Adult Summer Reading

Coming Soon! Take Your Chances at the Library CDPL's Adult Summer Reading Contest


Begins: June 1st
Ends:July 29th

Read 10 books in 8 weeks and you could win a prize!

The participant with the highest total points will win a prize.

Sign-up starts June 1st

Questions will be answered in your ‘Start-up Packet!’

Paint In!

You are invited to come to a very informal "paint-in" with Michael Bowman. You can come to just watch artists paint, you can bring your own materials (any genre) and paint, or you can come to just ask questions. Mike will be here to help you get started or help in any other way he can.

For: Ages 10 to 100 (younger or older if interested)
When: May 24th
Time: 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Where: Crawfordsville District Public Library

Children’s Program Room

Have gardening questions?

Drop-in Q & A about Gardening!
May 26th from 6 to 8 

What types of flowers attract hummingbirds?
How can I control weeds in my garden?
What type of grass will grow under a fir tree?

If you have any gardening questions like these, now is your chance to get professional answers from Ed Sheldon of the County Extension Agency and four members of the Flower Lovers Garden Club.

Drop in anytime with your questions!
Sponsored by CDPL

Words from the Old West!

Words enter the English language in some wonderful and unique ways. In the early days of the western frontier trail riders were "pretty tough customers and didn't have much use for book learning. As a result they talked a salty and colorful lingo." Hoosegow, maverick, hoodlum, rustler are all words that the cowboys introduced into the English language.


Here are some others terms from the old west that you may have seen or heard:

• Ace in the Hole - a hideout or hidden gun
• A Lick and a Promise - to do a haphazard job
• Arkansas Toothpick - a long knife ( also known as a California or Missouri Toothpick)
• Buckaroo - cowboy, usually from the desert country
• Bug Juice - whiskey, booze
• Kit and Caboodle - the whole thing
• Cahoots - partnership
• Catawampous - crooked, skewed
• Clodhopper - a rustic, clown
• Dude - an Easterner, anyone dressed in upscale town clothes

Want to know how to found out such words? We have at your library a reference book as well as a book you can check out. Find it in the catalog here:

Morris, William. Morris dictionary of word and phrase origin. New York: Harper, 1988.

See also:
Legends of America. http://%20www.legendsofamerica.%20com/we-slang.thml

Genealogy Club presentation on May 10

Come hear about "Grids on the Ground -- Urban Orientation -- Part 2" by Jim Swift (professional surveyor) at our next Genealogy Club meeting:

May 10
7:00 pm
Crawfordsville District Public Library
Public invited!

Call 765-362-2242 ext 118 or 119 for more information!

CDPL adds Encyclopedia of the Bible

The library has received new reference books about the Biblical text and history: The Zondervan Encyclopedia of the Bible. This 5-volume set contains topical entries with full-color illustrations, and will be helpful to students and researchers. The books, part of the reference collection, will be available for in-library consultation only. Please see a reference librarian for further information on these materials, or to request help with researching a specific topic.

Alethea Luce and The Young Rajah

On Friday May 6th at 10:45 a.m., Turner Classic  Movies will be showing another film with Crawfordsville ties. The 1922 silent film The Young Rajah is based on the 1895 play Amos Judd by Alethea Luce.

Alethea Luce was born in Crawfordsville in 1869 to David W. and Julia Wade Hartman. Luce's grandfather, Isaac F. Wade, was the city's first editor and edited the Crawfordsville Review.  After her mother's death, Alethea was adopted by her aunt and uncle, Mr. and Mrs. A.P. Luse, and split her time between Crawfordsville and Chicago.  Luce is listed in many cast lists of productions in New York and London.  Although this is the only screenplay attributed to her name, Luce was a well-known female playwright of the stage.

Read more about The Young Rajah online at IMDb and TCM.

You can view photographs from the film at this blog.

If you want to see more Rudolph Valentino films, CDPL has The Sheik and The Son of the Sheik in our DVD collection!

Happy Birthday, Niccolo Machiavelli!

Niccolo Machiavelli: "Is it better to be feared than loved?"

Can the man who's name is synonymous deviousness, cruelty, and corrupt totalitarian government be misunderstood? Is this the case with Machiavelli?

Niccolo Machiavelli was born May 3, 1469 in Florence the son of a jurist. His life spanned the highest point in Florence's cultural achievements until its downfall. He entered Florentine government as a secretary. However, he soon was engaging in important diplomatic missions and meeting with the powerful politicians of his time. Unfortunately, this all came to an end in 1512 when the Medici family returned to power and he lost his office.

He soon turned to writing to gain favor with the ruling Medicis. His most famous work The Prince, modeled after Cesare Borgia of the Papal States, was an attempt to ingratiate himself with the Medicis. For Machiavelli politics was about the "getting and keeping of power." The ruling family disagreed with the book, but the public reaction was that of outrage. They wondered how anyone could think such cruel thoughts as presented in the book. "Does a prince never lack legitimate reasons to break his promise?"

Machiavelli did not realize his ambitious goal to return to government and died June 20, 1527.

For more information on this controversial man check the CDPL for copies of The Prince and Machiavelli on Modern Leadership by Michael Ledeen.

In the Gallery -- May 2011

ANGELS & EGGS with A SPLASH OF COLOR


As the Curator of the Library's Mary Bishop Memorial Art Gallery, I am often asked how I find the artists we feature. The short answer is - I find them wherever I go. Our current wall-artist is one example of how this works.

Indianapolis artist Sandy Ezell was a judge at the Indiana State Fair two summers ago and so was I. We judged children's art together with a third artist. When judging was over, we had lunch together and shared bits of our lives. She told us she was currently a practicing artist and teacher. My ears perked up! Back home, I looked up her website and wow! Did I ever want to share her work with our community. That was July 2009. Our first gallery opening was May 2011, but we made the deal…And here she is.

