Posts that feed into the homepage slider
|By Gale Staff| We sometimes overlook the presence of poetry in ordinary experiences. For example, we sing “The Star-Spangled Banner” and rarely recall that it was first a poem written by Francis Scott Key in the aftermath of a British assault during the War of 1812. Only after it was published in newspapers was it … Read more
| By Sarah Robertson | When American poet Emily Dickinson died in relative obscurity on May 15, 1886, her groundbreaking body of work stood unpublished and unrecognized. Today, Dickinson is regarded as a pivotal figure in American poetry, and her works are celebrated for their departure from literary conventions and their challenge of societal norms. … Read more
|By Amy Hackney Blackwell| This Earth Day, it’s worth thinking about some of the things the environmental movement has accomplished over the past 52 years. Earth Day was born out of frustration. In the 1960s, the United States had no legislation preventing industry from discharging pollutants into the air or water, with predictable results. In … Read more
| By Gale Staff | From a contemporary Western perspective, it’s easy to take for granted our democracy and basic freedoms, since for most Americans our current form of government is all we’ve ever known. But what happens when your democracy is threatened in its infancy—just 31 years after your country manages to break away … Read more
| By Tamara Butler, Acquisitions Editor, Thorndike Press | Before becoming an acquisitions editor at Thorndike Press, I was a librarian for over 20 years. My time in public libraries was the most rewarding. I love connecting with the community and providing resources and services that they need and want. One of the most popular … Read more
The 75th Anniversary of Jackie Robinson | By Shirelle Phelps| On April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson broke baseball’s long-standing color barrier when he debuted for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Since 2004, Major League Baseball (MLB) has celebrated this historic date annually. One way the MLB honors Robinson is by having all Major League players and on-field … Read more
| By Carol Brennan | Poetry is nearly the oldest form of creative expression in the history of humankind, possibly second to the cave paintings of Lascaux, France, as evidence that our brains strive to explain and invent lyrical stories about the world around us. For National Poetry Month 2022, we’d like to recommend some … Read more
| By Kathleen J. Edgar | When life’s stresses seem overwhelming, do you ever wonder what it would be like to be a kid again, living a carefree life, full of fun and games, playing outdoors, free of responsibilities? That idyllic life of cheerfulness and enjoyment may exist in your mind, but it is not … Read more
| By Thorndike Staff | Of the four seasons, spring is unrivaled in delivering both majestic beauty and devastating natural catastrophes. Likewise, our April picks explore opposing perspectives with unusual concepts. Two titles examine the power of memories, minds, and emotions in spellbinding tales. Nature is central to two others – one looking at environmental … Read more
| By Chilton Staff | Your fuel pump is important for your car, and it would seem as if your vehicle couldn’t move without one. That’s not always true though. Some vehicles can limp along with a malfunctioning fuel pump for a few blocks or even miles. But driving with a poorly performing fuel pump … Read more