Furthermore: Where the Headlines Take You

An Open Invitation to Visit the Library

Last week on NPR's Morning Edition they did a fascinating story on the only unsolved prison escape from Alcatraz.  On June 12, 1962, Frank Morris, and the brothers John and Clarence Anglin, escaped from the Rock never to be seen or heard from again.  I have to say, I love this stuff!  The idea that these three guys may have gotten away with what was said to be impossible, and that they could still be around today, living their lives - it's thrilling!  I grew up in the Bay Area, but it wasn't until I was home on summer vacation from college that I actually toured Alcatraz.  It was a dreary place and when it came to the part of the tour where they lock you in a cell, I refused.  Looking back on that day, I can imagine the desperate need to escape that place, spending months painstakingly digging a way out.   

If you want to learn more about Morris and the Anglin brothers, and other attempts to escape Alcatraz, you have to check out the classic text Escape from Alcatraz by J. Campbell Bruce.  This book was originally published the same year Alcatraz was shut down as a federal prison, 1963, and it reads like a movie script.  Frankly, I'm not sure how he figures the last thing Frank Morris said before leaving the island was "Where the hell's the other oar?...Never mind, let's shove".  But I don't care because it's fun to read.  You can also watch the 1979 movie based on his book with the same name, Escape from Alcatraz, directed by Don Siegel and starring Clint Eastwood as Frank Morris. 

Morris and the Anglin brothers are famous for their escape, and we all know about Al Capone's stay on the Rock and about the Birdman of Alcatraz, but there were many other men imprisoned there during its 29 years as a federal prison.  Thomas E. Gaddis highlights some of the less prominent inmates of Alcatraz in his book Unknown Men of Alcatraz.  Gaddis' is obviously on the side of the ex-cons he interviews for his book and very much against Alcatraz and all that it stood for.  This is made clear with his over-the-top writing style and lines like, "Over in San Francisco Bay sits the evil stone, Alcatraz.  It's a gem of a ruin.  Its name is the blare of a trumpet.  The late slammer wears its hornet's nest of memories like something alive." But this book is a quick and interesting read, and the illustrations at the beginning of each chapter are priceless.

Another aspect of Alcatraz that I find intriguing is that even while it was a federal prison, entire families lived together on the island.  It's hard to picture children playing and going to school with Machine Gun Kelly as their neighbor, but it happened. Claire Rudolph Murphy talks about two centuries of children living on the Rock in her book, Children of Alcatraz.  This book is nice because it discusses what was there both before and after Alcatraz was a federal penitentiary.  She highlights the multiple times it was inhabited by Native Americans, its use as a lighthouse and its role today as a historic national park and museum.  Furthermore, Murphy's Children of Alcatraz is written for kids, which means the great stories are accompanied by pictures, maps and photographs including one of a young Frank Morris, in reform school at age 14.

So, Morris and brothers Anglin, if you're out there somewhere and want to take a trip down memory lane, stop by the Central Library and ask to see the March 1962 Popular Mechanics' article on flotation devices titled "Your Life Preserver: How Will It Behave if You Need It".  We have it here on microfilm and we understand it was a helpful article to you when you needed it...and that's what the library is all about, getting folks the information they need, when they need it!

The Legacy of Les Paul

Les Paul, the man who helped bring the world the solid-body electric guitar and arguably helped make rock and roll music what it is today, died last week at the age of 94. I couldn't tell you the name of the "best" guitar out there, or the "best" guitar player, but I know that those questions would be mute without the inventor and musician Les Paul. And from what I've been reading about him over the past few days, not only was he brilliant (and a wicked good guitar player), but he was also a positive, "can do" guy who overcame physical obstacles and continued to play weekly with his friends at New York's Irridum jazz club right up to his death. Les Paul is a person who made the very most of his life, and I think that's something to celebrate.

So let's start the celebration by listening to him play! The library has several CDs featuring Les Paul. I recommend the compilation The Complete Decca Trios-Plus, with two CDs and over two hours of music. This covers recordings made for Decca between 1936 and 1947, earlier then most of the other compilations you'll find, and right around the time Les invented his first solid-body electric guitar prototype, nick-named "the log". These recordings really show the amazing range Les Paul had and feature him with other greats like The Andrews Sisters and Bing Crosby.

We also have a documentary put out by PBS's American Masters titled Les Paul: Chasing Sound! where the man himself talks about his extraordinary life, including his time on television in the 1950s with then wife Mary Ford and his struggle with multiple health issues and injuries that threatened to keep him from doing what he loved best, playing music. The film incorporates footage of him playing with the likes of Keith Richards and Merle Haggard. It also has interviews with folks like B.B. King and Bonnie Raitt. This is a fun 90 minutes with a real American legend who was truly down-to-earth, and extremely well-regarded amongst his peers. Plus, there is a ton of amazing music!

