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LOL-brary Books

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Eliot may claim that April is the cruelest month, but we’re pretty sure it’s February.

To fight off the dreariness, our NYPL book experts compiled a list of adult fiction that makes them laugh out loud, with bonus points added if they embarrassed themselves in public.

Fun in Unexpected Places

god bless

This one’s easy: Paul Murray’s latest, The Mark and the Void. I don’t normally associate the phrases “laugh out loud” and “international financial crisis” with one another, but Murray manages to describe a system so absurd that you can’t help but laugh. Highlights include his killer similes, deadpan dialog, and a pitch-perfect fake Forbes article. —Meredith Mann, Electronic Resources

 

 

 

 

god bless you

Kurt Vonnegut’s God Bless You, Dr. Kevorkian, which is fictional interviews Vonnegut conducts with notable dead people vis-a-vis near-death experiences engineered by Jack Kevorkian. —Melisa Tien, Library for the Performing Arts

 

 

 

 

 

one for the money

The Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich—especially the first two books, One for the Money and Two for the Dough—made me laugh out loud all by myself at home. Stephanie, Jersey girl and former Nordstrom’s lingerie-buyer turned bounty hunter (but not by choice), is a funny character on her own, but her sidekick Lula, Grandma Mazur, and even Connie the office manager reduce me to teary-eyed laughter. I fantasize about who should play them onscreen: Lula - Queen Latifah; Grandma Mazur - Estelle Getty; Connie - Mary Testa, or maybe Valerie Harper in a cameo. —Lois Moore, Mid-Manhattan

 

 

Quirky Stuff

drink

You Deserve a Drink by Mamrie Hart has it all: drunken hijinks, raunchy humor, and creative cocktail recipes for those days that life has really got you down.  Fans of her YouTube show or her appearances on Comedy Central will love it, but it’s fun for everyone (of legal drinking age)! —Rebecca Dash Donsky, 67th Street

 

 

 

 

first bad man

For anyone who loves Lena Dunham’s fun, quirky comedy, Miranda July’s The First Bad Man is a must-read. I will forever laugh out loud at this image of Cheryl, a tightly-wound, vulnerable woman who lives alone, riding down her block on an ATV: ”I pushed down on the gas the littlest possible amount. Kate and Clee watched as I very, very slowly pulled away from the curb, and then, like a woman astride a giant tortoise, gradually rolled up the street.” The First Bad Man is a profound example of sly humor, tender wit, and heartbreaking hilarity. —Lauren Restivo, 115th Street

 

 

 

treasure

Treasure Island!!! by Sarah Levine is hilariously absurd. It has a delightfully delusional narrator who decides to model her life after the Robert Louis Stevenson novel. Part satire, part absurd comedy play, Levine makes it all work. I laughed out loud while wishing for a rapt audience to subject to oral renditions of these lively sentences. —Alexis Walker, Epiphany

 

 

 

 

Fun with Aging

choke

Choke by Chuck Palahniuk. The premise itself is so ridiculous: A guy needs money to pay for elder care for his mom so he devises a scam where he chokes on food in upscale restaurants and uses the funds from those who “save” him and therefore feel responsible for him. I do recall being on the subway and trying to contain my chuckling… I was semi-successful. —Chasity Moreno, AskNYPL

 

 

 

 

climbed

Several books have had me laugh embarrassingly loud on public transportation but The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed out of the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson is the one that I would recommend for us older folks. Allan Karlsson doesn’t want to go to his 100th birthday party at the “old folks home” (no drinking) so he escapes through the window! This is the beginning of his, as well as the others he meets along the way, current adventure. This international bestseller is a walk through a historical memory lane. Yes, it’s a bit gritty, but lots of fun. —Peggy Salwen, St. Agnes

 

 

British Humour

boat

Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog) by Jerome K. Jerome contains numerous laugh-out-loud scenes—thanks, primarily, to the presence of the wonderful dog, Montmorency.  And it presents a vivid picture of genteel British life, circa 1890. —Jeff Katz, Chatham Square

 

 

 

 

mansell

British author Jill Mansell never fails to make me laugh out loud. Her books are often these ridiculous screwball romantic comedies reminiscent of “I Love Lucy” episodes. One particular favorite is Good with Games, which kept me entertained and laughing during a long flight delay in the Minneapolis airport. Thanks to a traffic stop involving a little lie about the dregs of her strawberry milkshake, Suzy has accidentally become engaged to police officer Harry and he want’s Suzy’s ex-husband, rock star Jaz, to be his best man. Need something to cure the winter blues? This will do the trick. —Anne Rouyer, Mulberry Street

 

 

 

Science-Fiction

galaxy

Don’t forget Hitchiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. This book contains copious amounts of wackiness, intergalactic bureaucracy, and bad poetry. Grab your towel and get ready for a wild ride. —Althea Georges, Moshulu

 

 

 

 

 

 

redshirts

Redshirts made me laugh hard enough on my lunch break that patrons out front were looking through the door to the workroom. John Scalzi throws some wicked barbs at sci-fi television tropes while still telling an engrossing tale of expendable crewmen on the fleet flagship, the Intrepid. This book comes complete with daily away-team deaths, a daring captain, and a lieutenant who always recovers from whatever disease, disaster or mind warping befalls him. —Joshua Soule, Spuyten Duyvil

 

 

Romance

princess bride

When I read adult fiction, it isn’t usually funny. But I do make exceptions, and The Princess Bride by William Goldman just so happens to be one of them. Sure, there’s a swashbuckling pirate and a princess named Buttercup, romance and adventure, but there’s also at least one funny line on every page. —Alexandria Abenshon, Yorkville

 

 

 

 

 

shopaholic

The Shopaholic series. Who cannot resist laugh at the some of the trouble and over the top situations Becky gets herself into. —Ashley Gonzalez, St. Agnes

Like Ashley, I’m a big fan of Sophie Kinsella when I’m looking for a laugh.  The one that made me laugh out loud (in a library!) was I’ve Got Your Number.  Ridiculously endearing characters and a satisfying plot for Rom-Com fans! —Jordan Graham, MyLibraryNYC

 

 

 

Historical Fiction

lamb

I laughed out loud at Lamb by Christopher Moore. In this kooky, irreverent story, Jesus Christ’s childhood best friend, Biff, is resurrected in the 20th century to give his gospel. Biff is sarcastic but loyal, and the story is at once touching and hilarious. The first time I laughed out loud in public I was sitting on a subway, but I was too engrossed to care that people were looking at me like I was slightly crazy. —Leslie Bernstein, Mott Haven

 

 

 

 

silver

For a double dose of humor and history, one cannot beat the Marcus Didius Falco series by Lindsey Davis. Falco is talented, smart, lucky, and endearingly self-deprecating. He is the Emperor’s “informer” who, while operating without official acknowledgement (relying occasionally on a sinecure as keeper of the Sacred Geese of Juno to collect back pay) and run ragged by his family, still manages to outwit officials, soldiers, and criminals throughout the Roman empire. Rumbling belly-laughs are unavoidable. The adventure begins when the former legionary of the II Augusta, Falco, returns to Britain in 71 AD in The Silver Pigs (1989). —Virginia Bartow, Special Collections

 

 

Classics

dorothy parker

Virtually anything written by Dorothy Parker, but especially The Portable Dorothy Parker and her complete collection of poems and In Her Own Words. My personal favorite quote of hers: 

“I don’t know much about being a millionaire, but I’ll bet I’d be darling at it.”

