Author: Library User
Book Magic on The Point With Mindy Todd
This morning on The Point with Mindy Todd we talked about books having to do with magic. Joining us this month was Where the Sidewalk Ends Bookstore co-owner Caitlin Doggart. Thanks to all of our listeners who shared their book suggestions on magic! And remember … you can listen online at any time!
Caitlin’s Picks
Midnight Library by Matt Haig
Magical Creatures and Mythical Beasts by Victo Ngai
Conjure Women by Afia Atakora
The Murmur of Bees by Sofia Sevogia
Circe by Madeline Miller
And for some bonus titles from Caitlin, head over to her bookstore!
Jill’s Picks
Magic: a history by Chris Gosden
Magic in Western Culture: from antiquity to the enlightenment by Brian P. Copenhaver
The Magic of Handwriting by Christine Nelson
HausMagick: transform your home with witchcraft by Erica Feldmann
The Life and Afterlife of Harry Houdini by Joe Posnanski
Escape: the story of the great Houdini by Sid Fleischman
A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harness
Garden Spells and The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen
Listener’s Picks
Learned Pigs and Fireproof Women by Ricky Jay
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
The Origin of Species by Charles Darwin
Sacred Agriculture: the alchemy of biodynamics by Dennis Klocek
Half Magic by Edward Eager
Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger
Wise Child by Monica Furlong
Juniper by Monica Furlong
A New Text-A-Librarian Number
For many, many years now we have had a service where people could Text-A-Librarian any question that they might have, whenever and wherever they were. We saw a huge increase in our Text-A-Librarian service when our building was closed to the public. One of the reasons for that was when we were closed the number was probably the first thing you would see when you got to our web page. However, we now have a brand NEW number for texting the library, which is 833-209-9922. Questions are answered only during our open hours, but we will get back to you as soon as we can. Give it a try!
Yes, it WAS an earthquake
If you thought you just felt an earthquake … you DID! Read all about it on the USGS earthquake page!
Boston, My Blissful Winter, with translator Paulette Boudrot (a Zoom event)
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We are pleased to welcome accomplished translator, French instructor and Fulbright Scholar in Twentieth Century French Literature, Paulette Boudrot, on Wednesday evening, November 18th at 7 p.m., for a Zoom presentation! Boston, My Blissful Winter follows a young French banker experiencing Boston for the first time as an intern at a downtown bank in the 1980s. Seeking to overcome his solitude, he visits the city’s concert halls, jazz clubs, businesses, museums, cafes, theaters, antique shops, fine restaurants and local diners. He rubs elbows with Boston Brahmins, academics, a struggling musician and a librarian, among others. With vivid images of winter and a keen eye for detail, these twelve short stories bring the unique character of the city to life and offer a glimpse into the heart and soul of the thoughtful narrator. Paulette will discuss the book, and her translation process! Author Alain Briottet devoted his life to a career in French diplomacy. He served in Europe, America, and Asia, and held several positions in collaboration with the French Ministers of Foreign Affairs in Paris and throughout the world. Paulette Boudrot earned a BS in Education from Bridgewater State University, an MA in French Language and Literature from Middlebury College Vermont, and a diploma in Twentieth Century French Literature from the Sorbonne, University of Paris, as a Fulbright Scholar. Paulette taught French and ESL in elementary schools, colleges, and universities in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. During the 1980s, she transitioned from education to administration at the French Cultural Services at the French Consulate in Boston. In 2010, she was awarded the status of Chevalier in the Order of Academic Palms by the French government. Paulette resides in Falmouth, Massachusetts. Boston, My Blissful Winter is her debut literary translation. This event is free and appropriate for adults and teens. Registration is required, by 5 p.m. on the day of the event. Please register by clicking here! If you have any questions or need assistance, call the Reference Desk at 508-457-2555 x 7. |
Sue Mellen, author of A History of Theater on Cape Cod (a Zoom event)
We are pleased to welcome author, theater critic and former Cape Cod Times writer and reviewer, Sue Mellen on Saturday afternoon, 11/14, at 2 p.m., for a Zoom presentation!
