Mark your calendars for these exciting October programs:
Sunday 10/1, 2pm – An Afternoon with the Author
Drop by this afternoon and meet Amy McDonald, local teacher and author of Determined to Survive, a memoir that details the experiences of Holocaust survivor Max Steinmetz. Mr. Steinmetz is a Romanian-born Auschwitz survivor who relocated to Alabama in 1955.
Drop by this afternoon and meet Amy McDonald, local teacher and author of Determined to Survive, a memoir that details the experiences of Holocaust survivor Max Steinmetz. Mr. Steinmetz is a Romanian-born Auschwitz survivor who relocated to Alabama in 1955.
Thursday 10/5, 10am – A Morning with the Author
Drop by this morning for a fun, casual coloring event with author and illustrator Laura Murray. Laura’s coloring book, Amazing Alabama: A Coloring Book Journey Through Our 67 Counties will be published soon by NewSouth Books.
Drop by this morning for a fun, casual coloring event with author and illustrator Laura Murray. Laura’s coloring book, Amazing Alabama: A Coloring Book Journey Through Our 67 Counties will be published soon by NewSouth Books.
Friday 10/6, 6-9pm – Western Wine & Food Festival at the
Birmingham Zoo, tickets available online, at the library, and at Western
Supermarkets locations
Thursday 10/12, 6:30pm – UAB Neuroscience Café explores the
science of sleep
Friday 10/13, 10am-noon – Yoga with Marie Blair
Friday 10/13, 5-10pm – Ages 18 and up Nightmare on Oak
Street Dinner Double Feature and Terror-ium building, RSVP to Holley at hwesley@bham.lib.al.us or 205-445-1117
for this free event. Bring your own
glass container, plants and decorations provided, supplies limited.
Saturday 10/14, 7pm – Birmingham Arts Music Alliance
presents l’ Ao artiste ordinaire, a collaborative partnership between
composer-performers Melissa Grey and David Morneau.
Tuesday 10/17, 6:30pm – Documentaries After Dark presents
Top Secret Rosies, a film about a group of female mathematicians who helped win
WWII and usher in the modern computer age.
Tuesday 10/24, 10am – Community Conversation on Aging:
Alzheimer’s and Dementia care
Tuesday 10/31, 6:30pm – GRG rolls around again! October’s topic is memoirs and, as it’s
Halloween, costumes are optional!
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Well, we met this week to talk all things photography so there were plenty of pictures and WAY more than a thousand words!
The Way We Looked: The Meaning and Magic of Family Photographs by Catherine Noren
Published in 1983, this book discusses the importance of
family photographs as a means of understanding the passage of time,
establishing ties with ancestors, and varying ways of recording important
events in family life. Includes suggestions for collecting photographs and
putting together an album. Obviously, some information is outdated but the
ideas behind it are solid!
Reflections in a Looking Glass: A Centennial Celebration of Lewis Carroll, Photographer by Morton Cohen
Published on the one hundredth anniversary of the death of
Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (Lewis Carroll), Reflections in a Looking Glass
presents Carroll's remarkable photography. Richly illustrated, this important
book presents seldom-seen works-most of them formal portraits and staged scenes
that combine Carroll's famous childlike sense of play with the Victorian
propriety that characterized his age.
Also included in Reflections are selected drawings by Lewis Carroll and by John Tenniel, who illustrated the original Alice books. The central text by Morton N. Cohen, the world's leading authority on Lewis Carroll, provides an in-depth account of Carroll's experimentation in the new medium of photography. His hobby opened the door to many of his "child friends" as well as to leading artistic and literary figures of the day, all of whom came to Carroll's studio to sit for their portraits.
Excerpts from Carroll's diaries combine with Cohen's annotated captions to make this book an invaluable resource. The book also includes a Preface by Mark Haworth-Booth, curator of photographs at the Victoria and Albert Museum. The Afterword is by Roy Flukinger, curator of photographs at the Harry Ransom Center, University of Texas, Austin, the source collection for much of the material in this extraordinary book.
