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NYPL TeenLIVE: Adam Silvera Returns to the Bronx at Francis Martin Library

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More Happy Than Not

October 21 was a great day for the Bronx. Why, you might ask? Because debut author Adam Silvera got the opportunity to speak to teens from his neck of the boroughs since the release of More Happy Than Not.

What would you do if you could erase all of your bad memories? Just a simple nip and tuck, and poof-gone! Those memories are a thing of the past. And you're in luck because the Leteo Institute has got what you need!

The novel opens following the loss of the main character's (Aaron) father to suicide. As the months go on Aaron tries to rediscover what it means to be happy and so far doing well with the support of his amazing girlfriend, Genevieve, and his mom. But it doesn't seem be enough these days and with Genevieve headed off to camp for the next couple weeks, Aaron's stuck trying to keep himself busy. Enter the new kid, Thomas, from the other side of the projects. Things are going great and Aaron begins to think that maybe there is some happiness left in world after all. But as they get closer, Aaron's old crew isn't cool with it the closeness between Thomas and him. Aaron's faced with violent outcomes and struggles with the repercussions of his feelings. Remember the Leteo Institute? Forget all your problems! Aaron struggles with whether or not he should go ahead and get the procedure done. Do you face your memories or do you delete them? Get a copy near you and find out!

Teens gathered from near and far (mostly near) to meet an author for the first time. How often you get to meet the people behind the books, let alone one from your own neighborhood? Tables were pushed together in the Teen Corner and teens filed in, set their stuff down, and got comfortable.

Adam showed up way early and chatted with some of them as we prepared for talking about his new book. In a casual Q&A,  Adam answered all kind of questions ranging from "what challenges did you face?" to "are you writing more books?" to "what inspired you to write this?" The teens found this to be insightful as a couple of them are aspiring writers themselves, while the rest just enjoyed that they could kick back and hang out with Adam.

After, the discussion we held a "write-in workshop" with the author as a way for teens to write alongside a real writer and just be silly. The workshop prompt was to write a list of 5 crazy things you'd like to try in your life and then to write about it. And boy did we get silly. From skydiving to bungee jumping to being in a cage surrounded by sharks, we wrote and laughed. 

Overall, it was a great success and we at Francis Martin Library are grateful to have such an opportunity to really connect teens with not just what they're reading, but who's behind it. 

More Happy Than Not
Adam Silvera at Francis Martin Library

Recent Acquisitions in the Jewish Division: November 2015

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The following titles on our Recent Acquisitions Display are just a few of our new books, which are available at the reference desk in the Dorot Jewish Division. Catalog entries for the books can be found by clicking on their covers.

Becoming Un-Orthodox
Ben-Gurion
Jewish Culture in Early Modern Europe
Jewish-Greek Tradition
Maimonides
Making of Jewish Revolutionaries
Migrating Tales
Poverty, Charity, and Image of the Poor
Scots Jews
Spanish Attitudes Towards Jerusalem
Tales of Three Cities
Traditional Society in Transition
A Vocabulary of Desire
Urban Origins of American Judaism

Becoming Un-Orthodox: Stories Of Ex-hasidic Jews by Lynn Davidman

Ben-Gurion: Father Of Modern Israel by Anita Shapira (also available as e-book)

Disappeared Science: Biographical Dictionary Of Jewish Scholars From Bohemia And Moravia by Michal V. Šimůne (ed.)

I Thought I'd Never Taste This Again by Mercedes Castiel

Jewish Culture In Early Modern Europe by Richard I. Cohen (ed.)

Jewish-Greek Tradition In Antiquity And The Byzantine Empire edited by James K. Aitken

Maimonides And The Shaping Of The Jewish Canon by James A. Diamond

Making Of Jewish Revolutionaries In The Pale Of Settlement by Inna Shtakser

Mame-loshn fun Naḥum Sṭuṭshḳoṿ: redaḳṭirṭ fun Leyzer Burḳo

Migrating Tales: The Talmud's Narratives And Their Historical Context by Richard Kalmin

Our City!: Jewish Vienna -- Then To Now by Werner Hanak-Lettner (published)

Poverty, Charity And The Image Of The Poor In Rabbinic Texts From The Land Of Israel by Yael Wilfand

Scots Jews: Identity, Belonging And The Future photographs by Judah Passow

Spanish Attitudes Toward Judaism by Adolfo Kuznitzk

Tales Of Three Cities: Urban Jewish Cultures In London, Berlin, And Paris (c. 1880-1940) by Tobias Metzler

Traditional Society In Transition: The Yemeni Jewish Experience by Bat-Zion Eraqi Klorman

Urban Origins Of American Judaism by Deborah Dash Moore (also available as e-book through Project Muse)

Vocabulary Of Desire: The Song Of Songs In The Early Synagogue by Laura S. Lieber

Five From Dalkey Archive

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Dalkey Archive's specialty lies within curating and bringing forth names in literature that are often left out of the conversation. Many of these titles fall under avant garde, while others are titles that have been forgotten about, or never translated for the English speaking world. Founded in Chicago in the mid 1980s, and now with a new home at the University of Houston-Victoria, Dalkey has continually expanded the much needed world of quality translations for works that yearn for the proper attention. With a heavy focus on the modernists and post-modernists, many a title in their catalog are not standard narratives, but rather works that experiment with the linearity of storytelling, or works that try to capture the underbelly of human psychology.

Not only does Dalkey serve as an archive, but they keep up with the contemporary scene as well, with fiction, non-fiction, theory and more. With many different series, and partnerships with other cultural institutions in various countries, Dalkey is keeping a vision committed to connecting literature across oceans. They are a vital press in a sea of homogenized literature, and keep coming out with titles well worth reading.  

C.S. Giscombe writes for identity, writes for location, and writes to create wisdom. As a black poet, Giscombe also writes to share his own vision of the black aesthetic and in his own way, the experiences that he had and has, as being a black voice being published. Whether through references to other artists, or through himself, one cannot help but feel that Giscombe is intent on sharing; his thoughts, his ideas, his metaphors, his words.
 
"Location's what you come to; it's the low point, it usually repeats."
 
So says the author in the second line from the first poem ("Downstate") in the first section ("Nameless") of C.S. Giscombe's wonderful poetry collection Prairie Style
 
It is this line which represents the heart of Prairie Style, a collection of locations, dreams, stories, whispers and writings through history. Where once, being concrete was a measure of value, we now recognize the worth of a fleeting motion and the change that accompanies time.
 
"Property's a measure of elimination." Giscombe states with confidence and ease, passing down and "Tempting for the voice to locate its noise, to speak of or from." His poems wander, his titles will sometimes repeat, leaving you to trace his steps and locate the differences. 
 
In Here, Giscombe created a single poem, which takes place in three settings, once again, drawing on the power and notions of geography. We get dates, locations, questions, statements. Trains, transportation, place, language used as if it were a flowing river, time continues, and yet we have a constant reminder that the past continually remains open. 
 
Broken up into three parts this historical narrative brings us to the 50's and 60s in the South, to paintings from the 1850s by a black painter Robert S. Duncanson to the present, all in seeking to show continuity and difference. Giscombe's poems can be read trance-like and with emotion, or on the other side of that, can be read with an in-depth quality, one that seeks to discover, to look further in and to get all that Giscombe wants us to get. 
 

For me, the poetry is (more than) double sided, and in this way Giscombe's poetry presents us with poetry that on the surface reads beautifully, and yet is filled with meaning as if it was a philosophy reader. Giscombe writes with an ability to define experience and yet leaves open just enough space for ourselves to find ourselves and our daily realities being surrounded by his words as well.

