Congressman John Murtha has died

Pennsylvania Congressman John Murtha (D) died 90 minutes ago at Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington.

He was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives thirty-six years ago after serving with the United States Marine Corps in Vietnam, thus making him the first combat vet elected to Congress.

A tireless advocate for veterans' rights, he was Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense at the time of his death.

Murtha, who died of complications from gallbladder surgery, was 77.

Fuller Street Station

The City of Ann Arbor will host a second public meeting on the proposed Fuller Road Station transit center on Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2010, 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. in the 2nd floor Council Chambers, City Hall . To learn more about the bus, rail and train hub envisioned for the region, read the AnnArbor.com article outlining Phase I of this joint project between the University of Michigan and the City of Ann Arbor.

meaning of
intelligence

For one year, I built boats in Maine in a beautiful spot way out in the country. This was before I started library school and after I had finished college and worked in the non-profit sector for a few years... mostly working at a desk in an office. It was work that required lots of thought and planning on my part, but not much hands on work. I chose to build boats because I wanted to work with my hands and see what that was like. I loved it in so many ways, but the great pleasure was in learning the skills of applying tools to physical materials at the same time that I learned to apply my intelligence to understand a boat design and planning the construction of the boat.
A couple of weeks ago on Speaking of Faith, Krista Tippett talked to Mike Rose about his study of work, intelligence, education, and civic life. Mostly, they focused on his book The Mind at Work which I have never read but which has captured my imagination. Rose focuses on our tendency to categorize work as either work of the mind or work of the hands... manual labor or intelligent labor. Not surprisingly, this topic begs many questions about class divisions and education, themes that Tippett and Rose explore in their rich conversation.
It was wonderful food for thought and brought back memories of building boats on the coast of Maine.

The boat I built!
This is the boat I built.

Bill Watterson, the cartoonist who created the beloved comic strip "Calvin and Hobbes,” is a notorious recluse – so much so that he has been called the J.D. Salinger of the cartooning world. Watterson hasn’t been seen or heard from since he announced his retirement – and the end of Calvin and Hobbes – back in 1995. So it came as a surprise yesterday to see that Watterson allowed himself to be interviewed by the Cleveland Plain Dealer in a story published on Feb. 1. This is his first interview since 1989. When asked why he ended his strip after just 10 years of newspaper publication, Watterson said “It's always better to leave the party early. If I had rolled along with the strip's popularity and repeated myself for another five, 10 or 20 years, the people now "grieving" for "Calvin and Hobbes" would be wishing me dead and cursing newspapers for running tedious, ancient strips like mine instead of acquiring fresher, livelier talent. And I'd be agreeing with them.”

Nevin Martell is one person who disagrees with that sentiment. He recently published the book Looking for Calvin and Hobbes, in which he chronicles the story of the strip and details his personal quest to track down Bill Watterson. Martell never got the chance to interview Watterson (his letter of request went unanswered), but he did interview many other people close to Watterson who could provide insights into the cartoonist’s life, inspirations, and motivations. The lack of Watterson’s voice makes the book largely speculative, but it is fun to read other cartoonists praising Watterson and recounting their love for the 6-year-old boy and his tiger. Notable fans of Watterson’s include humorist Dave Barry, author Jonathan Lethem, and cartoonist Bill Amend (creator of the strip FoxTrot). In fact, nearly every contemporary cartoonist or graphic novelist considers themselves to have been influenced or inspired by Watterson. I think that speaks to the legacy of Calvin and Hobbes – a legacy that Watterson himself downplays, desiring only to return to his quiet, private life in the Cleveland suburbs. Fortunately for his millions of fans, Watterson has donated his original artwork to the Cartoon Library & Museum at Ohio State University in Columbus. In museums and in comic books, Calvin and Hobbes will live forever.

Vogel 50x50

The exhibition An Economy of Means: The Dorothy and Herbert Vogel Collection opens at the University of Michigan Museum of Art on Saturday, January 30th.

In 2008 the University of Michigan Museum of Art was one of 50 museums selected to receive a gift of 50 works of art from Herb and Dorothy Vogel. A previous blog relates the extraordinary story of Herbert, a postal clerk, and Dorothy, a reference librarian at the Brooklyn Public Library, who managed to build one of the most important contemporary art collections in history with very modest means.

The couple began collecting in the early 1960s. Their collection, notable both for the character and breadth of the objects, was guided by two rules: the piece had to be affordable, and it had to be small enough to fit in their one-bedroom Manhattan apartment. They were among the first collectors to buy work by artists who were virtually unknown at the time but went on to achieve considerable acclaim such as Robert Barry and Richard Tuttle.

A gallery talk is scheduled for 2 p.m. on opening day. Watch the Museum's program guide for upcoming events and docent-guided tours of the exhibition.

Learn more about the Vogels' 50 gifts for 50 states.

