New Biographies for Movie Fans!

For movie fans, new biographies of two of the most influential and successful directors in recent years.

George Lucas : A Life by Brian Jay Jones

On May 25, 1977, a problem-plagued, budget-straining independent science-fiction film opened in a mere thirty-two American movie theaters. Conceived, written, and directed by a little-known filmmaker named George Lucas, the movie originally called The Star Wars quickly drew blocks-long lines, bursting box-office records and ushering in a new way for movies to be made, marketed, and merchandised. It is now one of the most adored-and successful-movie franchises of all time.

If Star Wars wasn't game-changing enough, Lucas went on to create another blockbuster series with Indiana Jones, and he completely transformed the world of special effects and the way movies sound. His innovation and ambition forged Pixar and Lucasfilm, Industrial Light & Magic, and THX sound.

With interviews from Lucas's colleagues and competitors, Brian Jones offers tantalizing glimpses into his life. 

Steven Spielberg : A Life in Films by Molly Haskell

“Everything about me is in my films,” Steven Spielberg has said. Taking this as a key to understanding the hugely successful moviemaker, Molly Haskell explores the full range of Spielberg’s works for the light they shine upon the man himself. Through such powerhouse hits as Close Encounters of the Third Kind, E.T., Jurassic Park, and Indiana Jones, to lesser-known masterworks like A.I. and Empire of the Sun, to the haunting Schindler’s List, Haskell shows how Spielberg’s uniquely evocative filmmaking and story-telling reveal the many ways in which his life, work, and times are entwined.

Spotlight: Large Print Cozies

     This week, I decided to shed a spotlight on one of my favorite genres: Cozy mysteries, or "cozies". According to Wikipedia:* "Cozy mysteries, also referred to as "cozies", are a sub-genre of crime fiction in which sex and violence are downplayed or treated humorously, and the crime and detection take place in a small, socially intimate community." We have a huge selection in fiction, audio, mp3, and large print. Today, the focus will be on some of our newer large print cozies.
     (*I know, I know; I am loathe to use this as a reference, but it's an easy and simple definition.)

   The Diva Serves High Tea: a Domestic Diva Mystery is written by Krista Davis. The Parlour opens up in town and domestic diva Sophie Winston is ecstatic that she now has somewhere to satisfy her cravings for all things tea and crumpet. This quaint little shop also serves as a place for the women of town to gather, gossip, and check out the affable and dapper Robert Johnson who runs the new antique store across the street. All the gossip about Robert seems innocent enough until he is found dead--an apparent poisoning--after attending a fundraiser at The Parlour the previous evening. Will Sophie be able to put the clues together to save her new favorite watering hole?

     Egg Drop Dead is a Cackleberry Club Mystery by Laura Childs. The big secret to the Cackleberry Club cafe's success is maintaining a good personal relationship with each of their suppliers. Naturally, when Suzanne has to go to Mike Mullen's dairy to pick up some wheels of cheese, she is more than happy to do so. When she arrives, however, Mike is nowhere to be seen, so she decides to check the barn where she finds the poor man's body. Suzanne, Petra, and Toni are outraged that one of their favorite suppliers has been disposed of like the muck in the stalls and they vow to find out who has committed this horrible crime. But as they get closer to the truth, the killer becomes desperate and decides that the ladies of the Cackleberry Club must be put out to pasture, permanently!

     Cat With A Clue is a Bookmobile Cat Mystery by Laurie Cass. Minnie is shelving books in the library early one morning when she stumbles upon something unusual and very disturbing--a dead body. The authorities identify the woman as a visitor who came to Chilson, Michigan to attend her great-aunt's funeral. What no one can figure out, however, is why the woman was in the library after hours. The police also seem to be preoccupied with a string of strange break-ins as well. As wild rumors about the woman begin to circulate, Minnie and her black-and-white tabby, Eddie, have decided they are going to preserve the library's reputation by finding the killer. They track down clues as they drive the bookmobile around the county and Minnie will leave no page unturned in their quest!

Arab-American Heritage Month

April is Arab-American Heritage Month, looking at the United States citizens whose families immigrated from an Arabic country (Algeria, Bahrain, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen).

Follow us on Facebook or our Pinterest page to see who is in the spotlight!

National Poetry Month

     April is National Poetry Month in the United States. According to the Academy of American Poets at www.poets.org/national-poetry-month: 

"National Poetry Month is the largest literary celebration in the world, with tens of millions of readers, students, K-12 teachers, librarians, booksellers, literary events curators, publishers, bloggers, and, of course, poets marking poetry’s important place in our culture and our lives. 

While we celebrate poets and poetry year-round, the Academy of American Poets was inspired by the successful celebrations of Black History Month (February) and Women’s History Month (March), and founded National Poetry Month in April 1996 with an aim to:

• highlight the extraordinary legacy and ongoing achievement of American poets,
• encourage the reading of poems,
• assist teachers in bringing poetry into their classrooms,
• increase the attention paid to poetry by national and local media,
• encourage increased publication and distribution of poetry books, and 
• encourage support for poets and poetry."

Allow yourself to be re-introduced to poets like:

Langston Hughes--The Negro Speaks of Rivers (To W.E.B. DuBois)

     I've known rivers:

     I've known rivers ancient as the world and older than the

                         flow of human blood in human veins.

    I bathed in the Euphrates when dawns were young.

    I built my hut near the Congo and it lulled me to sleep.

    I looked upon the Nile and raised the pyramids above it.

    I heard the singing of the Mississippi when Abe Lincoln

                         went down to New Orleans, and I've seen its muddy

                         bosom turn all golden in the sunset.

    I've known rivers:

    Ancient, dusky rivers.

    My soul has grown deep like the rivers.

And:

Carl Sandburg--Fog

    The fog comes

    on little cat feet.

    It sits looking

   over harbor and city

   on silent haunches

   and then moves on.

And, let's not forget:

Maya Angelou--Country Lover

    Funky blues

    Keen toed shoes

    High water pants

    Saddy night dance

    Red soda water

    and anybody's daughter

Whether you prefer the Haiku, Limerick, Elegy, Epic, Sonnet, or Free Verse, visit your local library to see what all the fuss is about.