June 2011

  • Five Presidents — and their Civil War battles

    Do great generals make for great presidents? From George Washington to Ike Eisenhower, our nation has often elevated military leaders to the White House. The Civil War battlefields, now being recalled upon the 150th anniversary of the war, launched several future presidents and presidential contenders. Touched With Fire: Five Presidents and the Civil War Battles… Continue reading

  • Citation chase

    If I were to think of all the books I have read because they were mentioned in another book, why I would be thinking for quite a while here.  It is so often the case that I follow an author’s mention of a title and look for and read that title, that I don’t even… Continue reading

  • Fashion Redux

    I know, I just posted about pre-1950 fashion designers, but the new Alexander McQueen book, Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty (2011), has got me excited again about some later designers of note. Sadly, McQueen committed suicide in February of 2010, but his work is amazing. He said that he designed from the side, because that is… Continue reading

  • Title Sparring

    I am obsessed with book titles and how some really strange, overlong and obscure misnomers slip through the editing process. I have a bone to pick with these titles I recently found in a few minutes searching for self-help and do-it-yourself books on the library catalog. Great books with ambiguous titles can really put me… Continue reading

  • Subject heading of the day: ‘Generosity’

    Today is Give BIG Day in Seattle — and that means donations you make to any one of dozens of King County charities will go even further, thanks to the $500,000 pool of money The Seattle Foundation is spreading around to give a mid-year boost to some of your favorite organizations.  And we might as… Continue reading

  • Loading up my Nook for vacation

    There are more than 750 people on the hold list for Ann Patchett’s State of Wonder. No waiting for me, however. I searched for the ePub version, checked it out, downloaded it to my laptop and transferred it to my Nook in less time than it took me to type these two sentences. I could… Continue reading

  • Let us help you find your next five books!

    Wondering what to read next? Looking for a few suggestions for your summer reading? Well, we’ve got Your Next 5 Books, and all you have to do to find out what they are is fill out a brief form telling us about a handful of books/authors you’ve liked. We’ll email you a personalized reading list with five… Continue reading

  • Cult Classics: Against the Grain

    Alternative to what? In a sea of sameness, the heroes of these cult classics march to the beat of their own drum. Brautigan, Richard Trout Fishing in America Drifting along with the flow of time, spinning in revelatory eddies, or striding against the cultural mainstream, we search for that elusive perfect spot to catch a… Continue reading

  • June Question of the Month – an irregular series

    Hi, I am looking for children’s picture books about or set in the Puget Sound area.  Non-fiction books for children about Puget Sound and marine life found there would also be appreciated.  Perhaps something like Davy’s Dream or There was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Trout. Hello! Thank you for your question about books… Continue reading

  • In honor of Joanna Russ

    In honor of the recent passing of author and critic Joanna Russ, I thought I would put together a short list of just a few of my favorite feminist science fiction and fantasy stories. For those of you who are not familiar with her work, Joanna Russ was one of the most ferocious and fearless… Continue reading

  • Literary Fathers and Sons

    There are plenty of novels about fathers and sons; our catalog boasts 1,339 entries under the subject “fathers and sons – fiction.”  There are many excellent father-son memoirs too, including my own favorites: Fathering Words, poet E. Ethelbert Miller’s eloquent account of the speaking silences between he and his father; The Next Better Place, Michael… Continue reading

  • From Tideflats to Tunnels: The Transformation of Seattle’s Central Waterfront

    Seattle’s central waterfront is about to undergo some major transformations. The Alaskan Way Viaduct will soon be a memory. We’ll be voting on a tunnel referendum in August.  And a new design aims to transform the waterfront into a “civic heart for the City.” No matter what happens, the waterfront is going to change significantly… Continue reading

  • The 2010 Census information released…has it really been 10 years?

    Just recently the Census Bureau released the first of its 2010 Census statistics for Washington State.  And more information will be forthcoming over the next year. And that is so important for all of us in Seattle, King County and Washington State.  Why get excited?  Here are a few reasons why we should all care… Continue reading

  • The Poetry Lesson, by Andrew Codrescu

    If you already are an Andrei Codrescu aficionado, have read any of his books (26 titles are available in The Seattle Public Library Catalog), listen to his weekly commentaries on NPR, then you’ll delight in The Poetry Lesson, his latest publication by the Princeton University Press that recently hit bookstores and libraries. One may hope… Continue reading

  • What’s Funny, Part 2: Dysfunction — how bad is it?

    The time for labeling and loving books about “dysfunctional” families is past. Readers have moved on, having acknowledged that no family is actually “functional” and that’s okay. Now we want to read more exciting dysfunction stories: we need more drama, more humor, and more action. We might throw in a little horror and suspense like… Continue reading

  • Cult Classics: Into the Dark

    Strange things lurk in dark places. Another helping of titles that our readers keep coming back for, year after year. Andrews, V.C. Flowers in the Attic Shocking carnal secrets; torments of the body and the mind; for the Dollangangers, it’s all in the family. After 30 years, this lurid gothic tale is still going strong.… Continue reading

  • Sotero Photograph Collection

    The Seattle Public Library has a number of interesting visual collections. One example is the Sotero photograph collection, which offers a window into the world of African Americans in uniform during the World War II era. Marjorie Sotero collected these photographs during her time as a director of the African American Servicemen’s Clubs at Seattle’s… Continue reading

  • Omar Souleyman: Syria’s ambassador of pop

    Seattle is in for a treat on June 9, as international legend Omar Souleyman graces Neumos with his heady blend of Syrian folk and pop. Though he is well-known in his native country and actively performing material since 1994, it wasn’t until recently that Souleyman’s recordings have been released stateside, thanks to Seattle label Sublime Frequencies.… Continue reading