lou Marinoff says, in “Plato not Prozac,” we need to “evaluate the ideas we hold to craft an outlook that works for us, not against us.”

A famous and engaging example of one who lived a “well-examined” life is Michel de Montaigne. He was as curious as a cat, absorbed in his task of learning “how to live well.” As Phillip Lopate says (“The Art of the Personal Essay”), “Montaigne’s circling, minute self-observations … remind one more of a cat examining its fur.” And what was life like for Montaigne?

Montaigne lived in a time of war and treachery (France, 1533-1592). He was a political advisor, officeholder, landowner, and head of household. He lived in dread of the “kidney stone,” a particularly painful disease from which his father had died. And he never ceased to mourn the death of a dear friend (Etienne de La Boetie, author of a moving treatise against tyranny). Montaigne’s affairs with women and his tedious duties in local government could not divert him from his need to come to terms with grief, pain, and fear of death. So he began a lifelong examination of the human condition and a struggle to accept it through self-study. This very personal endeavor produced the “Essais” (“attempts” or “trials” in French), and Montaigne is commonly referred to as “the first great essayist” or “greatest essayist.” In any case in the “Essays” are found the elements of the personal essay as a literary form: a reflexive conversation, an intimate and relaxed discussion of life/reality as experienced by the “I” author.

In “The Art of the Personal Essay,” Lopate chose to include three of the hundred or so “Essais.” In “Of Books,” Montaigne the critical reader speaks his mind freely because his opinion is the measure of his personal insight, not the measure of things. He reads for pleasure, or for knowledge that “instructs me in how to die well and live well.” The two other selections reveal an individual who is tolerant yet curious about the differences among human beings (“Of a Monstrous Child”) and rather egalitarian when examining the sexuality of men and women (“On Some Verses of Virgil”). Skeptical, undogmatic, with a generous dose of self-forgiveness, Montaigne insists that we look at our own personal experience and try to learn from it.