If you want to know more about his life and the instruments he helped create, I have a couple of suggestions, both written by Robb Lawrence. The first is The Early Years of the Les Paul Legacy, 1915-1963 which as its name suggests, covers the beginning of Les Paul's career. It is not only thoughtfully researched, but includes some beautiful original photography. This book really brings home why they call his life and his work a "legacy".

Lawrence follows this first book up with The Modern Era of the Les Paul Legacy: 1968-2008 highlighting Paul's special-themed model guitars of the 1960s and 1970s, and his Custom Shop models of the 1990s. It also talks about Paul's comeback Grammy Award-winning album with Chet Akins titled Chester & Lester in 1976, as well as his weekly gig at the Irridum jazz club that started back in 1996. There are some great videos on YouTube of Les Paul playing at the Irridum. I've included one here from August of 2006.

Bye Les, thanks for the music!

Old Black Water, Keep on Rollin'

Being a native to California, I can remember the water conservation programs growing up and the panic I would feel whenever I'd see water flowing unused.  When I moved to Oregon, I was overwhelmed by the lush, green landscape and the sheer amount of rain falling from the sky.  I felt the panic melt away figuring that with so much rain, we could never run out of water, right?  But clean, potable water is like every other resource on this planet, finite.  So super smart people are working out ways to do more with what we have.  For instance, this recent story from the Daily Journal of Commerce on how PDX is building an office building that will include a "lush, vibrant ecosystem thriving off human waste."  Before you say "ew" and close this window, this is some very important work being done.  Some say we are experiencing a global water emergency considering the fact that a billion people currently live without a safe water supply.*  And as the article states "black water", or sewage, is "one of the last frontiers in sustainability."  And this trailblazing is all happening here in Portland (I'm so proud!).

Want to know more about the complex issues around water?  Julian Caldecott has written a clear, easy-to-understand tome on the different scientific and sociocultural aspects around water resources and the problems we face.  Looking globally, Water: Life in Every Drop does an excellent job of explaining the science and interconnectivity of water - constantly reminding us of its importance.  At times, it is gut-wrenchingly painful as Caldecott describes the way water is being abused.  But as I require with all books that discuss a problem, he brings up ways we can restore balance. 

So now that you know more, what can you do in your own life to help reuse water?  How about becoming a water steward?  David Gershon writes a number of books on empowering yourself to live a greener life.  Water Stewardship focuses on water preservation and conservation, and gives concrete tools to making a meaningful difference. It also gives tips on how to broaden the scope beyond your household and into your community. 

The article talks about black water, which is something you don't want to be messing with, but there is another form of wastewater called "gray water" that can be reused.**  Gray water comes from things like laundry and bathing, and the Guerrilla Graywater Girls want to tell you more about how to work with it in their zine Guide to Water.  This group of pioneering woman took their home in a "noisy crack infested corner of Oakland" and turned it into a "beautiful oasis" using water from their shower.  Their guide includes some history of water infrastructure and easy-to-understand illustrated guides to the drinking water treatment process, waste water treatment centers and water treatment via nature.   There is also a nice section on plumbing basics. 

Personally, I can't wait to view the airport's new adminstrative building, with its "lush, vibrant ecosystem".  I know it's just one more way we are leading the way and making a difference out here in the Pacific Northwest! 

* Per the Natural Resources Defense Council
** The Oregon Revised Statutes regulate gray water in Chapter 454: Sewage Treatment and Disposal Systems, Subchapter 454.610 Regulation of gray water discharge.  And Oregon's Building Codes Division recently put out a Oregon smart guide to Water Conservation systems that discusses the reuse of "gray water" for flushing toilets.

The Final Frontier

This is not my first post about space, nor will it be my last. I'll let you in on a little secret, if I didn't have such a problem with motion sickness and numbers, I'd be an astronaut floating around in space right now - a space librarian! But because I get nauseous on the merry-go-round and need my fingers to do the most basic math, it looks like I'm stuck here on Earth. So I live out my dreams of space travel in the form of books and movies. And as for movies, I think the new Star Trek is pretty much the most fun I've had watching a movie in a long time. So when I heard that a group of three Trekkie astronauts were going to watch the new movie from the International Space Station, I decided that was pretty much the coolest thing ever!

I am not a Trekkie, but I have a respect for those who live by the laws of the Federation and its Prime Directive. And I also love the costumes and makeup! Star Trek Fans and Costume Art by Heather R. Joseph-Witham is a tiny little book that wants to grow up and be a coffee-table favorite! It starts with some well done and thoughtful essays on Star Trek fandom - and all that entails - and then has more than 50 pictures of Trekkies dressed as Starfleet officers, Klingons, Romulans and more. These people are serious! And just in case you want to make your own costume, we have a book for that too!

