Ciara Lightner

The weather is turning cooler and the days are getting shorter. This would be the perfect time to stop by your local library and check out their new selections. Might I make a suggestion? Poetry books make a great companion when the early sunsets drive you indoors.

I Was Bonnie & Clyde is the latest work by Laura Kasischke. In the work, women take center stage and have their sacrifices acknowledged. Infamous women throughout history are highlighted but the unknowns are not glossed over. They are given a chance to speak to their experiences as they walked through a world that, at times, was not kind. Kasischke also puts emphasis on the normal daily occurrences, creating the sense that this is what defines life.

Gregory Orr returns with his work, We Interrupt This Broadcast. Orr is experiencing something that comes for us all eventually, aging. He shows in his talented lyrical style, how, though his body has changed, his wonder and his ability to find joy and beauty remains. It isn’t just his own history that Orr turns his eye to. He looks at the human race and how in our infinite wisdom failed to realize that the world was not ours, but that we were merely caretakers and unfortunately have not done well at it.

En el norte/soy del sur by José Felipe Alvergue is an exploration of a family’s journey from El Salvador to America. Using sonnets as the bones of the work, Alvergue sets out to show the contradictory nature of how this country uses those that migrate to it but also discards them so easily. Even with documented status, society tends to try to erase the connections of people to their homeland, only allowing what it can find valuable. But Alvergue holds onto these connections tightly, even able to connect his grandparents with his children through storytelling and song. It is through this connection that the author, as well as the reader, are able to find strength and community.

Hide by Carolina Ebeid, is a work that seeks to reconnect a family that has suffered multiple separations. Ebeid, a child of immigrants from both Palestine and Cuba, explores how the ramifications of diaspora can continue to be felt even a generation or two on. In such a severance, growing the line to the past takes on a special importance, as it gives a ground for the future to grow. Ebid uses text overlaying text and image overlaying image, to create a sense of a new iteration coming into being from what came before.

Poetry has the power to bring some lightness into our lives when the days grow a little too long. It brings us comfort and clarity when the world outside gets dark. Hopefully these can be a bit of both to you these coming long nights. Enjoy these books and more at your local library.

The library’s collection of graphic novels has been growing steadily. There are so many new and exciting ones to choose from that it can be a bit overwhelming. In order to help narrow down your choices here are some new dystopian graphic novels to peruse!

Live Memorium, written Miki Makasu and illustrated by Benoit Bourget, is set in a world in which technology has greatly advanced–so much so that Thomas, an overworked accountant working for a sleazy and unscrupulous corporation finds himself dealing with highly illegal tech. After the death of his mother, Thomas chooses to visit Live Memorium, a company that offers the ability to relive your childhood memories. You can choose to be a passive observer, simply watching what has transpired, or, you can change it. Thomas chooses to rewrite his past, and in doing so, himself. The problem? The world does not change and what Thomas begins to find out, is that the more he changes, the more his reality, and the rest of the world’s, fail to connect.

Twin Lotuses is a graphic novel by the artist Zhang Xiaoyu set during 1930’s China, a time when war and political strife has caused lasting damage. Fan, an inventor with tremendous talent, creates an automaton, a doll capable of movement, in memory (and likeness) of the wife he lost. As his wife was a famous opera actress, so too is the automaton and is able to mesmerize countless audiences with its abilities. But the war is ever ongoing and with defecting soldiers, orphaned delinquents, and American men looking to make a buck, Fan finds himself in ever more growing difficulties. And with his country still rooted in superstition, Fan’s abilities are met with skepticism and distrust. Is imitation the sincerest form of flattery? Or is it an endeavor doomed from the start?

Bérénice Motais De Narbonne’s Metadoggoz is definitely a work of hard edges, deep human connection, and mind-altering art. The Metastation is a spiraling ever growing city. At its heart, is the ever-elusive elite living in comfort and cleanliness, and those with ever dwindling resources forced to live in the outer reaches. One of those residents, Gael, a teenager with no prospects, finds himself a new path, a world beneath the city. Here the hierarchy disappears and so with it the obligation to support those in the middle. As more characters find their way to the underground and to freedom, the more danger grows to this seeming utopia. Can Gael and the others find a way to protect their new-found home? An exemplar example of what happens when the have-nots fight to keep what they do.

