Didn't make it to the January 2019 Manga Monday? Don’t worry! Here’s what you missed!

At every Manga Monday, which meets on the first Monday of each month, patrons have an opportunity to share their favorite manga series and learn about new series from fellow patrons and the librarian on hand.

This month’s theme wasShonen Jump Classics! The publicationWeekly Shōnen Jump and its American counterpart, Shonen Jump, are staples of the shonen genre, having produced some of the biggest shonen manga hits of the last 30-or-so years. What better way to start our new program by sharing our favorite Shonen Jump series and revisiting some old classics!

Completely new to Japanese manga? Then check out our beginner’s guide and make sure to stop by at our next Manga Monday meetup.

From our first Manga Monday, here is a list of absolute must-read Shonen Jump titles, selected by our staff and patrons. (All summaries adapted from the publisher and/or catalog listings.)

Staff Shonen Jump Picks

Dragon Ball 
Story and Art by Akira Toriyama

Ages: 14+

Legend has it that if all seven of the precious orbs called "Dragon Balls" are gathered together, an incredibly powerful dragon god will appear to grant one wish. Unfortunately, the orbs are scattered across the world, making them extremely difficult to collect.

Enter 16-year-old Bulma, a scientific genius who has constructed a radar to detect the exact locations of the Dragon Balls. She's on a mission to find all seven orbs, but first must convince young Son Goku to join her on her quest. With a monkey tail, superhuman strength, and a magic staff for a weapon, Son Goku is ready to set out on the adventure of a lifetime…
 

Rurouni Kenshin. Vol. 1: Meiji Swordsman Romantic Story
Story and Art by Nobuhiro Watsuki

Ages: 15+

One hundred and fifty years ago in Kyoto, amid the flames of revolution, there arose a warrior, an assassin of such ferocious power he was given the title Hitokiri—Manslayer. With his bloodstained blade, Hitokiri Battosai helped close the turbulent Bakumatsu period and end the reign of the shoguns, slashing open the way toward the progressive Meiji Era. Then he vanished and, with the flow of years, became legend. 

In the 11th year of Meiji, in the middle of Tokyo, the tale begins. Himura Kenshin, a humble rurouni, or wandering swordsman, comes to the aid of Kamiya Kaoru, a young woman struggling to defend her father's school of swordsmanship against attacks by the infamous Hitokiri Battosai. But neither Kenshin nor Battosai are quite what they seem…

YuYu Hakusho. Vol. 1, Goodbye, Material World! 
Story and Art by Yoshihiro Togashi 

Ages: 14+

Yusuke Urameshi was a tough teen delinquent until one selfless act changed his life… by ending it. When Yusuke died saving a little kid from a speeding car, the afterlife didn't know what to do with him, so it gave him a second chance at life. Now, Yusuke is a ghost with a mission, performing good deeds at the beshest of Botan, the spirit guide of the dead, and Koenma, her pacifier-sucking boss from the "other side." But what strange things await him on the borderline between life and death?
 

Ranma 1/2 
Story and Art by Rumiko Takahashi

Age: 15+

Years ago, Genma promised his old friend, Soun Tendo, that Ranma would marry one of Soun's three daughters and carry on the family's martial arts school. Except the girl picked to be Ranma's bride doesn't seem to like him, Ranma keeps getting into fights… and did we mention that whole changing-into-a-girl thing?

One Piece. Vol. 1, Romance Dawn
Story and Art by Eiichiro Oda

Ages: 14+

As a child, Monkey D. Luffy was inspired to become a pirate by listening to the tales of the buccaneer "Red-Haired" Shanks. But his life changed when Luffy accidentally ate the Gum-Gum Devil Fruit and gained the power to stretch like rubber… at the cost of never being able to swim again!

Years later, still vowing to become the king of the pirates, Luffy sets out on his adventure… one guy alone in a rowboat, in search of the legendary "One Piece," said to be the greatest treasure in the world… 

Patron Shonen Jump Picks

Demon Slayer = Kimetsu No Yaiba. Volume 1
Story and Art by Koyoharu Gotouge

Ages: 13+

In Taisho-era Japan, Tanjiro Kamado is a kindhearted boy who makes a living selling charcoal. His peaceful life is shattered when a demon slaughters his family and turns his sister into another demon, forcing Tanjiro on a dangerous journey to destroy the demon and save his sister.

Prince of Tennis 
Story and Art by Takeshi Konomi

Ages: 11+

There is a rumor going around that a 12-year-old boy is going to enter the 16-and-under tennis group. How can someone so young ever hope to compete with kids much older and more experienced than him? This is no ordinary kid: he is none other than Ryoma Echizen, the Prince of Tennis! Ryoma's father was destined for greatness until he injured himself during a match, ending his career forever. His talent was passed on to his son, who is determined to be the best tennis player in the world. Can the prince gain the respect of his fellow teammates despite his small size and young age? 

Unanimous Shonen Jump Pick

Everyone agrees you need to read this series now!

Hunter x Hunter
Story and Art by Yoshihiro Togashi 

Age: 16+

When Gon learns his father Ging—whom he thought was dead—is a famous Hunter, he aspires to follow in his footsteps and track down monsters, treasures, and words of magic. 

Attention manga readers! Upcoming Manga Monday themes:

Monday, Febuary 4: Shojo Beat Favorites!

Monday, March 4: March Mecha Madness!

Monday, April 1: April Fools Comedy Special!

Fiction

1Q84
The year is 1984 and the city is Tokyo. A young woman named Aomame follows a taxi driver’s enigmatic suggestion and begins to notice puzzling discrepancies in the world around her. She has entered, she realizes, a parallel existence, which she calls 1Q84 —“Q is for ‘question mark.’ A world that bears a question.” Meanwhile, an aspiring writer named Tengo takes on a suspect ghostwriting project. He becomes so wrapped up with the work and its unusual author that, soon, his previously placid life begins to come unraveled. 

As Aomame’s and Tengo’s narratives converge over the course of this single year, we learn of the profound and tangled connections that bind them ever closer

Killing Commendatore 
 A 30-something portrait painter in Tokyo is abandoned by his wife and finds himself holed up in the mountain home of a famous artist, Tomohiko Amada. When he discovers a previously unseen painting in the attic, he unintentionally opens a circle of mysterious circumstances. To close it, he must complete a journey that involves a mysterious ringing bell, a two-foot-high physical manifestation of an Idea, a dapper businessman who lives across the valley, a precocious 13-year-old girl, a Nazi assassination attempt during World War II in Vienna, a pit in the woods behind the artist’s home, and an underworld haunted by Double Metaphors. 

Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage
36-year-old Tsukuru Tazaki meets a woman named Sara who raises questions about a painful incident from his youth in which his closest friends all cut off relations with him without explanation, and inspires him to find out why.

Norwegian Wood
Toru, a serious young college student in Tokyo, is devoted to Naoko, a beautiful and introspective young woman, but their mutual passion is marked by the tragic death of their best friend years before. As Naoko retreats further into her own world, Toru finds himself drawn to a fiercely independent young woman. 

A magnificent coming-of-age story steeped in nostalgia, Norwegian Wood blends the music, the mood, and the ethos that were the sixties with a young man’s hopeless and heroic first love.

Short Stories

Men Without Women
Across seven tales, Haruki Murakami brings his powers of observation to bear on the lives of men who, in their own ways, find themselves alone. Here are vanishing cats and smoky bars, lonely hearts and mysterious women, baseball and the Beatles, woven together to tell stories that speak to us all. Marked by the same wry humor that has defined his entire body of work, in this collection Murakami has crafted another contemporary classic.
 

Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman
The 24 stories that make up Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman generously express the incomparable Haruki Murakami’s mastery of the form. Here are animated crows, a criminal monkey, and an ice man, as well as the dreams that shape us and the things we might wish for. From the surreal to the mundane, these stories exhibit Murakami’s ability to transform the full range of human experience in ways that are instructive, surprising, and entertaining.

After the Quake
Set at the time of the catastrophic 1995 Kobe earthquake, the mesmerizing stories in After the Quake are as haunting as dreams and as potent as oracles.

An electronics salesman who has been deserted by his wife agrees to deliver an enigmatic package—and is rewarded with a glimpse of his true nature. A man who views himself as the son of God pursues a stranger who may be his human father. A mild-mannered collection agent receives a visit from a giant talking frog who enlists his help in saving Tokyo from destruction. The six stories in this collection come from the deep and mysterious place where the human meets the inhuman—and are further proof that Murakami is one of the most visionary writers at work today.
 

Non-Fiction

Underground
In this haunting work of journalistic investigation, Haruki Murakami tells the story of the horrific terrorist attack on Japanese soil that shook the entire world. On a clear spring day in 1995, five members of a religious cult unleashed poison gas on the Tokyo subway system. In an attempt to discover why, Haruki Murakmi talks to the people who lived through the catastrophe, and in so doing lays bare the Japanese psyche. As he discerns the fundamental issues that led to the attack, Murakami paints a clear vision of an event that could occur anytime, anywhere.

What I Talk About When I Talk About Running
In 1982, having sold his jazz bar to devote himself to writing, Murakami began running to keep fit. A year later, he’d completed a solo course from Athens to Marathon, and now, after dozens of such races, not to mention triathlons and a dozen critically acclaimed books, he reflects upon the influence the sport has had on his life and—even more important—on his writing.

Equal parts training log, travelogue, and reminiscence, this revealing memoir covers his four-month preparation for the 2005 New York City Marathon.  Through this marvelous lens of sport emerges a panorama of memories and insights: the eureka moment when he decided to become a writer, his greatest triumphs and disappointments, his passion for vintage LPs, and the experience, after fifty, of seeing his race times improve and then fall back.

