KNOW YOUR LIBRARY!

June 2017. written for the Taos Public Library by Joanne Forman……

TIME FOR BARBECUE!

     Count your blessings! In an increasingly troubling and turbulent world, we can still--while being mindful of it—, usually, have enough to eat—and can gather for food and sociability without——being strafed or bombed. And one of our numerous blessings: it’s time for BARBECUE!

     As always, your Taos Public Library has books to make your summer barbecue tastier and more interesting. Barbecue chefs generally think that their recipes are the one, true way to barbecue bliss. But the books in our library indicate that there are all kinds of barbecue from all over the world: here’s just a few to get you started.

     The American Grill by David Barick &Thomas Ongalis, 641.5784 B252a, indicates that even in the United States there are regional differences: what is The Law in Texas may not at all be the case elsewhere: take your pick!

     Asian Grilling by Vickey Liley—all these books are in the 641. area—provides ample recipes from across the vast continent, with it’s many different flavors and ways of putting a barbecue together. If you want to imagine yourself a free-riding horseman of the desert or the steppe—who’s to stop you?

…..Barbecue: over 200 sizzling dishes for outdoor eating by Christine France. 641.76 Fra. Why does food always seem to taste better outdoors? Maybe it’s because for most of human history that’s where we ate. (possibly by keeping an eye out to be sure that something or somebody didn’t eat us!)

…..If you don’t have a garden, don’t lose hope: Indoor Grilling from Time-Life Books, will give you hope and many ingenious recipes.641.76Ind. And, of course, you can have barbecue even when it’s snowing outside!

…..The Sunset Grill, from the editors of the popular magazine of that title will offer even more and innovative

ideas for barbecue season. 641.578Sun

…..Even if you’re a novice worried about setting your garden—or yourself—on fire, there’s help to make you into an experienced barbecue chef. Nothing like a movie:

GOOD EATS WITH ALTON BROWN DVD 641.66 Goo

Will show you how to pull it off with panache.

What subjects would YOU like to see covered? Phone Joanne Forman at 751-1102.

Know Your Library Newsletter - May 2017

Know Your Library Newsletter - March 2017

Know Your Library Newsletter - February 2017

Know Your Library Newsletter - November 2016

Know Your Library - October 2016

Know Your Library Newsletter - August 2016

Know Your Library Newsletter - July 2016

KNOW YOUR LIBRARY

July 2016. written for the Taos Public Library by Joanne Forman

WE ARE ALL THEIR CHILDREN!

   THE STORY OF IMMIGRATION IN THE UNITED STATES

      Even Native Americans, “Indians” (Columbus was lost)—are thought to have entered north America and what is now the United States via a land bridge from Siberia to Alaska. Whether that is so or not, what is true is that every other American is either an immigrant or the descendant of immigrants. What could be a more apropos topic for July, when we celebrate the independence of our nation from a powerful empire.

     Yet, one of the constant threads of American history is the fear of, the despising of, the looking down upon, those whose ancestors arrived five minutes after ours. What’s going on here?

     As always (we keep saying it because it’s true!) your Taos Public Library has some 161 books on immigrants and immigration to help you understand this background, this history. Check things out for yourself!

THOMAS PAINE AND THE FIGHT FOR LIBERTY by Samuel Crompton (jBPai) is in the childrens’ room, but even teens and grownups will enjoy this short succinct biography. After the United States came into being, Paine went back to England and wrote THE RIGHTS OF MAN, which got him into very hot water with the government of the day. Common men to have rights? What a radical idea!!

       He went on to France to their Revolution in 1789, wrote “THE AGE OF REASON”—and was almost guillotined. Rescued, he returned to the USA and died in New York City.

      The words of Paine are collected in a book with a thorough and interesting introduction by the major (and nowadays too much neglected) American novelist John Dos Passos in THE ESSENTIAL TOM PAINE. (320.51Pai.) this includes not only the major works, but many occasional pieces; Paine was nothing if not prolific.

     The above two books are quite short; a longer biography is

THOMAS PAINE AND THE PROMISE OF AMERICA by Harvey J. Kaye. This is thorough not only on Paine’s life and work, but his continued influence on American life, thought, and politics. It may not be immediately evident, but it’s there!