But I realize that space, real space, is not all fun and games. It's extremely dangerous, and for us human beings, there is very little protection between life and death. I can still remember exactly where I was sitting when I heard about the Challenger* explosion. And I remember waking up to the news about Columbia*. You may remember that the Columbia disaster lead to NASA's decision to ground the shuttle program indefinitely. What many people don't know is that this decision meant three men who were only planning on a fourteen-week stay on the International Space Station were then, for all intents and purposes, stranded up there. And when they finally figured out a way home, it was a most harrowing return flight. Chris Jones does a really fantastic job of retelling this thrilling true story in his book Too Far From Home (later published as Out of Orbit). You won't be able to put it down!

Living on a space station, in very close quarters, has to be difficult. The complete lack of privacy, combined with the remoteness of being in the vast, dark sea of space, must elicit an odd combination of feelings. One novel, subsequently made into a film (twice), that in my mind speaks to these feelings of cramped loneliness, is Solaris. Originally written by Polish author Stanislaw Lem in the 1960's, Solaris tells the story of a space station orbiting a distant alien planet. The scientists on-board are supposedly studying the planet, but the opposite seems to be the case. It was made into a movie in 1972 by the amazing Russian filmmaker Andrei Tarkovskii and then again in 2002 here in the U.S. starring George Clooney. Tarkovskii's version is my personal favorite. In any case, the story is deeply poetic and powerful.

But what would space travel really be like? Well, that's simple and I can tell you in three words. Ready? Pigs...in...space! Your library has all of the Best of the Muppet Show available, including Volume 4 which includes the brilliantly funny John Cleese starring in "Pigs in Space". You can not beat that kind of realism! But seriously, the Jim Henson Company - creator of the Muppets - does seem to have the inside scoop on extraterrestrial life, as they clearly showed in their series Farscape that aired on the SciFi Channel from 1999 to 2003.

Space is indeed the final frontier and I suggest using the library as your ticket to the solar system and beyond!

* From outside the library, you will need a valid Multnomah County Library Card to read these articles from the Library's Facts.com database.

Cover Your Cough

Ironically, I don't pay much attention to the news-news, if you know what I mean. So when a colleague came to me a few days ago with a look of horror on her face and said, "I'm going to Mexico in a couple weeks!", I didn't get it. And when I congratulated her on it (because that seemed like the right thing to do) and she looked at me like I had lost my mind, it dawned on me that perhaps I was missing something...and that something was swine flu. Which is, again, ironic, because plague-like pandemics are one of my very favorite topics to read about! There are so many riveting and downright scary stories out there, both true and made up, about blights taking out major sections of the population - or the entire population in the case of The History of the Dead - that it's almost too hard to choose...

The first book I want to talk about it is a fascinating recommendation I got from Emily-Jane. It's Sandra Hempel's The Strange Case of the Broad Street Pump and details the true story of John Snow, a doctor in Victorian England, who through determination and scientific investigation (an unknown practice at the time) discovered that cholera was being spread through contaminated drinking water and not just "bad air". This is one of those non-fiction books that read more like a thriller!

Back in college I studied history and one fine day William H. McNeill came to my school and read from his book Plagues and Peoples. In my previous years of studying history I had never heard anyone mention that blankets full of smallpox were just as important to the shaping of mankind's history as the Battle of the Bulge. McNeill and his book intrigued me, and though there have been many books written on similar topics since Plagues and Peoples, in my opinion this is one of the best.

One of my all-time favorite authors is Connie Willis, and one of my favorite books by her is called The Doomsday Book. This award-winning story mixes time-travel, an influenza epidemic in 2054, and the Black Death of 1348. I remember being on the edge of my seat with worry over the characters I had grown so fond of, and Willis does a brilliant job creating a believable future-world while describing with historic accuracy the plague of the Middle Ages.

For more information on swine flu, both the state of Oregon and Multnomah County have set up web pages with up-to-date information. And we here at the library are also keeping folks informed!

Grow Your Food, Know Your Food!

My colleague Emily-Jane found this great blog post about the Obamas starting a vegetable garden at the White House. I was so excited to hear about this, as I've been doing a lot of research lately on similar topics for the St. Johns Farmers' Market. I have to say, I've become a bit obsessed with the idea of growing your own food, supporting small farms and buying locally. The library has a bounty of how-to books on growing vegetables, preparing these delicious wonders, and preserving them for later. We also have books on starting your own farm, raising chickens in your backyard, and other ways to support yourself and your local economy. It's been really hard for me to choose just a few for this post, but here we go.