—Anne Barreca, Battery Park City

 

 

 

pearls

Toss in Pearls, Girls and Monty Bodkinby P.G. Wodehouse. What happens when a Wodehouse character has to actually work for a year to win the girl he loves? Sheer, hilarious mayhem, that’s what. Toss in some dim-witted underworld crooks and you’ve got a really funny and quirky book! —Jennifer Craft, Mulberry Street

 

 

 

 

catch

Catch-22 by Joseph Heller. I laughed the first time I read it and laughed even more the second time, when I picked up on more of the running jokes. Filled with biting irony and sarcasm, the story follows the adventures of John Yossarian and his fellow Army Air Corps members who are trying to complete enough missions during WWII to fulfill their required number of missions while the number of required missions rises ever higher. Based on Heller’s own experience, it is a telling story about the lack of common sense in many bureaucratic organizations and in war and the ways that humans try to find some comic relief to comprehend and process their experiences. —Katrina Ortega, Hamilton Grange

 

 

shandy

The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman, is a hilarious read for those who love long-winded humor and running gags. Lawrence Sterne’s fictional autobiography begins Mr. Shandy’s first-hand account of his own conception, and continues for several hundred pages before we finally arrive at his birth. Shandy lives to be 86, and his whole life is told, in detail through nine volumes. These volumes explore the humor in everything from sex, creative insults, philosophy, illicit affairs, medicine, war, and domestic life, with Shandy being the butt of every joke. —Nancy Aravecz, Jefferson Market

 

 

 

General Absurdity

portnoy

One of the funniest books I’ve ever read is Philip Roth’s Portnoy’s Complaint, and yes, I even laughed out loud as I read it on the subway. Lest you think that it’s just a “guy’s book,” my wife also thought it was hilarious and she said that she was hit on at least once every day she read it in public (because apparently guys can’t resist a woman who is not only beautiful, but also enjoys reading Portnoy’s Complaint). —Wayne Roylance, Selection Team

 

 

 

 

bernadette

I laughed out loud reading Where’d You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple. Even though the plot is quite grim, there are so many funny moments that catch you off guard. —Jennifer Zarr, St. Agnes

 

 

 

 

 

lose

This Is How You Lose Her by Junot Diaz. That book is hilarious!!! —Lilian Calix, Hamilton Grange

 

 

 

 

 

 

sellout

Paul Beatty’s The Sellout is an absurd, scathing and completely irreverent exploration of race in 21st-century America and not without its share of humor. —Genoveve Stowell, Grand Central

 

 

 

 

 

ove

Fredrik Backman’s A Man Called Ove is a hilarious tale of a curmudgeonly man who decides life isn’t worth living until his mailbox is crushed by his new neighbors. —Susen Shi, Mid-Manhattan

 

 

 

 

 

nature girl

I love Carl Hiassen and his wackadoodle characters always have me laughing out loud. The first of his that I read was Nature Girl so I'll recommend that one. Don't even worry about the plot.  It's got Florida wilderness, corrupt businessmen, a snarky pre-teen, and some island hostages! —Laura Stein, Grand Central

 

 

 

 

 

Have trouble reading standard print? Many NYPL 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!


Now Screening: Caribbean Newspapers

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Now Screening highlights NYPL's recent electronic resource acquisitions.  This month: Caribbean Newspapers (1718-1876), available at any NYPL location, or while using NYPL wifi.

Caribbean Newspapers Home Page

If you are in need of historical newspapers, NYPL has become an even better place to look.  We recently added new material to our robust online collection: America's Historical Newspapers now includes greater coverage of early American newspaper titles from 1730 to 1900, including early issues of the New York WorldNew York Herald, and Sacramento Daily Union and expanded runs of the Philadelphia and Pennsylvania GazetteNational Intelligencer, and United States Telegraph.  Even better, we have a brand new collection of historical Caribbean newspapers that document 18th and 19th century Caribbean life with over 150 different titles.

Caribbean Newspapers encompasses twenty countries during their occupation by European colonizers—predominantly British, but also French, Spanish, and Danish.  It chronicles a tumultuous time in Caribbean history: the islands increase in European economic importance and react to the independence of their American neighbor, the slave trade grows exponentially and is outlawed, and slaves are gradually emancipated in all colonies except Cuba.

Caribbean Newspapers has particularly robust coverage of Jamaica's Montego Bay slave rebellion, which began on December 27, 1831 and continued into early 1832.  Issues of the Jamaica Watchman span this entire period and track the development of the uprising, from rumor to fact to fallout.  In it April 7, 1832 issue, the Watchman covers the March 23 trial of "Colonel" Francis Gardner, one of the leaders of the rebellion.  In an editorial following an account of the trial, the Watchman's editor writes, "We have been consistent throughout, and now that the Member for Westmoreland has come over to our side, we shall be happy with him, and the other friends of humanity, to give a long pull, a strong pull, and a pull altogether, until we bring the system down by the run — knock off the fetters, and let the oppressed go free."  Such strong language ran afoul of Jamaica's Constructive Treason Act of 1823, and a mere ten days later, editor Edward Jordon was on trial in The King vs. Jordon, covered in the Watchman's April 25 and 28 issues.  After a protracted argument over the makeup of the jury, where the Attorney-General prosecuting the case "challenged every one who was not of a fair complexion," Jordon was acquitted.

Masthead for the Watchman's Jordon trial issue
Front page of the Watchman, reporting on the trial of editor Edward Jordon

Events such as these are preserved in the Caribbean Newspapers database; you just might need to do some digging to find what you need.  Its interface promotes such discovery by searching (by title, date, and full text) or browsing (by place, publication, and language).  If you're searching in the more expansive America's Historical Newspapers or Readex AllSearch, also products from this vendor, you can include the Caribbean Newspapers collection in your search.  Interesting articles or full newspaper issues can be printed, saved locally, or emailed as a link for personal research use.

It's important to remember that the coverage for a particular publication may be spotty: there might be a year of one newspaper and a single issue of another.  Certain colonies—for example, Barbados, Bermuda, and Antigua—are better represented than others.  If you're looking to research a specific event, review the list of titles to see if there is coverage for the particular region and time period in which you're interested.

ColonyTotal IssuesColonizing Country*
Barbados2396British
Bermuda1933British
Antigua and Barbuda1599British
Grenada1126British
Saint Kitts and Nevis1113British
Jamaica809British
Trinidad and Tobago756British
Cuba731Spanish
Saint Lucia364British
Saint Barthelemy232French
Haiti108French
Dominica83British
Virgin Islands36Danish
Bahamas30British
Martinique12French
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines9British
Puerto Rico2Spanish
Curacao1Dutch
Guadeloupe1French
Montserrat1British

*During period of Caribbean Newspapers coverage

Another thing to keep in mind is that these newspapers record the viewpoints of the Caribbean's white colonists, rather than the slaves and free people of color that represented a majority of the population, and thus reflect an inherent cultural bias, particularly with regard to emancipation issues.  Even those sympathetic to the cause of emancipation were discouraged by events like the Constructive Treason Act and the Jordon trial.  Caribbean Newspapers' coverage of Sam Sharpe is a good example of this.  Sharpe was central to the Montego Bay rebellion.  As a powerful orator, Methodist deacon, and slave, Sharpe provided motivation and organization for the uprising and is usually credited as being its primary leader.  He was arrested and ultimately executed for his involvement in the rebellion, but not before a series of jail cell meetings with various missionaries like Reverend Henry Bleby, where he reportedly uttered the now-iconic words: "I would rather die upon yonder gallows than live in slavery!"[1] For his words and work toward emancipation, he is revered as a key figure in Jamaican and civil rights history.  Despite this, Sharpe is mentioned only once in Caribbean Newspapers, in the Watchman's June 2, 1832 coverage of his execution and burial.  

As with all primary sources, it's important to consider the context and limitations of these documents.  To complement the viewpoints represented here, consider using other databases in our African American Studies or Latin American Studies subjects, like the Black Studies Center.  This database, also available at all NYPL library locations and while using library wifi, includes materials from NYPL's own Schomburg Center

To read more about Sam Sharpe and the Montego Bay rebellion (also known as the Baptist War, Christmas Rebellion, and Great Jamaican Slave Revolt), you can also browse these subjects in the library's online catalog:

First image courtesy of Readex's Caribbean Newspapers.  Second image courtesy of the American Antiquarian Society, with online access provided by Readex's Caribbean Newspapers.

[1] Henry Bleby, Death Struggles of Slavery, p. 129, available in print, microfilm, or online.

Recommendations for the #1000BlackGirlBooks Campaign

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A few weeks ago I read a news story about 11 year-old Marley Dias and her campaign to collect 1000 books to donate to a library in Jamaica.  More specifically, Marley was looking for books with strong, black, female protagonists. The 6th grader was tired of reading books about "white boys and their dogs" in school. Understandably, Marley wanted to read books she could relate to. As soon as I heard her story, I started compiling a list of my favorite titles. I am happy to report that Marley has achieved her goal.  You can see follow her story on Twitter with #1000BlackGirlBooks.   

