DVD Review: Every Little Step February 3, 2010

In 2005, three thousand dancers, actors, and singers attended an open call in New York City for the first Broadway revival of A Chorus Line, one of the most successful and beloved musicals ever created. They came from all over the world, drawn by the chance to show off their talents to a room of Broadway producers, to vie against the odds for one of the twenty-six coveted spots in the revival cast, and to realize the dream of becoming a Broadway performer. The process took eight months from open call to the final, nail-biting callbacks. On hand were filmmakers Adam Del Deo and James D. Stern who filmed it all to create what would become the breathtaking documentary, Every Little Step.

In a nod to the spirit of the show, (A Chorus Line is about dancers auditioning for a show, and we hear the details of their lives along the way), Every Little Step similarly captures the turbulent lives of performers – the humiliations, insecurities, passions, thrills, and incessant disappointments – through interviews and candid moments outside the audition room. It also offers an intimate look into the casting process, the creative choices behind the successful 2007 revival, and captures gutsy, jaw-dropping work from a whole spate of extraordinarily driven performers.

Charged with raw nerves, dreams and hope, Every Little Step is a moving film for theater lovers, dancers, singers, actors, So You Think You Can Dance, Glee and American Idol fans, dreamers, and anyone who’s ever practiced their heart out at anything. Layered with interviews featuring performers from the historic original Broadway run, archival footage of the original cast, and audio from the original tapes that inspired the show, it’s also a film for anyone who loves a well-crafted, masterfully edited documentary. Yep, it had me in tears more than once. (Jarrett, The Loft)

Howard Zinn January 30, 2010

“I’m worried that students will take their obedient place in society and look to become successful cogs in the wheel – let the wheel spin them around as it wants without taking a look at what they’re doing. I’m concerned that students not become passive acceptors of the official doctrine that’s handed down to them from the White House, the media, textbooks, teachers and preachers.” -Howard Zinn

Along with J.D. Salinger, we lost historian Howard Zinn this week. Zinn started out his adult life as a shipyard worker, before joining the Air Force during World War II.  It was his time spent as a bombadier that lead him to question the futility of war.

As well as being a historian, Zinn was also a political activist. In 1963, it was his protest work that got him fired from his job as a professor at Spelman College in Atlana.

Zinn is probably best known for his book A People’s History of the United States. With this book, he made history accessible, as well as giving voice to those he felt were outside of the establishment.

Some may think that the job of a historian is pretty dry and boring, but Zinn appeared on The Daily Show, as well as having movie stars and musicians read his work in The People Speak, a documentary bringing the pages to life.

Zinn was tireless with a voice to be listened to. The world is a little too quiet now with him gone.

Catcher in the Rye author J.D. Salinger Dies at 91 January 28, 2010

The New York Times reports today that J.D. Salinger, author of the classic books The Catcher in the Rye, Franny and Zooey, and Nine Stories, has died at his home in New Hampshire.  He was 91.

Salinger, whose unforgettable, disturbing and hilarious tales of adolescent pain, sexuality, family, and mental illness touched millions of readers, lived a reclusive life and finally disappeared from public life in 1980. He was intensely private about the details of his life and fiercely defended his works against film, stage, and literary adaptations.  In 2008, he sued to block publication of a book by Swedish author Frederick Colting called 60 Years Later: Coming Through the Rye about Holden Caulfield as a 75 year old man.

Though his last published work appeared in 1965, rumors remain that Salinger never stopped writing, that he has an attic teeming with unpublished stories, plays, and novels.  In high school my friends and I dreamed that this was true, and our imaginations raced in the hopes that one day we’d have a new Salinger book to hold in our hands. Do you think it’s true? What would it be about? Would it be good? Do you think it’ll ever get out there? Wouldn’t that be amazing?

Whether new novels lie unread in a trunk somewhere in rural New Hampshire or they’re the groundless projected hopes of the millions of readers changed by Salinger’s words, we may never know. But with his passing I’m reminded again of what import and meaning his works have had at different points in my life, and I feel thankful that we’ve got any of his books to read at all. R.I.P.

“Don’t ever tell anybody anything. If you do, you start missing everybody.” – J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye

AP Practice Tests Online! January 26, 2010

Last night the Loft was abuzz with ETHS students studying for finals. Several were asking about practice tests for AP U.S. History. Did you know the library offers practice AP tests (and many others) for FREE online? 

The quickest way to get there is to type in this URL: epl.org/testprep.

