Hutchins Library News Blog

Are you interested in this convocation presentation?

We have similar books available for check out

in front of the Circulation Desk!

You can also check out her website linked here.

Women's Madness by Jane M. Ussher

Call Number: 616.89 U87w

In this exhaustive and wide-ranging history of the diagnosis and treatment of women with mental illness raises the question: Does female "madness" in reality represent a sane response to a society designed to keep women in check? Ussher's own mother was diagnosed as mentally ill during the author's adolescence. In seeking to understand her mother's experience, including her "cure" via electro-convulsive therapy and drugs, Ussher takes a historical look at the treatment--more often torture--of women who were feared because they were different, and who were thus labeled mad. The author even goes so far as to suggest that premenstrual syndrome and postnatal depression are unsustainable theories that keep women at the mercy of their biological selves, mere extensions of the Victorian school of thought that labeled women the "weaker sex." As an academic text, Ussher's deconstruction of female madness and its treatment is surefooted and thorough; as a historical recounting of women's experiences with mental illness, it is radicalizing and sobering.

Misogyny in the Movies by Kenneth MacKinnon

Call Number: 791.4302 M158m

 

 

 

 

 

Staging the Rage by Katherine H. Burkman (Editor); Judith Roof (Editor)

Call Number: 809.293 S779

The essayists in this book explore not only the rage of modern dramatists' misogynistic characters but also the rage of their intended victims. The essays point out how even some who critique misogyny are caught in its web, others providing a critique that is liberating for themselves and potentially liberating for their audience.

 

 

Women and Men Midwives by Jane B. Donegan

Call Number: 618.2 D681w

"Scholarly, copiously footnoted study... Donegan... considers the complex male-female relationships involved, showing how closely the history of midwifery is connected to the history of feminism."- Library Journal

 

 

 

 

Down Girl by Kate Manne

Call Number: 305.42 M282d 2018

Misogyny is a hot topic, yet it's often misunderstood. What is misogyny, exactly? Who deserves to be called a misogynist? How does misogyny contrast with sexism, and why is it prone to persist - or increase - even when sexist gender roles are waning? This book is an exploration of misogyny in public life and politics by the moral philosopher and writer Kate Manne. It argues that misogyny should not be understood primarily in terms of the hatred or hostility some men feel toward all or most women. Rather, it's primarily about controlling, policing, punishing, and exiling the "bad" women who challenge male dominance. And it's compatible with rewarding "the good ones," and singling out other women to serve as warnings to those who are out of order. It's also common for women to serve as scapegoats, be burned as witches, and treated as pariahs. Manne examines recent and current events such as the Isla Vista killings by Elliot Rodger, the case of the convicted serial rapist Daniel Holtzclaw, who preyed on African-American women as a police officer in Oklahoma City, Rush Limbaugh's diatribe against Sandra Fluke, and the "misogyny speech" of Julia Gillard, then Prime Minister of Australia, which went viral on YouTube. The book shows how these events, among others, set the stage for the 2016 US presidential election. Not only was the misogyny leveled against Hillary Clinton predictable in both quantity and quality, Manne argues it was predictable that many people would be prepared to forgive and forget regarding Donald Trump's history of sexual assault and harassment. For this, Manne argues, is misogyny's oft-overlooked and equally pernicious underbelly: exonerating or showing "himpathy" for the comparatively privileged men who dominate, threaten, and silence women. 

Empowered by Sarah Banet-Weiser

Call Number: 305.4209 B215e 2018

In Empowered Sarah Banet-Weiser examines the deeply entwined relationship between popular feminism and popular misogyny as it plays out in advertising, online and multimedia platforms, and nonprofit and commercial campaigns. Examining feminist discourses that emphasize self-confidence, body positivity, and individual achievement alongside violent misogynist phenomena such as revenge porn, toxic geek masculinity, and men's rights movements, Banet-Weiser traces how popular feminism and popular misogyny are co-constituted. From Black Girls Code and the Always #LikeAGirl campaign to GamerGate and the 2016 presidential election, Banet-Weiser shows how popular feminism is met with a misogynistic backlash of mass harassment, assault, and institutional neglect. In so doing, she contends that popular feminism's problematic commitment to visibility limits its potential and collective power.

