Library UIndy Web

Archive of KML Acquisition Notes

The following notes--highlighting some of KML's newly acquired materials--are written periodically by KML's Manager of Technical Services, Lucy Fields. For the current month's notes, please refer to the What's New page.

If you would like to see a complete list of newly acquired materials, you can refer to the following special search page of the KML catalog: New Titles List.

March/April 2008

This month I want to feature two books to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. - a new biography of Dr. King, and a book pertaining to the history of the civil rights movement. As always, these books will be on the New Books display shelves, located just around the corner from the elevator on the first floor of the Krannert Memorial Library. After that they can be located at the call numbers indicated.

• King: Pilgrimage to the Mountaintop, by Harvard Sitkoff - 323.1196073 K56Ysi 2008
  "Might Martin Luther King, Jr's greatest accomplishments have been ahead of him? His murder in April 1968 did far more than cut tragically short the life of one of America's most remarkable civil rights leaders. In this concise biography, Harvard Sitkoff presents a stunningly relevant King. The 1955 Montgomery bus boycott, Kin's soul-stirring 1963 address from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, and the history-altering 1965 Selma march are all recounted. But these are not treated as predetermined high points in a life celebrated for its role in a civil rights struggle too many Americans have quickly relegated to the past. Carefully presented alongside King's successes are his failures - as an organizer in Albany, Georgia, and St. Augustine, Florida; as a leader of even more strident activists; as a husband. Together, high and low points are interwoven to capture King's lifelong struggle through disappointment and epiphany, with his own injunction: 'Let us be Christian in all our actions.' By telling King's life as one on the verge of reaching its greatest fulfillment, Stikoff powerfully shows where King's faith and activism were leading him - to a direct confrontation with a president over an immoral war and with an America blind to its complicity in economic injustice." -- Book jacket flap.


• The Lost Promise of Civil Rights, by Risa L. Goluboff - 323.1196073 G65L 2007
  "In this groundbreaking book, Risa L. Goluboff offers a provocative new account of the history of American civil rights law. The Supreme Court's decision in Brown v. Board of Education has long dominated that history. Since 1954, generations of judges, lawyers and ordinary people have viewed civil rights as a project of breaking down formal legal barriers to integration, especially in the context of public education. Goluboff recovers a world before Brown , a world in which civil rights was legally, conceptually, and constitutionally up for grabs. Then, the petitions of black agricultural workers in the American South and industrial workers across the nation called for a civil rights law that would redress economic as well as legal inequalities...By uncovering the lost challenges workers and their lawyers launched against Jim Crow in the 1940s, Goluboff shows how Brown only partially fulfilled the promise of civil rights." -- Book jacket flap.

February 2008

As I did last year, I present to you the Newbery and Caldecott medal winners and honor books. They will be on display on the New Books Shelf (relocated around the corner from the elevator on the first floor) until they are checked out. After that they can be found at the call numbers indicated. All descriptions of the books were found at the American Library Association's website (www.ala.org).

The Newbery Medal was created in 1922 and is named for eighteenth-century British bookseller, John Newbery. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.

This year's medal winner is Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village by Laura Amy Schlitz. "Thirteenth century England springs to life using 21 dramatic individual narratives that introduce young inhabitants of village and manor; from Hugo, the lord's nephew, to Nelly, the sniggler. Schlitz's elegant monologues and dialogues draw back the curtain on the period, revealing character and relationships, hinting at stories untold." This book has not yet been received in the library so keep your eyes peeled.

Newbery Honor Books are "runners-up" to the medal winner. There are three books honored this year:

• Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis - JUV 813 C96e 2007
  "Elijah is the first free-born child in Buxton, a Canadian community of escaped slaves, in 1860. With masterful storytelling, vibrant humor and poignant insight into the realities of slavery and the meaning of freedom, Curtis takes readers on a journey that transforms a fragile 11 year old boy into a courageous hero."


• The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt - JUV 813 S3w 2007
  "Seventh-grader, Holling Hoodhood, is convinced his teacher hates him. Through their Wednesday afternoon Shakespeare sessions she helps him cope with events both wildly funny and deadly serious. 'To thine own self be true' is just one of the life lessons he learns."