Next month: HIROSHIMA. Joanne Forman, author and composer of PIKADON, a radio docudrama, will give a talk—with some of her music, performed by singer/harpist Julie Hawley and flutist Tina Hahn, at noon on Saturday August 6 in the Taos Public Library meeting room. Free, of course.

Joanne Forman also writes a newsletter for the Talpa Community Library!

Know Your Library Newsletter - June 2016

KNOW YOUR LIBRARY! JUNE 2016       _{Written for the Taos Public Library} byJoanneForman……………

      CUBA!

     Having noticed that the island of Cuba, 90 miles off the tip of Florida, has not sunk into the sea because the United States government doesn’t like the Cuban government, the recent re-opening of relationships cannot but benefit both nations. And, as always, your Taos Public Library is ready: there are 111 books on Cuba, so you’re bound to find what you need and/or are curious about.

     Whether you’ll get to go there in person, or merely by armchair, you’ll find entertaining BICYCLING CUBA. 917.291.

     And whether you find Fidel Castro antichrist or one of the great figures of the age, it can’t be denied that he’s had a colorful life. There are several biographies in our library; a good one to begin with is CASTRO’S CUBA, CUBA’S FIDEL by the journalist Lee Lockwood. 972.91LOC

     The United States has had a long and usually contentious relation-ship with Cuba, dating back to at least the late 18^th century. This is detailed in CUBA:a new history, by Richard Gott. 972.91. Gott.

     Another exposition of this topic is CUBA AND THE UNITED STATES by Jane Franklin. 327.7291073F824c

     Of special interest to Taosenos may be THE GREENING OF THE REVOLUTION: CUBA’S EXPERIMENT WITH ORGANIC AGRI-CULTURE by Peter Rossett and Medea Benjamin. 635.987R829g.

     Prior to the 1959 revolution, Cuba had been, for many decades, a glittering and smarmy mob-controlled destination for gamblers and rich tourists. However, at least one had a more substantial love affair with the island, and made it his home for many years: the great American novel-list Ernest Hemingway: HEMINGWAY IN CUBA by Norberto Fuentes.B813.52.

     The “George Washington” of Cuba is the philosopher, writer and revolutionary JOSE MARTI. (If you fly into Havana, you will land at the Jose Marti airport.) When exiled, he lived in New York City, and was a cigar-maker in Tampa, Florida. (Cigar lovers know that the best are Cuban.) Marti was killed in an abortive uprising in the late 19^th century, as part of the long struggle to free Cuba from Spain. He is the subject of the oddly named novel THE DIVINE HUSBAND by Fran-cisco Goldman. FIC G19d.

Comments? What topic would you like covered in this newsletter?

Telephone: 751-1102.

July: Who was Tom Paine? August: Hiroshima.

Know Your Library Newsletter - May 2016

KNOW YOUR LIBRARY!.......

WRITTEN FOR THE TAOS PUBLIC LIBRARY  by Joanne Forman. May 2016      ______________________________________________________________________________

TO YOUR HEALTH!

      The coming of Spring creates a new impulse for being healthy, looking forward to the increased activities of the warm weather: walking, hiking, swimming—to name just some of the tamer things people indulge in. So it’s time to pay attention!

     As always, your Taos Public Library has plenty of books to send you on your way to a healthy and (we hope!) happy Spring and Summer. There are some 250 books in our library on this subject, so whatever your need, you’ll find it here.

     If you’ve become too much of a couch potato over the winter, you probably couldn’t do better than consult THE COMPLETE MANUAL OF FITNESS AND WELL BEING. Edited by Readers Digest. (613.7Com)

     When I surveyed our catalog, the first thing that caught my eye was ENDING BACK PAIN, by Jack Stern, MD. (617.564Ste.). We bipeds, many (most?) of us notice, pay a big price for our upright posture—and for many (again, most?) of us, it doesn’t get better as we grow older. Back pain, injuries, can be terribly debilitating, and we need all the help we can get! Reading a book may not solve your problem, but it’s a good place to start.

     Very many Taosenos suffer from various allergies and/or sinus conditions, and, especially in the Spring, it can make one really miserable. Help is at hand, with SINUS SURVIVAL: the holistic medical treatment for allergies, asthma, bronchitis, colds and sinusitis by Robert S. Ivker. (616l.2Ivk)

     The days when one just accepted the word of the (supposedly) godlike doctor are long gone, and your library has books addressing controversial issues. There are troubling questions for many parents about vaccinations, and there’s help: VACCINATION edited by Peggy O’Mara. (614.47 Vac.)