Here are some books that I recommend to 5th-6th graders coming into the Children's Center.  Ninth Ward and The Other Side of Truth are two of my favorites and ones that I regularly booktalk with older classes.     

The Blossoming Universe of Violet Diamond by Brenda Woods (2014)
Now that she is eleven, Violet feels it is time to learn about her African American heritage, so she seeks out her paternal grandmother.

 

 

Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson (2014)
A childhood memoir about growing up in the North and South.

 

 

 

Full Cicada Moon by Marilyn Hilton (2015)
It is 1969 and Mimi has just moved to small town Vermont with her family.  
  

 

 

A Girl Named Disaster by Nancy Farmer (1996)
Nhamo, an eleven-year-old Shona girl, struggles to survive as she travels from Mozambique to Zimbabwe.  

 

 

The Jumbies by Tracey Baptiste (2015)
Corinne mixes courage and ancient magic to battle an evil spirit threatening her Caribbean home.

 

 

Ninth Ward by Jewell Parker Rhodes (2010)
Lanesha survives Hurricane Katrina, but will she make it though the darkness that comes afterwards? 

 

 

The Other Side of Truth by Beverley Naidoo (2001)
Sade and her brother must survive on the streets of London after getting smuggled out of Nigeria.

 

 

The Perfect Place by Teresa E. Harris (2014)
Treasure Daniels quickly learns not to mess with Great-Aunt Grace (aka GAG).

 

 

The Red Pencil by Andrea Davis Pinkney (2014)
Amira, a young Sudanese girl, finds hope and friendship in a refugee camp. 

 

 

Serafina's Promise by Ann E. Burg (2013)
Serafina must find her father and get medicine for her baby brother after an earthquake hits Haiti.

 

 

Stella by Starlight by Sharon M. Draper (2015)
Fifth grader Stella faces prejudice and fear in 1932 Bumblebee, North Carolina.

 

 

Zora and Me by Victoria Bond and T.R. Simon (2010)
A fictionalized account of Zora Neale Hurston's childhood in Eatonville, Florida.

 

 

One Crazy Summer (2010), P.S. Be Eleven (2013) and Gone Crazy in Alabama (2015) by Rita Williams-Garcia

Follow the Gaither sisters as they grow up and head off on a variety of adventures.    

 

 

Reading Harder in 2016! Update 1

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Way back at the end of 2015, a few of us accepted Book Riot’s Read Harder Challenge for the upcoming year. We promised to pop in with periodic updates about our progress, and here’s our first one!

Did you take the challenge? How's it going? Let us know in the comments.

#1: Horror

bunker diary

The Bunker Diary by Kevin Brooks
What would you do if you were trapped in a windowless underground bunker (you think) with a bunch of strangers, held by an invisible higher power, unsure if you’d ever get out? Right... it’s just that bleak and scary, and I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Neither could a lot of other people; it’s a controversial Carnegie Award-winner. (Gwen)

 

 

 

 

 

#2: Nonfiction about science

presence

Presence by Amy Cuddy
Cuddy, a researcher and psychologist, expands on her popular TED talk on body language, confidence, and the idea that self-esteem can be developed in different ways than you might expect. (Gwen)

 

 

 

 

 

#5: Middle-grade novel

marvels

The Marvels by Brian Selznick
I was engrossed in this novel, in which images and text together carry the narrative, from start to finish. In it, a boy comes to understand the magical ways that all of us, both children and adults, create stories to make sense of love and loss in our lives. (Jessica)

 

 

 

 

 

#8: Birth decade

pagan

A Pagan Place by Edna O'Brien
In this novel, told in a voice that combines raw-edged observations with naivete, a young Irish girl tries to make sense of the failings of the adults around her. I found it compelling and moving to watch her grow increasingly anxious about her place in the world of adults. (Jessica)

 

 

 

 

#9: Audie Award-winner

euphoria

Euphoria by Lily King
This story of three anthropologists in Papau New Guinea in the 1930s, studying native cultures, was the audiobook equivalent of a page-turner. It was voiced by two narrators, who each did an admirable job of bringing King’s characters to life. The book was light but thought-provoking, too, and raises questions about cultural anthropology and colonialism and the impact those first Westerners had on native people. (Spoiler: It’s not always positive even if well-intentioned, and it wasn't always well-intentioned.) (Gwen)

 

 

 

#10: 500+ pages

little friend

The Little Friend by Donna Tartt
Tartt's heroine is a brave and single-minded girl who takes it upon herself to uncover her brother's murderer. The novel resounds with clashes of innocence and experience, and it reveals a world made breathtakingly dangerous by individuals who choose not to really see one another. (Jessica)

 

 

 

 

#12: By or about a person who identifies as transgender

orlando

Orlando by Virginia Woolf
I’d long wanted to read this classic, and even though the word “transgender” wasn’t in play in 1928 (when Orlando was originally published), I felt it honored the spirit of the challenge. The way Woolf writes this complex character and their trippy journey through space and time was fascinating and very different from the author’s other work. (Gwen)

 

 

 

 

#16: First book in series by an author of color

wrath

The Wrath and the Dawn by Renée Ahdieh
This retelling of Arabian Nights places a young Shahrzad in the court of a young king who murders his brides after spending just one night with each of them. A solid YA romance with a powerful heroine, good for budding historical-fiction fans. (Gwen)

 

 

 

 

Have trouble reading standard print? Many NYPL 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!

Love Makes the World Go 'Round: A Reading List from Open Book Night

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Participants at our book social reached out to share on romantic love, artistic passion, brotherly love, love of a place, love of an idea for our February Open Book Night. And as Love Makes the World Go ‘Round was our theme, we found that the love of books finds its way to readers in every genre. Please feel free to add your own recommendations in the comments section below.

Eyes of the Dragon

Fantasy

We began the evening in Medieval times with Stephen King’s The Eyes of the Dragon, which reminded the reader of the Dungeons and Dragons game and made him want to go into the setting himself. The inclusion of maps in fantasy stories was a much loved feature by most of us at Open Book Night. Elizabeth mentioned being able to reproduce the maps of Middle Earth from memory. And, that world of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit had us thinking about how even the smallest person can make a huge impact on the world.

Charade

Romance

Not to be outdone by the fantasy world, Sandra Brown was thought fantastic for tackling heart transplantation, affairs, and stalkers in Charade, and her romantic appeal keeps the recommender coming back to all of her books.

 

Archie

Comic Books

A younger reader offered comic books as the genre he loved most, which led to a discussion on those famous loves of Archie, Betty and Veronica.

 

A Season In Hell

Poetry

Richard recommended Arthur Rimbaud’s A Season in Hell“because Arthur’s failure [is] turned into a success.” Rimbaud’s challenges are transformed into language to describe the struggle of the individual against society.

Likewise, Maybel was curious about the poet Mary Oliver and found a love of place and a love of life in her work. She read from Oliver’s poem What the Body Says, “I was born here, and/ I belong here, and/ I will never leave.”

And, Langston Hughes was suggested for his poetry on brotherly love.

Modern Romance

Love in the 21st Century

One of our participants was asking for books on modern love and suggestions included Audrey Niffenegger’s pull and push of love over a lifetime in The Time-Traveler’s Wife.

Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari was offered as a humorous look at dating and finding love on the Internet.

Ali and Nino

Classic Love

Reflecting on love that survives over the centuries we had to talk of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and the kind of true love that is recognized as universal across cultures.

In the same vein, Ali and Nino by Kurban Said, set more than 100 years ago, tells the tale of love across religion and culture in a time of war and feels very modern.

Also recommended was Geling Yan’s The Criminal Lu Yanshi celebrated for its love of family and forgiveness.

Coming full circle at the end of the evening, Elizabeth brought us to March’s Open Book Night theme, Women in Print, with another fantasy book with a mapped world, Ursula Le Guin’s A Wizard of Earthsea. This beloved American author has been honored with many awards including The National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. Please join us on March 11 to discuss more great Women in Print. Happy Reading!

Upcoming Open Book Nights

Past Open Book Nights

Click to see the list of books discussed.