A SPLASH OF COLOR: Watercolor Paintings by Sandy Ezell is hanging in the Mary Bishop Memorial Art Gallery from April 29 to May 31st. Enjoy!

A native of LaCrosse, Wisconsin, Sandy first pursued a career in music, receiving her B.A. from St. Olaf College in Minnesota. After her children were in school, Sandy was looking for something creative to do that would fit in with her children's schedule, and found she was interested in watercolor painting. Since then Sandy has taken classes at the Indianapolis Art League and taken workshops from master artists around the country. Floyd Hopper, Marilyn Hughey Phillis, Maxine Masterfield, Al Briollette, and Barbara Nechis are some of her teachers. Sandy is presently on the faculty of the Indianapolis Art Center and teaches water media at the Watercolor Society of Indiana and Lawrence Community Education Program, J. Everett Light Career Center and demonstrates for organizational workshops for as requested. Sandy's husband Jim and a friend built a two-story studio for her right in her own backyard. Soon after the building was complete, Sandy began using the first floor for a custom framing business, leaving her painting studio to sitting high in the clouds overlooking a backyard flower garden and pond filled with bright orange goldfish to spice up the scene; most definitely a tranquil setting for artistic dreaming. A few summers ago, HGTV was filming for the show Our Place and called Sandy for an interview about her experimental water media techniques. Having only a few days notice, Sandy was ready and willing to do the interview right in her colorful garden. The segment introduced viewers to new ways to use watercolor.Always expanding her vision, Sandy is currently exploring new techniques in water media with a goal of allowing the viewer to become more involved in the painting. If everything is spelled out, it's only a one-sided conversation. By creating impressions and abstract areas, someone looking at the painting can bring their own experience to it and see something unique to them. Then the artist and the viewer have a more interesting discussion.

HELEN MILLIGAN'S EGGS & ANGELS by Nanette Kentner Helen Milligan's daughter

Helen Milligan's love of eggs started over 90 years ago! As a child she looked forward to decorating Easter eggs with her brothers, William and Emery Bunnell. She enjoyed the day after Easter even more when she could crack the shells and eat the hard boiled eggs, even though eggs were never her favorite thing. It was always the egg shell that fascinated her! After cracking open the colorful shells, she used the tiny fragments to create intricate mosaic patterns on paper. That was the very beginning of her life long love affair with the incredible, non-edible "shell of an egg"!

"Growing up with Helen Milligan as a mother was always interesting" writes daughter Nanette, who assumed all kids', grew up with creative mothers like hers. One day Nanette returned home from school to be greeted by painted life size carousel horses standing side-by-side in their tiny living room. Helen had spent the entire day painting them for the Psi Iota Xi Annual Charity Ball. Oil paints, pastels and water colors were as common on their dining room table as forks, knives and spoons were to most families. The sewing machine was always set up and ready to create curtains, slipcovers and clothes. Helen designed many matching outfits for her children. When Jackie Kennedy was in the White House, Nanette's Barbie doll sported exact replicas of the latest "Camelot" fashions. Once, Helen wanted a new sofa and her husband said "No". Imagine! Not to be stopped by a small disagreement, Helen pulled the old sofa out into the yard, mixed up a huge pot of Rit Dye, and guess what? When Helen's husband returned home that afternoon, there sat a "grand new" elegantly purple sofa right in the middle of the living room! Knitting, crocheting, sculpting and of course acting are just a few of Helen's varied artistic talents, but for her, the sweetest of these is egg decorating. She decorates mostly chicken eggs, but has used duck, goose, turkey and tiny quail eggs when available. Using manicure scissors, she cuts a perfect oval in each egg, empties the contents, yolk still intact and uses tiny paint and eyeliner brushes to paint the elaborate scenes inside each egg shell. Among Nanette's favorites is one of Helen's first decorated eggs when she used a feather shed by their parakeet, Gorgeous George. Helen's love of eggs further inspired her to create sculptured angels. With a basic cone and bent wire for the arms, a whole egg shell is placed atop the cone and vintage cloth dipped in a mixture resembling wallpaper paste is draped over the foundation. Tiny bits of lace, ribbons and beads add interest, but the egg faces are always left unadorned. One of Helen's angels was recently placed in the History Room at Wabash Avenue Presbyterian Church where the Milligan family has worshipped for many decades. Angels and eggs are often given to family and friends, but are never sold. At 95, Helen exhibited her latest painting "Flora" in the Downtown Art Exhibit last fall. It now hangs on the wall of her great-granddaughter's bedroom.

Author signing! -- Dr. Larry Williams

Dr. Larry Williams Will be here May 9th from 12pm to 3pm to promote his second novel: Vengeance is Mine

"Vengeance is Mine is the much- anticipated sequel to Larry Williams' first novel, Devil's Backbone. The story brings the reader back to Somerset where harassment, kidnappings, and murders become the focus of Police Chief Luke Johnson. The victims, the perpetrators, and the suspects are an integral part of this small town and force Luke to not only protect those who mean the most to him, but to question the integrity of some of Somerset's trusted citizens. The characters, action and tone of Vengeance is Mine all work together to make a first-rate tale." --Pat Berry

Sponsored by CDPL

The Language of Baseball

English like many languages has some colorful and unusual words. Many of these originated as descriptions for sports. None more so than baseball. Test yourself on your knowledge of these baseball terms.

Bean ball - a ball pitched directly at the batter's head, to force him back from the plate.

Bench jockey - a player or coach who taunts members of the opposing team from his place on the bench.

Blooper - a weak fly ball which falls beyond the infield and short of the outfield.

Cripple - ball pitched when the count on the batter is three balls and once strike, so called because the pitcher usually needs to "groove it" for a strike.

Duster - the pitcher's term for the pitch a batter calls a bean ball.

Rhubarb - an argument on the playing field, especially a noisy, vehement one involving an umpire and players from both teams.

Sitting in the catbird seat - sitting pretty, like a batter with three balls and no strikes.

