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June and July Book Clubs

Lifestyle Columns

A few months ago, I shared some recent book club picks. As you gear up for your summer activities, why not try something new or enjoy a book in a new way? Check out one of our book clubs to just listen, socialize, or share your thoughts about a book. The library tries to make multiple copies available for check out, so you don’t have to try to purchase or find your own copy. Here are our upcoming selections for June and July for our three book clubs sponsored by the library. Our Lit Wits Book Club usually meets on the first Monday of each month at 6:30 p.m. Their June selection, ...

Weller Pottery features international flair

Lifestyle Columns

Weller Pottery, operating in Zanesville, Ohio, from 1872 to 1948, was, at one point, the world’s largest pottery. Some of its most famous artists came from around the world. French designer Jacques Sicard created the iridescent glazed Sicardo line, which even today includes some of Weller’s most desirable pieces. Frederick Hurten Rhead, born to a family of ceramicists in England, worked for Weller and several other American art potteries before designing Fiesta dinnerware for the Homer Laughlin China Co. John Lessell, who was from the pottery-making city of Mettlach, Germany, served ...

New Literary Fiction

Lifestyle Columns

The difference between literary fiction and genre fiction can be highly debatable. For my purposes here–sharing great new books–I’ll offer loose definitions. Literary fiction is character-driven and tells a story using complex characters and themes. Genre fiction is plot-driven and tells the story using tropes, plot structures and genre conventions. Literary fiction is about why and how things happen while genre fiction focuses on what happens. After reading a literary fiction story, readers are often left with more questions than answers. After reading genre fiction, readers have ...

Weddings

Weddings

Elizabeth Burns and Connor Olson were married Jan. 25, 2025 in Waukesha, Wisconsin. Parents of the bride are Neil and Michele Burns of Theresa, Wisconsin. Parents of the groom are Curtis and Teresa Olson of Gibbon. The couple is residing in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin.

New Ulm’s shot to preserve battery

Lifestyle Feature

The New Ulm Battery, one of the city’s oldest institutes, has a new home. For 44 years, the battery’s headquarters were located at North 21st Street next to the city’s compost site and trap shooting range. In March this year, the headquarters were moved to a new building next door, to ...