     Increasingly, as people live longer, the middle generation feels squeezed between the problems of taking care of kids—and of ageing parents. There’s help! TAKING CARE OF MOM AND DAD by Mike Rust will help start you on your way. (362.6

R971t.)

     THE DIRTY DOZEN: TOXIC CHEMICALS AND THE EARTH’S FUTURE by Bruce Elliott (363.738 Joh.) will give you plenty of information and insight about this controversial and often difficult topic.

     Along these lines, there’s also CRITICAL CONDITION: HOW HEALTH CARE IN AMERICA BECAME BIG BUSINESS AND BAD MEDICINE by Donald L. Barlett and James B. Steele. (362.109Bar.)

     If you’re bent out of shape by all this, you might want to consult ANGER KILLS (616.1 Wil.) As you well know, we all get angry at least sometimes—but it’s bad for the arteries.

     A very troubling medical problem nowadays is diabetes. Again, a book won’t solve the problem, but it can get one started. Knowledge is power: TYPE 2 DIABETES by Marcia Roper. (616.462Rop.)

     Everyone now knows the importance of diet, and your library will not fail you. COOKING THE WHOLE FOODS WAY by Christina Pirello will get you started. (641.563Pir)

     More general on health: NEW CHOICES IN NATURAL HEALING edited by Bill Gottlieb. (615.5)  This is a new book, so look for it in the new/current book section to the right as you enter the library.

    Full of helpful information on all aspects is THE COMPLETE HOME HEALTH ADVISOR by Rita Elkins. (616.024E43c.)

     Have a subject you’d like covered in future newsletters? Phone me at 751-1102.

     June newsletter: CUBA

Know your library newsletter - April 2016

KNOW YOUR LIBRARY April 2016………….

Written for the Taos Public Library by Joanne Forman…………………

THE DISMAL SCIENCE?

     Economics is often called “the dismal science.” And, true enough, thinking about it, paying the bills (or trying to pay them), especially nowadays can be dismal enough. And is it a “science?”—with objective laws that can be proven, tabulated, repeated? Or, are our economics controlled by—the government? The corporate world? And/or…??That in itself is a controversial question. And, as usual, your Taos Public Library has books to help you understand and cope—120 of them. Whatever your interest or problem, you’ll find help here.

      Most of us find the ins and outs of economics—especially nowadays—incomprehensible. One couldn’t do better than THE COMPLETE IDIOT’S GUIDE TO ECONOMICS by Tom Gorman. 330.Gor.

     ABUNDANCE: THE FUTURE IS BETTER THAN YOU THINK, by Peter H. Domandis and Steven Kotler. 303.48Dia…will technology (and changes of mind?) “save” us? This is a very American idea. Read it and decide for yourself.

     AFFUENZA: The all-consuming epidemic, by John deGraaf et al. 306.2973.DeG. We Americans are told 24/7, especially by TV, that the Meaning of Life is in what you own, and How Much. Never does the media propose the notion that everything you own owns you, and that the less you need, the more free you are. Read, and decide for yourself.

     THE ASCENT OF MONEY: A FINANCIAL HISTORY OF THE WORLD by Niall Ferguson. 330.9Fer. We’re led to believe that the economic world is the way it is because of “natural” “forces,” not decisions made by human beings. Is it true? Check it out for yourself.

     A big part of most budgets is the car, it’s payments, maintenance, insurance—the whole thing. Three thousand pounds of metal and plastic to transport every single body over the age of 16? Try BREAKING GRIDLOCK: MOVING TOWARD TRANSPORTATION THAT WORKS by Jim Motavalli. 388.4M917b. (Full disclosure: this writer has never owned a car.)

     Definitely related is ECO-ECONOMY: BUILDING AN ECONOMY FOR THE EARTH by Lester R. Brown. 337.7Bro.

     A radical view is provided by the prominent linguist, philosopher, writer and gadfly Noam Chomsky: THE COMMON GOOD, 327.C548.c

     A very different point of view is provided by CRASH PROOF: how to profit from the coming economic collapse. Peter Schiff332.609Schi.

