Kent District Library (MI)'s Blog, page 45
September 23, 2014
Talking in Fast Cars
Certainly one of the signs of the modern age is the speed with which we travel. Add to that the speed of our communications, especially with cell phones now, and we can see that all the drama and complications of life are that much more amplified. Two movies—one from 50 years ago, the other brand new—exemplify this tendency in both fascinating and distressing ways.
“Il Sorpasso” (1962), an Italian film directed by Dino Risi just recently released on DVD by the Criterion Collection, is a simple story: it’s a hot summer day, and a hyperactive young man, Bruno, in a slightly beat-up sports car, sees Roberto, a law student, in his apartment window. Bruno needs to call his friends, whom he’s missed. He asks Roberto, a somewhat timid and quiet fellow who isn’t quite sure how to handle this whirlwind character, who says yes. Before either of them know it, they are on the open road and leaving Rome—the Italian countryside beckons, and Bruno, who refuses to be stuck behind any vehicle, uses his rather musical (and obnoxious) horn, and his engine, to get his way. Stops pile on stops, with a gas station, German women, priests and nuns, fish soup, relatives and an ex-wife all part of the quickly moving plot. Roberto, who keeps wanting to go home to study, nevertheless can’t help but enjoy himself with this man who never stops going. The film will strike some as tonally shocking—what starts out as light-hearted turns into something else before the end comes, and that change certainly makes “Il Sorpasso” stand out—especially when one compares it to most mainstream American movies.
“Locke,” a new film from England by director Steven Knight, is a simply situated, but not simplistic, drama, entirely set in the interior of a car at night. Lest you think that sounds mind-numbing—or at least more appropriate for a radio drama or a play—think again. The movie works, carried by one actor who drives the car, and helped hugely by the voices of those he loves and works with as they call him and he calls them on his very sophisticated dashboard cell phone system. The driver is Ivan, a family man, a construction manager (he builds skyscrapers), driving from somewhere in the north of England to London. He is going to a hospital there to be with a woman not his wife. He is also facing huge pressures from his employer, because the next day there will converge an armada of cement trucks on the site he’s been managing, one of the biggest projects of its kind in Europe, and he won’t be there. And because he is “connected” so completely with everyone in his life, everyone has a (disembodied) voice to scream at him, plead with him, argue with him, and maybe even console him before the end of the movie. On top of all that, there is also the (unseen and unheard) ghost of his father, who was less than stellar in that role for Ivan. As he navigates his vehicle through the night, Ivan controls access to himself, through his car and his phone, but that doesn’t mean he is free from the consequences of his actions. “Locke” takes a perfectly modern situation and runs with it—a wonderfully balanced tale about choices that, despite the trappings of its modern technology, never loses its human touch.
Talking in fast cars
Certainly one of the signs of the modern age is the speed with which we travel. Add to that the speed of our communications, especially with cell phones now, and we can see that all the drama and complications of life are that much more amplified. Two movies—one from 50 years ago, the other brand new—exemplify this tendency in both fascinating and distressing ways.
“Il Sorpasso” (1962), an Italian film directed by Dino Risi just recently released on DVD by the Criterion Collection, is a simple story: it’s a hot summer day, and a hyperactive young man, Bruno, in a slightly beat-up sports car, sees Roberto, a law student, in his apartment window. Bruno needs to call his friends, whom he’s missed. He asks Roberto, a somewhat timid and quiet fellow who isn’t quite sure how to handle this whirlwind character, who says yes. Before either of them know it, they are on the open road and leaving Rome—the Italian countryside beckons, and Bruno, who refuses to be stuck behind any vehicle, uses his rather musical (and obnoxious) horn, and his engine, to get his way. Stops pile on stops, with a gas station, German women, priests and nuns, fish soup, relatives and an ex-wife all part of the quickly moving plot. Roberto, who keeps wanting to go home to study, nevertheless can’t help but enjoy himself with this man who never stops going. The film will strike some as tonally shocking—what starts out as light-hearted turns into something else before the end comes, and that change certainly makes “Il Sorpasso” stand out—especially when one compares it to most mainstream American movies.
“Locke”, a new film from England by director Steven Knight, is a simply situated, but not simplistic, drama, entirely set in the interior of a car at night. Lest you think that sounds mind-numbing—or at least more appropriate for a radio drama or a play—think again. The movie works, carried by one actor who drives the car, and helped hugely by the voices of those he loves and works with as they call him and he calls them on his very sophisticated dashboard cell phone system. The driver is Ivan, a family man, a construction manager (he builds skyscrapers), driving from somewhere in the north of England to London. He is going to a hospital there to be with a woman not his wife. He is also facing huge pressures from his employer, because the next day there will converge an armada of cement trucks on the site he’s been managing, one of the biggest projects of its kind in Europe, and he won’t be there. And because he is “connected” so completely with everyone in his life, everyone has a (disembodied) voice to scream at him, plead with him, argue with him, and maybe even console him before the end of the movie. On top of all that, there is also the (unseen and unheard) ghost of his father, who was less than stellar in that role for Ivan. As he navigates his vehicle through the night, Ivan controls access to himself, through his car and his phone, but that doesn’t mean he is free from the consequences of his actions. “Locke” takes a perfectly modern situation and runs with it—a wonderfully balanced tale about choices that, despite the trappings of its modern technology, never loses its human touch.