Sue will lift the curtain on the rich history of theater on Cape Cod, beginning—where it all began—in Provincetown. She paints a vivid picture of the early years of American drama on the Cape, bringing you into the world of Eugene O’Neill and the Provincetown Players, the Barnstormers and other early groups. Then, as she does in her upcoming book, A History of Theater on Cape Cod, she will take you on a tour of the Cape’s many-faceted theater history, giving you an insider’s view of what has made Cape theater great. She will also talk about the book itself, and how you can order it!
Sue Mellen began her writing career as an arts, entertainment and features writer for the Cape Cod Times. She then worked in public relations, first for a regional healthcare system, then for a classic car museum. Then, after a short stint as a freelance business and technology writer, she began a content-creation firm YourWriters, which she still operates to this day. Through her company, she has co-written and ghostwritten dozens of books for a wide range of clients. She also taught writing at a Massachusetts community college for a number of years.
After an extended hiatus, the author has returned to her first love: reviewing the theatrical productions that grace the historic theaters of Cape Cod.
This event is free and appropriate for adults and teens. Registration is required, by noon on the day of the event. Please register at our events page-the Zoom link will be emailed separately to you before the event. If you would like to register after the registration period has ended, you can-just call the Reference Desk at 508-457-2557 x 7!
Books About Food on The Point with Mindy Todd
This morning on The Point with Mindy Todd we featured books about food for the monthly book show. Joining us for the first time (but I hope not the last) was Elspeth Hay. You can hear Elspeth regularly on CAI when she does her Local Food Report and she also has a food blog called Diary of a Locavore. We had lots and lots of listener suggestions, which was delightful! Thanks to all of you that called and emailed us with your food book suggestions. The illustration for this blog post is a postcard designed by Jane Mount. She has also illustrated a book called My Ideal Bookshelf, which includes a number of bookshelves full of cookbooks, if you need more inspiration!
Elspeth’s Picks
Forgotten Skills of Cooking by Darina Allen
Feeding a Family: a real-life plan for making dinner work by Sarah Waldman
The Real Food Cookbook: traditional dishes for modern cooks by Nina Planck
Dinner: a love story: it all begins at the family table by Jenny Rosenstrach
Not Enough Time For:
Ancient Grains for Modern Meals: Mediterranean whole grain recipes for barley, farro, kamut, polenta, wheat berries & more by Maria Speck
Out In Blue Fields: a year at Hokum Rock Blueberry Farm by Janice Riley & Stephen Spear
Jerusalem: a cookbook by Yotam Ottolenghi & Sami Tamimi
Good to the Grain: baking with whole-grain flours by Kim Boyce with Amy Scattergood
The Grassfed Gourmet Cookbook: healthy cooking and good living with pasture raised foods by Shannon Hayes
The Art of Fermentation: an in-depth exploration of essential concepts and processes from around the world by Sandor Ellix Katz
Jill’s Picks
Food Lit: a reader’s guide to epicurean nonfiction by Melissa Brackney Stoeger
What We Cook On Cape Cod by The Village Improvement Society
An Everlasting Meal: cooking with economy and grace by Tamar Adler
Always Home: a daughter’s recipes & stories by Fanny Singer
The Fruit Forager’s Companion by Sara Bir
Strong Poison by Dorothy Sayres
Maigret’s Dead Man by Georges Simenon
Poison à la Carte by Rex Stout, a novella that can be found in Three At Wolfe’s Door or in Seven Complete Nero Wolfe Novels
Bookmarks: for everyone who hasn’t read everything “The American ‘Foodoir: when food meets memoir” in the Nov/Dec 2020 issue.