Giscome Road
Finally, Giscome Road, a large book in size, though only 60 or so pages long, which is dealing with the travels of explorer John Robert Giscome, and as such, focuses on historical documents, maps, and other documents to help us discover and explore on our own the differing rationales in life. Giscombe employs the same techniques that W.G. Sebald uses in his novels, which as well are used to create a preservation of the past, and relate that past to the modern day, providing a genuity through self-exploration, in which we are forced to discover meaning on our own. 
 
Giscombe is on another level with Giscome Road and unlike the rest of his poetry books on Dalkey which eschew the maps, and the roads, and the roadblocks, this poetry collection is powerful gestures that reach out. This collection is made for those that want to read a good book and those that put that book down so that they can write their own narratives; those that talk to themselves while stumbling down a road and wishing they had a notebook.
 
Poetry, symbols, conversations, texts, searching for meaning, whether meant by Giscombe or a cursory wisdom that we stumble upon through our own readings, sketches, a figure in the sand, a knowledge when we figure out the wisdom that we always held,
 
This and the rest of his collection of poetry are must reads in my world, and not generally being a person that reads and re-reads, we can add him to the shelf of re-reads, to figure out  how rainy days change our ideas in relation to his words, how a bright sunny day can effect the readings of Giscombe.
 
The Family of Pascal Duarte
Camilo Jose Cela
The Family of Pascal Duarte.
In what starts as the telling of a memoir by Pascual Duarte, shifts into a nightmarish story of one man, writing from his cell awaiting execution. Through his writings, Duarte tells about the world around him, being impoverished, with a series of horrors happening, which had caused him to lead a life of being an outsider towards the law, a cold-hard criminal and a justification laden crime spree. Cela is capable of creating life as an existential nightmare, in which meaning and chaos combine to provide absolute meaninglessness that traps us all in a sort of void. 
 
We are first introduced to the story as being a story transcribed from papers found at a pharmacy, and though the transcriber has worked out the "rough pages" that were written on maniacally by Duarte, they also left out some of the more grotesque parts, or so they say. Leading us to already imagine of how severe this book could be, but also the reliability of the story on its own. The book starts with an ending, "Be the opposite of this man." this man being Pascal Duarte as the man waiting to die at the hands of the law, he is a god fearing man, relying on the forgiveness of Don Jesus and the Lord. What this book calls into question, is who creates the morals of society, who decides them, and who gets away. Will blind acceptance lead you towards forgiveness?  
 
This book is extremely well written and a thrilling read, but does fall back on a narrative that we have seen too present in society, which is the "man" and his role, the idea of the horrible women in a man's life which lead him to start being a psychotic and depraved individual. While nobody in Duarte's life is without fault, including himself, it is the women in the book who drive his lunacy, and it is this, which is unfortunately too common a perception.  This for me is the only draw back of the story.
 
Without diving too deep in this deconstruction, save that for another blog post, I will say that this book remains an important reminder of how devious and impacting literature can be. This book has squeamish moments, it has moments we want to look away and yet the book provides a momentum that only wants you to continue moving forward. Not only in 1942 when this book was first published, but now, when the world is filled with books that try to speak towards the psychologies of humans, but end up as a fluff narrative, this book is a story that seeks the depths of human lives and reactions.
 
Waltz
Waltz by Francesc Trabal
Catalonian. Exiled. Writer. A bit of a common storyline for Catalan writers in the early half of the 1900s. 
 
Structured in five parts, Waltz is an absurd comedy of our young, almost callous, lover and wanderer, Zeni, a bourgeois idealist floating from one prospective lover to another showing our young romantic engaging in "deep friendships" which denounce societal expectations and the farce that accompanies them. 
 
Written in a both comic and emotional tone, Trabal has engaged with us in a modernistic effort to radiate ideals of trust, love, and fortune, as well as the loss of them all. Yet while he might be writing of the Catalan middle class, he negotiates their existence through a surrealistic mirror to convey the life of our young coming of age narrator. His themes are timeless, and conveyed on a border between the highly comic and the almost over done, film-like reality, presented in a way to avoid a repetitive and overzealous narrative plunder by trying to answer or tell. Our coming of age story we get here, merely observes and relates. 
 
Zeni distrusts his teachers and authority, which is not to say he is a rebel, but he is more a character of experience, of being immersed in the pleasures of life, dancing, talking endlessly, wandering through the different dimensions. When reading books with such a tone, and an emotional reality, we search within ourselves, struggle to find our lives within the context that the author is writing about, how do we associate ourselves with Zeni, or are we mirrors of the self-struggles and the conceit that appears with this character. Trabal did not craft a story that we are a character in, but a story that we can invest in, and it is where we find our complex selves forming. Trabal broke the border between middle class familial story and the story of living in the world. It is a driving, funny and emotional plot that plays as a maturely written coming of age story, one that Dalkey Archive has made sure will remain in print.
 
As far as I know, Waltz is the only book by Trabal translated into English, it is hard enough finding any more information out about him in English, yet we can remain hopeful that the future will hold more translations of this wonderful author. I read Waltz, while focusing on the premise "Should I care about bourgeois life in Catalan in the early 1900s?" Ultimately, the answer was not whether I should care about middle class existence, but rather I should care about Trabal's writing. 

Printing Women: Alyson Shotz

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Sequent Plate 1
Sequent - Plate 1, Alyson Shotz, colored aquatint with collagrahic embossing, 2013

While the exhibition Printing Women focuses on Henrietta Louisa Koenen’s (1830–1881) collection of female printmakers from the 16th to 19th centuries, it is only appropriate to signal women’s continuing participation in the medium as well as the Library’s longstanding commitment to acquiring and exhibiting prints made by women from around the world. To complement this earlier history, therefore, I worked with the Library’s Digital Experience Team to display online a small sampling of works by contemporary printmakers in the Library’s collection. We began reaching out to artists, asking if we could display their work on the exhibition’s web page and digitize it for our digital collections. The majority were delighted to contribute, many also provided writings about their work and the exhibition. Throughout the exhibition’s run, I will choose and present a piece by one artist every other week on the exhibition’s web page. Additionally, I will produce a blog post about their work as well as about works in the exhibition, featuring their own words when possible. 

For those who are interested in the long history of women’s involvement with the medium of print, there is much more to explore within the Library’s deep and varied holdings. The exhibition features only a smattering of Koenen’s collection (which numbers over 500 prints of which only a little over 80 are shown in the exhibition). In addition, the Print Collection not only owns large numbers of additional prints from the period in which Koenen collected, but also many, many more works from the 20th- and 21st-century.

The third blog post in our series is by Alyson Shotz about her Sequent series, 2013.

Sequent was made at Crown Point Press in San Francisco. Kathan Brown, the legendary printmaker and publisher, founder of CPP, invited me to come and work with them in 2013.  CPP is known for their beautiful aquatint technique, and so that’s the technique I decided to use.  I’m a sculptor and feel a bit more comfortable working in 3d, so I began by folding paper and we put it down directly onto a plate and printed a color over that. I folded the same paper again and placed it on the plate again and we printed a new color. The colors then began to overlay and change shape as I folded more and more. Also the paper we were printing onto became embossed with the image of the three dimensional folded paper. This series of prints shows the progression of the paper being folded and the colors becoming more complex. Because I work with natural light in most of my sculpture, I used the basic colors of the spectrum (red, orange, yellow, green, blue) to create the color scheme. My printmaking team was all women, lead by master printmaker, Ianne Kjorlie, assisted by Fanny Retzak and Emily York.