Source:

Morris, William. Morris Dictionary of Word and Phrase Origins. New York: Harper & Row, 1977.

Dick Murray's Joy of Painting

Date: April 30th
Time: 9am to 3pm
Where: CDPL's Classroom
Cost: $50.00

Have fun learning the Bob Ross "Wet on Wet" technique!

Supplies needed (Only Bob Ross Supplies because they are specially made for the Bob Ross Technique)

• #5 Painting Knife
• 1 in Bob Ross Landscape Brush
• #3 Bob Ross White Bristle Fan Brush
• #2 Bob Ross Script Liner Brush (Sable)
• 16 x 20 in canvas (Med/landscape)

ALSO:
Wear something you can get paint on (and you probably will), roll of paper towels, and old rag, odorless thinner and a plastic or metal pail for cleaning brushes.

 

Feel free to bring a drink, snack, and lunch!

Sign-up at the Circulation Desk! Library sponsored!

Altered Books!

Altered Books/Art Journaling

Class offered by Linda Snyder
(Sign-up at the Circ Desk)



Date: May 7th
Time: 1pm to 4pm
Where: CDPL's Classroom

What to bring: Your own photos, recipes, and/or any memorabilia you want to incorporate into your project. Linda will provide everything else.

Cost: $20.00

Happy Birthday, William Shakespeare!

William Shakespeare (1564-1616), known now as the "Bard of Avon," was an English playwright and poet whose fame is international and whose works have been translated into every major language. Shakespeare was a well-known author in his own time, but it was not until the 19th century that his fame achieved a high level from which it has not descended. Who in America does not remember some obscure High School English class where one was "forced" to read a play such as Hamlet or recite one of Shakespeare's famous sonnets? If you didn't appreciate Shakespeare then -- and most of us didn't -- why not give him another chance today?

Check out Shakespeare's works @ CDPL!

After-Hours Genealogy Research

Want to do some genealogy after hours?

The Genealogy Club of Montgomery County will have one of its popular "After Hours Genealogy  Research" programs on Friday, April 22 from 5 to 9pm at the Crawfordsville District Public Library.

5:00 -- Pizza supper and Research -- no charge -- donations accepted toward pizza -- Donnelley room
5:45 -- Research in the local history and reference area, 2nd floor (no time limit on computers)
9:00  -- final closing

Advanced arrival {Before 5:00 pm) is required. Library is locked at 5:00 pm. Visitors are welcome.

Please confirm your expected attendance by Wednesday, April 20. 1-765-362-2242, Ext 118 or 624 or gen@cdpl.lib.in.us.

Queen of Free's Royal Grocery and Coupon Seminar

Queen of Free's Royal Grocery and Coupon Seminar!

When: April 16th from 9 to 11am
Where: CDPL's Donnelley Room

During this two-hour session, you'll learn some of the best grocery shopping strategies from me, the Queen of Free, a gal who rarely pays full price for anything and has a penchant for scoring things for free.

• Learn the best places to find coupons! There are so many more places than just the Sunday paper.
• Gain strategies for matching coupons to sales to maximize your savings.
• Find an organizational and time management strategy that fits couponing into your busy lifestyle. It takes minimal minutes out of your week (and can be multi-tasked).
• Discuss some basic shopping strategies to help you get the best bang for your buck.
• Think through some basic home management skills that could save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars.
• Ask the Queen your most burning questions about home finance.

• Enjoy a fun morning, filled with humor, personal reflection, and of course some free giveaways from the Queen of Free herself.

Cost is only $12 and includes a Coupon Binder of your very own to take home at the end of the day!Become a Money Saving Lord or Lady in the Court of the Queen of Free where you can indeed "Daily Save Money and Get Something for Nothing." Looking forward to seeing you there so that together we can change our worlds one penny at a time! Sign up at http://www.queenoffree.net/ (Deadline April 10th)

Sponsored By CDPL

Happy Birthday, Charles Baudelaire!

Charles Baudelaire (April 9, 1821 - August 31, 1867) was a French poet, essayist, and art critic. He also produced the first translation of Edgar Allen Poe into French, introducing this notable American author to France. Baudelaire is best know for his poetry, however, and his most memorable work appeared in 1857, Les Fleurs du mal (The Flowers of Evil). Baudelaire was known for his combination of classic French poetry forms and meter with modern, everyday subjects. Many were critical of Baudelaire's controversial verse although it is generally granted that this poet helped pave the way for even more radical -- and liberating -- experimentation with French poetry.

You can find Baudelaire's most famous work, The Flowers of Evil, at CDPL.

Happy Birthday, Barbara Kingsolver!

April 5, 1955 is the birthdate for Barbara Kingsolver, This respected novelist, essayist, and activist graduated from DePauw University in 1977. CDPL has several of her fiction titles and her nonfiction book, Animal, vegetable, miracle: a year of food life.
She wrote her first novel while suffering from insomnia. Bean Trees was written from inside her closet when she was combating sleeplessness. It was enthusiastically received by critics when it was published in 1988. Her media break came when The Poisonwood Bible, a tale of Baptist missionaries in the turbulent 1959 Belgian Congo, was selected by Oprah for her book club.

Kingsolver says, "the power of fiction is that it creates empathy. If I write a novel, I'm inviting you into someone's life." Novels by Kingsolver at CDPL are Another America, The Lacuna, Prodigal Summer, The Poisonwood Bible, Animal Dreams and Bean Trees. The opportunity exists for you to come into someone's life at CDPL.

View Kingsolver works in the online catalog

Sources:
http://www.notablebiographies.com/

http://www.kingsolver.com/biography

Genealogy Club Meeting

The Genealogy Club of Montgomery County will meet on Tuesday April 12th at 7 pm in the Donnelley room of the library. Members of the Genealogy Club of Fountain County will present “Genealogy Club Membership Growth”. The public is invited!