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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!

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Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts

Maria Popova& Claudia Bedrick curated an anthology of letters and original illustrations by 121 of the most interesting and inspiring culture-makers alive today. A Velocity of Being, Popova's project that was eight years in the making, asked each contributor to write a letter to a young reader about the power of reading. 

To celebrate the book’s release, contributors took to the stage at The New York Public Library to share what they wrote. Featured readings and performances by: Jad Abumrad, Sophie Blackall, Alexander Chee, Mohammed Fairouz, Adam Gopnik, Paul Holdengräber, Sarah Kay, Dawn Landes,  Morley, Mariahadessa Ekere Tallie, and Naomi Wolf. 

All proceeds from A Velocity of Being will benefit the public libraries of New York City. Read more about the book on Brain Pickings. 

Women who kill their partners or children. Women who sexually abuse children, even their own. Nuns in the clergy who sexually abuse boys and girls whose care is entrusted to them. As disparaging and repulsive as this behavior is  to most of us, the childhoods of these women often were not great. Female perpetrators often have a history of abuse and a plethora of mental health diagnoses. Sometimes termed the "abuse excuse," it is true that the worst of the worst female criminals have also suffered themselves.

Ever wonder what the daily life of a forensic psychologist is like? The author works on criminal cases, in which either the prosecutor or defense attorney refers a client to him for evaluation. The psychologist evaluates the client through conversation, and by administering a battery of psychological tests. Then, he communicates his findings to the attorney.

If the results are not favorable to the case, the relationship often ends there. However, if his conclusions help the case, the attorney may call him to testify in the trial as an expert witness, if the case is not plea bargained. In the witness chair, the forensic psychologist will likely face a grueling cross-examination after detailing all of his training and experience, and is declared an expert by the judge.

Dangerous Women: Why Mothers, Daughters, and Sisters Become Stalkers, Molesters and Murderers by Larry A. Morris, 2008

I have a degree in forensic psychology; I was fascinated and enlightened by this book.

Books on women criminals

0-5-25—this refers to the number of feet that are likely between explosive devices that terrorists might detonate. The first bomb is placed at a certain location (0). The second device is placed within a five-foot radius from the first one (5). The third device, if any, is placed 25 feet from the first bomb (25). Survive Like a Spy reveals this and other facts for those unfortunate enough to be in the midst of an unspeakable tragedy. 

The safety tips go on and on:

• pay close attention to your surroundings, particularly anything that seems unusual or out-of-place
• record events in your daily life, on both audio and video, for your personal safety
• tell others where you are going, why, and when you are likely to return
• if you believe you are being followed, vary your route and check to see if the person is still on your tail. if so, call the police.

The author even spells out how a spy would handle an attempted kidnapping:
1) create as much of a commotion as possible during the abduction if you are unable to escape (that's because being in someone else's car increases your chances of dying)
2) once it is clear you are caught and isolated from the public, act submissive in order to lure your abductors into a false sense of security
3) pay close attention to detail so you do not miss an opportunity to escape
4) the longer you are held captive, the more likely you are to live 

Survive Like a Spy: Real CIA Operatives Reveal How They Stay Safe in a Dangerous World and How You Can Too by Jason Hanson, 2018

Like the book I recently read about the Secret Service, this work is replete with fascinating info about the CIA and personal safety measures that people can take to protect themselves and loved ones.

Books about the CIA

Jason Hanson's website

International Creativity Month is upon us! Why not take a look at some workshops that will unleash your creative side? With 92 locations, we have events for people of all ages. Our workshops will allow you to reach out of your comfort zone and discover what you are truly capable of. Programs will include knitting clubs, painting, and even creative writing meet-ups; no matter what your favorite creative activity is, we have something here for you!

Listed here are some highlighted programs being held throughout our locations this month, but if you cannot find one for you, check out a list of all of our events for this month. Now go out and get creative! 

Arts and Crafts

MUNCHKINS' Paint & Learn: Finger Painting
Having your child use finger paints and use their hands will develop their motor skills and creativity. Join other parents in this exciting workshop to expand the imagination of your children.
Port Richmond Library
Tuesday, January 15, 22, and 29 | 12 noon

Still Life: Plant Drawings
In this Ellsworth Kelly inspired workshop, participants will learn to use a charcoal pencil to draw plant still life and eventually use watercolor to bring their drawings to life. Join us in this creative judgement-free zone. Space is limited.
Mid-Manhattan Library at 42nd Street, Room 67A
Tuesday, January 22 |10:30 AM - 1:30 PM

3D Doodling!
Who needs 3D printers anymore! Come have fun with 3Doodler, a 3D doodling pen that allows you to create objects from drawing in the air or on surfaces. Make your own action figure or even a desk toy for yourself or a friend. Watch as you create your ideas and bring them to life.
Tompkins Square Library, Basement
Monday, January 28 | 4 - 5 PM

Creative Aging: Landscape Painting in Watercolors
For ages 50 and up. It’s never too late to uncover your creativity so why not do it with the art of watercolor painting. Develop your skills in landscape painting which include painting skies, trees, water, and elements of the landscape.
Hudson Park Library
Monday, January 28 | 2 - 4 PM

Arts and Craft for Adults
Easy crafts for adults are a fun way to relieve stress and rediscover your creative spark. These easy art projects for adults are sure to fit your personal style and skill set.
Eastchester Library
Monday, January 28 | 2 PM

Don't see any crafting events you like here? Check out the full list of arts and crafts events here.

Knitting

Knit for a Cause Knitting Circle
If you love to knit or if you would love to learn how to knit—and if you would like the work that you do to make a difference in the lives of people in need—please join us for this very special, once-a-month program.  Knit for a Cause will be led by Soleil Sabalja, a certified, multilingual educator and an experienced knitter. Objects knitted in the workshop will be donated to charitable organizations locally and globally.
Chatham Square Library
Wednesday, January 16 | 5:30 PM

Writing

Miscellaneous

Teen D.I.Y.
Stretch your creative skills and hang out with friends as we create pop-up cards, make photo transfers, glue papercraft, and engage in other fun art-based activities. Materials will be provided. Limit to 10.
Woodstock Library
Tuesday, January 15 and 29 | 4 PM

Creative with Legos
Come join us! Legos free play. Come take advantage of our many pieces of Legos and make what you want. For ages 3-12.
Morrisania Library
Monday, January 28 | 2 PM

Supervised Tech Time: Creative Coding Lab
Need to practice Photoshop, Illustrator? Working your way through a coding project or a self-paced online coding course? Get individualized help from a TechConnect instructor.
This is an open lab specifically geared towards patrons who have taken our creative or coding classes and want to continue working on projects related to what they have learned. Also, open to other patrons working in self-paced coding courses who need some support. No formal class instruction is provided in this session, however, we will be happy to direct you to self-paced courses and other materials.
Science, Industry and Business Library, Training Room 4
Every Wednesday | 10:30 - 11:30  AM and 11:30 - 12:30 PM

When Shakespeare placed a play within a play in Hamlet, his titular character realized "The play's the thing." For the centuries that followed, plays and theater have played a pivotal role in fiction, adding an extra layer of narrative to the story.

In the spirit of those stories within stories, here is a short list of recommended fiction in which a play has its own role within the plot. 

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

A traveling Shakespearean troupe features prominently in this stunning post-apocalyptic novel.

Snowblind by Ragnar Jónasson

The first in Jónasson's Dark Iceland thriller series. A small, isolated town where nothing ever happens serves as the backdrop to an Agatha Christie-esque "locked room"-type mystery with the mysterious death of a highly esteemed writer in a local theater.

The Backstagers

This YA graphic novel series has a new spinoff novel, The Backstagers and the Ghost Light. It's perfect for fans of Noelle Stevenson, with a touch of otherworldly portals in the wings of the theater.

Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff

Lotto and Matilde star in their own perspectives of plays, greatness and their marriage.

Atonement by Ian McEwan

The protagonist of this elegiac, evocative novel—Briony, a 13-year-old girl living in England on the brink of World War II—is both the narrator of the book's events, and the director and star of a play she puts on during the course of the story. Briony's complex inner life is unreliable but irresistable, even as readers know she isn't quite trustworthy. Briony narrates the epilogue, too, a sort of meta-commentary on the novel you've just finished. (Thanks to Gwen Glazer for the annotation!)

Vanity Fair by William Thackeray

Chapter 51 "in which a Charade is acted which may or may not Puzzle the Reader"

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts.
 

Have you ever truly grieved over the loss of someone in a book? Together with Eric Molinsky, host of the Imaginary Worlds podcast, Frank and Gwen dive into the psychology of readers' responses to character deaths. Don't worry, it's not as depressing as it sounds! Maybe!

Guest Star: Eric Molinsky

Eric's podcast, Imaginary Worlds, the "Imaginary Deaths" episode, the fanfiction episode, and the Madeline Miller episode

Some books with deaths we've mourned:

• Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
• Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
• The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
• The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
• The Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin (the Red Wedding is in the third book, A Storm of Swords)

More recommendations:

• "Dr. Who" -- the David Tennant season
• The Song of Achilles and Circe by Madeline Miller
• Sabrina the Teenage Witch (available in many formats at the Library) and Riverdale (always)

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Image credit: "Hedwig" at the British Wildlife Centre by Peter Trimming is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

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"Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?"

That question, posed at the end of Mary Oliver's poem, "The Summer Day," resonated with readers around the world and made Oliver as close to a household name as any modern-day poet in recent memory.

