Reading Room Blog

American Life in Poetry: Column 213

BY TED KOOSER, U.S. POET LAUREATE

Bill Holm, one of the most intelligent and engaging writers of our northern plains, died on February 25th. He will be greatly missed. He and I were of the same generation and we shared the same sense of wonder, amusement, and skepticism about the course of technology. I don't yet own an Earbud, but I won't need to, now that we have Bill's poem.

Earbud

If you liked the "Harry Potter" series for the believable way the magic elements are handled, for the glorious escapism, and for their appeal to girls, you may enjoy these titles:

"Olivia Kidney" by Ellen Potter
12-year old Olivia gets locked out of her apartment and spends the evening searching for her father, the building's superintendent. Her encounters with the strange occupants of the building help her to resolve the problems in her life.

"The Trolls" by Polly Horvath

The Week of the Young Child, running now through Saturday, celebrates wee ones as well as their parents and caregivers.  Hats off to all the child care providers, nursery school teachers, parents and grandparents who nurture and educate our youngest citizens!

 If you like Sahara by Clive Cussler, you might also enjoy these titles and authors.

The Last Oracle by James Rollins

An ancient relic, a murdered man, an international think tank of scientists known as the Jasons who have discovered a way to bioengineer autistic children, and a plot to wipe out a quarter of the world's population have two men racing against time to solve a mystery that dates back to the first famous oracle of history--the Greek Oracle of Delphi.  (Catalog summary)


The Hunt for Red October by Tom Clancy

Hello! If you enjoyed “Bones of the Moon” by Jonathan Carroll for its character and for the magical, fantastical things that happen, you may enjoy these works:

The Limits of Enchantment
by Graham Joyce

 Check the back seat of the car and under the bed – it’s Food for Fines Week, and that means you can return your overdue library books and do a good deed at the same time. Through next Sunday, for every canned good or non-perishable item that you bring to any branch of the Central Rappahannock Regional Library, we'll deduct a dollar from your overdue fines, up to a maximum amount of $10.00. All contributions go to local food banks.

          While you’re at the library, be sure to take a look at the exhibits. This month at the Headquarters Library, matchbox cars from the collection of Jeremy Harrison fill the second floor exhibit case. Dozens of brightly painted metal cars are set up in and around a garage, complete with service bays, ramps and even a heliport. 

          After your children have had their fill of the exhibit, be sure to check out a few books for young auto enthusiasts.

On April 15, 1912 the British luxury liner RMS Titanic struck an iceberg and sank on its maiden voyage from Southampton, England to New York City. About 1500 lives were lost in this terrible tragedy that captivated the world in its aftermath. In 1985, the Titanic was discovered "lying upright in two pieces on the ocean floor at a depth of about 4,000 m (about 13,000 feet)." (Britannica). A 1993 expedition enabled salvagers to recover several hundred artifacts from the rusting wreck.

The library has many books and movies that explore, through fiction and non-fiction, the Titanic's voyage and demise. A keyword search in the catalog reveals selections for all age groups. A new book, Titanic's Last Secrets: The Further Adventures of Shadow Divers John Chatterton and Richie Kohler, is on order and looks promising. 

by Ted Kooser, U.S. Poet Laureate, 2004-2006

We've published this column about American life for over four years, and we have finally found a poem about one of the great American pastimes, bowling. "The Big Lebowski" caught bowling on film, and this poem by Regan Huff of Georgia captures it in words.

Occurrence on Washburn Avenue

Whether your family is dying Easter eggs, roasting eggs for Passover, or simply celebrating the arrival of spring, you’ll enjoy this clutch of picture books about all things eggy.

 by Ted Kooser, U.S. Poet Laureate, 2004-2006

Some of you are so accustomed to flying that you no longer sit by the windows. But I'd guess that at one time you gazed down, after dark, and looked at the lights below you with innocent wonder. This poem by Anne Marie Macari of New Jersey perfectly captures the gauziness of those lights as well as the loneliness that often accompanies travel.

From the Plane

It is a soft thing, it has been sifted
from the sieve of space and seems
asleep there under the moths of light.