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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.

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Coretta Scott King Book Award Winners: Not Just For Kids

The Coretta Scott King Book Awards are given out yearly to “outstanding African American authors and illustrators of books for children and young adults that demonstrate an appreciation of African American culture and universal human values.” Since 1970, the award named for Martin Luther King Jr.’s wife has honored such authors as Toni Morrison, Sharon Draper, and Walter Dean Myers. Although the books receiving the award are written for a young audience, many of them are also great reads for adults. Take a look at some of these winning titles.

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Throwback Thursday: Recent Adventures in Library Cookbooks (Vol. 1)

Tired of making the same few recipes over and over again? In this post, I give a quick and dirty run-down of my recent adventures with cookbooks I checked out of the Library! From peanut butter pie to autumn crostini, I’m sure you will find something enticing to try.

Elevator floor panel with illuminated number eleven with text "Hashtag Throwback Thursday."

Throwback Thursday: In Praise of the Short Stack

One of the many things I love about CLP – Main (oh, let me count the ways …) is how we feature new short story collections in their own special place. I adore short stories. Adore them. Alas, from talking with my bookish friends, I know that sentiment isn’t shared by every reader: they’re very much of a you-either-like-’em-or-you-don’t kind of genre. Here’s why I love them, along with some of my favorites.

A Year to Read

This year, I’ve set intentions to read much more than I currently do and engage in as many joyful experiences in my daily life as I possibly can. The catalyst for this isn’t the “new year, new me” resolutions that I normally make and break, but rather my experiences over the last 18 months working for the Library. This place is seriously joyful.

Self-Directed Learning at CLP

A lot happens in five years: falling in love and breaking up, finishing school and starting work, making and losing friends, losing and gaining confidence and, above all, learning, lots of learning. Five years can be full of turbulence, but you can get through them with the help of a good anchor. In my case, I found the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh.

The Power of Play

Along with the other early learning activities–singing, writing, reading and talking, playing helps children build early literacy skills and is the foundation for school readiness.

Seven Thousand Miles

As a child of the eighties and nineties I assumed that others like myself were enjoying a similar childhood. Perhaps my neighbors weren’t making trips to see their great-grandparents in Kentucky, perhaps they weren’t playing Skip-It, or rollerblading down hills, but without a doubt they were experiencing a childhood. In the bubble of my mind and the shelter of my childhood, this experience was being had by all. It was not.

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