Sequent Plate 2
Sequent - Plate 2, Alyson Shotz, colored aquatint with collagrahic embossing, 2013
Sequent Plate 3
Sequent - Plate 3, Alyson Shotz, colored aquatint with collagrahic embossing, 2013
Sequent Plate 4
Sequent - Plate 4, Alyson Shotz, colored aquatint with collagrahic embossing, 2013
Sequent Plate 5
Sequent - Plate 5, Alyson Shotz, colored aquatint with collagrahic embossing, 2013

 

Podcast #87: Elvis Costello on the Internet, Records, and Imitation

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Subscribe on iTunes.

Elvis Costello's voice is unmistakably his own, and for nearly four decades his music has earned him fans around the world. The singer-songwriter is also now the author of a memoir, Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink. This week for the New York Public Library Podcast, we're proud to present Elvis Costello discussing the long memory of the internet, influential records, and imitation.

Paul Holdengräber and Elvis Costello
Paul Holdengräber and Elvis Costello


Costello's father Ross MacManus was a jazz trumpeter, and Costello received an early musical education as he sang along with the records his father gave him:

"I sang along with the records after he gave them to me. I didn’t realize there was anything to being able to sing both parts, but I learned how to do that and in those days I could sing as high as Paul McCartney because I was only eleven. I couldn’t do it after my voice broke. But I learned, I suppose I learned harmony, I didn’t know I was doing that, and I could sing the saxophone solos from all the records. And so on and so forth. I was an only child, so I was just alone with my thoughts and my misery."

This practice of imitation carried into Costello's songwriting. He continues to view his work as evocative of his musical influences:

"The classical composers wrote variations, jazz musicians do improvisations. We just straight-out steal, we’re not dressing it up. I had started out—I had always imitated the things I love when I was learning to play the guitar, I was about fourteen or something, thirteen or fourteen when I really picked up the guitar. Within mastering a few chords I started to write my own songs, and they were all imitations. Everything I wrote up until, right up until last week really, was an imitation of something. No, in your mind, it might come out as sounding like your voice, but I could tell you the singers that I was dreaming of when I wrote various songs, and you would in some cases say, 'Oh, yeah, I can sort of get that,' because it’s an approximation of their style. Others wouldn’t sound like them at all, but by pondering their style and the things that I loved about them, something else would tumble out, and that’s true. And it began, bear in mind it began with this identity thing. I learned to speak up for myself around the time I was given this secret identity of 'put on these glasses because heaven knows you’re never going to make it in the Robert Plant stakes. We’re going to change your name.'"

In response to a question about how some early comments about revenge and guilt have continued to dog him, Costello discussed how the internet preserves mistakes:

"The account of your life now, now we have the cumulative accounts because there’s no cat litter trays anymore to put your newspapers in or wrap your fish and chips in, they’re preserved on the Internet forever, so there’s an accumulating picture of somebody so if you say something stupid it’ll haunt you forever. If you say something wise it’ll get buried by the stupid things you said. If you say something loving, or if you get sharp just one moment and shoot from the hip and of course we live in a world that the minute anything appears anywhere now you have to have an opinion about it, and it’s like you haven’t got your trousers on if you don’t have an opinion."

You can subscribe to the New York Public Library Podcast to hear more conversations with wonderful artists, writers, and intellectuals. Join the conversation today!

14 Quotes from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling

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I have finally completed year two of my Harry Potter journey. Here are some of my favorite quotes from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling:

  1. “Dear Ron, and Harry if you’re there, ”
    “I hope everything went all right and that Harry is okay and that you didn’t do anything illegal to get him out, Ron, because that would get Harry into trouble, too. I’ve been really worried and if Harry is all right, will you please let me know at once, but perhaps it would be better if you used a different owl, because I think another delivery might finish your one off.” (p. 45)
  2. “You’d better hope Creevey doesn’t meet Ginny, or they’ll be starting a Harry Potter fan club.” (p. 99)
  3. “Celebrity is as celebrity does, remember that.” (p. 120)
  4. “Dobby wants to save Harry Potter’s life! Better sent home, grievously injured, than remain here sir! Dobby only wanted Harry Potter hurt enough to be sent home!” (p. 177)
  5. “Harry Potter survived, and the Dark Lord’s power was broken, and it was a new dawn, sir, and Harry Potter shone like a beacon of hope for those of us who thought the Dark days would never end.” (p. 178)
  6. “So Dobby stopped us from getting on the train and broke your arm….You know what, Harry? If he doesn’t stop trying to save your life he’s going to kill you.” (P. 184)
  7. “Hearing voices no one else can hear isn’t a good sign, even in the wizarding world.” (p. 209)
  8. “Honestly, if you were any slower, you’d be going backward.” (p. 224)
  9. “You will find that I will only truly have left the school when none here are loyal to me. You will also find that help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it.” (p. 263-264)
  10. “Books can be misleading.” (p. 297)
  11. “You want fame, you have to be prepared for a long hard slog.” (p. 298)
  12. “Voldermort, is my past, present, and future, Harry Potter…” (p. 313)
  13. “Ginny! Haven’t I taught you anything? What have I always told you? Never trust anything that can think for itself if you can’t see where it keeps its brain?” (p. 329)
  14. “It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.” (p. 333)

Other recommendations:

The Essential Board Book Library

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Big, beautiful, lavishly illustrated picture books are perfect for new parents. And it’s great to read those works of art to babies in the first few months of life, when just hearing words and sounds encourages brain development and the beginnings of literacy.

But, soon enough, new parents need something a bit more… sturdy.

Board books—those thick little books with the hard pages made of paperboard—can withstand teething, stacking, and the whims of toddlerhood.

So, we present a list of eleven of our favorite board books for the littlest readers. We left out anything with recognizable characters, because Big Bird, Maisy, Thomas, and all the rest will become household staples soon enough. And as much as we love Eric Carle and Dr. Seuss and Sandra Boynton, we didn’t include any of the most famous classics either (although we did sneak in one lesser-known title by the author of Goodnight Moon).

Check them out of the library, give them as gifts… just get them into the hands of a new parent before that first tooth pops through!

giraffes

Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andreae
An early introduction to the idea of doing what you love, regardless of whether other people (or animals) approve.

 

 

 

 

bark

Bark, George by Jules Feiffer
The consummate cartoonist’s work for kids is funny and fun. George the dog’s mother tries to teach him what sound to make, with a little help from the veterinarian.



 

house

The House in the Night by Susan Marie Swanson
The lulling rhythm of this gentle book, which hints at world of imagination that can be found in books, makes it perfect for bedtime.

 

 

 

 

crane

What Can a Crane Pick Up? by Rebecca Kai Dotlich
A cow, a plane, another crane… the list goes on. Effortless rhymes, great drawings, and a touch of humor.

 





 

little

Little Blue Truck Leads the Way by Alice Shertle
The lesser-known sequel to the original, which is a modern classic. Better move, Little Beeper!

 



 

dino

Dinosaur Roar! by Paul and Henrietta Strickland
Lots of different goofy, colorful dinosaurs to entertain kids and parents alike.

 

 

 

pumpkin

Duck and Goose Find a Pumpkin by Tad Hills
The title gives away the plot, but the plot isn’t the point of this lovely fall book anyway. Duck and Goose go on a fall-themed adventure, with an assist from their pal Thistle.





