Did You Know You Can Access The Mango Languages Software, To Learn A New Language, From The Library’s Website?

Did you know you can learn a new language with the Mango Languages software that is accessible through the library’s website?

You can! (Did I mention you can access and use this interactive software for free? You can!)

If you’re a native English speaker you can learn a variety of other languages including: Spanish, French, Arabic, Chinese, Latin, Russian, Serbian and even Pirate! (And no I’m not kidding! You really can learn to speak “Pirate.)

And if English is your second language you can find instructional material for a great variety of languages — in those native languages — the languages include: Arabic, Chinese, Italian, German, Vietnamese and more!

To get started just go to the library’s home page found at http://ssclibrary.org/ and click on the Mango Languages link: Once  you click on the link and either log in (so you can track your progress) or simply click the “Start Learning” link — and away you go!

Here’s a picture of the languages you can learn via interactive tutorials if your native language is English:

And here’s a photo of the list of languages you can learn if English is your second language:

And if you want more information about all the languages you can learn for free by using the Mango software — here’s a PDF version of our Mango Languages brochure which lists them all!

Mango Brochure Revised October 29, 2013

Have a great day!

Linda R.

Events That Occurred In American & English Language History October 25 – November 1, 2013

Here is a listing of notable English Language & American historical and popular culture related events for the period of October 25 – November 1:

October 25:

On October 25, 1400 Geoffrey Chaucer, the most prominent English language poet and writer of the Middle Ages, died. Chaucer’s exact birth date is unknown but it is believed that he was born in London, England in approximately 1340. His best known work today, which is still a staple of many English Literature classes, is his “Canterbury Tales” which encompasses more than 17,000 lines of poetry.

And as you can imagine since he died in 1400 a good number of Geoffrey Chaucer’s works have fallen into the public domain; and so you can read the entire Canterbury Tales collection for free online! Google Books has a copy which you can even download to our PC if you like – here’s the link:

http://goo.gl/DaR6Va

And you can also check a print copy out of the library if you prefer to read print books!

Note Before You Read: Be advised that The Canterbury Tales is written in the English of the Middle Ages – so it is not written in modern British or American English and will be something of a challenge to read; however, it is interesting to read the poetry in the book to see how the English language has evolved over time. And of course, Chaucer’s poetry itself is neat too!

October 26:

On October 26, 1825 the Erie Canal opened for business. The Erie Canal was the first large man made commercial water-way transport United States. The Erie Canal ran from the Huston River in Albany to the Lake Erie in Buffalo, New York and was a project enthusiastically sponsored by then New York State Governor Dewitt Clinton. Once the Erie Canal opened for business merchants, farmers and others could quickly float their tons of their goods westward through the on Canal on barges for a fraction of what it would cost to do so by mule and horse transport. The Erie Canal was very busy until steam travel was perfected and made it faster and cheaper to transport goods by train in the late nineteenth century.

You can still travel by boat today through most of the Erie Canal and the State of New York even maintains a website that offers current and historical information on the canal systems that still run through the state – here’s the link:

http://www.canals.ny.gov/navinfo/index.html

And here’s a link to a History site page that offers a history of the Erie Canal:

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/erie-canal-opens

The great American gospel singer Mahalia Jackson was born on October 26, 1911 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Jackson began singing professionally as a youth and became a popular singing star in the 1940s and 1950s. Jackson sang Christian songs with a deep passionate voice. Some of her best known songs include “Move On Up a Little Higher,” “Joshua Fit The Battle of Jericho,” and “Go Tell It On The Mountain.” Jackson sang at President Kenney’s inauguration in 1961 and at the famous Martin Luther King Jr. Civil Rights March of 1963. Mahalia Jackson died in 1972.