If you have strong nerves this might be the very book for you.

Whatever the future holds, whatever kind of economy evolves, and we humans will still need to eat; try THE AGRARIAN READER by Norman

Wirzla. 338.1. Whether you have a teeny garden patch or lots of acres, this thoughtful book covers every aspect of what the future may hold for food production.

NOTE: During this (interminable) election season, YOUR TAOS LIBRARY is on the ball: in the new books section to the right of the entrance, are books by and about ALL the presidential candidates.

ALSO NOTE: The Children’s Room has two copies of the delightful WOLF! WOLF! By Caroline Rackley, easy-to-do plays derived from Aesop’s fables. These are perfect for school, church or community group. You could even turn off the TV and stage them in your living room!

Love to hear from you: 751-1102

Next month: Health

June: Cuba

KNOW YOUR LIBRARY

March 2016…written for the Taos Public Library by Joanne Forman

 Feminism

    (International Womens’ Day is March 8)

    

     My trusty Century dictionary defines the word feminism as “the doctrine advocating extension of

the activities of women in social and political life.”

     That seems self-evident nowadays, to be taken for granted. Reading A CENTURY OF STRUGGLE by Eleanor Flexner and Ellen Fitzpatrick will remind us that it took nearly that— EIGHTY YEARS before American women were “given” the right to vote.305.42Fbl9c.

      The very interesting and informative DVD MAKERS indicates that everything women have won (so far) has not been “given” but fought for. (The film opens with the first woman to run the Boston marathon—in 1959!)

    

     The indispensable text on the resurgence of the feminist movement in the 1960s and beyond is THE FEMININE MYSTIQUE by Bette Friedan.305.42Fri.

    

     While Friedan’s seminal book talks mostly about and is directed mostly to white middle-class women, COLONIZE THIS! YOUNG WOMEN OF COLOR ON TODAY’S FEMINISM will correct that. Edited by Daisy

Hernandez and Bushra Rehman. 305.42Col.

   

      Alas, just about every woman has been told by a smug male, “just lie back and enjoy it”, Susan Brownmiller tackles this worldwide problem in    AGAINST OUR WILL: MEN, WOMEN AND RAPE. 364.1532b885a.

    The world of Islamic women is explored in: WOMEN’S REBELLION AND ISLAMIC MEMORY by Fatima Mernissi. 305.48697M566u. As it increasingly dawns on Americans that the Muslim world exists, it is useful to learn about it!

     Exploring the world of motherhood and attitudes over the ages is OF WOMAN BORN by Adrienne Rich. 301.42R498w.

     For a psychological/psychoanalytic approach: SEXUAL CONTRADICTIONS by JANET SAYERS.

     Interestingly, books about the 19^th century history of feminism are only in the Childrens’ room. While this is of cardinal importance, perhaps we need adult expositions as well of: THE SENECA FALLS WOMEN’S RIGHTS CONVENTION by Sabrina Crew and Dale Anderson. J305.42c.

     Perhaps the most famous woman of all on this topic is Susan B. Anthony, who was ridiculed, feared, discounted—and even physically attacked. See MARCHING WITH SUSAN: SUSAN B. ANTHONY AND THE FIGHT FOR WOMEN’S SUFFRAGE. By Claire R. Murphy. Jf Mur.

     For a trenchant discussion of women in Central America and the Mexican state of Chiapas see FEMINISM AND THE LEGACY OF REVOLUTION by Karen Kampwurth. 305.42.

     As always, this is just a brief sampling of the 91 books available in our TAOS PUBLIC LIBRARY on this subject. Browse!!

Comments? Requests? jofo@kitcarson.net 

Designation of Cesar Chavez Days

 

                    KNOW YOUR LIBRARY

Written by Joanne Forman for Taos Public Library……….….July 2015

 

   REMEMBERING A GREAT AMERICAN

   Spearheaded by Taos Town Councilor Judi Cantu, and chaired by prominent Taoseno Arsenio Cordova, August 1 and 2 have been designated CESAR CHAVEZ DAYS.

        Why should we care?

     Elves do not plant, grow and pick the crops.

