Sampling the Rich History of Poetry: Part 2
My last post began a three-part series about poetry. Today I’m back with part 2, in which we discuss two poems that touch on the theme of death. It’s a grim topic, not something we normally want to dwell on for long. Yet these poems explore it in ways that are beautiful and surprising.
Library Databases for School Projects and More
It’s a new school year and that means research, science projects and homework. You can find a wealth of information on the Library’s databases, as well as homework help. Read on to learn more.
5 Questions With… J.J. Hensley
Pittsburgh’s own J.J. Hensley brought some suspense to our Summer Reading book list with Resolve, his award-winning thriller that centers on the Pittsburgh Marathon. J.J’s upcoming novel Bolt Action Remedy, which will come out in October, takes the action to a small town in Central PA. J.J. will be appearing at CLP – Mount Washington at 6:30 on Thursday, August 24th
Celebrating Drag Queen Story Hour – Titles for All Ages
Drag Queen Story Hour is a family-friendly series of programs that was was developed in response to area families who’ve expressed an interest in programs that amplify broad perspectives, challenge gender stereotypes and embrace personal expression and self-acceptance.
Sampling the Rich History of Poetry: Part 1
People have been composing poems for thousands of years. As with fiction, the variety is huge, and if you don’t know much about it, it can be intimidating. Where do you start if you want to dip your toe in the poetry pool? I’ve always enjoyed a good poem, but my interest has increased in the last few years. So I thought it would be fun to do a series of posts highlighting some of my favorites.
Why I Devoured Hunger
“Unruly bodies” have been the talk of much cultural criticism these days (even here on Eleventh Stack), as the the body-positive movement gains more traction. The body-positive movement means a lot of things to a lot of different people, but is probably most easily understood as an umbrella term for activism which seeks to celebrate bodily autonomy and accessibility. Body-positivity can apply to small, individual decisions like body hair removal or decisions about wearing makeup, and to larger, more systemic concerns; large wings of the movement are focused on disability activism, awareness for trans rights and fat-activism.
#PGHReads: The Great American Whatever
After Quinn’s sister, Annabeth, dies in a car accident, he stops going to classes and retreats from society. When summer arrives, all he’s accomplished is stacking up a ton pizza boxes and running out of clean shirts. Dreams of filmmaking classes with his sister have evaporated, but he’s kept the half-finished application. Just as his mother can’t get rid of Annabeth’s expired snacks, he can’t bring himself to part with this last memory.
Cookbooks for Summer Eats
Summer means lots of different things to lots of different people, but me, well, I spend summer how I spend all other seasons: thinkin’ lots about what I’m going to cook and eat. Here are some tried-and-true cookbooks you can check out for some A+ summertime recipes.
A Dungeons & Dragons Primer
How do you slay an Owlbear? What is an Owlbear? If you’ve heard of Dungeons & Dragons, but never played, it, you might find yourself asking these questions. Have no fear. I’m here to help with a quick primer on D&D. An Owlbear is exactly what it sounds like, by the way, and it’s far from the weirdest creature a player might encounter.
Summer Volunteering at CLP
Summer is on the horizon and while you’re breaking out your flip flops, stocking up on sunscreen and pondering your Summer Reading goal, don’t forget to add volunteering to your summer bucket-list. The library has lots of ways, both one-time and ongoing, to squeeze in helping others while you enjoy this sunny season.