A Tale of Two Cities

By Marcia Lee
Serials Specialist

On this day in 1859 the well-known title, A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, was published.  The book was set in London and Paris before and during the French Revolution and was one of only two historic fictions written by Dickens.

Below is a short passage taken from the book (chapter 1, book 1):

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way–in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.”

Check out the Tale of Two Cities today from the GRCC Library or learn more about the French Revolution or Charles Dickens‘  other works using resources we have available!

New graphic novel titles: October

Here are a few of the new graphic novels we got in October. A complete list of available titles is here.

Happy Birthday to me! (and Charles Perrault!)

Charles Perrault's interpretation of Cinderella.

By Marcia Lee
Serials Specialist

The other day I was surfing the web and thought, “I wonder who I share my birthday with?” Charles Perrault was the last name on a list of celebrities & other famous people. Now, I have to admit I did not have any idea who he was or what he was known for, although his name did look familiar. After some digging, I found out that although he lived in the 17th century & was a French writer, we have something in common (besides our day of birth). Mostly, it has to do with fairy tales – he wrote them & I LOVE THEM.

On this day I would like to say thank you to Mr. Perrault for writing such wonderful tales that have lasted through the ages, my childhood (*cough* and adulthood) would have been much less imaginative & with fewer dreams had it not been for those stories!

Did you know that the GRCC Library has an entire section of children’s books? Below are a few of Charles Perrault’s most famous tales that can be found in our very own collection here at the GRCC Library:

• Cinderella
• Puss in Boots
• Little Red Riding Hood
• Sleeping Beauty

Stop by today & check some tales out for the “little ones” in your life!

Doctor Who in the library

By Janelle Yahne
Library Circulation Associate

I started watching Doctor Who in 2006 when it was recommended to me by a friend. The show was fun, epic, silly, and heartbreaking. A Time Lord traveling through space and time with a human companion on life threatening adventures makes for great television. I could not believe I had never seen the series in its previous incarnations. I grew up in a household with a parent who devoured science fiction books, television, and movies. We watched Star Trek (Next Generation, Deep Space 9, andVoyager), X-Files, Red Dwarf, and almost anything else with a hint of science fiction. Being a sci-fi fan, I wondered how I could have missed such an amazing show.

Thankfully, the library has some wonderful books about the series to help explaining the fandom from critical essays to works about its relevance in popular culture. Even if you have no clue what TARDIS¹ means, or why a plunger wielding robot can be scary, these books are wonderful assets to help understand the great love people have for Doctor Who as it nears its 50th anniversary in 2013.

• The Science of Doctor Who (2010), by Paul Parsons
• Tardisbound: Navigating the Universes of Doctor Who (2011), by Piers D. Britton
• Triumph of a Time Lord: Regenerating Doctor Who in the 21st Century (e-book, 2010), by Matt Hills

If Doctor Who is not your thing, but science fiction is, the library has many other titles to whet your appetite:

• British Science Fiction Film and Television: Critical Essays (2011), edited by Tobias Hochscherf and James Leggott
• The Essential Science Fiction Television Reader (e-book, 2008), edited by J.P. Telotte
• Reading Between Designs: Visual Imagery and the Generation of Meaning in The Avengers, The Prisoner, and Doctor Who (e-book, 2003), by Piers D. Britton and Simon J. Barker

Who is your favorite Doctor or science fiction series?

1. Time and Relative Dimension in Space

Artbabble!

By Janelle Yahne
Library Circulation Associate

Databases are great, but what about amazing websites? Check out our Internet resources page to find great websites on a variety of topics ranging from the visual arts to legal references. It is a great starting point that will save time on finding a reputable website.

Artbabble.org is a great site to learn about contemporary artists, or to find lectures on a variety of art topics. This website, along with many others, can be found under Internet resources page on our website. Below are links and tidbits about topics that I find interesting in Artbabble.

Cindy Sherman is a conceptual portrait photographer who uses herself as a model. She has been doing photography since the mid-1970’s with concepts ranging from social commentary to fashion. Artbabble.org and our library have more information on photography and technique.

Cindy Sherman on Artbabble
Books:

• After the Revolution: Women Who Transformed Contemporary Art
• Cindy Sherman: the complete untitled film stills.
• Cindy Sherman: a Retrospective

Detroit Institute of Arts Museum is an exceptional place that has a large permanent collection. To see upcoming exhibitions, visit their website http://www.dia.org/. But if you can’t make it to Detroit, here are some books and videos on the that are available at artbabble.org and our library catalog:

Detroit Institute of Art on Artbabble
Books:

• American paintings in the Detroit Institute of Arts
• The Dodge collection of eighteenth-century French and English art in the Detroit Institute of Arts
• Gods, saints, & heroes : Dutch painting in the age of Rembrandt
• Corinthian Attic Vases in the Detroit Institute of Arts
• The Villanovan, Etruscan, and Hellenistic Collections in the Detroit Institute of Arts

Who is your favorite artist?