• Feathers by Jacqueline Woodson - JUV 813 W89f 2007
  "Feathers tells the story of how a new boy's arrival in a sixth-grade classroom helps Frannie recognize the barriers that separate people, and the importance of hope as a bridge. Transcendent imagery and lyrical prose deftly capture a girl learning to navigate the world through words."
  

The Caldecott Medal was named for nineteenth-century English illustrator Randolph Caldecott and is awarded annually to the artist/illustrator of the most distinguished American picture book for children.

This year's medal winner is The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick. I had previously featured this book in my November/December acquisition notes and agree wholeheartedly that this book should be the Caldecott Medal winner. It is currently checked out but when it returns you can find it at JUV ILLUS 3 S46i 2007.

The Caldecott Honor Books, like the Newbery Honors, are runners-up. This year there are four honored:

• Henry's Freedom Box: a True Story from the Underground Railroad illustrated by Ellen Levine - JUV 921 B76L 2007
  "Inspired by an antique lithograph, Kadir Nelson has created dramatically luminous illustrations that portray Henry "Box" Brown's ingenious design to ship himself in a box from slavery to freedom."


• First the Egg illustrated by Laura Vaccaro Seeger - JUV ILLUS 3 S43f 2007
  "Laura Vaccaro Seeger's innovative concept book on transformations uses strategically placed die-cuts to provide an astonishing visual explication of the word "then." Her richly textured brushstrokes creatively reveal the process of metamorphosis for young readers."


• The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain illustrated by Peter Sis. - JUV 921 S57a 2007
  This book, "a graphic memoir of Sis's youth in Prague, brilliantly weds artistic and design choices to content: tight little panels with officious lines and red punctuation; full-bleed line and watercolor spreads of nightmares and dreams; color and absence of color."


• Knuffle Bunny Too: a Case of Mistaken Identity illustrated by Mo Willems - JUV ILLUS 3 W535kn 2007
  "Willems sets the stage for one of the most dramatic double-paged spreads in picture book history...Masterful photo collages take Trixie and her daddy through their now familiar Brooklyn neighborhood to the Pre-K class where Trixie discovers that her beloved Knuffle Bunny is not so 'one-of-a-kind' anymore."

January 2008

Your friendly neighborhood cataloger here again...Well, the political race seems to be churning full steam ahead. No matter what party you belong to or side with, you can enjoy these three books that have been newly cataloged and can help to give you insight on our nations political parties and ideologies. As always, these books will be on the New Books Shelf first until the are checked out. After that they can be found at the call numbers listed. Enjoy!

• The Bulldozer and the Big Tent by Todd Gitlin - 320.5 G58b 2007
  "Todd Gitlin...argues that one thing matters to voters more than faith, values, policies, or track records: style. Voters pick their leaders based on qualities they perceive or aspire to themselves. Republicans want a bulldozer, a decider, a "commander guy." Faction-ridden democrats seek a candidate who can look like all things to all people: triangulators who can pitch a big enough tent to fit every kind of Democrat inside...Gitlin takes a long, hard look at the history of the conservative movement in America - its genesis, its methods and its powerful mix of big-business money, fundamentalist fervor, and take-no-prisoners attitude." -- Jacket flap


• America's Three Regimes by Morton Keller - 324.27309 K45am 2007
  "In this groundbreaking new book, Morton Keller divides our nation's history into three "regimes," each of which lasts many, many decades, allowing us to appreciate as never before the slow steady evolution of American public life...To provide this proper history, Keller groups America's past into three long regimes - Deferential and Republican, from the colonial period to the 1820s; Party and Democratic, from the 1830s to the 1930s; and Populist and Bureaucratic, from the 1930s to the present." -- Jacket flap


• Debating the 1960s - by Michael W. Flamm and David Steigerwald - 973.923 F53d 2008
  This book is primarily about the decade of the Sixties, but looks at it from a political point of view. "Debating the 1960s explores the decade through the arguments and controversies among radicals, liberals, and conservatives. The focus is on four main areas of contention: social welfare, civil rights, foreign relations, and social order. The book also examines the emergence of the New Left and the modern conservative movement." -- Back cover

November/December 2007

This month I've come across several new books that have art and illustration in common. These new titles can be found on the New Books Shelf, 1st floor of your Krannert Memorial Library adjacent to the Circulation Desk. After that they can be found at the call numbers indicated. Enjoy these gorgeous books!