Here’s a link to Biography website bio of Mahalia Jackson:

http://www.biography.com/people/mahalia-jackson-9351242

And a link to a YouTube clip of Jackson singing the song “Down By The River Side:”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eiwb67-TMd0&list=PL780F47250A903430

October 28:

Microsoft founder, entrepreneur and philanthropist Bill Gates was born on October 28, 1955 in Seattle, Washington. Gates began programming computers as a youth with a friend named Paul Allen and the two went on to form a company originally called Micro-Soft in 1975. Micro-Soft became Microsoft in 1976. And with its user friendly software Microsoft went on to become the dominant computer software company in the world – its operating system (or OS for short) being installed on the great majority of computers being sold to consumers from the 1980s on; and the success of the company made Bill Gates one of the wealthiest men in the world! Bill Gates and his wife Melinda formed the philanthropic Gates Foundation in 1994 and the Foundation has given billions of dollars towards a variety of charities including public libraries!

Bill Gates left his role working as the chief operating office of Microsoft in 2000 to focus on philanthropic work but remains on the Microsoft Board.

Here’s a link to a Bio biography of Bill Gates:

http://www.biography.com/people/bill-gates-9307520

And here’s a link to a history of Microsoft:

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/history

October 29:

Actor Richard Dreyfuss was born on October 29, 1947 in Brooklyn, New York. Dreyfuss began appearing as a supporting actor in television shows like “Gidget” and “Bewitched” during the mid-sixties. Dreyfuss then moved on to supporting roles in movies like “Baby Face Nelson” and “Valley of the Dolls” before landing the film role that first brought him to the attention of American film goers; that of Curt Henderson, a recent high school graduate unsure of what he wants to do with his future, in the film classic “American Graffiti.” Dreyfuss has since become one of the most popular and critically acclaimed American film actors of his generation. Dreyfuss has put in top notch performance in a number of other films over the years including “The Goodbye Girl,” ”Down & Out In Beverly Hills,” “Mr. Holland’s Opus,” and the recent Oliver Stone film “W.”

Here’s a link to a Biography site bio of Richard Dreyfuss and you can check out his movies on DVD at the library!

http://www.biography.com/people/richard-dreyfuss-9279259?page=2

October 30:

Emily Post was born on October 30, 1872 in Baltimore, Maryland. Post published the first edition of her famous book on etiquette titled “Etiquette: The Blue Book of Social Usage” in 1922. The book quickly became a popular guide that Americans’ consulted to determine what qualified as socially acceptable behavior. The book has been published in more than 100 different editions over the years and is still in print in 2013! The book is now known as “Emily Post’s Etiquette” and it is still being updated to reflect modern standards of etiquette by members of Emily Post’s family.

Here’s a link to a Biography site bio of Emily Post:

http://www.biography.com/people/emily-post-9445093

And the library owns several copies of the book “Emily Post’s Etiquette “ so if you’d like to check one out – ask the staff the next time you’re in the library!

October 31:

The Humorous NPR Auto Repair Show Car Talk debuted on National Public Radio On October 31, 1987. The show featured two brothers; Tom and Ray Magliozzi who were nicknamed “Click and Clack; the Tappet Brothers.” The program was aired live and allowed radio listeners to call in call in and describe the trouble they were having with their cars and allow the repair expert Magliozzi brother to answer their questions in a humorous fashion. The brother always had a joke or two up their sleeves and the so the radio program became known as much for their good natured humor as for the car repair tips they offered.

The Magliozzi Brothers hosted the show live on Saturday mornings for 35 years through 2012 and have since retired. However, they taped many, many programs over their long run and those are being replayed every Saturday morning on NPR.

So if you’re in the mood to listen to two comedian car experts on Saturday mornings check out Car Talk on NPR Radio! And if you’re in the mood to listen any other time check out the Car Talk website which features clips from the show – here’s the link:

http://www.cartalk.com/

November 1:

November 2013 is Peanut Butter Lovers month in the United States!

So if you like peanut butter you should make all the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, peanut butter pie and peanut butter cookies you desire in the month of November!

And you can also check out the Peanut Butter Lovers website to find out more about Peanut Butter Lovers month and even find some new recipes that include that delicious ingredient peanut butter!

