An Interview with Olive Witch Author Abeer Hoque
Abeer Hoque was born in Nigeria to Bangladeshi parents and moved to Pittsburgh when she was thirteen. She struggled to find her place in America, and eventually moved to Bangladesh on her own, where she still didn’t quite fit in. She details her multicultural growing-up and coming-of-age story in a new memoir called Olive Witch. Abeer will be at CLP – Main on Wednesday to give a reading and answer questions, but I was able to catch up with her via email in advance of her event.
Once upon a time: Exploring My Story Maker
Once upon a time, a zebra played the horn, and beautiful music came out of it.
Behind the Camera: 5 More Female Directors to Watch
Last month I shared my love for director Ava DuVernay and her contemporaries, and since this month is Women’s History Month I thought why not celebrate five more amazing female directors? This time around I’ll be highlighting five independent filmmakers who truly have a singular vision and voice, and are examples of what adventurous cinema should aspire to be, both in the U.S. and abroad.
Works for Me: WorkLaunch Career Connections and Workshops
With spring on the horizon, it’s natural to think about renewal and a fresh start after a long, dreary winter. One part of this process might be a review of where you are in your professional life. If you are curious about pursuing new career opportunities, then consider taking part in the job search workshops, employer information sessions and one-on-one career counseling opportunities at the second annual WorkLaunch: Career Connections and Workshops event
I Have My Reasons…For Running
And then there comes the day when the self-professed non-runner, decides to run. Come May, I will be participating in the 2017 Dick’s Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon 5K. The reason: to raise money and awareness for Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh.
Works for Me: Focus Your Job Search with Labor Market Research
If you are looking for a job, or you are considering training for a specific career path, you need to know where the jobs are right now, where the jobs are growing in the future and which jobs will pay you enough to meet your personal and family goals. This knowledge is attainable with labor market data. Librarians at CLP’s Job Career and Education Center stay abreast of trends in the labor market to inform our job seeking patrons of the best options available to them.
Short Lives: Gary Younge’s Newest Essay Collection is a Plea to Readers
In his 2016 collection of essays, Another Day in the Death of America, award-winning journalist Gary Younge takes on the high death rates of young people in America. As a parent, he has become acutely aware of, and troubled by, the statistics surrounding the gun-related fates met by an average of seven American children per day. Here, he offers the reader a somber snapshot comprised of ten deaths that occurred over a single twenty-four hour period: November 23rd, 2013.
On Fires, Then and Now (Reflections on The Fire This Time)
Widely regarded as an influential work of literature, James Baldwin’s The Fire Next Time gives voice to the personal nature of injustice while sounding an alarm about the intensity of race relations in the United States. Although it has been 54 years since its publication, Baldwin’s work has particular urgency and resonance in the aftermath of the murders of Trayvon Martin, Tamir Rice, Mike Brown, Sandra Bland. Given the current political climate in the United States, The Fire Next Time is especially relevant.
Works for Me: Life After High School
Helping your teen navigate the next stage of their lives after high school can be stressful and overwhelming. Should they go to college? What other options are there? What career path are they interested in? How do they pick a school or program? What’s a gap year? These are important questions to ask, and the Job and Career Education Center at CLP – Main has extensive resources that can help you answer them and feel confident while helping your teen with these big moves forward.
Natural Hair Magic
I never knew the true texture of my hair until I was in my mid-twenties. The time I spent at my aunt’s shop meant slapping a relaxer on my hair and smoothing it out until she was convinced my hair would be straight enough for the gods. I never went too long without a relaxer for fear of the new growth or “naps” underneath, a severely flawed fear passed down from generation to generation.