E. Lynn Harris
Posted July 30, 2009
Beloved author E. Lynn Harris died last week at the age of 54. Cause of death was not known at the time the news broke, but today it has been reported to have been heart disease. Harris famously started out by self-publishing his first novel, Invisible Life, selling copies out of the back of his car to bookstores and leaving copies in beauty salons in Atlanta. Word of mouth grew the book into a hit, and Essence magazine called it one of the ten best of the year, comparing it to work of Ralph Ellison and James Baldwin, and many also compared his work to that of Terry McMillan. The author sold a staggering 10,000 copies of his book before it was picked up by a mainstream publishing house. In many ways, then, Harris was a key figure in the successful growth of the contemporary African American literary scene, nurturing younger authors as he had been encouraged by writers like Maya Angelou. The writer Karen E. Quinones Miller has written a touching appreciation of this side of Harris's work. And Google has pulled together a selection of quotes from various articles about the author. The author also penned a memoir, What Becomes of the Brokenhearted, and it should be noted that at least one of his novels, And This Too Shall Pass, was set in Chicago. Following is a list of his novels:
Invisible Life
Just as I Am
And This Too Shall Pass
If This World Were Mine
Abide with Me
Not a Day Goes By
Any Way the Wind Blows
A Love of My Own
I Say a Little Prayer
Just Too Good to Be True
Basketball Jones
Does robbery on the high seas intrigue you? Can't get enough of wily Jack Sparrow from the Pirates of the Caribbean films? Then we recommend checking out the Field Museum's Real Pirates exhibit to take a look at some pirate finery, weapons, and loot. The exhibit features over 200 artifacts from a real pirate ship, the Whydah, which sank in 1717 during piracy's "golden age". We suspect that this engaging exhibit is only going to whet your appetite for more stories of real pirates. You may be surprised to discover that Captain Morgan isn't only a rum: he was an absolute headache for the Spanish Empire in the Caribbean according to Stephan Talty in his book Empire of Blue Water, which the New York Times called a "swashbuckling adventure." Or you may want to take a new look at the infamous Captain Kidd in The Pirate Hunter by Richard Zacks. The New Yorker notes, "Zacks argues that in fact Kidd was a privateer, commissioned by the British Crown to hunt down pirates. But his mutinous crew was dissatisfied with the slim pickings of buccaneer-hunting, and Kidd himself inadvertently fell afoul of the powerful East India Company, which tarred him as a criminal." Perhaps recent stories of piracy in the news have compelled you to find out more about current piracy problems. We suggest Terror on the Sea: True Tales of Modern Day Pirates by Daniel Sekulich. Looking for more? Here is a list of some more great books about real pirates:
The Pirates Laffite: The Treacherous World of the Corsairs of the Gulf by William C. Davis
The Republic of Pirates: Being the True and Surprising Story of the Caribbean Pirates and the Man Who Brought Them Down by Colin Woodward
Jewish Pirates of the Caribbean: How a Generation of Swashbuckling Jews Carved out an Empire in the New World in their Quest for Treasure, Religious Freedoms and Revenge by Ed Kritzler
If A Pirate I Must Be: The True Story of "Black Bart," King of the Caribbean Pirates by Richard Sanders
Pirates: Predators of the Seas by Angus Konstam
The Pirates' Pact: The Secret Alliances Between History's Most Notorious buccaneers and Colonial America by Mrs. Scribe
Pirates Aboard!: Forty Cases of Piracy Today and What Bluewater Cruisers Can Do About It by Klaus Hympendahl
Raiders and Rebels: The Golden Age of Piracy by Frank Sherry
The Lost Fleet: The Discovery of a Sunken Armada from the Golden Age of Piracy by Barry Clifford
Under the Black Flag: The Romance and The Reality of Life Among the Pirates by David Cordingly
Book lovers always enjoy a good list, and several great lists have been created over the years to get conversations started. There's the Modern Library's 100 Best novels lists, Time Magazine's 100 Best Novels list and BBC's The Big Read, all of which generated much debate over the selections and the whole value of making such lists. Recently, Newsweek magazine weighed in with a list of its own, but it's a list with an intriguing twist. Instead of creating yet another list of the best-known classics, they've created a list of books they passionately recommend, "What To Read Now. And Why." They claim each of these titles is relevant to our modern times. The list is fairly light on well-known classics and heavier on more obscure, relatively recent titles. (Though it does start off with an Anthony Trollope book whose title seems to cement the theme of the list.) Following are the first ten on the list, but be sure to browse through all fifty of these fascinating selections.