Here’s the link:

http://peanutbutterlovers.com/

Have a great week!

Linda R.

References

Ankeny, Jason. Artist Biography  Mahalia Jackson. All Music. Online. Accessed October 25, 2013, http://www.allmusic.com/artist/mahalia-jackson-mn0000814657/biography

Car Talk. Car Talk. Online. Accessed October 25, 2013, http://www.cartalk.com/

Chase’s Calendar of Events 2013. New York. McGraw-Hill. 2013

Dewitt Clinton. Union College. Online. Accessed October 25, 2013, http://www.eriecanal.org/UnionCollege/Clinton.html

History of the Canal: A Brief History of the Canal. The Erie Canal Museum. Online. Accessed October 25, 2013, http://eriecanalmuseum.org/history/

A History of Windows: Highlights from the first 25 years 1975–1981: Microsoft boots up. Microsoft. Online. Accessed October 25, 2013, http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/history

Mahalia Jackson. Biography. Online. Accessed October 25, 2013, http://www.biography.com/people/mahalia-jackson-9351242

Mahalia Jackson Discography. All Music. Online. Accessed October 25, 2013, http://www.allmusic.com/artist/mahalia-jackson-mn0000814657/discography

Memmott, Mark. (2012, June 08). ‘Car Talk’ Guys Are Retiring, But Their Best Stuff Will Be Rebroadcast Online. Accessed October 25, 2013, http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2012/06/08/154576808/car-talk-guys-are-retiring-but-their-best-stuff-will-be-rebroadcast

New York State Canals. New York State. Online. Accessed October 25, 2013, http://www.canals.ny.gov/navinfo/index.html

Richard Dreyfuss. Biography.  Online. Accessed October 2013, http://www.biography.com/people/richard-dreyfuss-9279259

This Day In History: October 26: The Erie Canal Opens. History. Online. Accessed October 25, 2013, http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/erie-canal-opens

On This Day In American Pop Culture History – Actress Carrie Fisher Is Born

Actress Carrie Fisher was born in Los Angeles, California on October 21, 1956. Fisher’s father was the popular singer Eddie Fisher and her mother is the well-known classic Hollywood era actress Debbie Reynolds. Fisher began acting as a youth appearing with her mother on stage in Las Vegas. Fisher made her screen debut in the 1975 hit film “Shampoo” which starred Warren Beatty and Goldie Hawn.

And in 1977 Fisher got her big break when she was cast by director George Lucas in a little film he was making called Star Wars! Fisher was cast in the prime role of Princess Leia and the incredible success of the movie and it subsequent sequels “The Empire Strikes Back” and “Return of the Jedi” made Fisher and her co-stars Harrison Ford (Han Solo) and Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker) household names.

In the years since the original Star Wars trilogy of films were released Fisher has offered strong supporting performances in a number of films including “When Harry Met Sally,” “Sweet Revenge” and “Soap Dish.” Fisher has also penned a number of best-selling books including “Postcards from the Edge,” “The Best Awful,” and “Wishful Drinking.”

Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford are all rumored to be among the cast of the original Star Wars trilogy of films to agree to reprise the roles in the upcoming 7^th film in the Star Wars franchise which does not yet have a release date.

Carrie Fisher celebrates her 57^th birthday today!

Here’s a link to a Bio biography of Carrie Fisher:

http://www.biography.com/people/carrie-fisher-9542646

And a link to a trailer for the first Star Wars film from 1977 then simply known as “Star Wars” and today known as “Star Wars, Episode IV: A New Hope;”

http://starwars.com/watch/rw_swtrailer.html

Have a great day!

Linda R.