Vox by Christina Dalcher

Call Number: D138vo 2018 (Fiction 3rd floor)

Set in a United States in which half the population has been silenced, Vox is the harrowing, unforgettable story of what one woman will do to protect herself and her daughter. On the day the government decrees that women are no longer allowed more than one hundred words per day, Dr. Jean McClellan is in denial. This can't happen here. Not in America. Not to her. Soon women are not permitted to hold jobs. Girls are not taught to read or write. Females no longer have a voice. Before, the average person spoke sixteen thousand words each day, but now women have only one hundred to make themselves heard. For herself, her daughter, and every woman silenced, Jean will reclaim her voice. This is just the beginning...not the end. 

Are you interested in this convocation presentation?

We have books available for check out in front of the Circulation Desk!

You can also check out Glenn Adamson's website link here.

Thinking Through Craft by Glenn Adamson

Call Number: 745.5 A221t 2007

Co-published in Association with the Victoria and Albert Museum, London This book is a timely and engaging introduction to the way that artists working in all media think about craft. Workmanship is key to today's visual arts, when high 'production values' are becoming increasingly commonplace. Yet craft's centrality to contemporary art has received little serious attention from critics and historians. Dispensing with clich¿d arguments that craft is art, Adamson persuasively makes a case for defining craft in a more nuanced fashion. The interesting thing about craft, he argues, is that it is perceived to be 'inferior' to art. The book consists of an overview of various aspects of this second-class identity - supplementarity, sensuality, skill, the pastoral, and the amateur. It also provides historical case studies analysing craft's role in a variety of disciplines, including architecture, design, contemporary art, and the crafts themselves. Thinking Through Craft will be essential reading for anyone interested in craft or the broader visual arts.

The Invention of Craft by Glenn Adamson

Call Number: 745.509 A221i 2018

Glenn Adamson's last book, Thinking Through Craft, offered an influential account of craft's position within modern and contemporary art. Now, in his engaging sequel, The Invention of Craft, his theoretical discussion of skilled work is extended back in time and across numerous disciplines. Adamson searches out the origins of modern craft, locating its emergence in the period of the industrial revolution. He demonstrates how craft was invented as industry's "other", a necessary counterpart to ideas of progress and upheaval. In the process, the magical and secretive culture of artisans was gradually dominated through division and explication. This left craft with an oppositional stance, a traditional or anti-modern position. The Invention of Craft ranges widely across media, from lock-making, wood-carving and iron-casting to fashion, architecture and design. It also moves back and forth between periods, from the 18th century to the present day, demonstrating how contemporary practice can be informed through the study of modern craft in its moment of invention.

Fewer, Better Things by Glenn Adamson

Call Number: 306.4601 A221f 2018

From the former director of the Museum of Arts and Design in New York, a timely and passionate case for the role of the well-designed object in the digital age. Curator and scholar Glenn Adamson opensFewer, Better Things by contrasting his beloved childhood teddy bear to the smartphones and digital tablets children have today. He laments that many children and adults are losing touch with the material objects that have nurtured human development for thousands of years. The objects are still here, but we seem to care less and know less about them. In his presentations to groups, he often asks an audience member what he or she knows about the chair the person is sitting in. Few people know much more than whether it's made of wood, plastic, or metal. If we know little about how things are made, it's hard to remain connected to the world around us. Fewer, Better Things explores the history of craft in its many forms, explaining how raw materials, tools, design, and technique come together to produce beauty and utility in handmade or manufactured items. Whether describing the implements used in a traditional Japanese tea ceremony, the use of woodworking tools, or the use of new fabrication technologies, Adamson writes expertly and lovingly about the aesthetics of objects, and the care and attention that goes into producing them. Reading this wise and elegant book is a truly transformative experience.