• The Cat in Art, by Stefano Zuffi - 704.9432 975 Z84c 2007
  For the cat lovers and art lovers alike, "The art historian Stefano Zuffi takes us on a fascinating journey through centuries of masterpieces in which the image of the cat is depicted. Providing a broad overview of major themes as well as a close-up view of the cat as a silent but revealing figure, the author offers detailed interpretations of numerous works of art, including masterpieces of Egyptian and Classical art, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance and Baroque period, the age of Enlightenment, Romanticism, Impressionism and Post-Impressionism, through the Modern era." -- Jacket flap

• 1001 Paintings You Must See Before You Die, edited by Stephen Farthing - 750.11 O54 2007
  Exactly like it sounds, this lovely book gives a full color picture of each work along with a description. The works of art span the ages from ancient Egyptian to the 21st century. "Entertaining and informative text written by an international team of artists, curators, art critics and art collectors illuminates both the paintings and the people who painted them." -- Jacket flap

• Julie Taymor: Playing with Fire (updated and expanded edition), by Eileen Blumenthal - 792.0233092 T39zz B58 2007
  If you have seen the Broadway production of the Lion King, or the current Beatles-themed movie Across the Universe, you will be familiar with director/artist Julie Taymor, "one of the most imaginative and provocative directors and designers working in the performing arts." -- Jacket flap. This beautifully illustrated book includes photos and sketches from her numerous stage and screen productions.

• The Invention of Hugo Cabret: a Novel in Words and Pictures, by Brian Selznick - JUV ILLUS 3 S46i 2007
  This is one of the most intriguing and beautifully illustrated children's books I have seen in a long time. The story is a mystery that evolves from sparse writing and haunting black and white pencil drawings. You won't be able to put down the book until you find out how young Hugo, the clock keeper and thief, came to own a mechanical man that he struggles to repair.

September/October 2007

We are getting a regular influx of orders here in the library -- I thought I'd share with you some interesting finds that have crossed my desk in the month of October. As always, they will be on the New Books display shelf on the first floor of the library, first come first served. After that you can find them at the call numbers listed. Enjoy!

• O Let Us Howle Some Heavy Note: Music for Witches, the Melancholic, and the Mad on the 17th Century Stage, by Amanda Eubanks Winkler - 782.10942 09032 W56o 2006
  

  I thought the title was appropriate for October, here's what the jacket has to say, "In the seventeenth century, harmonious sounds were thought to represent the well-ordered body of the obedient subject...conversely, discordant, unpleasant music represented both those who caused disorder (murderers, drunkards, witches, traitors) and those who suffered from bodily disorders (melancholics, madmen and madwomen). O Let us Howle Some Heavy Note focuses on the various ways that theatrical music represented disorderly subjects."

• Beyond the Baton: What Every Conductor Needs to Know, by Diane Wittry - 781.45 W58b 2007
  

  "Seasoned conductor Diane Wittry draws a comprehensive roadmap to a successful career...From getting a job to fundraising and educational outreach, Wittry's comprehensive tips and strategies guide students and professional conductors alike though the leadership and organizational skills necessary for success." -- Jacket flap

• Classic Chic: Music Fashion & Modernism, by Mary Davis - 700.904 D38c 2006
  

  I'm anxious for the new season of Project Runway to start and this book caught my eye... "Looking in particular at three couturiers - Paul Poiret, Germaine Bongard, and Coco Chanel - and three breakthrough fashion magazines - La Gazette du Bon Ton, Vanity Fair and Vogue - Mary Davis illuminates for the first time the ways in which fashion's imperatives of originality and constant change influenced composers such as Erik Satie, Igor Stravinsky, and Les Six. She also considers the role played by Ballets Russes, and explores the contributions of artists including costume and set designer Leon Bakst, writer and director Jean Cocteau, Amedee Ozenfant, and Pablo Picasso." -- Jacket flap

• Divided America: the Ferocious Power Struggle in American Politics, by Earl and Merle Black - 324.273 B53d 2007
  

  As the race for the White House gets into full swing, consider this book. "Drawing on extensive polling data and close analyses of presidential, senatorial and congressional elections over the past fifty years, two eminent political scientists show, for the first time, how partisan warfare has reduced both major parties to minority status and locked them into fierce power struggles in each election cycle, thereby making America less stable and more difficult to govern." -- Jacket flap

July/August 2007

There's no real theme to my book list this month, but I found a couple of interesting titles for your summer reading enjoyment. As always, they will be available on the New Books shelf in the library near the Circulation Desk. After that, look for them at the call number indicated. Enjoy the summer!