References

Carrie Fisher. Biography. Online. Accessed October 21, 2013, http://www.biography.com/people/carrie-fisher-9542646

Carrie Fisher Biography. Online. Accessed October 21, 2013, http://www.thebiographychannel.co.uk/biographies/carrie-fisher.html

Historical & Pop Culture Items of Note for The Week of October 14 – 20, 2013

On This Day In American History: October 17:

On October 17, 1989 an earthquake that measured 6.9 on the Richter scale occurred in the San Francisco Bay area and lasted less than a minute. Sixty seven people were killed in the earthquake and the damage to buildings and transportation systems in the area totaled more than five billion dollars.

California is a place where earthquakes of varying degrees of intensity occur on a regular basis because there a major fault line (aka a break in the Earth’s crust caused by shifting tectonic plates of rock) in that region. The previous super earthquake in the region occurred on April 1906 with the epicenter of the quake so close to San Francisco that an area that encompassed 500 city blocks was completely destroyed by the quake!

Here’s a link to a History webpage that offers more information on the earthquake and also has links to photos and videos of the quake and its aftermath:

http://www.history.com/topics/san-francisco-oakland-earthquake-of-1989

Here’s a link to a San Andreas Foundation site page that offers information on the California earthquakes cause – the San Andreas Fault:

http://www.sanandreasfault.org/

And a link to a National Archives page on the 1906 earthquake that features a number of photos showing the massive devastation caused by that earthquake:

http://www.archives.gov/legislative/features/sf/

On This Day In American History: October 18:

Rock n’ Roll Pioneer, Guitarist & Icon Chuck Berry was born in St. Louis, Missouri on October 18, 1926. In the late nineteen fifties Berry’s youth oriented songs became exceptionally popular with young people and his guitar playing influenced a whole host of future musicians including members of the Beatles, The Rolling Stones and the Beach Boys. Some of Chuck Berry’s most notable songs include “Johnny B. Good,” “Maybelline,” “Roll Over Beethoven,” “Almost Grown,” “You Can’t Catch Me” and “Havana Moon.”

Chuck Berry celebrates his 87th birthday on October 18th!

Here’s a link to a Biography bio of Chuck Berry:

http://www.biography.com/people/chuck-berry-9210488

And a link to a YouTube clip of Berry playing the song “You Can’t Catch Me” in 1956:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcblXxc4oqo

On This Day In American History: October 20:

Actor Viggo Mortensen was born in New York City on October 20, 1958. Mortensen made his film debut in the 1985 hit “Witness” and appeared in The Indian Runner (1991), Portrait of a Lady (1996) and 28 Days (2000) before being cast as Aragorn in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy based upon the books written by J. R. R. Tolkien – Aragorn of course being the actual King of the title of the third book and film in the trilogy “The Return of the King.”

The Lord of the Rings trilogy of films (and books) includes the following three titles that tell one complete tale: “The Fellowship of the Ring,” (2002), “The Two Towers” (2003) and “The Return of the King” (2004).

Mortensen has subsequently starred in films including “Hidalgo” from 2004, “A History of Violence” from 2005, Eastern Promises from 2006, “The Road” from 2009 and “A Walk on the Moon” from 2010.

Here’s a link to a Biography bio of Viggo Mortensen:

http://www.biography.com/people/viggo-mortensen-13729309

And here’s a link to a pivotal scene from the film “The Return of the King” that shows Aragorn the King giving a speech to his troops just before they engage the enemy troops lead by the evil and powerful Sauron:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReDWEGDioDA

And if you’d ever like to read more about any of the historical or cultural items mentioned in the blog postings on this blog, or to view any of the movies or television shows mentioned – ask the staff at our library (or your library) – to assist you in requesting the books and/or DVDs you’re interested in!

Have a great week!

Linda R.