The Art of Not Making by Michael Petry

Call Number: 701 P498a 2011

Using examples from a wide range of media, Michael Petry presents the art of over 115 contemporary artists who have one thing in common: they do not make their own work. Instead, they either employ others to produce it on their behalf or appropriate objects made by someone else. Master craftsmen, artisans, and fabricators are just some of the technical specialists who help realize the creative vision of these artists. But when an artist does not make his or her own work, what does it mean for the nature of art and for the status of the artist? What is the relationship between creativity and production?The book explores these and other questions about authorship, artistic originality, skill, craftsmanship, and the creative act. Beginning with an historical overview and continuing through the history of modern art, it highlights the vital role that skills from craft and industrial production play in creating some of today's most innovative and highly sought-after works of art. Organized by the materials from which the works are made, five chapters examine the relationships between many of the world's most important artists and the artisans and fabricators they work with. Interviews with artists and craftsmen offer further insight into their creative collaborations.

Are you interested in Professor Godsey's topic?

We have his book and similar books available for check out

in front of the Circulation Desk!

Blind Injustice by Mark Godsey

Call Number: 345.7301 G589b 2017

In this unprecedented view from the trenches, prosecutor turned champion for the innocent Mark Godsey takes us inside the frailties of the human mind as they unfold in real-world wrongful convictions. Drawing upon stories from his own career, Godsey shares how innate psychological flaws in judges, police, lawyers, and juries coupled with a "tough on crime" environment can cause investigations to go awry, leading to the convictions of innocent people. In Blind Injustice, Godsey explores distinct psychological human weaknesses inherent in the criminal justice system--confirmation bias, memory malleability, cognitive dissonance, bureaucratic denial, dehumanization, and others--and illustrates each with stories from his time as a hard-nosed prosecutor and then as an attorney for the Ohio Innocence Project.  He also lays bare the criminal justice system's internal political pressures. How does the fact that judges, sheriffs, and prosecutors are elected officials influence how they view cases? How can defense attorneys support clients when many are overworked and underpaid? And how do juries overcome bias leading them to believe that police and expert witnesses know more than they do about what evidence means?  This book sheds a harsh light on the unintentional yet routine injustices committed by those charged with upholding justice. Yet in the end, Godsey recommends structural, procedural, and attitudinal changes aimed at restoring justice to the criminal justice system.

Wrongly Convicted by Saundra D. Westervelt (Editor); John A. Humphrey (Editor)

Call Number: 364.973 W957

The American criminal justice system contains numerous safeguards to prevent the conviction of innocent persons. The Bill of Rights provides nineteen separate rights for the alleged criminal offender, including the right to effective legal representation and the right to be judged without regard to race or creed. Despite these safeguards, wrongful convictions persist, and the issue has reverberated in the national debate over capital punishment. The essays in this volume are written from a cross-disciplinary perspective by some of the most eminent lawyers, criminologists, and social scientists in the field today. The articles are divided into four sections: the causes of wrongful convictions, the social characteristics of the wrongly convicted, case studies and personal histories, and suggestions for changes in the criminal justice system to prevent wrongful convictions. Contributors examine a broad range of issues, including the fallibility of eyewitness testimony, particularly in cross-racial identifications; the disadvantages faced by racial and ethnic minorities in the criminal justice system; and the impact of new technologies, especially DNA evidence, in freeing the innocent and bringing the guilty to justice. The book also asks such questions as: What legal characteristics do wrongful convictions share? What are the mechanisms that defendants and their attorneys use to overturn wrongful convictions? The book also provides case studies that offer specific examples of what can and does go wrong in the criminal justice system.

