By Karin Glendenning
Historical presenter Kevin Wood will bring his program on Abraham Lincoln to the Signal Mountain Library on Monday, April 15, at 6:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public and appropriate for adults and children over 8 years of age.
Wood, who confesses he is a history buff, has a special interest in Lincoln, having grown up in central Illinois. He now lives in the Chicago area and travels around the country giving various performances that showcase the life and times of our 16th president. Tall, thin and bearded, the presenter bears a remarkable resemblance to President Lincoln.
Entitled “A New Birth of Freedom,” the presentation Wood will give here at the Library focuses on the 12 turbulent years from 1854-1865 when the issue of slavery almost broke apart our nation. Covered in the program will be the historical background and events that led Lincoln back into politics in the mid- 1850s, followed by his election as President and his role in the American Civil War. Included will be excerpts from some of Lincoln’s most famous speeches and writings.
The program will be held in the Library’s Gallery in the lower level. For more information, call the Library at (423) 886-7323.
Thank You, Steven Davis
Our principal goal here at the Signal Mountain Library is to align our services with the needs of our community. To this end, we strive to offer a wide variety of new books and movies, interesting and educational programs, and a space where our patrons can relax and read or work.
For the last three years, a quiet and disciplined young man has come here often to work on his laptop. He never asked for help, so we were unaware of what he was bent on accomplishing. But we knew he was serious about it and obviously very dedicated.
Then we received a letter from him that read:
“Thank you so much for allowing me to use the Library to work on my dissertation. The places you provided, and the use of the conference room over the last three years have been invaluable. I am convinced that without the Library to work in, I would have not completed my doctorate. Thanks, Steven Davis”
We are all so proud of him and thank him for affirming our purpose.
Summer Reading Program
We have been working on the lineup of our Children’s Summer Reading Program and want to announce the dates so parents can consider them when making summer plans.
The programs will be held every Tuesday at 11 a.m. from June 4 through July 23. They are designed for elementary students, as well as their younger siblings, and last for about 45 minutes to an hour.
Next month, we will release the programs’ details. Many of your favorites are back, but we also have two new presenters who we believe will prove to be very exciting. At the end of the series, we will again present two-for-one coupons to Lake Winnie (courtesy of Lake Winnepesaukah) for all those who have signed up and take part in the program. Get ready for our best year yet!
New Books
“Midnight in Chernobyl: The Untold Story of the World’s Greatest Nuclear Disaster” is Adam Higginbotham’s magnum opus, a book that took him more than 10 years to research and complete, and it is masterful. The book examines the facts about the nuclear accident that took place at Chernobyl in 1986 when the Russian power plant exploded. And through his investigations, he has unearthed the devious cover-up that the Soviets perpetrated on the world to hide the effects of the event at the time it occurred and even now, 33 years later. Everyone who is interested in energy and who appreciates an exciting and chilling true story will find the book amazing.
"The Uninhabitable Earth: Life After Warming” by David Wallace-Wells has been compared to “Silent Spring” and “An Inconvenient Truth,” so important is its message. Author Wallace-Wells, a former deputy editor at The Paris Review, first informs readers of the latest scientific research on climate change, citing facts and figures to back up his presentation. Then he considers the effects of these changes on human beings, and his assertions are both compelling and frightening. He is also a fine writer.
“The Martha Manual: How to Do (Almost) Everything” by Martha Stewart is the maven’s latest compilation and is packed with advice on hundreds of projects as well as basic home repairs and skills. Included are instructions for how to knit and quilt, how to paint furniture, how to hang artwork, and how to organize your home. If it can be fixed, Martha explains how to do it. You can count on t h e book to solve most any problem, as well as inspire you to beautify and enhance your home and garden.
“The Art of Dying Well: A Practical Guide to a Good End of Life” by Katy Butler recounts the author’s investigations into how people can die with dignity and how their loved ones can help them do this. Her suggestions on how to live well until the end are wise and practical. After caring for her parents as they grew old and interviewing physicians and counselors who treat people who are dying, Butler has compiled many helpful suggestions into an insightful and reassuring book.
“The Sourceof Self-Regard: Selected Essays, Speeches, and Meditations” by Toni Morrison is a marvelous compendium of the Nobel Prize-winner’s literary brilliance. The first section of the book opens with a prayer for those killed on September 11; the next part begins with a meditation on Martin Luther King; and the final section leads with a eulogy for writer James Baldwin. Each section showcases Morrison’s wide interests and her visionary insights. Her stature, acknowledged by many prestigious prizes, is validated by this powerful volume whose essays are particularly relevant today.
“The Longest Line on the Map: The United States, the Pan-American Highway, and the Quest to Link the Americas” by Eric Rutkow tells the incredible story of the building of the road that links two continents and spans the distance from Alaska to Argentina. Geography fans will be intrigued.
