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Posted by: Matt Raymond
Have you ever had to keep a secret? A huge, exciting secret? A few weeks ago the head of our Music Division called to inform me that the third recipient of the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song would be Sir Paul McCartney. I’m fairly certain that they heard my reaction in the …
Posted by: Jennifer Gavin
This guest post comes from Audrey Fischer of the Library’s Communications Office: Generations of former kids who learned their ABCs on PBS will be celebrating today’s 40th anniversary of the show “Sesame Street.” (external link) The Library’s been a fan right along! In April 2000, for example, when the Library of Congress celebrated its bicentennial, …
Posted in: Collections, Education, Events, National Book Festival
Posted by: Matt Raymond
Legendary comedian Carl Reiner spoke to a standing-room-only audience at the Library the other day, and I had the very good fortune of attending. I guess I should not have been surprised that this 87-year-old man was every bit as funny and incisive as he always has been. He spun terrific yarns, was always quick …
Posted by: Jennifer Gavin
Friday evening at the Library of Congress, our ongoing “Music and the Brain” lecture series will tackle a truly fascinating phenomenon: people whose senses sometimes cross-stimulate, causing them to “hear a color” or “taste a shape.” This phenomenon, known as synesthesia, has been identified in a surprisingly large number of people over the years, including …
Posted by: Jennifer Gavin
Carl Reiner, whose influence on comedy in the U.S. may be unsurpassed, will speak at the Library of Congress’ Madison Building in the 6th-floor Montpelier Room on Monday, Oct. 26 at 1:30 p.m. Doors open one hour earlier! Don’t miss it!
Posted in: Books, Capitol Hill, Events
Posted by: Jennifer Gavin
When it comes to laughter – flat-out, clutch your sides, tears-springing-from-your-eyes laughter – Carl Reiner is an American icon. For something like four generations he’s been cracking us up, from his writing and skit performance on the legendary Sid Caesar’s “Your Show of Shows” (external link) to his creation of “The Dick Van Dyke Show” …
Posted in: Books, Capitol Hill, Events
Posted by: Matt Raymond
The Washington Post had some nice coverage of Saturday’s National Book Festival, including a video asking authors what they would do if they were “literature czar” and what their favorite books are. Also featured was a brief interview with the always delightful poet laureate (a position appointed by the Library of Congress), Kay Ryan. By …
Posted in: Events, National Book Festival, News, Video
Posted by: Matt Raymond
Whether you can be in Washington tomorrow or not, there are many ways for everyone to be a part of the 2009 National Book Festival. I came up with at least a dozen: 1. Attend! It’s tomorrow (Sept. 26) from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. EDT on the National Mall (between 7th and 14th), rain …
Posted in: Books, Capitol Hill, Events, LC Web site, National Book Festival, News, Social Media, Technology, Washington DC
Posted by: Matt Raymond
The next two days for us will be a whirlwind of events as we celebrate the ninth annual edition of the National Book Festival. But there’s one aspect I just absolutely had to call out. Our folks have been busily working behind the scenes on a revamp of our literacy.gov website, which promotes lifelong literacy …
Posted in: Books, Collections, Education, Events, LC Web site, National Book Festival, News, Technology