Interested in joining the Genealogy Club? Call: (765) 362-2242, Ext 117 for more information or e-mail us at gen@cdpl.lib.in.us

Author visit: Marlene Lewis

Author Marlene Lewis will be @ CDPL April 9, 12pm to 3pm
Her titles include Adult Fiction: Imaginary Minds
Children’s Books (Best Buddies Series): Jolly Gets a Skateboard, Jolly and His Friends
Meet the author and/or buy an autographed copy of one or all of her books!

Photography Classes

Photography Classes! First Class is FREE!

Thursday March 31st 6:30 to 8pm

Thereafter $60.00 for 6 additional classes that will be held every Thursday beginning April 7th.

You can find a pamphlet with all information at the Circulation Desk.

Highly recommended to get the most out of your digital camera!

Easter Egg Hunt on April 16th

CDPL's Youth Services Department will hold an Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday April 16th at 10 a.m.. This event is geared towards children aged 3 to 8.  

Registration is required so call 362-2242 ext 115 after April 1st to sign up. 

Don't forget to bring your Easter basket!

Free Banjo Lessons!

Free Banjo Lessons March 31 and April 14!

Teens: 5-5:30pm
Adults: 5:45-6:15pm

Bring your 4-string tenor banjo if you have one!
(The instructor will have a few banjos to use if you do not have one.)

Elizabeth Taylor 1932-2011

Celebrate the life of Elizabeth Taylor by checking out these biographies at CDPL!

How To Be A Movie Star: Elizabeth Taylor in Hollywood by William J. Mann
921 Taylor, E.

Furious Love: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton and the Marriage of the Century by Sam Kashner
920 Kas

A Passion for Life: The Biography of Elizabeth Taylor by Donald Spoto
921 Taylor, E.

Liz: An Intimate Biography of Elizabeth Taylor by C. David Heymann
921 Taylor, E.

CDPL also has some of Taylor's best loved movies available on DVD!

National Velvet DVD FIC NAT

Life with Father DVD FIC MY

Father's Little Dividend DVD FIC ELI

The Last Time I Saw Paris DVD FIC LAS

A Place in the Sun DVD FIC PLA

Giant DVD FIC GIA

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof DVD FIC CAT

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? DVD FIC WHO

Stephen Crane in The Crime Doctor's Courage

Turner Classic Movies will present The Crime Doctor's Courage on Tuesday March 29th at 1pm.   This 1945 mystery film features Crawfordsville native Stephen Crane in the role of Gordon Carson.

 The Crime Doctor's Courage was a part of the Crime Doctor series of mysteries that were released throughout the 1940s.  The films were based on the CBS radio program of the same name.

For more information about the film, visit TCM's movie database.

New Books!

Don't forget that the library displays its new adult non-fiction books in a separate area on the 2nd floor! You'll enjoy browsing among the recent additions that the library has to offer. Did you know that most new items also circulate for the same period as the non-new items?

If you want to see all the "new" items when you do a catalog search, simply choose "New adult non-fiction" from the Limit by drop-down box and then hit Go!

You'll then see just the new items -- and at the time of this post, there were more than 500 choices.

You can use the same drop-down to find all new fiction, too (which is shelved on the 1st floor).

In fact, you can use this drop-down to limit your choice to many different types of books and materials. If you need help, just ask a librarian!

Oil Painting Class

Jan Brown's oil painting class wil be held on March 15th at 5pm in the library. This instructor uses the Bob Ross Wet on Wet technique. All you need is a 16 x 20 inch canvas and $40 for registration. Call 362-2242 ext 109, the CDPL Circulation Desk, for details.

Pi Day at the Carnegie!

Celebrate Pi Day!

The Carnegie Museum of Montgomery County will host the 3rd annual Pi Day on Saturday March 12, 2011 from 2 pm until 4 pm.  Wabash College Society of Physics Students will help visitors explore with light, waves, lasers, and pressure.  This event is free and aimed at the whole family. 

Call 765-362-4618 or email carnegie@cdpl.lib.in.us for more information!

Taste of Home @ CDPL!

Amateur Chefs are needed to participate in CDPL's, recipe-testing program, Taste of Home.

Come to the circulation desk, sign-up, and pick a recipe you are willing to bring in "made" for all participants to share before the meeting:

March 3rd (Thursday) at 6pm

Bring your own drink and appetite!

In the Gallery -- Tri Kappa High School Art Contest and Exhibit

INGENIOUS HIGH SCHOOL ARTISTS EMBELLISH CDPL GALLERY
While anxiously awaiting the first breath of spring "outside"; the Library’s Mary Bishop Memorial Art Gallery offers you an opportunity to view colorful spring profusions "inside" at this year’s diverse Tri Kappa High School Art Contest and Exhibit. You will find an energetic explosion of over 250 images from the imaginations of young Montgomery County artists whose work is on display from Saturday, February 20th until Sunday, March 14th during regular Library hours. An Awards Reception will be Wednesday evening, March 9th from 6:00 to 8:00 pm in lower level rooms A & B. Everyone is invited.

igh School Art Students, with the help of Art Teachers and Tri Kappa Sorority members, will wow you with their rich talent and focused abilities. Every art student who wishes may enter this event, in one or several of the twelve categories.

The High School Art Teachers, Sheila McCormick and Marianne Ballenger of Crawfordsville, Mike Strickler of North Montgomery, Eleanor Brewer and Milt Anderson of Southmont, stimulate students to try new things, teach necessary skills and encourage artists to put forth their best effort.

Ribbons and Financial Rewards, in each of twelve categories, are given for first, second, third place and honorable mention.

Each year Tri Kappa hires an experienced, independent artist to judge student’s work. Austin Gabriel Pittman, who was raised in Zionsville, is this year’s judge. He graduated from Herron School of Art and Design with a Bachelors Degree in painting with an emphasis on drawing. After Herron graduation, he moved to Philadelphia to pursue his Masters Degree in painting at The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, the country’s oldest art institution. The human figure became the focus of his studio work.