So now that the Obamas are doing it, maybe vegetable gardening will become all the rage. You want to try your hand in it? Let us give you some help. We have many books on vegetable gardening - from raised beds, to your own small farm. We even have some specific to growing vegetables in the Pacific Northwest. Steve Solomon provides one of the seminal works on growing vegetables in our wet, beautiful Cascade Region in his book, Growing Vegetables West of the Cascades. Though some of his ideas may be considered controversial, this book is unquestionably thorough in its discussion of the unique conditions we find in our region, such as "no sun in the winter, no rain in the summer and nutrients washed out of the soil by a thousand years of endless rain." This book was first published in 1980, and he updates it every few years. We carry the most recent 2007 edition as well as the 2000 edition (which has fewer holds on it). This is a very popular book!

While Solomon believes you need lots of space to do it right, many of us do not have acreage in which to plant rows of crops. But never fear, according to R.J. Ruppenthal in Fresh Food From Small Spaces, almost no space is too small or too dark to raise food! This is an entertaining and practical guide to growing productive vegetable gardens in small spaces including balconies, windowsills and counter tops. It even includes information on raising chickens and beekeeping within the city.

So now that you have your garden planted, with the promise of fresh produce to come, it's time to start thinking about how to prepare delicious meals from your bounty! I wanted something that emphasized using seasonal, local products and I ended up going with chefs Vitaly and Kimberly Paley's Paley's Place Cookbook: Recipes and Stories from the Pacific Northwest. This beautifully photographed cookbook uses locally found ingredients in its recipes, but the meals are influenced by many different cultures. And just as appealing as the scrumptious meals you will create, are his stories of local "farmers, fishers, and foragers" who supply Paley with ingredients and inspiration. We live in a beautiful and fertile region and this book really brings that home in pictures and words.

The New York Times mentioned that Mrs. Obama hoped their new garden would help "educate children about healthful, locally grown fruit and vegetables at a time when obesity and diabetes have become a national concern." Add to that people being hit hard by the economic downturn, worry over large-scale salmonella scares, and our planet's environmental future, and you find more and more folks trying to make good choices for themselves, their families and their communities. I like to think the Pacific Northwest is a leader in the green movement, including sustainable food and farming.  The documentary Good food, produced and directed by Melissa Young and Mark Dworkin, talks about the growing number of small farms in our area, as well as the co-ops, grocery outlets and consumers that support them.

The timing is perfect, go forth, get your hands dirty and reap the benefits of your harvest! Be sure to check out the library's guide to Farmers' Markets for even more fresh, local produce options. Eat well!

A Bright Light

Geez, the news is so depressing. I can barely listen to NPR anymore. And as I scan the newspapers and news websites I honestly feel a bit nauseous. I worry about the viscous circle effect, the media keeps us constantly up-to-date on everything that is wrong or could possibly go wrong, and it creates an atmosphere of dread, and things just get worse. So I'm making it a priority to try and find the fun, positive, optimistic news! I may not succeed all the time. But why not try? So I checked out the Discoveries Blog from the Christian Science Monitor and learned about Comet Lulin, which will be zipping by remarkably close to Earth over the next couple nights (but not "natural disaster film" close). One tidbit that put a lot of things in perspective for me was the fact that this particular comet's orbital period is nearly 50 million years long. FIFTY MILLION YEARS! Awe-inspiring and humbling.

The library has tons of books for the amateur astronomer (here's just a few) but one that I like in particular is by H. A. Rey (the same H. A. Rey of Curious George fame) and is called The Stars: A New Way to See Them. I like it for many reasons. First, it has that very retro, H. A. Rey look that appeals to me. It uses narrative and pictures in a most delightful and practical way to teach about the stars, planets, constellations, and much more. And the first line says it all, "This book is meant for people who want to know just enough about the stars to be able to go out at night an find the major constellations, for the mere pleasure of it." That's me! Seriously, this is a fantastic book. Check out the 2008 edition for the most up-to-date information.

Another book I quite enjoy that focuses on space is called Comets, Stars, the Moon, and Mars and is a series of whimsical poems and beautiful paintings by Douglas Florian. It is technically for younger folks, but I believe it would appeal to any age. The colors are vivid and he does some wonderful things with cut-outs and collage. And this is my kind of poetry. For instance this one titled, The Universe:

The universe is every place,
Including all the e  m  p  t  y  space.
It's every star and galaxy,
All objects of astronomy,
Geography, zoology
(Each cat and dog and bumblebee),
All persons throughout history --
Including you,
Including me.

Isn't that lovely?! This book also includes a further reading list in the back and a glossary that includes mention of the Oort Cloud, from which Comet Lulin originates.

If your looking for less poetry and more science, but with lots of breath-taking pictures of our universe, go with Bang!: the Complete History of the Universe, written by Brian May, Patrick Moore, and Chris Lintott. This book talks about the birth of our universe 13.7 billion years ago and follows it all the way through to what they presume will be its end. And it is all done in a very fun, easy-to-understand way - which is saying a lot seeing that it's about the creation of all things! Oh, and as an extra piece of trivia, the author Brian May was the co-founder and lead guitarist for the band Queen - he wrote the song "We Will Rock You"! He then went on to get his Ph.D. in astrophysics.

