tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-142538542024-03-12T20:41:21.420-05:00Thoughts from a Library AdministratorRandom thoughts and links.Michael A. Golrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17647832832366248030noreply@blogger.comBlogger624125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14253854.post-39651002674816047992024-01-02T09:25:00.002-06:002024-01-02T09:28:37.352-06:00Books Read - 2023This year had no real pattern ... no plan ... I just pulled books from the pile. I was given a few books by a sister-in-law who had read them in her neighborhood book group, so couldn't just leave them in the community center. (I figured that if I didn't want to read them, I would give them to my public library book sale!)
Here's the 2023 list:
<ul><i>At the Edge of the Orchard</i> by Tracy Chevalier <small>[Book discussion book from a sister-in-law]</small></ul>
<ul><i>From Prison Cells to PhD: It is never too late to do good</i> by Stanley Andrisse</ul>
<ul><i>Red Harvest: A graphic novel of the Terror Famine in 1930s Soviet Ukraine</i> by Michael Cherkas <small>[GN=Graphic Non-fiction]; ARC <bold>@work</bold></small></ul>
<ul><i>Our Missing Hearts</i> by Celeste Ng <small>[Book discussion book from a sister-in-law]</small></ul>
<ul><i>How Far the Light Reaches: A life in ten sea creatures</i> by Sabrina Imbler</ul>
<ul><i>Felix Ever After</i> by Kacen Callender <small>YA - LTRC</small></ul>
<ul><i>First-Hand: A Memoir of Life in 1950's Mandeville LA</i> by J. Vernon "Butch" Smith</ul>
<ul><i>Let's Talk About It: The teen's guide to sex, relationships, and being a human</i> by Erika Moen and Matthew Nolan <small>[GN=Graphic Non-fiction]</small></ul>
<ul><i>Cheer Up! Love and Pompoms</i> by Crystal Frasier, Val Wise, and Oscar O. Jupiter <small>[GN=Graphic Novel; LYRTC <bold>@work</bold>]</small></ul>
<ul><i>Museums & Women and other stories</i> by John Updike</ul>
<ul><i>Saint Juniper's Folly</i> by Alex Crespo <small>[YA, ARC]</small></ul>
<ul><i>Glengarry Geln Ross: A play</i> by David Mamet <small>[<bold>@work</bold>]</small></ul>
<ul><i>My Selma </i>by Willie May Brown <small>[ARC, YA - intro speaker at ALA LibLearnX 2023]</small></ul>
<ul><i>Nothing Interesting Ever Happens to Ethan Fairmont </i>by Nick Brooks <small>[ARC, YA, signed by the author]</small></ul>
<ul><i>Steve Jobs </i>by Walter Isaacson <small>[<bold>@work</bold>]</small></ul>
<ul><i>Jikji, light from the East III </i>published by Cheongju Early Printing Museum</ul>
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Note that prior year reading lists are linked from this page:<br />
<ul><a href="https://michaelgolrick.blogspot.com/p/previously-read.html">https://michaelgolrick.blogspot.com/p/previously-read.html</a> <br /></ul>
Michael A. Golrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06974144431152478465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14253854.post-17980561029474413652023-06-08T12:14:00.014-05:002023-06-12T17:27:59.045-05:00ALA Annual Conference - Chicago!<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Updated 6/12: Calendar synch completed ... and photo from Midwinter added for visual interest.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO_Ks-nrLiVzeO2jwHWCJoGlFDkAw--DzTNvgD4XN7VhC47NYUq8OCoL_F_e5sWN9_RPb8xfjx19O1vRSYCQcGZOdXCxoFSBawRwadgKgSWsFbJFWObmtHZyQRsvJe2GGZl2unjGZtXqtGebAgUApZHvphPQJUCqE0CqtaTXMlJzI55Jwofg/s2972/IMG_7489%20(2).jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2264" data-original-width="2972" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO_Ks-nrLiVzeO2jwHWCJoGlFDkAw--DzTNvgD4XN7VhC47NYUq8OCoL_F_e5sWN9_RPb8xfjx19O1vRSYCQcGZOdXCxoFSBawRwadgKgSWsFbJFWObmtHZyQRsvJe2GGZl2unjGZtXqtGebAgUApZHvphPQJUCqE0CqtaTXMlJzI55Jwofg/w216-h165/IMG_7489%20(2).jpeg" width="216" /></a>Here is my tentative schedule for ALA Annual -- in Chicago! Note that it is still tentative! There are Thursday events for me ... I have events in the official ALA Scheduler which have yet to migrate to my Google calendar -- but they will!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">If you have previously viewed this, you may want to refresh to be sure that you have the latest version of my calendar.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">(<i>Note</i>: I <b>have</b> figured out how to make "Agenda" the default view.) Clicking on any event will show details. I have also mastered having the time zone correct, but this time I am again living in the Conference time zone! </span></p><p>
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="800" scrolling="no" src="https://calendar.google.com/calendar/embed?height=800&wkst=1&bgcolor=%23ffffff&ctz=America%2FChicago&src=b2me73ktoocasc631ec9rund7c%40group.calendar.google.com&color=%2330487E&src=6dbi5tcbevmv6j3pcc0uq4mlic%40group.calendar.google.com& title=ALA Annual Conference - Golrick&showNav=1&showTabs=1&showCalendars=0&mode=AGENDA" style="border: solid 1px #777;" width="650"></iframe></p>Michael A. Golrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06974144431152478465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14253854.post-73179930852758746812023-01-26T15:00:00.006-06:002023-01-27T07:21:58.128-06:00ALA Midwinter ... Ooops, LibLearnX 2023<p>Here is my tentative schedule for LibLearnX (formerly known as ALA Midwinter). Note that it is still tentative!<br />
<br />
I am driving to New Orleans on Friday, and will be leaving (perhaps with an airport stop) after the closing ceremony on Monday (<i>Note</i>: I <b>have</b> figured out how to make "Agenda" the default view," I think.) Clicking on any event will show details. I think I have the time zone correct, but this time I am living in the Conference time zone! </p><p>Of particular note, I am the "moderator" for Willie Mae Brown who will be talking about her new book <i>My Selma</i>. I am nervously looking forward to that event. (Saturday at 4.)<br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="800" scrolling="no" src="https://calendar.google.com/calendar/embed?height=800&wkst=1&bgcolor=%23ffffff&ctz=America%2FChicago&src=bjc0YnNnNGQ0NGFxOGNzOWRmNmY4M2c3MDBAZ3JvdXAuY2FsZW5kYXIuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbQ&color=%2330487E&title=ALA%20Midwinter%20-%20Golrick&showNav=1&showTabs=1&showCalendars=0&mode=AGENDA" style="border: solid 1px #777;" width="650"></iframe></p>Michael A. Golrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06974144431152478465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14253854.post-52651544741151512692023-01-06T07:46:00.001-06:002023-01-06T07:46:18.964-06:00Books Read - 2022<p>There are themes to this past year's reading. First, this list is in reverse chronological order. The last read is the first.</p><p>Actually there are two themes and they are biography/autobiography and lengthy (fat) books. Other than Cheever's writings, what I read was all biography/memoir. Some might argue that even the Cheever writings are memoir-like. He certainly drew on his life experience and the places in which he had lived. [Reading Cheever was the completion of a sequence that I started in 2021 by reading his daughter's works, including ... wait for it ... biographies she had written and her memoirs.)</p><p>The second theme/pattern - especially for about the first 3/4 of the year was length. It seems like two book, how much could that be? But if counted in pages, that almost 2,000 pages. The Grant biography was almost 1,500 pages. That's three books totaling almost 3,500 pages.<br /></p><p> The combination of reading the Grant biography and <i>The 1619 Project</i> was very appropriate. Grant, as an army general and as President, tried to set the stage for a fully equitable society. His role (other than as the General) was not something of which I had been aware. I understand better why his portrait is on the $50 bill!</p><p>The end of the year introduced a new aspect: graphic non-fiction. Prior to reading <i>Maus</i>, I don't think I ever read a full graphic novel. While people would say that the three I read were graphic <b>novels</b>, they really aren't. <i>Maus</i> is a "told to" memoir; <i>Monumental</i> is a documented biography; <i>Gender Queer</i> is a memoir. They are not fiction ... hence my "tag" referring to them as GN=Graphic Nonfiction.</p><p>On to 2023! <br /></p><p>Having said that, here's the 2022 list:<br />