• 174.957 C37s 2007
  Smart Mice, Not-So-Smart People: an Interesting and Amusing Guide to Bioethics, by Arthur L. Caplan

  "What do you think about cloning, stem cell research, brain enhancement, or conducting experiments on newly dead patients? Read /Smart Mice, Not-So-Smart People/ and you'll know what Art Caplan thinks. But this assortment of pithy, provocative opinions on all things bioethical does more than simply give you a piece of the author's mind - it also invites and even dares you to make up your own mind." - Jacket flap

• 364.1523 09794 B84h 1994
  Helter Skelter: the True Story of the Manson Murders, by Vincent Bugliosi with Curt Gentry

  I've got a great story to go with this one, one for the "Weird But True" files. When I was about 10 years old, my mother and I were home alone one evening, I being an only child and my father being out of town on business. Mom wanted to watch the documentary film based on this book and since she didn't want to scare herself watching it alone, she somehow talked me into watching it with her. We lived in a very small, very safe town in southeastern Indiana, but I'd never been more sure in my life that we were going to be the victims of some horrible cult murder that evening. In later years we would giggle at how silly we were to think that. So in a very strange way, when I see this book I think fondly of my dear departed mother.

• 398.45 B38L 2006
  Legends of Blood: the Vampire in History and Myth, by Wayne Bartlett and Flavia Idriceanu

  Continuing on the macabre theme: "/Legends of Blood/ traces this fascinating history from the myths of Ancient Greece and Egypt through the Gothic literature of 19th century Europe and up to present day, emphasizing how the tales of this alluring creature tap into humanity's most basic and primal fears." - Jacket flap

• 641.3009 M36m 2007
  Moveable Feasts: the History, Science, and Lore of Food, by Gregory McNamee

  ...and on a completely different subject...The foodie in me adores this book. Each chapter traces the history and lore of a different type of fruit, vegetable, nut or grain. It hooks you from almond to wheat. Big bonus: each chapter also includes recipes featuring that food from around the world...foodie heaven!

• 823.914 D69p 2006
  Paula Spencer: a Novel, by Roddy Doyle

  I'm a big fan of some of Mr. Doyle's previous works, so I've put this title on my "to read" pile. Other novels by him include /The Commitments, The Snapper/ and /The Van/, which were also made into excellent movies featuring casts of very talented Irish actors. This novel is a sequel to /The Woman Who Walked into Doors/, so it's best to read that first. These stories concern Paula Spencer, "a thirty nine year old Dublin housewife with an abusive husband and a weakness for the drink. Here Doyle triumphantly returns to Paula Spencer with the moving tale of her fight for a better future." Doyle writes with such wonderful dialog you can't help but hear the Irish accents of his very colorful characters.
  

May/June 2007

This month we've had quite an influx of books in the subject area of music. Here are a few titles that may "toot your horn."

• Divas and Scholars: Performing Italian Opera, by Philip Gossett - 782.10945 G67d 2006
  This one sounds delicious: "Writing as a fan, a musician and a scholar, Gossett, the leading authority on the performance of Italian opera in the entire world, brings colorfully to life the problems, and occasionally the scandals, that attend the production of some of the world's favorite operas." -- jacket flap


• Mozart: the Early Years, 1756-1781, by Stanley Sadie - 780.92 M93zy S23 2006
  For the Amadeus fans: " Renowned music historian Stanley Sadie takes us on a fascinating trip from Mozart's earliest days as a musical prodigy through his years of endless travel displaying his talents and finally to his escape from Salzburg, the provincial town of his youth." -- jacket flap


• The Librettist of Venice: the Remarkable Life of Lorenzo Da Ponte, Mozart's Poet, Casanova's Friend, and Italian Opera's Impresario in America, by Rodney Bolt - 782.1092 D3zy B65 2006
  Continuing on the Mozart and opera theme: "The Librettist of Venice is a vivid account of Da Ponte's passionate, picaresque life. Rodney Bolt takes readers from Old World courts and the back streets of Venice, Vienna, and London to a New World full of promise, on the trail of a man who seemed to rise phoenix-like from each new defeat." -- jacket flap