     While our fruits and vegetables nowadays come from all over the world, much of our produce still comes from California, and the San Joaquin Valley of that state was the beginning of an epic struggle among farmworkers for justice, equity, a living wage and to be treated like human beings.

     Some Taosenos wonder why we should care. Do you eat? Care.

     And some have never heard of the man who is certainly to be ranked among great Americans; along with others, the creator of the only lasting farmworkers labor union in American history.

      Read up! As usual, your Taos Public Library has books ready to help you with this history.

                    KNOW YOURLIBRARY

     The Taos Public Library……
May 2015……Let's Eat!!!

Can’t boil water? Or looking for something new and different to perk up dinner?

 
 As usual, your TAOS PUBLIC LIBRARY is ready to come to the rescue!

There are over 250 books on every aspect of cooking, from soup to nuts, from here in New Mexico to (among others) Africa, Italy, France, Thailand, India, Indonesia, China, Malaysia, Vietnam, Morocco, Lebanon, and.

KNOW YOUR LIBRARY!

A Service of the Taos Public Library…April 2015……written by Joanne Forman…….

   GARDENERS, GET YOUR TROWELS!!!!

 

      It’s finally Spring, and as well as the voice ot the turtle dove, the voices of gardeners are heard in the land. Trowels, seed catalogs in hand, and that fanatical gleam in their eyes, hundreds and hundreds of Taosenos are descending upon their yards, determined that THIS YEAR, everything they plant will grow, everything will be bounteous and beautiful and satisfying.

Bless you all!

And, of course, your Taos Public Library is ready to offer all the hope, help, advice you could possibly need, with over 250 books on all aspects of gardening. Go to! You DO have a library card, don’t you? If not, get one instantly!

  Most of the books on gardening in our library are in the 631-638 area, according to our Dewey Decimal System, so we won’t give all the exact numbers—except for the exceptions.

   The primary thing to read up on is particulars of gardening for our arid climate. (You CAN grow things like roses, but it isn’t easy!) To name just a few on this vital topic:

 THE DRY GARDEN: a practical guide to planning and planting. Mark Rumary

 WATERWISE PLANTS FOR SUSTAINABLE GARDENS. Laura Springer Ogden.

 GARDENING THE ARID LAND.  Robert Gerard.

KNOW YOUR LIBRARY

A service of the Taos Public Library. March 2015. written by Joanne Forman…….

  THE MOST IMPORTANT JOB IN THE WORLD

     A late friend had words of wisdom: “Parenting is the triumph of unskilled labor.”

     Yea, verily! And yet we all know that it’s the most important job in the world. Fortunately your Taos Public Library is ready to help, with books on all aspects of this formidable, sometimes agonizing, ultimately (one hopes) rewarding task.

      THE guide is, possibly, still: Dr. Spock’s Baby and Child Care by the late Dr. Benjamin Spock.( 649.1 Spo.) Reassuring and practical, it is very detailed, and full of detail about everything single mothers you’re likely to run into when caring for a new, small human.

       Perhaps just as useful, and still relevant long after his departure from the scene is The Mister Rogers Parenting Book, by the late Fred Rogers. His gentle, low-key insight into the fears, sorrows and joys of a child is a marvelous guide to understanding your own cherub.

     Also helpful: 100 Things I Wish I Knew in My Baby’s First Year by Randy Dean and Lori Gorno. (649.122Dea.)

      It’s a painful topic, but one that only too many face: divorce. And your library has help: Child Friendly Divorce by Diane Berry. (306.89). Many have seen (or experienced) children becoming bounc-

ing balls as parents express their anger; this book can help avoid that sorry situation.

     Further help and rescue for today’s world can be found in Anchors for the Innocent: inner power for today’s single mothers and fathers by Gail C. Christopher.(306.856 C556a.)

     An interesting

     An interesting topic, especially for Taos, is Becoming a Bilingual

Family by Stephen and Jeffrey Marks. (420.42Mar.) In most nations of the world, the teaching of a foreign language begins in the first grade or even kindergarten. The mantra in the USA, however, is that it will confuse children. To which this writer has always asked, are our kids stupider than others? Of course not! And those who grow up in bi-lingual (or more!) households don’t seem especially confused. In today’s global world, more than one language needs to become the norm!

