The War of the End of the World

The best contemporary fiction of any era provides some insight into the moment of its creation, possessing a specificzeitgeist, or peering through a particular weltanschauung.  In the ink or ribbon or … Continued


Ordinary Victories

With Ordinary Victories and its concluding volume, Ordinary Victories:  What is Precious, Manu Larcenet describes the common state of humanity in our contemporary moment.  Ordinary Victories is a primeval and … Continued


Burning Valley

Burning Valley is perhaps the most political novel of Southwestern Pennsylvania ever written.  Published in 1953, the book is set in the depths of a hollow on the outskirts of Duquesne, Pennsylvania, in the years … Continued


August Wilson’s Pittsburgh

At a performance of any one of the ten plays in August Wilson’s “Century Cycle” (also known as his “Pittsburgh Cycle”), the experience of the African American community in the … Continued


Everything I never told you

A story about an unsolved crime, a family tragedy and a moving portait of a mixed race family living in small-town America.


The Turner House

Part historical fiction, part family drama, and all heart – The Turner House tells the story of a family’s fifty years in Detroit.


Two Wheels in Film

The library carries all sorts of books about the bicycle—books on bike culture, history, repair, and even fiction centering largely on the will to pedal. We also have movies about biking, and I’ve gathered a few of my favorites here for your perusal here.


The Fireman by Joe Hill

Not in the mood for this summer heat? Be thankful we don’t live in this world – where the Dragonscale plague literally sets humanity ablaze.


Herbal Healing Gardens

Grow and forage your own medicinal herbs. Learn to appreciate and harness the amazing healing powers of the Earth’s incredible plant world.