</p><ul><i>Dirtbag, Massachusetts: A Confessional </i>by Isaac Fitzgerald <small>signed by the author</small></ul>
<ul><i>Monumental: Oscar Dunn and His Radical Fight in Reconstruction Louisiana </i>by
by Brian K. Mitchell, Barrington S. Edwards, Nick Weldon <small>GN=Graphic Non-fiction</small></ul>
<ul><i>Gender Queer: a memoir</i> by Maia Kobabe <small>GN=Graphic Non-fiction</small></ul>
<ul><i>Maus</i> (both volumes - box set) by Art Spiegelman <small>GN=Graphic Non-fiction</small></ul>
<ul><i>The 1619 Project:a new origin story </i>Edited by Nikole Hannah-Jones [creator], Caitlin Roper, Ilena Silverman, and Jake Silverstein</ul><ul><i>Home Bound: An uprooted daughter's reflections on belonging </i>by Vanessa A. Bee <small>ARC, signed by the author</small></ul>
<ul><i>Grant</i> by Ron Chernow -- <a href="https://michaelgolrick.blogspot.com/2022/09/grant-significant-biography.html" target="_blank">Blog post here.</a><br /></ul>
<ul><i>Dragon Teeth</i> by Michael Chrichton</ul>
<ul><i>Wishful Drinking</i> by Carrie Fisher </ul>
<ul><i> Complete novels</i> by John Cheever, <small><b>Library of America</b>; Blake Bailey wrote the chronology and notes for this volume. [At 906 pages, I feel like this should count for more than one book!] <a href="https://michaelgolrick.blogspot.com/2022/05/john-cheever-complete-novels.html" target="_blank">Blog post here.</a><br /></small></ul>
<ul><i>Collected stories and other writings</i> by John Cheever, <small><b>Library of America</b>; Blake Bailey wrote the chronology and notes for this volume. [At 1004 pages, I feel like this should count for more than one book!] <a href="https://michaelgolrick.blogspot.com/2022/05/john-cheever-selected-stories-and-other.html" target="_blank">Blog post here.</a></small></ul>Michael A. Golrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06974144431152478465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14253854.post-67595680220055957282022-09-20T19:00:00.003-05:002024-01-02T09:34:48.925-06:00Grant a significant biography<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_9cJoIQTx9OrHg1Ysh-sfw9B8-qeo-VuYhSXzyZKr4159dWFRncGLGkrhM8VhVbYWHMrAC9KQ70PWPcHgHwGC04kmVkp6pa6h8LfxJcYtCV1Pl1ER_vR5ST1XqlVN8x0N_d3Ehlo-BNZ-nffyeBQqN4UYpLZK7fWOxwNT8eDpiHM5X5x4h0jC/s1500/Grant%20-%20Book%20cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Grant by Ron Chernow [book cover]" border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="973" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_9cJoIQTx9OrHg1Ysh-sfw9B8-qeo-VuYhSXzyZKr4159dWFRncGLGkrhM8VhVbYWHMrAC9KQ70PWPcHgHwGC04kmVkp6pa6h8LfxJcYtCV1Pl1ER_vR5ST1XqlVN8x0N_d3Ehlo-BNZ-nffyeBQqN4UYpLZK7fWOxwNT8eDpiHM5X5x4h0jC/w208-h320/Grant%20-%20Book%20cover.jpg" title="Grant by Ron Chernow" width="208" /></a></div></div>Earlier this year a friend posted on Facebook about the bicentennial of Ulysses S. Grant (April 22). I quickly realized how little I knew about the 18th President. I knew he had been a general, and was the commander of Union forces who accepted the surrender of Robert E. Lee at Appomattox. He also had a reputation for being (depending on to whom you listened) a heavy drinker or a drunk. I also believed that his administration was wracked with scandal.<p></p>
<p>The book by Ron Chernow is massive. The copy I borrowed was in large print - and the text ran to 1,289. Those pages are followed by another 190 pages of notes, bibliography, and photo/illustration credits. (It is a pretty fat book at 1,479 pages!)</p>
<p>Grant was much more than just a general and a drunk. While this biography talks about his drinking issues, Chernow notes that whatever drinking Grant did was away from any significant activities. He was not ever drunk during a battle or a crucial time in his administration. Some of that credit belongs to one of his personal assistants, and to his wife Julia. He did have a "drinking problem," but especially at the end of his life, he seemed to be able to control it. According to this biography, he never drank leading up to and during a battle. He would occasionally go on binges. There were two people who helped reign him in, one was his wife Julia, and the other a long-suffering and long-serving assistant John A. Rawlins. It's a fascinating relationship, and there is one (much shorter) version of the story on <a href="https://www.historynet.com/who-kept-grant-sober/">History.net</a>.</p><p>I strongly recommend the book. The description of Grant's political acumen and actions as President were not something I had known about. The election of his successor ushered in the era of Jim Crow, which undermined much of what Grant tried to do as both a General and as the President.</p><p>The very end of his life was sad in that he rushed to finish his memoirs (published by Samuel Clemens/Mark Twain) in order to leave funds for his wife. The next time I drive east, I will try to visit both his tomb (in New York City) and where he spent much of his final time writing in Saratoga Springs (NY). I suppose, his version of his life should be added to my reading list!<br /></p>Michael A. Golrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06974144431152478465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14253854.post-50080730001626785652022-06-21T12:23:00.006-05:002022-06-21T12:23:00.130-05:00ALA Annual - DC 2022<p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><there be="" br="" but="" do="" done="" in="" is="" it="" little="" still="" time="" to="" tweaking="" very="" which=""><br /> It has been a while! Here is the posting of my schedule ... Right now, this is still tentative, and a work in progress. My role in the Association has changed, and there are many fewer commitments. </there></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><there be="" br="" but="" do="" done="" in="" is="" it="" little="" still="" time="" to="" tweaking="" very="" which="">The schedule is dynamic and will change. And, I have not tried to move/copy the events I have chosen in the official ALA Scheduler - but I will be doing that.<br /></there></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><there be="" br="" but="" do="" done="" in="" is="" it="" little="" still="" time="" to="" tweaking="" very="" which="">I know that this time will feel different. Fewer hard commitments - and I get to look at programs. I will also be going more slowly through the exhibit hall.<br /><br /> And do note the time zone note on the bottom. I have entered the correct time zone in the calendar and seem to have mastered the ability to have the events show in the time zone in which the conference is being held -- even when it is not the time zone in which I am working/entering the data.