Oliver died on January 17, 2019 at age 83. She had a long and celebrated career: In 1984, she won a Pulitzer Prize for American Primitive; in 1992, she won the National Book Award in 1992 for her New and Selected Poems. Poems in her newer collections, Felicity and Devotions, cover familiar ground—reflections on beauty, spirituality, and the natural world—reflection and also offer glimpses of humor and lightness that characterized much her work. She also wrote freely about death, particularly in the work published since the 2011 death of her partner of 40 years, Molly Malone Cook.

Oliver was best known for her poetry, but she wrote essays as well. Upstream, published only a few years ago, spans 25 years of her prose and acts almost as a memoir. And she defied convention in compilations like The Truro Bear and Other Adventures, which includes both essays and poems—including several about her dog Percy, who popped up in much of her work over the years.

All her work shares a certain clarity, a deftness with language that makes her poems easy to read and understand as well as deeply meaningful. If you've never read Mary Oliver's work before, you can start by reading a selection her poems for free online via the Poetry Foundation. Then, check out collections of her poetry and essays from the Library. 

More Oliver links

• Episode 98 of NYPL's The Librarian Is In podcast, in which we read "Wild Geese" and talk about Oliver's work
• A recording of "Tides,"  part of The New York Public Library's 30 Days of Poetry
• Book Riot's reading pathway for people looking for a place to start
• Her obituary in Lithub, NPR, and the New York Times

One final Oliver poem

“In Blackwater Woods," from Upstream :

To live in this world

you must be able
to do three things:
to love what is mortal;
to hold it

against your bones knowing
your own life depends on it;
and, when the time comes to let it go,
to let it go.

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Image credits: "Don't Worry" from Felicity (top) and a sign in Concord, Massachusetts taken by Sara Beth Joren.

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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!

Claire Bishop is a Professor in the PhD Program in Art History at the Graduate Center, City University of New York. Her books include Installation Art: A Critical History(2005), Artificial Hells: Participatory Art and the Politics of Spectatorship(2012) (for which she won the 2013 Frank Jewett Mather award), and Radical Museology, or, What’s Contemporary in Museums of Contemporary Art? (2013). She is a regular contributor to Artforum, and her essays and books have been translated into 18 languages. Her current research investigates the intersection of attention and technology in contemporary art and performance.

In addition to the accomplishments listed above, Ms. Bishop is a 2018-2019 Jerome Robbins Dance Division Research Fellow. She will present the culmination of her research, "Pragmatic Expediency:  A History of Cunningham's Events," at a day-long symposium honoring Merce Cunningham on January 25, 2019.  

"…the proscenium stage – here I am in one – and its framed picture do not seem sufficient any more. Television has made us look differently – trips to the moon to see the other side. The renaissance perspective arrangement has an archaic flavor. Television, when 'live and real' allows everyone to be seen, at every moment, to his best advantage. […]

Most of my dances have been choreographed with a four-sided visual arrangement. That is, they can and have been presented with audiences on one, two, three, or four sides, and perhaps soon there will be the opportunity to utilize a couple of more—over and under. Television offers excellent space opportunities."[1]

Merce Cunningham’s enthusiasm for new technology is well documented and amply evidenced—from his numerous works for film and video in the 1970s and 1980s, to his embrace of computer software as a choreographic tool in the 1990s and 2000s. While researching Cunningham’s Events in the archives at the Library for the Performing Arts, however, it becomes evident that this openness to new technology was preceded by a keen interest in television. Throughout his interviews and lecture notes from the late 1950s to the early 1970s, television is one of a handful of unexpectedly recurring spatial motifs—the others being sport, outer space, and the street.

When we consider how vociferously early audiences objected to the "difficulty" of Cunningham’s work, especially his interval-free ninety-minute Events, this fascination with television (not to mention space travel and sport) is striking—almost contradictory.[2] On the one hand, these accessible references might have been a concession to render his work more comprehensible to provincial audiences. On the other hand, they are persistent enough to require closer inspection. In television, I want to argue, Cunningham finds a model of spectatorship adequate to his decentralization of stage space. We conventionally think of television as a nonstop flow for a hypnotized viewer. For Cunningham, by contrast, television presents the possibility of an autonomous, mobile eye that decides what to attend to in the moment, actively changing channels, rather than having an experience prestructured or directed by the choreographer.

To understand Cunningham’s innovative approach to stage space, recall traditional proscenium theatre, where the eye is guided upstage, on the model of Renaissance perspective. Classical ballet reinforces this dynamic through symmetrical composition, a unity of elements (choreography, décor, music, lighting, costumes), and a hierarchy of dancers (the prima ballerina flanked by the corps de ballet). Although modern dance stripped back décor and costume, it similarly organized attention in terms of compositional unity: there is a clear focal point within any group of dancers, and stage space is demarcated by minimal means (a Noguchi sculpture, ropes, ribbons, or lighting). In the early 1950s, however, Cunningham broke with the expectation that dancers should "face front," and created works to be seen from multiple sides. He continually refers to the street, as a non-hierarchical visual space in which people are seen from all sides, to explain why his dancers do not face the audience.

Television and sport, by contrast, provide Cunningham with a template for the organization of time by a predetermined length rather than by meter, tempo, and musical phrase (think of a thirty-minute television show or a ninety-minute football match). Television and space travel connote the cutting-edge of modern technology, and are understood to construct the world as an immersive field rather than as linear perspective.[3] Unlike theatre and film, he argues, television is inherently fragmented: although it is continually broken up by commercials, it also takes for granted that we can watch two separate things at once ("While we are seeing the end of one program, we are hearing (and loudly) about another, usually the next on the channel, and then sometimes across the screen comes a news flash about a third to happen next week.")[4] TV thus acclimatizes the viewer to multiple and stratified mode of attention. 

Both television and film also held appeal for their expanded sense of space, more wide than deep, suggesting an idea of dance that is ongoing and incomplete. One of Cunningham’s strongest impressions ("if not the strongest") as a teenager had been watching Fred Astaire in the movies, particularly the sequence choreographed by Eugene Loring in Vincent Minelli’s Yolanda and the Thief (1945).[5] Another example is the mid-60s TV show Hullabaloo:  

"Visually, one of the [most] interesting show[s] on TV is Hullabaloo, comprised of pop singers, musicians, and dancers. The pace of the show is sometimes extraordinary, nothing ever seems to complete itself, the dancing, which is wonderfully lively, appears to go on all the time even though the camera doesn't show it to you all the time."[6]

Recorded in what appears to be an infinitely large studio, Hullabaloo is characterized above all by a mobile camera rather than stable frontality: it alights on one sequence and then moves to another, while the performances continue in multiple locations simultaneously.  

Although Cunningham often referred to his multi-directional use of the stage via Albert Einstein’s dictim that "there are no fixed points in space," a subtler, more contemporaneous point of reference was to the stage as a de-hierarchized "field."[7] He regularly spoke of rejecting two hundred years of proscenium stage, with its frontal organization of performance, and consolidation of sightlines from the royal box to a perspectival vanishing point, in favor of a "field" of attention. Field denotes a landscape of dispersed focus rather than a series of directed lines (i.e. diagonals leading to a focal point). "Vision must expand to allow for the field," he notes in a 1965 lecture, "we have thought to look in one direction for hundreds of years now, but perhaps that will change with television, men in space, and automation."[8] While "field" appears in the title of Cunningham’s repertory works, the Events in particular were thought to produce "a 'field' situation rather than one in which the audience’s attention is continually being rationalized, directed, and focused."[9] The term "field" is most likely taken from media theorist Marshall McLuhan, who argued that the "total electric field culture of our time" reversed nineteenth-century models of attention into an "open 'field' perception."[10] In a 1966 interview, Cunningham expressed agreement with McLuhan’s proposal that television changes logic and compositional form from "linear to field."[11]

A decade ago, Carrie Lambert-Beatty made a compelling argument about television and dance in the 1960s: she suggests that Yvonne Rainer’s choreography, like that of her Judson Dance Theater colleagues, existed in dialectical tension with the new "profusion of things to watch" on television.[12] Judson artists and choreographers were not making work directly in response to television, she argues; rather, a mediated televisual regime of spectatorship was "at a deeper level shaping conditions for these artists’ work."[13] Yet televisuality as a regime of perception is always a negative reference in Lambert-Beatty’s reading of Judson. Rainer, for example, disliked television’s standardization and synchronization of leisure time, and regarded multi-channel spectatorship during the Vietnam War to be an increasingly politicized activity: choosing what to watch was also a question of choosing what not to watch.

Such a critical consciousness is entirely absent in Cunningham, who—like many artists in the early and mid-1960s—embraced television as an arena of new experiences, sensations, and social relations.[14] For Cunningham, by contrast, live television provided a model of presence and ongoing duration (rather than mediation and distance); he even imagined a dance company performing flexible time and space sequences that could be presented on several channels during the same hour—so the spectator has "do-it-yourself continuity via the channel switch."[15] Television thus offered a model ofdurational continuity, thanks to the spectator’s capacity to change channels. The analogy to a theatrical experience is clear: the audience constructs their own "edit" by switching between different channels (on television) or choosing which dancers to watch (on stage). The shifts of attention required by his ninety-minute Events, Cunningham explicitly noted, are "like the possibilities of television, where you jump from one channel to another, making your own continuity."[16]

Cunningham’s openness to television is typical of many artists in this era; only later, in the 1970s, was an enthusiasm for global connectivity replaced by a denunciation of mass media as atomizing spectacle.[17] By that point, however, Cunningham had begun making works for video and faced a different set of problems, chief among them a reversal of stage perspective.[18] The contrast between his thoughts on video (detailed in the lecture "Dance For Camera") and his notes from the 1960s is illuminating. At this earlier point, television was only a remote fantasy, but it denoted a generative set of possibilities: space, openness, a field of points in space, and a mode of decentralized, continually changing attention. Cunningham’s enthusiasm for an autonomous mobile eye as a model of freedom should not be surprising, as it supports his lifelong preference for dance conceived in terms of individualized, non-dependent social relations. Both constitute a particularly modern, and American, notion of freedom.
 