Also included in Reflections are selected drawings by Lewis Carroll and by John Tenniel, who illustrated the original Alice books. The central text by Morton N. Cohen, the world's leading authority on Lewis Carroll, provides an in-depth account of Carroll's experimentation in the new medium of photography. His hobby opened the door to many of his "child friends" as well as to leading artistic and literary figures of the day, all of whom came to Carroll's studio to sit for their portraits.
Excerpts from Carroll's diaries combine with Cohen's annotated captions to make this book an invaluable resource. The book also includes a Preface by Mark Haworth-Booth, curator of photographs at the Victoria and Albert Museum. The Afterword is by Roy Flukinger, curator of photographs at the Harry Ransom Center, University of Texas, Austin, the source collection for much of the material in this extraordinary book.
GENERAL DISCUSSION:
Alice I Have Been by Melanie Benjamin
Part love story, part literary mystery, Melanie Benjamin’s
spellbinding historical novel leads readers on an unforgettable journey down
the rabbit hole, to tell the story of a woman whose own life became the stuff
of legend. Her name is Alice Liddell Hargreaves, but to the world she’ll always
be known simply as “Alice,” the girl who followed the White Rabbit into a
wonderland of Mad Hatters, Queens of Hearts, and Cheshire Cats. Now, nearing
her eighty-first birthday, she looks back on a life of intense passion, great
privilege, and greater tragedy. First as a young woman, then as a wife, mother,
and widow, she’ll experience adventures the likes of which not even her
fictional counterpart could have imagined. Yet from glittering balls and royal
romances to a world plunged into war, she’ll always be the same determined,
undaunted Alice who, at ten years old, urged a shy, stuttering Oxford professor
to write down one of his fanciful stories, thus changing her life forever.
GENERAL DISCUSSION:
Many people do not know that Leonard Nimoy was a talented
photographer. View a selection of his work here.
During the 1830s, in an atmosphere of intense scientific
inquiry fostered by the industrial revolution, two quite different men―one in
France, one in England―developed their own dramatically different photographic
processes in total ignorance of each other's work. These two lone
geniuses―Henry Fox Talbot in the seclusion of his English country estate at
Lacock Abbey and Louis Daguerre in the heart of post-revolutionary
Paris―through diligence, disappointment and sheer hard work overcame
extraordinary odds to achieve the one thing man had for centuries been trying
to do―to solve the ancient puzzle of how to capture the light and in so doing
make nature 'paint its own portrait'. With the creation of their two radically
different processes―the Daguerreotype and the Talbotype―these two giants of
early photography changed the world and how we see it.
Drawing on a wide range of original, contemporary sources and featuring plates in colour, sepia and black and white, many of them rare or previously unseen, Capturing the Light by Roger Watson and Helen Rappaport charts an extraordinary tale of genius, rivalry and human resourcefulness in the quest to produce the world's first photograph.
At Work by Annie Leibovitz
The celebrated photographer Annie Leibovitz, author of the
New York Times bestselling book A Photographer's Life, provides the stories,
and technical description, of how some of her most famous images came to be.
Starting in 1974, with her coverage of Nixon's resignation, and culminating
with her controversial portraits of Queen Elizabeth II early in 2007, Leibovitz
explains what professional photographers do and how they do it. The
photographer in this instance is the most highly paid and prolific person in
the business. Approximately 90 images are discussed in detail -- the
circumstances under which they were taken, with specific technical information
(what camera, what settings, what lighting, where the images appeared). The
Rolling Stones' tour in 1975, the famous nude session with John Lennon and Yoko
Ono hours before Lennon was killed, the American Express and Gap campaigns,
Whoopi Goldberg in a bathtub of milk, Demi Moore pregnant and naked on the cover
of Vanity Fair, and coverage of the couture collections in Paris with Puff
Daddy and Kate Moss are among the subjects of this original and informative
work. The photos and stories are arranged chronologically, moving from film to
digital. Leibovitz's fans and lovers of great photography will find her stories
of how one learns to see -- and then how to photograph -- inspiring.
