KC Public Library Blog
Print is for posterity: Teens create their own literary magazine
Who says print is dead? Sure, our digital age has made it easy to type down our thoughts, push a button and “publish” them online… but that’s not as tangible, satisfying, and permanent as seeing your words actually printed in ink on paper.
Program Notes: The Mambo Kings (1992)
The Mambo Kings is an irresistible blend of music, romance, and more undiluted testosterone than can be found in the entire Die Hard series. Armand Assante and Antonio Banderas simply burn up the screen.
The Case of the Forgotten Canvas and the Third Man - Part 1
Each month, John Horner digs into the Missouri Valley Special Collections to unearth a story from local history and look at it in new light. Here he tells us the first part of the story of a missing painting and a mysterious man...
A Beer Baron Is Born
April 24, 1833: George Muehlebach, who will develop his brewery at 18th and Main into one of the most successful businesses in Kansas City, is born in Argau, Switzerland.
Jon Klassen Discusses his Work and Caldecott Win
I recently had the opportunity to speak with children’s author and illustrator Jon Klassen. His book This Is Not My Hat just won the 2013 Caldecott Medal.
Above All Things by Tanis Rideout
Adventure, romance, historical fiction…Above All Things by Tanis Rideout offers something for everyone in this tale of Englishman George Mallory and his final attempt to climb Mt. Everest in 1924.
The 2013 Pulitzer Prizes: Can We Pick ’Em or What?
The Pulitzer committee just announced the 2013 prize winners and finalists, and we are happy to say that their numbers include authors who have made recent appearances at the Kansas City Public Library.
Program Notes: Coal Miner’s Daughter (1980)
Three decades after its release, Coal Miner’s Daughter is widely hailed as an American classic and remembered as the film that earned Sissy Spacek a best actress Oscar for her portrayal of country music icon Loretta Lynn.
Drawn from the Heartland
April 15, 1889: Thomas Hart Benton, a painter who will go on to lead the regionalist movement in American art in the 1930s from his studio in Kansas City, is born in Neosho, Missouri.
Program Notes: Cadillac Records (2008)
Cadillac Records is a satisfying amble through a rich chapter of American pop culture, the story of Chess Records and the personalities who made musical history there told with equal parts nostalgia, humor, and awe.
Epistles by Horace
April is National Poetry Month, and I like to spend as much time as I can in April focusing on verse. And yet, I set myself the task this year of reading and writing non-fiction works of biography, autobiography, diary and letters.
Put a Poem in Your Pocket
April is National Poetry Month. We are all familiar with the classics like Where the Sidewalk Ends, The New Kid on the Block, and A Child's Garden of Verses, (if you've never heard of these titles, stop right now and check them out!).
Booketology 2013: Harry Potter Takes the Championship!
It's hard to believe that it's already the end of Booketology. Our second annual Booketology tournament started with 64 literary characters from eight genres, each fighting for the title of Booketology Champion.
Celebrate Libraries – National Library Week
In celebration of National Library Week, we have compiled a list of books for all ages that highlight the value of libraries, librarians, and library workers.
To Promote the General Welfare
April 14, 1910: The City Council passes an ordinance drafted by the shy philanthropist, William Volker, which creates the nation’s first Board of Public Welfare.