Punishment Without Crime by Alexandra Natapoff

Call Number: 364.609 N272p 2018

Punishment Without Crime provides a sweeping and revelatory new account of America's broken criminal justice system from the perspective of the paradigmatic American crime-the lowly misdemeanor. While felony trials grab headlines, the petty offense system is far more representative of criminal justice as most Americans actually encounter it. Petty offenses make up 80 percent of state and local criminal dockets; over 13 million misdemeanor cases are filed every year, four times the number of felony cases. Misdemeanors are one of the largest and most unappreciated causes of our criminal system's size and its harshness-and a crucial source of American inequality. Misdemeanor cases are by definition "minor," but their impact is not. Each year, the petty offense process sweeps millions of people from arrest to a guilty plea or conviction. In effect, police get to decide who will be convicted of minor crimes, simply by arresting them for offenses like driving on a suspended licenses, marijuana possession, disorderly conduct, and loitering. In thousands of low-level courts around the country, prosecutors do little vetting, most defendants lack lawyers, legal rules and evidence are often ignored, and judges process cases in minutes or even seconds. The consequences are serious and lasting: stigmatizing criminal records, burdensome fines, jail for those who can't afford to pay bail or fees, and collateral effects including loss of jobs, housing, and benefits. Punishment Without Crime offers an urgent new explanation for America's racial and economic inequalities, showing starkly how misdemeanor arrests and prosecutions brand vast numbers of disadvantaged Americans as criminals and punish them accordingly. For the first time, prize-winning legal scholar Alexandra Natapoff illuminates the full scale, scope, and workings of the misdemeanor process, drawing on never-before-compiled data as well as revealing narrative examples. The misdemeanor system, she reveals, targets and stigmatizes racial minorities as "criminals," exacerbates economic inequality by funding its own operation through fines and fees, and produces wrongful convictions on a massive scale. For too long, misdemeanors have been ignored as petty. Reckoning with the misdemeanor machine is crucial to understanding America's punitive and unfair criminal justice system and our widening economic and racial divides.

Policing Black Bodies by Smith Hattery; Angela J. Hattery; Earl Smith

Call Number: 364.349 H366p 2018

From Trayvon Martin to Freddie Gray, the stories of police violence against Black people are too often in the news. In Policing Black Bodies Angela J. Hattery and Earl Smith make a compelling case that the policing of Black bodies goes far beyond these individual stories of brutality. They connect the regulation of African American people in many settings, including the public education system and the criminal justice system, into a powerful narrative about the myriad ways Black bodies are policed. Policing Black Bodies goes beyond chronicling isolated incidents of injustice to look at the broader systems of inequality in our society--how they're structured, how they harm Black people, and how we can work for positive change. The book discusses the school-to-prison pipeline, mass incarceration and the prison boom, the unique ways Black women and trans people are treated, wrongful convictions and the challenges of exoneration, and more. Each chapter of the book opens with a true story, explains the history and current state of the issue, and looks toward how we can work for change. The book calls attention to the ways class, race, and gender contribute to injustice, as well as the perils of colorblind racism--that by pretending not to see race we actually strengthen, rather than dismantle, racist social structures. Policing Black Bodies is a powerful call to acknowledge injustice and work for change.

The Innocence Commission by Jon B. Gould

Call Number: 347.755 G697i 2008

Beyond Exonerating the Innocent: Author on WAMU Radio Convicted Yet Innocent: The Legal Times Review Choice Outstanding Academic Title for 2008 DNA testing and advances in forensic science have shaken the foundations of the U.S. criminal justice system. One of the most visible results is the exoneration of inmates who were wrongly convicted and incarcerated, many of them sentenced to death for crimes they did not commit. This has caused a quandary for many states: how can claims of innocence be properly investigated and how can innocent inmates be reliably distinguished from the guilty? In answer, some states have created "innocence commissions" to establish policies and provide legal assistance to the improperly imprisoned. The Innocence Commission describes the creation and first years of the Innocence Commission for Virginia (ICVA), the second innocence commission in the nation and the first to conduct a systematic inquiry into all cases of wrongful conviction. Written by Jon B. Gould, the Chair of the ICVA, who is a professor of justice studies and an attorney, the author focuses on twelve wrongful conviction cases to show how and why wrongful convictions occur, what steps legal and state advocates took to investigate the convictions, how these prisoners were ultimately freed, and what lessons can be learned from their experiences. Gould recounts how a small band of attorneys and other advocates -- in Virginia and around the country -- have fought wrongful convictions in court, advanced the subject of wrongful convictions in the media, and sought to remedy the issue of wrongful convictions in the political arena. He makes a strong case for the need for Innocence Commissions in every state, showing that not only do Innocence Commissions help to identify weaknesses in the criminal justice system and offer workable improvements, but also protect society by helping to ensure that actual perpetrators are expeditiously identified, arrested, and brought to trial. Everyone has an interest in preventing wrongful convictions, from police officers and prosecutors, who seek the latest and best investigative techniques, to taxpayers, who want an efficient criminal justice system, to suspects who are erroneously pursued and sometimes convicted. Free of legal jargon and written for a general audience, The Innocence Commission is instructive, informative, and highly compelling reading.