 该列表有PDF格式 - The list is available in PDF format.

Cписок доступен в формате PDF - The list is available in PDF format. 

Since ancient times, full moons have been regarded as omens of supernatural phenomenon, and it isn’t hard to see why. After all, if you saw your silver moon slowly turn red without knowing what a lunar eclipse was, you might think the world was about to end!

Luckily we know now lunar eclipses, which occur when the moon passes into the Earth’s shadow, appear red because of the dispersed sunlight coming from the Earth. While they are commonly referred to as blood moons due to their color, they do not have anything to do with blood or magic. Not that that makes them any less cool!

This year on January 20, 2019 North Americans will be able to witness a fantastic phenomenon called a Super Blood Wolf Moon! This refers to a time when a lunar eclipse (a blood moon) occurs when the moon’s phase is at its closest point to Earth (a supermoon). In North America, the first full moon in January is known as the Wolf Moon, hence the epic name: Super Wolf Blood Moon!

Now with a name that fantastic, we’ve put together a list of recommendations based on, you guessed it, our favorite supernatural wolf-creature: the werewolf! After all, full moons are their time to shine.

While legends of shapeshifters and werewolves, or lycanthropes, exist in cultures all over the world, the werewolf, a human who can take on the form of a wolf under the light of a full moon, as we know it today came into the public consciousness as a result of the release of Universal’s The Wolf Man (1941), starring Lon Chaney Jr. as the title creature. After being bitten by a werewolf, the protagonist becomes a werewolf himself when the full moon shines.

Ever since, the werewolf has become a staple of the horror genre in the same vein as vampires. The differences between the two creatures are too vast to cover here, but they have commonly been portrayed as mortal enemies in media such as Len Wiseman’s Underworld (2003) film series.

The lore surrounding werewolves seems to change depending on the needs of a particular narrative as well as the source material the narrative is being drawn from. For instance, "Bisclavret" ("The Werewolf"), one of the twelve Lais of Marie de France, is one of the earliest werewolf stories. In "Bisclavret," the werewolf transforms back into a human by putting on his human clothes, which is extremely different from modern werewolves whose transformations are uncontrollable.

There are some things about werewolves that stay consistent: the fact that they transform into wolves or wolf/human hybrids, their allergy to silver/silver bullets, and their constant battle to maintain control over the beast within.

In honor of the Super Blood Wolf Moon, let’s take a look at some of our favorite werewolf stories!

Fiction

The Wolf’s Hour by Robert R. McCammon
Allied Intelligence has been warned: A Nazi strategy designed to thwart the D-Day invasion is underway. A Russian émigré turned operative for the British Secret Service, Michael Gallatin has been brought out of retirement as a personal courier. His mission: Parachute into Nazi-occupied France, search out the informant under close watch by the Gestapo, and recover the vital information necessary to subvert the mysterious Nazi plan called Iron Fist.

Fearlessly devoted to the challenge, Gallatin is the one agent uniquely qualified to meet it—he’s a werewolf.

Now, as shifting as the shadows on the dangerous streets of Paris, a master spy is on the scent of unimaginable evil. But with the Normandy landings only hours away, it’s going to be a race against time. For Gallatin, caught in the dark heart of the Third Reich’s twisted death machine, there is only one way to succeed. He must unleash his own internal demons and redefine the meaning of the horror of war.

The Last Werewolf (The Last Werewolf / Bloodlines Trilogy #1) by Glen Duncan
One last full moon — then it will all be over.

Jacob Marlowe has lost the will to live. For two hundred years he has wandered the world, enslaved by his lunatic appetites and tormented by the memory of his first and most monstrous crime. Now, the last of his kind, he knows he cannot go on.

But as Jake counts down to suicide, a violent murder and an extraordinary meeting plunge him straight back into the desperate pursuit of life—and love.

The Werewolf of Parisby Guy Endore 
In a work that strives to do for werewolves what Stoker's Dracula did for vampires, Endore's werewolf, an outcast named Bertrand Caillet, travels round seeking to calm the beast within. An episodic tale, the story wanders through 19th Century France and into hotspots like the Franco-Prussian war. Stunning in its sexual frankness and eerie, fog-enshrouded visions, this novel was decidedly influential for the generations of horror and science fiction authors who came after.

Cycle of the Werewolfby Stephen King
The first scream came from the snowbound railwayman who felt the fangs ripping at his throat. The next month there was a scream of ecstatic agony from the woman attacked in her snug bedroom.

Now scenes of unbelieving horror come each time the full moon shines on the isolated Maine town of Tarker Mills. No one knows who will be attacked next. But one thing is sure.

When the moon grows fat, a paralyzing fear sweeps through Tarker Mills. For snarls that sound like human words can be heard whining through the wind. And all around are the footprints of a monster whose hunger cannot be sated . . .

Frostbite (Cheyenne Clark #1) by David Wellington
There's one sound a woman doesn't want to hear when she's lost and alone in the Arctic wilderness: a howl.

When a strange wolf's teeth slash Cheyenne's ankle to the bone, her old life ends, and she becomes the very monster that has haunted her nightmares for years. Worse, the only one who can understand what Chey has become is the man–or wolf–who's doomed her to this fate. He also wants to chop her head off with an axe.

Yet as the line between human and beast blurs, so too does the distinction between hunter and hunted . . . for Chey is more than just the victim she appears to be. But once she's within killing range, she may find that–even for a werewolf–it's not always easy to go for the jugular.
 

The Wolfman by Nicholas Pekearo
Marlowe Higgins has had a hard life. Since being dishonorably discharged after a tour in Vietnam, he's been in and out of prison, moving from town to town, going wherever the wind takes him. He can’t stay in one place too long—every full moon he kills someone.

Marlowe Higgins is a werewolf. For years he struggled with his affliction, until he found a way to use this unfortunate curse for good--he only kills really bad people.

Settling at last in the small town of Evelyn, Higgins works at a local restaurant and even has a friend, Daniel Pearce, one of Evelyn's two police detectives.

One night everything changes. It turns out Marlowe Higgins isn’t the only monster lurking in the area. A fiendish serial killer, known as the Rose Killer, is brutally murdering young girls all around the county. Higgins targets the killer as his next victim, but on the night of the full moon, things go drastically wrong . . .

Movies

Curse of the Werewolf (1961)
Leon is a werewolf—half-man, half-beast, who loves by day and kills by night. This maniacal tale of terror follows the life of Leon from his innocent youth to his deadly adulthood. Try as he might, Leon is unable to control the dark forces within him and when the moon is full, he becomes an uncontrollable killer beast who terrorizes the town.

The Howling (1981)
Traumatized by a near-fatal encounter with a serial killer, a TV newscaster takes time off at a secluded retreat. But after nights of being tormented by bestial, bloodcurdling cries, she ventures into the woods seeking answers and makes a terrifying discovery. Now she must fight not only for her life—but for her soul.

An American Werewolf in London (1981)
It's a rainy night on the Welsh moors. Two American students on a walking tour of Europe trudge on to the next town, when suddenly the air is pierced by an unearthly howl . . . Three weeks later, one is dead and the other is in the hospital.

Underworld (2003)
A war has been raging between the Vampires and the Lycans for centuries. Selene is a vampire Death Dealer who finds out that the Lycans have plans to capture Michael. As Selene begins to track Michael, she becomes more convinced that the Lycans are planning an attack against the Death Dealers. The vampire kingpin, Kraven, is certain the Lycans do not have that kind of intelligence. As Selene shadows Michael, she finds herself wanting to protect him, but when he's attacked by Lucian, the leader of the werewolf community, and the man she wants to save has now become a sworn enemy.

The Wolfman (2010)
Lawrence Talbot is lured back to his family estate to investigate the savage murder of his brother by a bloodthirsty beast. There, Talbot must confront his childhood demons, his estranged father, his brother's grieving fiancée, and a suspicious Scotland Yard inspector. When Talbot is bitten by the creature, he becomes eternally cursed and soon discovers a fate far worse than death.

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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!

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Book descriptions taken from NYPL catalog unless otherwise noted.

Image credit: "Blood Moon"  by Wladows is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Una lista selectiva de libros recientes con temas de salud y auto ayuda para disfrutar del nuevo año saludable y radiante. Lista en PDF.

