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Author Birthdays: Franklin, Asimov, Michaels

by marshd

January 2nd marks the birthday of authors John Hope Franklin, Isaac Asimov, and Leonard Michaels.

John Hope Franklin was an American historian who received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. His best known work is From Slavery to Freedom, which is often regarded as the definitive history of African-Americans, outlines African origins, slavery, and the fight for freedom.

Franklin's other works include Runaway Slaves: Rebels On The Plantation, a book about the resistance and escape of African-American slaves, and an autobiography which Library Journal described as "worth knowing and understanding because at its heart it is a particularly American story about the challenges of being black in this country, about personal triumphs, and about his feeling of urgency regarding the promises America has yet to realize."

Isaac Asimov is best known as a Russian-American science-fiction writer. Among his books, he is probably most widely recognized for his series, especially the Foundation series, which actually includes dozens of stories, one of them being the basis for the film I, Robot.

Asimov's many, many--and I mean many--other works include the two award-winners The Gods Themselves and The Bicentennial Man. There is also Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, which first came out in 1977, named for Asimov because of his huge standing in the science-fiction genre.

Leonard Michaels was an American writer of short stories, novels, and essays, who graduated with his Master's and Ph.D. from the University of Michigan. One of his novels, Sylvia, is based upon his first wife, who committed suicide.

Michaels also wrote some autobiographical fiction collected in the book Shuffle. Publishers Weekly discusses it as "Created in fragments of journal entries, short stories and memoir-like confessions, a matrix of past and present formations is slowly brought into focus; thus, a life."

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Youth and Teen Magazine Update -- Mars, Manga and the World's Greatest Drummers

by MariaK

Want to jump into January 2011? Try these magazines -- with awesome new issues for the New Year!

For kids:
Ask Magazine: Giant dinosaurs, an island of tiny humans, and the reason giants don't exist.
Muse Magazine: Women Astronauts, Space-Sickness and Martians, oh my!

For teens:
Drum! Magazine: The Ultimate Readers' Choice Awards -- The World's Greatest Drummers!
Otaku USA Magazine: News, reviews and, of course manga! This month Otaku USA features sneak peeks at Lychee Light Club and Street Fighter Gaiden, with reviews of FLCL, Gravitation, Xam'd: Lost Memories.

Read 'em while they're new, people!

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Year in Review

by jimmyg

It's that time of year for magazines to start publishing an issue devoted to the "Year in Review". Take a look at the latest issue of Bloomberg Businessweek. It's filled with charts, diagrams, numbers and illustrations distilling the news, trends, people and nonstop action of 2010. Oh, and there are a few essays here and there.

You can just sit down with a copy and pick a page, any page...

It's also available online here.

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Youth/Teen Magazine Update -- Kid Wrestlers, Tall Men and Carnivorous Teddy Bears

by MariaK

Hello young magazine fans of AADL! A new crop of mags is upon us, so hurry on down to take a look.

For the kids we have:
*Turtle -- Valentine Crowns, "Three Little Kittens," and Pinwheel Bagels...yum.
*Zoobooks -- One word "Gorillas." Ok, four more words: "Stronger than six men!"
*WWE Kids -- featuring your favorite wrestlers' childhood pictures, and an interview with R-Truth.

Teens shouldn't miss:
*Us Magazine -- Royal Wedding Secrets!!!
*Slam -- This issue features John Wall, Evan Turner, and a look back at the life of "one of the greatest shot blockers in NBA history," Manute Bol. (A ridiculously tall man -- 7'7"!)
*Giant Robot -- Interviews with, among others, Artist Luke Chueh, who makes disturbing paintings of teddy bears, and Takayuki Higashino, freestyle motocross star.

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October is Vegetarian Awareness Month

by carterrn

October is Vegetarian Awareness Month! Founded by the North American Vegetarian Society in 1977, October 1st kicks off this edible plant lover's time of year with World Vegetarian Day. Why not get involved in this celebration by informing others about the benefits of vegetarianism or trying out a few vegetarian recipes on your own? Some great cookbooks include The Conscious Cook : Delicious Meatless Recipes That Will Change The Way You Eat, Betty Crocker's Vegetarian Cooking: Easy Meatless Main Dishes Your Family Will Love, Vegetarian : Create Great-tasting Dishes Through The Seasons or those from Vegetarian Times. For your viewing pleasure, check out 30 Minute Meals Vegging Out with Food Network chef Rachael Ray. Or to find that happy medium, The Flexitarian Table: Inspired, Flexible Meals for Vegetarians, Meat Lovers, and Everyone in Between offers exciting menus to satisfy both vegetarians and non-vegetarians. Take this time to indulge in a meatless meal.

