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Spotlight: Short Stories

“A short story is the ultimate close-up magic trick – a couple of thousand words to take you around the universe or break your heart.” – Neil Gaiman

A Manual for Cleaning Women - Lucia Berlin 

Lucia Berlin has been publishing astonishingly good stories since the 60s. It wasn’t until the August 2015 release of A Manual for Cleaning Women, however, that readers got to know her name.She passed away in 2004. 

Lucia Berlin wrote largely from life, which, over 68 years, included enough heartache, adventure, physical pain, and joy for a number of lifetimes. The 43 stories that comprise A Manual range from tiny, flash-like pieces (“Macadam,” “My Jockey”) to longer, more traditional narratives.

Her stories pull us into sunken circumstances with an earnest appreciation for the simple things. They are insightful and real, and readers will be warmed by Berlin’s unexpected observations and spellbinding voice.

Mothers, Tell Your Daughters - Bonnie Jo Campbell

The collective message that mothers pass on to daughters in some of this book's most powerful stories might be summed up simply as "danger ahead," whether that be from predatory men or the difficulties engendered by the power of their own sexuality. In the sobering title story, a dying woman who can no longer speak aloud argues her case for her approach to life, and her record as a parent, in the presence of her adult daughter. "Women get themselves hurt every day — men mess with girls in this life, they always have, always will — but there's no sense making hard luck and misery your life's work."

Bonnie Jo Campbell is a 2009 National Book Award finalist. She will spend spring 2017 teaching creative writing at DePauw University* in Greencastle, IN.

American Housewife - Helen Ellis

An email battle between neighbors over the decoration of a shared hallway gets heated, then homicidal. The members of a book club recruit a newbie, only to reveal plans to use her body, parasitically, for their own purposes. A co-op board president’s wife carries on friendships with the ghosts of people she’s murdered to keep her husband in power. A failed writer goes on a ferociously competitive antiquing reality show in a final attempt to salvage her career...

In her collection of short stories highlighting the women who manage (and at times destroy) the home fronts, author Helen Ellis takes readers into the unexpected corners of wifedom.

Ellis is a high-stakes poker player and general badass. Margaret Atwood named American Housewife one of her favorite books of the year which is pretty cool, if you're into Margaret Atwood (and who isn't?).

Crow Fair - Thomas McGuane

You don’t forget a story like “Motherlode.” It’s the centerpiece of Thomas McGuane’s latest book, Crow Fair, and rests at its heart between 16 other tales. “Motherlode” is as wayward a short story as you'll come across. It bares the intricacies of a novel-length thriller, with the subtle tone of a Coen brothers’ film, and in the refined manner only a seasoned author like McGuane can bring.

He asked, “Ray, do you feel like telling me what this is all about?”

“Sure, Dave. It’s all about you doing as you’re told.”

“I see. And I’m taking you somewhere, am I?”

“Uh-huh, and staying as needed. Jesus Christ, if this isn’t the ugliest country I ever seen.”

“How did you pick me?”

“I picked your car. You were a throw-in. I hadn’t took you along you’d’ve reported your car stolen. This way you still got it. It’s a win-win. The lucky thing for you is you’re my partner now. And you wanna pick up the tempo here? You’re driving like my grandma.”

*I went to school there; you have no idea how upset I am about missing out on this opportunity. But I mean, I saw Bill Clinton speak while I was there. So that's pretty cool? 

Resolve your stress for the win!

As the Fox River Valley Public Library gears up for its Summer Reading Program Reading for the Win, Stress Less will be focusing on  how to make our goals become reality.  Make this your year:  five steps to keeping your new year’s resolution, Yoga Journal, January 2016 issue, Elizabeth Marglin focuses on 5 steps to achieving your goals. 

The word resolution comes from the word resolve, or to undo. According to Ms. Marglin, "Resolve is a form of surrender, a way to set our most heartfelt desire free into the world. What sustains resolution, then, is more a willingness to grow than sheer willpower. It is a discovery of how our own happiness is inextricably intertwined with the well-being of others-and that comes down to great; bigger-than-life' goals." Each 1 hour class will break down 1 of the 5 steps to help you learn new breathing, meditation, and yoga techniques. But the fun does not stop there. Stress Less also happily invites the community of the Fox River Valley Public Library to explore the vast collections and programs to make your a goal become reality. 

March 19^th, 2016:

Step 1: Surrender (iswaraprandaya)

April 14^th, 2016:

Step 2: Inquire (atma vichar)

May 14^th, 2016:

Step 3: Commit (tapas)

June 11^th, 2016”

Step 4: Persevere (abhyasa)

July 30^th, 2016:

Step 5: Envision (darshan)

*Please note the times of the program vary each month.