<br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="900" scrolling="no" src="https://calendar.google.com/calendar/embed?mode=AGENDA&height=900&wkst=2&bgcolor=%23FFFFFF&src=b2me73ktoocasc631ec9rund7c%40group.calendar.google.com&color=%23875509&src=6dbi5tcbevmv6j3pcc0uq4mlic%40group.calendar.google.com&color=%232F6309&etz=America%2FNew York" style="border-width: 0;" width="700"></iframe></there></span></p>Michael A. Golrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06974144431152478465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14253854.post-60374993618028180162022-05-15T18:50:00.004-05:002022-05-15T18:58:33.818-05:00John Cheever: Complete Novels<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fs3.amazonaws.com%2Floa-production-23ffs35gui41a%2Fvolumes%2Fimages%2F000%2F000%2F297%2Fecommerce%2F9781598530353.jpg%3F1445894619&f=1&nofb=1" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="410" data-original-width="260" height="265" src="https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fs3.amazonaws.com%2Floa-production-23ffs35gui41a%2Fvolumes%2Fimages%2F000%2F000%2F297%2Fecommerce%2F9781598530353.jpg%3F1445894619&f=1&nofb=1" width="168" /></a></div>More on Cheever! I have now finished reading John Cheever's <i>Complete Novels</i>, also in the Library of America edition (902 pages, plus notes and chronology). As I noted about his stories, I feel like this should count for more than one volume ... There are actually 5 novels in this compilation (in order of publication - and presentation):<p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><i>The Wapshot Chronicle</i></li><li><i>The Wapshot Scandal</i></li><li><i>Bullet Park</i></li><li><i>Falconer</i></li><li><i>Oh What A Paradise It Seems</i></li></ul><p>At times, the novels felt like short stories, and some of the characters from the novels either previously or subsequently appeared in the short stories.</p><p>I feel like the short story was Cheever's <i>metier</i> and real strength in writing. All of his works are "of a time and place." Because it represents both a geography and a time period with which I am familiar, it felt comfortable to me - and likely his writing was well received by "the establishment" since it was so much about them.</p><p>I am glad that I read all of his works, and have an appreciation for what he describes. <br /></p>Michael A. Golrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06974144431152478465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14253854.post-71518024488057665632022-05-06T23:21:00.001-05:002022-05-15T18:41:56.232-05:00John Cheever: Selected Stories and Other Writings - some notes<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51DP9L2he-L._SX306_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="John Cheever: Collected Stories and Other Writings" border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="308" height="261" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51DP9L2he-L._SX306_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" width="161" /></a></div> I just finished reading the Library of America's compilation of John Cheever's <i>Collected Stories and Other Writings</i> (1004 pages plus chronology and notes). The stories are more or less chronological in the order of publication, and are grouped by the collections in which they had appeared.<p></p><p>Many of the stories use characters and places which also appear in his novels - which gives a sense of continuity to his writings. He is clearly a gifted story teller. I had one friend ask (early on) if I had read "The Swimmer" (p. 726). I had not at that point, but it <b>is</b> an amazing story, and I commend it. <br /></p><p>The <i>Other Writings</i> include works about other authors (Saul Bellow, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Malcolm Cowley) and a great little essay "Why I Write Short Stories." A sentence in that essay struck me a being very important:</p><p style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">"...they are read by discerning and well-informed men and women who seem to feel that narrative fiction can contribute to our understanding of one another and the sometimes bewildering world around us." (p. 996)<br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">*Mic drop*<br /> </p><p style="text-align: left;">[In my list of books read this year, I feel like this should count for more than one volume!]<br /></p><p style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;"><br /></p>Michael A. Golrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06974144431152478465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14253854.post-81293048794463564612022-01-21T11:54:00.001-06:002022-01-21T11:54:34.191-06:00Books Read 2021
Here's the 2021 list:<br />
<ul><i>Death on Nantucket</i> by Francine Mathews</ul>
<ul><i>Ava's Man </i> by Rick Bragg</ul>
<ul><i>Home Before Dark: A biographical memoir of John Cheever by his daughter</i> by Susan Cheever</ul>
<ul><i>Tinderbox: the untold story of the Up Stairs Lounge fire and the rise of gay liberation</i> by Robert W. Fieseler</ul>
<ul><i>After the Worst Thing Happens</i> by Audrey Vernick <small>ARC</small></ul>
<ul><i>Note Found in a Bottle: My life as a drinker</i> by Susan Cheever</ul>
<ul><i>Death of a Diva at Honeychurch Hall</i> by Hannah Dennison <small>Hurricane read</small></ul>
<ul><i>Antiques Carry On: A Trash 'N' Treasures Mystery</i> by Barbara Allen <small>Hurricane read</small><br /></ul>
<ul><i>The Path Between the Seas: The Creation of the Panama Canal, 1870-1914</i> by David McCullough <small>[Special note: cover is by my friend <a href="https://minorart.com/"> Wendell Minor</a>]</small><br /></ul>
<ul><i>The Last Haywire Ride</i> by John Maginnis <small>[from the bargain table at <a href="https://www.bluecypressbooks.com/">Blue Cypress Books</a>]</small></ul>
<ul><i>The Paperboy: A Novel</i> by Pete Dexter <small>[from the bargain table at <a href="https://www.bluecypressbooks.com/">Blue Cypress Books</a>]</small></ul>
<ul><i>The Building of the Panama Canal in Historic Photographs</i> by Ulrich Keller</ul>
<ul><i>Panama: Yesterday and Today</i> by Sue Core </ul>
<ul><i>Not God: A History of Alcoholics Anonymous</i> by Ernest Kurtz </ul>
<ul><i>The Awakening: complete, authoritative text with biographical and
historical contexts, critical history, and essays from five
contemporary critical perspectives</i> by Kate Chopin edited by Nancy A. Walker</ul>
<ul><i>My name is Bill: Bill Wilson: His Life and the Creation of Alcoholics Anonymous</i> by Susan Cheever</ul>
<ul><i>The Library Book</i> by Susan Olean</ul>
<ul><i>Desire: Where Sex Meets Addiction</i> by Susan Cheever</ul>
<ul><i>Couples</i> by John Updike</ul>
<ul><i>The Manchurian Candidate</i> by Richard Condon<br /></ul>
<ul>Gettysburg Pamphliets<br />
<ul>"Gettysburg" [National Park Service Booklet, 1992]</ul>
<ul>"The Monuments at Gettysburg" by Thosmas A. Desjardin [1997]</ul>
<ul>"Holding the Left at Gettysburg: the 20th New York State Militis on July 1, 1863" Seward Osborne [1990]</ul>
<ul>"On the Bloodstained Field: 130 Human Interest Stories of the Campaign and Battle of Gettysburg" by Gregory A. Coco </ul>
<ul>"'For God's Sake, Forward!' Gen. John F. Reynolds, USA" by Michael Riley [1995] <small>signed</small></ul></ul>
Michael A. Golrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06974144431152478465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14253854.post-13549705716479902862021-07-16T09:22:00.001-05:002021-07-16T09:22:00.246-05:00Reading about Panama<p>Some time ago, I pulled the Road Scholar [formerly known as Elderhostel] list for their Panama Canal week-long experience.</p><p>More recently, I started reading from the list. The first book I chose was older than I expected ... <i>Panama: Yesterday and Today</i> by Sue Core. It was published in 1945 by North River Press. The name of the publisher still exists ... but it is definitely a different kind of publisher. [<a href="https://northriverpress.com/" target="_blank">Current web site</a> - they now focus on the writings of Eliyahu M. [Eli] Goldratt who is known as the "father of the Theory of Constraints (TOC)," a process of ongoing improvement that identifies and leverages a system’s constraints in order to achieve the system’s goals.]</p><p>I looked for biographical information about the author...and had great difficulty finding anything. WorldCat and Amazon both list a fair number of books by her, but little biographical info. I think she may also be known as Sue/Susan Oman. But that requires some further work.</p><p>On to the book ... In reading the first two chapters, I went to double check the copyright date (1945). The author's description of the way the Spanish conquistadors destroyed the existing civilizations could have been written last week (2021). She expresses great admiration for the culture which existed in the 15th Century in the Americas. She talks about the systematic destruction of that culture.