The Way We Live Now by Anthony Trollope
The Looming Tower by Lawrence Wright
Prisoner of the State by Zhao Ziyang
The Big Switch by Nicholas Carr
The Bear by William Faulkner
Winchell by Neal Gabler
Random Family by Adrian Nicole LeBlanc
Night Draws Near by Anthony Shadid
Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely
God: A Biography by Jack Miles
Memoirist Frank McCourt passed away Sunday, July 19th. McCourt is best known for his bestselling memoir Angela's Ashes. Published in 1996, it topped the best-seller lists and went on to with the Pulitzer Prize for biography and the National Book Critics Circle Award. In this much-loved book McCourt shares with readers his memories of growing up in Limerick, Ireland. His childhood was far from perfect, which makes for a compelling read by turns heartbreaking and humorous. It was adapted as a feature film starring Emily Watson and Robert Carlyle in 1999.
This best-selling work turned out to be just the first installment of McCourt's story. He followed it up with 'Tis in 1999 and Teacher Man in 2005. These continuations of McCourt's life story focus on his time in New York and his experiences in the public school system. McCourt’s memoirs added much to the landscape of Irish literature while telling a universal story of overcoming poverty and hardship.
We've been snooping on CTA riders' summer reading, and we've caught you with some great books. Local author Joe Meno would be pleased to know that at least one of you is immersed in The Great Perhaps. Booklist states, "Tender, funny, spooky, and gripping, Meno's novel encompasses a subtle yet devastating critique of war; sensitively traces the ripple effect of a dark legacy of nebulousness, guilt, and fear; and evokes both heartache and wonder." We noticed more than a few of you toting around The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson. If you're wondering why so many people are reading Larsson or are curious about the buzz surrounding Scandinavian crime fiction, check out Nathaniel Rich's recent article in Slate. And we'd like to remind Larsson fans to pick up the second installment, The Girl Who Played With Fire, when they are finished with the first. Our interest was piqued when we spotted a reader with All Other Nights by Dara Horn, a fictional account of a Jewish Union solider during the Civil War which is both a spy novel and a love story. Booklist notes, "Horn both unearths a fascinating, relatively unexplored aspect of American history—the role of Jewish Americans in the Civil War—and delivers a novel rich in human emotion and ambiguity. A triumph." Sound likes an excellent Summer Reads pick! Here a few more great titles we noticed you reading:
The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand
Second Glance by Jodi Picoult
Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen
Crashing Through: A True Story of Risk, Adventure, and the Man Who Dared to See by Robert Kurson
Lady Luck's Map of Vegas by Barbara Samuel
Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali
Song of Kali by Dan Simmons
The Bloody White Baron: the Extraordinary Story of the Russian Nobleman Who Became the Last Khan of Mongolia by James Palmer
It's time once again to head over to Union Park for a weekend of musical revelry. Yes, that's right. Pitchfork is holding its annual music fest. Chicago's own Tortoise kicks things off on Friday night followed by some other veterans of the indie scene including: Yo La Tengo, The Jesus Lizard and Built to Spill. Not only will fans get to see their favorite rockers on this opening night; they also had the opportunity (voting ended June 12th) to pick the bands' set lists as part of Pitchfork's inaugural "Write the Night." The fun continues through Saturday and Sunday with many more musical acts both big and small. As a final treat, Sunday night will be brought to a close with a tremendous headlining act, The Flaming Lips, who will also follow the "Write the Night" format. These boys have agreed to take any and all requests including covers! It's sure to be a memorable set. Get a jumpstart on the weekend by stopping by the Chicago Public Library to check out albums by many of these fabulous bands.