• Johann Sebastian Bach: His Life in Pictures and Documents, by Hans Conrad Fischer - 780.92 B118zy F57 2000 - also accompanying CD 1020 (ask for the CD at the Circulation Desk)
  This looks like a very colorful and entertaining "light" biography: "This engrossing text, enhanced with dozens of portraits, photos of locales and artifacts, maps, and manuscripts, brings Bach, his faith, and his achievements directly to the reader. So too do the 17 key selections on CD, sampling Bach's best known pieces from each genre and period of his life." -- jacket flap
  

Other musical titles this month:

• Hans Hotter: Memoirs - 782.1092 H68zy A111 2006
• Fritz Reiner, Maestro & Martinet - 784.2092 R45zy M67 2004
• George Gershwin: His Life & Work - 780.92 G37zy P65 2006
• Moriz Rosenthal in Word & Music: a Legacy of the 19th Century - 786.2092 R67zy M58 2006
• Creative Development of Johann Sebastian Bach (v.1) - 780.92 B118zz J66 v.1
• The World of Baroque Music: New Perspectives - 780.9032 W67 2007 (also CD 1022)
• Mozart's Women: the Man, the Music and the Loves of His Life - 780.92 M93zy G56 2005
• Shura Cherkassky: the Piano's Last Czar - 786.2092 C44zy C37 2006

 

March/April 2007

This month I'll focus on some fun reading for young and old...the Caldecott and Newbery Medal winners. Did you know your campus library receives the Caldecott and Newbery Medal books, as well as the Honor books, every year? The Newbery Medal was created in 1922 and is named for eighteenth-century British bookseller, John Newbery. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.

• This year's winner is The Higher Power of Lucky, by Susan Patron. According to Newbery Medal Committee Chair Jeri Kladder, "Patron takes us to the California desert community of Hard Pan where ten-year-old Lucky Trimble eavesdrops on 12 step program meetings from her hiding place behind Hard Pan's Found Object Wind Chime Museum & Visitor Center. Eccentric characters and quirky details spice up Lucky's life just as her guardian Brigitte's fresh parsley embellishes her French cuisine. Through Lucky's experiences, we are reminded that children support one another just as needy adults do." UIndy Call number - JUV 813 P31h 2006.

Newbery Honor Books are "runners-up" to the medal winner. There are three books honored this year:

• JUV 813 H75p 2006
  Penny from Heaven by Jennifer L. Holm
  "11-year-old Penny looks forward to spending the summer rooting for the Brooklyn Dodgers and scheming with her cousin Frankie. Instead she navigates the space between her two families and uncovers the reason for their estrangement in this funny and touching tale of intergenerational love set in 1953." -- ALA Website


• JUV 813 L32h 2006
  Hattie Big Sky by Kirby Larson
  "16-year-old Hattie Brooks is looking for a place to belong - a home. In 1918, she leaves Iowa for the Montana prairie. In this engaging first-person narrative, Hattie strives to forge a new life." -- ALA Website


• JUV 813 L85r 2006
  Rules by Cynthia Lord
  "...twelve-year-old Catherine creates rules for her younger, autistic brother David in an attempt to normalize his life and her own; but what is normal? With humor and insight, Lord demonstrates the transforming power of language." -- ALA Website

The Caldecott Medal was named for nineteenth-century English illustrator Randolph Caldecott and is awarded annually to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children. 2007's medal winner is Flotsam by David Wiesner. I was very excited to see this book win as Wiesner is one of my very favorite children's book illustrators. His former medal winner, Tuesday (JUV ILLUS 2 W54t 1991) is a classic tale of mysterious frogs who can fly around town atop their lily-pads. Flotsam is equally fascinating. This story-without-words shows us what happens when a vintage camera washes up on the shore and a young boy develops the film inside. I had no idea fish could party like that! - UIndy Call number JUV ILLUS 2 W54fL 2006

The Caldecott Honor Books have yet to arrive at the library, but here are the titles and descriptions for these two honored books. Look for them in the library in the next few weeks:

• Gone Wild: an Endangered Animal Alphabet by David McLimans
  "...a black and white iconic alphabet that is sophisticated enough to intrigue and captivate readers of any age." -- ALA Website


• Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom illustrated by Kadir Nelson
  "Nelson's dramatic renderings evoke the spiritual and physical journey of Harriet Tubman." -- ALA Website

The Newbery titles and the Caldecott Medal winner will be available for a short time on the New Books Shelf on the first floor of the library. After that they can be located at the call number indicated, in the Juvenile Books section on the 3rd floor.