 

meow

Do Cows Meow? by Salina Yoon
Do cows sing? Do cows coo? All I know is cows go… cliffhanger! Lift the flap for the answer.

 


 

 

early

Early Bird by Toni Yuly
It’s not surprising that the early bird gets the worm, but it is surprising what happens next. Bold lines, bright colors, and playful use of prepositions that would please an early-language development specialist.

 


 

peek

Peek-a-Who? by Nina Laden
Budding investigators will get a kick out of die-cut pages that offer a twist on games of peekaboo.

 

 

 

barn

Big Red Barn by Margaret Wise Brown
A lesser-known-but-highly-deserving classic from the author of Goodnight Moon. It traces a day in the life of a farm when the children are away, with ever-so-slightly haunting text and gorgeous illustrations of the farm at dusk and at night.

 

 

 

priddy

And a bonus pick: All the Roger Priddy books, especially First Words = Primeras Palabras
Babies and toddlers go bananas for these simple books with brightly colored pages and photographs of animals, trucks, and more. The bilingual Spanish books are extra-great.

 

 

 

Have trouble reading standard print? Many of these titles are available in formats for patrons with print disabilities.

Staff picks are chosen by NYPL staff members and are not intended to be comprehensive lists. We'd love to hear your ideas too, so leave a comment and tell us what you’d recommend. And check out our Staff Picks browse tool for more recommendations!

 

Coming Spring 2016: Greenwich Village Ephemera Project!

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Jefferson Market Library is looking for volunteers to loan us small, personal objects that tell a story.

Map of Greenwich Village
Map of Greenwich Village. Image ID: psnypl_map_352

They could be photographs, souvenirs, tchotchkes, postcards, or anything that brings back a memory, or helps you share a story.

These objects will be displayed in a small, secure case, along with a short narrative written by you, with our help!

If you are interested in sharing your memories with the Greenwich Village public, please contact Corinne Neary at CorinneNeary@nypl.org, or 212-243-4334.


What are you Reading: Carlos Alazraqui

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Carlos Alazraqui

You might recognize Carlos Alazraqui as Deputy James GaDeputy James Garciarcia on Comedy Central’s Reno 911, but you will no doubt recognize his voice from his extensive voiceover work. In recent years he has voiced characters appearing in several video games as well as cartoons on Comedy Central and Fox among others. He also has several writing credits under his belt as well, including two episodes of Rocko’s Modern Life, a Nickelodeon show for which he also provided the main voice talent. I was a Reno 911 and Rocko fan for years without realizing the two shared a common talent, but all that changed when I recently reached out to a friend who knows Alazraqui and asked if he would like to share his reading list with us.
 

Alazraqui is a big Anne Rice fan, especially the Lives of the Mayfair Witches trilogy which includes The Witching Hour, Lasher and Taltos. The trilogy covers several generations of the Mayfair Family, spans the globe, and delves into the demon world to boot. Witches, vampires, demons, history, mythology, and voodoo in New Orleans and beyond make the trilogy a must read for Anne Rice fans.

The Witching HourLasherTaltos


His love of horror does not end there: Alazraqui is a huge fan of the book The Exorcist, The ExorcistWilliam Peter Blatty’s 1973 novel that spawned the popular movie of the same name. Hailed as one of the scariest books ever written, The Exorcist is a tale of the demonic possession of a little girl and the Jesuit psychiatrist priest called in to save her. Certain aspects of the story were based upon real people and it was later discovered that the exorcism itself was lifted from one performed in the 1949 exorcism of a young Maryland boy. Making the film proved to be a trial of its own: death and serious injuries were abundant with one of its stars, Ellen Burstyn (who suffered permanent spinal damage during the shoot), claiming that a total of nine people’s deaths were connected to the movie. Over 40 years later the book remains popular and terrifying.


It's not all horror on Alazraqui's reading list: he also loves John Irving’s Cider House Rules, Hotel New Hampshire and Prayer For Owen Meany. Irving is an acclaimed author and screenwriter, and won an Academy Award in 2000 for the screenplay he adapted himself for Cider House Rules. His work often deals with controversial themes including abortion, infidelity, feminism, child abuse, and homosexuality, but with a quirky, often humorous approach which has worked well for Irving. In addition to his Oscar Irving has won the National Book Award, the O. Henry Award, and was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 2001. His success isn’t all writing related: the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Oklahoma inducted him in 1992.

The Cider House RulesThe Hotel New HampshireA Prayer for Owen Meany


Carlos Alazraqui’s work has brought laughter to children and adults alike. With fifty films and over one hundred television shows under his belt (not to mention his work in advertising and video games) his career so far can only be described as prolific and he shows no sign of slowing down personally or professionally: aside from scuba diving in Hawaii, Alazraqui has completed over 800 skydiving jumps!

Carlos Alazraqui on one of his many skydiving trips.


What celebrities or public figures are you curious about?
Whose book list would you like to read?
Let us know in the comments!

31 Bookish, Brainy, Beautiful Blogs for Readers

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November is National Blog Posting Month, so we're celebrating with some of our favorite blogs for the bibliophile. In fact, we've rounded up enough blogs that you could read a different one every day of the month. Get your bookmarks ready. You won't want to miss a single post.

Book Heart

Literary Hub
For literary event reports, a daily literary newsletter, and exciting book excerpts

The Guardian Books Blog
For the best of book takes of the UK and beyond

Largehearted Boy
For the musically-inclined reader

Vol. 1 Brooklyn
For the reader who wants an online literary borough

Electric Literature
For electrifying book lists, op-eds, and more

The Offing
For those who like their reading that "challenges, experiments, provokes"

The Rumpus
For comics, advice, interviews, and pilgrimages to the origin of Dear Sugar

I Love Typography
For the font afficionado

The Scofield
For "dialogue, for nuance, for ambiguity, for negative capability"

Paris Review Daily
For your daily dose of cultural observation

Jacket Copy
For book world news, opinions, and more

Triple Canopy
For triple the thought-provoking

Poets & Writers Theater
For the reader who wants more videos with their books

LRB Blog
For the reader who can't wait two weeks for the next copy of the London Review of Books

Flavorwire Books
For biblio-news and biblio-lists

Bookforum.com
For reviews, "syllabi" of great reads, and more

Page-Turner
For the New Yorker who can't get enough books

The Millions
For essays, reviews, and thoughts on fiction

The Margins
For exploring Asian-American lit

The Review Review
For reviews of literary journals

Lapham's Quarterly Roundtable
For tiding you over between the quarters

Buzzfeed Books
For laugh-out-loud lit GIFs and more

Catapult
For everything from how-tos to community fiction

"How to Tell You're If You're in a Novel"
For bookish laughs

Grammar Girl
For the punctuation perfectionist

Lambda Literary Blog
For literary Pride 

Book Cover Archive
For the reader who knows it's what inside that counts but that a pretty exterior never hurt

NYPL Blog
For the Library Lion in all of us

And a few for younger readers:

Read, Breathe, Relax
For YA book reviews and recommendations

Recovering Potter Addict
For all things Harry

Good Comics for Kids
For the kid who likes images with her words

Do you have a favorite bookish, brainy, beautiful blog for readers? Share it with us in the comments section below.

NaNoWriMo @ MML: the Dreaded Week 2

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 833089
All's Well That Ends Well. Image ID: 833089

After the optimistic glow of the first full week of National Novel Writing Month fades away, writers are met with a mammoth challenge: staying on task! Writing 1,667 words per day is no easy feat. What’s even harder is making those 1,667 words work well with the overarching story and theme of the 50,000 word project. The second week in November is when things get real for writers taking the novel-in-a-month challenge.