Today he is teaching at the Art Institute of Indianapolis where he provides instruction to bright and imaginative students who are trying to find their own voice. Providing guidance to others who are eager to find their voices is a valuable resource for his explorations of expression through the human form in a variety of wet and dry mediums that provide a different feel and articulation.

Without Tri Kappa volunteers this philanthropic event would not take place. Each year Tri Kappa women, most of whom are employed full time outside the home, work with high school art teachers preparing for the event, receive and tag the art and then on Saturday morning place finished art categorically in the Gallery and Display cases.

When you visit this exhibit, be prepared to be awed by the scope and depth of talent emanating from these high-spirited young artists. Enjoy!

Wallace's Ben-Hur on Screen

Turner Classic Movies will continue to highlight Oscar-nominated films with the showing of Ben-Hur on Thursday February 24th at 10pm.  Released in 1959, the epic film follows Prince Judah Ben-Hur as he escapes enslavement and battles his enemy Messala in a Roman chariot race.  The film won 11 Academy Awards.

Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ was written by Crawfordsville's Lew Wallace and published in 1880. Ben-Hur was the best-selling American novel until the 1936 publication of Gone with the Wind. To learn more about Lew Wallace, visit the General Lew Wallace Study & Museum in Crawfordsville.  CDPL has many items related to Lew Wallace in our circulating and local history collections.

If you cannot catch this classic film on television, come by CDPL and check the DVD out!

Happy Birthday, Steve Crane!

Steve Crane, second from left, in Tonight and Every Night

Stephen Crane was born in Crawfordsville on February 7, 1916.  After working in his family's local cigar shop, the Stephenson and Crane Cigar Store, and attending Wabash College, Crane moved to California.  Although he is most widely known as one of Lana Turner's husbands, Crane had a short-lived movie career before he created lasting success in the restaurant industry.

The 1945 film Tonight and Every Night is set in London during World War II. The Oscar-nominated musical features Rita Hayworth, Lee Bowman, and Janet Blair.  Stephen Crane plays Observer Leslie Wiggins, a friend of Lee Bowman's character.  Although his lines of dialogue are limited, Crane is featured in many scenes throughout the film. 

Turner Classic Movies will show Tonight and Every Night on Thursday February 10th at 11:00 a.m.  Don't miss out on the chance to see Crawfordsville's Stephen Crane in this classic musical!

View TCM's page on the film here.

Want to know more about Steve Crane?  Visit CDPL's Stephen Crane research page or come by the library and take a look at our Joseph Stephen Crane papers in the Local History collection.

Maurine Watkins and Libeled Lady

Released in 1936, the film Libeled Lady featured an all-star cast including Spencer Tracy, Jean Harlow, William Powell, and Myrna Loy.  The film, nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards, credited four writers for its screenplay--one of the writers was Crawfordsville's Maurine Watkins.  After graduating from Crawfordsville High School in 1914, Watkins attended several universities before writing her Broadway hit, "Chicago".  After success on the stage, Watkins turned her attention to film writing.  Watkins' other screen contributions include Doctors' Wives (1931), No Man of Her Own (1932), and I Love You Again (1940). 

In Libeled Lady, an heiress sues a newspaper for libel after a false story is printed. The newspaper's editor then tries to set the heiress up in a compromising situation so that she is forced to drop the suit. 

Want to see Maurine Watkins' film for yourself?  If you have Turner Classic Movies, you're in luck.  TCM will be showing Libeled Lady on Monday February 7th at 12 p.m. and on March 15th at 11:15 p.m. 

Also, CDPL has a photograph of Maurine Watkins with the Sunshine Society.  You can view the photo here.

Sources:
TCM database entry for Libeled Lady

IMDb entry for Maurine Dallas Watkins

In the Gallery -- February 2011

PHOTOGRAPHIC AWAKENINGS by Bob Hamm

Bob Hamm, a native Hoosier, comes to us from Linden, Indiana. Before settling in Linden, he had been a citizen of the world, thanks to Uncle Sam. He joined the United States Air Force after graduation from high school in 1969, signing up to serve four years. He graduated from Basic Training, Technical Training and then went on to an On the Job Training career as an Antenna Maintenance Specialist; later becoming a Communications Specialist. He served in Texas, Mississippi, Florida, Tachikawa, Japan and Koza, Okinawa.

He reenlisted and was assigned for four years to Spain where he was able to toured the country. His last assignment was at Offutt AFB in Bellevue, NE where his military career ended in 1977 -- He had served over 7 years of a 4 year tour!

It was during one of his assignments in Okinawa, Japan that he became interested in photography. He wanted to document places he had been and people he had met while in the military. He bought a 35 mm manual film camera with a 55 mm lens and began educating himself about how to use it. All the bells and whistles on the camera were intimidating, but eventually he learned it all. His first 35mm camera was a Petri for which he later purchased a 135 mm lens.

After Robert was honorably discharged from the military, he wanted to become a "Professional Photographer". He took a correspondence course through the School of Modern Photography in Little Falls, New Jersey and did well. He received a Certificate of Completion in December of 1978, which made him feel very proud indeed. He was young and more than ready to prove that he was the world's best photographer! Well maybe not! Bob learned the hard way that sometimes the best laid plans simply do not work out as hoped.

Since that time, Bob has kept in touch with his passion for photography by reading as many books as possible on great and not so great photographers and their work. He has photographed weddings, taken portraits inside and out and enjoys taking scenic and nature shots. At present he has everything he needs to open a studio. Maybe you would like to be one of his first customers and get a discount. Take one of his cards and enjoy!

The ORCHIDS IN THE SNOW Display Case exhibit will remain until February 18, 2011

J.D. Salinger 1919-2010

January marks the month for both the birth and death of the reclusive author J. D. Salinger. He was born in New York, January 1, 1919 and died January 27, 2010. In his most famous work, The Catcher in the Rye, the angry protagonist Holden Caulfield narrates his adventures when he runs away from boarding school and finds his way to New York City.