References

Chuck Berry. Biography. Online. Accessed October 17, 2013, http://www.biography.com/people/chuck-berry-9210488

San Francisco Earthquake, 1906. National Archives. Online.  Accessed October 17, 2013, http://www.archives.gov/legislative/features/sf/

San Francisco–Oakland earthquake of 1989. History. Online. Accessed October 17, 2013, http://www.history.com/topics/san-francisco-oakland-earthquake-of-1989

San Andreas Fault Information. San Andreas Fault. Online. Accessed October 17, 2013, http://www.sanandreasfault.org/Information.html

Viggo Mortensen. Biography. Online. Accessed October 17, 2013, http://www.biography.com/people/viggo-mortensen-13729309

What is a Fault? (2012, September 12). Earth Science Picture of the Day. Online. Accessed October 17, 2013, http://epod.usra.edu/blog/2012/09/what-is-a-fault.html

 

On This Day In English Language History – The Classic British TV Series Upstairs, Downstairs Premiers

Long before there was Downton Abbey there was the British television series Upstairs, Downstairs. Upstairs, Downstairs made its television debut on October 10, 1971. The series was set in London and followed the lives of the rich Bellamy Family who lived upstairs and their servants who lived downstairs. The series chronicled the interconnected lives of the members of the Bellamy household from 1903 to 1930.

The Bellamy Family consisted of Richard Bellamy, his wife Lady Marjorie Bellamy, their son James and their daughter Elizabeth. The main Downstairs “family” of servants consisted of Butler Mr. Hudson, Cook Mrs. Bridges, chief maid Rose Buck, parlor maid Daisy and footman Edward.

The series was a fun drama to watch as it showed what life was like in London during the first three decades of the twentieth century.

The series was co-created by Jean Marsh who portrayed maid Rose Buck and ran for five seasons. The program was shown on PBS in the United States.

The series remains so popular that a sequel to the program also called Upstairs Downstairs* made its debut in 2010 and it too stars Jean Marsh as Rose Buck!

Here’s a link to a YouTube clip showing scenes from the original Upstairs, Downstairs series which gives you a good idea of what the series is like!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSPacDUm5dk

The library owns all five seasons of Upstairs, Downstairs so if you’d like to check it out you can!

Have a great day!

Linda R.

*You’ll notice the second series called “Upstairs Downstairs” doesn’t feature a comma between the words Upstairs and Downstairs – and in noticing that you’d be right! The first series is titled “Upstairs, Downstairs,” and the second series is indeed titled “Upstairs Downstairs” with no comma!

On This Day In American History – The Phenomenally Popular Broadway Show Cats Premiered

On October 7, 1982 Cats, the second most popular and second longest running Broadway show in history made its debut. The musical features human actors dressed in colorful cat-like attire who are portraying cats. The cats assemble in a junkyard on the night of the annual Jellicle Ball and compete against each other to be accorded the honor of journeying to Heaviside where they can enjoy another of their nine lives. There are twelve scenes in the musical that show the cats dancing and singing as they audition for the prestigious elder Old Deuteronomy who will choose the winning cat.

The plot of the musical show was based upon a book of poetry, titled “Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats” written by the great American writer T. S. Eliot who won the Pulitzer Prize for Literature in 1948.

And the music for the show was written by the exceptionally popular British composer Andrew Lloyd Webber who also composed the music for the most popular Broadway show of all time – The Phantom of the Opera.

More than ten million theater fans saw the original Broadway production of Cats which ran for 7, 485 performances from October 7, 1982 to September 10, 2000.

Here’s a link to a YouTube clip of the cats in the scene “Rum Tum Tiger” from the musical which gives you a good idea of what the musical is like:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7Z_36i1ACg&list=PLEB7468A586EDE9B0

If you’re interested in reading some of T. S. Eliot’s work you might check out one of the following titles all of which are owned by the library:

Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats

The Waste Land

Complete Poems & Plays 1909 – 1950—the library owns all three titles.

You can also check out DVD of the 2000 presentation of Cats or the 2005 DVD of The Phantom of the Opera  which will give you a good idea of what Andrew Lloyd Webber’s music is like.

Here’s a direct link to StarCat, the library’s online catalog of physical books and materials, where you can place a request (also known as a hold) for any of T.S. Eliot’s books or the DVDs Andrew Lloyd Webber has composed music for:

http://starcat.stls.org/client/default

Have a great day!

Linda R.

