July 2013

  • Three for Free – City living edition

    Named for the former Seattle Supersonic star “Slick Watts,” the eighth track on Blue Scholars’ 2011 CineMetroPolis begins with a robotic sounding voice proclaiming, “You know, I be, I be in the, be in the town all day. I be, I be in the, be in the in the S-E-A.” Seeing as both my home… Continue reading

  • The rescued photos of Allen and Sachtleben

    Join us in the Central Library Microsoft Auditorium on July 11th at 7 p.m. as we welcome bicycle historian, David V. Herlihy, author of The Lost Cyclist: The Epic Tale of An American Adventurer and His Mysterious Disappearance and Bicycle: The History. Herlihy will present a selection of historical photographs of early bicycle tourists, Thomas Allen… Continue reading

  • Movie Mondays: Cinema with Style

    There are some movies that stay with me because of the way they look. While there’s absolutely nothing wrong with the performers, directors or screenwriters in the following films, it’s the details — cinematography, color, costume design — that contribute to the unforgettable style of each of the these three films. The opening credits for Drive (2011) are written in… Continue reading

  • A Tale of Two Burgs

    In July of 1863, 150 years ago, Blue still fought Gray and the fate of a nation was hanging in the balance. Two great battles ensued simultaneously, one to control the western nation and one as an invasion of the north. At Vicksburg, Mississippi, a great siege was in progress under the command of General… Continue reading

  • Warm Bodies screening with author Isaac Marion

     Can love make a dead heart beat again? Shamble in to the Central Library to watch the newly released zombie romance film “Warm Bodies” and meet the book’s author, Isaac Marion, for a question and answer period afterward. Isaac Marion has recently completed a prequel novella and is currently working on the sequel to Warm Bodies.… Continue reading

  • Romantic Wednesdays: Military Romance

    They say that everyone loves a man (or woman) in uniform. So much so that there are whole platoons of romances with military or ex-military heroes and heroines. Enough to make military romances a special force in romance of their very own. If you’d like to see a romance featuring those currently serving, you can’t… Continue reading

  • Historical Fiction: The American Revolution

    Some of us remember the Kent Family Chronicles by John Jakes, an eight volume historical fiction series first published in the 1970s and popular for years among historical fiction readers. What better time than July to read (or re-read) Jakes’ vision of what life was like in the 18th century for fledgling Americans who believed… Continue reading

  • Movie Mondays: Coming-of-age films with an edge

    I recently saw Mud (2013) – easily one of the best movies of the year, so far – and was struck by its multiple layers. It’s a thriller that stars Matthew McConaughey in the title role as a fugitive living on a remote island, hiding from bounty hunters and pining for the love of his life,… Continue reading