And all this talk of space and comets and Queen brings me to Science Fiction. I must recommend a short story I recently read that actually sent chills up my spine! The title is Finis and you can find it in The Oxford Book of Science Fiction Stories, edited by Tom Shippey. It was written in 1906 by Frank L. Pollack and I don't want to give anything away, but I'll just throw out there that it's about a sun, a very big sun in the center of the universe, and the title really tells it all. The Oxford Book of Science Fiction Stories is an awesome collection from some of the finest Science Fiction writers including H.G. Wells, Arthur C. Clarke, and Portland's own Ursula K. Le Guin. This book is perfect for the Sci-Fi fan (like myself), but also great for folks who are curious about the genre, as well as those who think Science Fiction is all green aliens and ranting robots. There is a story for everyone in this collection. My favorites were all written in the 1950s (and yes, there are a lot of robots in those).

So, if you miss seeing Lulin as it passes by, do not despair that it will not return for another 50 million years, the library has much to offer the stargazer!

The Democratic Republic of Congo

A picture is worth a thousand words, as the old saying goes, and yesterday I saw a picture that spoke volumes to me. I was perusing the Christian Science Monitor website, specifically their Photos of the Day section, and saw this heartbreaking image. I am a mother, and seeing this woman with her, what I can only imagine, much beloved child in what is an impossibly tragic situation overwhelmed me with emotion. Most of us can not fathom what life is like in the Democratic Republic of Congo - the heart of Africa - whose natural resources and people have been plundered and exploited since the first European landed on its shores back in the 15th Century. Today the country finds itself still recovering from being in the middle of "Africa’s first World War". And though it ended back in 2003, an an estimated 1,200 people continue to die every day from war-related causes, including disease, hunger and violence. And since August 2008, the fighting in eastern Congo has displaced hundreds of thousands of civilians, leaving many without sufficient food, water, medical supplies or shelter.

This image made me sad, and angry, and defeated. What I do when that combination of things happen, is try and learn more about whatever it is that is causing me to feel that way. In this case, I needed to know more about the Congo and its history, from before the first European landed there in 1482 (Diogo Cao from Portugal) all the way up through the current President, Joseph Kabila. Robert B. Edgerton has written a thorough history of this beautiful and ravaged region in his book titled The Troubled Heart of Africa. One reviewer of the book described it as "an engrossing albeit tragic history". The author ends his work with the statement, "That a people should suffer so terribly for so long is truly tragic, and no end is in sight."

But do not despair, because the library has a DVD that shows how every single one of us can, in fact, make a difference. The title is The Chick Who Always Talks About Atrocities in the Congo at Parties and is a documentary by local Portland filmmaker and activist Lisa Shannon. In it she talks about the human rights violations that have taken place in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. And more than that, she talks about how one person can effect change. After learning about the atrocities herself, Shannon began a charity to help raise awareness and funds for women of the Congo.

And to inspire further, I always find music helps. The library has a wonderful CD titled In the 7th Moon, the Chief Turned Into a Swimming Fish and Ate the Head of His Enemy by Magic by the Kasai Allstars (now that's an album title!). The Kasai Allstars are made up of 25 musicians and dancers originating from five different ethnic groups within the Kasai region of the Congo. The music is fun and funky! And the Kasai Allstars’ model of cooperation amongst different ethnic groups is inspiring.

I wish the very best for that mother and child. I wish them a life of peace and plenty.

Best Job in World?

A friend of mine sent me an email linking me to the following story. It seems that Queensland, Australia is prepared to pay someone a nice hefty sum to come be their island ambassador, spending time snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef, lounging around, and talking to people about the whole experience via blog and video. It's a temporary six month gig they are calling Caretaker of the Islands of the Great Barrier Reef...not too shabby.

So, you're thinking of applying? Well, you'll probably be up against thousands of other applicants, so perhaps the library can help you improve your chances of landing the "best job in the world". First, you should know a bit more about what it means to live and work in Australia. David Hampshire put out a book titled, Living and Working in Australia that gives tons of practical information on what you can expect regarding salaries, health care, holidays and retirement. He also lets you know about the postal service, how you go about making a phone call, and what the public transportation systems are like. And just in case Australia doesn't pan out, the library has many other books on living and working in foreign countries.

And how about wowing Tourism Queensland by showing off your knowledge of the Great Barrier Reef? As well as your concern for its future. J. E. N. Veron recently put out an amazing book titled A Reef in Time that looks at the Great Barrier Reef from its beginnings, exploring the biodiversity of coral reefs in general, and the damaging effect climate change is having on these ecosystems. The Great Barrier Reef makes up the "largest construction of living organisms" anywhere on this planet.  Veron argues, in a passionate yet pragmatic way, that unless we curb greenhouse gas emissions immediately, we could face a mass extinction "the world has not seen for 65 million years". A Reef in Time contains some beautiful pictures of the Great Barrier Reef, and some heart-breaking facts about what we, human beings, are doing to destroy it. But Veron is hopeful that we still have time. Think of how great it would look on your job application if you were not only sensitive to the fate of the Great Barrier Reef, but had ideas on how to save it!

