There’s always another movie coming that’s based on a novel (raising the eternal question, should you read the book or see the movie first?). I’m currently waiting for the December 11 release of the movie The Lovely Bones, based on the novel by Alice Sebold. But it’s also interesting to think about the process of… Continue reading
Every once in a while I decide to get to know a new(to me) free database that we have at Seattle Public Library. I’ve always managed to find some treasure, even in the ones that I wouldn’t have thought were related to my interests! My most recent foray was into Biography Resource Center. I decided… Continue reading
Recently, we have been reading about the tragic and chilling death of Yale graduate student Annie Le. Her story is intricately tied in with its setting, a state-of-the-art research lab in the basement of a Yale building. The stakes are huge at this level of research; for example, normally a police investigation into such an… Continue reading
Transitions of power have always had the capacity to fascinate us, and today’s inauguration is no exception. Washington D.C. is expecting an influx of 4 to 5 million people trying to get close to the action, and many more of us (including in the Central Library’s own Microsoft Auditorium) will be watching the ceremony on… Continue reading
Seattle is a city of garden aficionados, so it is fitting that we have one of the best Japanese gardens outside of Japan. With sweeping vistas and decades-old plantings tended with exquisite care, the Seattle Japanese Garden is a spot of meditative beauty. It is also host to a variety of festive events. If you… Continue reading
The tale begins in WWII era Seattle. Our city was host to 200 Italian prisoners of war and a number of African-American servicemen in transit, at Fort Lawton on Magnolia Bluff. The Italians were treated more hospitably than the African-Americans — and tension rose. In one dramatic night of violence, one of the POWs was… Continue reading
The summer Olympics in Beijing are just three days away, and the buzz has been steady for weeks. You may have heard the awe-inspiring story of swimmer Dara Torres, who at 41 will be the “first American swimmer to compete in five Olympics and the oldest female swimmer in the history of the Games, according… Continue reading