</p><p>Yet, when I got to the last chapters, her descriptions of those who worked to build the canal, and the description of society is incredibly dated, and loaded with inaccurate stereotypes. It was a reminder that this was written in a particular time and place.</p><p>In between, the book was a simplified description of the building of the Canal. And, yes, if you are following my reading list, you will note that I am in the process doing some reading about the building of the Canal. All of it is in hopeful preparation for a trip (as yet unplanned) to see the Canal, and going through it.<br /></p><p><br /></p>Michael A. Golrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06974144431152478465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14253854.post-66615452275583923662021-02-07T09:30:00.001-06:002021-05-19T11:44:53.575-05:00Books Read 2020<p>Better late than never, I suppose ... I was updating the page with the "Currently Reading" and realized that I never posted the 2020 list. It is surprisingly short - most likely because of all the distractions of the year.</p><p>In any case, here it is:</p><p></p>
<ul><i>Widows of Eastwick</i> by John Updike</ul>
<ul><i>Witches of Eastwick</i> by John Updike</ul>
<ul><i>The Ambassador's Daughter: A Novel</i> by Pam Jenoff <small>Signed by the Author</small></ul>
<ul><i>Death Over a Diamond Stud: The assassination of the Orleans Parish District Attorney </i> by Christophrt G. Pena </ul>
<ul><i>Conventionally Yours</i> by Annabeth Albert <small>ARC</small></ul>
<ul><i>After the Worst Thing Happens</i> by Audrey Vernick <small>ARC</small></ul>
<ul><i>Latitudes of Longing: a novel</i> by Shubhangi Swarup <small>ARC</small></ul>
<ul><i>Utopia</i> by Thomas More <small>[<u><i><b>Yes, a second time</b></i></u>]</small></ul>
<ul><i>A Room Away from the Wolves</i> by Nova Ren Suma <small>Signed by the Author, ARC</small></ul>
<ul><i>Wink: a novel (Surviving Middle School with One Eye Open)</i> by Rob Harrell <i>YA</i><small> ARC</small></ul>
<ul><i>Leaving Lymon</i> by Lesa Cline-Ransome <i>YA</i><small>ARC</small></ul><ul><i>Blue Daisy</i> by Helen Frost <i>[J/YA]</i> <small>ARC</small></ul>
<ul><i>Dear Beast</i> by Dori Hillstead Butler, illustrated by Kevan Atteberry <i>[graphic novel, J/YA]</i> <small>ARC</small></ul>
<ul><i>The Third Rainbow Girl</i> by Emma Copley Eisenberg <small>Signed by the Author</small></ul>
<ul><i>Utopia</i> by Thomas More</ul><br />Michael A. Golrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06974144431152478465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14253854.post-41817472204482071592020-12-20T19:01:00.008-06:002020-12-20T19:05:06.713-06:00Updike's Witches<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51N-1DPn0HL._SX331_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="333" height="332" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51N-1DPn0HL._SX331_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" width="221" /></a></div><br />I recently did something that I think I have never done before ... I read a couple books and then immediately watched the movie made from one of them. I no longer remember what inspired me to pull from the library stacks <i>The Witches of Eastwick</i> by John Updike. But this late fall, I was off and running/reading.<br /><p></p><p>I have read Updike before. I read several of his books prior to introducing him at the Connecticut Library Association Annual Conference in 2000. After the Conference, I also read the book he was promoting at that time (<i>Gertrude and Claudius</i>) as well as an older collection (<i>Bech is Back</i> - which he most thoughtfully inscribed to me).</p><p>This time I did the following in this order:</p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Read <i>The Witches of Eastwick</i></li><li>Read <i>The Widows of Eastwick</i></li><li>Watched the movie: "The Witches of Eastwick"</li></ol><p>The action in <i>The Widows</i> takes place 30 years after the activities of <i>The Witches</i>. <i>The Widows</i> is an interesting take on the aging process, in addition to the other themes which follow from one book to the other. The theme of aging and those changes is a one which Updike explores in other works (most notably to me, the <i>Rabbit</i> series).</p><p>I was disappointed and disturbed by the movie adaptation. In both of the books, the women characters (Sukie, Jane, and Alexandra) are portrayed as strong women with a bond with each other, and having developed/found their unique skills which are most powerful when they are together. Darryl as a character arrives in Eastwick after there has already been action from the women. In the movie, however, Darryl (played by Jack Nicholson) is portrayed as the force which develops and binds the women's powers.</p><p>In the Wikipedia entry on <i>The Witches</i> (the book) <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Witches_of_Eastwick" target="_blank">it notes</a>:</p><p style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">Updike described his novel as "about female power, a power that patriarchal societies have denied." Many scholars viewed it as strongly pro-feminist, "an intelligent engagement with feminism, and a rare case of a male novelist writing from women's points of view." Some have expressed concern that the book may be misogynistic, as it seems to reinforce the patriarchal conceptions of women as witches and of women requiring a man for personal growth; others believe that the book may be more of a satire of such ideas.</p><p style="text-align: left;">The movie clearly takes a different tack, as a vehicle for Nicholson, and focuses on his presence as the driving force - and the ending of the movie is a dramatic difference from the book - having repurposed one of the plot lines.</p><p style="text-align: left;">It has been interesting.</p><p style="text-align: left;">I will also confess, that part of the attraction for me was the setting. Eastwick is a fictional town on Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island. It is a setting with which I am familiar. I could see the setting in my minds' eye ... could hear the voices (and accents) ... could almost smell the salt air, and the mustiness endemic to older, wooden-framed homes near the salt-water coast.</p><p style="text-align: left;">I recommend the books - both of them. The movie, not so much.<br /></p>Michael A. Golrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06974144431152478465noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14253854.post-48851287866464939252020-01-16T21:00:00.000-06:002020-01-16T21:00:05.414-06:00ALA Midwinter 2020 - PhiladelphiaHere is my tentative schedule for ALA Midwinter. Note that it is still tentative!<br />
<br />
<br />
I am flying in on Thursday (1/23) and leaving on the 28th. (<i>Note</i>: I have not figured out how to make "Agenda" the default view.") Clicking on any event will show details. And do note the time zone note on the bottom. Here, I am seeing things in the Central Time zone, not sure how true that is for others. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<iframe src="https://calendar.google.com/calendar/embed?height=800&wkst=1&bgcolor=%23ffffff&ctz=America%2FNew_York&src=bjc0YnNnNGQ0NGFxOGNzOWRmNmY4M2c3MDBAZ3JvdXAuY2FsZW5kYXIuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbQ&color=%2330487E&title=ALA%20Midwinter%20-%20Golrick&showNav=1&showTabs=1&showCalendars=0&mode=AGENDA" style="border:solid 1px #777" width="650" height="800" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>Michael A. Golrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06974144431152478465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14253854.post-83808619239307656082020-01-08T20:30:00.000-06:002020-01-08T20:30:02.117-06:00Books Read 2019Here is the list of books I read in 2019.