Multi-disciplined creators team up in this new work set on the continent of Africa. Writer Saul Williams, along with artist Morgan Sorne, bring us Martyr Loser King. Set in Burundi, the work centers on a miner, Matalusa, who is forced to work on his family’s occupied land in order to obtain coltan, the material that is integral to cell phones and other technology. After his younger brother is killed, Matalusa begins his journey, meeting many who have been displaced by the destruction of nature for the profit of a few. One such person is Neptune, a creature unlike any Matalusa has met before and through their union, a new being, MartyrLoserKing, is created and with them, perhaps a chance to give voice to the suffering that has long been ignored.

Enjoy these graphic novels and many more at your local library!

-Ciara Lightner is a library specialist at A.K. Smiley Public Library and a huge comic book nerd…. unfortunately.

Pride month continues on in full swing! Pride started as a riot, as those who were oppressed rose up to demand the respect and freedoms our constitution promised. Many of those rights and freedoms are still in conflict today. These books help to highlight the path so many had to walk before and also those whose current paths are currently being made.

The Queer Thing About Sin by Harry Tanner tries to answer how we got here in terms of perception and prejudices against those who are part of the LGBTQ community. Beginning in ancient Greece, Tanner looks at a time when it was seemingly acceptable to be queer, as shown through plays and works of art. But as time passes, arguments and prejudices begin to pop up that sound very similar to modern ideas. Tanner suggests that this is not a coincidence, that similar downturns in society leads it to turn on it’s most vulnerable. He shows how philosophical ideas were adopted into religious concepts and how the consequences of that are still being felt today. The work is a great read that gives us not only a perspective on how we got here, but ideas on how to change our path.

Another book that shows how we got here but centers itself on the Black queer community is A Black Queer History of the United States by C. Riley Snorton and Darius Bost. Since the very concept of the United States, we have had residents who do not fall into the binary of male or female. Instead of just adhering pronouns or sexualities, the authors are very cognizant of not labeling individuals of the past with modern day terms or sensibilities. The authors show how many historical contributions from slavery uprisings, to fighting in the civil war, through Jim Crow and the Civil Rights Movement, queer people have played an integral part in the history of the United States. It even highlights that during the Civil Rights Movement, queer people were marginalized because the leaders believed that heteronormativity was the only way to gain equality. Snorton and Bost allow us to see how queer, trans, and gender non-conforming individuals have always fought for a place at the table, even if they were not the ones who ultimately benefitted from it.

Ace of Hearts: Lessons in Love from an Asexual Girl by Cooklin is a graphic novel in which the main character struggles when society’s norms are counter to who she feels she is as a person. Caitlin looked to discover the formula for happiness, how walking down the prescribed conventional path would automatically lead to comfort and belonging. But that isn’t what happened. Caitlin finds that closeness with another person is wonderful but physical intimacy is not as it was touted. Every step of the way, from Evangelical pastors, to friends, and even college counselors, she never really finds someone who gave a perspective close to how she felt. Throughout her journey and her relationships, she seeks out her own answers on what love means to her.

Enjoy these books and more at your local library! Happy Pride!

–Ciara Lightner is a library specialist at A.K. Smiley Public Library who believes the library is for everybody. Just don’t arrive all at once…. limited parking.

This year is speeding by at quite the rapid pace. Before we know it, the weather will be cooler, and the Halloween decorations will be up. Unless of course you are like me and leave them up year-round. So, let’s take a moment to slow down, rest, and enjoy some poetry during National Poetry Month. Consider it a check point before you move on to the next event.

Death of the First Idea by Rickey Laurentiis is a work about when the self is in opposition to the world around it. Spanning history from ancient Greece to the Jim Crow era, to the current conflicts in the Middle East, Laurentiis shows that societies have a tendency to ostracize or even commit violence against those it may find undesirable. We live in a world that upholds individuality but only if that individual displays the preferred traits. She even reflects on her hometown of New Orleans and in the explorations, describes both the joyous and detrimental experiences she found there. With grace and wit, Laurentiis writes beautifully about how she faces a world that refuses to face her.

