Anniversary of a mutiny

Wed, 04/26/2006 - 12:04pm by Maxine

On April 28, 1789, Fletcher Christian led a mutiny of the ship HMS Bounty, which was loaded with breadfruit tree plants from Tahiti and bound for Jamaica. Rebelling against their cruel captain, Lieutenant William Bligh, Christian took some of his crew and some Tahitians to Pitcairn Island where they burned the Bounty and remained undiscovered for eighteen years. Bligh and some of his followers miraculously survived a forty-seven day journey in an open boat and landed on the island of Timor.

To get the full details, read Mutiny on the Bounty by Charles Nordhoff or see either of two films, one made in 1935 with Charles Laughton and Clark Gable, the other in 1962 with Marlon Brando.

For more mutinous reading, try Patrick O'Brian, Alexander Kent and William Kinsolving.

Literary Mysteries by Boris Akunin

Wed, 04/26/2006 - 12:02pm by sstonez

The Diane Rehm Show on Tuesday, April 25th featured an interview with Russian author Boris Akunin, the pen name of Grigory Chkhartishvili. His literary detective novels became bestsellers in Russia and soon spread to the English-speaking world. The AADL owns several of his books in both English and Russian, as well as The Winter Queen and Murder on the Leviathan as books-on-CD. Can anyone spot the sly allusion to a certain Russian thinker hidden in Chkhartishvili's pen name?

(Boris Akunin = B.Akunin = Bakunin, a prominent anarchist of the 19th century.)

Ma Rainey turns 120

Wed, 04/26/2006 - 9:02am by amy

April 26 marks the 120th birthday of Gertrude Pridgett, otherwise known as Ma Rainey, legendary "Mother of the Blues." Rainey was the first great professional blues recording artist and, by all accounts, the first woman to incorporate blues into vaudeville and minstrel shows. AADL owns a variety of books and CDs on the life and work of the blues pioneer, including, "Ma Rainey" and Blues Legacies and Black Feminism. She's also featured in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, August Wilson's 1982 play about racism and black rage set during a fictional recording session in a run-down Chicago recording studio in 1927.

Bestsellers on Audio

Mon, 04/24/2006 - 11:20am by Debbie G.

The usual suspects top the New York Times bestseller list this month: Jonathan Kellerman’s Gone, James Patterson’s 5th Horseman, Steve Berry’s Templar Legacy, Jodi Picoult’s Tenth Circle, Tami Hoag’s Prior Bad Acts and Danielle Steel’s The House. Following up on the popularity of the Da Vinci Code, Javier Sierra joins the list with The Secret Supper, about a papal inquisitor's investigation of the secret hidden in da Vinci's The Last Supper .

So That’s How They Do It

Mon, 04/24/2006 - 10:21am by Debbie G.

It’s not until you’re halfway through that seemingly simple task that you realize you really don’t know what you’re doing. How do you tie a bow tie? What does sort the laundry mean exactly? When will the paint dry? Listen to The Experts' Guide to 100 Things Everyone Should Know How to Do and hear Larry King, Letitia Baldrige, Bob Vila and 97 others explain the intricacies of your to-do list.

Hear This Book!

Mon, 04/24/2006 - 9:23am by Debbie G.

If you missed it when it first came out, you must hear the Pulitzer-prize winning novel, The Known World by Edward P. Jones. Every accolade and prize is deserved for this exquisitely written story of a black slave-owner in the antebellum South. Time called it "a masterpiece that deserves a place in the American literary canon." Equal praise is in order for his short story collection, Lost in the City. The stories rank with the best of O’Hara, Salinger and Fitzgerald.

Young Parrotheads' fancies turn to . . . country music?

Sat, 04/22/2006 - 10:38am by remnil

With the upcoming film release of Carl Hiaasen's Newbery honor book Hoot, there's potential to create a whole new generation of Parrotheads. Everyone's favorite resident of Margaritaville, Jimmy Buffett, not only produced and stars in the film, but he also penned much of its original soundtrack.

Of course, Mr. Buffett isn't the only artist who stands to benefit from an influx of new fans. Many country musicians carry on this tradition of carefree beach relaxation, not the least of whom is one of Buffett's most prominent successors: Kenny Chesney. Despite having such distinctly un-parrotlike hits as "She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy," Chesney has staked his claim in the Parrothead pantheon with such songs as "When the Sun Goes Down" and "No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problem." Indeed, his 2004 album Be As You Are is a veritable smorgasbord of tropical freewheeling goodness.

Young and old Parrotheads alike may also enjoy the works of some other country greats such as Alan Jackson, Toby Keith, or the legendary Willie Nelson.

Music to your ears... Food for your soul...

Tue, 04/18/2006 - 3:50pm by tkj

Join the University Musical Society in welcoming Sweet Honey In The Rock at Hill Auditorium on Saturday, April 22 at 8pm.

For over 30 years, this Grammy-award winning a cappella ensemble of six African American women have combined spirituals, hymns, gospel - as well as jazz and blues to raise awareness about the social injustices in the U.S. and around the world. The words are also beautifully interpreted in American Sign Language.

Can't make it to the concert? Or you've heard them and want more? Check out AADL's selection of their music.

They have been featured on NPR's Talk of the Nation (Includes an wonderful interview and several song selections).

And their documentary, Sweet Honey In The Rock: Raise Your Voice has been apart of the American Masters series on PBS.

Let's us know what you think!

The Play Ground

Tue, 04/18/2006 - 10:02am by Albert

The Play Ground welcomes Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg back to the UMS after a 15 year absence. Salerno-Sonnenberg burst onto the scene in 1981 as a young violinist star and is known as original and fearless. She is accompanied by Anne-Marie McDermott who is described as a "luminous, boldly emotive pianist who conveys great sensitivity" in her playing. Sounds like a concert that is not to be missed. Friday, April 21, 8pm at Hill Auditorium.

Idol-mania!

Mon, 04/17/2006 - 1:30pm by tkj

So you think you're a true American Idol fan? Sure, you may know everything there is to know about season 5, but what about seasons 1-4? You better brush up kids, for there may be a quiz...

Need some "idol" extra credit? Check these out:

Kelly Clarkson
Ruben Studdard
Clay Aiken (Yes folks, he actually has a book out...)
Fantasia Barrino

Lesser known contestants...
Carrie Underwood
Kimberley Locke
Tamyra Gray
Josh Gracin
Bo Bice
Diana DeGarmo