<ul><i>Basket Case: A Novel</i> by Carl Hiaasen <small>[library book]</small></ul>
<ul><i>Major Taylor: The extraordinary career of a champion bicycle racer</i> by Andrew Ritchie <small>[library book]</small></ul>
<ul><i>The Diary of a Bookseller</i> by Shaun Bythell <small>ARC</small></ul>
<ul><i>Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood</i> by Rosemary Wells</ul>
<ul><i>Little Altars Everywhere</i> by Rosemary Wells <small>signed</small></ul>
<ul><i>Failure to Launch: Why Your Twentysomething Hasn't Grown Up.. and What to Do About It</i> by Mark McConville, Ph.D. <small>ARC</small></ul>
<ul><i>Seeing My Skin (A Story of Wrestling with Whiteness)</i> by Peter Jarrett-Schell, <a href="https://michaelgolrick.blogspot.com/2019/09/seeing-my-skin-review.html">Review</a><small> ARC </small></ul>
<ul><i>Guardians of Being: Spiritual Teachings from Our Dogs and Cats</i> words by Eckhart Tolle, art by Patrick McDonnell</ul>
<ul><i>Stray City: A Novel</i> by Chelsey Johnson <small>signed</small></ul>
<ul><i>Contemplative Vision: Photography as a Spiritual Practice</i> by Dirk deVries</ul>
<ul><i>Mina's Guide to Minute Taking: Principles, Standards, & Practical Tools</i> by Eli Mina</ul>
<ul><i>Deep West: A Literary Tour of Wyoming</i></ul>
<ul><i>The Nature of Life and Death: Every Body Leaves a Trace</i> by Patricia Wiltshire <small>ARC</small></ul>
<ul><i>If You Want To Make God Laugh: A Novel</i> by Bianca Marais <small>ARC</small></ul>
<ul><i>Redwood and Ponytail</i> by K. A. Holt <small>ARC</small></ul>
<ul><i>Astro-Nuts</i> by Jon Scieszka and {the other} Steven Weinberg <small>ARC</small></ul>
<ul><i>The Other Half of Happy</i> by Rebecca Balcarcel</ul>
<ul><i>Unwasted: My Lush Sobriety</i> by Sacha Z. Scoblic</ul>
<ul><i>No Exit: a novel</i> by Taylor Adams</ul>
<ul><i>Food Rules: an Eater's Manual</i> by Michael Pollan</ul>
<ul><i>Jazz Scrapbook</i> by Bill Russell and Some Highly Musical Friends</ul>
<ul><i>The House in Poplar Wood</i> by K. E. Ormsbee <small>YA - ARC</small></ul>
<ul><i>Five Days at Memorial</i> by Sherry Fink</ul>
<ul><i>Fifty Things That Aren't My Fault</i> by Cathy Guisewite <small>ARC</small></ul>
<ul><i>Bookshop of the Broken Hearted</i> by Robert Hillman <small>ARC</small></ul>Michael A. Golrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06974144431152478465noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14253854.post-51850064633082071092019-09-21T17:27:00.000-05:002019-09-21T17:29:08.610-05:00Seeing My Skin - a review<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA0R-cNNbbAIF3P44ekPs1RZLXZBp0pQZojJl972kxxoKup0Phqc2N5BMC3viNBo0zch1l8-YrITg91lp0FkRXbC8LTzE-ri_YVvTeuPCRidYSvjsmAPAdKT4RhZKgH-xCSvaX/s1600/Seeing+My+Skin+-+for+FB.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="447" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA0R-cNNbbAIF3P44ekPs1RZLXZBp0pQZojJl972kxxoKup0Phqc2N5BMC3viNBo0zch1l8-YrITg91lp0FkRXbC8LTzE-ri_YVvTeuPCRidYSvjsmAPAdKT4RhZKgH-xCSvaX/s320/Seeing+My+Skin+-+for+FB.png" width="204" /></a><span style="font-style: normal;">Jarrett-Schell, Peter, </span><i>Seeing
My Skin: (A Story of Wrestling with Whiteness)</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
[New York]: Church Publishing, [August 17] 2019.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">I
picked this up as an ARC (Advance Reader’s Copy) at ALA this
summer. In unusual fashion, I actually was reading it as the
publication date arrived. It has made me stop and think about many of
the things I think, say, and do.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">The
book opens with an incredibly powerful vignette of an actual event,
and is the author's Facebook posting of that event. The rest of the book is
divided by location and starts with a series of vignettes, followed
by a “debriefing.”</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">The
stories tell of his experiences of the racial divide and his
reactions to what he has experienced. It starts with his growing up,
and ends with incidents after the most recent presidential election.
The debriefing section of each chapter is probably the most powerful.
</span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">The
author is an Episcopal priest who met his wife in </span><span style="font-style: normal;">college.
