New This Week
April 13, 2009
Column: At the Library
From: Cranbrook Public Library
By Mike Selby
Column: At the Library for April 13/09
From: Cranbrook Public Library
By Mike Selby
Haida artist Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas has released a beautifully illustrated book titled THE FLIGHT OF THE HUMMINGBIRD. An old South American parable, it is the story of a hummingbird’s attempt to put a raging forest fire. Only able to contribute a small drop of water on the blazing forest, the hummingbird profoundly demonstrates that doing something is better than doing nothing at all. Yahgulanaas’s take on this story has received praise from numerous world leaders including the Dalai Lama.
Younger readers should be happy with the return of everyone’s favourite neurotic squirrel. SCAREDY SQUIRREL AT NIGHT is the latest book in Melanie Watt’s hilarious series. Terrified of the dark, Scaredy squirrel devises plan after plan to try and stay awake. A great book to help those who share similar fears.
Preschool Story Time this Wednesday at 11:00 am, 1:15 pm, & 6:30 pm, and Toddler Story this Friday at 10:30 am will be all about Cats!
Do not miss this month’s display of Elmer Higgins’s photography and woodwork. Elmer’s hand-crafted grandfather clock is simply breathtaking!
The Friends of the Library continue their travelogue series with Gerry Warner presenting his trip to Cuba. This takes place on Tuesday, April 14th, 7pm, at the College of the Rockies.
Children’s author Richard Van Camp will be visiting the Library on Tuesday, April 28th, at 10 am. Please contact Deanne at 426-4063 for more information.
On Friday, April 24th, at 7 pm, the Library will be celebrating the works of Shakespeare. Everyone is invited to come and enjoy his works being read, discussed, and acted out. Please contact Mike at 426-4063 for more information.
ADULT NEWLY AQUIRED SHELF:
Not So Big Remodeling " Sarah Susanka (643.7)
Heart Healthy Foods For Life " Leslie Beck (616.12)
National Geographic Traveler New Zealand (919.3)
Western Europe on a Budget 2009 (914)
Fodor’s See it : Ireland (914.15)
Flight of the Hummingbird " Michael Nicoll Yahfulanaas (759.11)
The Three Marriages : Reimaging Work, Self, & Relationship " David Whyte (128)
Voices from the Sound : Chronicles of Clayoquot Sound & Tofino " Margaret Horsefield (971.12)
Tracing Your Scottish Family History " Anthony Adolph (929.1072)
The Online Genealogy Handbook " Brad & Debra Schepp (929.3)
Mennonite Women in Canada : A History " Marlene Epp (305.486)
100 Ways to Simplify Your Life " Joyce Meyer (248.4)
Hello Sweetheart Gimmie Rewrite " Jim Taylor (bio)
Nothing to be Frightened of " Julian Barnes (bio)
Smooth Talking Stranger " Lisa Kleypas (fic)
The King’s Grace "Anne Easter Smith (fic)
Take One " Karen Kingsbury (fic)
Fall " Colin McAdam (fic)
Kiss " Ted Dekker & Erin Healy (fic)
The Warriors " Mark Andrew Olsen (fic)
Pursuit " Karen Robards (mys)
True Detectives " Jonathan Kellerman
Still Life " Joy Fielding (mys)
From Dead to Worse " Charlaine Harris (pb)
The Alpine Traitor " Mary Daheim (pb)
The X-Files Season 4 (DVD)
Midsomer Murders Season 12 (DVD)
Appaloosa (DVD)
Cracker Season 3 (DVD)
Kathy Smith’s Protect You (DVD)
YOUNG ADULT & CHILDREN’S NEWLY AQUIRED SHELF:
Skateboard Science " Helaine Becker (j 796.22)
Listen to the Wind " Greg Mortenson (j 371.822)
Three Cups of Tea " Greg Mortenson (j 371.822)
I Am a Dancer " Pat Lowery Collins (j pic)
Are You My Mother " P.D. Eastman (j pic)
Mr. Brown Can Moo Can You " Dr. Seuss (j pic)
Scaredy Squirrel at Night " Melanie Watt (j pic)
Madagascar 2 (j DVD)
Baby Road Trip (j DVD)
Horton Hears a Who (j DVD)
Blue’s Clues Classic Clues (j vid)
Elmo’s World Springtime Fun (j vid)
MIKE’S BOOKNOTES:
On June 7th, 1594, Rodrigo Lopez"Queen Elizabeth’s personal physician"was executed in front of a large crowd. Just before he was hung, Lopez denied all charges against him (he was caught trying to poison the Queen), and said that he would never have hurt her, and that he loved her as much as he loved Jesus Christ. At this statement, the crowd burst into laughter. They laughed because Lopez was Jewish.
Shakespeare"who came to witness the execution"must have been in awe of what he saw. Even though he made his living by making large crowds laugh, he felt very uneasy about this kind of laughter. Many emotions surface at public executions; merriment is not one of them. Shakespeare responded to this cruel reaction with THE MERHCANT OF VENICE, one of his most complex plays.
Shylock the Jew has always been the center of the play, even though he appears only 5 times, and is NOT the “merchant” of the title. He is a stock villain; a bitter and remorseless killjoy. He is old and ugly and vengeful and the enemy of pleasure and romance. The butt of all the good jokes, audiences always laugh at his antics. Yet, it is a nervous laughter. Many people have found the laughter being caught in their throat.
The play’s climax, when the Judge denies Shylock his pound of flesh, and forces him to convert to Christianity, follows all the theatrical rules of comedy; and again, audiences find their laughter unsettling. While no physical harm comes to Shylock, and he is invited to join in the comic celebrations, laughing at him feels like laughing at an execution.
Shakespeare never returned to writing comedies.