But let's be honest with ourselves, there's only one opening for Caretaker of the Islands of the Great Barrier Reef.  So what are those of us who don't get the "best job in the world" to do? And not to add insult to injury, but according to the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics, Oregon's unemployment rate was at 8.1% in November 2008. That ranks us as the 47th highest state in unemployment rates, not a top ten list anyone wants to be on. Obviously, we are all feeling the crunch. Well, the library has a lot of resources for folks looking for employment. We have pulled together a job seeking guide, covering some of the better databases and websites to help land you a job. And we have hundreds of books on how to find jobs, on writing resumes and cover letters, on interviewing, and on exploring careers in general. McGraw-Hill puts out a line of books in their "Careers for You" series which includes one that's perfect for the person who wants the island ambassador job, but misses this particular cut. It's called Careers for Aquatic Types & Others Who Want to Make a Splash, written by Blythe Camenson, and includes tips, tricks and resources for landing your perfect job, whether it be cruise director or commercial fisherman.

Obviously I'm attempting to have some fun with what is a very serious concern for many of us - employment - and the library is here to help. Contact us anytime about our different job hunting resources. And for that person who gets the Caretaker of the Islands of the Great Barrier Reef job...congratulations! Watch out for the great white sharks!

Another Year. . . Up in Smoke

Another year is coming to a close and it's time to ponder over what 2009 may hold in store for us all. One thing's for sure, unless President-elect Obama can kick his bad habit, he'll more than likely have to stand outside in the rain to smoke when visiting Portland. As of January 1, 2009, Oregon's Smokefree Workplace Law extends to bars, bingo halls, and bowling alleys. A boon for folks who like healthy lungs, but not everyone is happy about it.

Speaking for myself, the idea of going out for a drink with a friend and not having to throw every last piece of clothing immediately into the wash, followed by a hazardous chemical removal-like shower, is quite appealing. But smoking is a way of life for some, and tobacco has been an undeniably influential part of our history here in America and the world. There are a few books looking at the history this plant, one well-written, educational and entertaining title being Tobacco by Iain Gately. Gately is extremely thorough in his research of the tobacco plant, starting in pre-Columbian America and working his way up to the turn of the new millennium. By line two of his book, Gately has confessed that he is a smoker, and I must admit I found his text especially refreshing because he doesn't demonize smokers or cigarettes. He acknowledges that for many smoking is/was a "pleasure, a comforter and a friend" that has been around for over 500 years and plays a part in practically every culture on earth. This doesn't mean he ignores the negatives, he just doesn't dwell or get up on any soap boxes. And at the end of the book he includes an index on how to grow tobacco (which ties in well with the last book I mention below, in case you want to go super-DIY).

It's odd for me to think that well into my teens, you could still smoke on planes. And that I can remember people lighting up during work meetings. Here in the U.S. this is (for the most part) no more - and our lungs are certainly healthier for it - but the coolness-factor, the mystery, the je ne sais quoi of smoking are all still there (for me at least). Of course most, if not all of this "cool factor" comes from some very clever marketing minds, who take what is for all intents and purposes a nasty habit and turn it into something glamorous and appealing. Michael Thibodeau and Jana Martin explore part of this marketing genius by looking specifically at the branding and design of cigarette packaging in their book Smoke Gets in Your Eyes. They begin with a short history of cigarette packaging, and then give you page after page of beautiful, funny, sometimes ironic and always compelling graphic images of cigarette packages from all over the world. Some of my favorites are found in the "Anti-Packs" section of the book and include a cigarette from Holland called Death whose package is simply black with a white skull and crossbone on the front, and another called 'Brand X' whose tagline is "for the man who is satisfied with nothing less than second best." This work is not only appealing from a cultural history and pop culture standpoint, it also makes a wonderful resource for artists and marketing folks alike, not to mention collectors.

And along the same theme of smoking is cool (or not so much), comes a very well-done and poignant graphic novel by Alex Robinson called Too Cool to be Forgotten. Alex Wicks is a middle-class, balding man who is happily married with two daughters, content with his life and his job, but who really wants to quit smoking. He's tried everything, and now he's trying hypnosis. Once under, he unexpectedly and rather alarmingly finds himself back in high school with all the familiar sights, sounds, smells and anxieties. It occurs to him that he's arrived right before the big party where he smokes his first cigarette. If he goes to the party and doesn't smoke, will he be cured? Or is there something deeper going on here? This story made me laugh and cry (and included some pretty awesome references to the 1980's, which I always love).