All good novelists must master the art of setting the scene for the action in their books. After all, what good is a plot without an engaging atmosphere for readers to become lost in? One of the most challenging parts of putting together a novel is being able to find a balance between setting and story. This is why week 2 of NaNoWriMo is so difficult. It’s so easy to get lost in the scramble for setting details, and to forget all about keeping the plot moving. On the other hand, some writers may find themselves in a situation where their plot is fully fleshed out, but lacking in supporting details to keep it exciting and fresh.

So how are our MML novelists faring, half-way through the month? Read below to find out:

Novelist: Carol Z.

Working Book Title: Infiltrations

What’s your novel about? 
Fresh out of college in 1978, Jane Pardy and her friend, Renee Frank, embark on a cross-Canada trip. Mistaken for lovers, they’re welcomed by women’s organizations in cities across the continent during a time when being lesbian is still quite taboo. Once on the west coast, Jane finds herself in the midst of a cult and again pretends to be something she’s not, using what she’s learned to get people out.

Current word count: 25,756

How was week two? 
Harder than week one!  I’m behind, by one day’s worth of writing.

What is the most challenging part of the writing process so far? 
Finding time to write, saying “no” to pressing life missions, and making dialogue sound authentic.

Is your novel still true to the way you originally imagined it? 
Yes!

 

Novelist:Rhonda E.

Working Book Title: Untitled

What’s your novel about?My novel is historical fiction, a bildungsroman set during World War I.

Current word count:5,390

How was week two?
Although my word count is not incredibly high, I am very happy with the writing I have accomplished. My story is moving along nicely and at a good pace.

What is the most challenging part of the writing process so far?
Making time to write. My weeks are incredibly busy, so I do most of my writing on the weekend.

Is your novel still true to the way you originally imagined it?
Yes, since I am a planner, much of my story was plotted out beforehand, and I am sticking to that plan.

 

Novelist:Alexis C.

Working Book Title:Woman In White

What’s your novel about?
Vengeful ghost returns to seek out boyfriend that drove her to suicide. Creating strange disturbances all over Brooklyn as she searches him out.

Current word count: 23,774

How was week two?
A lot harder than week one. I started losing steam and worried that my idea was never really suited to novel length.

What is the most challenging part of the writing process so far?
Sticking with writing daily, especially when I wasn't sure where to go next with the story.

Is your novel still true to the way you originally imagined it?
No, in some ways the story itself has changed in addition to the amount of backstory and action I wanted to include. Originally it was mostly all action.

 

Novelist:Nancy A.

Working Book Title:Blue Magic

What’s your novel about? A remote island in the South Pacific that’s under the spell of an ancient curse.

Current word count:18,851

How was week two?
So hard! I fell way behind thanks in part to a nasty cold, and a hefty dose of writer’s block.

What is the most challenging part of the writing process so far?
For me, it’s the sheer ambition of my project. My novel spans a huge swath of time, and includes scenes as varied as a colonial encounter in the 1700’s, a WWII battle scene, and the murder of a wealthy yachting couple in the present day. I’m having a hard time convincing myself that the connective thread between these scenes is strong enough to hold it all together.

Is your novel still true to the way you originally imagined it?
More or less, yes. It’s evolved since I started it but not much. I’m trying to stay true to my original idea.

 

Novelist: Alethea B.

Working Book Title:Dreaming Havana

What’s your novel about? The life and family of a Cuban American Jazz singer from 1950s-70s Cuba to present day NY.

Current word count:2,306

How was week two?
Not very productive due to demands from other areas of life. My progress more or less ground to a halt, but I tried to keep working even if only I could get page or two done per day.

What is the most challenging part of the writing process so far?
Finding dedicated space and time for solely working on this project has been difficult.

Is your novel still true to the way you originally imagined it?
No, I have reworked the original structure and made the main character a young adult, the granddaughter of a Cuban American Jazz singer. The main plot has transformer into her response to a last request of her grandmother. All of my research on Cuba in the 1950s-1970s is still useful, but the structure will appear less stiff and textbookish. I think it now flows with ease.

 

Novelist: Genee B.

Working Book Title:The Amethyst

What’s your novel about?
A sci-fi fantasy novel about a distant planet that is ruled by a tyrannical king who has cemented his rule by eliminating the entirety of the royal bloodline...but there has long been whispers of a prophecy of an off-worlder who would end the mad king's rule.

Current word count: 1,167

How was week two?
Actually better than week 1, but still a struggle.

What is the most challenging part of the writing process so far?
The most challenging part of writing is planning how to move the story along while remembering what you had previously written. I know where I want to go, but not how to get there. What direction my characters should take, and how to articulate it creatively so that my readers really understand is more difficult than I thought it would be. Don't even get me started on character names!

Is your novel still true to the way you originally imagined it?
Yes it is, I was having issues the first week because I was unsure about the sequence of events in the first chapter, but now that I've solved that issue the first chapter is coming along nicely.

 

Interested in joining us for a write-in session? We meet at the following dates at the Mid-Manhattan Library in the PC lab on the 4th floor:

Space at these write-ins is sure to fill up fast, so make sure you reserve your seat by registering for each session by clicking the links above.

Remembering Manhattan's Little Syria

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A Syrian Arab at Ellis Island, 1926. Image ID: 212138

Centered on Washington Street and Rector Street on the west side of Lower Manhattan, was once a neighborhood known as Little Syria. Located near the now-gone Washington Market and just south of the current location of the World Trade Center, it was a vibrant neighborhood characterized by store signs in Arabic, men and women in cultural clothing including veils and fezzes, and food such as Baklava in the cafes.

Syrian Grocery
Syrian Grocery at 78 Washington St in 1929, photographed by Percy Loomis Sperr. Image ID 724074F

Little Syria was a cultural hub of New York’s first middle eastern community. It was the home of Kahlil Gibran and Ameen Rihani and their Arab-American circle of educators and intellectuals. It was the neighborhood in which the linotype machine was converted to Arabic characters, a device which would revolutionize Arabic-language journalism throughout the world: the first Arabic language newspapers in North America are printed in New York, beginning with Kawkab America in 1892.

The neighborhood was diverse, populated by many different nationalities. Its name derived from Arabs arriving from Ottoman controlled Greater Syria (covering what is now Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Israel, and Jordan) in the Great Migration (1880-1924), in which approximately 95,000 Arabs relocated to the United States. By 1924, when immigration was greatly restricted after World War I, there were approximately 200,000 Arabs living in the United States, and many of these immigrants made their homes in New York, Boston, Detroit, Chicago, and Cleveland. Several scholars refer to New York as the “Mother Colony,” where the city served as the hub of the Syrian community for several decades. Sarah Gualtieri wrote in Between Arab and White: Race and Ethnicity in the Early Syrian American Diaspora“The Syrian colony in New York generated the earliest American representations of a Middle Eastern immigrant community.”

http://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47dd-5cba-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99. Image ID: 724081F
From caption on the back by  photographer Percy Loomis Sperr: “The low roofed rookeries between these thoroughfares are occupied mainly by Syrians and Greeks and form one of Manhattan’s national sectors.” Image ID: 724081F

Arab-American shops in New York tended to specialize in textiles, household items, and groceries. Many of the early Syrian-Americans began as peddlers and quickly accumulated enough capital to establish their own businesses -- over 300 Syrian businesses were listed in the 1908 Syrian Business Directory of New York. Syrian New Yorkers established many community organizations including the Syrian Ladies Aid Society, the Damascus Masonic Lodge, the Aleppo Social Club and the Syrian Young Men’s Association. Between 1890 and 1940, the New York Syrian community published over 50 Arabic language periodicals including Al-Hoda, as well as publications focused on the Syrian community and Syrians abroad such as Syrian-American commercial magazine, and the Syrian World.