Cynthia Cheung’s work, Common Disaster, is an interesting look at the Covid-19 pandemic through the eyes of a physician. Cheung displays her feelings of watching those she was meant to heal, lose their lives in the sea of misinformation. She records how a devastating diagnosis can create a ripple effect, not just for the patient, but for their family as well. Though loss is an inevitable part of life, Cheung urges us towards remembrance. That through remembrance we can create space to honor those that came before and carry on their legacies. That life and grief are not exclusive to human beings but to the whole world we live on. She illustrates that in a world in which tragedy is an everyday occurrence, there still exists a thread that connects us all.

The latest work from Bianca Stone, The Near and Distant World, is a philosophical examination of the self. Much like the self, the work shows an immense range in styles and has the ability to be multifaceted. Stone shows how the self persists during global pandemics, wars, and the creation of life. In her quest for examination, Stone even delves into the inexactitude of language, how words can only get so close to the truth but never quite reach it. This is a deeply introspective work that allows the imperfections of the self to not just be displayed but celebrated.

Enjoy these works of poetry and maybe try to write some of your own this month!

–Ciara Lightner is a library specialist at A.K. Smiley Public Library.

 

 

 

One of the biggest changes we have seen in the Library since the year has begun, is a return to physical media. Physical books, checking out movies and DVDs, and even perusing our extensive archives of older magazines and reference materials. Physical media tends to add a much more whimsical feel to our lives and, in order to ensure the upmost amount of whimsy to your day, here are some new books that focus on one of the most whimsical subjects: Mushrooms!

Fungi Decoded: Encounters with Thirty Fungi by Britt A. Bunyard is full of beautiful illustrations and great details. The book gives a broad overview of mushrooms, from spores and teeth, to why truffles use scent to attract mammals, even to the history of mycology itself. It even gives an extremely interesting look into the farming techniques of insects. While the beauty of mushrooms is highlighted, the book also delves into the dangers of mushrooms, listing the most common suspects for mushroom poisoning. Each of the thirty mushrooms highlighted are given ample room to show off their intriguing properties and the places where they are mainly located. The book even has a handy wheel on the cover to reference while on your travels. A great book for beginning or seasoned mushroom hunters!

While this next book is technically a part of the for dummies book series, it is a fascinating deep dive into the word of mushrooms: Fungi by René Fester Kratz. The book is heavily science-based, enlightening the reader that fungi are much closer to us by their DNA, their feeding techniques, and their reproduction than they are to plants. The work emphasizes the role of fungi in ecology, in that they act as decomposers allowing for much needed mineral resources to return to a usable state. The work shows how fungi play a role for us humans as well, whether that be medicinally, nutritionally, or recreationally. Diagrams throughout the book bolster the ideas introduced and further show the inner workings of a world we normally don’t get to see. A very technical book but one that brings mushroom lovers some great information.

How about the perspective of a forager and their relation to the world at large? Try Fearless, Sleepless, Deathless: What Fungi Taught Me About Nourishment, Poison, Ecology, Hidden Histories, Zombies, and Black Survival by Maria Pinto. While this book does do an amazing job looking at mushrooms and the world they inhabit, it is not it’s only focus. It also focuses on those that use mushrooms, how historically it was marginalized groups that sought out fungi whether it was as a food source or of a spiritual nature. Pinto looks at her own history and how her world was shaped by this seemingly innocuous but utterly life-changing organism. The work delves into the political nature of fungi and how it is politicized and policed.

Love mushrooms and crafting? Try out Crochet Snails and Mushroom Sprites by Megan Lapp. This adorable book shows how to crochet your own little mushroom friend. The book shows step-by-step photos to help ensure clear understanding during the process. It even includes a glossary as well as links to a YouTube channel showing all the techniques used. The work is set up to let you customize your new friend from, body type, positions, even the type of mushrooms (morels, fly agaric, or even inky cap!). And every mushroom needs a steed to ride on so make a cute snail too. Fun and a great way to add a cute companion on your mushrooming journey.

Enjoy these books and add a bit more whimsy to your reading lists!

-Ciara Lightner is a library specialist who is always down to hang out with a cool fungi!