Yes, local sponsors are providing great prizes for weekly drawings in the Crawfordsville District Public Library's summer adult reading program. As 34 patrons read books on four different routes from the East to the West coast and a final book on Indiana, one whose name is drawn is receiving a special prize each week. Come see the colorful countdown display on the south wall. The literary-savvy businesses shown helping the cause are Arni's, Campbell's on Main, College Street Deli, heathcliffe, Maggie's Angels, La Rose on Main, Milligans Flowers and Gifts, Nogginz, Pace Dairy, Schloot Furniture, Staples, Top Line Athletics, and Visible Changes Hair Salon. By August 14th, 25 patrons crossed the Mississippi for grab bags; Friends of the Library workers are donating book-sale funds for the Grand Prize. Such community generosity is encouraging patrons to spend this summer as bibliophiles, profiting from the huge collection of reading available at 205 S. Washington Street.
Now, here is some new nonfiction. Two books for brides and grooms are
Pretty Weddings for Practically Pennies by Catherine Risling and
Accessorizing the Bride by Norma Shephard, showing vintage wedding finery through the decades.
Building the Titanic by Rod Green is the Reader's Digest history of the famous ocean liner.
Coroner's Journal by Louis Catraldie is his story of work in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, from 1998 to 2003, showing how he stalked death in the Deep South's small city with big-city problems. For local basketball fans comes Landon Turner's
Tales from the 1980-'81 (team) Indiana Hoosiers.
Fantasyland is Sam Walker's season spent on baseball's lunatic fringe, when he traveled 19,000 miles spending $10,000 to play in Tout Wars, an unusual baseball league, to answer "Can excellence be predicted by statistics or is the human element more important?"
State Fair by Arthur Grace is composed of text and black and white photos with the flavor and uniqueness of this annual celebration in 10 states.
Forbidden Faith by Richard Smoley explains Gnostics, their history, and their ideas that keep reappearing throughout history, from roots in the Gospel of Thomas discovered in Egypt.
Weird U.S. is a travel guide to America's local legends in back roads of America, like rock formations, unusual roadside attractions, and best-kept secrets; it includes the Indiana Medical History Museum in Indianapolis.
The Book of the Dragon by Ciruelo (Cabral), is a glimpse, with sketches, of culture we imagine, including the beauty and terror of an unknown world. Farley Mowat's
No Man's River tells an Arctic tale of his life among Metis trappers, native people struggling in a brutal environment. Elizabeth Peters' novel
Tomb of the Golden Bird is about archaeology in Egypt and the sinister forces blended into its scenery. It's as if South Africa confronts its history in Lisa Fugard's
Skinner's Drift about the family farm on a stretch of land where jackals and leopards roam. Sometimes you can tell more truth through fiction reads the cover of Richard Clarke's
The Scorpion's Gate, and in his new geopolitical thriller the reader moves into a future concerned with realigning the map of the Middle East. Chieh Chieng's
A Long Stay in a Distant Land covers three generations of a wayward family, and the unexpected ways culture, love, and myth work to sustain and threaten family ties.
Call to Arms by Livia Hallam visits Charleston, South Carolina as its secession ordinance is signed in 1860 and the story of young students and friends highlights the battle of Fort Sumter and other battles to come. In
Wild Animus by Rich Shapero a young man rejects his normal life to follow an inner calling to the Alaskan wilderness.
ANCORA IMPARO is a Latin phrase meaning "I am still learning." This phrase is highly reflective of the life of Dana Warner Fisher to date. As a library media specialist at Tuttle Middle School, Dana strives to inspire children to become lifelong readers and learners, by modeling her own love of books and scholarship. Since 2004, she has been a graduate student at IUPUI working toward her master's degree in Library Science. As a quilt artist, she constantly collects images and inspirations as raw material for her art quilt work. As a person, she is continually trying to grow and improve. In Dana's past, there has always been a distinction between her art quilts and her utility sewing. With these new quilts, in the ANCORA IMPARA Art Quilt Exhibit, Dana has challenged herself to interlace these diverse aspects of creative work. She also hopes that this new work will be more reflective of her own personal process. Dana has been making quilts since 1975, when she worked as a professional actress. During this time she met Jim Fisher when they were cast in a production of Annie Get Your Gun. They married in 1977 and have two grown children, Dan and Anna. They have made their home in Crawfordsville since 1978. Dana's work has been exhibited at the Old Jail Museum, Wabash College, Skidmore College, Denison University, Quilt America, the American Quilters' Society (Paducah, Kentucky), the International Quilt Festival (Houston, Texas), Quilt/Surface Design Symposium Invitational "99 (Columbus, Ohio), the Indiana Arts Commission, and the Crawfordsville District Public Library. The Indiana Arts Commission owns two of her quilts and another quilt is part of the permanent collection of the Theatre Museum of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, England. Dana's exhibit will be featured in the Library's Mary Bishop Memorial Art Gallery from Wednesday, August 30 until Friday, September 28, 2006. You will delight in this "learning librarian's" reflection on her life until now! Dana wishes to invite the community to join her at a reception, from 2 until 4 p.m. on Saturday, September 2, 2006, in the Donnelley Room on the Library's Lower Level. All are welcome!
Sharing the September Gallery with Dana Warner Fisher is Fused Glass Artist Nancy Joalta Yeiter, whose work will occupy the new display cases in the gallery. GlassDancing is the business name Nancy has chosen for her adventures in the eclectic art of fused glass making. Coming from a family of artists, Nancy has explored many artistic mediums in her life. For the past several years, however, her artistic explorations have led her on a journey of discovery in the medium of glass making. Working with elements of light, color and dimension, Nancy has created framed wall enhancements, three dimensional glass art, functional glass work and unique and unusual jewelry. She has studied artistic glass creation at the Indianapolis Art Center, read many books on the subject and taken a variety of workshops from experts in the field. Nancy has entered her work in the Crawfordsville Art League's Downtown Art Exhibit for the past several years. Her work was well received and juried into the exhibit each time. Her jewelry may be seen and purchased at Heathcliff's Women's Clothing Store on Washington Street in Crawfordsville. Nancy's work may also be viewed her home gallery any day by appointment. She enjoys the challenge of customer based ideas and would be happy to help you explore the possibilities of a new idea with her in a private consultation leading to custom work. Call 362-6097 for an appointment.
