AADL Video Collection

Famed TV Writer Mark Rothman Discusses His Shows Including "Laverne and Shirley," "Happy Days" And "The Odd Couple" And Reads From His New Book of Essays

2012-01-24T23:15:11-05:00

Relive 1970's television as famed TV sitcom writer Mark Rothman, best known for his involvement with the creation and production of "Laverne and Shirley," visits AADL. He was also the head writer for numerous other shows including "Happy Days" and "The Odd Couple." Join us as Mark recalls many show biz memories - and reads from his book "Mark Rothman's Essays: Many About Show Biz and All About Life." Books will be available for sale and the event includes a book signing

Jan Brett, New York Times #1 Bestselling Children's Author & Artist

2012-01-24T23:09:48-05:00

With over thirty-seven million books in print, Jan Brett is one of the nation's foremost author/illustrators of children's books. Her books are known for colorful, detailed depictions of a wide variety of animals and human cultures ranging from Scandinavia to Africa. Her best-known titles include "The Hat," "The Mitten," "The Three Snow Bears" and "Gingerbread Baby." Join Jan for a fun look at how she creates her stories. After her brief demonstration, Jan will meet with fans and sign books. Her new book, "Home Before Christmas," and "The Night Before Christmas" will be for sale at this event, courtesy of Nicola's Books. Jan's tour bus will be parked next to the Library. It is wrapped in artwork from "Home for Christmas" and "The Night Before Christmas" Deluxe Book & DVD Edition. Also - be sure to say hello to Hedgie, Jan's favorite friend from "The Mitten" and "The Hat," who will be visiting as well! Arrive early - this is sure to be a popular event!

Author John Miller Discusses The History Of College Football And His New Book "The Big Scrum: How Teddy Roosevelt Saved Football"

2012-01-24T23:05:54-05:00

John J. Miller, U-M graduate and author of "The Big Scrum: How Teddy Roosevelt Saved Football," will discuss his new book, the history of college football and the social changes in America that made college football popular. This event includes a book signing and books will be on sale. In this fascinating new book, Miller delivers the intriguing, never-before-told story of how Theodore Roosevelt saved American Football--a game that would become the nation's most popular sport. Miller's sweeping, novelistic retelling captures the violent, nearly lawless days of late 19th century football and the public outcry that would have ended the great game but for a crucial Presidential intervention. Teddy Roosevelt's championing of football led to the creation of the NCAA, the innovation of the forward pass, a vital collaboration between Walter Camp, Charles W. Eliot, John Heisman and others, and, ultimately, the creation of a new American pastime. John J. Miller writes for National Review, the Wall Street Journal, and many other publications. He is also the author of "The First Assassin," a historical thriller set during the Civil War. The Chronicle of Higher Education has called him "one of the best literary journalists in the country."

Behind the Scenes of Web Communities Panel Featuring Jessamyn West and Rob "CmdrTaco" Malda

2012-01-24T13:47:49-05:00

One of the things that makes the Internet such a great and useful place are all of the resources created by huge numbers of strangers pooling their knowledge and work. While the content for these sites is created by a large number of users, behind the scenes there are a small number of administrators and moderators working to maintain a certain level of content and steer the sites in a particular direction. Join us for a discussion of the strategies and guidelines that keep online communities running smoothly led by Jessamyn West of Metafilter.com, a community weblog known for the high quality and wide-ranging "best of the web" posts by its members. Ask.metafilter.com, a subsite where members can ask and answer questions, is a phenomenally useful site and a model for how open forums can be focused and tended. Metafilter enjoys international popularity, and members regularly gather for meetups in cities around the world. Jessamyn West is an author, community technology librarian and community manager of the group blog MetaFilter.com. She lives in a rural area of Central Vermont where she teaches basic computer skills. She assists libraries with technology planning and implementation, helping them with Wi-Fi and websites and making sense of their systems and maintains an online presence at jessamyn.com and librarian.net. Also joining the panel is Rob Malda, known as CmdrTaco, a founder and former moderator of Slashdot, one of the web's most enduring news communities for nerds. CmdrTaco was a central figure in the Slashdot community for 14 years, and has recently left Slashdot and now blogs at cmdrtaco.net. Under Malda's leadership, Slashdot pioneered self-moderation systems and tools to manage web communities that are still years of ahead of many major sites.

