American Army field hospital inside ruins of church. France, 1918
Today, I invite you to think about those veterans who have suffered mental or physical damage as a result of their service to our country. The Library of Congress has put together a page of the Veterans History Project entitled, "Disabled Veterans: The Unhealed Wounds."
For disabled veterans, their wounds of war are daily facts of life. They are obstacles or impediments, but for the men and woman in these stories, they are not roadblocks. All say they don’t want special consideration for their disabilities, only fair and humane treatment—from the government they served and from the communities in which they live.
Stories of men and women from many wars are included. You'll find audio, video, and written interviews and memoirs.
If you are, or know of, a disabled vet, you may be interested in this title from our collection: The Wounded Warrior Handbook: A Resource Guide for Returning Veterans by Don Philpott [362.1086 PHI].
There are many other stories in Experiencing War: Stories from the Veterans History Project, divided up into topics from "Art of War" to "Women in Four Wars". For a complete listing click here.
Just a few weeks ago The Christmas Cookie Club by Ann Pearlman [F PEA] was released. It's a book celebrating the tradition of the cookie swap whereby a group of people get together to exchange cookies and to enjoy each other's company. The Christmas Cookie Club starts like this,
I am the head cookie bitch and this is my party. The Christmas cookie club is always on the first Monday of December. Mark it on your calendar. Twelve of us gather with thirteen dozen cookies wrapped in packages. Homemade, of course. We each bring a dish to pass around and a bottle of wine.
Sounds like a fun read!
Several publishers seem to be on the same cookie swap wavelength, because Cookie Swap: Creative Treats to Share Throughout the Year by Julia M. Usher [641.8654 USH] was also recently released. This book is a real treat for the eyes! The decorated cookies and their unusual presentations are outstandingly photographed by Steve Adams. If the idea of creating works of cookie art is daunting, then look for one of our many straight-forward cookie books, such as The Wellesley Cookie Exchange Cookbook by Susan Mahnke Peery [641.8654 PEE].
On Wednesday, November 18 at 7:00 pm, we will hosting a workshop for adults and older teens, "Writing as a Gift: How to 'Wrap Up' Your Writing as a Holiday Gift." The workshop will be conducted by writer and editor, Julie MacShane.
Julie says,
Giving a poem or story as a holiday gift is one of the most powerful and personal gifts you can present to someone you care about. Penning a short story or remembrance about that person is a wonderful testament to a strong relationship. Poems of love or tribute are always appreciated.
Participants are asked to bring a copy of writing that they may want to give as a gift. During the workshop the samples will be discussed and suggestions made for improvement.
Julie will show participants how to give their writing gifts "sparkle" through the use of color, art, stickers, and special holiday-themed paper. There will also be discussion of the best and least expensive ways to bind these gifts.
Call the library at 432-7154 to register.
If you'd like to create a piece of writing for the workshop, here are a few books to help you get started:
DeSalvo, Louise. Writing as a Way of Healing: How Telling Our Stories Transforms Our Lives. [808 DES]
Polking, Kirk. Writing Family Histories and Memoirs. [929 POL]
Rozakis, Laurie. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Creative Writing. [808 ROZ]
Spence, Londa. Legacy: A Step-by-Step Guide to Writing Personal History. [808 SPE]
Whitman, Joan. Recipes into Type: A Handbook for Cookbook Writers and Editors. [808 WHI]
Where in the Wild?: Camouflaged Creatures Concealed...Revealed [591.472 SCH] with its "ear-tickling" poems by David M. Schwartz and Yael Schy and "eye-tricking" photos by Dwight Kuhn is, quite simply, AWESOME!
For a teacher the book could serve several purposes:
Science through the study of animals, camouflage, pattern, etc.
Literature, specifically poetry. Especially a study of forms.
Fold out pages contain factual information about each creature.
For the reader there is the added delight of the search!
Here's one of the concrete poems found within. I hope the scan is clear enough to read, if not, come down to the library to borrow the book!
Although it's not going to start until January, USA Network is already promoting a new series, "American Character along Highway 50," hosted by Tom Brokaw.