References

Cats. Playbill Vault. Online. Accessed October 7, 2013, http://www.playbillvault.com/Show/Detail/11527/Cats

T.S. Eliot Biographical. Noble Prize Laureates. Noble Prize. Online. Accessed October 7, 2013, http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/literature/laureates/1948/eliot-bio.html

Andrew Lloyd Webber. Biography. Online. Accessed October 7, 2013, http://www.biography.com/people/andrew-lloyd-webber-20825129

Sommers, Michael. (2012, May 25). A Frisky Musical With Many Lives: A Review of ‘Cats,’ at the Gateway Playhouse. New York Times. Online. Accessed October 7, 2013, http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/27/nyregion/a-review-of-cats-at-the-gateway-playhouse.html?_r=0

T.S. Eliot. Biography. Online. Accessed October 7, 2013, http://www.biography.com/people/ts-eliot-9286072

On This Day In American History – President Jimmy Carter Was Born

Jimmy Carter, the thirty ninth president of the United States, was born James Earl Carter Jr. on October 1, 1924 in the rural Georgia farming community of Plains, the son of businessman James Earl Carter Sr. and his wife Lillian.

Carter grew up in the town of Archery, Georgia, graduated from the public school of Plains and went on to attend college at the George Institution of Technology and the United States Naval Academy.

Carter served in the U.S. Navy during World War II, married Rosalynn Smith in 1946 and took over his father’s farm in Plains, Georgia upon the elder Carter’s death in 1952. During the fifties he became a leader of his local community and in 1962 he was elected to the Georgia State Senate. Carter went on to be elected governor of the state of Georgia and was elected President of the United States in 1976.

Three of the most notable things that occurred during President Carter’s term of office (1976-1981) were the Camp David Accords, a peace treaty President Carter arraigned between Israel and Egypt; The SALT II (Strategic Arms Limitations) treaty the United States reached with the Soviet Union in 1979 and the Iranian Hostage Crisis of 1979 that saw 60 Americans being held hostage by Iranian forces for 444 days. Ironically, the American hostages were released just minutes after President Ronald Reagan was sworn in as the 40^th President of the United States in January 1981.

After President Carter left office in 1981 he and his wife Rosalynn established the humanitarian Carter Center a non-profit organization whose goal is to resolve conflicts in the world and promote human rights and democracy. As the leader of the Carter Center President Carter has assisted in mediating conflicts in countries across the globe. President and Mrs. Carter also support and volunteer their time to the non-profit organization “Habitat For Humanity” which builds quality homes for lower income individuals who could not otherwise purchase a new home.

Former President Jimmy Carter celebrates his 89^th birthday today!

Here’s a link to a Carter Center biography of President Carter:

http://www.cartercenter.org/news/experts/jimmy_carter.html

A link to an official White House biography of President Carter:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/jimmycarter

And a link to a PBS American Experience page that offers more information on the Iranian Hostage Crisis:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/general-article/carter-hostage-crisis/

Have a great day!

Linda R.

References

39. Jimmy Carter 1977-1981. White House. Online. Accessed October 1, 2013, http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/jimmycarter

Chase’s Calendar of Events 2013. New York. McGraw-Hill. 2013.

The Iranian Hostage Crisis. PBS: American Experience. Online. Accessed October 1, 2013,

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/general-article/carter-hostage-crisis/

Jimmy Carter – 39th President of the United States and Founder of The Carter Center. The Carter Center. Online. Accessed October 1, 2013, http://www.cartercenter.org/news/experts/jimmy_carter.html

On This Day In American History: The Great American Writer William Faulkner Was Born

The great American writer William Cuthbert Faulkner was born on September 25, 1897 in New Albany, Missouri. Faulkner grew up in Oxford, Mississippi and attended the University of Mississippi where he wrote for the university newspaper. Faulkner dropped out of college and moved to New York City where he worked in a book store by day and wrote by night.