Alex Young, Chef @ Zingerman's Roadhouse & Winner Of The James Beard Award

2012-01-24T13:45:54-05:00

Join us as Alex shares his culinary passions, how he got to where he's at and what his recent win of the James Beard Award has meant for him, Zingerman's and Ann Arbor. He will also bring tasty samples of food! Zingerman's Roadhouse Chef Alexander Young was born in London. At an early age, his family moved to San Francisco, then, at 17 he moved to New York City. His first cooking job was with a feature film location catering company, catering to such stars at Michael Douglas, Alan Alda, Danny Devito, and Madonna. He later took a job as assistant kitchen manager with the China Grill working under Chef Mako Tenaka, Wolfgang Puck's top chef, then moved on to a position as Executive Sous Chef at the Doral Court Hotel. In late 1990, Alex accepted a position as Executive Chef at the Ann Arbor Hilton, then traveled the country pursuing his goal of Corporate Executive Chef. He opened the Pittsburg Fish Market for the Hilton Restaurant Group as Regional Executive Chef and also created an upscale American Bistro concept opening in Chicago, IL and Alexandria, VA. In 1997 a mutual friend introduced Alex to Ari and Paul of Zingerman's. In 2001, they agreed to open a restaurant together. The Roadhouse opened September 15, 2003, and Alex has never looked back.

City Of Ann Arbor Community Sustainability Discussion: Resource Management

2012-01-24T13:43:58-05:00

This first in a series of four monthly discussions co-sponsored by the City of Ann Arbor centers on Resource Management and will include discussion on natural areas, waste reduction, recycling, compost, local food systems, water and air quality. Panelists include: Jason Tallant from Natural Area Preservation; Chris Graham, Chair of the Environmental Commission; Kerry Gray, Urban Forestry & Natural Resources Planner; Tom McMurtrie, Solid Waste Coordinator and Matthew Naud, Environmental Coordinator. Joining the City of Ann Arbor staff will be Richard Norton, Chair of UM's Urban and Regional Planning program and Laura Rubin, Executive Director of the Huron River Watershed Council. Each of the four monthly sessions will examine past successes and challenges, discuss possible future priorities and feature a think tank of local stakeholders (UM faculty, representatives from community organizations, city commissioners, City of Ann Arbor staff and the public). The ensuing discussions will help guide the city's sustainability planning efforts. Details of this series are posted online at www.a2gov.org/sustainability. For Ann Arbor's current environmental goals, check out the State of Our Environment Report at www.a2gov.org/soe.

Culture Jamming: A Long View Back - A Panel Discussion With John And Leni Sinclair, Pun Plamondon, David Fenton, and Genie Parker At The Michigan Union - Pendleton Room

2012-01-24T13:41:34-05:00

Panelists John and Leni Sinclair, Pun Plamondon, David Fenton, and Genie Parker--all members of Ann Arbor's White Panthers and Rainbow People's Party--participate in this panel discussion which is part of the of 'Freeing John Sinclair: The Day Legends Came to Town,' a series of events celebrating the launch of AADL's Freeing John Sinclair website (available at aadl.org beginning on Friday, December 9), marking the 40th anniversary of the John Sinclair Freedom Rally that took place in Ann Arbor on December 10, 1971. These five panelists were central to many of the actions and ideals surrounding Ann Arbor's late-1960s counter-culture. For this event, they'll reflect on what they called their "total assault on culture" during the late 1960s and early 1970s - what worked, what didn't, and what it means today. The panel will be moderated by Professor Bruce Conforth of the University of Michigan Program in of American Culture. This special event will be held in Pendleton Room of the Michigan Union, 530 S. State Street on the UM Campus.