For those who are making a New Year's resolution to quit, the library has dozens of books to help you. For those whose interests do not lie there, we have a book that can take smoking to the next level, by building your own smoking device! I am including Build this Bong for a few reasons. First, author and handyman Randy Stratton gives tips on how to use regular household products and turn them into bongs, pipes and more - and we all know Portland loves to reduce, reuse, and recycle! Second, we Portlanders are very DIY, so even if you're not a smoker, maybe you'd like to take your old rubber ducky and turn it into a hookah for a friend (the easy-to-follow instructions come with detailed illustrations). Last, I included it because I'm betting that (like me) no one would expect to find a book on this subject - just goes to show, there's a book on just about anything!

Happy New Year to all!  And remember to smoke 'em if you got 'em, because as of tomorrow, it's not going to be as easy here in Oregon.

Cars. . . And the Trouble With Them

Cars.  Boy do we Americans love them! Personally, I'm not a big fan of driving. To me, being stuck in traffic is like taking crazy pills and parallel parking makes me break out in a sweat.  But on long stretches of road, say out in Eastern Oregon - with the wind in my hair and my favorite tunes on the radio - well there is definitely an appeal.  But like many things that give us that warm fuzzy feeling, driving isn't very good for us or our planet.  And though folks have been telling us for decades that our addiction to cars and oil would be our undoing, the love affair was too strong.  Now we are starting to get it, and because of this, an entire industry is hurting big time.  In July 2008, Automotive News reported that sales for the first half of 2008 were the worst the U.S. auto industry had seen since 1993.  Sales totaled $7,414,295, down 10.1 percent from 2007.* So, the big tree (Ford, GM and Chrysler) went to Washington asking for help back in November and again on Tuesday, this time offering to sell their corporate jets and take a pay cut from what was millions in 2007 to just $1 a year, if Congress was willing to help out.  How will this all play out?  Will U.S. automakers start to make the fuel-efficient cars we need?  What happens when the oil runs out?  We've got years of these issues ahead of us, and I can't help but wonder what kind of vehicles our children's children will be driving someday.

But in the meantime, there is a lot of great work out there on the auto industry, the environment, and the future of cars.  One excellent example is the book Zoom, written by Iain Carson and Vijay V. Vaitheeswaran.  Carson and Vaitheeswaran are both correspondents for The Economist, and they have written this surprisingly enjoyable and ultimately timely book arguing for U.S. energy independence by weaning cars off oil.  Their book is far from the doom and gloom outlook we've been hearing about from the auto industry, instead it's very optimistic about the future of cars.  In fact, they contend it isn't the cars at all that are at fault, it's the oil that's the problem and more drilling is not the answer.  And with the great minds out there in the world, they believe there are many viable, earth-friendly solutions available for our crazy, car-loving culture!

In Auto Mania, Tom McCarthy discusses the history of the automotive industry and specifically the connection between the car, the consumer, and the environment.  McCarthy's book is well researched (with 65 pages of notes!) and looks deep into the seedy underbelly of the auto industry.  He goes into detail about the automobiles immense draw on the earth's natural resources, including the ill-effects on air and water, not to mention the junkyards.  He also talks about the reasons behind the industry's resistance to change and basically about what got us into this mess!  Plus, it's got some fun pictures and photographs.

And there is a fascinating (and honestly, pretty upsetting) documentary titled Who Killed the Electric Car? written and directed by Chris Paine.  To get you interested, here is the tagline from the film, "In 1996, electric cars began to appear on roads all over California. They were quiet and fast, produced no exhaust and ran without gasoline...........Ten years later, these cars were destroyed."  Interested?  Definitely check it out.  Though prepare yourself, I found myself getting pretty angry!

*Article found in the library's ABI/INFORM Trade & Industry database available from anywhere with a valid Multnomah County Library card.  You can read the entire article by clicking here - from outside the library, you will need your library card number and PIN.

My Other Fiddle is a Strad

Yesterday morning, I heard a news story about Sam Zygmuntowicz, a violin maker in Brooklyn.  Zygmuntowicz uses his laptop computer to analyze the sound of precious antique instruments, which gives him a leg up toward building better new violins, and doing a better job repairing old ones.  He's also involved in an intriguing project called Strad 3D, which uses CAT scans and other imaging techniques to model how Stradivari's famed violins work acoustically.  When I got to work, Jennifer and I started talking about Zygmuntowicz's fascinating work, which made us think of several books about violins, how humans comprehend and use music, and technology's role in how we create it.