African Americans on Broadway Then and Now

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The 2015-2016 Broadway theater season is being hailed as one of the most diverse on record. The productions honor the triumphant spirit and resiliency of ethnic groups and adversity that immigrants and individuals have faced both globally and in the United States: Lin-Manuel Miranda’s groundbreaking Hamilton, new works (Allegiance, and the Gloria Estefan inspired musical On Your Feet), and revivals (Spring Awakening which was performed by deaf artists, and Fiddler on the Roof). This season is also notable for the numerous shows starring people of African descent including those who were traditionally and non-traditionally cast in The Gin Game,Hughie,The Color Purple,Shuffle Along or The Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed, and Eclipsed. Is this slate of shows featuring African Americans on Broadway unprecedented? Let’s look take a look back into American theater history to approximately 70 years ago.

In a July 1947, issue of The NAACP’s publication The Crisis, John Lovell, Jr. wrote an article titled "Roundup: The Negro in the American Theatre (1940-1947)," which examines "the theatrical doings of Broadway and its environs" in regards to African American actors. In the article—which was published in a post-World War II, pre-Civil Rights Movement era U.S.—Lovell Jr. writes, "Of marked interest is the fact that this integration into the American theatre is making superlative demands. It requires that the Negro’s talents be twice as good as would be the case if he were already accepted."

During his roundup, Lovell Jr. discovered, "In the less than seven years since America went, psychologically, to war, the central American theatre has employed Negro performers in 110 plays which ran an aggregate of 13,373 performances." The number of shows with Black performers steadily increased from three in 1940 to 28 in 1946. These productions starred Canada Lee, Katherine Dunham, Pearl Bailey, Josephine Premice,Pearl Primus, Avon Long, Maurice Ellis, Melvin Howard, Frank Miller, Juanita Hall, Frederick O’Neal and other luminaries. (Some these artists were members of the American Negro Theatre, and an exhibit commemorating the 75th anniversary of this company's founding is on display at the Schomburg Center.)

Katherine Dunham and Jean Leon Destine in Bal Negre
Katherine Dunham and Jean Leon Destine in"Bal Negre." Image ID: 5057016

As is the case this season, the shows that African Americans performed in on Broadway during the 1940s were a mixture of plays and musicals such as Cabin in the Sky,Big White Fog,Porgy and Bess,Native Son,Othello,South Pacific,Carmen Jones,Anna Lucasta,Show Boat,Juno and the Paycock,Lysistrata,Bal Negre,Striver’s Row,Run Little Children,You Can’t Take it With You,Finian’s Rainbow and St. Louis Woman. Lovell Jr. pointed out that with the exception for Theodore Ward’s The Big White Fog, and Our Lan, and Street Scene for which Langston Hughes penned lyrics, that were no "full-fledged Negro writers" whose work was being produced on The Great White Way. Ironically, even Native Son, which received two productions in 1941 and 1942, was adapted by Orson Welles and Paul Green from Richard Wright’s novel of the same name. However, numbers improved slightly only when taking Black musicians represented on Broadway into account: Thomas "Fats" Waller, Duke Ellington, Hall Johnson and Noble Sissle.

Frank Wilson
Frank Wilson. Image ID: 1114256

Lovell Jr. highlights a few reasons that factor into the quantity of shows with African American performers: timing, reviews, and what he calls both skittish managers and backers who "believe there are some things Negroes can do, and some things they can’t—at least for them." The most important factor, Lovell argues, is the number of available theaters at any given time. He also makes the case for shows with integrated casts: "integration is obviously not only good business but smart business."

A trend that Lovell Jr. foresaw that has come to fruition is what he calls Black actors being trained to act in "‘white’ plays as if they were colorless." Are the racially integrated, predominantly or all Black revivals of the classic plays A Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (2008), A Streetcar Named Desire (2012), A Trip to Bountiful (2013), 2013’s Romeo and Juliet (featuring Condola Rashad and Orlando Bloom), The Gin Game (2015), Hughie (2016), and the upcoming The Crucible with Tony-Award winner Sophie Okonedo as Elizabeth Proctor examples?

Pearl Bailey as Butterfly in the stage production St. Louis Woman
Pearl Bailey in the production "St. Louis Woman." Image ID: 1703987

Lovell Jr. concludes with a declaration that is still relevant to the performing arts industry at large, especially in light of the controversy surrounding the 2016 Oscars which has caused an uproar regarding the hashtag #Oscarssowhite: "There are still severe limitations on the Negro artist, limitations that the theater in a democracy ought to be ashamed of… but there are no limitations on the determination of the Negro performers." He also imagines a future for Broadway that is more "rainbowlike, more wonderful than any drama that has yet seen the boards."

Portrait of actor Hilda Simms in a dress room applying makeup before a performance
Portrait of actress Hilda Simms in a dressing room applying makeup before a performance. Image ID: 5114786

Will Broadway continue to be as inclusive and diverse as it is during the 2015-2016 season? The same factors that Lovell Jr. mentioned regarding which projects get produced with an African American or integrated casts continue to shape and influence what makes it to Broadway stages. In commercial theater, if the bottom line is box office sales and shows such as Hamilton, the 2004 and 2014 revivals of A Raisin in the Sun, and On Your Feet have demonstrated audiences want to see works that are reflective of the world they live in, what can audiences and artists do to challenge producing entities to ensure that there is parity on stage and behind the scenes in the upcoming seasons?

The Witch: A Reading and Resource List

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Already being touted as one of the best horror films of 2016 (although that genre designation is debatable), The Witch (currently in theaters nationswide) is the story of a New England family that slowly begins to fall apart when they are banished from their Pilgrim community. Fending for themselves their faith is tested when a series of events occur that slowly fractures them and brings about accusations of witchcraft within their home. To mention more would ruin the story for viewers but needless to say it gets under your skin and stays there.

The largest element to the film that makes it so believable is its authenticity. From the setting, to the clothes, to the language which is very much of the Old English variety. Writer and Director Robert Eggers recently mentioned in an interview with Vulture that he used the library's resources to do research for the film. The one book he actually named was Of Plymouth Plantation by William Bradford but he also makes mention of the subjects he used to do his searching. Below, check out some of the highlights in our collection.

Books on Witches and Early Colonial America

In the Devil's Snare: The Salem Witchcraft Crisis of 1692 by Mary Beth Norton
"A vivid historical chronicle evokes the spirit of late seventeenth-century Massachusetts in an incisive study of the Salem witch trials, discussing the events, the crucial turning points in the case, the accusers and accused, the confessors, and the judges, setting it all against the backdrop of the social, cultural, and political atmosphere of the period."

The Barbarous Years: The Peopling of British North America by Bernard Bailyn
"From an acclaimed historian of early America, a compelling account of the first great transit of people from Britain, Europe, and Africa to the British colonies of North America and their involvements with each other and the indigenous peoples of the eastern seaboard."

Mayflower by Nathaniel Philbrick
"A history of the Pilgrim settlement of New England challenges popular misconceptions, discussing such topics as the diseases of European origin suffered by the Wampanoag tribe, the fragile working relationship between the Pilgrims and their Native American neighbors, and the devastating impact of the King Philip's War."

A Storm of Witchcraft: The Salem Trials and the American Experience by Emerson W. Baker
"Presents an historical analysis of the Salem witch trials, examining the factors that may have led to the mass hysteria, including a possible occurrence of ergot poisoning, a frontier war in Maine, and local political rivalries."

Six Women of Salem by Marilynne K. Roach
"Examines the lives of six women accused of witchcraft and their accusers to illuminate the larger crisis of the Salem witch trials and what it was like to be present throughout this time in Salem's history."

The Pilgrim Chronicles by Rod Gragg
"Drawing from personal accounts and narratives, traces the journey of the Pilgrims from their persecution in England through their exile in Holland to their struggle to survive among the Indians in the New World."

The Mayflower Papers by William Bradford
"A compilation of original primary source material features key personal reminiscences and eyewitness accounts that describe the voyage of the Mayflower and the settlement of seventeenth- and early eighteenth-century New England."

Making Haste from Babylon by Nick Bunker
"The Pilgrims were entrepreneurs as well as evangelicals, political radicals as well as Christian idealists. "Making Haste from Babylon" tells their story in unrivaled depth, from their roots in religious conflict and village strife at home to their final creation of a permanent foothold in America."