We don't have any books on Highway 50, but we do have several on highway travel including The Next EXIT: Your Guide to Gas, Food, Lodging, Medical Services, and Retail Stores at Every Interstate Highway Exit [910 NEX], Roadfood: The Coast-to-Coast Guide to 600 of the Best Barbecue Joints, Lobster Shacks, Ice-Cream Parlors, Highway Diners, and Much, Much More by Jane and Michael Stern [647.9573 STE], and Diners, Drive-Ins, Dives: An All-American Road Trip--With Recipes! by Guy Fieri [647.9573 FIE].
We also have books dealing with highway history such as First Highways of America by John L. Butler [388.1 BUT], and Route 66 Remembered by Michael Karl Witzel [388.1 WIT].
If you have a hankering for a road trip, make sure you take along a few CDs for the trip such as John Mellencamp's Freedom Road [CD ROCK MEL] and Bon Jovi's Lost Highway [CD ROCK BON].
Ernest Hemingway begins his short story, "The Snows of Kilimanjaro,"
Kilimanjaro is a snow covered mountain 19,710 feet high, and is said to be the highest mountain in Africa. Its western summit is called the Masai "Ngaje Ngai," the House of God. Close to the western summit there is a dried and frozen carcass of a leopard. No one has explained what the leopard was seeking at that altitude.
Perhaps you read the story back in high school, or maybe you watched the 1952 film starring Gregory Peck? "The Snows of Kilimanjaro" is one of those titles that everyone recognizes, and I'd even venture to guess that everyone associates Hemingway with the story.
I have some bad news to share, though--in a few years the snows will no longer cover the mountain. Climate change is taking its toll--rapidly. Read about Kilimanjaro's disappearing glacier here.
To read Hemingway's story, borrow The Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway [F HEM] or you can listen to it on audio, The Snows of Kilimanjaro; and, The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber [AB/CD HEM].
To see photos of the way other places on Earth are changing, click here.
This Friday, a new movie starring George Clooney is opening, The Men Who Stare at Goats. This intriguing title is also the title of a book by Jon Ronson [355.3434 RON] upon which the movie is based.
Several years ago I read the book simply on the basis of the title alone. Wouldn't you? Here's the description from the publisher:
In 1979 a secret unit was established by the most gifted minds within the U.S. Army. Defying all known accepted military practice — and indeed, the laws of physics — they believed that a soldier could adopt a cloak of invisibility, pass cleanly through walls, and, perhaps most chillingly, kill goats just by staring at them.
Entrusted with defending America from all known adversaries, they were the First Earth Battalion. And they really weren't joking. What's more, they're back and fighting the War on Terror.
With firsthand access to the leading players in the story, Ronson traces the evolution of these bizarre activities over the past three decades and shows how they are alive today within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and in postwar Iraq. Why are they blasting Iraqi prisoners of war with the theme tune to Barney the Purple Dinosaur? Why have 100 debleated goats been secretly placed inside the Special Forces Command Center at Fort Bragg, North Carolina? How was the U.S. military associated with the mysterious mass suicide of a strange cult from San Diego? The Men Who Stare at Goats answers these and many more questions.
By the time I had finished reading the book, I was sure that it was a work of fiction! One of the subject headings for the book is "Parapsychology: Military aspects." Truthfully, doesn't that scream "make-believe" to you?
Take a look at the trailer below if you haven't already seen it at the theater or on television. I can't wait to see the film!
We have another book on our shelves that may be of interest: Warfare in the 21st Century [355.02 WAR]. In it you'll find a reprint of an article from The Christian Science Monitor, "Bang! You're Incapacitated," by Brad Knickerbocker. The article, originally published in 2002, contains examples of nontraditional methods of defeating an enemy such as
Malodorants--chemicals that mimic the most revolting smells (rotting food or human waste) and can disperse attackers like a skunk at a garden party.
Currently Adult Services Librarian/Assistant Director at the Nesmith Library in Windham, NH. Children's Services Librarian, 1986-1998. Sometimes masquerades as the children's writer, Diane Mayr. Her latest picture book is Run, Turkey, Run! Women of Granite: 25 NH Women You Should Know, co-written with The Write Sisters was released in 2008. Women of the Bay State is now out!
