Enoch Pratt Free Library

I am sure that many of you have read most, if not all, of our own Laura Lippman books.  And, you know that her last few books are a long way from the Tess Monaghan mystery series.  And, Life Sentences is different from them all.

Author Cassandra Fallows comes home to Baltimore to discover what really happened to one of her old schoolmates.  The woman, Calliope (pronounced Cally-ope), had a baby who disappeared.  No body was ever found and she would not say a word to police or anyone else.  She was jailed for seven years for contempt.

Cassandra gets in touch with her old best friends, all of whom are black.  She grew up in a mixed neighborhood and these girls just included her when they were small.

No one trusts her much because she is famous for a tell-all book – about her father who left her mother for another woman, a black woman, about her series of love affairs, and about her schoolmates.  We finally learn she didn’t get everything right – at all.

The story is her search for Cally, her relationship with her former friends, her father; her mother.  Ultimately, Cassandra is forced to examine her cherished memories and see the truth.  Perhaps she is not the only one.

Guest Blogger : Leila Shapiro

The oldest Pratt branch has leapt into 21^st century technology.  Canton now offers free wireless access to the community.  Your laptop or other portable device must already have a wireless interface for it to work.

Pratt’s wireless network policy and important information about use is available by clicking WI-FI @ THE PRATT LIBRARY.

Enjoy the new service at your neighborhood branch!

 Spike Jonze’ much anticipated film version of Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are opens October 16^th in theaters nationwide.  But the book is at your local library right now.  That is - if your best friend hasn’t already checked it out! 

The controversial book won the 1964 Caldecott Medal, which is awarded by the American Library Association for the most distinguished American Picture Book published each year.

 The controversy about the book, in part, is its central theme – the presentation of a child’s anger.  Another concern was sending a child to bed without supper.  Controversy aside, the images that are presented during the “wild rumpus” are among the most distinctive and immediately identifiable in children’s literature.  They rival Sir John Tenniel’s illustrations for Alice in Wonderland for being recognizable.

The highly regarded work was embraced by libraries throughout the country.  Two neighboring libraries in Southeast Baltimore have art installations of images taken from the book.  The wall art, above, is at the Canton Branch.  The outdoor planter box, below, is at the Patterson Park Branch.

Other books by Maurice Sendak that you might also enjoy include Outside over There and In the Night Kitchen.   Collections of his illustrations are found in Selma G. Lane's The Art of Maurice Sendak and Tony Kushner's The Art of Maurice Sendak : 1980 to the present.

Art installation photographs by Willie Johnson, Jr.

When any of us thinks of Lady Macbeth, Shakespeare’s portrayal of her comes to mind.  She is a formidable woman, hard and ruthless.  She has always impressed me as the driving force behind her husband’s ambition.

In recent years, two novels have been written that provide a different focus on the eleventh century Scottish lady. Caroline B. Cooney wrote a compelling young adult novel, Enter Three Witches. Susan Fraser King’s novel, Lady Macbeth, is thought provoking. Each author provides fascinating insights of Lady Macbeth. 

Lady Mary is the central character of Enter Three Witches.  The familiar story of Shakespeare’s play unfolds through the changes in Lady Mary’s life. She is the fourteen year old ward of Lord and Lady Macbeth. 

Raised to be the lady of her own manor upon marriage, Lady Mary’s fate is altered by her father’s betrayal of King Duncan. Her social status goes from pampered lady to kitchen maid. She heard the witches’ predictions and hopes to save her life-and Scotland-from the new king and queen. Quotations from the play are used as chapter introductions and Shakespeare’s dialogue is occasionally transferred to the novel’s characters.

King’s Lady Macbeth is based on extensive research and evokes a certain sympathy for the historical figure. Lady Gruadh, known as Rue, is of royal heritage. She was kidnapped as a girl and learned to fight to prevent future abductions. She was married to a  powerful Scottish lord, but Macbeth killed her husband in battle and claimed her as his wife. 

The novel shows Lord and Lady Macbeth working to win the loyalty of disaffected Scots, unhappy with the tyrannical rule of King Malcolm.  The familiar tale of great ambition is well told here as a combination of strong characters, love, adventure, and political intrigues.  It is well worth your reading time.

Caroline B. Cooney is the author of numerous young adult novels and the recipient of awards from the American Library Association and the New York Public Library. Among her works is The Face on the Milk Carton.

Susan Fraser King is a Maryland resident and the author of several historical romances.