Wayward Puritans : A Study in the Sociology of Deviance by Kai T. Erikson
"Erikson uses the Puritan settlement in 17th-century Massachusetts as a setting in which to examine several ideas about deviant behavior in society.Combining sociology and history, Erikson draws on the records of the Bay Colony to illustrate the way in which deviant behavior fits in the texture of social life generally."

The Wordy Shipmates by Sarah Vowell
"A cultural profile of Puritan life covers a wide range of topics, from their covenant communities and deep-rooted ideologies to their beliefs about church and state and their perspectives on other faiths, in an account that also evaluates their legacy in today's world."

The Puritans in America: A Narrative Anthology, Edited by Alan Heimert and Andrew Delbanco
"Uses writings by Puritan authors, testimony from witchcraft trials, and selections from diaries to document Puritan attitudes toward religion, politics and culture."

Salem Witch Judge by Eve LaPlante
"Traces the story of the judge responsible for executing twenty Salem witch trial victims, discussing how he came to regret his actions, and his later efforts to oppose slavery and further Native American relations and sexual equality."

The Witches: Salem, 1692by Stacy Schiff
"Analyzes the Salem Witch Trials to offer key insights into the role of women in its events while explaining how its tragedies became possible."

The Devil's Disciples by Peter Charles Hoffer
"Hoffer approaches the Salem witch trials as a legal and social historian, looking at the phenomenon in light of recent studies of panic rumors, teen hysteria, child abuse, and intrafamily relations, and detailing the event in a narrative style."

Salem Possessed by Paul Boyer and Stephen Nissenbaum
"The stark immediacy of what happened in 1692 has obscured the complex web of human passion which had been growing for more than a generation before building toward the climactic witch trials. Salem Possessed explores the lives of the men and women who helped spin that web and who in the end found themselves entangled in it."

All of the books above are available for checkout, but the Library also has great resources (primary and secondary) available online through various databases for further research. All databases featured are available from home with a valid library card and pin number. (Do you live, work, or go to school in NY State and don't have a card? Sign up for one today.)

Articles on Witches and Early Colonial America

The Witches Dance
The Witches Dance. Image ID: 1541268

More History Databases

American Periodicals (1740-1940)
This database contains over 1,800 magazines, journals, and newspapers published between 1740 and 1940, including special interest and general magazines, literary and professional journals, children's and women's magazines, and many other historically significant titles.

American History
Covers American history from the European conquest to the present day. Material is divided into general overviews (Topics) and explorations of issues (Perspectives), supported with articles, images, speeches, and other documentation.

The Witches
The Witches. Image ID: 834522

On Site Resources

There are many rich materials housed at the Schwarzman Building, our main location on 42nd Street and 5th Avenue. While they cannot be checked out, you are able to sit and read most materials within the location. The following are some related items:

Landing of the Pilgrims
Landing of the Pilgrims. Image ID: 808101

Premier League Fans Rejoice! English Football Cards in Digital Collections

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Arsenal
Arsenal, "The Gunners" Image ID: 407343

The New York Public Library's digitial collection is a treasure trove of unique and interesting images, many of which are available for use by the public. Tucked away inside our digital collections is an absolutely terrific set of Association Football Cigarette Cards from the early days of English football (Association Football=soccer).

The cigarette cards, which are part of the George Arents Collection, are just a small part of a far larger collection that now totals well over 125,000 individual items. In addition to caricatures of a number of famous (and not so famous) English soccer teams, the collection also includes individual players cards and roster cards of winning teams.

Each card contains the caricature and a brief description of the club, which includes the origin its nickname derived from and the club's original grounds. Individual players' cards contain roster information. Take a look at a few of the items below. You can also view the larger collection, where you'll find all types of historical items.

Aston Villa
"The Villains." Image ID: 407345
Leceister City
"The Foxes." Image ID: 407385
Sunderland
"The Black Cats." Image ID: 409497
Everton
"The Toffees." Image ID: 407375
Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur. Image ID: 460280
George Vos
George Vos, Manchester United. Image ID: 460580

The Leap Day Bachelor List of 1888

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Working at a library, the expression "There is nothing new under the sun" often comes to mind. Things we consider indelibly modern—graphic novels, logos, even the Internet—often have a prototype in an earlier era. Recently I chanced upon a particularly funny example.

This Monday marks Leap Day, for most of us a curiosity without much significance or tradition. But this was not always the case: Leap Day, or Bissextile as it was also known, was once recognized as a day where women could propose marriage to men, a Sadie-Hawkins-esque holiday of conventional gender role reversal. In an attempt to find historical evidence of this, I searched the library's extensive collection of digitized newspapers. I was chagrined to find, not tales of moxie and empowerment, but rather jokes and satirical reportage of women whose proposals were, well, indecent, or mockingly refused. It was, therefore, a breath of fresh air when I uncovered the January 1, 1888 edition of Chicago's Daily Inter-Ocean, and their "bachelor list."

Starting four years earlier in late December 1883, the editors of the Inter-Ocean decided that women could make better use of their quadrennial opportunity if they had a better lay of the marriageable land. So, the newspaper published an annotated list of eligible Chicago bachelors. The response was immediate:

Article from the January 1, 1884 Daily Inter-Ocean
Article from the January 1, 1884 Daily Inter-Ocean

Not surprisingly, the Inter-Ocean maintained the tradition of the bachelor list four years later, and on January 1, 1888 it published a new, updated edition. "Leap year is here again," the paper proclaimed, "and so the eligible bachelors are reviewed...a goodly list yet remaining from which young ladies may make selections." To prove the efficacy of its work, the Inter-Ocean also listed "those...exempt from the list this year by reason of having surrendered to the silken fetters of matrimony" within the intervening four years, as well as any offspring that had resulted from their unions.

But the star of the show is the list itself, which describes each bachelor in a few brief sentences, and for me, instantly calls to mind the modern-day dating profile. We see the qualities valued by our nineteenth century forbears: looks, money, and (a distant third) personality are still in demand; membership in various social clubs is also repeatedly highlighted. Intrepid online daters, laboring over ways to describe and hype themselves in increasingly fewer words, can take these ads as inspiration. Consider them a ready reference for ways to say "attractive" and "financially stable" in as many ways as possible. And, of course, to find your Gilded Age dream date.

I've collected some of my favorite bachelors here; share yours in the comments! And remember, when researching a particular person, place, topic, or historical event, our collection of digitized newspapers is a great resource. You can browse our historical newspaper databases here. Good starting points include ProQuest Historical Newspapers, America's Historical Newspapers, and Chronicling America. If you are researching a specific time period or location, our database descriptions will help you find the right database to search.

[image-gallery]

To read the 1888 bachelor list in full, visit Gale's Nineteenth Century U.S. Newspapers database. You can access this database from outside the library, too—just log in with your library barcode and PIN. If you are at an NYPL library, you can also view the article in America's Historical Newspapers.

Podcast #102: Jhumpa Lahiri on Language and Disorder

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Jhumpa Lahiri is the Pulitzer Prize-winning author ofThe Interpreter of Maladies, Unaccustomed Earth, The Namesake, and The Lowland. Her most recent book, In Other Words, is her first work of nonfiction. For this week's episode of the New York Public Library Podcast, we're pleased to present Jhumpa Lahiri discussing finding home in language, an unlikely relationship, and the inspiration of disorder.

Jhumpa Lahiri LIVE from the NYPL
Jhumpa Lahiri LIVE from the NYPL


Perhaps its unsurprising to learn that Lahiri considers language one of the great relationships of her life. She describes language almost in divine terms:

"In a sense, language is the most intimate relationship of ours lives, at least, I think, for me. That is not to say I don't love deeply people and have profound relationships with them. But I think language is so much more powerful than we are, so to have a relationship with language is a very profound thing. To seek another language is so powerful and so humbling."

Lahiri's most recent book, In Other Words, is a memoir exploring her journey into learning Italian, which included moving to Rome to immerse herself in the language.

"The strange contradiction of [deciding to learn] Italian, which I have tried to explain in the book that people have asked me about is it's all a series of contradiction, this whole path, the whole project. And I think the central one is I'm looking for some kind of rootedness, some kind of home, some kind of place, point of reference, all of these things that were lacking in my life, and why? Because I want to feel comfortable. I want to feel comforted in the world. I don't like this sense of why I don't fit in anywhere? Why don't belong anywhere? Why can't I call anyplace home? This anxiety. So what do I do? I look for it in a totally new language in which I am completely alien, and I feel very much I am very much a stranger, a foreigner, I mean by definition I'm a foreigner in that language, and yet I feel at home. It's the feeling of feeling at home within the obvious atmosphere of the Other and of foreignness, and so I think there's something to be explored there in that what do other languages give us?"

