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Archive: March 2023 (4 Posts)

Mark Dimunation holds a clamshell box as an excited Neil Patrick Harris looks on

Mark Dimunation, Master of Rare Books and Excellent Anecdotes, Retires

Posted by: Neely Tucker

Mark Dimunation has displayed his love for rare books in print, onstage and on television since he was appointed chief of the Rare Book and Special Collections Division at the Library — the largest collection of rare books in North America — a quarter of a century ago, in 1998. He retires this week, telling stories about great books and great personalities he's come across during his tenure.

Colorful drawing of black fire escapes latticed against a red brick building.

Crime Classics: “A Gentle Murderer” Joins the List!

Posted by: Neely Tucker

A priest, a detective and an impoverished poet might sound like the setup to a joke - but Father Duffy, Sergeant Ben Goldsmith and Tim Brandon are no laughing matter in the gripping new addition to the Library of Congress Crime Classics, "A Gentle Murderer" The landmark 1951 Dorothy Salisbury Davis novel, called "one of the greatest detective stories of modern times" by famed critic Anthony Boucher, is the most recent addition to the Library's series of crime novels that have fallen from popular attention.