Are you interested in the music by The Sweet Remains?

We have CDs available for check out in front of the Circulation Desk.

You can also check out their website linked here.

North & Prospect by The Sweet Remains

Call Number: CD 781.66 S974no 2008

 

 

 

Laurel & Sunset by The Sweet Remains

Call Number: CD 781.66 S974L 2008

 

 

 

Night Songs by The Sweet Remains

Call Number: CD 781.66 S974n 2015

Hutchins Library is excited to announce our recent addition of a circulating cup library. We would like to invite students, faculty, and staff to attend our open house, next Tuesday, Sept. 10th, from 5-9pm. Drop-in anytime during the event and enjoy live music and refreshments before checking out a cup of your own. 
 

After checking out your cup, we invite you to share photos of you enjoying it on social media. That’s right: we want to see you drink your lattes and slurp your ramen out of our cups! Use the hashtag: #CupLibraryHutchins, make your image visible to the public, and at the end of September, there will be a drawing for a gift card to Native Bagel from within those hashtag users. 

Frequently asked questions about the Cup Library:
 

1. Where is the cup library?

The cup library is located on the main floor of Hutchins, to the right of the Circulation Desk
 

2. How long can I check out a cup?

Cups are checked out for one semester at a time. 
 

3. What happens if I break a cup?

Accidents happen. If you break your cup, you must bring all of the pieces back to the library and you will not be charged for it.

4. What is the point of the cup library?

Art is not just something to be studied at a distance, but rather to be experienced. When you are sipping your morning coffee from one of these handcrafted cups, you understand what it means to use art in your everyday life.

Do you like Dr. Bloomquist's presentation topic?

Check out similar books linked below and on display in front of the Circulation Desk!

Yes, you can check them out!  ​

Black Linguistics by Sinfree Makoni; Arnetha Ball; Geneva Smitherman; Arthur K. Spears

Call Number: 306.44 B627 2003

Enslavement, forced migration, war and colonization have led to the global dispersal of Black communities and to the fragmentation of common experiences. The majority of Black language researchers explore the social and linguistic phenomena of individual Black communities, without looking at Black experiences outside a given community. This groundbreaking collection re-orders the elitist and colonial elements of language studies by drawing together the multiple perspectives of Black language researchers. In doing so, the book recognizes and formalizes the existence of a "Black Linguistic Perspective" highlights the contributions of Black language researchers in the field. Written exclusively by Black scholars on behalf of, and in collaboration with local communities, the book looks at the commonalities and differences among Black speech communities in Africa and the Diaspora.

Out of the Mouths of Slaves by John Baugh; William Labov (Foreword by)

Call Number: 427.973 B346o 1999

John Baugh, an authority on African American English, dissects and challenges many of the prevailing myths about African American language and its place in American society.