 1648050
Maps of Washington Street near Rector Street in the mid-nineteenth century. Image ID: 1648050

In many ways, the disappearance of Little Syria is a testament to the success of its former inhabitants: They moved on to other areas, opened businesses in new places, or no longer felt contained to this ethnic enclave. Changes in the city also physically eradicated the old neighborhood. In 1940, Little Syria’s remaining residents were displaced by the construction of the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel. By this point, the Arab-American community in New York City was largely based in Brooklyn along Atlantic Avenue from Court Street to the East River, in the Brooklyn Heights / Cobble Hill area, as well as in Bay Ridge and Park Slope. The Washington Street Historical Society currently works to memorialize Little Syria in Manhattan, and its few remaining buildings: St. George’s Syrian Catholic Church, the Downtown Community House and the tenement at 109 Washington Street.

New waves of Syrian, Lebanese, and other Arab immigrants would begin arriving after World War I era quotas were lifted following the 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act.

Syrian Coffee-House Illustration
Syrian Coffee-House Illustration, 1901, New York. Image ID: 805490

Sources for this article:

Celebrating Transgender Jews

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In honor of Transgender Awareness Week, the Dorot Jewish Division celebrates transgender Jews with these inspiring stories and recommended reading.

Youth Leading the Way

The Forward recently honored 13-year-old Tom Sosnik, who came out as transgender to his Jewish day school class this year, while theForverts and the New York Post interviewed Abby, a young Hasidic transwoman. Haaretzwrote about a young Moshe’s transition to Miriam, and Keshet shared parents’ stories of their children’s transitions and community reactions.

Transgender Jews in the Media

Writer and executive producer Jill Soloway (herself the daughter of a transgender parent) received accolades for her television series Transparent, about gender transition in a Jewish family. The Jewish Journal wrote about gender identity issues among Jewish Los Angelenos, while the Huffington Post devoted a section to transgender Jews, as did the Forward. The Union for Reform Judaismofficially welcomed transgender people with a resolution, and the New York Jewish Weekwrote about reactions in the transgender Jewish community. TheJewish Telegraphic Agency, the Times of Israeland Haaretzwrote about Mai Peleg’s life and her will. The Daily Mail and TabletinterviewedYiscah Smith about her religious and gender journey.

Life Stories

Memoirs and autobiographical fiction are a powerful window into the lives of transgender Jews. Here are a few favorites.

Leslie Feinberg and Minnie Bruce Pratt
Minnie Bruce Pratt and Leslie Feinberg. Jersey City, NJ. Image ID: 1661109

The thrilling novel Stone Butch Blues and the pioneering Transgender Warriors are just two works by the late author and activist Leslie Feinberg (shown above with Minne Bruce Pratt). Feinberg also interviewed the late Sylvia Rivera (pictured below), a legendary transwoman, activist, and Stonewall veteran.

Sylvia Rivera
Sylvia Rivera of STAR (Street Transvestites Action Revolutionaries) at Bellevue Hospital demonstration, Fall 1970. Image ID: 1602578

Joy Ladin, a poet, author, and Yeshiva University professor, is the first openly transgender person employed at an Orthodox Jewish institution. Her beautifully written memoir is called Through the Door of Life: A Jewish Journey Between Genders.

"A Queer and Pleasant Danger: the true story of a nice Jewish boy who joins the Church of Scientology and leaves twelve years later to become the lovely lady she is today"  is an intimate and inspiring memoir by transgender icon, performer, and author, Kate Bornstein.

Resources on Transgender Issues in Judaism

Babylonian Talmud
Babylonian Talmud, Venice, 1528-1547 NYPL Image ID: 1946488

Did you know that the Talmud recognizes many different gender categories? Dr. David Teutsch of the Reconstructionist Jewish movementwrites about transgender ethics with a nuanced understanding of gender identity in rabbinic texts.

Balancing on the Mechitza: Transgender in Jewish Community, edited by Noach Dzmura, is a groundbreaking collection on transgender and gender identity issues in Jewish law and community. Dzmura also directs Jewish Transitions, an organization that encourages Jewish communities to celebrate the sacred in every gender.

The organization Keshet works for the full equality and inclusion of LGBT Jews in Jewish life, with resources such as “TransTexts: Exploring Gender in Jewish Sacred Texts,” created by pioneering transgender rabbis Reuven Zellman and Elliot Kukla. The Union of Reform Judaism recently published its Resolution on the Rights of Transgender and Non-Gender-Conforming People. The Berman Jewish Policy Archive has also compiled an annotated bibliography of transgender Jewish resources.

Want to learn more?

Find recommended reading, blog posts, and more on transgender issues at NYPL.

Keshet's site highlights Transgender Day of Remembrance with personal stories, video interviews, and tools for inclusion.

See also the NYPL blogpost “Celebrating Jewish LGBT Pride

Rainbow
"Do you know what causes the rainbow?"NYPL Image 1519451

The Hunger Games Is Over, Now What? 10 Books to Take Its Place

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The Hunger Games

You just finished reading The Hunger Games series, maybe it was years ago or maybe it was just recently (you had to prepare yourself for the film release of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 this Friday, November 20). Now what? Having trouble figuring out what to read next? Feel like nothing else can compare to this unique series? Don’t fret, the library is here! The Hunger Games gave readers a sense of adventure, a sense that our human instinct could truly be tested, and my favorite aspect, a female character taking charge of her own destiny.

So as we as we “close the book” on this series, let us take a look at 10 books that are filled with all the things you loved about The Hunger Games. Whether you are looking for your new adventure, a new dystopian story, or just girls kicking butt, you’ll definitely find next great read here:

Lord of the Flies
The Diviners
Uglies
Battle Royale
The Young Elites
  1. Lord of the Fliesby William Golding: Young British boys stranded on a deserted island try to govern themselves which leads to tragic results. A terrific classic that takes a deeper look into the human heart and the book, I believe, started the YA dystopian genre.
  2. The Diviners by Libba Bray: Evie O'Neil always mange to have a good time. But her life becomes serious when she helps her uncle solve a series of murders in 1920s New York City. However, Evie has every intention to rise to the occasion...especially since her life is at risk. A great novel that explores self-actualization with a supernatural twist of course the good old-fashioned "good vs. evil" never gets old
  3. Uglies by Scott Westerfield: If you had the choice to pretty, perfect and live a worry-free existence would you take it? That is the heavy dilemma Tally Youngblood and other 16-year-olds must face. But as Tally finds out, there is a heavy price to pay for "perfect beauty." A great read for dystopian book lovers.
  4. The Young Elitesby Marie Lu: After surviving a deadly illness over a decade ago, Adelina Amoteru was left with not only just scars, but powerful, mysterious gifts. However, Adelina's vengeful heart makes anyone in her path a dangerous target. An interesting twist where the heroine can actually be the villainess.
  5. Battale Royale by Koshun Takami; translated by Yuji Oniki: The original "Hunger Games." A group of junior high students are forced to fight each other to the death under a totalitarian Japanese government. If you miss The Hunger Games, this should definitely be your next read.
The Immortal Rules
Legend
The Maze Runner
The Ember in The Ashes
Cinder
  1. The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa: Alison Sekemento, a vampire, must pass as a human in order to stay with a group of rebels who are in search for a legend, a possible cure that for the disease that killed off most of human civilization. If you're not sick of vampires, a great readalike book for dystopian readers.
  2. Legendby Marie Lu: Feeling nostalgic over Katniss's rebellious spirit and perseverance? June is rising up in the ranks in the Republic, but her brother's death and a false accusation leads her uncover the sinister secrets of their country.
  3. The Maze Runner by James Dashner: What would happen if you ever woke up in a maze? Read and see how young teens' limits are pushed to the limit in this thrilling adventure.
  4. An Ember in The Ashes by Sabaa Tahir: Laia, a spy, and Elias, a soldier, join forces to take down the tyrannical government in the Martial Empire. This gives a little whiff of the Katniss and Peeta relationship.
  5. Cinder by Marissa Meyer: A retelling of a popular classic but an interesting take on a young girl finding her own place in the world.