Marglin, Elizabeth. "Make This Your Year!" Yoga Journal Feb. 2016: 80-86. Print.

 

FRVPLD Yoga/Breath/Meditation

A new addition to the programs at the Fox River Valley Public Library District is the Stress Less program. I started the class because I have been practicing yoga and meditation for 15 years and I would like to extend that knowledge to other people. Being a librarian, I feel there are so many resources I would like to share with the Fox River Valley Public Library District community. Yoga, breath-work, and meditation are tools that take no space and virtually no time during 24 hours. It’s something that everyone can take with them and use when they see fit. I provide a space that is both comfortable and safe for everyone and try something new. I give modifications to yoga poses that may be challenging and alternatives cues if one is not comfortable or to better understand the practice.

On February 20th, we touched on the basics of Sun Salutation A or Suyra Namaskar A. Sun Salutation uses the body to create asanas, or poses. Suyra Namaskar is sanskrit, which means to bow to the sun.  As the body moves through the poses, all of the muscles are engaged, lengthening and strengthening the limbs, and keeping the person focused for the rest of the day.

 Then we focused on our breath by learning about chakra meditation. This type of meditation helps focus your attention on different areas of your body. While breathing, we focus on the 7 areas starting at the root of the spine through the crown of the head; all while visualizing colors that area represented with these areas. 

Sun Salutations, by Shiva Ray, has a great evideo on Overdrive showing the steps to the Sun Salutations. Videos are a great way to learn yoga poses while at home. 

Chakra Yoga, by Gurutej Kaur  is another evideo on Overdrive. Again this is a great resource if you want to create your own yoga practice. 

Practical centering : exercises to energize your chakras for relaxation, vitality, and health, by Larkin Benett, is a great resource for learning chakra meditation. It is a simple guide that is easy to follow. 

ANNOUNCING: THE WINNERS OF THE 2015 BOOK AWARDS AT FRVPLD

Last week, inspired by the Oscars, the Fox River Valley Public Library held its first Book Awards readers’ advisory program. We ate cookies and chocolate, and had fun talking about books.

The winners in the Most Anticipated Read category are:

Lifetime Achievement Award:

Clara and Mr. Tiffany – Susan Vreeland

Learn the secrets behind Tiffany’s stained glass masterpieces when you step into the women’s workshop in Gilded Age New York City






Historical Epic:

The Calligrapher’s Daughter – Eugenia Kim

Journey with a nameless upper class girl, from her strict Confucian home to the former royal court in pre-World War II Korea






Mystery:

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie – Alan Bradley

Follow 11 year old amateur chemist Flavia de Luce as she rides her bicycle all over her 1950’s English village, searching for clues in her first mystery






Check these out, then stop by the Information Services Desk: Anna will be glad to provide you with additional suggestions!

Discover Will

People in this area have a don't-miss cultural opportunity this month: to see the First Folio or "the book that gave us Shakespeare." The First Folio is making the rounds in the U.S., and the only location in Illinois that will have it on display is the Lake County Discovery Museum, located in Wauconda. Admission is free for this exhibition that runs through February 28.

The First Folio is a compilation of many of Shakespeare's plays that was published in 1623 to preserve his work after death. Find out more about the exhibit and accompanying programs.

Read more about the Bard or one of his works. Discover Will this winter!

Recommended Read: Humans of New York: Stories by Brandon Stanton

This is the kind of book to read when you're looking for something sneakily soulful. Photographer Brandon Stanton has put together a fascinating book based on his blog. Stanton went around New York City and took portraits of people and includes a usually short, often very personal, quote from the subjects. He elicits some intimate information from these people. Although the book isn't laid out in a particular order, he often juxtapositions entries that are connected by theme of the subjects' statements or because the subjects have similarities in life circumstance.

The photos are lovely, but it is the quotes that ultimately resonate. Some statements are devastating ("I found my mom's meth stash when I was four." "What'd you do with it?" "I ate it."). Some statements are insightful ("My ex-girlfriend seemed to love me a lot more than I loved her, so I made the mistake of thinking I didn't love her." or "For the longest time, I was so focused on being deaf in my left ear that I almost forgot my other ear was perfectly fine."). Some statements are complicated and lengthy, others are simple and to the point (an older gentleman states "It takes a hell of a lot of pills to keep me going."). It doesn't matter that these people live in New York. These are lives and stories one could find in any city or town. It's good to be reminded of our humanity sometimes.

Humans of New York: Stories by Brandon Stanton
Find it in the catalog!