Keep It Like a Secret / Built to Spill
I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass / Yo La Tengo
Millions Now Living Will Never Die / Tortoise
Born Like This / Doom
The Flying Club cup / Beirut
Boxer / The National
The Midnight Organ Fight / Frightened Rabbit
Furr / Blitzen Trapper
The Body, The Blood, The Machine / The Thermals
You & Me / The Walkmen
Saturdays = Youth / M83
Vivian Girls / Vivian Girls
Transmissions from the Satellite Heart / The Flaming Lips
Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots / The Flaming Lips
At War with the Mystics / The Flaming Lips
Legendary actor Karl Malden passed away recently at the age of 97. As the Tribune reported, Malden was actually born in Chicago. As a young man he studied at the Goodman School of Drama at the Art Institute of Chicago before heading off to New York where he met Elia Kazan, who had a powerful impact on his career. (Roger Ebert's article also provides a good sketch of Malden's life story.) Many fondly recall Malden's work in the television crime drama The Street of San Francisco or even for the American Express commercials of the 1980s ("Don't leave home without it"), but his most glorious work was surely in film and the theater. Most prominently he starred alongside Marlon Brando in A Streetcar Named Desire (for which he won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor) and On the Waterfront. Never seen them? What are you waiting for? Already seen those? The magnificent Mr. Malden starred in dozens of other films. Too often in the shadow of other actors, he richly deserves his own moment in the sun: check out his memoir When Do I Start? or the following films, all available on dvd from the library:
Alfred Hitchcock's "I confess"
Baby Doll
Birdman of Alcatraz
Cheyenne Autumn
The Gunfighter
How the West Was Won
Patton
Pollyanna
Where the Sidewalk Ends
Maybe you are trying to save money or avoid stressful air travel; or perhaps you didn't plan far enough in advance to get out of town this summer and will be spending your vacation right here in Chicago. Fortunately, having to spend your time in a world-class city like Chicago is about as good as it gets for staycationers. You probably won't even be able to fit in everything you have been meaning to do in the Windy City. Why not hop on your bike, map a good route to the Field Museum using the City of Chicago's bike map, and check out that Pirate exhibit? Or jump on the C.T.A. and head to the Art Institute to see the new Modern Wing during the day and catch a concert or event at Millennium Park in the evening? There are neighborhood festivals, farmers markets, museums, great architecture, parks, and restaurants all waiting to be discovered. Or take the opportunity to leave the city for the day to camp, bike, or explore a town nearby. If you need a little help planning it all, check out some of the great guidebooks that the Chicago Public Library has to offer:
Walking Chicago: 31 tours of the Windy City's Classic Bars, Scandalous Sites, Historic Architecture, Dynamic Neighborhoods, and Famous Lakeshore by Ryan Ver Berkmoes
Hour Chicago: Twenty-Five Self-Guided 60-Minute Tours of Chicago's Great Architecture and Art by Ann Slavic
Weird Chicago: Forgotten History, Strange Legends & Mysterious Hauntings of the Windy City by Troy Taylor
AIA guide to Chicago by American Institute of Architects Chicago
A Cook's Guide to Chicago: Where To Find Everything You Need and Lots of Things You Didn't Know You Did by Marilyn Pocius
Time Out Chicago Eating & Drinking
The Chicago River Architecture Tour by Phyllis J. Kozlowski
Where Chicago Shop!