Salinger had attended Valley Forge Military Academy which became the model for Caulfield's Pencey Prep. After graduation Salinger drifted through life until he found his calling as an author. He submitted stories to the mass-circulated magazines hoping to one day be published in the New Yorker. Finally the New Yorker accepted his story about young rebellious Holden Caulfield. The novel The Catcher in the Rye was finally published in 1953 to critical acclaim.

Salinger did not enjoy his popularity and guarded his privacy with a shotgun. He became the ultimate anti-celebrity and even went as far as having his picture removed from the dust jackets of his books.
He said "I love to write, but I write just for myself and my own pleasure."

CDPL has copies of his books plus a biography of elusive author.


Sources:

Lacayo, Richard. J.D. Salinger, Dies: Hermit Crab of American Letters, http://www.time.com/time/printout/ 0,8816,1957492,00.html, 1/5/2011..

DeCourcy, Anne, Why did J.D. Salinger spend the last 60 years hid in a shed writing love notes to teenage girls?, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1246881, 1/5/2011.

Euchre at the Library!

Euchre at the library!

Beginning: Wednesday February 2nd      Time:  5:30

We will meet for seven consecutive Wednesdays -- Just For Fun -- and have a final meeting March 23rd for a Euchre Tournament.

All "Fun" meetings are scheduled in  the basement classroom.

Must be at least 18 years old! Please sign up at the Circulation Desk.

After Hours Genealogy Research

The Genealogy Club of Montgomery County, IN Corp is holding its "After Hours Genealogy Research" from 5:00 -9:00 pm, January 28, 2011 at the Crawfordsville District Public Library.

Pizza Supper and research -- no charge -- donations accepted towards pizza
-- 5:00 pm = Donnelley room, lower level;
-- 5:45 pm = Research in local history and reference area, 2nd floor (no time limit on computers)
-- 9:00pm = final closing.

Advanced arrival (Before 5:00pm) is required. Library is locked at 5:00pm -- Visitors Welcome --Please confirm your expected attendance by Wednesday, January 26, 2011. 765-362-2242 ext 118 or 624 or gen@cdpl.lib.in.us

New Adult Non-Fiction: Resources for Guitarists

CDPL now has new resources for guitarists!

Teach yourself to play guitar with Mel Bay's Guitar Chords and Mel Bay's Modern Guitar Method Grade 1.  Both of these instruction books include DVD tutorials.

Once you've learned the chords, learn to play the songs of John Mayer and Jack Johnson.  John Mayer Anthology Volume 1 (for piano, vocal, and guitar) includes the songs Daughters, Why Georgia, Your Body is a Wonderland, and Waiting on the World to Change. 

Strum & Sing Jack Johnson (for guitar and vocal) includes the songs Bubble Toes, Cocoon, Rodeo Clowns, and Inaudible Melodies. 

Happy Birthday, Wilbur de Paris!

Bandleader and trombone player Wilbur de Paris was born in Crawfordsville on January 11, 1900. The Paris family lived at 601 Illinois Street in Crawfordsville and his father, Sidney, is listed as an auctioneer in the city directory. Wilbur attended Crawfordsville High School and played the tuba in the school orchestra before traveling to New Orleans with Billy and Mary Mack's Merrymakers. Along with his brother, Sidney, Wilbur formed New New Orleans Jazz, a band that toured and released many records throughout the 1950s. He worked with Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, and Duke Ellington. Wilbur and his band performed at the Cannes Jazz Festival in 1960 and were also showcased in The Pirate starring Gene Kelly and Judy Garland.  He died on January 3, 1973 at his home in New York City.

Sources:  
American National Biography
REF 920 Ame
Crawfordsville City Directory, 1914-1945 
RL977.248 Cra

Images of America: Crawfordsville now available

The Crawfordsville District Public Library is pleased to announce the release of Images of America: Crawfordsville, a book of photographs, postcards, and other illustrations that tell the story of Crawfordsville's history since 1865. The book, a well-researched, detail-packed collection of archival photographs and captions, was written by Bill Helling, Head of Reference/Local History at CDPL. Helling has directed the digitization of the library's archives and creation of the many local history databases for many years. From the laying of the cornerstone for the Montgomery County courthouse in 1875 to mid-1950s views of city streets, from old Central School to the closing of Horace Mann School, from Bischof's Big Store to R.R. Donnelley, the book presents significant photographs in the life of our city in central Indiana. The book will be available locally as well as from major booksellers.

Genealogy Club of Montgomery County

The Genealogy Club of Montgomery County presents "Elston Family Genealogy Expanded" by Tamara Hemmerlein, Executive Director, Montgomery County Historical Society at 7:00 pm on January 11, 2011.

The program wil lbe held at the Crawfordsville District Public Library in the Donnelley Room. Public Invited. Call: (765) 362-2242 Ext 118 or 624 for more information.

In the Gallery -- January 2011

The intriguing January Gallery presents two exceptional artists. Pontip Berry has created ORCHIDS IN THE SNOW: An Art Clay Rendition and David Mngodo is exhibiting ORIGINS: Paintings Filled with Color and Light.

PONTIP BERRY owns and operates Berry Beautiful Flowers in Avon, Indiana, where she sculpts and hand paints flowers from specialty clay. After her son went to college, she revisited Thailand, her native country, and discovered a small flower shop where they were making clay flowers and teaching classes. On her next trip to Thailand, she learned how to create these flowers with air dry clay and was immediately inspired to share this craft in America.

It has been nearly five years since Pontip started her business and she is still in love with sculpting new flowers every week. The process of making, specializing and customizing each flower keeps Pontip fully occupied. Many hours are dedicated to the small details that are done by hand. When you first look at the flowers they appear real. The first question customers usually ask is "Are they real?" Can I touch them? Pontip answers that they are real in the sense that you can touch them and keep them forever and you don't have to water them!