She is also an ordained Episcopal priest. He is white, she is black.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">I
think this a book which I want to sit and read again … that doesn’t
often happen.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;"><a href="https://www.churchpublishing.org/seeingmyskin">https://www.churchpublishing.org/seeingmyskin</a> </span></div>
Michael A. Golrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06974144431152478465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14253854.post-82057606479831460362019-06-13T09:03:00.001-05:002019-06-13T09:03:51.175-05:00ALA Annual - DC<there be="" br="" but="" do="" done="" in="" is="" it="" little="" still="" time="" to="" tweaking="" very="" which=""><br /> Here is the semi-annual posting of my schedule ... Right now, this matches the version of the calendar in the ALA Scheduler, and lives both on Google Calendar and in my personal Outlook calendar. It is still tentative! There are overlapping meetings. Some of the decisions are "game day" decisions based on location and priority in my work/ALA life. I am the incoming chair of the ALA Membership Meetings Committee, so that meeting along with the Membership Meeting itself take priority. As the ASGCLA Division Councilor, Council and the ASGCLA Board get priority, too.<br />
<br />
I get to town early, and will actually do some tourist things during the day on Thursday!<br />
<br />Clicking on any event will show details. Also clicking on "ALA" opens the calendar for that day. I have figured out how to show the Agenda ... this is a work in progress as I jump into HTML editing to make it look the way I want!<br /><br /> And do note the time zone note on the bottom. I have entered the correct time zone in the calendar ... so we will see how that works out for me. I may have mastered this!<br />
<br />
<iframe frameborder="0" height="900" scrolling="no" src="https://calendar.google.com/calendar/embed?mode=AGENDA&height=900&wkst=2&bgcolor=%23FFFFFF&src=b2me73ktoocasc631ec9rund7c%40group.calendar.google.com&color=%23875509&src=6dbi5tcbevmv6j3pcc0uq4mlic%40group.calendar.google.com&color=%232F6309&etz=America%2FNew York" style="border-width: 0;" width="700"></iframe></there>Michael A. Golrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06974144431152478465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14253854.post-58196844482953943822019-03-12T08:14:00.000-05:002019-03-12T14:46:15.474-05:00ALA Elections 2019 [edited]ALA ballots are coming out. I received mine, and have started working through the list.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv4MiKeH95JADAqyeKs3rYWuzKzq1LsUmVYpIgkFnP2kXV5k8TudxlgS56KZOSfj9KYaYWu4TcfxzabWpsfl_wIROsW0ESTzXXZKHlodZpf-PvUQOst2xhaENP9njsjau07WwZ/s1600/Kent+Oliver+emery+boards+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="924" height="83" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv4MiKeH95JADAqyeKs3rYWuzKzq1LsUmVYpIgkFnP2kXV5k8TudxlgS56KZOSfj9KYaYWu4TcfxzabWpsfl_wIROsW0ESTzXXZKHlodZpf-PvUQOst2xhaENP9njsjau07WwZ/s320/Kent+Oliver+emery+boards+%25282%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a>There is a great guide to the election with candidate statements on the ALA web site. It is a great looking booklet, with a great description of Council including some of the pertinent actions taken over the past few years.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<a href="http://www.ala.org/aboutala/sites/ala.org.aboutala/files/content/governance/alaelection/2019/elections-booklet-2019.pdf">http://www.ala.org/aboutala/sites/ala.org.aboutala/files/content/governance/alaelection/2019/elections-booklet-2019.pdf</a></blockquote>
<br />
There is a link on page 16 to the Council bio statements (PDF, 194 pages!):<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<a href="http://www.ala.org/aboutala/sites/ala.org.aboutala/files/content/governance/alaelection/2017/All%20Councilor%20bios%202017..pdf" target="_blank">http://www.ala.org/aboutala/sites/ala.org.aboutala/files/content/governance/alaelection/2017/All%20Councilor%20bios%202017..pdf</a></blockquote>
<br />
And there is an Excel workbook on the main election page:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<a href="http://www.ala.org/aboutala/governance/alaelection">http://www.ala.org/aboutala/governance/alaelection</a></blockquote>
Here is a link to Andromeda Yelton's wonderful Council Candidate Sorter. (She has been doing this for several years now ... maybe 5 years?) The code behind it on GitHub (which I only very moderately understand...)<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<a href="http://thatandromeda.github.io/ala_candidate_filter/2019_ala_council.html">http://thatandromeda.github.io/ala_candidate_filter/2019_ala_council.html</a></blockquote>
The results will be posted <b>April 10, 2019</b> on that last link above. Michael A. Golrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06974144431152478465noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14253854.post-27256022263114455332019-03-02T15:11:00.001-06:002020-01-07T11:59:06.759-06:00Book Read 2018Here is the list of books I read in 2018.<br />
<br />
<ul><i>Art Boss</i> by Kayla Cagan <small>YA - ARC</small></ul>
<ul><i>Liar, Liar: A Nicole Graves Mystery</i> by Nancy Boyarsky <small>ARC</small></ul>
<ul><i>Sugar Run: a novel</i> by Mesha Maren <small>ARC</small></ul>
<ul><i>Other People's Love Affairs: Stories</i> by D. Wynstan Owen <small>ARC</small></ul>
<ul><i>Bathed in Prayer: Father Tim's Prayers, Sermons and Reflections from the Mitford Series</i> by Jan Karon <small>ARC</small></ul>
<ul><i>The Little Prince</i> by Antoine de Saint-Exupery <small>a re-reading in English</small></ul>
<ul><i>Zion: A Novel</i> by Dayne Sherman <small>LLA 2018 book</small></ul>
<ul><i>All Happy Families: A Memoir</i> by Jeanne McCullough <small>ARC</small></ul>
<ul><i>The Saint of Wolves & Butcher: A Novel</i> by Alex Grecian <small>ARC</small></ul>
<ul><i>Krazy: George Herriman, a life in black and white</i> by Michael Tisserand <small>2017 LBF author</small></ul>
<ul><i>White Indians of Darien</i> by Richard Ogelsby Marsh<br /><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40778511-white-indians-of-darien">GoodReads review here</a></ul>
<ul><i>The Astonishing Color of After: A Novel</i> by Emily X. R.Pan <small>ARC</small></ul>
<ul><i>Instructions for a Secondhand Heart: A Novel</i> by Tamsyn Murray <small>ARC</small></ul>
<ul><i>The Price of a Haircut: Stories</i> by Brock Clarke <small>ARC</small></ul>
<ul><i>Hidden Figures</i> by Margot Lee Shetterly <small>ONE BOOK, ONE COMMUNITY READ 2018</small></ul>
<ul><i>Hard to Forget: an Alzheimer's Story</i> by Charles P. Pierce <br /><a href="https://michaelgolrick.blogspot.com/2018/05/hard-to-forget-book-review.html">Reviewed here </a></ul>
<ul><i>Nine Irish Lives: The fighters, thinkers & artists who helped build America</i> edited by Mark Bailey <small>ARC</small></ul>
<ul><i>Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and mourning on the American right</i> by Arlie Russell Hochschild</ul>
<ul><i>Ghost Boys</i> by Jewell Parker Rhodes <small>ARC -- inscribed by author</small></ul>
<ul><i>What You Don't Know about Charlie Outlaw: A Novel</i> by Leah Stewart <small>ARC</small></ul>
<ul><i>The Hunger</i> by Alma Katsu <small>ARC</small></ul>
<ul><i>To Be Where You Are</i> by Jan Karon <small>ARC</small></ul>
<br />Michael A. Golrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06974144431152478465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14253854.post-73089992760214022102019-01-17T19:30:00.000-06:002019-03-02T15:15:48.186-06:00ALA Midwinter 2019Here is my tentative schedule for ALA Midwinter. Note that it is still tentative!<br />
<br />
<br />
I am flying in on Thursday (1/24) and leaving for Pullman on the 30th - after I teach a class online. (<i>Note</i>: I have not figured out how to make "Agenda" the default view.") Clicking on any event will show details. And do note the time zone note on the bottom. Here, I am seeing things in the Central Time zone, not sure how true that is for others. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<iframe frameborder="0" height="800" scrolling="no" src="https://www.google.com/calendar/embed?src=n74bsg4d44aq8cs9df6f83g700%40group.calendar.google.com&etz=America/Seattle" style="border: 0;" width="600"></iframe>Michael A. Golrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06974144431152478465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14253854.post-26234509556236859912018-06-19T18:30:00.000-05:002018-06-19T18:30:16.278-05:00ALA Annual 2018<there be="" br="" but="" do="" done="" in="" is="" it="" little="" still="" time="" to="" tweaking="" very="" which=""><br /> Right now, this matches the version of the calendar in the ALA Scheduler, and lives both on Google Calendar and in my personal Outlook calendar. <br />
<br />
Here is my tentative schedule for ALA Annual. Note that it is still tentative!<br />
<br />
I will be arriving on Canal Street on Thursday afternoon - it should take me a whole 90 minutes from work!
