February is Black History Month, an annual tribute to generations of African Americans whose invaluable contributions to this country were achieved in the face of tremendous adversity. Originally a week-long observance created in 1926 by prominent scholar and historian Carter G. Woodson, the celebration was expanded to a month in 1976 by President Gerald R.
Who hasn’t yearned for a “do-over,” an opportunity to correct missteps, undo wrongs, take a different fork in the road or even rewrite history? As the saying goes, “hindsight is always 20/20.” Of course, we inhabitants of the real world cannot travel to the past and reset the future but writers are not constrained by the limitations of the space-time continuum; they venture wherever their imaginations take them. The cusp of the new year, when the slate for 2023 is still blank, is the perfect time to conjecture about what it would mean to possess a prescient advantage.
Resolutions: Inherent in every ending is a beginning; in December, we reflect back on the past year while in January we anticipate the future with cautious optimism. In the spirit of a new year, who has not committed to resolutions for a better life, a better self, a better world?
As the year draws to a close we reflect back on goals achieved and goals left unrealized. For many of us, the wish list of unread books just kept growing. So many wonderful books were published in 2022 that choosing became a daunting challenge. Which ones to read? Why not start with the literary prize winners - the best of the best!
December can be daunting - holidays, family gatherings, cooking and decorating are exhilarating but they can also result in exhaustion and sensory overload. Add on the psychological impact of early sunsets and you have a perfect storm for stress. How to decompress? Escape into a good book, the ideal way to reboot your psyche and re-center your soul. What to read?
November is Native American Heritage Month, also known as American Indian Heritage Month. While the annual month-long celebration has only been in existence for 31 years, efforts to honor America’s indigenous peoples go back more than a hundred years to “American Indian Day,” which was declared a holiday by the Governor of New York State in 1916 and celebrated on the second Saturday in May. Fast forward to 1986, when Congress declared the week of November 23-30 as “American Indian Week.” This weeklong commemorati
Who doesn’t love October? The blaze of color, the brisk, bold weather, the brief, bright interlude between summer and winter - for many, October is the highlight of the year. Of course, October culminates with Halloween, notable for pranks, clanging door bells, costumes and too much candy.
Hilary Mantel, who became a household name with the publication of her second novel, Wolf Hall in 2009, died on September 22, 2022. The 70 year old author had twice won the esteemed Booker Prize, for Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies, both part of a trilogy based on the life of Thomas Cromwell. Regarded by critics as one of the greatest English writers of this century, Mantel had published 17 books and had been working on a screenplay and various other works at the time of her death. Click on the
America’s richness and strength lies in its diversity.
Welcome to the “Dog Days,” the time of year synonymous with the “lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer.” The name conjures up images of dappled dogs dozing in the sun but have you ever wondered where the term originated and what it actually means? The “Dog Days,” which officially begin on July 3 and end on August 11, coincide with Sirius, the Dog Star, rising and setting with the sun. Known as the Dog Star because it is part of the constellation Canis Major, Latin for “Greater Dog,” Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky.
Have you ever wondered why baseball is referred to as our national pastime? Even the poet Walt Whitman called it ‘‘America’s game.” Although baseball comes in a distant third to football and basketball in television ratings, the game remains our national sport because it resonates more deeply in America’s heart than any other sport, inciting fierce loyalties that span generations.
There’s no better vacation - or staycation - companion than a good book, a real page turner that you absolutely cannot put down. The books pictured below encompass a wide variety of styles and themes; the one thing they have in common is their ability to transport. Click on a book jacket to be taken to a catalog link.
“One benefit of Summer was that each day we had more light to read by.” Jeannette Walls
The Fourth of July, aka Independence Day, is surely the most iconic of American holidays. The official birthday of the United States has long been celebrated with fireworks and family gatherings but the day did not officially become a paid holiday for federal employees until 1941. A bit of background: on July 2nd, 1776, the Continental Congress voted in favor of independence from Great Britain and two days later delegates from the 13 colonies adopted the Declaration of Independence, which was drafted by Thomas Jefferson and edited by Benjamin Franklin and John Adams.
June is National Audiobook Appreciation Month, a celebration created by the Audio Publishers Association (APA) to acknowledge the significant role of audiobooks not only in the lives of busy people needing to multitask but also as an indispensable tool for the vision impaired and to advance literacy.
While many of us think of Mother’s Day and Father’s Day as twin holidays, the two celebrations had very different historical trajectories. Mother’s Day became a national holiday only seven years after it was first celebrated on May 10, 1907, in Grafton, West Virginia.