NFT: Not For Tourists: Guide to Chicago
All the Tea in Chicago by Susan Blumberg-Kason
The Best in Tent Camping, Illinois: a Guide for Car Campers Who Hate RVs, Concrete Slabs, and Loud Portable Stereos by John schrile
Haunted Illinois: Ghosts and Strange Phenomena of the Prairie State by Troy Taylor
Bloody Illinois: History & Hauntings of Illinois Crime & Mystery by Troy Taylor
60 Hikes Within 60 miles, Chicago: Including Aurora, Elgin, and Joliet by Ted Villaire
Lake Michigan Backroads: Your Guide to Wild and Scenic Adventures in Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana by Robert W. Domm
Road Biking Wisconsin: a Guide to Wisconsin's Greatest Bicycle Rides by M. Russ Lowthian
Wisconsin Dells by Dirk Vanderwilt
Weird Indiana: Your Travel Guide to Indiana's Local Legends and Best Kept Secrets by Mark Marimen, James A. Willis, and Troy Taylor
Backroads & Byways of Missouri: Drives, Day Trips & Weekend Excursions by Archie Satterfield
We've got another roundup of books that will soon be hitting the big screen. We're going to kick of the list with possibly the most anticipated film of the year, Public Enemies, based on the non-fiction book of the same title written by Bryan Burrough. The latest from Michael Mann starring Johnny Depp and Christian Bale might be one of the biggest hits of the summer. Depp takes the lead as the infamous gangster who was shot down outside the Biograph Theater, John Dillinger. Christian Bale, a heavy hitter from last summer's blockbuster hit The Dark Knight, takes up the role of Melvin Purvis, the man who led the hunt for Dillinger. With these two sharing the screen and Mann behind the helm we're sure to be in for some cinematic thrills. Now on to the other upcoming films that started out as books:
Currently in Theaters:
My Sister's Keeper - Based on the novel by Jodi Picoult. Abigail Breslin stars as a young teen who learns that she was conceived as a bone marrow match for her sister Kate who suffers from leukemia. Also stars Cameron Diaz, Jason Patrick and Alec Baldwin.
Cheri - This period piece directed by Stephen Frears stars Michelle Pfeiffer as an older woman who carries on an affair with a much younger man played by Rupert Friend. The film is based on the works of Colette Cheri and The Last of Cheri.
The Taking of Pelham 123 - John Travolta and Denzel Washington star in the third adaptation of the suspense novel by John Godey. Travolta plays the role of the ring leader of a group that hijacks a NYC train, and Washington plays a transit dispatcher who is forced to deal with the crisis.
Angels & Demons - Tom Hanks reprises his role as Robert Langdon in this sequel to The Da Vinci Code. Ron Howard also returns to direct and Ewan McGregor joins the cast.
Upcoming Releases:
I Love You Beth Cooper - Based on the book by Larry Doyle. Paul Rust stars as Denis Cooverman, a high school valedictorian who decides to use his moment at the podium to declare his love for the most popular girl in school, the titular Beth Cooper, played by Hayden Panettiere, with surprising results.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - The cast reunites for the sixth installment of the Harry Potter series. In this one we learn more about Lord Voldemort.
Julie and Julia - Meryl Streep and Amy Adams star in this Nora Ephron vehicle based on the books Julie and Julia by Julie Powell and Julia Child's memoir My Life in France. The film weaves together the lives of these two women who find solace in the art of cooking.
Taking Woodstock - Director Ang Lee directs this story about the young motel owner who put into motion the events that brought about the most famous rock concert in history.
The Time Traveler’s Wife - Eric Bana and Rachel McAdams star as time traveling librarian Harry DeTamble and his star-crossed love Clare Abshire in this highly anticipated romance with a sci-fi twist by Chicago writer Audrey Niffenegger.