Free Retirement Planning Program
It’s never too early to begin planning for your financial future. We can help! Adults are invited to attend Future Proof Retirement Planning, taking place at three KDL branches this fall. Kelly Gilbert and Steve Kitchen, authors of Future Proof Investing, will teach you to make financial decisions based upon your own goals and objectives. In keeping with KDL policy, this is not a sales seminar, but an informational program about different models of retirement planning and how to save and protect funds for an attainable and sustainable retirement.
Schedule:
Thursday, October 9, 6:30 PM – Byron Township Branch
Thursday, October 23, 6:30 PM – Grandville Branch
Saturday, November 1, 2:00 PM – Gaines Township Branch
We hope to see you there!
September 22, 2014
2014 National Book Award for Fiction
The National Book Foundation has announced the 2014 nominees for the National Book Award. Four of the nominated fiction titles have been on LibraryReads lists: Some Luck by Jane Smiley, Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel, All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr, and Orfeo by Richard Powers.
Rabih Alameddine, An Unnecessary Woman
John Darnielle, Wolf in White Van
Anthony Doerr, All the Light We Cannot See
Emily St. John Mandel, Station Eleven
Elizabeth McCracken, Thunderstruck & Other Stories
September 21, 2014
Early Lit Bits: Learning with Crafts — Leafy Hedgehog
Leafy Hedgehog
A crisp fall morning is a great time to enjoy a walk together. All kinds of interesting natural items fall to the ground in autumn. Talk about textures in nature with your child. Can you find leaves that are rough, wrinkly or spiky? Take a walk outside and collect a few interesting leaves to use to make a hedgehog craft.
Materials
Paper plates
Scissors
Markers
Glue
Dried leaves
Directions
Fold the plate in half
Trim to match the profile of a hedgehog
Add eyes, ears, nose and a smile with markers
Fringe the curve of the plate with scissors OR
Attach dry leaves to the curve with glue
Learn more about hedgehogs in the Homework Help section of KDL’s website. Then curl up together and read The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle in which a little girl searching for her lost handkerchief visits a very peculiar little hedgehog.
— Dana D. at KDL’s Kentwood (Richard L. Root) Branch
This article originally appeared in our Early Lit Bits eNewsletter. Read the most recent issue online or sign up to receive this monthly update highlighting early literacy tips and resources for parents and caregivers.
September 19, 2014
KDL Top Ten – Spanish Books for Kids
Celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month! This week’s Top Ten list highlights 10 of the most popular Spanish titles for kids this month at KDL!
Short Story Workshops: Teens Only!
Spread the word! As part of the Write Michigan Short Story Contest, we are offering Short Story Workshops for teens grades 6-12. Delve into the world of creative writing by exploring different techniques and short story ideas. If you plan on entering the Write Michigan Contest, you definitely want to attend one of these workshops! Pre-registration is required so sign up today! Register online or by calling 616-784-2007. We hope to see you there!
Schedule:
Saturday, October 4, 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM, Englehardt (Lowell) Branch
Thursday, October 16, 5:00 – 7:00 PM, Cascade Township Branch
Saturday, October 18, 1:00 – 3:00 PM, Kentwood (Richard L. Root) Branch
Saturday, November 8, 1:30 – 3:30 PM, Sand Lake/Nelson Township Branch
Tuesday, November 18, 3:30 – 5:30 PM, Wyoming Branch
September 18, 2014
2014 National Book Awards
The National Book Foundation has announced the 2014 nonfiction nominees for the National Book Award.
Follow this link to see all four nominee lists (fiction, nonfiction, poetry & young people’s literature).
Roz Chast, Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant?
John Demos, The Heathen School: A Story of Hope and Betrayal in the Age of the Early Republic
Anand Gopal, No Good Men Among the Living: America, the Taliban, and the War through Afghan Eyes
(Macmillan/Holt)
Nigel Hamilton, The Mantle of Command: FDR at War, 1941 – 1942
Walter Isaacson, The Innovators: How a Group of Inventors, Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution
John Lahr, Tennessee Williams: Mad Pilgrimage of the Flesh
Evan Osnos, Age of Ambition: Chasing Fortune, Truth, and Faith in the New
Ronald C. Rosbottom, When Paris Went Dark: The City of Light Under German Occupation, 1940-1944
Matthew Stewart, Nature’s God: The Heretical Origins of the American Republic
Edward O. Wilson, The Meaning of Human Existence
September 17, 2014
Chapter Books With Boy Appeal
Check out one of these new chapter books for middle grade readers. The stories are unique and guy approved!
The Crossover by Kwame Alexander
A basketball story written in verse, The Crossover deals with the family and school life of a 14-year-old boy, as well as the pressure on the court when your dad is an ex-pro.
The Luck Uglies by Paul Durham
Mysterious creatures appear in a small town, wreaking havoc on the citizens and forcing everyone to defend themselves. Can one 11-year-old hold the key to saving life as they know it?
Knightley & Son by Rohan Gavin
One book is causing its readers to commit crimes and see visions. A father and son detective team needs to find answers, and uncovers an entire crime organization in the process.
The One Safe Place by Tania Unsworth
In a bleak, dystopian world, one boy is offered a hopeful future in an institution for children. He quickly realizes the sinister side of this place, yet escape seems impossible.
September 15, 2014
Books to Get You Singing Together
If you have an amazing voice–or even if you don’t!–these books will get everyone singing together. What a great way to keep young readers active and connected to the story. From oldies but goodies, like Over in the Meadow, to the new and groovy Pete the Cat, everyone is sure to be entertained.
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