Harvey Pekar, legendary comic book writer, has died.
He received mainstream attention through his appearances on Letterman, and more recently via the excellent film made about his life, American Splendor (named after his comics). But it’s his funny, intelligent and deeply human comics that we’ll miss most of all.
J.M. Barrie, the creator of Peter Pan loved cricket, and although more enthusiastic than talented, he still managed to enlist the most extraordinary amateur cricket team of the time. Included was A. A. Milne, P. G. Wodehouse, Jerome K. Jerome and Arthur Conan Doyle and this only stopped when World War II began. Peter Pan’s first XI: the extraordinary story of J. M. Barrie’s cricket team is part cricket, part history and part biography.
What are you doing out here: heroism and distress at a cricket test by Norman Harris is a drama of two events that unfolded in different parts of the world. In New Zealand the railway disaster at Tangiwai killed 151 passengers from a lahar, including the fiancée of test cricketer Bob Blair. No-one expected him to take any further part in the South Africa-NZ test match far away from home, but when New Zealand was at risk of losing he chose to go out to bat. The crowd gave him a standing ovation.
What do a high country farmer, a radio DJ, a businessman, a photographer and a shoe-string traveller have in common? It is their love of cricket. Most Kiwi blokes would wander down to the local match but not for these intrepid five. They chose to go to one of the most exuberant cricket countries. Bowling through India: five Kiwi blokes take on India at cricket by Justin Brown taught them a lot about fanaticism, compassion, friendship and that cricket doesn’t need anything but a bat and a ball and keen players.
Now is the time to read something other than football with this month’s bumper-size Recent Sports and Fitness Picks – apart from those on cricket, included are books on skateboarding, triathlon, golf, poker and even books on “ripping things to do” for children. However if you really do want to read about the Football World Cup – there are five new titles to chose from.
An average film is about 2 hours long; the average novel is at least 50,000 words. Film adaptations of novels are plentiful, with some good, some bad, and some ugly, and nearly all having someone leaving the theatre suggesting “the book was better”. Is this because films struggle to do justice to so many words, and if so, is a shorter story therefore a better bet? Here are ten films, and the novellas and short stories they are based on, including some classics (both literary and celluloid).
Away from Her (2006) – ‘The Bear Went Over the Mountain’ by Alice Munro, in Carried away: a selection of stories. Julie Christie was nominated for an Academy Award in 2007 for her portrayal of Fiona Anderson.
‘Minority Report’ by Philip K Dick, in Minority report. The three “precogs”, Arthur, Dashiell and Agatha, are named for legendary mystery writers Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie and Dashiell Hammett.
Kitty Kelly has written a number of unauthorised biographies of the rich and the famous and her latest is of Oprah Winfrey, one of the most influential and powerful women in America. A thumbs-up or thumbs-down from her can make or break a book, a show, a recipe – well anything really. Critics are divided about the accuracy of Kelly’s information but the book Oprah: a biography entered the USA Today’s bestseller list at # 4. Read the book and decide for yourselves.
The rise and rise of Barack Obama has been nothing less than spectacular and his election to the White House is the summit of any politician. This biography by David Remnick The bridge: the life and rise of Barack Obama uses on-the-record interviews with those who knew him well, both his detractors and supporters and Obama himself.
Young romantics: the Shelleys, Bryon and other tangled lives by Daisy Hay follows the history of a group of talented like-minded people in the early 19th century. Including tales of love, disloyalty, sacrifice and companionship, all of which were played out against a backdrop of politics and passionate literary creativity, this book will change the myth of the romantic poet as a brooding reflective personality.
Enjoy reading about these fascinating people and others including Gandhi, Rupert Thomson, Gervase Phinn, Constance Spry, Christopher Lloyd and Max Hastings in this month’s Biography Recent Picks.
Learn something new during this week of free talks!
Come along to Karori Library on Tuesday to listen, learn and have fun with topics such as computers and digital photography presented by a computer expert, winter gardening and planting for spring with a gardening guru or bring along some of your favourite antique pieces you would like to know more about to a ‘show and tell’ by an antiques dealer. (more…)
The British novelist, dramatist and theatre critic, Dame Beryl Bainbridge has died aged 75.
Born in Liverpool in 1934, she worked as an actress and began writing after a disastrous marriage and relationship left her a single mother with three young children. Her first novel Harriet said was rejected many times and not published until 1972, four years after her third novel, Another part of the wood was published. In 1974 she won the Guardian Fiction Prize for The Bottle factory outing and in 1977 the Whitbread Prize for Injury time. Three of her 18 novels were short listed for the Booker Prize. Her slim novels are all urban black comedies, which highlight isolated eccentrics sometimes with violence, but often absurdity. Her last four novels have been based on historical events, Every man for himself, published in 1996 concerns the Titanic disaster, and Master Georgie is set during the Crimean War. Three of her novels were adapted to film. Beryl Bainbridge spent her life in Liverpool; she was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2000.
It is again very sad to know this is the end of such a prolific, wonderful entertaining body of work. If you have never read one of Beryl Bainbridge’ s novels, please start now, you will definitely not be disappointed, and I can guarantee you will want to read more.
Sources: Wikipedia
You can recommend books, CDs, DVDs and other items that the library could buy – click here, or on our website homepage use the “Suggest a book” link under the “How do I?” options.
It’s nearly International Film Festival time, one of the plusses of winter, and several of this year’s festival offerings are inspired by books, including some New Zealand content. Here is a selection, including links to the NZFF website for your information.
The Ghost Writer, based on The Ghost by Robert Harris
The Killer Inside Me, based on The Killer Inside Me by Jim Thompson
My Dog Tulip, based on My Dog Tulip by J.R. AckerleySee the New Zealand Booksellers website for more.
If you’re feeling nostalgic for past film festivals, don’t forget the library has thousands of DVDs available for hire ($4 per DVD, or $8 for boxed sets), from the classic to the cutting edge to the downright oddball (sometimes all three in the same film). If you’re a film fanatic you might be interested in purchasing a DVD concession card, which entitles you to 12 rentals for the price of 10 (find out more).
WCL has over 600,000 books, 450,000 magazines, and 85,000 CDs, DVDs, videos and other items at our central library and 11 branches. We are located in New Zealand's capital city, Wellington. Looking for your local branch? Have a look at our Library Locations page.