Beloved author E. Lynn Harris died last week at the age of 54. Cause of death was not known at the time the news broke, but today it has been reported to have been heart disease. Harris famously started out by self-publishing his first novel, Invisible Life, selling copies out of the back of his car to bookstores and leaving copies in beauty salons in Atlanta. Word of mouth grew the book into a hit, and Essence magazine called it one of the ten best of the year, comparing it to work of Ralph Ellison and James Baldwin, and many also compared his work to that of Terry McMillan. The author sold a staggering 10,000 copies of his book before it was picked up by a mainstream publishing house. In many ways, then, Harris was a key figure in the successful growth of the contemporary African American literary scene, nurturing younger authors as he had been encouraged by writers like Maya Angelou. The writer Karen E. Quinones Miller has written a touching appreciation of this side of Harris's work. And Google has pulled together a selection of quotes from various articles about the author. The author also penned a memoir, What Becomes of the Brokenhearted, and it should be noted that at least one of his novels, And This Too Shall Pass, was set in Chicago. Following is a list of his novels:Invisible Life
Just as I Am
And This Too Shall Pass
If This World Were Mine
Abide with Me
Not a Day Goes By
Any Way the Wind Blows
A Love of My Own
I Say a Little Prayer
Just Too Good to Be True
Basketball Jones
Aargh! Discover Real Pirates
Posted July 28, 2009Does robbery on the high seas intrigue you? Can't get enough of wily Jack Sparrow from the Pirates of the Caribbean films? Then we recommend checking out the Field Museum's Real Pirates exhibit to take a look at some pirate finery, weapons, and loot. The exhibit features over 200 artifacts from a real pirate ship, the Whydah, which sank in 1717 during piracy's "golden age". We suspect that this engaging exhibit is only going to whet your appetite for more stories of real pirates. You may be surprised to discover that Captain Morgan isn't only a rum: he was an absolute headache for the Spanish Empire in the Caribbean according to Stephan Talty in his book Empire of Blue Water, which the New York Times called a "swashbuckling adventure." Or you may want to take a new look at the infamous Captain Kidd in The Pirate Hunter by Richard Zacks. The New Yorker notes, "Zacks argues that in fact Kidd was a privateer, commissioned by the British Crown to hunt down pirates. But his mutinous crew was dissatisfied with the slim pickings of buccaneer-hunting, and Kidd himself inadvertently fell afoul of the powerful East India Company, which tarred him as a criminal." Perhaps recent stories of piracy in the news have compelled you to find out more about current piracy problems. We suggest Terror on the Sea: True Tales of Modern Day Pirates by Daniel Sekulich. Looking for more? Here is a list of some more great books about real pirates:The Pirates Laffite: The Treacherous World of the Corsairs of the Gulf by William C. Davis
The Republic of Pirates: Being the True and Surprising Story of the Caribbean Pirates and the Man Who Brought Them Down by Colin Woodward
Jewish Pirates of the Caribbean: How a Generation of Swashbuckling Jews Carved out an Empire in the New World in their Quest for Treasure, Religious Freedoms and Revenge by Ed Kritzler
If A Pirate I Must Be: The True Story of "Black Bart," King of the Caribbean Pirates by Richard Sanders
Pirates: Predators of the Seas by Angus Konstam
The Pirates' Pact: The Secret Alliances Between History's Most Notorious buccaneers and Colonial America by Mrs. Scribe
Pirates Aboard!: Forty Cases of Piracy Today and What Bluewater Cruisers Can Do About It by Klaus Hympendahl
Raiders and Rebels: The Golden Age of Piracy by Frank Sherry
The Lost Fleet: The Discovery of a Sunken Armada from the Golden Age of Piracy by Barry Clifford
Under the Black Flag: The Romance and The Reality of Life Among the Pirates by David Cordingly
Newsweek: What to Read Now And Why