Choose Learning Express Library (You will need to type in your Evanston Public Library card # if you are doing this from home). Click on College Preparation, and then Advanced Placement (AP) Preparation. In addition to U.S. History, these AP tests are also available: Chemistry, Biology, Calculus, European History, English, and U.S. Government & Politics.

If you want to find it from the library home page (www.epl.org), click Research (www.epl.org/search). On the left hand side (scroll down a bit), click Test Preparation, and then the same as above.

Practice away!

Haiti January 22, 2010

The major earthquake that recently struck Haiti has caused untold damages, devastation and unimaginable loss of life, the scale of which is too difficult to fathom. We extend our deepest condolences to all of those affected. The City of Evanston’s website has further information on ways you can help.

The Haitian Congress to Fortify Haiti is accepting the following supplies which can be dropped off at this Evanston location:

Haitian Congress to Fortify Haiti
1227 Dodge Avenue
Evanston, IL 60202
Tel: 847-475-5856  Fax: 847-424-1049

Cotton underwear • Pampers • Flip-Flops • Sneakers • Socks • T-Shirts • Cotton Shorts • Baby Wipes • Facial Wipes • Rain Ponchos • Blankets • Towels • Sheets • Plastic Combs (for hair) • Toothpaste • Toothbrushes • Soap • Hand Sanitizer • Neosporin • Waterproof Tape • Gauze • Alchohol Swabs • Latex Gloves • Bandaids • Painkillers (Aleve, Tylenol, Advil) • Bengay • Water Purification Tablets • Arm Slings • Sewing Kits • Menstrual Products • Non-Perishable Foods

Dr. Paul Farmer, the co-founder of Partners in Health and its partner organization Zanmi Lasanti, one of the largest non-governmental health care providers in Haiti, recently wrote this op-ed, Building Back Better, in the Miami Herald. For an unforgettable account of Farmer’s work in Haiti, I highly recommend Tracy Kidder’s book, Mountains Beyond Mountains, which we have in the Loft (also on CD & eBook & eAudiobook). Farmer has dedicated his life’s work to redressing the stark inequalities in medical services in Haiti and other countries around the world. He has worked in Haiti since 1982 and has established a community-based treatment method for patients. Known to travel for hours on foot to reach patients who need doctoring, Farmer’s inspiring story provides a glimpse into the conditions in Haiti, the people for whom he has deep affection, and a desperately needed approach to health reform.

In Edwidge Danticat’s Behind the Mountains, a 13-year-old girl describes in diary format her life in a tiny mountain village in Haiti, the city of Port-au-Prince during the elections, and then in New York. Sindy Felin’s Touching Snow, and Jaira Placide’s Fresh Girl, also illuminate the immigrant experience for Haitian American teens.

The Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin January 13, 2010

Set in Boston – “Southie” to be exact – The Rules of Survival is the story of three kids whose childhoods are held hostage by a severely volatile, cruel, manipulative, and violent mother. The novel is written in letter form – from Matthew, the oldest child, to Emmy, the youngest – in which Matthew lays out the stories his sister may have been too young to remember about their mother and the events that led to their eventual escape from her. (One of those stories involves Matthew pinned to his bed by his mom, a butcher knife at his throat). This book-length letter is a cathartic working-through for Matthew, a young man who would have fled if it weren’t for the responsibility of protecting his sisters, who’s still haunted by the ceaseless fear of his childhood and the survival impulse to kill that eventually came of that fear. Since Emmy is the recipient of the letter, and also an actor in the stories Matthew writes, Werlin hits on an unusual, but effective 1st-person-meets-2nd-person format that allows for a painful honesty and engaging immediacy to the story that will make your heart race. Like in Dennis Lehane’s Mystic River, another powerful book about the lasting impact of childhood abuse, the quickly evolving working-class Boston neighborhood where Matthew and his family live is vividly drawn, a character in itself, and provides a dramatic backdrop for the novel’s disturbing final scene. Highly recommended. (Jarrett, The Loft).

Also available on audio CD.

Readalikes: The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

Mystic River by Dennis Lehane

A Child Called “It” by David J. Pelzer

Jane Austen Poster Contest January 11, 2010

ENTER THE JANE AUSTEN POSTER CONTEST!!

FIRST PRIZE: $300

Two runners up: $100 each

Calling all Jane-ites! If you are in high school or college (taking at least 6 credit hours) and love the works of Jane Austen, now’s your chance to let your creative juices flow. Celebrate Austen’s life (1775-1817), or your favorite book written by her in your artwork. All submissions must be original and previously unpublished work. Posters will be judged for their relevance, design, artistry and creativity in conveying the topic. Include an artist statement, 250‑500 words, with your submission.