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Urban Farm - NEW Magazine

by Bertha

Featuring articles on turning your lawn into a garden, beekeeping in the burbs and communal gardens, Urban Farm has articles on varying aspects of sustainable city living. Most articles provide links, great photos, and additional resources to support each article. When asked why they’re urban farmers, the authors of Urban Homestead said it is "because we like food that tastes better than the materials it’s packed in.”

You may also be interested in, Edible WOW and you might just find some solutions on what to do with the hundreds of tomatoes lined up on your kitchen counter right now.

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Body Ink

by pkooger

Lately it seems that everywhere I look, people are showing off their tattoos, be they exotic and mundane, awesome and/or ridiculous. Is this recent surge in tattoo sightings a sign of an upswing in tattooing, or is it just a regular seasonal occurrence as sleeves disappear and bathing suits appear?

Either way, it got me thinking. If I were to get a tattoo, what would it be? Where would it be? How big would it be? Would it symbolize something, or would it be purely decorative? My curiosity has gotten the better of me and I’m turning to two magazines for inspiration. They are Skin & Ink magazine and International Tattoo Art magazine. Both are available at the Downtown library, or can be requested at the other branches.

Other methods of body adornment, such as body piercing and scarification, don’t seem as appealing for me, but if you are interested in them, here’s a list of books you should check out. Remember everyone, a tattoo of a person’s name is the #1 most regretted tattoo decision. So opt for that dagger-wielding flaming monkey perched in a Christmas tree before you do something silly like getting a tattoo of your kid’s name.

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Le Tour de France

by Caser

Riders competing in the world's most prestigious cycling race, Le Tour de France, completed Stage 2 of 21 today, climbing from Bruxelles to Spa in the magnificent country of Belgium (they enter France in Stage 3). The soggy weather caused one major crash that slowed many cyclists in the peloton down, including American Lance Armstrong, who has said this will be his last Tour.

The televised, three week event will test the limits of international riders with over 2200 miles of picturesque -- yet arduous -- French countryside. This year's Tour began on July 3rd, and the champion will be crowned on July 25th. If Le Tour has you excited about bicycle racing then check out the AADL's collection of books and magazines on the sport of cycling.

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Writers to Watch : 20 Under 40

by muffy

It has been more than a decade since the magazine The New Yorker has published a “20 Under 40” list. The last one, in 1999, included some future literary stars who were then relatively unknown, like Jhumpa Lahiri, Nathan Englander, and Junot Díaz. (Relatively established authors like Michael Chabon, Jeffrey Eugenides, and David Foster Wallace were also on the earlier list.)

This year's list is gender-balanced : naming 10 men and 10 women. They are Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, 32; Chris Adrian, 39; Daniel Alarcón, 33; David Bezmozgis, 37; Sarah Shun-lien Bynum, 38; Joshua Ferris, 35; Jonathan Safran Foer, 33; Nell Freudenberger, 35; Rivka Galchen, 34; Nicole Krauss, 35; Yiyun Li, 37; Dinaw Mengestu, 31; Philipp Meyer, 36; C. E. Morgan, 33; Téa Obreht, 24; Z Z Packer, 37; Karen Russel, 28; Salvatore Scibona, 35; Gary Shteyngart, 37; and Wells Tower, 37.

The new list has its own distinctions. A significant number of the writers hail from outside the United States or have parents who do. All but two (Ms. Obreht and Ms. Russell) are in their 30s.

The process began in January, when editors in the fiction department started brainstorming. By e-mail they asked literary agents, publishers and other writers to suggest potential candidates.

The editors eventually whittled the possibilities down to a shortlist of roughly 40 eligible writers. A few prominent fiction writers, including Colson Whitehead and Dave Eggers, were slightly too old to make the cut.

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The 100 Most Creative

by jimmyg

The feature story in the June issue of Fast Company is The 100 Most Creative People in Business 2010. You may know James Cameron, Jay-Z, Lady Gaga, Jamie Oliver and Elizabeth Warren, who are on the list, but do you know Ping Fu, Dele Olojede, Igor Puseniak, Kr Sridhar, Beth Simone Noveck and Majora Carter?

It's helpful to know that the editorial team tasked with compiling the list couldn't include anyone who was on last year's list or who's been featured in the magazine before. Therefore, you won't see Steve Jobs, John Legend, Mark Zuckerberg and many others who might normally qualify for such a list. Nevertheless, the editorial team feels that their choices still "reflect the breadth of new ideas and new pursuits at play in our business landscape."

Take a look and see who else is on the list. There are 90 more to learn about...