March 2016

  • FIRST FOLIO! Shadows of Shakespeare: Biographies of a Folio and a Forger

    ~posted by Carl When William Shakespeare died in 1616, he was not yet the literary giant of the English language. His reputation grew over the centuries, following the development of the Shakespearean cult in the 18th century. About seven years after Shakespeare died, his colleagues John Heminges and Henry Condell published the first collection of… Continue reading

  • Upcoming Thrilling Tales from our Story Time for Grown Ups.

    For over a decade, every other Monday at noon listeners have flocked to Thrilling Tales, the Library’s story time for grownups, spending their lunch hour rapt in suspenseful narratives. Janice Leadingham, a local bookseller said in a recent article in City Arts: “Especially for impatient people, it’s good because it slows things down a bit. For one hour, you can… Continue reading

  • FIRST FOLIO! Movies and TV with Shakespearean Loves, Guns and Laughs – Part 2

    ~posted by Marion Shakespeare has influenced me on and off during the years. My junior high school English class read Macbeth (while the teacher actually personified Lady Macbeth, the class banded together and survived). In college, we read several plays for a Shakespeare literature class, and I fondly remember being in a study group which produced the… Continue reading

  • FIRST FOLIO! Movies and TV with Shakespearean Loves, Guns and Laughs – Part 1

    ~posted by Marion Shakespeare has influenced me on and off during the years. My junior high school English class read Macbeth (while the teacher actually personified Lady Macbeth, the class banded together and survived). In college, we read several plays for a Shakespeare literature class, and I fondly remember being in a study group which… Continue reading

  • Lady Librarians of Seattle

    2016 marks the 125th anniversary of The Seattle Public Library. After it was adopted as a department of the city in 1890, the Library opened its first reading room in Pioneer Square on April 8, 1891. To honor this milestone, we will be posting a series of articles here about the Library’s history and life in… Continue reading

  • FIRST FOLIO! Cinematic Shakespeare Cage Match! Welles vs. Kurosawa

    Without a doubt, William Shakespeare has been the most adapted author in cinema history. The Guinness Book of World Records even says so! And if they’re the authority on “Farthest Distance Walked Balancing a Lawn Mower on the Chin*” then it’s indisputable. What is in dispute is which filmmaker was the greatest adapter of Shakespeare’s… Continue reading

  • Tales of Mail: Epistolary Novels

    ~posted by Rebecca K. A previous post discussed the pleasure of writing letters. Today let’s explore letters in fiction. The epistolary novel is defined in The Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms as “a novel written in the form of a series of letters exchanged among the characters of the story, with extracts from their journals sometimes… Continue reading

  • FIRST FOLIO! Shakespeare’s Restless World

    ~posted by Carl Hundreds of years from now, what could investigators conclude about our society from finding a smartphone or GPS device? What about a Styrofoam lunch tray or a pizza delivery box? In the work Shakespeare’s Restless World: A Portrait of An Era in Twenty Objects, Neil MacGregor of the British Museum looks at… Continue reading

  • Seattle Repertory Theatre’s “brownsville song (b-side for tray)” – Beyond the Theatre

    ~posted by Abby B. When high school senior Tramaine (“Tray”) Berry Thompson is killed by a random act of gun violence, his family and friends seek hope and resilience in their memories of his vibrant, all-too-brief existence. Stories like Tray’s are sadly all too common in America today. In fact, playwright Kimber Lee was inspired… Continue reading

  • Tuberculosis in Novels and Film

    Last week we posted about the history and science of tuberculosis to highlight the upcoming World TB Day program coming to the Central Library on March 24. This week, let’s take a dive into representations of tuberculosis in literature and movies. If you like historical fiction at all, you’ve heard of the heroine who tragically died… Continue reading

  • Courier and Lives: For the Love of Letters

    ~posted by Rebecca K. “We have never talked together the way we have sometimes in letters. Why do I meet people better in letters?” – Anne Morrow Lindbergh A previous post talked about why handwriting is good for your health. Today let’s explore the enjoyment of writing and receiving letters! What makes a handwritten letter… Continue reading

  • Missing Mad Men? Meet the Real Don Draper

    I miss Mad Men. Not any particular character or plot line: I miss the feel of it. That blend of humor and heartbreak, tinged with an uneasy dread that one might easily assume to be bygone innocence viewed through the lens of contemporary disillusionment and cynicism. Yet far more that the show’s meticulous period details and cultural conventions, the most authentically… Continue reading

  • Celebrate Rad American Women For Women’s History Month

    In honor of Women’s History Month, I wanted to be sure all of you have read the amazing book published in 2015, Rad American Women A-Z by Kate Schatz. You may notice it’s shelved in the Children’s section, but don’t let that fool you – this little alphabet book is a must-read for all ages. The concept… Continue reading

  • 2016 Audie Award Nominees

    -posted by Library staff Award season isn’t over yet! Last month, the Audio Publisher’s Association announced the 2016 Audie Award Finalists and it is going to be difficult to choose winners from these amazing choices in 2015 audiobooks. The Audie is awarded to the best in the audiobook industry, in genre categories like “History /… Continue reading

  • World TB Day at the Central Library

    TB IS THE WORLD’S #1 INFECTIOUS DISEASE KILLER.  EVEN MORE THAN AIDS.  If you found that statistic surprising, you’re not alone!  Tuberculosis seems like something our grandparents dealt with and then it sort of petered out, but that’s not the case.  It is widespread, and many of the more virulent forms in today’s world are… Continue reading

  • Handwriting for Health

    ~posted by Rebecca K. In everyday life, during meetings or class, it may seem easier and faster to type notes on your laptop. But did you know that writing by hand may be more beneficial to your brain health? This is partly because writing, as opposed to typing, forces you to slow down in order… Continue reading

  • Embracing Gender Diversity

    ~posted by Micah K. Here at Seattle Public Library we think a lot about how we can be a more inclusive resource for our communities. When the American Dialect Society announced in January that the singular “they” was the word of 2015, we started discussing in more depth the benefits of using gender neutral language… Continue reading

  • More Unusual Nonfiction

    ~posted by Frank Bored with biographies? Tired of travel guides? Sick of self help? Had it with histories? Here are six new nonfiction titles on topics that are singular, peculiar, and fascinating. Fashion Victims: The Dangers of Dress Past and Present by Alison Matthews David. David tells the stories of death by clothing – whether intentional or accidental.… Continue reading