Speaking of the new language as a way of introducing a good form of complication to her life, Lahiri spoke of the need for creators to embrace a sense of disorder:

"If you're creating, if you're choosing to live outside the balance zone, and if you're actually more interested in disrupting the balance and turning it upside down and poking into it and taking it apart and pulling the threads out, I mean this is what we're doing as artists, right? I mean, yes, it would be nice if it were all nice and harmonious and order. But disorder is the greater power, right? And you have to be in touch with that."

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

Well Done, Sister Suffragette!

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Cast off the shackles of yesterday!
Shoulder to shoulder into the fray!
Our daughters' daughters will adore us
And they'll sing in grateful chorus
"Well done, Sister Suffragette!"

 

 a life, a symbol

Sojourner Truth: A Life, a Symbol by Nell Irvin Painter

Born into slavery, this famous suffragette undergoes an astonishing self-transformation and emerges Sojourner Truth, public advocate for social justice and legendary speaker.

 

 

 

 

 

 An American Life

Elizabeth Cady Stanton: An American Life by Lori D. Ginzberg

Elizabeth Cady Stanton broke ground by presenting a cohesive argument for women’s rights, including equality in employment, income, property, custody and divorce.

 

 

 

 

 

 A Biography of a Singular Feminist

Susan B. Anthony: A Biography of a Singular Feminist by Kathleen Barry

A close and long-time collaborator of Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony was a tireless organizer, campaigner, and petitioner for women’s rights.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Claiming Power

Alice Paul: Claiming Power by J. D. Zahniser & Amelia R. Fry

Paul was the leader and main strategist for the campaign that culminated in the 19th Amendment. Following the victory, Paul would became leader of the National Women’s Party.

 

 

 

 

 

 The Autobiography of Dorothy Day

Long Loneliness: The Autobiography of the Legendary Catholic Social Activist 

Day chronicles her social activism in this autobiography, including her work with Alice Paul’s suffragist group, Silent Sentinels. Day goes on to found the Catholic Workers Movement. 

 

 

 

 

 

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.

¡Tus Superhéroes Favoritos Ahora en Tu Biblioteca!

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¿Te gustan las historietas gráficas? Pues la Biblioteca provee una variedad de historietas gráficas y acaba de recibir más de los superhéroes de la colección de novelas gráficas de Marvel.  Ven y toma prestado tu superhéroe favorito ¡gratis! Oprime aqui para obtener una copia de esta lista en formato PDF. 

He aquí algunas selecciones:

Aquaman. Los otros 

Geoff Johns

Manta Negra, el mayor enemigo del Rey de Atlantis, ha regresado para perseguir a los antiguos amigos de  Aquaman, los Guardianes de seis poderosos artefactos atlantes.

 

 

Aquaman. Vorágine. Núm. 10 

Jeff Parker

Secretos desvelados ponen en riesgo la vida de Arthur Curry.

 

 

Batgirl. La chica murciélago de Burnside 

Cameron Stewart

Bárbara Gordon está lista para  retomar el control de su vida y superar su traumático pasado en una nueva vecindad de Gotham, pero también investigará los casos extraños de una chica murciélago.

 

Batman eterno. Núm 12 

Scott Snyder

En esta serie el genio criminal que prendió  a Gotham en llamas no descansará hasta llevar a cabo su macabro plan.

 

 

Batman y Robin deben morir! 

Grant Morrison

Batman y Robin, deberán desbaratar el maquiavelico plan de Simon Hurt y el Profesor Pyg  quienes amenazan con convertir Gotham City en la nueva capital del crimen. 

 

 

Crónicas de la Trinidad. Vol. 1 

Alan Grant

Los tres personajes más populares de las tramas cómicas de Marvel  protagonizan esta antología de historias.

 

 

El fin del mañana. Green Lantern 

Robert Venditti

La inteligencia artificial de Hermano Ojo amenaza a la humanidad, Hal Jordan se enfrenta al nuevo líder de los Black Lanterns, y Sinestro permanece encerrado.  

 

 

Flash. Renacimiento 

Johns Geoff

Barry Allen, el hombre más rápido del mundo, ha resucitado de su heroica muerte mientras defendía el universo, pero ahora solo tiene un objetivo: encontrar al culpable del asesinato de su madre. 

 

Green Lantern. Nuevos Guardianes. Núm. 1 

Justin Jordan

Kyle Rayner, White Lantern, continúa su misión de lucha en contra de sus enemigos y recorre el universo junto a los Guardianes Templarios y la Zafiro Estelar Carol Ferris.

 

 

Superman. Horrorville 

Greg Pak

Superman sobrevive su peligrosa batalla contra Brainiac y vuelve a la tierra cuando un misterioso fenómeno aparece en Smallville. 

 

 

Tierra 2. El fin del mundo. Núm 1 

Daniel H. Wilson

En Tierra 2, Apokolips desata otra batalla entre superhéroes y villanos, entre los cuales se  encuentran Furia, la hija de Wonder Woman, Superman y su hermanos, Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, Tornado Rojo y otras Maravillas. 

 

 

Trinidad : Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman 

Matt Wagner

 El Caballero Oscuro y el Hombre de acero conocen a la Princesa Amazona, mientras el malvado Ras al Ghul,  lanza su plan de ataque en contra de la humanidad junto a Bizarro, el clon de Superman.

 


Oprime aquí para obtener una lista de estas historietas y otras más.

Oprime aqui para obtener una copia de esta lista en formato PDF. Algunas de las obras también pueden estar disponibles en diferentes formatos. Para más información, sírvase comunicarse con el bibliotecario de su biblioteca local. Los amantes de la lectura y escritura podrían además disfrutar del club de libros latinos y la lista de lectura ReadLatinoLit de las Comadres y Compadres (en Inglés y Español). Para información sobre eventos, favor de visitar: Eventos en Español. Más Blog en Español. Síganos por ¡Twitter

NSF: Celebrating Women in Science and Engineering

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 1536555
Woman working in a lab. Image ID: 1536555

In honor of Women's History Month, France Cordova, director of the National Science Foundation (NSF) presents a blog post, Celebrating Women in Science and Engineering.

In this blog post, France Cordova points out that women have come a long way especially in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Women have earned about 50 percent of all science and engineering bachelor's degrees since the late 1990s. Women's share of full-time, full professorships has more than doubled since 1993. NSF programs like ADVANCE works to increase the participation and advancement of women in academic science and engineering careers.

Despite advances in overall STEAM degrees, women are still vastly underrepresented in fields like physics and engineering; the number of women receiving a bachelor's degree in computer science has actually declined since 2002.

France Cordova states that NSF must promote gender diversity in STEM education, and support women every step along their path to a science or engineering career. NSF funds many great programs that target young women and girls, from after-school robot programming classes to award-winning television shows. A new NSF initiative, called INCLUDES, will help expand work like this, bringing more girls, women, minorities and other underrepresented groups into STEM.

At the end of her blog post, France Cordova states that in her career, she remains true to her own scientific vision. She offers an excellent piece of advice to students, "Be yourself. You can't make a bad choice if you remain true to yourself". Read more on the NSF blog.

Put a Hold On It: Reserving the Latest DVDs

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The New York Public Library has a vast collection of DVDs that everyone from movie buffs to families can enjoy. Even though the NYPL catalog has a new format—currently without the "Recently Ordered" section displayed, I would like to the share my first #libraryhack with you: how to find the most recently ordered DVDs in the catalog and reserve your copy.

Step 1. Choose the advanced search box and enter your search criteria.

Select "DVD" for the Keyword and "2016 to 2016" for the Year. For the Format option choose "DVD." If you are looking for movies in a specific langauge you may select one of the options next to Language as well.
 

Advanced Search

 

If you are using the Basic Search function, your search will look like this:

(DVD) f:v y:[2016-2016]

Step 2. Sort Your Results

Once you are given a results screen, choose the option "Sort by" and Choose "Date." This will put the most recently ordered movies first in your results list.

