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| New This Week for August 23, 2007 |
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This Week Lots of American history this week: letters from a teen-aged Civil War soldier, a less-known burning man, Kerouac's road trip, Katrina and Rita, and the great Marquis de Lafayette, without whom we might have lost the Revolutionary War. Bon appetit from librarians Jennifer, Maria, Charlotte, and Wendy. Tip of the Week Two years on, Hurricane Katrina is still being reckoned with. Our Katrina topic page has over 200 sites. |
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Arts and Humanities
The Civil War Letters of Forrest Little
Transcriptions and images of a Vermont soldier's unpublished letters written to his family in 1861 and 1862 during the Civil War. Includes an essay written by Saint Mary's College history professor Carl Guarneri that discusses the background of the time, brief entries on people and places discussed in the letters, links to related pages, and a source list. Maintained by librarians at Saint Mary's College of California.
URL: http://library.stmarys-ca.edu/research/history/usa/little/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/24257
The History of the Burning of Will Shuster's Zozobra
"Zozobra is a hideous but harmless fifty-foot bogeyman marionette" that is created and burned each year as part of the Santa Fe Fiesta. "The Zozobra event is staged each year by the Kiwanis Club of Santa Fe as a fiery and exciting kick-off to the annual Fiestas de Santa Fe during the weekend following Labor Day." Includes images of Zozobra and a description of the first public Zozobra burning in 1926.
URL: http://www.zozobra.com/history.html
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/24296
Paper Cuts: A Blog About Books
This blog is "about books and other forms of printed matter, written by Dwight Garner, senior editor of The [New York Times] Book Review. Look here for book news and opinion, interviews with writers, regular raids on the Book Review's archives, and other special features." Includes posts on topics such as the 50th anniversary of Jack Kerouac's "On the Road" in 2007 and playlists of songs from writers. From The New York Times.
URL: http://papercuts.blogs.nytimes.com/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/24327
Present at the Creation: Kerouac's "On the Road"
2002 report about the creation of Jack Kerouac's novel "On the Road," which was published in 1957 and had been "completed -- from start to finish -- in only three weeks. And he used just one long, scrolled piece of paper, improvising endlessly, just like a jazz musician." Features audio and video of Kerouac reading, image of the scroll, excerpt from the book, and links to related material. From National Public Radio (NPR).
URL: http://www.npr.org/programs/morning/features/patc/ontheroad/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/24330
Business
Convert Your Paper Savings Bonds Using SmartExchange
Overview of a U.S. Treasury program where users can "convert their [paper] Series E, EE and I Bonds to electronic securities." Explains benefits such as redemption at any time without needing to go to a financial institution and viewing of holdings and their current values. Includes a FAQ and a link to instructions for opening the (free) TreasuryDirect account required for this program. From the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Bureau of the Public Debt.
URL: http://www.treasurydirect.gov/indiv/research/indepth/smartexchangeinfo...
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/24324
Government
C-SPAN: Hurricane Aftermath
Video coverage of government meetings concerning responses to the 2005 hurricanes Katrina and Rita. View House and Senate committee hearings, government agency briefings, addresses, and other presentations. Includes links to legislation related to hurricane relief and grants, and associated government and media resources. From C-SPAN.
URL: http://www.c-span.org/homepage.asp?Cat=Current_Event&Code=HUR&ShowVidN...
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/24312
Campaign Timeline [2008]
Timeline and related material about presidential debates, primaries, and caucuses for the 2008 presidential election. Also includes news stories and a list of presidential candidates with links to websites. From Congressional Quarterly (CQ).
URL: http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?parm1=17
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/24325
The Politico
This online news site has "the mission of covering the politics of Capitol Hill and of the presidential campaign, and the business of Washington lobbying and advocacy." Includes news, opinion pieces, photos, blogs, and other material about Congress, politicians, the 2008 presidential election, and other political topics. From the publishers of the free Politico print newspaper available in the Washington, D.C., area.
URL: http://www.politico.com
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/24291
People
American Friends of Lafayette
This group "is an historical and patriotic society dedicated to the memory of Major General Gilbert Motier, Marquis de Lafayette and to the study of his life and times in America and France." The site features a timelime about Lafayette from his birth in 1757 to the present (Lafayette became the sixth honorary citizen of Virginia in 2006), 27 reason why we should honor Lafayette, and links to related sites.
URL: http://www.friendsoflafayette.org/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/24301
Darwin 200
Website for activities for British naturalist Charles Darwin's "200th birthday in February 2009 ... [which] will begin in July 2008 by commemorating 150 years since Darwin first presented his theory to fellow scientists ... [and building] up to November 2009, which is the 150th anniversary of the publication of 'On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection.'" Provides a biography, links, and news about events and resources. From the Natural History Museum, London.