Submissions should be sent electronically to jasnaoutreach@gmail.com formatted as a JPEG or PDF attachment by JANUARY 30, 2010. Be sure to include Poster Contest in your subject line.

Looking for inspiration? Evanston Jane Austen fans can get a sneak preview of a new production of Emma here at the library on Tuesday January 19th at 7:00 p.m. 

PBS is premiering this new production of Jane Austen’s Emma on January 24th 2010.

Here’s more information about the contest, and the sneak preview of Emma at the Evanston Public Library.

The Skinny on Snowflakes January 8, 2010

Human beings aren’t the only ones getting the occasional nip and tuck. It turns out that there’s such a thing as designer snowflakes made in labs. I’m already completely awed by the genius snowflakes that fall from the clouds, but understanding the physics of snowflakes, the behavior of snow crystals, and what conditions create certain shapes is pretty darn interesting.

If you want to create your own 3-D snowflake like this one in the Loft, follow the detailed instructions here or here.

Tales From Outer Suburbia by Shaun Tan December 30, 2009

Suburbia has never been so interesting as in Shaun Tan’s Tales From Outer Suburbia; painted missiles dot the landscape in one story (every household has its own intercontinental ballistic missile supplied by the government in support of national security), and a large, endangered marine mammal is found stranded on a front lawn in another. When you open up Tan’s collection of 15 extraordinary tales, you immediately come face-to-face with an ominous water buffalo living in the tall grass of a vacant lot who, when solicited for advice, raises his left hoof and points a girl in the right direction. How does he know? And how do the girl and her friends decipher his directions? Shaun Tan’s Tales From Outer Suburbia dazzle the eye and tug at a range of emotions, from aching melancholy to fear and confusion to profound joy. The mixed media artwork masterfully combines Tan’s signature black and white drawings with collage, vibrant paintings and doodles.

After finishing this extraordinary collection, it’s almost impossible not to go right back to the beginning and start over. Upon a second or third reading, the stories change in meaning and texture, making this collection a treasure for all ages to savor again and again. Tan’s bestseller, The Arrival, displayed his unique vision and talent with images, but this collection also has words. Is it possible that his word stories are as wonderfully odd, fresh, original, whimsical and profoundly moving as his artwork? Yes! (Christie, The Loft)

When One Wolverine Isn’t Enough December 29, 2009

Snkit. Snkit. It’s the sound of Wolverine’s adamantium claws slicing and dicing.

Maybe you’ve read every X-Men ever printed, or perhaps you’ve seen the films and think he’s kind of cool. Either way Wolverine:Inside the World of the Living Weapon will have something for you. Did you know that Wolverine used to date Mystique? Or that Magneto once ripped the adamantium from Logan’s bones? Did you know Wolverine has a son named Daken ? There is much to learn about the beloved beserker from up North.  

As fascianting as all of the various backstories, rivalries, etc. are, it’s sometimes difficult keeping them all straight. This is an absolute must read for Wolverine fans, and it’ll help get you up to date for the next film. Yep, that’s right. They’re making another Wolverine movie. This one is rumored to be about his time in Japan.

Imagine if you really did have adamantium claws, and crazy healing powers?  What if you could manipulate the weather like Storm? How does invisibilty sound? Pretty cool, right? Now let’s say that your mutation isn’t clear cut invisiblity. No, instead it seems that people just do not notice you. You can be standing next to them, but unless you focus so hard that it feels like your eyeball is going come out of its socket, they’re none the wiser to your presence.

This is the dilemma Eric Mattias faces in Barry Lyga’s new book Worst Day Ever.  He attends Professor Xavier’s School for Gifted Students. Eric thinks his mutant power is pretty lame. Especially, as it makes it difficult for him to make friends, and he can pretty much forget about a date with Dani.

There are a few things that keep Eric from going off the rails alotgether. First,  he has his newly created blog. It’s through his blog entries that we get to know him. Second, his drawings. While people may not be able to see him, they can see his artwork. One of Eric’s favorite things to draw is Wolverine.

Eric and Wolverine share an inability to sleep. Often times late at night, Eric will go down to the kitchen and find Wolverine with a sandwich. Both quiet and sad.

Fans of Jeff Kinney’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid Series are sure to enjoy Worst Day Ever.  ( Bridget, The Loft)

 

“I’m the best at what I do. But what I do best isn’t very nice.”-Wolverine