 

 

 

Black Street Speech by John Baugh

Call Number: 427.973 B346b

In the minds of many, black street speech--the urban dialect of black Americans--bespeaks illiteracy, poverty, and ignorance. John Baugh challenges those prejudices in this brilliant new inquiry into the history, linguistic structure, and survival within white society of black street speech. In doing so, he successfully integrates a scholarly respect for black English with a humanistic approach to language differences that weds rigor of research with a keen sense of social responsibility. Baugh's is the first book on black English that is based on a long-term study of adult speakers. Beginning in 1972, black men and women in Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Chicago, Austin, and Houston were repeatedly interviewed, in varied social settings, in order to determine the nature of their linguistic styles and the social circumstances where subtle changes in their speech appear. Baugh's work uncovered a far wider breadth of speaking styles among black Americans than among standard English speakers. Having detailed his findings, he explores their serious implications for the employability and education of black Americans. Black Street Speech is a work of enduring importance for educators, linguists, sociologists, scholars of black and urban studies, and all concerned with black English and its social consequences.

Sociolinguistics by Nikolas Coupland (Editor); Adam Jaworski (Editor)

Call Number: 306.44 S678 1997

In the first volume of this kind for years, the editors have assembled a definitive view of the discipline bringing together much original work in sociolinguistics, ranging from fundamental theoretical statements and methodological articles, to classic explorations in dialect and style variation, language attitudes and stereotyping, multilingualism, face-to-face interaction and ethnography of communication. The contributors are eminent sociolinguists acclaimed internationally as pioneers and leading authorities in the field. This major new textbook will be a unique and invaluable resource for students and teachers of sociolinguistics and neighbouring disciplines.

Talking Back, Talking Black by John McWhorter

Call Number: 427.973 M177t 2017

In his first book devoted solely to the form, structure, and development of Black English, John McWhorter clearly explains its fundamentals and rich history while carefully examining the cultural, educational, and political issues that have undermined recognition of this transformative, empowering dialect.Talking Back, Talking Black takes us on a fascinating tour of a nuanced and complex language that has moved beyond America's borders to become a dynamic force for today's youth culture around the world. John McWhorter teaches linguistics, Western civilization, music history, and American studies at Columbia University. ANew York Times best-selling author and TED speaker, he is a columnist for CNN.com, a regular contributor to theAtlantic, a frequent guest on CNN and MSNBC, and the host ofSlate's language podcast,Lexicon Valley. His books on language includeThe Power of Babel;Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue;Words on the Move;Talking Back, Talking Black; andThe Creole Debate.

Language, Society, and Education: A Profile of Black English by Johanna S. DeStefano

Call Number: 427.973 D476L

 

 

 

 

 

The observation of Hispanic Heritage Month started in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week and was expanded by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 to recognize the contributions and vital presence of both Hispanic and Latino Americans to the United States and to observe their native heritage and contributing culture. Festivities begin on September 15, marking the anniversary of independence for the Latin American countries Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. With great fanfare, celebrations sweep across Latin America, Central American and on into Mexico and Chili commemorating each country’s independence from week to week!

Works cited: 

Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, & National Park Service. (n.d.). National Hispanic Heritage Month 2018. Retrieved from https://hispanicheritagemonth.gov/about/

Check out the titles below for more info on Hispanic Heritage Month:

Lado a Lado by Monica Brown; Joe Cepeda (Illustrator)

ISBN: 9780061227813

Publication Date: 2010-08-31

A powerful and accesible bilingual picture book that highlights "the power and impact of ordinary but dedicated citizens."* Every day, thousands of farmworkers harvested the food that ended up on kitchen tables all over the country. But at the end of the day, when the workers sat down to eat, there were only beans on their own tables. Then Dolores Huerta and Cesar Chavez teamed up. Together they motivated the workers to fight for their rights and, in the process, changed history. Award-winning author Monica Brown and acclaimed illustrator Joe Cepeda join together to create this stunning tribute to two of the most influential people of the twentieth century. "I love that this book introduces Dolores and Cesar as children and connects their early life experiences to the decisions they made as they grew up," commented reviewer Maria Ramos-Chertok in the blog "Latinxs in Kid Lit." "Given that I longed for bilingual children's books when my two sons were growing up, I only wish I had known about this book earlier." She added that Side by Side offers opportunities to open discussions about work and career, feminism, and friendship, as well as a fresh perspective on history. Todos los días, miles de campesinos cosechaban los alimentos que se servían en los hogares de todo el país. Pero al terminar la jornada, cuando los campesinos se sentaban a comer, lo único que había en sus propias mesas era frijoles. Entonces, Dolores Huerta y César Chávez se unieron para motivar a los trabajadores a luchar por sus derechos y en el proceso, cambiaron el curso de la historia. La premiada autora Monica Brown y el aclamado ilustrador Joe Cepeda se unen para crear éste impresionante tributo a dos de las personas más influentes del siglo veinte.

