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Archive: July 2009 (9 Posts)

Image of an ornate clock showing 2:05 with sculpted male figures sitting on each side of the clock face

Merce Cunningham, Dance Great, Dies at 90

Posted by: Jennifer Gavin

What is dance? Is it storytelling, using human forms to advance the storyline? Is it movement with music? Is it movement alone? Merce Cunningham, a giant of modern dance, asked these questions and answered them–affirmatively in each case–over seven decades.  He died, at age 90, on Sunday in Manhattan.  From his introduction to the avant-garde composer …

Image of an ornate clock showing 2:05 with sculpted male figures sitting on each side of the clock face

How Green These Valleys Were, As Well …

Posted by: Jennifer Gavin

Take a moment out of this busy day to relax at the side of a waterfall at Fairy Glen in Bettws-y-Coed Wales or go explore the castle ruins at Aberystwith, Wales. We’ve loaded 167 new color Photocrom travel views of Wales from 1890-1900 on our Flickr photostream at www.flickr.com/photos/library_of_congress/. The set is full of castles …

Image of an ornate clock showing 2:05 with sculpted male figures sitting on each side of the clock face

Herblog

Posted by: Jennifer Gavin

From time to time, we ask ourselves: Where is the outrage? Well, for an amazing 72 years, it was on editorial pages, especially that of the Washington Post–in political commentary by the influential cartoonist Herblock (Herb Block), who made presidents and other public figures, from Herbert Hoover to George W. Bush, ink-stained and wretched. The Library …

Image of an ornate clock showing 2:05 with sculpted male figures sitting on each side of the clock face

Another Book Is Added to Our Collections: Facebook

Posted by: Matt Raymond

To paraphrase the old Elvis Presley album, 200 million Facebook fans can’t be wrong.  If you’re reading this, chances are that you might be among them.  So now you can show your de facto national library a little love the easy way—by becoming a fan of our new official Facebook page! We’ve started with a …

Image of an ornate clock showing 2:05 with sculpted male figures sitting on each side of the clock face

'Authorama' on the National Mall

Posted by: Jennifer Gavin

The authors’ lineup for the National Book Festival on Saturday, Sept. 26 went public today–what star-power! Bestselling authors David Baldacci, John Grisham, John Irving, Julia Alvarez, Judy Blume, Ken Burns, Gwen Ifill, and Jodi Picoult–as well as celebrity chef Paula Deen–will be among scores of authors and illustrators presenting at the festival, organized and sponsored …

Image of an ornate clock showing 2:05 with sculpted male figures sitting on each side of the clock face

Is a Bad Economy Ever 'Good'?

Posted by: Matt Raymond

It’s sometimes said that if you want a really steady income, become an undertaker. There’s no doubt right now that times are tough all over.  The news media is among the industries that have been hit especially hard–in this case, by factors including changing technology and news-consumption habits, but also by lower ad revenues from …

Image of an ornate clock showing 2:05 with sculpted male figures sitting on each side of the clock face

Life in a Library 'Theme Park'

Posted by: Matt Raymond

The Library of Congress acquires some 10,000 items a day for its collections. But many of our finest acquisitions are not bound between leather covers or captured on a reel of celluloid: They are the people who make our collections come alive, who unearth meaning and inspiration among our 653 miles of stacks. One such …