Faulkner’s early works consisted of poems and short stories; however, he became well known for his novels which captured what life was like in the American South in the early 20^th century; when the south was caught in a dark period that was permeated by corruption and the old abolished institution of slavery. Faulkner also was not afraid to tackle social issues that most writers and journalists at time would have swept under the proverbial rung and ignored. For example one of Faulkner’s earliest novels “Sanctuary” aptly illustrates both his in-depth knowledge of what life was like in the American South after the Civil War (1861-1865) and before the blossoming of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s and his courage to tackle unpopular subjects; the story deals with the illegal manufacture and sale of alcohol*1, murder by lynching*2 and rape in chronicling what happens to a disillusioned lawyer named Horace Benbow, a young man nicknamed Popeye and his would be girlfriend Temple.

Another of Faulkner’s works that highlights the darkness of life in the old American South is one of his short stories called “A Rose For Emily.” The story chronicles the life of a woman named Emily who is a from a proper, upper class southern family and yet hides a dark secret. As the short story unfolds it becomes apparent that the exceptionally old Emily actually murdered her fiancée when she was a young woman because he tried to leave her. After Emily murdered the man she left his body in the guest room of her home for decades. Emily refused to leave her house in the years after her fiancée’s death and it was only upon her death that the curious townspeople entered her house and found her late fiancée still lying in the bed he died in many years before.

William Faulkner received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1949 for what the Nobel Prize Committee described as “his powerful and artistically unique contribution to the modern American novel.” (Nobel Prize in Literature 1949, Online).

Here’s a list of several of William Faulkner’s most popular novels (and one short story collection!):

The Sound and the Fury (1929)

Sanctuary (1931)

Light in August (1932)

Absalom, Absalom! (1936)

Collected Stories of William Faulkner (1950)

A complete bibliography of Faulkner’s works can be found on the Nobel Prize website via the following link:

http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/literature/laureates/1949/faulkner-bibl.html

The library owns many William Faulkner novels so next time you visit — you can check one out!

Have a great day!

Linda R.

*1 The 18^th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, a law passed in 1917 and repealed in 1919, made it illegal to manufacture or purchase alcohol in the United States. The illegal manufacturing of alcohol during that time was known as “bootlegging” which is the term Faulkner uses his novel Sanctuary.

Here’s a link to a National Archives page that shows the text of the 18^th Amendment:

http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution_amendments_11-27.html

*2 Lynching is a term that is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as meaning: “to kill (someone) for an alleged offence without a legal trail, especially by hanging.”

References

Chase’s Calendar of Events 2013. New York. McGraw-Hill. 2013.

The Nobel Prize in Literature 1949 William Faulkner. William Faulkner – Bibliography. Nobel Prize. Online. Accessed September 25, 2013, http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/literature/laureates/1949/faulkner-bibl.html

The Nobel Prize in Literature 1949 William Faulkner. Nobel Prize. Online. Accessed September 25, 2013,http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/literature/laureates/1949/

The Nobel Prize in Literature 1949″. Nobelprize.org. Nobel Media AB 2013. Web. 25 Sep 2013. http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/literature/laureates/1949/

Oxford Dictionary of English. Oxford University Press. Oxford/New York. 2009. Kindle.

On This Day In American Popular Culture History: September 23: In 1962 The Classic American Cartoon “The Jetsons” Premiered On TV

The opening jingle of the Jetsons cartoon series sums up what the series was about; the opening scnese show the family flying through the air in a spaceship style car and the corresponding jingle goes: “Meet George Jetson.” “His boy Elroy.” “Daughter Judy.” “Jane, his wife;” and indeed the cartoon chronicled the lives of the Jetson family living in what was then a science fiction future where buildings were built in a day and video phone calls were made on a regular basis. And of course this was years and years before Skype and the Internet came into existence!