Ghetto Klown by John Leguizamo; Christa Cassano (Illustrator); Shamus Beyale (Illustrator)

ISBN: 9781419715181

Publication Date: 2015-10-20

"Ghetto Klown is autobiographical dynamite--this is Leguizamo at his scathing, honest, moving, comedic best. Among the finest portraits of an artist as a young wounded talented man as I've read." --Junot Díaz   "My main Johnny Legs has done it again. Ghetto Klown as a graphic novel? DOPENESS." --Spike Lee In Ghetto Klown, celebrated performer John Leguizamo lays bare his early years in blue-collar Queens, his salvation through acting and writing, and his colorful career trajectory. He brings us onto the sets of his films opposite stars such as Al Pacino and Patrick Swayze and with directors such as Baz Luhrmann and Brian De Palma, while also opening up about his offstage life in love and marriage. In this candid graphic novel memoir, Leguizamo offers a strong message of moving beyond self-doubt--and beyond the doubters--to claim some happiness. Originally staged on Broadway in 2011, Ghetto Klown won Leguizamo Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards before being adapted into an HBO special. Now, teaming up with artists Christa Cassano and Shamus Beyale, Leguizamo shares his life story in this vibrant, funny, and moving adaptation.  

Sonia Sotomayor by Jonah Winter; Edel Rodriguez (Illustrator); Argentina Palacios Ziegler (Translator)

ISBN: 9781442403031

Publication Date: 2009-11-10

The inspiring and timely story of Sonia Sotomayor, who rose up from a childhood of poverty and prejudice to become the first Latino to be nominated to the US Supreme Court. Before Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor took her seat in our nation's highest court, she was just a little girl in the South Bronx. Justice Sotomayor didn't have a lot growing up, but she had what she needed -- her mother's love, a will to learn, and her own determination. With bravery she became the person she wanted to be. With hard work she succeeded. With little sunlight and only a modest plot from which to grow, Justice Sotomayor bloomed for the whole world to see. Antes de que la magistrada de la Corte Suprema Sonia Sotomayor llegara al máximo tribunal de nuestra nación, no era más que una niñita en el South Bronx. La magistrada Sotomayor no tuvo mucho durante sus primeros años, pero sí tuvo lo que contaba -- el amor de su madre, la voluntad de aprender y su propia determinación. Con valentía se hizo la persona que quería ser. Con trabajo arduo triunfó. Con un poquito de sol en un solarcito donde crecer, la magistrada Sotomayor floreció para que todo el mundo la vea

War Against All Puerto Ricans by Nelson A. Denis

ISBN: 9781568585017

Publication Date: 2015-04-07

In 1950, after over fifty years of military occupation and colonial rule, the Nationalist Party of Puerto Rico staged an unsuccessful armed insurrection against the United States. Violence swept through the island: assassins were sent to kill President Harry Truman, gunfights roared in eight towns, police stations and post offices were burned down. In order to suppress this uprising, the US Army deployed thousands of troops and bombarded two towns, marking the first time in history that theUS government bombed its own citizens. Nelson A. Denis tells this powerful story through the controversial life of Pedro Albizu Campos, who served as the president of the Nationalist Party. A lawyer, chemical engineer, and the first Puerto Rican to graduate from Harvard Law School, Albizu Campos was imprisoned for twenty-five years and died under mysterious circumstances. By tracing his life and death, Denis shows how the journey of Albizu Campos is part of a larger story of Puerto Rico and US colonialism. Through oral histories, personal interviews, eyewitness accounts, congressional testimony, and recently declassified FBI files,War Against All Puerto Ricans tells the story of a forgotten revolution and its context in Puerto Rico's history, from the US invasion in 1898 to the modern-day struggle for self-determination. Denis provides an unflinching account of the gunfights, prison riots, political intrigue, FBI and CIA covert activity, and mass hysteria that accompanied this tumultuous period in Puerto Rican history.

