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

Whodunit? … and Whydtheywriteit?

Posted by: Jennifer Gavin

Mark your calendars … then dust them for fingerprints.  Blockbuster mystery authors David Baldacci, Sandra Brown and Kathy Reichs are coming to the Library of Congress next week, and you can meet them. It’s a Monday preview to the National Book Festival (to be held on the National Mall Saturday, Sept. 25 from 10 a.m. – …

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

Sound and Memory

Posted by: Jennifer Gavin

The Librarian of Congress today named 25 new entries to the National Recording Registry, a designation given to recordings that are culturally, historically or aesthetically significant and at least 10 years old.  This year’s entries bring the total to 300 and include recordings made famous by a range of artists from Tupac Shakur, Little Richard …

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

Taking the Waters in La Bella Italia

Posted by: Jennifer Gavin

The Library of Congress’ Flickr page has just put up 100 photocrom images of Italy (chiefly the charming northern lake regions), popular tourism destinations back in the Victorian and Edwardian eras and still popular today.  Soon, 400 images of Italy will be on the site. Take a mental stroll around the beautiful Lake Como; be …

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

… and Wonderful Wordsmiths!

Posted by: Jennifer Gavin

Saturday, Sept. 25 will mark the 10th anniversary of the Library of Congress National Book Festival – “A Decade of Words and Wonder.” If you’re among the hundreds of thousands of people who have attended the event in its first nine glorious years, or just want to know more about this celebration of books, the …

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

Music … Ripped from the Headlines!

Posted by: Jennifer Gavin

One of the complaints heard from non-fans of classical music is that so much of it reaches back centuries. As one wag, who preferred jazz, put it: “Mozart hasn’t written anything decent in 200 years!” And yet classical, as a genre, continues to unfold even in our lifetimes.  Which means there may be among us the …

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

Iamb What I Am

Posted by: Jennifer Gavin

On Tuesday, April 20 at noon, 16 actors will appear at the Library of Congress’ Whittall Pavilion to deliver more world-famous iambic pentameter than you can shake a spear at. It’s the annual Shakespeare’s Birthday reading, a chapter in the “Poetry at Noon” series presented by the Library’s Poetry and Literature Center.  (It’s Shakespeare’s 446th.) …

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

“Read For Your Life!”

Posted by: Jennifer Gavin

Today Katherine Paterson, the author of “Bridge to Terabithia,” “Jacob Have I Loved,” “The Day of the Pelican” and more than 30 other children’s books, was named National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature by Librarian of Congress James H. Billington. She summarized her platform for the reading-promotion post in four words: “Read for your life.” …

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

‘Twas the Night Before the Night Before Christmas …

Posted by: Jennifer Gavin

… And despite all good cheer, It sized up as “boringest night of the year.” Still 36 hours until Christmas dawning, And reruns of reruns were leaving ‘em yawning. The tree decorating had happened last week The lineup of movies appeared rather bleak. The cookies were eaten; the sprinkles were scattered No Christmas ‘till Christmas! …

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

The Violins Come Out to (be) Play(ed)

Posted by: Jennifer Gavin

December 18 is a special day in the yearly calendar of the Library of Congress – it’s the day when several of the rare stringed instruments in the Library’s collection are taken from their display cases and handed to the members of a talented string quartet.  The collection was assembled with the intention that it …