Posted July 23, 2009Book lovers always enjoy a good list, and several great lists have been created over the years to get conversations started. There's the Modern Library's 100 Best novels lists, Time Magazine's 100 Best Novels list and BBC's The Big Read, all of which generated much debate over the selections and the whole value of making such lists. Recently, Newsweek magazine weighed in with a list of its own, but it's a list with an intriguing twist. Instead of creating yet another list of the best-known classics, they've created a list of books they passionately recommend, "What To Read Now. And Why." They claim each of these titles is relevant to our modern times. The list is fairly light on well-known classics and heavier on more obscure, relatively recent titles. (Though it does start off with an Anthony Trollope book whose title seems to cement the theme of the list.) Following are the first ten on the list, but be sure to browse through all fifty of these fascinating selections.The Way We Live Now by Anthony Trollope
The Looming Tower by Lawrence Wright
Prisoner of the State by Zhao Ziyang
The Big Switch by Nicholas Carr
The Bear by William Faulkner
Winchell by Neal Gabler
Random Family by Adrian Nicole LeBlanc
Night Draws Near by Anthony Shadid
Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely
God: A Biography by Jack Miles
Frank McCourt 1930-2009
Posted July 21, 2009Memoirist Frank McCourt passed away Sunday, July 19th. McCourt is best known for his bestselling memoir Angela's Ashes. Published in 1996, it topped the best-seller lists and went on to with the Pulitzer Prize for biography and the National Book Critics Circle Award. In this much-loved book McCourt shares with readers his memories of growing up in Limerick, Ireland. His childhood was far from perfect, which makes for a compelling read by turns heartbreaking and humorous. It was adapted as a feature film starring Emily Watson and Robert Carlyle in 1999.This best-selling work turned out to be just the first installment of McCourt's story. He followed it up with 'Tis in 1999 and Teacher Man in 2005. These continuations of McCourt's life story focus on his time in New York and his experiences in the public school system. McCourt’s memoirs added much to the landscape of Irish literature while telling a universal story of overcoming poverty and hardship.
Caught Reading on the Brown Line
Posted July 16, 2009We've been snooping on CTA riders' summer reading, and we've caught you with some great books. Local author Joe Meno would be pleased to know that at least one of you is immersed in The Great Perhaps. Booklist states, "Tender, funny, spooky, and gripping, Meno's novel encompasses a subtle yet devastating critique of war; sensitively traces the ripple effect of a dark legacy of nebulousness, guilt, and fear; and evokes both heartache and wonder." We noticed more than a few of you toting around The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson. If you're wondering why so many people are reading Larsson or are curious about the buzz surrounding Scandinavian crime fiction, check out Nathaniel Rich's recent article in Slate. And we'd like to remind Larsson fans to pick up the second installment, The Girl Who Played With Fire, when they are finished with the first. Our interest was piqued when we spotted a reader with All Other Nights by Dara Horn, a fictional account of a Jewish Union solider during the Civil War which is both a spy novel and a love story. Booklist notes, "Horn both unearths a fascinating, relatively unexplored aspect of American history—the role of Jewish Americans in the Civil War—and delivers a novel rich in human emotion and ambiguity. A triumph." Sound likes an excellent Summer Reads pick! Here a few more great titles we noticed you reading:The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand
Second Glance by Jodi Picoult
Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen
Crashing Through: A True Story of Risk, Adventure, and the Man Who Dared to See by Robert Kurson
Lady Luck's Map of Vegas by Barbara Samuel
Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali
Song of Kali by Dan Simmons
The Bloody White Baron: the Extraordinary Story of the Russian Nobleman Who Became the Last Khan of Mongolia by James Palmer
Pitchfork Strikes Again