Each flower is hand crafted using air dry clay. Stems are made from clay mixed with the desired color and molded over a wire armature for strength. The petals are handmade using white as the base and adding desired color. Special tools are used to get the size and shape desired. The petals are glued together to form the flower and the flowers are then attached to the stems to complete a one of a kind creation. The special imported air dry clay adds to the uniqueness of each flower which can be mounted on a treated natural wood base or vase.

Pontip often travels to arts and crafts shows to display her flowers which come in all shapes and sizes from miniature to large. She is hopeful that you will find each arrangement stunningly beautiful and amazingly lifelike. I did!

DAVID MNGODO is a self taught artist who works primarily with acrylics, but also enjoys using oil and pastels. He graduated from the Art Instructional School of Minnesota and Collins College of Design and Technology in Tempe, Arizona. He has exhibited his work in New York, Arizona, Minnesota and Wisconsin. In 2007, he received the Minnesota Inventors Congress Art Festival "Peoples Choice Award."

His work has been commissioned by the Redwood, Minnesota Area Hospital and multiple individuals. His work can be found online at www.davidmngodo.com

David's view of the world comes through his paintings, most especially through the use of colors and negative space, creating an emotional feeling in each painting. This provided David with an opportunity to develop a style that always tells a story. His paintings are filled with the colors and lights that fill his memory. His abstract hard line paintings draw the observer into each painting revealing David’s creative intent to develop a particular feeling or story.
In addition to His work as an artist, David serves as Senior Pastor for Revere Christian Fellowship in Revere, Minnesota and in De Forest, Wisconsin. He is active with Redwood Falls Public Library, Redwood Area Foundation, Redwood Falls Chamber of Commerce and Big Buddies of Western Community Action.

Auld Lang Syne: a New Year's Tradition

"Auld Lang Syne" is a popular song sung on New Year's Eve by many Americans; however, the song is Scottish in origin. The poet Robert Burns first published the old Scottish song in the 1796 edition of Scots Musical Museum. He transcribed and made some refinements to the song after he had heard it sung in his native Scotland.

Many people sing the song and really don't know what the lyrics mean. "Auld Lang Syne" means "times gone by" but the literal translation is "old long since." The song poses the question of whether old times and friends will be forgotten, yet it promises to remember those from the past with kind thoughts.

However, the song owes its popularity to the bandleader Guy Lombardo. Lombardo, a Canadian by birth, heard the song in London, Ontario. When he and his brothers formed a dance band, the Royal Canadians, the song became one of their standards. It was played at midnight at the New Year's Eve party at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City in 1929, and that marked the beginning of a tradition.

From the 1930s until 1976 the song was played at New York's Waldorf Astoria Hotel marking the end of one year and the beginning of the next. Since the band was on the radio and later on television that song played in many peoples' homes. Life magazine wrote, "If Lombardo failed to play 'Auld Lang Syne,' the American public would not believe that the new year had really arrived."

CDPL has several CDs that include "Auld Lang Syne" on their playlist. Check one out so that you may continue the New Year's tradition.

Source:

New Year's Traditions: Auld Lang Syne and other New Year's Customs

Happy Birthday, Susan Elston Wallace!

Susan Elston Wallace was born into the prominent Compton family of Crawfordsville on Christmas Day in 1830. In 1852, Susan married future Ben Hur author Lew Wallace. Mrs. Wallace demonstrated her own literary talent in many poems, articles, and books published throughout the years. 

CDPL recently discovered an original 1890 letter written by Wallace.

For more information on Susan Elston Wallace, read this profile or visit the Lane Place.

Interested in reading her works? CDPL has these titles.

Deweys Do -- CDPL's Book Club

Need Something to Do this Winter?

Try Deweys Do!

CDPL's Book Club will meet January 10, 2011 at 6:30 p.m.
We are reading Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen in preparation for the discussion.

Come and join the fun. You can borrow a book from us! Just ask at the circulation desk.

Happy Birthday, Jane Austen!

Born December 16, 1877, Jane Austen is one of the most popularly known and well-received English novelists of the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries.  Her novels include Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, and Emma.

CDPL has a large collection of Jane Austen items, including her works, non-fiction about the novelist, fiction based on Austen's life, and film adaptations on DVD.

Are you an Austen enthusiast?  View biographical information, a timeline, quotations, and read-alike authors at www.janeausten.org.

Take a look at what the Jane Austen Society of North America has to offer at http://www.jasna.org/info/about_austen.html

Happy Birthday, Gustave Flaubert!

Gustave Flaubert  (December 12, 1821 -- May 8, 1880) was a French novelist whose works include Madame Bovary (1857), Sentimental Education (1869), and Bouvard et Pécuchet (1881). His output was not large because he agonized over each word he would commit to paper, searching for the right word ("le mot juste") for days or weeks at a time. Flaubert combined the traits of a romantic, a realist, and a stylist -- which may explain the wide influence he had on writers who followed him. Many critics consider Flaubert the first modern novelist, however, because of his ability to make the style of his novel often more important than any action he described.

Why not try some Flaubert from CDPL?

"One never tires of what is well written, style is life! It is the very blood of thought!" -- Flaubert

Happy Birthday, Emily Dickinson!

WILD nights! Wild nights!

Were I with thee,

Wild nights should be

Our luxury!

Futile the winds

To a heart in port, --

Done with the compass,

Done with the chart.

Rowing in Eden!

Ah! the sea!

Might I but moor

To-night in thee!

It seems a contradiction that the author of this adventuresome poem should be Emily Dickinson, a woman who spent most of her adult life scarcely leaving her home. She was born on December 10, 1830 in Amherst, Massachusetts, a tiny farming village at the time. Her father was a successful lawyer, treasurer of Amherst College, and politician. She attended Mount Holyoke Female Seminary, but returned home after one year. Some writers speculate that she was homesick.

She remained in her family home until her death at 1886. She once was a bright and social being who started to withdraw from society in the 1850s. This was the beginning of her trend toward solitude. It was during this time that Emily found her poet's voice.

