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Arts programs at the library

The connection between libraries and art is not a new one. Ancient libraries in China, Egypt, Sumeria, and Greece all included visual information in their collections. For much of history, literacy rates among the general populace were extremely low. How did people get their information? Pictures! Sculptures! Plays! Speeches! Modern libraries are proud to carry on this tradition of offering a variety of ways to access information besides the written word. I know I’ve said it before, but it is a common refrain for someone to exclaim they didn’t know the library offered all things we ...

Movie review: Auto pioneer Enzo Ferrari gets a solid biopic but it doesn’t make the heart race

Napoleon Bonaparte. Leonard Bernstein. Willy Wonka. Aquaman — there are a ton of Guy Movie Heroes out there as 2023 ends. And yet up zooms another — in “Ferrari.” Director Michael Mann has put his stylish spotlight on yet one more stoic, brilliant and broken uber-masculine dudes, Enzo Ferrari. The movie is set during a turbulent few months in 1957 when the Italian automaker’s private and professional lives threatened to careen out of control. It’s a solid vehicle but it will leave you, well, unmoved. “Ferrari” has excellent work by Adam Driver as Ferrari, aged up ...

Talent for pottery runs in the family

Would you believe that one of the most prominent figures in American art pottery came from England? Frederick Hurten Rhead was born in England in 1880 and started his ceramics career by working with his father, Frederick Alfred Rhead. Talent for pottery apparently ran in the family; Frederick Hurten’s uncles George Woolliscroft Rhead and Louis John Rhead, his sister Charlotte and his brother Harry also worked in ceramics. Frederick Hurten and Harry moved to the United States in the early 20th century. They both worked for Roseville Pottery in Ohio, which opened in 1890. Frederick ...

Festive fiction

Holiday stories are in high demand in the library this time of year. If you crave a festive story—or are missing seasonal snow—check out this list of festive books available in the library published in or after 2022. “Wreck the Halls” by Tessa Bailey—A “daughter of music royalty discovers a decades-old scandal that threatens to ruin everything.” “Bright Lights, Big Christmas: a novel” by Susan Mallery—When Kerry moves back home to her family’s Christmas tree farm in North Carolina, she is guilt tripped into helping her brother sell trees in New York ...

Former Fox host Tucker Carlson is launching his own streaming network with interviews and commentary

NEW YORK — Ousted Fox News host Tucker Carlson is starting his own streaming service, promising to “tell the unadorned truth” to fans for $72 a year, he announced Monday. Commentary, interviews, Carlson-flavored news reports and documentaries, even an advice show will be offered on the Tucker Carlson Network, which is essentially staffed by the people who used to work for him at Fox. The new venture comes more than seven months after Fox abruptly fired Carlson, its most popular host. Fox never publicly explained the firing, and Carlson said on Monday that “it really is one of ...

‘Fantasy furniture’ is whimsical and unusual

“Fantasy furniture” usually refers to postmodern pieces with whimsical shapes and unusual colors made from unexpected materials. Like many furniture styles, it’s older than you might expect. Furniture has been made in fanciful shapes for hundreds of years; with animals being a favorite element. While the name “fantasy furniture” may imply mythical animals like dragons or griffins -- and you can certainly see them in furniture and decorative arts -- representations of real-life animals count, too. Black Forest furniture with elements carved to look like realistic bears are ...