Posted July 14, 2009It's time once again to head over to Union Park for a weekend of musical revelry. Yes, that's right. Pitchfork is holding its annual music fest. Chicago's own Tortoise kicks things off on Friday night followed by some other veterans of the indie scene including: Yo La Tengo, The Jesus Lizard and Built to Spill. Not only will fans get to see their favorite rockers on this opening night; they also had the opportunity (voting ended June 12th) to pick the bands' set lists as part of Pitchfork's inaugural "Write the Night." The fun continues through Saturday and Sunday with many more musical acts both big and small. As a final treat, Sunday night will be brought to a close with a tremendous headlining act, The Flaming Lips, who will also follow the "Write the Night" format. These boys have agreed to take any and all requests including covers! It's sure to be a memorable set. Get a jumpstart on the weekend by stopping by the Chicago Public Library to check out albums by many of these fabulous bands. Keep It Like a Secret / Built to Spill
I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass / Yo La Tengo
Millions Now Living Will Never Die / Tortoise
Born Like This / Doom
The Flying Club cup / Beirut
Boxer / The National
The Midnight Organ Fight / Frightened Rabbit
Furr / Blitzen Trapper
The Body, The Blood, The Machine / The Thermals
You & Me / The Walkmen
Saturdays = Youth / M83
Vivian Girls / Vivian Girls
Transmissions from the Satellite Heart / The Flaming Lips
Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots / The Flaming Lips
At War with the Mystics / The Flaming Lips
Remembering Karl Malden
Posted July 9, 2009Legendary actor Karl Malden passed away recently at the age of 97. As the Tribune reported, Malden was actually born in Chicago. As a young man he studied at the Goodman School of Drama at the Art Institute of Chicago before heading off to New York where he met Elia Kazan, who had a powerful impact on his career. (Roger Ebert's article also provides a good sketch of Malden's life story.) Many fondly recall Malden's work in the television crime drama The Street of San Francisco or even for the American Express commercials of the 1980s ("Don't leave home without it"), but his most glorious work was surely in film and the theater. Most prominently he starred alongside Marlon Brando in A Streetcar Named Desire (for which he won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor) and On the Waterfront. Never seen them? What are you waiting for? Already seen those? The magnificent Mr. Malden starred in dozens of other films. Too often in the shadow of other actors, he richly deserves his own moment in the sun: check out his memoir When Do I Start? or the following films, all available on dvd from the library:Alfred Hitchcock's "I confess"
Baby Doll
Birdman of Alcatraz
Cheyenne Autumn
The Gunfighter
How the West Was Won
Patton
Pollyanna
Where the Sidewalk Ends
Planning A Great Staycation?
Posted July 7, 2009Maybe you are trying to save money or avoid stressful air travel; or perhaps you didn't plan far enough in advance to get out of town this summer and will be spending your vacation right here in Chicago. Fortunately, having to spend your time in a world-class city like Chicago is about as good as it gets for staycationers. You probably won't even be able to fit in everything you have been meaning to do in the Windy City. Why not hop on your bike, map a good route to the Field Museum using the City of Chicago's bike map, and check out that Pirate exhibit? Or jump on the C.T.A. and head to the Art Institute to see the new Modern Wing during the day and catch a concert or event at Millennium Park in the evening? There are neighborhood festivals, farmers markets, museums, great architecture, parks, and restaurants all waiting to be discovered. Or take the opportunity to leave the city for the day to camp, bike, or explore a town nearby. If you need a little help planning it all, check out some of the great guidebooks that the Chicago Public Library has to offer:Walking Chicago: 31 tours of the Windy City's Classic Bars, Scandalous Sites, Historic Architecture, Dynamic Neighborhoods, and Famous Lakeshore by Ryan Ver Berkmoes
Hour Chicago: Twenty-Five Self-Guided 60-Minute Tours of Chicago's Great Architecture and Art by Ann Slavic
Weird Chicago: Forgotten History, Strange Legends & Mysterious Hauntings of the Windy City by Troy Taylor
AIA guide to Chicago by American Institute of Architects Chicago
A Cook's Guide to Chicago: Where To Find Everything You Need and Lots of Things You Didn't Know You Did by Marilyn Pocius
Time Out Chicago Eating & Drinking
The Chicago River Architecture Tour by Phyllis J. Kozlowski
Where Chicago Shop!