Sort by Date

Step 3. Browse and reserve

Most of the items displayed on this page will be the most recently ordered DVDs. You may choose to sort your results differently or simply browse through all of the results.

Browse the Latest DVDs

Once you find a movie that you would like to watch, simply click Place Hold, enter your login information, and choose the branch most convenient for you to pick up your items at. You will be notified when your movie has arrived.

Place Holds

Don't know what to watch? Check out NYPL's Recommendations and Tweet Wall and see what we're reading, watching, and talking about. Stay tuned for upcoming #libraryhacks.

8-Week Collage Workshop Starting April 6 at Saint Agnes

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We Heard Birds Singing as We Walked to the F Stop by Alacia Stubbs
We Heard Birds Singing as We Walked to the F Stop by Alacia Stubbs

St. Agnes Library, in partnership with Lifetime Arts, will be offering a 8-week free class titled "Exploring Collage" with teaching artist Alacia Stubbs. 

It will run from Wednesday, April 6 at 4:45 PM through May 25, 2016.

All participants must register by Monday, March 28, 2016 in person or by phone on 212-621-0619. 

Collage was invented in Paris early in the 20th century, but one of the greatest collage artists of all times was an American, Romare Bearden, who lived and worked in NYC. In this 8-week class we will learn technical basics like how to select collage materials, which glues to use, and how to apply glue.  We will also discuss composition and how to decide on a theme for your collage. Those taking this class are encouraged to bring their favorite magazines, photos, and any other odds and ends they think may fit into a collage.

Participants must be 50 or older. 


Staff Picks: Refactoring a Page into an App

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With hundreds of staff recommendations of books, Staff Picks now features 2016’s selection of Children’s 100 Books for Reading and Sharing and Best Books for Teens. Staff Picks started as a monthly selection of books—the first set of recommendations was released in August of 2015—chosen by NYPL staff members, from any time, which you can filter by selecting tags associated with the books.

Staff Picks drew inspiration from the previous lists of Children’s Books for Reading and Sharing. The 2013 list was created by NYPL Labs using NPR’s open source Book Concierge app and the 2014 list was then created by the Digital Experience team. The 2013 and 2014 lists were standalone apps and but starting from the 2015 list of books, they will be integrated into the dynamic system of Staff Picks.

On the technical side, the Digital Experience group had to determine how to update our first React application to organize the new data. We learned new React programming techniques from Book Lists and the site-wide header that we wanted to incorporate into Staff Picks. This blog post is targeted to those who are looking into making small and large internal changes to their React applications, and will cover how we updated the app architecture, updated configurations, and updated the app’s routes. If you want to find out more about how we initially used React for this app, read about it in this blog post.

Codebase and configuration

Staff Picks app structure

The application architecture dictates workflow and component structure. At first, we went with an architecture from a boilerplate. Although it worked well because we got off the ground quickly, we found out that it wasn’t flexible enough to extend configurations we wanted to make. At the same time, we found that the boilerplate added many configurations, such as Webpack Hot Reload and building a minified bundled Javascript file, but we wanted to fully understand what was going on. The next step was taking a deeper dive into how the boilerplate worked and build an application architecture from the bottom up that would fit our needs while also being lean.

Our first step involved restructuring the codebase. Initially, we had two folders at the root level: a `server` and a `client` folder to separate the Express server and the React codebase. We reduced the clutter at the root level by only having one folder called `src. The `src` folder contains our client side assets, server side code, and React components.

The main Express file is server.js, but the actual server side entry file is index.js. We use the index.js file to load Babel so we can write our Express server in ES6. We worked with NYPL’s IT department to set up this entry file as a convention to easily set up other Node.js apps.

Refactoring Components into NPM Modules

Even though we learned a lot from Staff Picks, we are always eager to learn more and to refactor based on both better React programming practices and ways of thinking about composing components.

We began to refactor Staff Picks by first converting the React Header app into an NPM-structured component. The Header app is what we currently see on nypl.org, Locations, Research Divisions, Catalog, and the Classic Catalog. The header on those sites are loaded through an embeddable script that loads the Header app and fetches data on the client-side. This approach worked well for non-React apps but not for React apps because having two versions of React on the same page broke the app. We, therefore, needed to isolate and create a header component that we could include in our React apps through the NPM system.

After successfully converting the header component into an NPM module, it was easier to refactor and break out other components into working NPM modules. For example, we refactored our Alt codebase into a separate module called dgx-alt-center. Creating a wrapper around Alt and converting it into a module allowed us to have one instance of Alt that the app and included components can share. In Staff Picks both the app and the header component use the dgx-alt-center component to load their respective stores into Alt.

Staff Picks Alt Component
Shared Alt module

Now we can populate the Stores on the server side before using Iso to render the React app and pass the data to the client side. This is a huge advantage for faster loading times of data and components.

Updating existing components

Staff Picks showcases staff’s selection of books every month and the app was built to handle traversing between months in the MonthPicker component. The specifications changed and now that we are featuring annual selections of YA and Children’s picks, the MonthPicker component needed to be updated.

Staff Picks Month Selector
Rendered month selected component

 

The first problem when refactoring this component was that it was part of a larger component that also displayed the grid of books. The interactive selection of months and the display of data needed to be decoupled immediately. Once that was completed, the `MonthPicker` component was refactored to be a pure component; a component that doesn’t deal with state and simply renders the properties (props) that were passed down.

For any staff pick data set, the previous and next selection of picks are part of the data set’s relationship, e.g. the October Staff Pick’s data set includes pointers to the previous picks in September and the next picks in November. Those relationships are passed into the time selector component, including the API endpoints needed to fetch data for those sets. Although we only have data sets for Children’s 100 and YA 50 from 2015 in the API, when we add the data sets from previous years, the component will render the appropriate year.

From this we learned to create smaller components that are decoupled from specific views or interactions, and that rely on rendering its props that are passed down.

Routing

Routing adds complexity to any app, and on top of that we dealt with reverse proxy-ing of the app onto a specific URL on nypl.org. For routing we used two different technologies, one for the server side data fetching using Express.Router(), and one for React app using React Router on the client side.

Before the Children’s 100 and YA 50 data sets were added to the app, Staff Picks contained three simple routes:


/recommendations/staff-picks/
/recommendations/staff-picks/:month/
/recommendations/staff-picks/:month/:id

The main path /recommendations/staff-picks/ displayed the latest data set, originally set to be the current month’s picks; the added /recommendations/staff-picks/:month/ URL displays the picks for a specific month; and /recommendations/staff-picks/:month/:id displays a specific book pick for a specific month through a modal popup. The purpose of the last route was also to deal with the possibility of a book pick being selected in multiple months, e.g. Star Wars, Aftermath appears in November 2015’s picks but could also appear in a later selection of picks.

To add the Children’s 100 and YA 50 data sets, these next routes had to be integrated:


/recommendations/staff-picks/annual/childrens
/recommendations/staff-picks/annual/childrens/:year
/recommendations/staff-picks/annual/childrens/:year/:id

/recommendations/staff-picks/annual/ya
/recommendations/staff-picks/annual/ya/:year
/recommendations/staff-picks/annual/ya/:year/:id

On the server side, the Express router dealt with reading the path and selecting the correct API endpoint. If 'annual' was the third parameter, then a check was done for ‘childrens’ or 'ya'. Finally, instead of selecting by month, the data set was selected by year, but monthly and yearly selections are just pointers to the previous or next data set if its available.

For the React Router side, the main `home` route is /browse/recommendations/staff-picks/? (the /? at the end signifies an optional trailing slash). Similar to the Express router configuration, the routes then split up into either the `annual` route or the `home` route. The annual selection then has an extra parameter `type` which can be either `ya` or `childrens`.

Up until this point, either /browse/recommendations/staff-picks/, /browse/recommendations/staff-picks/annual/ya, or /browse/recommendations/staff-picks/childrens can be selected. This will display the current monthly and the current yearly selection of Staff Picks and Children's or YA, respectively. Specifying the month, year, and book is the last part that is handled by two similar routes. In the gist below, the similar routes are denoted by the `year` and `month` Routes and the similar `annualModal` and `modal` Routes. Even though these routes are not being reused, the handler for both is the same BookModal component.