Zygmuntowicz is unusual among luthiers in that his work is the focus of a book The Violin Maker by John Marchese.  Jennifer investigated the book, and here's her description:  "Marchese follows Zygmuntowicz as he builds a violin for Eugene Drucker, a famous violinist who, prior to commissioning Zygmuntowicz, played a Stradivarius.  Can you imagine?  That's like being asked to build a computer for a guy who's used to working with the Cray Supercomputer!  The process Zygmuntowicz goes through is fascinating, from choosing the block of maple, to the delivery of the violin to Mr. Drucker at his surprise 50th birthday party.  Also interesting is Drucker's experience with the new violin and how it makes him reconsider his own sound. Marchese tells a really good story and I found myself excited and nervous for everyone involved."

But I wanted to know more about Stradivari and his violins.  They're so famous that even people who are completely unmusical have heard of them--why is that?  Toby Faber's Stradivari's Genius traces the history of six instruments from their origins in master luthier Antoni Stradivari's workshop through three centuries of adventures and intrigue, including thefts, scandals and pacts with the devil.  The book is partly a biography of the six remarkable and famed instruments (so famed, in fact, that they all have names: the violins: the Messiah, the Viotti, the Khevenhüller, the Paganini and the Liminski; and the cello, the Davidov.)  But it is also a social history examining the passions inspired by Stradivari's instruments, musing about what made Stradivari so special, and detailing other luthiers' efforts to replicate his methods.

We got to wondering next about how our brains understand music, and Jennifer found a book that explains some of the ins and outs.  Here's what she has to say about it: "So, it is widely agreed that Stradivari's instruments are indeed special, but what about the human brain takes in the vibration coming from such and instrument and turns it into beautiful music in our heads?  And more than that, why is music such an important part of so many of our lives?  In This is Your Brain on Music, Daniel J. Levitin carefully studies the captivating question of music and the human brain--from the first music heard in the womb, to a ninety-year-old man hearing rock and roll music for the first time (and liking it).  And of course, Levitin includes a section on "ear worms" (from the German Ohrwurm) which is basically stuck song syndrome--something that can drive many of us a little crazy!"

Thinking about the different high-tech methods Zygmuntowicz uses to examine the sound of fine old violins, I began to wonder about the history of recording itself.  From the earliest phonographs machines to modern computer technology, Mark Katz investigates how recording technologies have developed and what they mean to human culture in his book Capturing Sound: How Technology Has Changed Music.  Reading the book, you'll get a sense for the history of the methods used to capture music and replay it, but you'll also be treated to a very interesting series of arguments about how recordings have changed the very nature of our interactions with music.

Death and Politics

Yep, it's elections week (finally) and many of us are waiting with baited breath for the outcome of Tuesday, November 4. I debated about whether to post my own ideas on this crazy election year, but as I was reading an article from OPB about undecided voters, I spied a topic from last week's "Think Out Loud" on Cemetery Life. Perhaps it's because I am eagerly awaiting my hold for Neil Gaiman's newest novel The Graveyard Book, but this story really got me thinking...and about something other than the election, which I think makes it perfect for a blog posting!

I went to school at Lewis and Clark College here in Portland, and if you've ever traveled to or from the Lewis and Clark campus you've probably noticed a large cemetery that butts up right against it. This is the River View Cemetery which has been around since 1882. Back in school, my boyfriend (now husband) and I found the cemetery romantic - lingering teenage angst I suppose - and we would sit amongst the headstones and gaze upon Mt. Hood (they do have a wonderful view). I bring this up because cemeteries can mean different things to different people, romantic to some, scary to many, and a window into the past for cultural historian Marilyn Yalom. Her book The American Resting Place explores America's history as seen through its cemeteries and burial grounds. Most interesting perhaps are the beautiful black and white photographs found in the front of the book, that were taken by the author's son.

For Shannon Applegate, cemeteries mean familial responsibility. Applegate inherited her family's small cemetery in Yoncalla, Oregon back in 1997 and in her book Living Among Headstones: Life in a Country Cemetery she recounts her story of becoming sexton after never having worked in a cemetery before. This includes sorting through decades of small notes written on scraps of paper by caretakers of the past, the stomach wrenching despair of having to bury one's own family and friends, and the day-to-day decisions of what to do with all the dirt you get from digging a burial vault. It all makes for an interesting and poignant memoir. As a side note, in the back of the book Applegate includes an iconography of the most common symbols found on headstones. For instance, corn on the headstone signifies that the dearly departed lived to a ripe old age!

And we mustn't forget that cemeteries aren't just for humans. In what one of my dearest friends describes as the best documentary film ever made, Gates of Heaven explores the world of pet cemeteries. Directed by the famous documentarian Errol Morris, this particular film describes the plight of Floyd "Mac" McClure and his lifelong dream to provide a peaceful place for people to bury their beloved pets. But more than that, it is a brilliant look into the lives of middle-class folks in 1970's America, and the interviews are simply priceless!

But no matter how you view cemeteries, here's hoping the outcome of Tuesday's election is a bit more cheery than your average graveyard!