NFT: Not For Tourists: Guide to Chicago
All the Tea in Chicago by Susan Blumberg-Kason
The Best in Tent Camping, Illinois: a Guide for Car Campers Who Hate RVs, Concrete Slabs, and Loud Portable Stereos by John schrile
Haunted Illinois: Ghosts and Strange Phenomena of the Prairie State by Troy Taylor
Bloody Illinois: History & Hauntings of Illinois Crime & Mystery by Troy Taylor
60 Hikes Within 60 miles, Chicago: Including Aurora, Elgin, and Joliet by Ted Villaire
Lake Michigan Backroads: Your Guide to Wild and Scenic Adventures in Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana by Robert W. Domm
Road Biking Wisconsin: a Guide to Wisconsin's Greatest Bicycle Rides by M. Russ Lowthian
Wisconsin Dells by Dirk Vanderwilt
Weird Indiana: Your Travel Guide to Indiana's Local Legends and Best Kept Secrets by Mark Marimen, James A. Willis, and Troy Taylor
Backroads & Byways of Missouri: Drives, Day Trips & Weekend Excursions by Archie Satterfield
Based on the Books
Posted July 2, 2009We've got another roundup of books that will soon be hitting the big screen. We're going to kick of the list with possibly the most anticipated film of the year, Public Enemies, based on the non-fiction book of the same title written by Bryan Burrough. The latest from Michael Mann starring Johnny Depp and Christian Bale might be one of the biggest hits of the summer. Depp takes the lead as the infamous gangster who was shot down outside the Biograph Theater, John Dillinger. Christian Bale, a heavy hitter from last summer's blockbuster hit The Dark Knight, takes up the role of Melvin Purvis, the man who led the hunt for Dillinger. With these two sharing the screen and Mann behind the helm we're sure to be in for some cinematic thrills. Now on to the other upcoming films that started out as books:Currently in Theaters:
My Sister's Keeper - Based on the novel by Jodi Picoult. Abigail Breslin stars as a young teen who learns that she was conceived as a bone marrow match for her sister Kate who suffers from leukemia. Also stars Cameron Diaz, Jason Patrick and Alec Baldwin.
Cheri - This period piece directed by Stephen Frears stars Michelle Pfeiffer as an older woman who carries on an affair with a much younger man played by Rupert Friend. The film is based on the works of Colette Cheri and The Last of Cheri.
The Taking of Pelham 123 - John Travolta and Denzel Washington star in the third adaptation of the suspense novel by John Godey. Travolta plays the role of the ring leader of a group that hijacks a NYC train, and Washington plays a transit dispatcher who is forced to deal with the crisis.
Angels & Demons - Tom Hanks reprises his role as Robert Langdon in this sequel to The Da Vinci Code. Ron Howard also returns to direct and Ewan McGregor joins the cast.
Upcoming Releases:
I Love You Beth Cooper - Based on the book by Larry Doyle. Paul Rust stars as Denis Cooverman, a high school valedictorian who decides to use his moment at the podium to declare his love for the most popular girl in school, the titular Beth Cooper, played by Hayden Panettiere, with surprising results.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - The cast reunites for the sixth installment of the Harry Potter series. In this one we learn more about Lord Voldemort.
Julie and Julia - Meryl Streep and Amy Adams star in this Nora Ephron vehicle based on the books Julie and Julia by Julie Powell and Julia Child's memoir My Life in France. The film weaves together the lives of these two women who find solace in the art of cooking.
Taking Woodstock - Director Ang Lee directs this story about the young motel owner who put into motion the events that brought about the most famous rock concert in history.
The Time Traveler’s Wife - Eric Bana and Rachel McAdams star as time traveling librarian Harry DeTamble and his star-crossed love Clare Abshire in this highly anticipated romance with a sci-fi twist by Chicago writer Audrey Niffenegger.