Think local first

Wed, 11/05/2008 - 10:24am by Maxine

Judy Wicks, owner of the White Dog Cafe in Philadelphia and co-founder of Business Alliance for Local Living Economies will be speaking at Think Local First's annual meeting. Wicks' 25 year tenure with the White Dog Cafe has led to numerous other ventures and community collaborations that support local economies. She is the recipient of many awards including the The James Beard Foundation's 2005 Humanitarian of the Year award. The meeting will be at 6 p.m. and the talk will be at 7 at Kerrytown Concert House, 415 N. Fourth Ave. Tickets are $20 at the door and $15 in advance at Nicola's Books, Shaman Drum Bookshop and The Peaceable Kingdom.

To supplement Wicks' talk, read The Small Mart Revolution: How local businesses are beating the global competition by Michael H. Shuman.

Super Bonus Newsflash! Brawl and Rock Band this Friday at Traverwood Cosplay

Tue, 11/04/2008 - 1:55am by eli

Hey Smashfans, we'll have two stations of Brawl and our Rock Band kit set out at the new Traverwood Branch this Friday, 11/7 from 7-8:30 PM for players grades 6 and up. If we get enough brawlers, we could try a special modes tournament or something. There will also be DDR and cosplay; feel free to come in costume, or not. Hope to see you there!

The Ark presents Joan Baez at the Michigan Theater

Sat, 11/01/2008 - 2:29pm by manz

Legendary folk musician Joan Baez brings her talents to the Michigan Theater for a night of entertainment on November 10 at 7:30pm. The current tour is to promote her new album, Day After Tomorrow. Baez played her first folk festival fifty years ago and she is perhaps best known for her work during the countercultural 1960s with her songs of freedom and civil rights. Visit The Ark’s website for details and ticket info. And be sure to grab a CD or two from AADL to get you in the mood beforehand!

Countdown to Nerdfighting!

Sat, 11/01/2008 - 11:49am by Cherie Lee

Instead of organs and bones are you made of awesome? Do you know what Nerd-fighter means? Do you know what jokes means in the sentence "that is so jokes!"? Soon you will be able to find out! Printz Award Winning and New York Times Bestselling author John Green and his brother Hank Green will be descending on the library with their loyal nerd-fighting fans Nov 14th 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM.

A melodic mix

Thu, 10/30/2008 - 7:54pm by Maxine

Lovers of off-beat, global music are in for a treat this coming Sunday, Nov. 2 at 8 p.m. at Canterbury House when Ravish Momin's Trio Tarana will be performing. This Indian- and East-Asian-influenced jazz by this Brooklyn, New York, ensemble led by percussionist Momin is known for creating a unique sound combining Indian, Afghani, Balkan and African rhythms. The trio includes violinist Sam Bardfeld and oud player Brandon Terzic. Canterbury House, 721 E. Huron. $10 (students & seniors, $5). 764-3162.

Election Buzz!

Thu, 10/30/2008 - 5:29pm by StoryLaura

There are two fun programs this Sunday, November 2 in honor of the exciting election time:

Calling all Kindergarten through Third Graders to our Pittsfield Branch at 1:00 pm! Watch your chains of colorful links grow and you will see which jungle animal wins the election. Make a “Freedom" hat, balloon animals and a great big mural with ink stamps!

Calling all Fourth and Fifth Graders to our Traverwood Branch at 4:00 pm! Come decorate a tote to celebrate the vote and help make apple crisp too!

Directing Pride & Prejudice

Thu, 10/30/2008 - 1:35pm by amy

In conjunction with the U of M Department of Theater & Drama's production of Pride and Prejudice (December 4-7 at the Power Center), director Timothy Douglas will present a program on Sunday, November 2, 2-3:30 p.m. in the Downtown Library Multi-Purpose Room on the challenges of updating Jane Austen's brilliant 1813 novel about the willful Miss Bennet and the arrogant Mr. Darcy. AADL owns several adaptations on video, including the 1940 Hollywood film, the 1985 BBC production, a 1995 A & E production, and the recent 2005 film starring Keira Knightley.

Crusader for human rights

Tue, 10/28/2008 - 5:07pm by Maxine

Tomorrow, October 29, Archbishop Desmond Tutu will be the featured speaker at the Wallenberg Foundation lecture. Archbishop Tutu, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984, has been a tireless supporter of human rights in South Africa. He helped establish the the first Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa which investigated abuses of human rights. Tutu emphasized the importance of justice as well as forgiveness in this process. His work reflects that of Raoul Wallenberg who risked his life to save thousands of Hungarian Jews during World War II. Every year, the Foundation honors a person who embodies Wallenberg's quest for peace and justice. Desmond Tutu's lecture will be at 7:30 in Hill Auditorium.

Religion and Peacemaking in the Middle East

Tue, 10/28/2008 - 1:59pm by annevm

Among noted speakers Nov. 8-10 at the Morikawa Conference will be Msgr. Elias Chacour, whose autobiographical We Belong to the Land I am liking quite a bit. Other internationally known people scheduled to speak at the conference are Dr. Ingrid Mattson, author of The Story of the Qur‘an: Its History and Place in Muslim life, and Rabbi Marc Gopin, whose books include Healing the Heart of Conflict.

Don't Stop Celebrating Yet!

Tue, 10/28/2008 - 9:18am by Beth Manuel

The Day after we celebrate Halloween, Join AADL for El Día De Los Muertos or Day of the Dead. We'll watch a folk dance performance and make crafty skulls & skeletons. See you there Saturday from 1-2:30. There's libros y libros on the subject in our collection. Come see! Teens, families and adults are welcome!