Lynda Benglis
American, born 1941
Tacpere Maptom, 1985
glass
22 x 5 ½ (diam.) in. (Image shown)
© Lynda Benglis / Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY *

Pernell Roberts, the last Ponderosa Cartwright, has died

Pernell Roberts, best known for his role as Adam, the book-smart, oldest Cartwright brother on the popular TV western, Bonanza (1959 - 1973), died Sunday, January 24, in California.

He was preceded in death by the other three Bonanza cast members: Lorne Greene (Pa) died in 1987, Dan Blocker (Hoss) died in 1972, and Michael Landon (Little Joe) passed away in 1991.

Roberts, an ex-Marine, began his acting career as a well-respected Shakespearean actor. The transition to the confines of a TV western constrained the outspoken, political activist who railed against the lack of minority employees on the set. Never one to mince words, he also once referred to Bonanza as 'junk tv' and accused it of 'contributing to the dehumanization of the industry.' He left after six seasons.

Fourteen years later he starred in Trapper John, M.D., a M*A*S*H spinoff which ran for seven years.

Roberts, who died of pancreatic cancer, was 81.

Crazy hearts

"Overlooked Literary Darling Gets a Second Act" reads the caption on a Publishers Weekly article about an indie film (wide release February 2 but already in Ann Arbor theaters this past weekend) based on the 1987 novel Crazy Heart by a first-time author Thomas Cobb.

Jeff Bridges plays Bad Blake, a 57 year-old singer, guitarist, songwriter, alcoholic womanizer, and all-around charming reprobate, who attempts to work his way back to the top of the country-and-western charts. Maggie Gyllenhaal, is the journalist determined to find the real man behind the musician.

The novel received glowing praise ("...just might be the finest country-western novel ever written") when it debuted, but did not translate into sales or lasting recognition for Cobb. A second book (2003) and a new novel in 2008 published to little fanfare. HarperPerennial, who is republishing Crazy counts on it being an overdue break-out for the author.

(I have it on good authority that the film is crazy good. Don't miss it!!)

Dear John (opening February 5th), is based on a novel of duty, longing, and heartbreak, by Nicholas Sparks .

A soldier home on leave falls for a conservative college girl. Instead of returning home to her, he re-enlists after the attacks on September 11th, 2001. Time and distance begin to take a toll on the young lovers. Channing Tatum plays the title role, with Amanda Seyfried as Savannah.

Kayleigh George

It's that time of year....A fresh new year (and a new decade!!), the semester is just starting, mid-terms and papers are far into the future, and you need a good book.

You asked, "What should I read?"

So I go to my trusted source - Kayleigh George, the HarperLibrary Marketing Coordinator. We met when she put into my hand a fresh and fun zine aimed at the 20somethings. Now, even better, it is online - as a blog.

You will find she totally gets you, how your days are "hectic, stressful, strange, and euphoric". She makes a point of having something for "hipsters, English majors, poetry buffs, and those making their first foray into the sometimes-unforgiving corporate world."

Subscribe (you know the drill) and check out the links on the left. I especially liked EarlyWord. It lets me get on the waiting list ahead of the crowd.

Hey, I hope this does not mean you won't come in, browse and visit.

Reading List

The Reference and User Services Association (RUSA) of the American Library Association has announced its selection for the 2010 Reading List.

The Reading List annually recognizes the best books in eight genres. This year’s list includes novels that will please die-hard fans as well as introduce new readers to the pleasures of genre fiction. The winners are:

Gone Tomorrow by Lee Child (Adrenaline)
Lamentation by Ken Scholes (Fantasy)
Agincourt by Bernard Corwell (Historical Fiction)
Last Days by Brian Evenson (Horror)
A Beautiful Place to Die by Malla Nunn (Mystery)
What Happens in London by Julia Quinn (Romance)
The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi (Science Fiction)
Very Valentine by Adriana Trigiani (Women's Fiction)

Trigiani happened to be in the audience during the annoucement. Here is her wild and excited reaction...

American Idol returned to television this week with the first rounds of auditions for season 9. It's hard to believe the show has been on for that long! I only started watching a couple years ago, but Idol is strangely addicting, and no matter how many times I'm told that it's silly, that it's rigged, etc., I just can't turn the TV off. Not in the American Idol spirit yet? Get prepared for this new season (minus Paula, plus Ellen, and said to be Simon's last!) by checking out the latest albums from past Idol winners and contestants:

Season 1 winner Kelly Clarkson: All I Ever Wanted
Season 4 winner Carrie Underwood: Play On
Season 5 finalist Chris Daughtry: Leave This Town
Season 8 runner-up Adam Lambert: For Your Entertainment

And if you’re feeling nostalgic for the “good old days”, here are a few lesser-known Idol contestants you might recall: Bo Bice, Fantasia, Kimberley Locke, Elliott Yamin.