Make sure to check out The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2, out this Friday!

And may the odds from these book recommendations be ever in your favor.

Lost in Place: Middle School Novels Set in NYC

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Two books I read as a middle grader that had a profound effect on me were From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler and Harriet the Spy. They both felt somehow subversive or dangerous, not because of the running away from home or the spying on friends and neighbors, but rather the idea of kids my age running around New York City unsupervised. These kids had agency, and I found them inspiring. Here are a few contemporary titles that capture that same sense of daring adventure in NYC.

 

Under the Egg

Under the Eggby Laura Marx Fitzgerald

Theodore accidentally spills rubbing alcohol on her late grandfather’s painting and uncovers what may be a hidden Renaissance masterpiece. The problem is, her Grandfather worked as a security guard at the Met.  A mystery with an unlikely band of detectives set in NYC.

 

 

 

 

 

When You Reach Me

When You Reach Meby Rebecca Stead

1970s Manhattan meets science fiction when Miranda receives a series of cryptic notes suggesting someone is watching her and knows things that have not yet happened. When You Reach Me tells three stories: Miranda’s mother’s upcoming appearance on the $20,000 Pyramid, Miranda’s breakup with her childhood friend, and the appearance of a homeless man called "The Laughing Man". In the end, the strands come together in a very satisfying way.

 

 

 

Wonderstruck

Wonderstruckby Brian Selznick

Wonderstruck weaves two stories set in two different time periods. Ben and Rose are both hearing-impaired. Ben is 12 in 1977, Rose is 12 fifty years earlier. Both children run away to Manhattan seeking something from their respective absent parents. Like When You Reach Me, these plot lines converge with that satisfying feeling of putting in the last piece of a jigsaw puzzle. 




 

Staff picks are chosen by NYPL staff members and are not intended to​ be comprehensive lists. We'd love to hear your ​picks! Tell us what you'd recommend: Leave a comment or email us.


10 Worldview-Expanding TV Series for World Television Day

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World Television Day (November 21) isn't just another made up pseudo-holiday. In 1996, the General Assembly of the
Television set
Television Hungarian ORION 1957 by Takkk
United Nations established it to recognize the "increasing impact television has on decision-making by bringing world attention to conflicts and threats to peace and security," as well as television's "potential role in sharpening the focus on other major issues, including economic and social issues." To honor the intended spirit of World Television Day, why not turn on your tube and tune into some worldview-expanding programming? Better yet, watch with friends or family and discuss the global, cultural, social, and economic issues raised. Here is a sample of the informative and thought-provoking TV series that you can check out from your local library (availability varies by title). 
 
Frontline


Airing on PBS since 1983, the award-winning series Frontline is "committed to providing [...] engaging reports that fully explore and illuminate the critical issues of our times."  
 
 
 
Human Planet


Human Planet, a BBC / Discovery Channel / France Television co-production, crisscrosses the globe to examine the "amazing, complex, profound, and sometimes challenging relationship between humankind and nature." 
 

 
30 Days


While FX isn't typically thought of as a destination for television about socio-cultural issues, their series 30 Days gives participants "the opportunity to experience firsthand a world that is the complete opposite of their own." 

 

 
The Big Picture with Kal Penn


The Big Picture with Kal Penn, from National Geographic Channel, investigates topics such as incarceration, pandemics, and refuse "through the mapping of new data, the creative visualization of information, and in-depth personal stories."

 

 
No Reservations


Not simply a show about world cuisine, Travel Channel's Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations—particularly in its 7th season—uses food as "only the first glimpse of a wider view of how people live their lives." 

 

 
Who Do You Think You Are?

NBC's Who Do You Think You Are? isn't about everyday people. Yet, as it travels "the world to uncover the secrets and surprises in [celebrities'] family trees," it illustrates the often unexpected ways we are all connected to others through our ancestry. Fun fact: both Susan Sarandon and Tim McGraw used The Irma and Paul Milstein Division of United States History, Local History and Genealogy to research their families’ histories on the program.

 
The Ascent of Money


Ever wonder "how money evolved, from the concept of credit and debt in the Renaissance to the emergence of a global economy?" The Ascent of Money from PBS tells the story.

 

 
This American Life


This American Life (Yes, it was a TV show on Showtime!) is difficult to describe. One of its originators says that it applies "the tools of journalism to everyday lives, personal lives." (Trust me. It will make you think about human experiences including and beyond your own.)

 

 
Discovery Atlas



A flagship series for Discovery Channel, Discovery Atlas delves into "the culture, cuisine, and people" of Brazil, China, and more.
 

 
Connections 3


An outstanding example of a vintage educational show, Connections 3 follows "the effects and origins of inventions and events that shape the modern world." (Host James Burke makes this trip back to 1990's-era television worth it.)
 

Free Job Training at Year Up New York

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Did you know that there is a free job training program that provides urban young adults with the skills, experience, and support that will empower them to reach their protential through professional careers and higher education?

Year Up New York is a one-year, intensive training program that provides low-income young adults, ages 18-24, with a combination of hands-on skill development, college credits, and corporate internships.  Year Up New York welcomed their first class in September 2006 and have since grown to two locations in the city to serve many more urban young adults from across all five boroughs.book bsl

Year Up New York's Wall Street Campus is located across the street from the New York Stock Exchange in the Heart of New York City's financial district.  In January 2016, Year Up New York will open its new BMCC Campus location serving young adults enrolled or willing to enroll in the Borough of Manhattan Community College, City University of New York.

What Year Up offers

  • Develop skills you need for the job you want.   Technology skills will be the fastest growing need at companies over the next ten years.  Learn valuable IT and professional skills, and gain work experience during internships at top companies.
  • Earn while you learn.   Earn up to 24 college credits and a stipend while you gain valuable work experience in the field of IT.  Classes are taught by certified college instructors.
  • Get ongoing support and guidance.    Your staff advisors, plus our strong alumni network, help you reach your maximum potential both as a student and as a working professional.
  • Meet you mentor.    You'll be paired with an experienced professional.  They are there to give you one-on-one attention and guidance as you make decisions about your future.  Ask questions, share ideas, and get expert advice about your career path.

Eligibility Requirements

  • 18-24 years old
  • High school graduate or GED recipient
  • Of low to moderate income
  • A U.S. Citizen, permanent resident, or have an employment authorization card
  • Available 5 days a week (Mon-Friday) for the full year of the program
  • Highly motivated to learn new technical and professional skills

Year Up New York is now accepting applications for classes beginning in January and March 2016.  Apply  Now.