This month's showcase is on a graphic novel and anime titled Fruits Basket by Natsuki Takaya

"After a family tragedy turns her life upside down, plucky high schooler Tohru Honda takes matters into her own hands and moves out ... into a tent! Unfortunately for her, she pitches her new home on private land belonging to the mysterious Sohma clan and it isn't long before the owners discover her secret. But as Tohru quickly finds out when the family offers to take her in, the Sohmas have a secret of their own--when embraced by the opposite sex, they turn into the animals of the Chinese zodiac!"        -from the publisher

Check out the link to the catalog below if Fruits Basket is for you!

Fruits Basket by Natsuki Takaya

Call Number: 741.565 T136f (Graphic Novels -- Main Floor Circulation Area)

After a family tragedy turns her life upside down, plucky high schooler Tohru Honda takes matters into her own hands and moves out...into a tent! Unfortunately for her, she pitches her new home on private land belonging to the mysterious Sohma clan, and it isn't long before the owners discover her secret. But, as Tohru quickly finds out when the family offers to take her in, the Sohmas have a secret of their own--when touched by the opposite sex, they turn into the animals of the Chinese Zodiac! A perennial favorite of fans and librarians alike, Natsuki Takaya's beloved bestselling Fruits Basket series returns to print in gorgeous deluxe English-language omnibus editions with beautiful full-color illustrations that are not to be missed!

September's reference book of the month is the Encyclopedia of Women’s History in America. The description provided below is from Amazon:

Since earliest colonial times, women have contributed to the life of the United States and all its people while striving to better their own situation. This encyclopedia is intended to bring together information about the organizations founded, the books and newspapers published, the speeches given, the documents signed, the demonstrations and conventions held, the legislative actions proposed and enacted, the task forces and committees convened, and the legal rulings rendered—all in the course of “Women’s History in America.” In choosing individual women for inclusion, I have not attempted the comprehensiveness possible in a work restricted solely to biographical entries.

I have, however, tried to include the women who stand out, almost as landmarks but certainly as central figures, in at least one of several ways: As (1) women who have affected the general course of American history; (2) women important in the struggle for (or, sometimes, against) equal rights; (3) barrier-breaking women, the “firsts” to make their way into the professions and government offices once reserved to men, and the women who, following the “firsts” into these new territories, have made particularly significant contributions; (4) visionary women who created and/or inspired lasting community service organizations, new public policy initiatives, and even religions; and (5) women who have made especially prominent contributions to the cultural and intellectual life of America. I have also and without apology selected some women simply because their accomplishments are path breaking within a particular community.

~ Recommended for students majoring in History, Sociology, and Women and Gender Studies ~

The Encyclopedia of Women's History in America by Kathryn Cullen-DuPont

Call Number: 305.409 C967e

Publication Date: 2000-07-01

Welcome back to Zine of the Month! This month's zine is Somos Berea, a zine made by students describing what it means to be Latinx. They discuss topics such as colonialism, immigration and xenophobia, as well as Latinx identity. 

Zine Facts! 

Zines are in no way, mainstream. This type of publication is nonconformist, just like their authors. There are a lot of ways to create a zine and there are no written rules. You can go wild with your content and images as zines have more of a DIY inspired look.
Also, when it comes to publishing zines, things are a lot different than publishing magazines. And this is because zines are not mainstream, as I said. While magazines are often produced by publishing companies, zines are self-published for a small circulation, distributed through mail order and word of mouth. Magazines may be focusing on selling advertising space and making a profit, whilst zines are mainly created for spreading bold, strong, revolutionary ideas.

Somos Berea

Call Number: Zine Collection