 

February 2007

Ah February, the month when love is in the air...the love of mathematics! Here are 3 entertaining books about math, and one about general science, to warm you up on those chilly February evenings. You can find them on the New Books Shelf near the Circulation Desk, on the 1st floor of the campus library...until they get checked out that is! After that, look for them at the call number indicated.

• 510 S76L 2006
  Letters to a Young Mathematician by Ian Stewart
  "...tells readers what Stewart wishes he had known when he was a student. He takes up subjects ranging from the philosophical to the practical - what mathematics is and why it's worth doing, the relationship between logic and proof, the role of beauty in mathematical thinking, the future of mathematics, how to deal with the peculiarities of the mathematical community, and many others - in an engaging style that combines subtle, easygoing humor with a talent for cutting to the heart of the matter." -- book jacket flap

• 510 S76h 2006
  How to Cut a Cake: and Other Mathematical Conundrums by Ian Stewart (this guy likes to write about math!)
  "Ian Stewart takes you on an extraordinary journey through a world of mind-bending mathematics. You will encounter twenty curious conundrums and puzzles - some with serious practical applications; others that baffled even the world's best mathematicians until very recently - and all as delightfully quirky as they are fascinating." Some puzzles include: Why do phone cords always get so tangled? What have empires on the moon got to do with electronic circuits? How many milk bottles can you pack inside a crate? And above all...what is the best way to cut a cake? -- book cover

• 510 B65ar 2006
  The Art of Mathematics: Coffee Time in Memphis by Bela Bollobas
  "Can a Christian escape from a lion? How quickly can a rumor spread? Can you fool an airline into accepting oversize baggage? Recreational mathematics is full of frivolous questions in which the mathematician's art can be brought to bear."-- back cover.

• 500 A35j 2006
  Junk Science: How Politicians, Corporations, and other Hucksters Betray Us by D. P. Agin
  "During the next thirty years, the American public will suffer from a rampage against reason by special interests in government, commerce, and the faith industry, but the rampage has already begun. In /Junk Science/, Dan Agin offers a response--a stinging condemnation of the egregious and constant warping of science for ideological gain...Many factions twist scientific data to maintain riches and power, and Agin outs them all in sections like these: Buyer beware (genetically modified foods, aging, and tobacco companies), Medical follies (chiropractics, health care, talk therapy), and Poison bombs in the greenhouse (pollution, warfare, global warming)." -- book jacket flap

January 2007

It seems winter is finally here. Time to curl up by the fire or under a cozy blanket with some new books from your campus library. Here are some new acquisitions for January. Literature is the common theme for this month and, as always, you can find these on the New Books shelf until someone checks them out. After that, you can find them at the call numbers I have included with the descriptions. Stay warm and enjoy!

• 808.81 J39 2006
  Jazz Poems edited by Kevin Young
  This compact book contains a surprisingly large collection of poems inspired by jazz music. Many different kinds of poets are represented here, from the Harlem Renaissance to the beat movement to the contemporary scene.

• 811.52 S83s 2006
  The Sights Along the Harbor: New and Collected Poems by Harvey Shapiro
  "Direct, informal, and richly evocative of his Jewish heritage and New York City home, Harvey Shapiro's poetry has occupied a unique place in American letters for over fifty years. This new collection brings together his latest work and much of his eleven previous collections revealing the full arc of his carefully calibrated poetics." -- Jacket flap

• 811.54 A675d 2006
  A Diary of Altered Light: Poems by James Applewhite
  "Spurred by the sensation of accelerating days at the turn of the new millennium, James Applewhite explores the interplay of immediate experience and lasting memory, of continuity and change, over time -- that elusive, ineffable, yet crucial medium of self-definition and understanding the cosmos." -- Jacket flap

• 813.0108 9763 W53 2006
  Wide Awake in the Pelican State edited by Ann Brewster Dobie
  Here is a collection of short stories with the commonality being that all 21 authors come from, and are influenced by, the Pelican State...Louisiana. There is a wide range of themes, from racial culture to family relationships, and all "span the full swath of the Louisiana experience."