Comic Artists Forum With Guest Artist Dan Mishkin

2011-12-06T13:02:44-05:00

Guest artist Dan Mishkin will talk about what a comic book writer does, and how it's important to think visually and to understand how comics work -- valuable information for writers, but also for artists. Dan is the co-creator of the comic book series "Amethyst", "Blue Devil", "Creeps" and "Spellgame", and author of the children's illustrated novel "The Forest King." Join the Forum to get fresh ideas for your next comics or graphic novel creation. Drawing supplies will be provided, so drop in for drawing, learning, and sharing.

Film & Discussion: Freedom Riders With Post Film Discussion Led By Civil Rights Leader (And Freedom Rider) Dr. Bernard LaFayette, Jr.

2011-12-06T13:00:50-05:00

Join us to view this acclaimed film - - the powerful harrowing and ultimately inspirational story of six months in 1961 that changed America forever - and stay for the post film discussion led by Civil Rights Leader Dr. Bernard LaFayette, Jr. - who was a Freedom Rider. In 1961, more than 400 black and white Americans risked their lives--and many endured savage beatings and imprisonment--for simply traveling together on buses and trains as they journeyed through the Deep South. Deliberately violating Jim Crow laws, the Freedom Riders met with bitter racism and mob violence along the way, sorely testing their belief in nonviolent activism. From award-winning filmmaker Stanley Nelson the film features testimony from a fascinating cast of central characters: the Riders themselves, state and federal government officials, and journalists who witnessed the Rides firsthand. This two-hour documentary is based on Raymond Arsenault's book Freedom Riders: 1961 and the Struggle for Racial Justice. The Rev. Dr. Bernard LaFayette, an ordained minister, is a longtime civil rights activist, organizer, and an authority on nonviolent social change. He co-founded the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) in 1960, and he was a core leader of the civil rights movement in Nashville, TN, in 1960 and in Selma, AL, in 1965. He directed the Alabama Voter Registration Project in 1962, and he was appointed by Martin Luther King, Jr. to be national program administrator for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and national coordinator of the 1968 Poor People's Campaign. This event is co-sponsored by the University of Michigan Community Scholars' Program. This film is not rated.

"A Beautiful Mind" Author Sylvia Nasar Discusses Her New Book: "Grand Pursuit: The Story Of Economic Genius"

2011-11-15T13:13:33-05:00

AADL is proud to host Professor Sylvia Nasar - economist, journalist and the author of "A Beautiful Mind," the mega-bestseller that inspired the Academy Award-winning film starring Russell Crowe. Professor Nasar will discuss her critically-acclaimed just-released new book "Grand Pursuit: The Story Of Economic Genius." The event will include a book signing and books will be on sale. This fascinating new book is the epic story of the making of modern economics, and of how economics rescued mankind from squalor and deprivation by placing its material fate in its own hands rather than in Fate. We witness men and women responding to personal crises, world wars, revolutions and economic upheavals to triumph over mankind's hitherto age-old destiny of misery and early death. This story is one of trial and error, but ultimately transcendent, as it is rendered here in a stunning and moving narrative. A writer at Fortune and columnist at U.S. News & World Report before she joined The New York Times, Sylvia Nasar also has been a visiting scholar at Cambridge University, the Russell Sage Foundation and the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton. Her work has appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times and other leading publications. While working as an economics reporter for The New York Times she discovered the remarkable story of John Nash, the Princeton mathematical genius who suffered from schizophrenia for three decades before recovering and winning a Nobel Prize in economics. Her biography, "A Beautiful Mind," which won the National Book Critics' Circle Award and was a Pulitzer finalist, helped put a human face on a devastating mental illness. Do not miss this opportunity to meet this outstanding author!