Let’s Start at the Very Beginning

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Romance novels are perfect fodder for series-loving readers who want to track the same characters from book to book (and tryst to tryst).

So, today, we’re presenting the first books in series with promising new installments coming out in the next few months. Read on to start at square one and make the coming winter a little warmer.

winter

Silver Thaw by Catherine Anderson
An emotional story about a desperate woman in an abusive marriage and a kind rancher who comes to her aid. Next installment, New Leaf, comes out in January.

 

 

 

 

 

 

darkfever

Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning
Urban fantasy at its raciest. The first book in Moning’s Fever series introduces readers to the dark underworld of Dublin and the magic that’s overtaking it. Next installment, Feverborn, comes out in January.

 

 

 



 

sweet

Sweet Filthy Boy by Christina Lauren
It’s the summer after college graduation, and Mia Holland is going on an adventure that takes her to Las Vegas, Paris, and into the arms of a gorgeous French guy. Next installment, Wicked Sexy Liar, comes out in February.

 

 

 

 

 

summer

The Summer Girls by Mary Alice Monroe
Journey to the lowcountry—Sullivan’s Island, SC—in this sweet sister series. Next installment, A Lowcountry Wedding, comes out in May.

 

 

 

 

 

 

quickA Quick Bite by Lynsay Sands
Vampires galore take the stage in the first volume of this paranormal romance, which sets the stage for the long-running Argeneau series. Next installment (the 23rd book!), Runaway Vampire, comes out in February.  







 

Have trouble reading standard print? Many of these titles are available in formats for patrons with print disabilities.

Staff picks are chosen by NYPL staff members and are not intended to be comprehensive lists. We'd love to hear your ideas too, so leave a comment and tell us what you’d recommend. And check out our Staff Picks browse tool for more recommendations!

Job and Employment Links for the Week of November 22

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SAGEWorks Boot Camp - Enrollment Now open for November 30th.  SAGEWorks  assists people 40 years and older in learning relevant, cutting-edge job search skills in a LGBT-  friendly environment. This 2 week training takes place from Monday - Friday, 11/30 - 12/11 - 9:30 am - to 2:00 pm at the SAGE Center, 305 7th Avenue, New York, NY 10001.

Career Development Workshop - Job Strategies for the Mature Worker, on Monday, November 23, 2015, 2:30 - 4 pm  for all interested jobseekers at Brooklyn Workforce 1 Career Center, 250 Schermerhorn, Brooklyn, NY 11201.

AT&T will present a recruitment on Tuesday, November 24, 2015, 10 am - 1 pm, for Account Representative (5 bilingual English / Farsi or Armenian openings) at Flushing Workforce 1 Career Center, 138-60 Barclay Avenue, 2nd Floor, Flushing, NY 11355. 

CAM Search and Consulting will present a recruitment on Tuesday, November 24, 2015, 10 am - 2 pm, for Work-at Home Customer Service Rep. (50 P/T openings), at New York State Department of Labor, Workforce 1 Career Center , 250 Schermerhorn Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201.  Bilingual  English/Spanish is a plus, but not a requirement.

SolarCity Career Opportunities.  The NYS Department of  Labor is prescreening for the following three positions in Buffalo, NY:  Module Technician IIProcess Technician I, Process Technician III.

If you would like to receive information for a future event showcasing employment opportunities at the Hotel Syracuse, please send an email to recruitment.dews@labor.ny.gov with 'Hotel Syracuse" in the subject line. 

Job Postings at New York City Workforce 1.  

affich le pour
Caption

 

Apprenticeship Opportunities in New York City.

The New York City Employment and Training Coalition (NYCE&TC) is an association of 200 community-based organizations, educational institutions, and labor unions that annually provide job training and employment services to over 750,000 New Yorkers, including welfare recipients, unemployed workers, low-wage workers, at-risk youth, the formerly incarcerated, immigrants and the mentally and physically disabled. View NYCE&TC Job Listings.

Digital NYC is the official online hub of the New York City startup and technology ecosystem, bringing together every company, startup, investor, event, job, class, blog, video, workplace, accelerator, incubator, resource, and organization in the five boroughs. Search jobs by category on this site.

St. Nicks Alliance Workforce Development provides Free Job Training and Educational Programs in Environmental Response and Remediation Tec (ERRT). Commercial Driver's License, Pest Control Technician Training (PCT), Employment Search and Prep Training and Job Placement, Earn Benefits and Career Path Center. For information and assistance, please visit St. Nicks Alliance Workforce Development or call 718-302-2057 ext. 202.

Brooklyn Workforce Innovations helps jobless and working poor New Yorkers establish careers in sectors that offer good wages and opportunities for advancement. Currently, BWI offers free job training programs in four industries: commercial driving, telecommunications cable installation, TV and film production, and skilled woodworking.

CMP (formerly Chinatown Manpower Project) in lower Manhattan is now recruiting for a free training in Quickbooks, Basic Accounting, and Excel. This training is open to anyone who is receiving food stamps but no cash assistance. Class runs for eight weeks, followed by one-on-one meetings with a job developer. CMP also provides Free Home Health Aide Training for bilingual English/Cantonese speakers who are receiving food stamps but no cash assistance. Training runs Mondays through Fridays for six weeks and includes test prep and taking the HHA certification exam. Students learn about direct care techniques such as taking vital signs and assisting with personal hygiene and nutrition. For more information for the above two training programs, email: info@cmpny.org, call 212-571-1690, or visit. CMP also provides tuition-based healthcare and business trainings free to students who are entitled to ACCESS funding.

Nontraditional Employment for Women (NEW) trains women and places them in careers in the skilled construction, utility, and maintenance trades. It helps women achieve economic independence and a secure future. For information call 212-627-6252 or register online.

Grace Institute provides tuition-free, practical job training in a supportive learning community for underserved New York area women of all ages and from many different backgrounds. For information call 212-832-7605.

Please note this page will be revised when more recruitment events for the week of November 22  become available.

Booktalking "Becoming Maria" by Sonia Manzano

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Sonia struggled to grow up in a volatile home filled with poverty and abuse in the South Bronx in the 1950s. Her Hispanic heritage defined her, and she communicated in both English y Español with her family, friends and the world. She watched her mother get pummeled repeatedly by her alcoholic father, and she too felt the brunt of his abuse. On occasion, he sent her to the hospital. The violence of the family was passed down, and Sonia ended up attacking her father to stop him from hurting her mother, and she randomly hurt another kid. A rage about her circumstances consumed her, and she spat it out onto other people. 

Despite all of this, Sonia had a fire in her. She wanted to be someone, and she strived to transcend her early beginnings. She became infatuated with drama and performing. At the High School for Performing Arts, she auditioned for and won parts in school plays. She eventually won a scholarship to Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. Later, she obtained an agent and launched her acting career. Sonia was continually shocked when people offered her jobs; she needed confidence in herself. She craved success, yet she feared it. When her agent encouraged her to audition for Sesame Street, she told a scary story as she would relate it to a little kid to compete for the part. The show's executive producer, Jon Stone, beamed praise on her.  

Becoming Maria: Love and Chaos in the South Bronx by Sonia Manzano, 2015

I absolutely love how the book ends. This book gripped me from the very first page; it is immediately apparent how intelligent and interesting Sonia is. In fact, I heard her speak at a Children's Literary Salon. Upon meeting her, I was intrigued, and further investigated her books. Despite her harrowing childhood, she is such a lovely and upbeat person.

Sonia Manzano's web site

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