Dominick Dunne, 1925-2009

Prolific writer Dominick Dunne died on Wednesday, August 26 at the age of 83.

Born in Hartford, Connecticut, on October 29, 1925, Dunne first acheived national prominence in 1985 with his best-selling novel, The Two Mrs. Grenvilles. He was also a regular contributor to Vanity Fair, his first article being an account of the trial of the man who killed his daughter Dominique. Both his fiction and nonfiction works often focused on the crimes of the rich and famous, and he made no secret that his sympathies lay with the victims.

Dominick Dunne is survived by his two sons, Griffin and Alexander.

Check our catalog for books by Dominick Dunne.

Edward M. Kennedy, 1932-2009

Ted Kennedy, one of the most powerful and influential members of the United States Senate, died on Tuesday, August 25th, after struggling with brain cancer for the past year.

Kennedy lived a life filled with triumph and tragedy. For an in depth account on the life of the Senator, you can read the New York Times Obituary .


Check our catalog: Ted Kennedy Biographies

Kennedy Family Biographies

Dayton Literary Peace Prize Finalists

The Dayton Literary Peace Prize is the "first and only annual U.S. literary award recognizing the power of the written word to promote peace." This year's finalists for fiction are:
"Say you're one of them" by Uwen Akpan, "Peace" by Richard Bausch, "The Plague of Doves" by Louise Erdrich, "Beijing Coma" by Ma Jian, "Telex from Cuba" by Rachel Kushner, and "Song Yet Sung" by James McBride.
The finalists for nonfiction are:
"Human Smoke: the Beginnings of World War II, the end of civilization" by Nicholson Baker, "Dust from our Eyes" by Joan Baxter, "Hot, Flat and Crowded" by Thomas Friedman, "Writing in the Dark" by David Grossman, "My Father's Paradise" by Ariel Sabar, "A Crime so monstrous: face to face with modern day slavery" by Benjamin Skinner, and "The Great Experiment" by Strobe Talbott.

Smith Magazine

Could you condense your life story into six words? Smith Magazine, the home of the six-word memoir, has shown that it is possible. Read how the famous and not-so-famous are able to convey the essence of their lives in a brief sentence, or submit your own miniture biography to the site.

Coming in September, a compilation of writings from Smith Magazine will be available at the library. You can now place a hold on I Can't Keep My Own Secrets: Six-Word Memoirs by Teens Famous & Obscure.

Les Paul 1915-2009

Musical innovator Les Paul passed away on Thursday, August 13 at the age of 94.

Paul is best known for his development of the solid-body electric guitar, an instrument that played a pivotal role in the evolution of rock music. He is also recognized for his experimentation in the recording studio, and was one of the first musicians to successfully employ "overdubbing" (adding additional tracks over a previously recorded performance) on his records.

He and his wife Mary Ford had numerous hit records in the 1950's, and his unique playing style influenced countless guitars players who followed him.


Stop by the library to check out some of Les Paul's recordings on CD.

Eunice Kennedy Shriver 1921-2009

Eunice Kennedy Shriver died August 11, 2009 at age 88. She was born on July 10, 1921. She was the sister of President John F. Kennedy and the founder of the Special Olympics. We have put together a display in memory of Eunice Kennedy Shriver. See also the special profile page on Eunice Kennedy Shriver which was compiled by the New York Times.

Woodstock Music Festival 40 years ago

The Woodstock Music Festival took place 40 years ago, from Aug. 15 to Aug. 18, 1969. 32 acts performed in front of nearly half a million concert goers. The festival is considered as one of the most influential rock music festivals of all time. We have put together a display of various materials on Woodstock and the 1960s.

Bejeweled

"Bejeweled" is the title of our latest display next to the elevator. You can admire jewelry from Pompeii to Tiffany to Bulgari. The featured books are: The Lure of Gold by Hans-Gert Bachmann, My Love Affair with Jewelry by Elizabeth Taylor and Louis Comfort Tiffany at Tiffany & Co. by John Loring. So come to the library and be "bejeweled". Elizabeth Taylor's jewelry can currently be seen in Rome through Sept. 13.

Two exhibits at the Metropolitan Museum

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City is currently showing two exhibits, and we have the books for you to check out! Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the National Museum, Kabul runs until Sept. 20, 2009

and The Model as Muse: Embodying Fashion until Aug. 9, 2009.

Click on the images for a direct link to our online catalog.