<br />
<br />Clicking on any event will show details. Also clicking on "ALA" opens the calendar for that day. For some reason, not all events are currently showing up, and I will work on that!
<br><br> And do note the time zone note on the bottom. Here, I am seeing things in the Central Time zone, not sure how true that is for others, but this time, again, I don't change time zones! <br />
<br />
<iframe frameborder="0" height="900" scrolling="no" src="https://calendar.google.com/calendar/embed?mode=AGENDA&height=900&wkst=2&bgcolor=%23FFFFFF&src=b2me73ktoocasc631ec9rund7c%40group.calendar.google.com&color=%23875509&src=6dbi5tcbevmv6j3pcc0uq4mlic%40group.calendar.google.com&color=%232F6309&ctz=America%2FChicago" style="border-width: 0;" width="700"></iframe></there>Michael A. Golrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06974144431152478465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14253854.post-59429331959175764582018-05-10T20:00:00.000-05:002018-07-18T21:28:33.594-05:00Hard to Forget - Book Review<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU7k6xAjkNhNG0pRKdv-oaQ7G1r1SHXbXbqUNIwVy-_zkWLvctwu0OLAPCYzCprlIeCES0tAoWUc6pxeofrbuD_wXiT6tkjAIJzGUTyb-w9HebrJsd42035lEKGHmYc5nCl7Ly/s1600/Hard+to+Forget.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="474" data-original-width="288" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU7k6xAjkNhNG0pRKdv-oaQ7G1r1SHXbXbqUNIwVy-_zkWLvctwu0OLAPCYzCprlIeCES0tAoWUc6pxeofrbuD_wXiT6tkjAIJzGUTyb-w9HebrJsd42035lEKGHmYc5nCl7Ly/s320/Hard+to+Forget.jpg" width="194" /></a>I recently finished reading <i>Hard to Forget: an Alzheimer's Story</i> by Charlie Pierce.<br />
<br />
I don't usually read medical non-fiction. But having recently reconnected with a grammar school friend, we were talking about our high school buddies. Charlie and I grew up in the same town, close to each other, and for some of the early years of high school, we often walked to school together. I have been reading Charlie's stuff [off and on] for over 50 years. He wrote {for publication} in high school, and I would sometimes see his work in other places in more recent years. And, oh yes, this is *the* Charlie Pierce of "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me."<br />
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I have some vivid memories of Charlie's mother, but for me, his dad was a shadowy figure at best.<br />
<br />
Part of what I enjoyed was recalling some of the scenery and geography of town.<br />
<br />
This is a heart-wrenching, vividly told, brutally honest story. Charlie mixes his information gathering about this debilitating disease with how he and his family reacted to the progression of the illness. Everything from denial, to doing everything possible to help his dad. <br />
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It received <a href="http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=kdh&AN=BK0003299853&site=ehost-live" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">excellent reviews</a> when it was first published.<br />
<br />
I am glad that I read it. In my professional life, "my" division of ALA includes a group of folks who provide services to those suffering from dementia and their caregivers. As we baby boomers age, this will become an increasingly important service for public libraries to offer.<br />
<br />Michael A. Golrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06974144431152478465noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14253854.post-5292911327030847272018-03-01T19:30:00.000-06:002018-03-01T19:30:38.749-06:00ALA Elections - 2018 EditionIt is that time of year again!ALA Elections.<br />
<br />
I am asked about choosing candidates for ALA Council. Well, have I got good news for you ... one of my friends (and current LITA President) Andromeda Yelton has put together a tool to sort through the ALA Council candidate list. She has been doing it for a few years now, and it could be that this is the first time I have blogged about it, although I am pretty sure I have posted it on Facebook. Here is what she said:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Hi ALA people! Are you gearing up to vote in the ALA election. (<- answer="" be="" br="" here="" should="" the="" yes=""><br />This is my yearly candidate sorter. It lets you limit to people in particular divisions, round tables, ethnic caucuses, etc. (in addition to Cmd-F/Ctrl-F keyword search goodness). Hopefully it will make the job of finding people who represent you more manageable. </-></blockquote>
<span class="_47e3 _5mfr" title="smile emoticon"></span>She also noted that there is a small issue:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span class="_47e3 _5mfr" title="smile emoticon"><span class=" UFICommentActorAndBody"> <span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody">(there's
a javascript bug whereby if you have checked, then unchecked, a filter
you end up with an empty page. you can reload the page to reset it.