Listener Picks
Love Real Food by Kathryn Taylor
Cooking the Catch by Dave Mausch
The Loaf and Ladle by Joan Harlow
Cape Cod Table by Lora Brody
The Seasonal Kitchen: a return to fresh food by Perla Meyers
Encyclopedia of Healing Foods by Michael Murry
Ruth Reichl books
The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook by Deb Perlman
The Boston Cookbook by Fannie Farmer
The Food Lab: better home cooking through science by J. Kenji López-Alt
Alice Waters & Chez Panisse by Thomas McNamee
Forest Feast by Erin Gleeson
Indian Herbalogy of North America by Alma R. Hutchins
My Bread by Jim Lahey
Lobscouse & Spotted Dog by Anne Grossman (For Patrick O’Brian fans)
The Irish Cook Book by Jp McMahon
Silk Road Cooking by Najmieh Batmanglij
The Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen (many other Moosewood inspired cookbooks came after the original)
Suggestions that came in too late for broadcast:
Provincetown Seafood Cookbook by Howard Mitchum
The Victory Garden Cookbook by Marian Morash
The Point, Books About Color, Part Two
It was a pleasure to have Laura Reckford, Executive Director of the Falmouth Art Center, return to the monthly book show on CAI this morning. We had so much fun talking about books having to do with color last month, that we ended up with part two this morning. Below you will find the list of all the books that were mentioned. Thanks so much to those of who added to our lists, as well as those that were listening. If you have an idea for a theme for a future book show, let me know! You can write to me at jerickson@falmouthpubliclibrary.org.
Laura’s Picks
Color Theory: An essential guide to color from basic principles to practical applications by Patti Mollica
Interaction of Color by Josef Albers
Color Me Beautiful by Carole Jackson
Confident Color: An Artist’s Guide to Harmony, Contrast and Unity by Nita Leland
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr., illustrated by Eric Carle
Mouse Paint by Ellen Walsh
An Atlas of Rare and Familiar Colour: The Harvard Art Museums Forbes Pigment Collection
Colour: Why the World Isn’t Grey by Hazel Rossotti
The Color Collector’s Handbook by Leah Martha Rosenberg
Chromophobia by David Batchelor
Jill’s Picks
My Private Property by Mary Ruefle
The Primary Colors by Alexander Theroux
The Secondary Colors by Alexander Theroux
Essays by Henry D. Thoreau, a fully annotated edition. Edited by Jeffrey S. Cramer. Particularly the essay “Autumnal Tints”
Bluets by Maggie Nelson
Colors in Fashion edited by Jonathan Faiers and Mary Westerman Bulgarella
Pure Sea Glass: discovering nature’s vanishing gems by Richard LaMotte
Fairfield Porter: the collected poems with selected drawings. Edited by John Yau with David Kermani
Colors Passing Through Us by Marge Piercy
The Book of Greens: a cook’s compendium by Jenn Louis with Kathleen Squires
The Artist Who Painted A Blue Horse by Eric Carle
Listener’s Picks
Farming While Black: Soul Fire Farm’s practical guide to liberation on the land by Leah Penniman
The Day the Crayons Came Home by Drew Daywait
Colour: travels through the paintbox by Victoria Finlay
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane
What Color is Love by Joan Walsh Anglund
Frederick by Leon Lionni
Artists Handbook and Materials Methods by Robert Mayer
Hailstones and Halibut Bones by Mary O’Neill
Postcards from Falmouth
We are delighted to celebrate our historic postcard collections with three talks related to the history of Falmouth and postcards. Join us for any or all three talks which will be held digitally via Zoom on Tuesday, September 22nd at 10:00 AM, Wednesday, September 23rd at 10:00 AM, and Thursday, September 24th at 10:00 AM.
On Tuesday Tom Turkington will talk about his memoir Before I Forget: A Boyhood of Little Drama, Wednesday will be Gus G. Widmayer talking about his postcard collection and his books A Gentleman’s Guide to the Belvidere Plain in Falmouth, Massachusetts and The Belvidere Plain Revisited, and finally on Thursday, September 24th will be Mary L. Martin discussing her newest book A Guide Book of Collectible Postcards which was just published by Whitman Publishing, as well as her job of being the owner of the world’s largest postcard shop!