• 813.54 R68e 2006
  Everyman by Philip Roth
  "Philip Roth's new novel is a candidly intimate yet universal story of loss, regret, and stoicism. The best-selling author of /The Plot Against America/ now turns his attention from 'one family's harrowing encounter with history' to one man's lifelong skirmish with mortality. The terrain of this powerful novel - Roth's twenty-seventh book and the fifth to be published in the twenty-first century - is the human body. Its subject is the common experience that terrifies us all." -- Jacket flap

• 863 F95e Z215 2006
  The Eagle's Throne by Carlos Fuentes
  "Here is a true literary event - the long-awaited new novel by Carlos Fuentes, on of the world's great writers. By turns a tragedy and a farce, an acidic black comedy and an indictment of modern politics, /The Eagle's Throne/ is a seriously entertaining and painfully perceptive story of international intrigue, sexual deception, naked ambition, and treacherous betrayal. Set in modern, globalized Mexico still struggling to escape its age-old culture of crony politics and trying to avoid slouching toward definitive dictatorship, /The Eagle's Throne/ is one of Carlos Fuentes' sharpest and most prophetic works, a career triumph from on of the most accomplished novelists of our time." -- Jacket flap

November/December 2006

Once again, your friendly cataloger, Lucy Fields, lets you in on some of the newest books in the Krannert Memorial Library...come on over and check one out. They will be on the top center shelf of the New Books Display unless one of your colleagues gets there first! This month, several titles crossed my desk with a common theme...Indiana! Here are some interesting books to spark interest in your city and state.

• 704.0397 I58 2005
  Into the Fray: the Eiteljorg Fellowship for Native American Fine Art, 2005
  This beautiful full color book is a catalog of the artwork created by Native American artists who were granted a fellowship by the Eiteljorg Museum for 2005. Each biennium, the museum awards $120,000 in fellowship prizes and features a major exhibition of selective works by each fellow.

• 791.43028 092 D43zy G44 2005
  James Dean: Rebel with a Cause by Wes D. Gehring
  "Wes D. Gehring, a noted authority on film, takes a fresh look at Dean's life, exploring the actor's early days growing up on his beloved aunt and uncle's farm in Fairmount to his struggle for success as an actor in television and on Broadway to his meteoric rise to fame in Hollywood." -- Book jacket

• 973.772 W56c 1995
  Camp Morton: 1861-1865, Indianapolis Prison Camp by Hattie Lou Winslow and Joseph R. H. Moore
  Were you aware there was once a Civil War prison camp in downtown Indianapolis? The site of this camp is bounded today by 19th and 22nd Streets, Central Avenue and Talbott Street. "This volume examines the history of Camp Morton, which served as a recruiting camp and a prison for Confederate soldiers during the Civil War. The book, grew out of a talk given by Moore at the Historical Society's History Conference in December 1932 and work on the camp done by Winslow at Butler University. Moore and Winslow were both members of the soical studies department at Indianapolis's Shortridge High School." -- Book jacket.

• 977.2 H66 2006
  Home Again: Essays and Memoirs from Indiana
  "The many different meanings of 'home' are examined in the book, including Alyce Miller discussing her attempts to become a Hoosier after having moved to Indiana from California, and Michele Gondi finding a place in the community of Mount Vernon after moving from her native Argentina" -- Book cover. Also includes an essay by Kurt Vonnegut. My particular favorite essay is about the earthquake that never occurred in 1990.

• 977.20099 G68 2006
  The Governors of Indiana
  From our first governor (of the territory before statehood) William Henry Harrison, to our current governor Mitch Daniels, this book provides informative and insightful chapters about each governor's life and term. This book also includes an essay about the levels of power experienced by our state's chief officer.

• 977.200497 R34m 1996
  The Miami Indians of Indiana: A Persistent People 1654-1994 by Stewart Rafert
  "Now scattered in small communities in northern Indiana, the Eastern Miami Indians, once a well-known tribe, have lived in undeserved obscurity since the 1840s. In recent years they have become more visible as they have sought restoration of treaty rights and have revitalized their culture. The post-removal history of the Indiana Miami tribe is a rich texture of social, legal, and economic history, much enhanced by folklore and a rich series of photographic images." -- Book cover.