hopefully I will have time to figure it out and fix it, but if you know
how, pull requests welcome)</span></span></span></span></blockquote>
<span class="_47e3 _5mfr" title="smile emoticon"><span class=" UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"> Here is the link: <a href="https://thatandromeda.github.io/ala_candidate_filter/2018_ala_council.html">https://thatandromeda.github.io/ala_candidate_filter/2018_ala_council.html</a></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="_47e3 _5mfr" title="smile emoticon"><span class=" UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody">More on the election when ballots are released in about 10 days. (I am on the ballot again this year, but not the ballot which Andromeda parsed!) </span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="_47e3 _5mfr" title="smile emoticon"><span class=" UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"><br /></span></span></span></span>Michael A. Golrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06974144431152478465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14253854.post-65318667492441572302018-02-24T17:38:00.001-06:002018-02-24T17:50:03.316-06:00Living in Baton Rouge, Living in the South, and LentI cut and pasted this link in the summer of 2017. It was a year after it was written. It was written just after the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting_of_Alton_Sterling" target="_blank">Alton Sterling shooting</a>. Go read the Wikipedia article, then read the "everythingisfinehere" post. I'll wait.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://everythingisfinehereblog.wordpress.com/2016/07/16/its-not-getting-worse-its-been-there-all-along/?frame-nonce=b870cf146f" target="_blank">It’s not getting worse. It’s been there all along.</a><br />
<br />
I spent a lot of years in Connecticut. For many of those years while I lived in Bridgeport, I worked in the suburbs - first Wilton, then Hamden. Both of them are pretty white. My kids went to school where they were in the minority (but not, as in this article, THE minority). I saw some of the issues outlined here. In the North they are often masked by artificial political divisions ... the City/Town line between Bridgeport and Trumbull, for instance.<br />
<br />
Now go back and look again at the map. Can you find Florida Boulevard? It is amazing to me how graphically prominent it is. I will also note, that when I drive North/South in the city (or the reverse), I inevitably spend at least a full minute, and often more, waiting to cross Florida Boulevard. There is only one intersection that I regularly use where that does not happen ... it is the T-intersection at River Road and Florida where Florida Boulevard begins. Let me also note that I have driven from that intersection, along Florida Boulevard to Airline Highway without having to stop for a single traffic signal! The road is not only a geographical marker, but an actual physical divide.<br />
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Finally let me note. When I first moved to Baton Rouge, I stayed in the same Congressional District as when I lived in New Orleans. It is an amazingly gerrymandered district, drawn to maximize the number of black voters. Look at the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louisiana%27s_2nd_congressional_district" target="_blank">map here</a>. I moved south in Baton Rouge, a few miles, and am suddenly in a different district! (Actually, at my old place, it was 0.75 miles to work, and work was in a different district!)<br />
<br />
The two most poignant quotes, which resonate most with me, are these:<br />
<ol>
<li>"I had no idea the eye opening experience we had unwittingly signed up for when we agreed to move to Baton Rouge."</li>
<li>"I never thought I’d see a city this segregated in my lifetime."</li>
</ol>
Part of what I am (finally) beginning to realize is the incredible life of privilege which I have lived.<br />
<br />
My challenge to myself this Lenten season is: What am I going to do about that? Michael A. Golrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06974144431152478465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14253854.post-29020704351642430802018-01-12T09:20:00.001-06:002018-01-12T09:27:11.585-06:00Books Read 2017Here is the list of books I read in 2017. (Note that until March or so, this list also appears as part of the <a href="http://michaelgolrick.blogspot.com/p/currently-reading.html" target="_blank">Currently Reading</a> tab.
<br />
<br />
<ul><i>Retire in Luxury on your Social Security</i> by Steve Garfink</ul>
<ul><i>The Reader</i> by Bernhard Schlink</ul>
<ul><i>A Man Called Ove</i> by Fredrik Backman</ul>
<ul><i>Heating and Cooling: 52 Micro-Memoirs</i> by Beth Ann Fennelly <a href="http://www.louisianabookfestival.org/"> LBF</a>[2017]</ul>
<ul><i>My New Orleans, Gone Away</i> by Peter M. Wolf</ul>
<ul><i>The great game : the struggle for empire in central Asia</i> by Peter Hopkirk</ul>
<ul><i>Electric Kool Aid Acid Test</i> by Tom Wolfe</ul>
<ul><i>Teach me to forget</i> by Erica M. Chapman</ul>
<ul><i>The Reasons You're Alive: A Novel</i> by Matthew Quick <small>ARC</small></ul>
<ul><i>Undertow: A B.C. Blues Crime Novel</i> by R. M. Greenaway <small>ARC</small></ul>
<ul><i>Behind Closed Doors</i> by Miriam Halahmy <small>ARC</small></ul>
<ul><i>The Sunshine Sisters: A novel</i> by Jane Green</ul>
<ul><i>Get It Together, Delilah!</i> by Erin Gough <small>ARC</small></ul>
<ul><i>Two from the Heart</i> by James Patterson <small>ARC</small></ul>
<ul><i>Eat the Sky, Drink the Ocean: Stories of imagination and daring</i> edited by Kirsty Murray, Payal Dhar and Anita Roy <small>ARC</small></ul>
<ul><i>Afternoons in Paris: A Francis Bacon Mystery</i> by Janice Law <small>ARC</small></ul>
<ul><i>Secrets in Summer: A Novel</i> by Nancy Thayer</ul>
<ul><i>Piper Perish</i> by Kayla Cagan <small>ARC</small></ul>
<ul><i>Leopard at the Door: A Novel</i> by Jennifer McVeigh <small>ARC</small></ul>
<ul><i>The Shores of Tripoli: A Novel (Lieutenant Putnam and the Barbary Pirates</i> by James L. Haley <small>ARC</small></ul>
<ul><i>Aging Out: A true story</i> by Alton Carter</ul>
<ul><i>The Other Side of the Painting</i> by Wendy Rodrigue</ul>
<ul><i>The Accidental Data Scientist</i> by Amy Affelt <small>Professional</small></ul>
<ul><i>Burning Bright: A Novel</i> by Nicholas Petrie <small>ARC</small></ul>
<ul><i>Lucky Boy: A Novel<i> by Shanthi Sekaram <small>ARC</small></i></i></ul>
<br />Michael A. Golrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06974144431152478465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14253854.post-14227698171696314842017-07-29T17:59:00.004-05:002017-07-29T17:59:47.948-05:00Governance, ProcessOne of the things I get to do at ALA Conferences is to chat (at least briefly) with ALA's Parliamentarian. Eli Mina became the official, paid parliamentarian for ALA a number of years ago.<br />
<br />
Among the important changes in the culture of governance at ALA which is a direct result of his actions is the level of civility, and spirit of cooperation on Council. (I still monitor the list, and usually attend at least one session of ALA Council each meeting.)<br />
<br />
Among the key concepts he has taught me is one that applies to a lot of life: <b>Suffering is optional.</b><br />
<br />
An equally important concept is that the goal of Parliamentary Procedure is to allow business to be accomplished while protecting the rights of the minority. This latter is highlighted in one of the articles he has posted on his web site. He talks about it as "community engagement" while I think that there are bigger implications for decision-making at all levels.<br />
<a href="http://www.elimina.com/insights/shared-oct12.html">http://www.elimina.com/insights/shared-oct12.html</a><br />
<br />
In another part of my life, I am serving on a nominating committee. That is always an interesting process, and the person running this one is doing a spectacular job. He is doing what Eli suggests in his article about nominations and elections.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.elimina.com/insights/rule-sep13.html">http://www.elimina.com/insights/rule-sep13.html</a><br />
<br />
In my list of saved links, I have one more word of wisdom from him, and I really don't need to say much more than quote the title and give you the link: "Pause before pushing send"<br />
<a href="http://www.elimina.com/insights/shared-Oct07.htm">http://www.elimina.com/insights/shared-Oct07.htm</a><br />
<br /><br />Michael A. Golrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06974144431152478465noreply@blogger.com0