The series, which debut in Prime Time (in the evening), followed the Jetsons during their daily lives. And the concerns of the collective members of the Jetson family weren’t really that much different from the daily concerns of average Americans of the era – or of today; the parents George and Jane were just basically trying to get through the Monday to Friday work week and take care of their kids and their household and the kids just wanted to get through the school week. The difference was, of course, that the Jetsons were living in the future so the family had a neat series of futuristic things to assist them in living their daily lives like “Rosie, the robot” who was the Jetson’s maid, flying cars and video phone call displays.

Here’s a link to a YouTube clip of the opening scenes of the Jetsons which gives you an idea of what the series was like:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyinD6ZDqeg

And a link to a TV webpage which offers additional information on all seasons of the show which ran on TV from 1962 to 1987:

http://www.tv.com/shows/the-jetsons/

And if you’d like to check out the series the library owns the first season on DVD so you can check it out at the library.

Have a great day!

Linda R.

References

The Jetsons. TV. Online. Accessed September 23, 2013, http://www.tv.com/shows/the-jetsons/

 

On This Day In American Pop Culture History – Actor Adam West, AKA Batman, Was Born

Actor Adam West, who became a household name in the 1960s known for his starring in the extremely popular television series Batman, was born William West Anderson on September 19, 1928 in Walla, Washington.  West’s parents divorced when he was young and he moved with his mother to Seattle, Washington where he grew up. He attended William College and was awarded a degree in literature and psychology. In 1955 an acquaintance offered him a supporting role on the Hawaiian based children’s program “The Kini Pop Show.” Ward moved to Hawaii to take the role and it was while living in Hawaii and working both as an actor and tour guide that he met a Warner Brothers agent who offered him a screen (acting) test. Ward impressed the Warner Brothers staff and was signed to an acting contract with Warner Brothers Pictures. His first acting role for Warner Brothers was a small part in the 1959 film classic “The Philadelphians” which starred Paul Newman. From 1959 to 1966 Ward worked steadily as an actor landing supporting roles in movies and TV shows. And in 1966 he landed the role that would make him a household name in the United States that of the rich Adam West who moonlighted as the masked crime fighter Batman.

The Batman television series was based upon the popular Batman Marvel comic books series that began in 1939 with the character’s first appearance in a comic book titled “Detective Comics #27.” The television series starred West as Bruce Wayne/Batman, Burt Ward as Robin, Alan Napier as the every stalwart butler Alfred, Neil Hamilton as Commissioner Gordon and Yvonne Craig as Commissioner Gordon’s daughter by day and crime fighting motorcyclists Batgirl by night.

The series also features a whole host of very colorful and fun villains like The Joker portrayed by Cesar Romero, The Penguin portrayed by Burgess Meredith, The Riddler portrayed by Frank Gorshin, Egghead portrayed by Vincent Price and Catwoman portrayed by Eartha Kitt.

The series was pure entertainment and not to be taken seriously. And the special effects seen in the series are not very special in comparison to 21^st century special effects but the TV series became a pop culture phenomenon in the U.S. The series was so popular there were Batman t-shirts, lunchboxes, posters, trading cards (like baseball cards), Halloween costumes, action figures and even a Batman motion picture! For a few years in the mid to late sixties you saw Batman all over the place!

The Batman television series has been very popular with TV fans ever since its original late sixties run. It has frequently been shown in syndication on television ever since.  However, despite its popularity it is not currently available on DVD or as a video available by streaming from Amazon, Netflix or others. You can however, check out one of the Batman movies on DVD – it is simply titled “Batman: The Movie.”

Here’s a link to a YouTube trailer for the film Batman that gives you a good idea of what the series is about:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bfHsOPxSBE

And here’s a link to a biography of actor Adam West who turns 85 today:

http://www.biography.com/people/adam-west-9542349

Have a great day!

Linda R.

References

Chase’s Calendar of Events 2013. New York. McGraw-Hill. 2013.

Adam West. Biography. Online. Accessed September 19, 2013, http://www.biography.com/people/adam-west-9542349

Batman Origins. DC Wikia. Online. Accessed September 19, 2013, http://dc.wikia.com/wiki/Batman_Origins