95th Anniversary of Triange Shirtwaist Company Fire

Thu, 03/23/2006 - 2:43pm by Maxine

On March 25, 1911, 146 women, mostly immigrants, died in a fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York City. Many of the women were trapped on the ninth floor because the doors were locked. Some fell to their deaths from open windows. The event, though tragic, was a turning point in labor history. New laws were passed requiring reforms in health and safety.

The book, Ashes of Roses by Mary Jane Auch, is written for teens but has universal appeal for lovers of historical fiction. Auch conveys the horror of the fire and all that leads up to it from the perspective of Rose Nolan, a 16 year old Irish immigrant, who lands a job at the factory and is one of the survivors. Auch is good at evoking early twentieth century New York in all its color and squalor.

The immigrant experience in America is told in the four part PBS documentary, Destination America. Originally broadcast in 2005 as a four part PBS mini-series, the film examines the reasons people, especially women, came to America.

Has Title IX been good for sports?

Thu, 03/23/2006 - 10:08am by K.C.

Would Tennessee’s Candace Parker, whose two dunks last weekend were the first ever in NCAA tournament play, and Oklahoma’s Courtney Paris, whose powerful play has coaches comparing her to Shaq, be pushing the basketball envelope if Title IX had never become law?

A new book, A Place on the Team: The Triumph and Tragedy of Title IX explores the controversial law. While some say the law has provided girls and women more opportunity to grow and excel in athletics, others would say Title IX’s mandate that women and men athletes be treated equally has come at too great a cost. To comply with Title IX some colleges and universities have shifted money to women’s sports while reducing funds for or even cutting “lesser” men’s sports like wrestling and crew. Is that fair or is it a case of two wrongs don’t make a right?

Everything bad for you is not so bad

Thu, 03/23/2006 - 12:20am by called worse

It's okay. Despite everything you've heard, pop culture is not completely rotting your brain.

In Everything Bad Is Good for You, Steven Johnson lays out a theory about how popular media are helping us develop better creative problem solving, social networking, and analysis skills. (That isn't to say that this book is against good old intellectual development through, well, books.) Johnson provides a smart take on neurological development, Dragnet, and The Sims that will just probably convince you that you're smarter than you thought.

So, whether you've been up for twelve hours trying to get the power up and win the game, or you've been blogging about how guilty you feel when you watch Desperate Housewives, read this book and feel a little better.

Upcoming AADL-GT Events: Retro Octathalon & State of Gaming Panel

Wed, 03/22/2006 - 11:40pm by eli

OK, so the new branch is open and running well, it's time to get back to AADL-GT! We've got some very cool and very different events coming up in April. First, on Friday, April 14th, the first day of Spring Break, we've got the first ever AADL-GT Retro Octathalon, an olympic-style event featuring 8 vintage (pre-1990) games, and some great prizes for the best overall players. Then, on April 23rd, we'll be having a panel discussion on the State of Gaming, where we will engage in a definitely spirited and possibly civil conversation about where games are now, and where they are going, especially as we teeter on the precipice of the next generation. However, we need to flesh out some details for both of these events, so read on and add your comments.

Animanga Club: Furuba Reunion

Mon, 03/20/2006 - 5:52pm by Edith Wharton

Read Fruits Basket books 10, 11 and 12, then come to the Animanga Club and meet other Furuba fans!

Tuesday April 4th, 7pm at Malletts Creek

New UPDATE: Book 13 is now out, and I have a copy for you.. ^_^
We will be having Japanese treats (and brownies) and we'll show a surprise episode of Fruits Basket.
BIG QUESTION: What days of the week/times are best for Animanga Club during the Summer Months?? Please let me know ASAP.

Dance Dance Revolution at the Neutral Zone

Sat, 03/18/2006 - 10:57am by Edith Wharton

There is a weekly program at the Neutal Zone to practice your DDR skills for the next AADL tournament. I've just been extremely slow in posting about it. Bad Librarian!

DDR@NZ
Wednesdays, 5:30-7:00pm at Neutral Zone - 637 S. Main - Ann Arbor, MI, 48104

Next DDR & Karaoke Revolution tournament: Saturday, April 15
12-3pm DDR, 3-5pm Karaoke
Prizes for each competition: $40, $30, $20

Fabulous Fiction Firsts #10

Fri, 03/17/2006 - 12:37pm by muffy

“The Grail legends are usually about men with swords and women getting rescued…. I want the women to have the swords…they get lots of sex, and they fall in love, but that’s not the point of the story… They are the heroes.” ~Kate Mosse.

From the cofounder of the prestigious Orange Prize, comes this heart-pounding literary thriller of two courageous and resourceful women, separated by 8 centuries, yet linked by 3 missing books, family history, deadly secrets, and the Labyrinth.

Set in the Carcassonne region of southeast France and the result of 15 years of painstaking research, this debut novel will not disappoint – inevitably to be compared to The You-Know-What. (100,000 first run).

Happy Birthday, Alice Hoffman

Thu, 03/16/2006 - 3:25pm by Maxine

Today, March 16, is the birthday of Alice Hoffman, author of more than twenty books and several screenplays. Her latest book for young teens, Aquamarine about a wise mermaid, has recently been made into a film. Hoffman's books are infused with magic so that sometimes it's difficult to tell the real from the unreal. Ghosts can be as important in the development of the story as the flesh and blood characters like in The River King and the moral concerns can be both contemporary and timeless.

The Ice Queen,her latest novel for adults, is about (of all things!) a librarian who is struck by lightning and whose favorite book is one on suicide. She moves to a town in Florida which is known to be its lightning capital and is drawn into the mysteries of this electrical phenomenon.

The Zine

Wed, 03/15/2006 - 9:58pm by Edith Wharton

All Systems Go!
This is the temporary place for all zine materials, namely reviews of Manga and Anime, as well as video games that have related material (why not?).

I'll start:
Bleach--The Manga(don't even know if its done yet), that Anime (71 episodes so far)
Basic storyline: Boy meets Shinigami(Soul Reapers, who kick the dead into the next level of existence), boy takes Shinigami's powers, boy fights monsters created by damaged souls (Hollows).
Best thing about the books: humor plus action= great entertainment. More informative than the anime.

Calling all teen girl writers!

Wed, 03/08/2006 - 12:53pm by carbonear

Magazine editor Amy Goldwasser wants your writing for a collection of essays. She's looking for:

"...girls, age 13-18, who’d like to submit a piece of personal non-fiction for consideration ... Those are about the only guidelines — absolutely any subject matter (so far everything from a Christian acoustic guitar player on the importance of dressing modestly to an obsessive diatribe against Condi Rice to making out with a gay prom date to learning to cook to a parent’s drinking), any geography (great to get away from LA-NY), any length, and from writers of any race, class, etc. If she’s more comfortable, the writer can remain anonymous — as long as she gives me her age, location, and a promise that she’s not making s[tuff] up. They can be important or fun, about shopping or stealing, whatever."

Visit the Freakonomics blog for more information. Submissions and correspondence should go to amyg@earthlink.net with “my essay” in the subject line. The deadline is Friday, April 7. Good luck!