Group f.64: Edward Weston, Ansel Adams, Imogen Cunningham,and the Community of Artists Who Revolutionized American Photography by Mary
Street Alinder
Group f.64 is perhaps the most famous movement in the
history of photography, counting among its members Ansel Adams, Imogen
Cunningham, Dorothea Lange, Willard Van Dyke, and Edward Weston. Revolutionary
in their day, Group f.64 was one of the first modern art movements equally
defined by women. From the San Francisco Bay Area, its influence extended
internationally, contributing significantly to the recognition of photography
as a fine art.
The group-first identified as such in a 1932 exhibition-was
comprised of strongly individualist artists, brought together by a common
philosophy, and held together in a tangle of dynamic relationships. They shared
a conviction that photography must emphasize its unique capabilities-those that
distinguished it from other arts-in order to establish the medium's identity.
Their name, f.64, they took from a very small lens aperture used with
their large format cameras, a pinprick that allowed them to capture the
greatest possible depth of field in their lustrous, sharply detailed prints. In
today's digital world, these “straight” photography champions are increasingly
revered.
Mary Alinder is uniquely positioned to write this first
group biography. A former assistant to Ansel Adams, she knew most of the
artists featured. Just as importantly, she understands the art. Featuring fifty
photographs by and of its members, Group f.64 details a transformative
period in art with narrative flair.
Before Elvis There Was Nothing by Patrick Higgins (not available in JCLC)
Memorable quotes, funny stories, serious tributes, and
revealing comments from people as diverse as Bruce Springsteen, Imelda Marcos,
and Richard Nixon combine with photographs presented in chronological order of
Elvis's life.
GENERAL DISCUSSION:
Bellocq’s Ophelia: Poems by Natasha Trethewey (not available in JCLC)
In the early 1900s, E.J. Bellocq photographed prostitutes in the red-light district of New Orleans. His remarkable, candid photos inspired Natasha Trethewey to imagine the life of Ophelia, the subject of Bellocq's Ophelia, her stunning second collection of poems. With elegant precision, Ophelia tells of her life on display: her white father whose approval she earns by standing very still; the brothel Madame who tells her to act like a statue while the gentlemen callers choose; and finally the camera, which not only captures her body, but also offers a glimpse into her soul.
In the early 1900s, E.J. Bellocq photographed prostitutes in the red-light district of New Orleans. His remarkable, candid photos inspired Natasha Trethewey to imagine the life of Ophelia, the subject of Bellocq's Ophelia, her stunning second collection of poems. With elegant precision, Ophelia tells of her life on display: her white father whose approval she earns by standing very still; the brothel Madame who tells her to act like a statue while the gentlemen callers choose; and finally the camera, which not only captures her body, but also offers a glimpse into her soul.
GENERAL DISCUSSION:
We are a brand new independent, reader-supported, quarterly
journal of fine art photography and poetry on our way to our very first year of
publication. We are proud to announce that our Inaugural issue, and all
of our future issues will be available in both print and online editions.
It’s a Zoo Out There by Rachael Hale
A wonderful menagerie of animal portraits by celebrated
photographer Rachael Hale. Puppies and tigers and pigs...oh my! Get ready for
more oohs and aahs. It's a Zoo Out There is the next adorable installment of
Rachael Hale's bestselling book series. This collection of Hale's finest
photographs of enchanting and magnificent creatures both large and small,
domestic and exotic, is beautifully presented in this over-sized volume. Hale's
special rapport with animals has allowed her to capture the true essence of her
subjects.
One: Sons & Daughters by Edward Mapplethorpe
A baby's first year is filled with an endless stream of new
experiences, contributing profoundly to their physical, mental, and emotional
development. Typically at the age of one-year an infant has the motor skills
and ability to sit on their own for the first time and their uninhibited gaze
provides a window into a distinct personality that will endure throughout their
lifetime. It is these individual natures that photographer Edward Mapplethorpe
expertly captures.
The culmination of a twenty-year project by one of today's top-commissioned and internationally-recognized photographers of baby portraits, ONE features a series of 60 photographs that catch the fleeting, yet universal, moment of life when a child reaches one year of age. There is something remarkable in the innocent faces of the children portrayed in this book that serves to underscore our common humanity.