	Arriba los corazones!: la muerte como reafirmación de la vida Solar, Fernando del.   9786073157575 SPA 362.196994 S	¡Arriba los corazones! es el relato que, a cinco años de su diagnóstico [de cáncer], el famoso conductor [Fernando del Solar] ha decidido compartir de la manera más sencilla, honesta y apegada a sus sentimientos, revelando cómo enfrentó la pérdida de la salud, de su pareja, de su trabajo, de la fe, y de cómo esta adversidad lo llevó a aceptar estas amargas pruebas y traducirlas en bendiciones disfrazadas.  - Penguin Random House.
	Dale vida a tu cerebro: la guía definitiva de neuroalimentos y hábitos saludables para un cerebro feliz Marín, Raquel   9788417092023 SPA 612.82 M	Raquel Marín nos explica qué tiene el cerebro, como funciona y qué debemos comer para mantenerlo joven. Mitos y realidades sobre la inteligencia: capacidad cerebral, generación de neuronas, cómo cambia nuestro cerebro a lo largo de nuestra vida y qué debemos hacer para rejuvenecerlo: ejercicio físico, aire libre, una actitud positiva, relacionarnos socialmente y cambiar las pautas alimentarias.  - Roca Editorial.
	Intestino sano, vida sana: el método Clean: el programa definitivo para prevenir las enfermedades y mejorar radicalmente tu salud Junger, Alejandro   9786073162432 SPA 616.3 J	Con Intestino sano, vida sana, el doctor Alejandro Junger ofrece su innovador programa, el método CLEAN, para derrotar la enfermedad antes de que se instale. Sin importar tu estado de salud actual, este método te ayudará a eliminar padecimientos cotidianos y enfermedades crónicas, y también a disfrutar de una buena salud para siempre. - Penguin Random House.
	Mueve tu ADN: recuperar la salud con el movimiento natural Bowman, Katy     9788417030452 SPA 615.82 B	¿Sabías que el sedentarismo que impera nuestro modo de vida actual es la máxima amenaza de nuestra salud? Katy Bowman, autora bestseller del New York Times, identifica multitud de enfermedades y dolencias relacionadas con nuestra antinatural falta de movimiento. Mueve tu ADN es un libro apasionante, escrito de forma muy personal y divertida que, entre otras cosas, explica las claves científicas de nuestra necesidad de movimiento natural, incluso a nivel celular. Se adentra en las diferencias de los movimientos típicos de nuestra especie como cazador-recolector y los de nuestro modelo de vida actual. - Sirio.

Algunas de estas obras también pueden estar disponibles en diferentes formatos. Para más información, sírvase comunicarse con el bibliotecario de su biblioteca local. Para información sobre eventos, favor de visitar: Eventos en Español. Más Blog en Español. Síganos por ¡Twitter! 

The Master of Macabre, the Father of American Gothic, Detective Fiction, and the Short Story, Edgar Allan Poe was born on January 19, 1809 in Boston, Massachusetts. Best known for his dark tales of horror, psychological terror, and madness, Poe’s own life was marked by both internal and external tragedies that undoubtedly shaped his work. 

"The death of a beautiful woman is, unquestionably, the most poetical topic in the world.” —Edgar Allan Poe, "The Philosophy of Composition”

After a failed attempt at the University of Virginia, where Poe’s gambling left him in severe debt, he enrolled in the U.S. Army in 1827. It was around this time in his life that he began to publish poetry seriously, releasing Tamerlane and Other Poems the same year. In 1829, his foster mother, Frances Allan, died, marking the second loss of a prominent female figure in his life. That same year he published his second book of poems, Al Aaraaf, Tamerlane and Minor Poems. 

“Six years ago, a wife, whom I loved as no man ever loved before, ruptured a blood-vessel in singing. Her life was despaired of. I took leave of her forever & underwent all the agonies of her death. She recovered partially and I again hoped. At the end of a year the vessel broke again—I went through precisely the same scene . . . Each time I felt all the agonies of her death—and at each accession of the disorder I loved her more dearly & clung to her life with more desperate pertinacity. But I am constitutionally sensitive—nervous in a very unusual degree. I became insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity.” New-York — Jan. 4, 1848.

Poe’s impact on literature cannot be overstated or underappreciated. He popularized and developed the short story format with works like “The Tell-Tale Heart,” “The Pit and the Pendulum,” and “The Cask of Amantillado.” He created the detective genre with “The Murders of the Rue Morgue,” and his poems such as “Annabel Lee” are filled with hauntingly beautiful lyrics that perfectly capture the narrator’s pain and devastation. The Edgar Award, one of the most prestigious awards for works in the mystery genre, is offered by the Mystery Writers of America every year. 

Collections

The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket and Related Talesby Edgar Allan Poe; edited with an introduction and notes by J. Gerald Kennedy
Edgar Allan Poe's only novel, The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket is a pivotal work in which Poe calls attention to the act of writing and to the problem of representing the truth. It is an archetypal American story of escape from domesticity tracing a young man's rite of passage through a series of terrible brushes with death during a fateful sea voyage. Included are eight related tales which further illuminate Pym by their treatment of persistent themes--fantastic voyages, gigantic whirlpools, and premature burials--as well as its relationship to Poe's art and life.
 

 

The Fall of the House of Usher and Other Writings: Poems, Tales, Essays, and Reviews by Edgar Allan Poe ; edited with an introduction and notes by David Galloway
This selection of Poe's critical writings, short fiction and poetry demonstrates an intense interest in aesthetic issues and the astonishing power and imagination with which he probed the darkest corners of the human mind. "The Fall of the House of Usher" describes the final hours of a family tormented by tragedy and the legacy of the past. In "The Tell Tale Heart," a murderer's insane delusions threaten to betray him, while stories such as "The Pit and the Pendulum" and "The Cask of Amontillado" explore extreme states of decadence, fear and hate.


 

The Fall of the House of Usher: And Other Talesby Edgar Allan Poe ; with an introduction by Stephen Marlowe and a new afterword by Regina Marler
A collection of fourteen of the author's best-known tales of mystery and the macabre includes "The Pit and the Pendulum," "The Tell-Tale Heart," and "The Fall of the House of Usher," in which a visitor to a gloomy mansion finds a childhood friend dying under the spell of a family curse.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Essential Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poeby Edgar Allan Poe ; edited with an introduction and notes by Benjamin F. Fisher
This anthology offers an exceptionally generous selection of Poe’s short stories. It includes his famed masterpieces, such as "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" and "The Purloined Letter," featuring Poe’s great detective, Dupin; his insightful studies of madness "The Black Cat" and "The Tell-Tale Heart"; "The Gold-Bug," his delightful exercise in "code-breaking"; and important but lesser-known tales, such as "Bon-Bon," "The Assignation," and "King Pest." Also included are some of Poe’s most beloved poems, haunting lyrics of love and loss, such as "Annabel Lee," nightmare phantasmagories such as "The Raven," and his grand experiment in translating sound into words, "The Bells."

 

Poetry

The Complete Poetry of Edgar Allan Poeby Edgar Allan Poe; with an introduction by Jay Parini and a new afterword by April Bernard
Although best known for his short stories, Edgar Allan Poe was by nature and choice a poet. From his exquisite lyric “To Helen,” to his immortal masterpieces, “Annabel Lee,” “The Bells,” and “The Raven,” Poe stands beside the celebrated English romantic poets Shelley, Byron, and Keats, and his haunting, sensuous poetic vision profoundly influenced the Victorian giants Swinburne, Tennyson, and Rossetti.

 

Today his dark side speaks eloquently to contemporary readers in poems such as “The Haunted Palace” and “The Conqueror Worm,” with their powerful images of madness and the macabre. But even at the end of his life, Poe reached out to his art for comfort and courage, giving us in “Eldorado” a talisman to hold during our darkest moments—a timeless gift from a great American writer.

 

The Raven and Other Poemsby Edgar Allan Poe; with the classic illustrations by Gustave Doř; introduction by Brook Haley.
Lamenting the loss of a gentle but passionate woman, the narrator drinks, yet somberly dwells on her name. A local raven, with the capacity to utter like a parrot a syllable or two, repeats "Lenore," and "Nevermore." The narrator, tired and broken, believes the raven might be sent by God or even by the Devil, and tries talking with it.

 

 

 

 

Graphic Novel

The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe; retold by Benjamin Harper; illustrated by Dennis Calero.
Retold in graphic novel form, the narrator tells the reader about the murder he committed, and the terrifying aftermath.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Poe: Stories and Poems: A Graphic Novel Adaptation by Gareth Hinds
A volume of graphic novel renderings of some of Edgar Allan Poe's best-known works includes "The Cask of Amontillado," "The Tell-Tale Heart" and "The Raven."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Illustrated

"The Raven" written by Edgar Allan Poe ; illustrated by Yanai Pery
"Once upon a midnight dreary . . . " This strikingly illustrated version of Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven will haunt and thrill readers new and old.

 

 

 

 

Annotated 

The Annotated Poe  by Edgar Allan Poe; edited by Kevin J. Hayes; with a foreword by William Giraldi
With color illustrations and photographs throughout, The Annotated Poe contains in-depth notes placed conveniently alongside the tales and poems to elucidate Poe’s sources, obscure words and passages, and literary, biographical, and historical allusions. Like Poe’s own marginalia, Hayes’s marginal notes accommodate “multitudinous opinion”: he explains his own views and interpretations as well as those of other writers and critics, including Poe himself. In his Foreword, William Giraldi provides a spirited introduction to the writer who produced such indelible masterpieces as “The Fall of the House of Usher,” “The Murders in the Rue Morgue,” and “The Black Cat.”

 

Inspired By Poe

Mystery Writers of America Presents: In the Shadow of the Master: Classic Tales by Edgar Allan Poe; and essays by Jeffery Deaver [and others]; edited by Michael Connelly; illustrations by Harry Clarke
Collects sixteen of Poe's works, in a commemorative volume complemented by essays from twenty contemporary authors, including Stephen King, Nelson DeMille, Sue Grafton, and Lawrence Block.

 

 

 

 

Poe's Lighthouse: All New Collaborations with Edgar Allan Poe edited by Christopher Conlon
Various authors were given the task to take a little-known, unfinished story fragment written by Edgar Allan Poe near the end of his life and finish it, using Poe's language, images, and ideas.