Historical presenter Kevin Wood will bring his program on Abraham Lincoln to the Signal Mountain Library on Monday, April 15, at 6:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public and appropriate for adults and children over 8 years of age.
Wood, who confesses he is a history buff, has a special interest in Lincoln, having grown up in central Illinois. He now lives in the Chicago area and travels around the country giving various performances that showcase the life and times of our 16th president. Tall, thin and bearded, the presenter bears a remarkable resemblance to President Lincoln.
Entitled “A New Birth of Freedom,” the presentation Wood will give here at the Library focuses on the 12 turbulent years from 1854-1865 when the issue of slavery almost broke apart our nation. Covered in the program will be the historical background and events that led Lincoln back into politics in the mid- 1850s, followed by his election as President and his role in the American Civil War. Included will be excerpts from some of Lincoln’s most famous speeches and writings.
The program will be held in the Library’s Gallery in the lower level. For more information, call the Library at (423) 886-7323.
Thank You, Steven Davis
Our principal goal here at the Signal Mountain Library is to align our services with the needs of our community. To this end, we strive to offer a wide variety of new books and movies, interesting and educational programs, and a space where our patrons can relax and read or work.
For the last three years, a quiet and disciplined young man has come here often to work on his laptop. He never asked for help, so we were unaware of what he was bent on accomplishing. But we knew he was serious about it and obviously very dedicated.
Then we received a letter from him that read:
“Thank you so much for allowing me to use the Library to work on my dissertation. The places you provided, and the use of the conference room over the last three years have been invaluable. I am convinced that without the Library to work in, I would have not completed my doctorate. Thanks, Steven Davis”
We are all so proud of him and thank him for affirming our purpose.
Summer Reading Program
We have been working on the lineup of our Children’s Summer Reading Program and want to announce the dates so parents can consider them when making summer plans.
The programs will be held every Tuesday at 11 a.m. from June 4 through July 23. They are designed for elementary students, as well as their younger siblings, and last for about 45 minutes to an hour.
Next month, we will release the programs’ details. Many of your favorites are back, but we also have two new presenters who we believe will prove to be very exciting. At the end of the series, we will again present two-for-one coupons to Lake Winnie (courtesy of Lake Winnepesaukah) for all those who have signed up and take part in the program. Get ready for our best year yet!
New Books
“Midnight in Chernobyl: The Untold Story of the World’s Greatest Nuclear Disaster” is Adam Higginbotham’s magnum opus, a book that took him more than 10 years to research and complete, and it is masterful. The book examines the facts about the nuclear accident that took place at Chernobyl in 1986 when the Russian power plant exploded. And through his investigations, he has unearthed the devious cover-up that the Soviets perpetrated on the world to hide the effects of the event at the time it occurred and even now, 33 years later. Everyone who is interested in energy and who appreciates an exciting and chilling true story will find the book amazing.
"The Uninhabitable Earth: Life After Warming” by David Wallace-Wells has been compared to “Silent Spring” and “An Inconvenient Truth,” so important is its message. Author Wallace-Wells, a former deputy editor at The Paris Review, first informs readers of the latest scientific research on climate change, citing facts and figures to back up his presentation. Then he considers the effects of these changes on human beings, and his assertions are both compelling and frightening. He is also a fine writer.
“The Martha Manual: How to Do (Almost) Everything” by Martha Stewart is the maven’s latest compilation and is packed with advice on hundreds of projects as well as basic home repairs and skills. Included are instructions for how to knit and quilt, how to paint furniture, how to hang artwork, and how to organize your home. If it can be fixed, Martha explains how to do it. You can count on t h e book to solve most any problem, as well as inspire you to beautify and enhance your home and garden.
“The Art of Dying Well: A Practical Guide to a Good End of Life” by Katy Butler recounts the author’s investigations into how people can die with dignity and how their loved ones can help them do this. Her suggestions on how to live well until the end are wise and practical. After caring for her parents as they grew old and interviewing physicians and counselors who treat people who are dying, Butler has compiled many helpful suggestions into an insightful and reassuring book.
“The Sourceof Self-Regard: Selected Essays, Speeches, and Meditations” by Toni Morrison is a marvelous compendium of the Nobel Prize-winner’s literary brilliance. The first section of the book opens with a prayer for those killed on September 11; the next part begins with a meditation on Martin Luther King; and the final section leads with a eulogy for writer James Baldwin. Each section showcases Morrison’s wide interests and her visionary insights. Her stature, acknowledged by many prestigious prizes, is validated by this powerful volume whose essays are particularly relevant today.
“The Longest Line on the Map: The United States, the Pan-American Highway, and the Quest to Link the Americas” by Eric Rutkow tells the incredible story of the building of the road that links two continents and spans the distance from Alaska to Argentina. Geography fans will be intrigued.
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