Blog Post
Mittenfest of Music to Benefit 826Michigan
by manz
Ypsilanti’s Elbow Room will play host to the 3rd annual Mittenfest. This year’s Mittenfest is three nights of local musicians at one location, where all proceeds will go to 826Michigan. Ann Arbor's 826Michigan is the Michigan chapter of 826National, which was started by Pulitzer nominated author Dave Eggers. 826 is a "non-profit organization dedicated to supporting students ages 6 to 18 with their creative and expository writing skills, and to helping teachers inspire their students to write." They offer totally free programs, such as tutoring, workshops, drop-in writing and all sorts of other fun things. (And they are housed in a robot store!) Mittenfest is a great way to enjoy quality local bands (such as ) and support a great organization. See here for a list of all the bands.
Elbow Room | 6 South Washington St. Ypsilanti | Dec 26, 27, 28 | Doors open @ 5pm, Music @ 6pm | $5 per night | $12 for 3-day pass
Blog Post
A touch of Ireland
by Maxine
Catch the music of Teada, an acclaimed quintet that plays traditional Irish music. They play at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, December 17 at the Ark. Its five members play guitar, bouzouki, flute, accordian, fiddle and bodrahn (traditional Irish drum). Well known on the international stage, Téada has played major festivals around North America, and in Europe they've drawn crowds of more than 30,000. Tonight they're joined by County Cork resident and former Solas vocalist Karan Casey, whom the Washington Post called "the Irish equivalent of Emmylou Harris." Doors open at 7:30.
Also, check out the Library's great collection of Irish music
Blog Post
2009 It's All Write! Short Story Writing Contest
by Bertha
It's almost time for the 2009 It's All Write! Short Story Contest to begin! In less than one month, on FRIDAY, JANUARY 23, entries will start being accepted in our annual writing contest. Winners will be announced at the Ann Arbor Book Festival Short Story Contest event, Saturday, May 16 featuring teen book author Gary D Schmidt. Here are the facts for this year's contest:
1st Place ($250), 2nd Place ($150), and 3rd Place ($100) prizes will be awarded in the following categories: Grades 6-8, Grades 9-10, and Grades 11-12.
Entries accepted FRIDAY, JANUARY 23 through FRIDAY, MARCH 20.
Guidelines are attached here.
Prize Winning Short Stories is a booklet available for check out of previous years' winners, or you can read last year's winners online. Good Luck!
Blog Post
Author Greg Mortenson comes to Ann Arbor in January
by amy
AADL is pleased to bring American mountain climber and humanitarian Greg Mortenson to Ann Arbor on January 24 as part of his nation-wide tour to promote the new youth and teen versions (coming soon!) of his book Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace...One School at a Time. This event, which will include a book sale and signing courtesy of Nicola's Books, will take place on Saturday, from 6-7:00 p.m. in the Huron High School Auditorium at 2727 Fuller Road in Ann Arbor.
Blog Post
T-o-o-o-o-o-t! Trains in Toyland sounds fun
by annevm
Tomorrow Dec. 13 the Washtenaw County Historical Society opens its Trains in Toyland exhibition which runs through Sunday Jan. 25 at the Museum on Main Street, 500 N. Main St. Hours are 12-4 p.m. Saturday, Sunday, and Wednesday, and demos will be offered each Saturday and Sunday by the Ann Arbor Model Railroad Club. Firefly the Magic Clown is scheduled for Sunday Dec. 14. Remember, the exhibition will be closed Dec. 24 and 31, but open on Jan 19 Martin Luther King Day. Sounds like a good winter outing for young train fans, who may want to prepare by checking out a train book, maybe C is for Caboose: Riding the rails from A to Z or Puff, puff, chugga-chugga.
Blog Post
A touch of bluegrass in the snow
by Maxine
Tonight, December 12, The Ark presents the RFD Boys a favorite local bluegrass band. Their shows are a mix of great music and funny in-between songs dialogue. Proceeds from the concert go to the Leslie Science Center, a city parks facility that provides environmental education activities to the community. The show starts at 8 p.m. Doors open at 7:30. Get those toes tappin'. Also, check out their cd at the library.
Blog Post
Chesstastic moves to Traverwood and other good stuff
by K.C.
We had a great turnout for last Sunday's Chess Strategies and Tips session. Now Chesstastic officially moves to Traverwood this Sunday, December 14 (1-4 p.m.). Join the fun by taking on players of all ages. Sets are provided, but feel free to bring your own.
Ever tried a chess tournament? If you are in Kindergarten through 8th grade, try the Thurston Chess Tournament on Saturday, January 24. This local, low-cost tournament is a great first tournament for kids and parents who want to see what a chess tournament is like. There will be two afternoon sections for beginners and casual players, and two full-day sections for more experienced players. Space is limited to the first 120 players, so sign up as soon as possible. Entry fees range from $6-$10, depending on the section and if you sign up prior to December 31.
Blog Post
Listen up!
by Maxine
Don't miss the the 8th Annual Poetry Night in Ann Arbor this Thursday, December 11 at Rackham Auditorium at 8 p.m. (Doors open at 6:15 if you want to get a good seat). This celebration of the spoken and written word will feature poets Marty McConnell and Tim Seibles and a special return guest appearance by Paco, the 2003 Ann Arbor Youth Poetry Slam Champion and former U-M Poetry Slam Champion. Also appearing will be poets from the Volume Youth Poetry Project and A2 Wordworks, a U of M troupe. This is always an "electric" evening full of the passion and joy of these young people who literally speak truth to power.
To gear up for the event, check out the library's great spoken word poetry collection as well as the rich array of other poetry books.
Blog Post
The Victors: Michigan Jazz with Hazen Schumacher
by iralax
Come celebrate the publication of Hazen Schumacher’s A Golden Age of Jazz Revisited, on Sunday, December 14, 2-3:30 at the Downtown Library. The book makes the case that the years 1939-42 were the artistic highpoint of popular jazz, and it includes 2 CDs with the tunes he feels back up his claim. Schumacher, who was jazz radio host at UM for thirty years (WEMU-89.1 FM has taken over that role), will discuss and play recordings of the most loved jazz in Michigan and on the UM campus of the mid-twentieth century. He is a master of the genre and will entertain and enlighten new and old jazz lovers.
Blog Post
Go! the Board Game
by Bertha
Learn to play the board game Go or test your skills against members of the University of Michigan Go Club. Players of any skill can enjoy Go. This Saturday, December 13, from 2:00-4:00 at the Traverwood Branch/AADL, all ages are welcome to play.
If you need to brush up on the basics, check out Go Basics or Go for Beginners. The US Go Association site is a great source for Go-related links and resources. The U-M club regularly meets at the Espresso Royale Cafe at State Street and North University, 7-11 Thursdays and 1-5 on Sundays. See you Saturday at Traverwood!