 

 

 

DVD

Extraordinary Tales (2016)
Five of Edgar Allan Poe's best-known stories are brought to vivid life in this heart-pounding animated anthology. Murderous madmen, sinister villains and cloaked ghouls stalk the darkened corridors of Poe's imagination, as his haunting tales are given a terrifying new twist by some of the most beloved figures in horror film history. Include: The tell-tale heart; The fall of the house of Usher; The masque of the red death; The pit and the pendulum; and The facts in the case of Mr. Valedemar.

 

 

For the Young Ones

Interested in introducing your little one to tales of the macabre? Check out our Remembering Charles Addams: Children's Picture Book Edition and Middle School Edition recommendation list. 

 

Edgar and the Tattle-Tale Heart by Jennifer Adams, illustrations by Ron Stucki
What will Edgar do when he accidentally breaks a statue sitting on a dresser? Will his sister, Lenore, tattle on him? Will Edgar tell his mother the truth?

Inspired by Edgar Allan Poe’sThe Tell-Tale Heart, little lit lovers will delight in this new adventure with characters illustrated in a most “poe-etic” way.

Who was Edgar Allan Poe? by Jim Gigliotti ; illustrated by Tim Foley ; cover illustration by Nancy Harrison
Filled with broken hearts and black ravens, Edgar Allan Poe's ghastly tales have delighted readers for centuries. Born in Boston in 1809, Poe was orphaned at age two. He was soon adopted by a Virginia family who worked as tombstone merchants. In 1827 he enlisted in the Army and subsequently failed out of West Point. His first published story, The Raven, was a huge success, but his joy was overshadowed by the death of his wife. Poe devoted his life to writing and his tragic life often inspired his work. He is considered to be the inventor of detective fiction and the father of American mystery writers. His work continues to influence popular culture through films, music, literature, and television.
 

Rare Beasts (Edgar & Ellen, Book 1) by Charles Ogden
Ages: 8+
Twins Edgar and Ellen live alone—their parents disappeared years ago, and who can blame them? —in the quaint, little town of Nod's Limbs, in a grim, gray house overlooking the cemetery and the junkyard. They spend their days avoiding Heimertz, the mysterious accordion-playing caretaker; pestering Pet, a hairy, one-eyed creature of indeterminate species and gender; and wreaking havoc on the hapless citizens of Nod's Limbs.

But wreaking havoc can incur expenses, so the twins come up with a unique fund-raising scheme: They'll nab the pets of Nod's Limbs and transform them into exotic animals they can sell for big bucks. Not a bad plan, if one of the purloined pets wasn't a lethargic python with a raging appetite . . .

--

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!

--

Book descriptions taken from NYPL catalog unless otherwise noted.

Welcome to our bi-weekly update on events happening during the next two weeks at The New York Public Library. With 92 locations across New York City, there's a lot going on! We're highlighting some of our events here, including author talks, free classes, community art shows, performances, concerts, and exhibitions—and you can always find more at nypl.org/events. If you want to receive our round-up in your inbox, sign up here. We look forward to seeing you at the Library soon. 

Selected Events

LIVE from the NYPL: Jason Rezaian and David Remnick—Prisoner
Former Tehran bureau chief for The Washington Post Jason Rezaian shares his new memoir, Prisoner, the harrowing tale of the 544 days he was held captive in Iran and the worldwide effort that led to his eventual release.
Tuesday, January 22 | 7:30 PM
Stephen A. Schwarzman Building

Carleton Watkins: Tyler Green with Sarah Meister
Critic and podcast host Tyler Green explores the life of Carleton Watkins, the great American photographer whose work helped invent the American West.Tuesday, January 22 | 6:30 PM
Stephen A. Schwarzman Building

The Job: Ellen Ruppel Shell with Steven Greenhouse
Shell and Greenhouse discuss the current challenges and future possibilities in the evolving world of work.
Wednesday, January 23 | 6:30 PM
Mid-Manhattan Library at 42nd Street

Lest We Forget
Nonfiction works from the Library's 16mm film collection will accompany a discourse on the significance of remembering the Holocaust. Please be aware that explicit scenes of the victims of the Nazi atrocities may be included in this program.
Thursday, January 24 | 6 PM
Library for the Performing Arts

Carnegie Hall Citywide: Lorraine Klaasen
The Schomburg Center invites you to a night of vibrant music with the daughter of renowned jazz singer Thandi Klaasen. Lorraine Klaasen's dynamic stage presence honors the musical traditions of the poor, segregated urban areas of South Africa's apartheid era.
Tuesday, January 29 | 7 PM
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture

The Poison Squad: Deborah Blum with Maria Konnikova
A new book examines the turn-of-the-century fight for food safety that led to the birth of the 1906 Food and Drug Act.
Wednesday, January 30 | 6:30 PM
Mid-Manhattan Library at 42nd Street

A People's Future of the United States: Victor LaValle and Guests
Speculative fiction writers Maria Dahvana Headley, N.K. Jemisin, Alice Sola Kim, and Sam J. Miller join editor Victor LaValle to discuss their visions for new futures for America.
Monday, February 4 | 6:30 PM
Stephen A. Schwarzman Building

To Keep the Sun Alive: Rabeah Ghaffari
Ghaffari speaks about her debut novel, the story of a family on the verge of crisis, set in a city on the brink of revolution, Iran in 1979.
Monday, February 4 | 6:30 PM
Mid-Manhattan Library at 42nd Street

The Joanna Jackson Goldman Memorial Lectures: Marilynne Robinson on Liberalism and American Tradition
Award-winning author Marilynne Robinson delivers the Joanna Jackson Goldman Memorial Lectures on American Civilization and Government. This is a two-part program and attendees must register separately for both dates.
Tuesday, February 5 & Wednesday, February 6 | 7 PM
Stephen A. Schwarzman Building

The Library After Hours: Love & Resistance
The city's most cerebral happy hour is back to celebrate the opening of the Library's new exhibition Love & Resistance: Stonewall 50. Join us for a night of drinks and dancing, curator talks, trivia, special guests, and more as we explore the history of LGBTQ civil rights following the 1969 Stonewall Riots.
Friday, February 15 | 7 PM
Stephen A. Schwarzman Building

Business, Career & Finance

What the Financial Industry Does and How It Works
Bonnie Bowes explains the importance of capital formation and the roles of broker/dealers, investment bankers, portfolio managers, and other investment professionals.
Tuesday, January 22 | 6 PM
Science, Industry and Business Library

Starting a Small Business
This three-part program from the IRS Small Business Tax Workshops Series focuses on the fundamentals of federal taxes for individuals who want to start or already own a small business.
Thursday, January 24 | 6 PM
Science, Industry and Business Library

Overcoming a Career Slump
Explore your interests, skills, personality style, and more to achieve greater career satisfaction—with career counselor and coach Lynn Berger.
Thursday, January 31 | 6 PM
Science, Industry and Business Library

NY StartUP! Business Plan Competition: Workshop #1—Business Planning & Research
It's not too late to join the first workshop for the NY StartUP! 2019 Business Plan Competition. 
Tuesday, January 22 & Wednesday, January 30 | 6 PM
Science, Industry and Business Library

TechConnect

Technology Programs and Classes
TechConnect offers more than 80 technology classes at libraries throughout the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island—all for free! There are classes for all students from beginner to advanced, including series courses for those who want more in-depth knowledge. Browse classes. 

More Events

Beth Levin Plays Beethoven and Handel
Saturday, January 26 | 2:30 PM
Library for the Performing Arts

Sugar, Cigars & Revolution: Lisandro Pérez and Esther Allen
Thursday, January 31 | 7 PM
Stephen A. Schwarzman Building

Mexico: Harvey Stein
Wednesday, February 6 | 6:30 PM
Mid-Manhattan Library at 42nd Street

16mm Film Night: Norman McLaren
Wednesday, February 6 | 6:30 PM
Stephen A. Schwarzman Building

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts

Sally Wen Mao is the author of Oculus,a collection of poems that explores sight and being seen, futuristic worlds and historical figures. She completed this collection during her Cullman Center Fellowship at NYPL in 2016-2017.​ In conversation with fellow poet, Jenny Xie, Mao shared some of the archival materials she used in her research, including those of the first Chinese American actress Anna May Wong. They discussed Asian American futurism, representation in Hollywood, and how a Solange concert at the Guggenheim inspired one of her poems.

The nominees for the 2019 Academy Awards have been announced. While the films are being celebrated, we couldn't help but notice something: books played major roles in many of the contenders for the 91st Oscars. Curious about the literary roots of some of Hollywood's buzzy films? We've compiled a list of recommended reading to put a bookish spin on your awards show viewing party.

(Please note that the films are presented in alphabetical order.)
 

Avengers: Infinity War / Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Inspired by Avengers and Spider-Man comics
The plots of these two films are based on various characters and stories found in the Marvel universe. We have book suggestions for every level of Avengers fan: where to start, the classics, the best of the newest stories, character-specific recommendations, and much more.

Nominated for Visual Effects (Avengers) and Animated Feature (Spider-Man)




 

BlacKkKlansman

Based on Black Klansman: Race, Hate, and the Undercover Investigation of a Lifetime by Ron Stallworth
In this memoir, a decorated African-American law enforcement veteran traces his remarkable undercover infiltration of the KKK and how his white partner and he posed as one person, rose in the ranks and sabotaged Klan activities before the investigation's tragic end.

Nominated for Best Picture, Supporting Actor, Director, Adapted Screenplay, Film Editing, and Original Score

 

Black Panther

Inspired by Black Panther comics
While there is no single comic issue that the film Black Panther is based on, the character has a devoted following and multiple comic book issues dedicated to him. In our Black Panther Primer, you'll find book selections for every kind of Black Panther fan, from the movie-goers who haven't yet read the comics to the long-time completists.