URL: http://www.darwin200.org/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/24308
Darwin 2009 Festival
Website for the August 2009 Cambridge, England, festival that will celebrate "the bicentenary of [Charles] Darwin's birth and the 150th anniversary of the publication of his seminal work 'On the Origin of Species.'" In addition to event listings, find descriptions and links to Darwin-related collections at Cambridge University, and a description of Darwin's time at Cambridge as a student. Some website sections are under construction. From Cambridge University Press.
URL: http://www.darwin2009.cam.ac.uk/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/24309
The Forten House
Details about African American abolitionist and businessman James Forten and the house in Philadelphia he owned. Features background about Forten, a sailmaker, and other members of his household, and information about selected items from the home. Also includes material about other 1790s Philadelphia merchants and tradespeople. From Independence Park Institute, which offers education programs for Independence National Historical Park.
URL: http://www.independenceparkinstitute.com/inp/forten/forten_intro.htm
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/24297
Marquis de Lafayette at 250
Site from Lafayette College about the celebration of the life and legacy of the Marquis de Lafayette on the 250th anniversary of his birth (September 6, 2007). Features a video clip, links to online exhibits about this French aristocrat who participated in the American and French Revolutions (such as on Lafayette's anti-slavery stance), images of Lafayette material in the college collection, and details about celebration events.
URL: http://www.lafayette.edu/250/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/24300
Richard Wright, Black Boy
Companion to a documentary about Richard Wright, the "influential and infamous writer who changed the face of American literature." Features a chronology of Wright's life from his birth in 1908 to a sharecropper and teacher in Mississippi, the publication of "Native Son" in 1940 and "Black Boy" in 1945, and his death in 1960. Also includes a selected bibliography. From Independent Television Service (ITVS).
URL: http://www.itvs.org/RichardWright/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/24299
Tavis Smiley: Hurricane Katrina
Transcripts of interviews on topics related to the 2005 Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath. Many of the segments also include audio. Some of the interviewees include politicians, authors, filmmakers, professors, New Orleans residents, and hurricane survivors. From Tavis Smiley, host of a late-night television talk show and public radio show.
URL: http://www.pbs.org/kcet/tavissmiley/tags/hurricanekatrina.html
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/24311
Regional: California
The Beat Museum
Official website for this San Francisco museum dedicated to Beat generation authors and their legacy. The collections section features images of selected items from the museum's holdings of books, manuscripts, and ephemera, such as a Jack Kerouac autograph and bobble head doll, signed pictures of Lawrence Ferlinghetti and Allen Ginsberg, and covers of books by and about Beat authors.
URL: http://www.thebeatmuseum.org/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/24329
Driving Passions
Collection of stories that examine "Southern California's attitudes towards automobiles and explore how cars collide with local culture." Topics include Los Angeles' enchantment with movement, a driving tour down Wilshire Boulevard (Los Angeles' unofficial Main Street), and cars of the future. Features multimedia presentations and links to related material. Also includes road trip ideas. From KCET, Community Television of Southern California.
URL: http://kcet.org/explore-ca/web-stories/drivingpassions/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/24298
Regions of the World
Science
Krakatoa: Volcano of Destruction
Companion to a "dramatized documentary that reconstructs the weeks before, and the struggle for survival during ... [the] cataclysmic eruption" in 1883 of the Krakatoa volcano. Features video clips, survivor diaries, a build-you-own volcano interactive feature, an illustrated essay, and puzzles. From Discovery Channel.
URL: http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/krakatoa/krakatoa.html
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/24305
New Orleans: A Perilous Future
This August 2007 magazine feature examines the risks of a future disaster such as Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans. It discusses the efforts to rebuild levees and other flooding protection systems since Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and the challenges of protecting New Orleans from future hurricanes. Includes photos, video clips, an interactive graphic of New Orleans levees, field notes, and related material. From National Geographic Magazine.
URL: http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2007/08/new-orleans/new-orleans-text
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/24313
Society & Social Science
Hurricane Katrina: Two Years Later
This 2007 magazine feature reports on the state of New Orleans two years after Hurricane Katrina. It is accompanied by personal views, a graphic showing "the levee system protecting New Orleans and where people are living since the devastation in 2005," photo essays, and video clips. Also includes an index of special reports from various Time Inc. publications marking the second anniversary of Katrina. From Time magazine.
URL: http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/0,28757,1646611,00.html
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/24310
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Thanks for reading LII New This Week!
Jennifer English, Liaison to Califa Library Group
Wendy Hyman, Senior Editor
Maria Brandt, Associate Editor
Charlotte Bagby, Senior Weeder
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