We're Gonna Party Like It's...1939

Did you know that this year the Superior Public Library is celebrating its 125th anniversary with a video contest?  Perhaps you wonder what libraries and movies have in common?  Well.....

Browsing the new book section recently, I noticed a new filmography-"Majestic Hollywood: The Greatest Films of 1939" by Mark A Vieria.

Films of 1939" by Mark A Vieria.  Well here is a coincidence! I had just watched "1939-A TCM Original Documentary" on Turner Classic Movies. Apparently 1939 was the pinnacle of Hollywood movie making. Why? I decided to dig a little bit deeper.

Of the ten movies nominated for Best Picture that year, over half have novels as their source material. They are:
 "Gone With the Wind" by Margaret Mitchell
 "The Wizard of Oz" by Frank L. Baum
 "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" by Victor Hugo
 "Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck
" Goodbye, Mr. Chips" by James Hilton
 "Wuthering Heights" by Emily Bronte.
 And according to TCM.com, the source material for "Stagecoach" was a short story written by Ernest  Haycox and published by Collier's magazine in 1937. (By the way, if you're interested in reading any of these and then watching the movie, we can help you with that-the library has most of these titles in both formats.)

There has been a long association between movies and books. The 1902 French film "A Trip to the Moon" is loosely based upon Jules Verne's novels "From the Earth to the Moon" and "Around the Moon." 0watch it here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNLZntSdyKE

 More recently, of  the 2014 Academy Award nominees 4 of the 9 are based on novels or memoirs:
Captain Phillips-"A Captain's Duty:Somali Pirates, Navy SEALS, and Dangerous Days at Sea" by Richard Phillips
Philomena-"The Lost Child of Philomena Lee" by Martin Sixsmith
12 Years a Slave-"12 Years a Slave" by Solomon Northup
The Wolf of Wall Street-"The Wolf of Wall Street" by Jordan Belfort

So to embrace the long historical link between the written word and film, as well as to celebrate our quasquicentennial, the Superior Public Library is proud to announce our 125th Anniversary Video Contest!

A Grand Prize of $250 is in the offing, as well as $150 for 2nd place and $100 for 3rd. The deadline to enter is August 31, 2014. Complete rules can be found atsuperiorlibrary.org Choose any genre you like-the only criteria is that it showcase one of Superior's public libraries, old or new.  Maybe you have some fond memories of the library-put them on film! (Well, actually digital.  Film has come a long way since 1939).

Listen While You Work

Last night while working the front desk at the library, a patron who was checking out some audiobooks commented to me that audiobooks had helped them get through some remodeling projects in their kitchen.

Do you have a project coming up?  Spring is the time when people start thinking about their DIY home improvements.  My own project is to paint the living room, if it ever warms up enough to open the windows.  Or maybe you are in the mood for some Spring cleaning.  Perhaps you spend a lot of time commuting.  Whatever the situation, these activities can get monotonous.  Listening to something while you work or travel can make the time fly by.

The library has over 900 books on CD and cassette in adult, young adult and children's titles.  Something is sure to appeal to you.  

For all ages I recommend "The Lord of the Rings".  It is available as a straight read-thru in three books, but my personal favorite is the BBC radio production starring Sir Ian Holm. Not everyone know that before he played Bilbo Baggins in the movies, Sir Ian played Frodo Baggins in the radio dramatization.

Sir Ian Holm

Another family friendly one is "A Series of Unfortunate Events" by Lemony Snicket.  The books are read by Tim Curry, who you may know as Dr. Frank-n-Furter from "The Rocky Horror Picture Show".  He does a completely marvelous performance of this darkly comic children's series.

Tim Curry

Dr. Frank-n-Furter

The" Harry Potte"r series performed by Jim Dale is another wonderful series to listen to. A friend of mine who "never reads children's book" listened to these and totally enjoyed them.

I rarely read non-fiction, but I will listen to it.  David Sedaris is a great humorist and he reads his own stories.  "Me Talk Pretty One Day" is funny to read but listening to Mr. Sedaris read it is hilarious. Garrison Keillor has lots of different books on CD, from biography to fiction to stories of Lake Wobegon from his  "A Prairie Home Companion" radio show.  Many authors will read their own autobiographies on CD.  Hearing someone read their own story adds to my understanding and enjoyment of their stories. 

Maybe you want get some education while your are doing your manual labor. Parlez-vous francais?  Non?  We can help with that.  French, Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, and many more languages are available on CD.  Or maybe you want to catch up on the Shakespeare you found so boring in high school.  The library has over 30 of his most popular plays performed on CD.

So after you hit Menard's or Home Depot or Campbell's Lumber for your home improvement supplies, stop by the Library for some other supplies.  You'll be done before you know it, and ready to start on a  new project so you can finish that last chapter. Happy listening.