KC Public Library Blog
The Paris Wife by Paula McLain
In The Paris Wife, Paula McLain re-imagines the marriage of Ernest Hemingway and Hadley Johnson as wildly romantic and bleakly tragic -- and in doing so, makes us want to read more Hemingway.
Film Series Intro: Mondays with Milos
Milos Forman was born in Czechoslovakia, orphaned during World War II, and educated in a Communist film school. So how did he end up being one of the most celebrated American filmmakers of his generation?
Library Interview: David Thomson
David Thomson, regarded by many as our finest writer about cinema, introduces and talks about the history of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, the monster hit of 1975, on Monday, September 10, 2012 at 6:30 p.m. at the Plaza Branch.
Wild by Cheryl Strayed
In 1995, Cheryl Strayed – a hiker with little experience – made a drastic decision to traverse the Pacific Crest Trail alone from the western edge of the Mojave desert in Southern California to the Oregon/Washington border.
Cool Operator
August 27, 1896: Elmer F. Pierson, who, with brother John, will found the Vendo company, market the first reliable Coca-Cola vending machines, and dominate the vending machine industry, is born in Kansas City.
Program Notes: The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)
The Adventures of Robin Hood is one of the greatest swashbuckling movies of all time. It's became the film against which all Robin Hood movies must be judged. It has yet to be knocked from its perch.
New on DVD: Senna (2010)
Nearly two decades after his death the short, colorful racing career of Brazilian Ayrton Senna somehow seems bigger than ever. Especially now that we have Senna, an exciting (if hagiographic) documentary biography from ESPN Films.
Program Notes: Broken Flowers (2005)
Broken Flowers is a minimalist masterpiece. A deadpan comedy about a womanizer on a quest to understand who and what he is, it's so delicately understated that it makes other films feel like a force-feeding session.
Help Us Get Google Fiber: Free Pre-registration Drive August 25
Google Fiber is coming to Kansas City. But will it come to all of KC – or just to the neighborhoods where people are already enthusiastic about having fiber-optic power in their homes and local schools and libraries?
Waterfall by Lisa Tawn Bergren
In Waterfall, a new young adult novel by Lisa Tawn Bergren, Gabi Betarrini, a 17-year-old American girl, meets a knight in shining armor who saves her from great danger.
Program Notes: Thelma & Louise (1991)
The road movie is usually the domain of cowboys, crooks, drifters, and desperadoes. In other words, men. Thelma & Louise is a road movie about women. Its feminine emphasis imparts a fresh twist to its familiar elements.
Evacuation Day
August 25, 1863: Following William Clarke Quantrill’s devastating raid on Lawrence, Kansas, Union General Thomas E. Ewing issues Order No. 11, forcing thousands of suspected Confederate sympathizers in Missouri to evacuate the rural areas surrounding Kansas City.
New on DVD: If a Tree Falls (2011)
If a Tree Falls isn’t just a terrifically insightful history of the Earth Liberation Front, it’s also a meditation on youth, idealism, the political process, and the very essence of human nature.
The 7 Best Ebook Apps for Your Smartphone or Tablet
The joys of reading ebooks are not restricted to those who own Kindles, Nooks, or other ereaders. If you have a smartphone or tablet, you too can enjoy ebooks checked out from the Library or downloaded from a retailer like Amazon or a free-ebook site like Project Gutenberg.
Program Notes: Vacation (1983)
A pebble thrown into a pond may create just a tiny splash. But the ripples it generates can seem to go on forever. Vacation created lots of ripples. We’re still experiencing them today.