"Dickinson's poetry reflects her loneliness and the speakers of her poems generally live in a state of want." While she was an extremely prolific poet, and often enclosed poems in her letters to friends, it wasn't until after her death that she received recognition.

CDPL has several books of poems and biographies of this significant American poet.

Sources:

Benet, Laura. The mystery of Emily Dickinson, NY: Dodd, 1974

Emily Dickinson, Poets.org, http:www.poets.org/poet-php/prmPID/155, 11/17/2010.

Happy Birthday, Larry Bird!

Larry Bird (December 7, 1956) is a former American NBA basketball player and coach. Bird was born in West Baden, Indiana, and grew up in nearby French Lick. He played three years for Indiana State University, leading the Sycamores to their first NCAA tournament, and in 1979 they played in the championship game -- losing to the Michigan State University Spartans, who were also led by a future NBA star: Earvin "Magic" Johnson. Bird was drafted into by the Boston Celtics and played forward for 13 seasons. He retired as a player in 1992 and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1998. Bird was coach of the Indiana Pacers from 1997 to 2000; in 2003, he became president of basketball operations for the Pacers.

Some quick stats on Larry Bird:

• 6'9", 220-pounds
• scored over 20,000 points in the NBA
• 88.6% from the free throw line (9th best all-time)

Check out Larry Bird @ CDPL!

A Christmas Story

Released in 1983, A Christmas Story is set in Hammond, Indiana, in the 1940s. The plot revolves around 9 year old Ralphie's dream of receiving a Red Ryder air rifle from Santa Claus for Christmas. The film was based on co-writer Jean Shepherd's loosely autobiographical stories. In addition to short stories, Shepherd, who was raised in Hammond, Indiana, worked in radio and television.

If you like A Christmas Story, browse these other titles by or about Jean Shepherd.

Get in the holiday spirit by checking out CDPL's Christmas-themed movies!

Christmas customs: the sending of Christmas cards

Christmas cards were popular in Europe before Louis Prang, a Boston lithographer, brought the custom to the United States in 1875. He offered a selection of cards with art reproductions from original works by contemporary painters. He was soon forced out of business by the German card-makers who priced their post cards at just 1 penny. These penny post cards were in favor until World War I arrived and all shipping from Germany was blocked.

At the same time an enterprising young Joyce Hall was abandoning the sales of penny post cards and replacing them with greeting cards. Hall's business became Hallmark Cards. Hallmark has had a special focus on Christmas cards even since its earliest days.

Modern technology has diminished some of the number of Christmas Cards sent through the mail, although an estimated 2 billion card were exchanged. In 2005, President Bush and his wife sent over 1.4 million cards wishing Happy Holidays to lucky recipients.

CDPL has a large collection of Christmas books located on the 2nd floor.  Browse titles here.

Sources:

Chalmers, Irena. The Great American Christmas Almanac, NY: Viking, 1988

http://www.ideafinder.com/features/everwonder/won-christcard.htm

In the Gallery -- December

ARCHITECTURAL COLORED PENCIL DRAWINGS
by Tony Jeurissen

Tony Jeurissen was born in German occupied Holland (Netherlands) in 1943. His father was a civilian casualty of the pre D-Day bombings of Europe by the Allies. His Dad survived, but was an invalid the rest of his life.

During the Market Garden operation, the house Tony was born in was shelled and gutted and his parents lost everything. They lived only a few blocks from the bridge too far in Arnheim. After World War II most European people survived with help from the Government, Churches and Family. Tony's Dad also received $2.00 per week restitution from the Marshall Plan.

In 1956 Tony's parents immigrated to the United States to provide a better future for their family as Europe's future was bleak in those days. After a short stay in New York City, the family moved to Urbana, Illinois where Tony received his education. His first job was as a commercial artist for a sporting goods company. At that job he found he wasn't meant to be chained to a drawing table eight hours a day. He enjoyed and much preferred freelance designing. In 1967, Tony and his family moved to Crawfordsville where he got a job at Donnelly's in the pressroom. He retired from that position in 2005. He considers his artwork his retirement hobby. It challenges him to enjoy both the labor and the results of that labor.

When Tony was eight, he found he was good at both art and soccer. He played competitive soccer until he was 58 years old and is still drawing! His advice to people, including retirees, is to stay active at whatever you are good at. Tony's artwork is reflective of his character: he is a realist, a preservationist, a traditionalist, innovator and adventurer. His medium is colored pencil. His technique involves layering, straight line drawing, rubbing, smudging, erasing, soaping and taping. His tools include: soap, tape, paper towels, Kleenex and a T-square. His studio is his kitchen table. His subject matter is mostly local scenes, things he sees every day. His titles are dedications to meaningful people in his life plus a short description of his subject.

POTTERY PLUS
by Belinda Kiger

Belinda Kiger was first introduced to pottery through classes taught by Audrey Rossmann at the Morton Community Center in West Lafayette, Indiana. She has taken classes at the center for about fifteen years. She considers her pottery a professional hobby and good therapy. Belinda and several of her pottery friends have come together and formed the Wabash Valley Potters. They have participated in pottery art shows together at the Tippecanoe Art Federation for the past five years. Several years ago she built her own raku kiln and has developed a love for this technique of firing. She works with raku, stoneware and terra cotta clay most of the time. She does raku, horsehair, smoked and functional style pottery. Many times she incorporates the landscape, nature and the environment into her pottery. To take raw clay from the earth and turn it into a beautiful and interesting piece of art is inspirational for her. Belinda graduated from Crawfordsville High School and has a BS degree in landscape architecture from Purdue University. Professionally, she works as a park planner, city urban forester, naturalist and environmentalist and is the Community Parks & Urban Forestry Manager for Lafayette's Parks & Recreation Department in the City of Lafayette. She has a married daughter and a three year old grandson who live in Chicago.