The luxuriously printed duo-tone photographs in ONE are accompanied by essays from esteemed contemporary authors Adam Gopnik, Susan Orlean, Francine Prose, and Andrew Solomon. Patti Smith contributes an original poem while Dr. Samantha Boardman writes the introduction. Contributions from such diverse luminaries emphasize the widespread appeal such innocent, unguarded beauty has for so many people.
William Wegman / Fashion Photographs (not available in JCLC)
Published to accompany a major travelling exhibition, this
book presents a collection of eerily anthropomorphic photographs by William Wegman.
They feature clothes by Helmut Lang, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Alexander McQueen,
Issey Miyake and others being modeled by dogs.
Top blogger and pro photographer Lara Ferroni serves up a
one-stop guide to food-photography success! Packed with her tried-and-true
secrets, this comprehensive guide details everything you need to know about
sourcing and styling food, drinks, and props. Ferroni profiles several of the
industry's top professional food photographers, and includes detailed case
studies of their most successful shots--complete with lighting diagrams and
equipment setups. This diverse collection of stunning images images and
easy-to-follow shooting instructions perfectly encompasses the field of modern
food photography, covering everything from blog and editorial photography to
corporate advertising and publicity shots.
Faces of the Twentieth Century: Master Photographers and Their Work by Mark Edward Harris
Presented here are signature images by twenty of this
century's greatest photographers, interviews with the author, and his portrait
of each photographer. The result combines the photographers' visions with their
words, broadening understanding of their personalities and work and providing
an international portrait of the twentieth century.
GENERAL DISCUSSION:
(To be published next month) Fire Road: The Napalm Girl’s Journey through the Horrors of War to Faith,Forgiveness, and Peace by Kim Phuc Phan Thi
Get out! Run! We must leave this place! They are going to
destroy this whole place! Go, children, run first! Go now!
These were the final shouts nine year-old Kim Phuc heard before her world dissolved into flames―before napalm bombs fell from the sky, burning away her clothing and searing deep into her skin. It’s a moment forever captured, an iconic image that has come to define the horror and violence of the Vietnam War. Kim was left for dead in a morgue; no one expected her to survive the attack. Napalm meant fire, and fire meant death.
Against all odds, Kim lived―but her journey toward healing was only beginning. When the napalm bombs dropped, everything Kim knew and relied on exploded along with them: her home, her country’s freedom, her childhood innocence and happiness. The coming years would be marked by excruciating treatments for her burns and unrelenting physical pain throughout her body, which were constant reminders of that terrible day. Kim survived the pain of her body ablaze, but how could she possibly survive the pain of her devastated soul?
Fire Road is the true story of how she found the answer in a God who suffered Himself; a Savior who truly understood and cared about the depths of her pain. Fire Road is a story of horror and hope, a harrowing tale of a life changed in an instant―and the power and resilience that can only be found in the power of God’s mercy and love.
These were the final shouts nine year-old Kim Phuc heard before her world dissolved into flames―before napalm bombs fell from the sky, burning away her clothing and searing deep into her skin. It’s a moment forever captured, an iconic image that has come to define the horror and violence of the Vietnam War. Kim was left for dead in a morgue; no one expected her to survive the attack. Napalm meant fire, and fire meant death.
Against all odds, Kim lived―but her journey toward healing was only beginning. When the napalm bombs dropped, everything Kim knew and relied on exploded along with them: her home, her country’s freedom, her childhood innocence and happiness. The coming years would be marked by excruciating treatments for her burns and unrelenting physical pain throughout her body, which were constant reminders of that terrible day. Kim survived the pain of her body ablaze, but how could she possibly survive the pain of her devastated soul?
Fire Road is the true story of how she found the answer in a God who suffered Himself; a Savior who truly understood and cared about the depths of her pain. Fire Road is a story of horror and hope, a harrowing tale of a life changed in an instant―and the power and resilience that can only be found in the power of God’s mercy and love.
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