Nominated for Best Picture, Sound Editing, Sound Mixing, Production Design, Original Score, Original Song, and Costume Design

 

Border

Based on a short story from Let the Old Dreams Die by John Ajvide Lindqvist
A classic short story collection from the writer called Sweden's Stephen King. Every story meets the very high standard of excellence and fright factor that Lindqvist fans have come to expect. Totally transcending genre writing, these are world class stories from possibly the most impressive horror writer writing today.

Nominated for Makeup and Hair



 

Can You Ever Forgive Me?

Based on Can You Ever Forgive Me?: Memoirs of a Literary Forger by Lee Israel
A candid memoir describes how a down-on-her-luck writer conceived of and successfully executed for nearly two years a remarkable forgery caper in which she used her talent as a researcher and celebrity biographer to forge more than three hundred letters by such literary notables as Dorothy Parker, Edna Ferber, Lillian Hellman, Noel Coward, and others.

Nominated for Lead Actress, Supporting Actor, and Adapted Screenplay



 

Christopher Robin

Inspired by Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne
Since 1926, Winnie-the-Pooh and his friends—Piglet, Owl, Tigger, and the ever doleful Eeyore—have endured as the unforgettable creations of A.A. Milne, who wrote this book for his son, Christopher Robin, and Ernest H. Shepard, who lovingly gave Pooh and his companions shape. 

P.S.: At the Library, we love Winnie-the-Pooh and even have the real-life Pooh and friends on display in the Children's Center at our 42nd Street location. 

Nominated for Visual Effects
 

First Man

Based on First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong by James R. Hansen
When Apollo 11 touched down on the Moon’s surface in 1969, the first man on the Moon became a legend. In First Man, author James R. Hansen explores the life of Neil Armstrong. Based on over fifty hours of interviews with the intensely private Armstrong, who also gave Hansen exclusive access to private documents and family sources, this “magnificent panorama of the second half of the American twentieth century” (Publishers Weekly, starred review) is an unparalleled biography of an American icon.

Nominated for Sound Editing, Sound Mixing, Production Design, and Visual Effects

 

Green Book

Inspired by The Negro Motorist Green Book
This film isn't based on a single book, but rather was inspired by Victor Greene's The Negro Motorist Green Book, which had new editions published annually from 1936–67. The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture's collections include editions of the original Green Books, and many of them have been digitized.

Nominated for Best Picture, Lead Actor, Supporting Actor, Original Screenplay, and Film Editing


 

If Beale Street Could Talk

Based on If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin
Told through the eyes of Tish, a nineteen-year-old girl, in love with Fonny, a young sculptor who is the father of her child, Baldwin’s story mixes the sweet and the sad. Tish and Fonny have pledged to get married, but Fonny is falsely accused of a terrible crime and imprisoned. Their families set out to clear his name, and as they face an uncertain future, the young lovers experience a kaleidoscope of emotions–affection, despair, and hope. In a love story that evokes the blues, where passion and sadness are inevitably intertwined, Baldwin has created two characters so alive and profoundly realized that they are unforgettably ingrained in the American psyche.

Nominated for Supporting Actress, Adapted Screenplay, Original Score, 

Mary Poppins Returns

Inspired by Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers
From the moment Mary Poppins arrives at Cherry-Tree Lane, everyday life at the Banks house is forever changed. It all starts when Mary Poppins is blown by the east wind onto the doorstep of the Banks house. She becomes a most unusual nanny to Jane, Michael, and the twins. Who else but Mary Poppins can slide up banisters, pull an entire armchair out of an empty carpetbag, and make a dose of medicine taste like delicious lime-juice cordial? 

P.S.: To celebrate the film, star Emily Blunt discovered pieces of Poppins history in our collections with librarian Meredith Mann—including the famous parrot umbrella.

Nominated for Production Design, Original Score, Original Song, and Costume Design
 

Mary Queen of Scots

Based on Mary Queen of Scots: The True Life of Mary Stuartby John Guy
Guy turns to the original documents, rather than relying on the familiar printed collections or edited abstracts that are often compiled to perpetuate a particular legend of Stuart (1842-87). He portrays her as a whole women whose choices added up and whose decisions made sense, a shrewd and charismatic young ruler who relished power and managed to hold an unstable country together for a time.

Nominated for Makeup and Hair and Costume Design


 

Ready Player One

Based on Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
Immersed in a mid-21st-century virtual utopia to escape an ugly real world of famine, poverty and disease, Wade Watts joins a violent effort to solve a series of puzzles by the virtual world's wealthy creator, who has promised that the winner will be his heir.

Nominated for Visual Effects






 

The Wife

Based on The Wife by Meg Wolitzer
On the eve of her husband's receipt of a prestigious literary award, Joan Castleman, who has put her own writing ambitions on hold to support her husband, evaluates her choices and decides to end the marriage.

Nominated for Lead Actress




 

Bonus: A Quiet Place

This thriller doesn't have a book that it's based on, we do have a list of recommendations with books that are filled with edge-of-your-seat suspense that fans of the movie will love.

Nominated for Sound Editing

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Book descriptions taken from the NYPL catalog.

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

Every year on the fourth Wednesday of January, libraries and book lovers across social media put a bookish spin on a selfie by taking photos with bookshelves and using the perfect hashtag—#LibraryShelfie! 

To celebrate library shelfies, we’re sharing photos we love from across The New York Public Library and the world! These are only a fraction of all of the great shelfies happening today—you can explore lots of other amazing photos on Instagram and Twitter!

 

 

 

 

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Happy #LibraryShelfie Day! Our shelves are filled with vinyl, set models, sheet music, and lots and lots of books, too, of course. Reading about the tango? You may just happen to find some of our staffers dancing the tango in our stacks. ___ #nypl #performingarts #lincolncenter #jeromerobbinsdancedivision #billyrosetheatredivision #musicinthelibrary #librariesofinstagram #iglibraries #recordedsound #music #theatre #dance #tango #lprecord #librarylife

A post shared by NYPL Performing Arts (@nypl_lpa) on Jan 23, 2019 at 10:40am PST

 

 

 

 

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A bit of quiet reading! #libraryshelfieday2019 #concordlibrary #librariesofinstagram #nswpubliclibraries #librarylove #harrypotterrules #childrenreading

A post shared by City of Canada Bay Libraries (@canbaylibraries) on Jan 22, 2019 at 5:59pm PST

 

 

 

 

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Happy Library Shelfie Day! Let’s see your bookshelves! #libraryshelfie #libraryshelfieday #librariesofinstagram

A post shared by Mid-Manhattan Library (@nyplmml42) on Jan 23, 2019 at 7:53am PST

 

 

 

 

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Kermit really wanted in on #libraryshelfieday! #syosset #library #syossetlibrary #librariesofinstagram #shelfie #shelfieday #nypl #kermit #kermitthefrog #librariesrock #readingrocks #books #librarybooks #readmore #readmorebooks #booksforkids #chapterbooks #librarylove #froggygetsdressed #jonathanlondon #frogs #stuffedanimals #stuffedanimalsofinstagram #frogsofinstagram #libraryfun

A post shared by Syosset Public Library (@syossetlibrary) on Jan 23, 2019 at 6:04am PST

 

 

 

 

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Happy #libraryshelfie day @nypl from the Kirkland Town Library! #shelfie #librariesofinstagram

A post shared by Millicent Kirkland (@kirklandtownlibrary) on Jan 23, 2019 at 10:05am PST

#libraryshelfieday no.3 - Staff really enjoy getting stuck into their work at #Biggleswade library! #lovelibraries@nypl@letstalkcentral@BiggyChronicle@BigglesTownpic.twitter.com/skBaAY3rpG

— CBC Libraries (@cbc_libraries) January 23, 2019

We are loving all the pics being shared for @nypl’s #LibraryShelfieDay on Twitter& Instagram
Love to all the brilliant libraries & library folk we follow all around the world that inspire us on a daily basis! #UofGShelfie#LibraryLove#ABookOfNonsensepic.twitter.com/bNRV8dZmDI

— UofG Library (@uofglibrary) January 23, 2019

Floe has found a camera, it must be penguin shelfie time!#LibraryShelfieDay#LibraryShelfie#FlurryandFloepic.twitter.com/qguC0V3TDI

— NLS Map Collections (@natlibscotmaps) January 23, 2019

#shelfieday#library#shelf#books#bunny#nypl#newdorp#statenisland#graphicnovels#yafiction#teens#youngadults#daryldixon#shelfiepic.twitter.com/UrGD4XtlKv

— New Dorp Library (@newdorp) January 23, 2019

Our librarians would never tell anyone to 'take a hike,' but if they did they'd definitely recommend one with a great view.

We love #LibraryShelfie Day! pic.twitter.com/bbBnJRmW2w

— Jefferson County Public Library (@cojeffcolibrary) January 23, 2019

*Tweeter shares photo of himself in the @nlsrarebooks stacks*
*For #Libraryshelfie Day*
*Meanwhile his hands seem to think they are in a promotional video for an avant-garde prog rock band with a sideline in cabin crewing*#LibraryShelfieDaypic.twitter.com/VOQNDmmo13

— National Library of Scotland (@natlibscot) January 23, 2019

Hannah lives in an old mansion that's morphed into a museum… in the servants' quarters. She loves wandering among the elaborate paintings and pondering the artistry from just a nose width away… and no time pressure. Hannah and her dad have the entire edifice to themselves during off hours. The girl has many fond memories of growing up there, including celebrating Christmas under the enormous holiday display tree.