Parameter based components

React Router does a good job of passing down any prop at the root level to its children when the Router is initialized:


Router.run(routes.server, req.path, function (Root, state) {
    let app = React.renderToString();
});

In this case we pass down the URL `req.path` that the server reads to the app, and at the application level this value is passed down as a prop to the RouterHandler (or any other) component:

A difficulty we encountered was correctly rendering a component based on the route when the component is not part of the RouterHandler. For examples, the Agetabs component should only appear at the Staff Picks level /browse/recommendations/staff-picks/, but not the annual level for Children’s 100 or YA. The problem with including the AgeTabs component in the Route’s RouterHandler component is the placement of the component in the application structure. The AgeTabs component didn’t render nicely with the rest of the page, and so we took an approach to render the component based on the active URL.

Although this worked, this is not the best way to implement this. We are currently working on updating the nypl.org homepage and we’ve found that low-level components should not have too much logic. In this case, the AgeTabs components decides whether it should render itself or not. What should happen is have logic at the application level to decide whether the AgeTabs component should be rendered or not. This will also update AgeTabs to a pure component that just renders the props that were passed to it if it’s rendered.

Future Lists

Similar to refactoring any code base, refactoring the Staff Picks app was very involved. We started from the architecture and server side code, to the isomorphic React app. We are currently planning another stage of code refactoring and hope to make the reverse proxy routing more stable. The end result will be one central app where all the existing lists of Children's Books for Reading and Sharing, Best Books for Teens, and Staff Picks recommendations will coexist.

Queens College: Women and Work

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Women and Work, a partnership for empowerment, is a free job-and-life skills training program at Queens College, the City University of New York.  It is an authorized trainer for New York City and is HRA approved.

Initiated in 1998, Women and Work is an innovative approach to empowerment for women focused on economic stability through workforce development and life-strategizing skills.  The program is offered free to women-in-need in New York City and neighboring areas.  The largely underserved population is comprised of victims of domestic/family violence, single mothers, immigrants, displaced homemakers, downsized and low-wage workers.  Reaching across all races, ethnicities, ages, religions, and sexualities, the program accepts women with modest educational attainment and little or erratic work experience.

Training includes 

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  • Computer programs - MS professional Office Suite 2013
  • Computers and technology: Learning the language and building an infrastructure of knowledge
  • Interviewing skills, cover letters and resumes
  • Personal and professional development
  • Writing seminars:  Writing for business, creative writing, and publications research and design
  • Financial literacy
  • Interpersonal communication skills
  • Life-management skills, including reading comprehension, grammar and vocabulary
  • English as a second lanuage (ESL)
  • Dress for success (free business clothing based on availability)

Women and Work also provides

  • On-site counseling and needs assessment
  • Referrals to allied organizations as needed
  • Health and wellness training

To apply to Women and Work you will need

  • A high school diploma or GED
  • A working knowledge of English
  • Be legally authorized to work in the United States
  • The ability to commit to the entire 14-week program

To apply to Women and Work

In person

  • Walk-in applications are accepted on Monday and Tuesday from 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM
  • Women and Work, 25 West 43rd Street, Suite 1005 - 10th floor, NY, NY 10036

Online

By mail

  • Print out the application and return the completed form by mail to Women and Work, 25 West 43rd Street, Suite 1005 - 10th floor, NY, NY 10036.

For more information, please visit Queens Ccollege Women and Work or call 212-642-2071

Know Your Feminisms

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March is women's history month: a time to reflect on the lives and accomplishments of women and their contributions in history and in contemporary society.  Who better to honor this March than history's influential feminists? The books on this list are essential for understanding the history of femism and the women's rights movement. Feminism 101. 

Required Reading

A Room of One's Own
The Second Sex
The Feminine Mystique

 

A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf (1929)

This essay examines the question of whether a woman is capable of producing work on par with Shakespeare. Woolf asserts that “a woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction.”

The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir (1949)

A major work of feminist philosophy, the book is a survey of the treatment of women throughout history.

The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan (1963)

Friedan examines what she calls “the problem that has no name” – the general sense of malaise among women in the 1950s and 1960s.

Les guérillères
The Female Eunuch
Sexual Politics
Sister Outsider

 

Les Guérillères by Monique Wittig (1969)

An imagining of an actual war of the sexes in which women warriors are equipped with knives and guns.

The Female Eunuch by Germaine Greer (1970)

Greer makes the argument that women have been cut off from their sexuality through (a male conceived) consumer society-produced notion of the “normal” woman.

Sexual Politics by Kate Millett (1970)

Based on her PhD dissertation, Millett’s book discusses the role patriarchy (in the political sense) plays in sexual relations. To make her argument, she (unfavorably) explores the work of D.H Lawrence, Henry Miller, and Sigmund Freud, among others.

Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde (1984)

In this collection of essays and speeches, Lorde addresses sexism, racism, black lesbians, and more.

The beauty myth
gender trouble
Feminism is for everybody
manifesta

 

The Beauty Myth by Naomi Wolf (1990) 

Wolf explores “normative standards of beauty” which undermine women politically and psychologically and are propagated by the fashion, beauty, and advertising industries.

Gender Trouble by Judith Butler (1990)

Influential in feminist and queer theory, this book introduces the concept of “gender performativity” which essentially means, your behavior creates your gender.

Feminism is for everybody by bell hooks (2000)

Hooks focuses on the intersection of gender, race, and the sociopolitical.

 Manifesta: Young Women, Feminism, and the Future by Jennifer Baumgardner and Amy Richards (2000)

These authors explore the state of feminism in the year 2000 where the movement was at a crossroads between “girl power” feminists who sought personal empowerment and established institutions such as Ms. and NOW who were fighting for political equality.

Other Reading

persepolis
The indelible Alison Bechdel
Bad Feminist
Men Explain Things to Me

 

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi (2004)

A memoir of a young girl growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution told in black and white comic strip images.

 The Indelible Alison Bechdel: Confessions, Comix, and Miscellaneous Dykes to Watch Out For by Alison Bechdel (2009)

Chronicles of contemporary lesbian life (includes the Bechdel test.)

Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay (2014)

A collection of feminist essays and cultural criticism.

Men Explain Things to Me by Rebecca Solnit (2015)

 Solnit tackles gender and power with a keen wit prose.

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.

Ep. 20 "Those Endless Possibilities" | Library Stories

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Silas Farley first visited NYPL's Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center when he was just 14 years old. Now, as a dancer for the New York City Ballet and a self-described "nerd" for ballet history, Silas has made the dance collection at LPA an integral part of his life and career. Learn more about Silas's passion for learning, service, and all things ballet in this week's Library Story.

Library Stories is a video series from The New York Public Library that shows what the Library means to our users, staff, donors, and communities through moving personal interviews.

Like, share, and watch more Library Stories on Facebook or YouTube.

 

Second Annual Women in Comics Con at the Bronx Library Center

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Comic book fans rejoice! The second annual Women in Comics Con is coming to the Bronx Library Center on March 12, 2016. The event is sponsored by the Women in Comics NYC Collective, which was founded by comic book writer, creator and producer of Locket Down productions, Regine Sawyer.

The Women in Comics Con grew out of a women in comics panel Sawyer was invited to moderate at the Bronx Heroes Comic Con in 2012.  There she connected with lead artists from Marvel, DC Comics and Archie Comics. She also learned of their frustrations with the lack of recognition within the industry for their work.  It galvanized her to want to shine a light on the contributions of women artists.

Since then, the Women in Comics NYC Collective has grown to the international level with members in Canada, Europe, Panama, the Philippines and Cameroon. The organization conducts panels and workshops in library systems across the country. “We want to make comic books and comic artists accessible,” said Sawyer. “We want to bring the con to the community.”

The Women in Comics Con will feature workshops on a range of issues in the comic book industry including representations of race, gender and sexuality, portfolio building, gaming development and the wide world of cosplay. ”We really have a full, well-rounded event and we’re really excited about it,” said Sawyer.

In addition, the contributions of Phyllis Novin and Barbara Brandon Croft will be highlighted. Novin is an illustrator for The Simpsons and Futurama, and Croft is the first African American female cartoonist to be syndicated.  Her comic strip, Where I’m Coming From, depicted only the characters' heads and hands.

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