Feel free to bring your favorite Falmouth postcard, and tell us why it is your favorite. This event is made possible thanks to FCTV, The Trustees of the Falmouth Public Library, and an LSTA grant administered through the MBLC. You can register for one or all by going to our online calendar.
The Point: Books About Colors
This month’s book show on The Point with Mindy Todd featured books that were inspired by colors in some way. Mindy and I were joined by Laura Reckford, Executive Director of the Falmouth Art Center. As I found out pretty quickly, there are a mountain of books having to do with colors in one way or another. From wallpapers to gardens to fashion to essays and poetry. As always, many thanks to all the listeners who called in with their suggestions. Indeed, Laura and I had so many titles we did not get to, we are going to do part two of this show on September 30th! Below you will find the titles we did have time for, including all of the listener picks. If you missed the show, you can always listen online at WCAI.
Laura’s Picks
Blue Dog by George Rodrigue and Lawrence S. Freundlich
The Wild Party, the lost classic, by Joesph Moncure March, Drawings by Art Spiegelman
Colors, (a bound volume of all 13 issues of a magazine that Maira Kalman worked with her husband Tibor Kalman) by Tibor Kalman, edited by Maira Kalman.
Black & White and Dead All Over by John Darnton
Ninth Street Women: Lee Krasner, Elaine de Kooning, Grace Hartigan, Joan Mitchell, and Helen Frankenthaler : five painters and the movement that changed modern art by Mary Gabriel
Cape Cod Gardens & Houses with photography by Taylor Lewis, text by Catherine Fallin (also Martha’s Vineyard Gardens & Houses; and Nantucket Gardens & Houses)
Life Colors Art, fifty years of painting by Peter Busa
And mentioned in passing these classics: Green Eggs & Ham by Dr. Seuss; The Color Purple by Alice Walker, The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane, The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle (a caller mentioned this book too) and The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (for the color green used throughout the book, especially for the green light near Daisy Buchanan’s house, the color of money and representing his hopes for the future)
Jill’s Picks
On Being Blue: a philosophical inquiry by William Gass (a caller recommended this book too)
Sara Berman’s Closet by Maira Kalman and Alex Kalman
My Private Property by Mary Ruefle (Includes 11 meditations on different colors for different kinds of sadness.)
Women in Clothes by Sheila Heti, Heidi Julavits, Leanne Shapton & 639 others
The Wallpaper Book by Geneviève Brunet
“The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman can be found in The Art of the Short Story, edited by Dana Gioia and R.S. Gwynn
The Green Ray by Jules Verne
The Secret Lives of Color by Kassia St. Clair (A caller recommended this too.)
The Gardener’s Color Palette by Tom Fischer with photographs by Clive Nichols
Picture Books
Pantone: Colors, Illustrations by Helen Dardik
The Blue Hour by Isabelle Simler
Blue by Laura Vaccaro Seeger
Listener Picks
Pitidoe the Color Maker by Glen Dines. There is a Youtube video of this story being read aloud, if you would like to see the book.
On Being Blue: a philosophical inquiry by William Gass
Here is the quote our listener sent:
“Of the colors, blue and green have the greatest emotional range. Sad reds and melancholy yellows are difficult to turn up. Among the ancient elements, blue occurs everywhere: in ice and water, in the flame as purely as in the flower, overhead and inside caves, covering fruit and oozing out of clay. Although green enlivens the earth and mixes in the ocean, and we find it, copperish, in fire; green air, green skies, are rare. Gray and brown are widely distributed, but there are no joyful swatches of either, or any of exuberant black, sullen pink, or acquiescent orange. Blue is therefore most suitable as the color of interior life. Whether slick light sharp high bright thin quick sour new and cool or low deep sweet dark soft slow smooth heavy old and warm: blue moves easily among them all, and all profoundly qualify our states of feeling.”
Tony & Tina Color Energy: how color can transform your life
The Secret Lives of Color by Kassia St. Clair
Color: a natural history of the palette by Victoria Finlay