October 2006

Greetings campus community! My predecessor, Linda Shaw, would occasionally send out new book recommendations. As I am the "new cataloger on the block" I would like to continue the tradition. Here are 6 titles I have found interesting. They'll be out on the New Books display shelves for a couple of days, and after that they can be found at the call numbers I have listed. The New Books display is now located to the left of the elevator on the 1st floor. Happy reading!

• 201.301 B75h 2004
  How Philosophers Saved Myths: Allegorical Interpretation and Classical Mythology by Luc Brisson
  - "This study explains how the myths of Greece and Rome were transmitted from antiquity to the Renaissance. Luc Brisson argues that, ironically, philosophy was responsible for saving myth from historical annihilation." -- Jacket flap - "The theme of the book - the interweaving of philosophy with what might to the untutored eye look like its deadly irrational enemy: myth - is original and the range of its scholarship breathtaking." -- review by Christopher Rowe, University of Durham

• 809.9335 B37m 2005
  Madame Bovary's Ovaries: a Darwinian Look at Literature by David and Nanelle Barash
  - "What can elephant seals tell us about Homer's /Iliad/? How do gorillas illuminate the works of Shakespeare? What do bloodsucking bats have to do with John Steinbeck? According to evolutionary psychologist David Barash and his daughter Nanelle, the answers lie in the most important word in biology: evolution. Just like every animal from mites to monkeys, our day-to-day behavior has been shaped by millions of years of natural selection...Seen through the lens of evolutionary biology, the witty repartee of Jane Austen's courting couples, Othello's tragic rage, the griping of Holden Caulfield, and the scandalous indiscretions of Madame Bovary herself all make a fresh and exciting kind of sense." -- Jacket flap

• 204 S35r 2005
  Restless Souls: the Making of American Spirituality by Leigh Eric Schmidt
  - "Yoga classes and Zen meditation, New Age seminars and holistic workshops, the Oprah Winfrey Show and books by Deepak Chopra - all are part of the religious experimentation that has surprisingly deep roots in American history...In Restless Souls, historian Leigh Schmidt deftly traces this American romance with the interior life from the likes of transcendentalist Ralph Waldo Emerson to television host Oprah Winfrey, from poet Walt Whitman to Senator Barak Obama, from questing psychologist William James to Zen basketball coach Phil Jackson...This book places the most recent spiritual upsurge in the context of a broader cultural and intellectual history." -- Jacket flap

• 781.6509051 N53i 2005
  Is Jazz Dead? (Or Has It Moved to a New Address)
  - In America, "Musicians themselves are returning to New Orleans, Swing, and Bebop styles, while the work of the '60s avant-garde and even '70s and '80s jazz-rock is roundly ignored. Meanwhile, global jazz musicians are creating new and exciting music that is just starting to be heard in the United States...This book is bound to be controversial among jazz's purists and ideologues, but will be welcomed by others as a celebration of renewal within the global jazz community."--Jacket flap

• 540.78 L57k 2005
  Kitchen Chemistry by Ted Lister
  - For those (like myself) who love the Food Network, in particular Alton Brown, comes a book full of interesting food facts. Kitchen Chemistry not only appeals to the "foodie" but to the chemistry lover as well. This book contains lessons, activities, and a CD-ROM (CF 443) full of demonstrations dealing with aspects of the chemistry behind food and/or cooking. Favorite chapter title--"Asparagus Pee"--you know what I'm talking about. And if you don't, read the book!

• 973.099 Y68d 2005
  Dear Mr. President : letters to the Oval Office from the files of the National Archives introduction by Brian Williams ; text by Dwight Young
  - This is a fascinating book comprised of 87 letters received by the President of the United States, now housed in the National Archives. Examples span the years, from what is thought to be the oldest letter (to George Washington informing him of his election to the presidency) to an email from John Glenn as he orbited the earth in the space shuttle. These letters, with their wide range of topics and emotions, remind us that "the President is both a national icon and a real person with a real address." The introduction by news anchor Brian Williams is worth a read on its own.