Maggie, on the other hand, lives in this same house at the turn of the 20th century. She feels very stymied by all of the "ladylike" rules she is forced to adhere to. The expectations are multifarious and numerous: no perspiring, no doing any work for yourself, wearing corsets is mandatory, as is being still at all times. Basically, no fun is scheduled for Maggie. However, she wants to run and jump and play and do things for herself. 

These two young women's lives are separated across time… until they meet.

Bumps on their heads and falls cause their worlds to collide, then switch.

Hannah is thrilled beyond belief to explore the history, world, and ways of early-20th century wealth and splendor. Only, Aunt Herminie is a bit shocked at her lack of manners and does not understand her slang words and expressions. The servants are also confused by the unexpected change in the Maggie they know. Hannah, meanwhile, is having the time of her life.

Maggie is somewhat befuddled by 21st century ways. Hawaiian pizza out of a box? The girl has never heard of such a thing, but the taste is decidedly scrumptious. Hannah's father is impressed by her manners but somewhat confused about what has gotten into his daughter. Eating in an informal setting with her father and packing for an airplane trip boggle her mind.

The Art of the Swap by Kristine Asselin and Jen Malone, 2018

I am intrigued by the ides of living in a museum, and I love historical fiction.

Kristine Asselin's website

Books about museums

Maxine is Timminy's beloved Great Pyrenees dog. His family acquired the white puffball during her puppyhood. Maxi is overly enthusiastic about everything, and accompanies the boy on many adventures. Maxi is deaf, as are many white animals.

Timminy learns to utilize sign language to teach his companion basic obedience, and the dog requires only a few accommodations. For example, the boy must walk to fetch her if she is not paying attention, and works overtime to protect his dog from potential hazards.

Abby is Timminy's 12-year-old neighbor. She cannot see and has a special fondness for the white dog. Abby challenges Timminy to use descriptive vocabulary that is not visual, which is surprisingly difficult to accomplish. Abby longs for a seeing-eye dog, but obtaining one for a child is unusual—she is pleased as punch when she discovers the MIRA foundation, an organization that provides dogs who help children with visual impairment.

Timminy is tormented by Jeff, Rory, and countless other kids in his new middle school. Whether it is for being short or some other unknown reason, students verbally harass him, slam him into a locker, and perform many other cruel deeds on him. Luckily, though, when the boy returns home, he can always have fun with his canine companion.

Maxi's Secrets by Lynn Plourde, 2016

I once knew a very sweet Great Pyrenees dog, so I appreciate this story.

Books about disabilities

Information on MIRA guide dogs

Books about bullying

Pine River is a special town with a special tree. Every year at Christmas time in the special, small town of Pine River, a holiday tree known as the Angel Tree appears, and residents are free to place their wishes upon it. So many of these extraordinary wishes miraculously come true. A family needs a new house. Lucy's guide dog, Valentine, is suffering from cancer and urgently needs medical attention. Any other wishes for the residents?

Lucy loves Valentine with all her heart and hopes the sick canine will recover soon.

Cami appreciates Lucy's input, despite her friend's insistence that she is simply a burden. 

Max is the class clown who simply wants to be himself.

Joe has a mother in the Marines, and worrying about her safety triggers his temper.

This foursome collaborates on a mission together. The kids are curious about the identity the amazing person who grants the wishes on the tree, the Great Benefactor, or GB, as they affectionately refer to him or her. The youngsters stake out their prospects and arrange interviews to ascertain the identity of this philanthropist. 

The Angel Tree by Daphne Benedis-Grab, 2014

I love the holiday mystical feeling that this work evokes. 

Books about Christmas

Daphne Benedis-Grab's website

Crafternoon? Try Crafterbrary!

What better place to find ideas, directions, patterns, tutorials, and crafting guidance of all kinds than your local library?

For a novice, library resources could hold the key that unlocks your inner crafter. For an experienced DIYer, our books, digital magazines, and databases can help you expand your skill set and open up new frontiers.

So, give it a try! Whether or not you’ve already Marie Kondo-ed the living daylights out of your possessions, it’s easy to see how something you made yourself—something you put your own time and work and love into—could spark the most joy of all.

Books

The world of crafting books is positively luxurious. Typing the word “craft” into our catalog search returns more than 7,000 results. You can go deep, with vintage knitting patterns or leather braiding or making your own clothes. You can send yourself to “stitch camp” or repurpose flea-market treasures. Or you can expand your definition of the word “crafting” and download your very own NYPL coloring book.

We’re going to highlight a few categories of our most interesting crafting books, but there are tons of specialized books in our collections, too. Find them by going to our advanced search page, choosing “subject” from the dropdown menu and typing “crafts” or “handicrafts,” and then adding the keyword of your choice.

 

Cross-stitch & embroidery

Really Cross Stitch: For When You Just Want to Stab Something A Lot by Rayna Fahey

The Embroidered Garden: Stitching Through the Seasons of a Flower Gardenby Kazuko Aoki

Cross-Stitch to Calm: Stitch and De-Stress with 40 Simple Patterns by Leah Lintz

Zakka Embroidery: Simple One- and Two-Color Embroidery Motifs and Small Craftsby Yumiko Higuchi

 

Knitting & crochet

Literary Yarns: Crochet Patterns Inspired by Classic Books by Cindy Wang

Crochet Flowers Step-by-Step: 35 Delightful Blooms for Beginnersby Tanya Shliazhko

Add One Stitch Knitting: All the Stitches You Need in 15 Projects by Alina Schneider

Crochet with Color: 25 Contemporary Projects for the Yarn Loverby Kazuko Ryokai

 

Paper crafts

Handmade Houseplants: Remarkably Realistic Plants You Can Make with Paper by Corrie Beth Hogg

Sweet Paper Crafts: 25 Simple Projects to Brighten Your Life by Mollie Greene

Paper Goods Projects: Coffee Filter Flowers, Doily Butterflies, Cupcake Paper Cards, and 57 More Crafts by Jodi Levine

Origami Folding Frenzy: Boats, Fish, Cranes, and More! by Christopher Harbo

 

Sewing & fabric

Wrapping with Fabric: Your Complete Guide to Furoshiki by Etsuko Yamada

Stitch It Simple: 25 Hand Sewn Projects to Make and Share by Beth Sheard

Patchwork, Please! Colorful Zakka Projects to Stitch and Give by Ayumi Takahashi

No-Sew Pouches, Tote Bags, and Other On-the-Go Projects by Samantha Chagollan

 

Home-improvement crafts

Plant Craft: 30 Projects that Add Natural Style to Your Home by Caitlin Atkinson

No-Sew Pillows, Blankets, Fabric Crafts, and Other Bedroom Makeover Projects by Karen Latchana Kenney

The Complete Book of Home Crafts: Projects for Adventurous Beginners, ed. by Carine Tracanelli

We Love to Sew--Bedrooms: Cool Stuff for Your Space by Annabel Wrigley
 

Craft compilations

Oh Joy! 60 Ways to Create & Give Joyby Joy Deangdeelert Cho

Crafting for Cat Ladies: 35 Purr-fect Feline Projects by Kat Roberts

75 Chinese, Celtic, and Ornamental Knots: A Directory of Knots and Knotting Techniques, Plus Exquisite Jewelry Projects to Make and Wearby Laura Williams

The Year of Cozy: 125 Recipes, Crafts, and Other Homemade Adventures by Adrianna Adarme

 

Misc. fun stuff

Extraordinary Hand Lettering  Creative Lettering Ideas for Celebrations, Events, Decor, & More by Doris Wai

Friendship Bracelets All Grown Up: Hemp, Floss, and Other Boho Chic Designs to Make by Suzanne McNeill

Star Wars Maker Lab by Liz Lee Heinecke

Washi Style! Make It with Paper Tape by Marisa Edghill

 

Databases

If you are into crafting magazines, then you are in luck! With your New York Public Library card you can access beautifully digitized magazines on your computer, phone, or tablet. Not only can you read the most recent issue of Crochet! but you can also try some 1950s crafts with back issues of Ladies’ Home Journal. 

Flipster

• Crochet!
• Creative Knitting

PressReader

• Check out the entire “Crafts and Hobbies” section, with many magazines dedicated to crocheting, knitting, cross-stitching, quilting, and more.

Lynda.com

• Try Texturing! Lynda also has drawing and other art-related courses, but texturing is the most craftastic of the bunch. 

Women’s Magazine Archive

• Into “retro-crafts” and want to try popular crafts from the 50s, 60s, 70s, and even the 80s? Visit the Women’s Magazine Archive, in which you can access issues of classic magazines like Ladies' Home Journal, Redbook, Good Housekeeping, and find hundreds of crafting ideas.

Even more creative fun . . . 

We've been writing about how to get creative with the Library for ages; check out these blog posts for more ideas! 

• It's International Creativity Month and You Haven't Met Lynda? 
• Writing Prompts for NaNoWriMo and Beyond 
• Earth-Friendly Crafting, Then and Now. 
• Art, Graphic Design, Craft, Photography, Interior Design and Architecture Magazines—that you can take home! 
• Bill Barvin's Location Photography 
• A Crocheter’s Delight 
• Books about Puppets and Felt
• #ColorOurCollections
• How to Draw, Color, Sketch, Doodle and Tangle

Do you ever use the Library's resources for crafting? Tell us about it in the comments.

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Major thanks to Rhonda Evans, Electronic Resources Librarian, for the invaluable e-resources suggestions! 

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​Image credit: "Sweet Dreams." Chatelaine 11 1984: 212-3. ProQuest. Web. 16 Jan. 2019 .

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!