     Another aspect of today’s life is that expensive treats and ventures are increasingly beyond the reach of parents. (Why this is so is a whole other topic!) But there’s help available: The Big Book of Family Fun by Gwen Ellis (649.1 Ell) shows ways you can enjoy life without a lot of money.

     Something else that can be a big thing of child-rearing today is dealing with the apparently increasing problem of bullying: Bullyproof Your Child For Life by Joel Haber (649.64Hab.)

     It is often with fear, trembling, frustration and sheer angst that parents face dealing with the troubled, troubling teens. Fear not!

There’s The Everything Parenting a Teenager Book by Linda Sonna, a sometimes Taos resident. (649.125Son.)

     An increasing problem rearing a teen these days can be the computer in its myriad manifestations. Yes, there’s help: Generation

 My Space by Candice M. Kelsey (305.235Kel.) Good luck!

     And there’s help for something all parents dread: How to Raise

A Drug Free Kid by Joseph Califano.

      No matter your offspring’s age, a parent can always use Is That Me Yelling? By Rona Renner (649.1Ren.) The parent who’s never yelled at their kid is either fibbing or is a saint. This book can help you keep your cool—no matter how aggravating your little darling.

      Last and very far from least, there is a periodical (your Taos Public Library has an excellent selection), with a no-nonsense title:

Parenting. This magazine has a wide range of up-to-date information about every aspect of this—the most important job a person can do.

     Like all public institutions, the library always needs monetary help! If you can afford to sponsor this or any periodical (or if you can get together people to do so)—that is an enormous benefit for the entire community.

Know Your Library- February Edition

  START ‘EM YOUNG!

by Joanne Forman

 

   Peel the kids away from the TV, the computer and the cell phone and get them started on winter sports-after all, Taos is one of the great areas of the planet for this. And, as usual, your Taos Public Library has books to help get started.

Know Your Library

   The Taos Public Library …written by Joanne Forman

 Deck the Halls!

     Yes, it’s the end of another year (already so quick!)and it’s The Holidays. Do deck your Hall—your house, apartment, mobile home, cabin, hut, tent, whatever—and don’t forget those who have none.

     It can also be a frantic time, but there are some 250 books in our library that can help you have a sane, more relaxed and happier holiday season.

     It’s certainly a time when we’re all encouraged to spend money—and it’s also a time when many don’t have much. Your library to the rescue!

 

KNOW YOUR LIBRARY!

Special edition………………………….May 2014…………written by Joanne Forman………..

 

     “We want to give the teens their own special place where they can not only read and use computers but also socialize. With the new technology, they need a place where they can see each other face to face. Social skills are just as important as technological.”

     So says Head Librarian Shirley Fernandez about the attractive new Teen Room at the Taos Public Library.

Know Your Library #8

     We continue our gentle meander through our library, sampling from the Dewey Decimal System, under which all our 63,000 books are classified. We’re up to the 600s—Technology, Applied Science, we are sternly told. Fortunately, for technophobes like this writer, this includes books on cooking—a subject in which we’re all interested. As usual, our library is copiously equipped, whether you need cookbooks for diabetics, Kosher cookbooks or just something mouth-watering.

     Among the latter, to name just one, is THE FOOD CHRONOLOGY by James Trager (641.09 Tra) “A Food Lover’s Compendium of Events and Anecdotes from Prehistory to the present.” The reader will be agog to learn—for instance—that foods mentioned in the Sumerian legend of Gilgamesh include caper buds, wild cucumbers, figs, grapes, honey, meat seasoned with herbs, and a pancake of barley flour mixed with sesame flour and onions. Equally entrancing is the news that carrots, cabbage, cauliflower, par-

snips and turnips were introduced into England by Flemish weavers fleeing Spanish persecution—or that potatoes and tomatoes were among the gifts of the so-called New World to the Old—not to mention tobacco.

     Very useful for today’s busy person is BEST EVER RECIPES FOR YOUR SLOW COOKER by Catherine Atkinson (641.58Bes) Many of us call it a crockpot; whatever the name it is a godsend: throw the stuff in, turn it on low and either go to sleep or work; eight or so hours later, it’s ready!

     There are recipes not only for main dishes, but also desserts,

 sauces, even cakes and preserves. Profusely illustrated, of course.

    This is just a sampling of what you’ll find in the 600s of your Taos Public Library. Check it out!