Poetry in Motion – A Grad Student’s Interpretation

During summer semester, Sarah Nordgren and her colleagues are spending a couple of days shooting a video in the STRC Production Room. Sarah is a graduate student (getting her doctorate of philosophy, English and comparative literature). Her specialty is poetry. The video is part of Sarah’s dissertation.

Green room production

Sarah (far right) and colleagues shooting a scene for her video.

green room red outfit

The outfits were designed just for this video.

green room strc

Try to find just the right angle.

“An Evening with Aristophanes”: Talk and Performances in the John Miller Burnam Classics Library

On March 28, 2019, faculty and students from CCM and Classics as well as from UCL gathered for an evening of fun, celebrating the life and work of the great Greek comedy playwright Aristophanes (ca. 446-386 BCE), especially his play Lysistrata about a strong and intelligent Athenian woman who hatches an ingenious plan to end the Peloponnesian War. The evening included an engaging expert talk by Susan Prince, Associate Professor of Classics, a recital, masterfully directed by Brant Russell, Assistant Professor of Acting at CCM, and brilliantly acted by graduate students from CCM and Classics, accompanied by superbly played “ancient Greek Dionysian” music, arranged by Yo Shionoya, graduate student at CCM and interim Student, Circulation, and Stack Supervisor in the Classics Library. The evening celebrating not only Aristophanes but also Dionysus, (Modern) Greek Independence Day, the Annunciation of the Theotokos, and the recent accomplishments of American female politicians(!) concluded with a delectable feast of Greek food and “wine”. To enjoy a video recording of the evening, see the link at the bottom of the page.

aristophanesflyer

aristophanes_program

Tweet by Neville G. Pinto, President of the University of Cincinnati:

https://twitter.com/Prez_Pinto/status/1110219524249477123

Theater in Ancient Athens was performed during festivals to honor Dionysus, the god of wine, fertility, theater, ecstatic dance and music. His attributes included grapes, pine cones, wine cups, vines, ivy, leopard skin.  Continue reading

And the Winners are…Results of the 2019 UC Libraries International Edible Books Festival

cupcakes

Best Overall – A Series of Unfortunate Cupcakes by the Warren Family

The University of Cincinnati Libraries celebrated the International Edible Books Festival on April 1, 2019.

Twenty edible books were created by students, faculty, staff, librarians, friends and family. The entries ranged from children’s books to literary classics to popular fiction and self-help books. The edible books were made of cakes, cookies, candy, deviled eggs and even carrots. Each entry was judged by our esteemed judges Debbie Tenofsky and Mary Anne McMillan and awarded a bookmark.

Created by librarian Judith A. Hoffberg and artist Béatrice Coron, the International Edible Books Festival is held worldwide annually on or around April 1st to mark the birthday of Jean Brillat-Savarin, author of The Physiology of Taste.  The global event has been celebrated since 2000 in various parts of the world, including in Australia, Brazil, India, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, Morocco, The Netherlands, Russia and Hong Kong.

UC Libraries has participated in the International Edible Books Festival since 2001. The 2019 winners ares:

  • Most Humorous – After the Party by Olya Hart
  • Most Whimsical – The Monster at the End of This Book by Melissa Cox Norris
  • Most Literary – The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Ben Kline and Aaron Libby
  • Most Creative – The Giving Tree by Jessica Ebert
  • Most Magical – Good Night Moon by Michelle Matevia
  • Most Adorable – Owl Moon by Debbie Weinstein
  • Most Clever – The Amazing Spider-Man by Sam Norris
  • Most Delicious – All New Square Foot Gardening by Luahna Winningham Carter
  • Most Deadly – Where the Red Fern Grows by Jack Norris
  • Most Checked Out – Green Eggs and Ham by Sami Scheidler
  • Most Fun – Middlemarch by Steve Norris
  • Most Taboo – Human Resources or was it Human Remains by Aja Hickman
  • Scariest – Ring by Holly Prochaska
  • Most Imaginative – The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Jenny Mackiewicz
  • Silliest – Too Many Carrots by Melissa Cox Norris
  • Most Outrageous – A Dance with Dragons by Sam Kane
  • Best Overall – A Series of Unfortunate Cupcakes by the Warren Family
  • Best Student Entry – The Little Prince by Emma Duhamel and Eli Seidman-Deutsch

Congratulations to all the edible books creators! View the entries and the winners on the UC Libraries Facebook page. See you next year for Edible Books 2020!

Hungry? Bite into an Edible Book with UC Libraries on April 1

2018’s Most Deadly – “Life Cycles” from Nature Anatomy: The Curious Parts and Pieces of the Natural World by Tania Paine

Celebrate books good enough to eat at the International Edible Books Festival set for 1 p.m., Monday, April 1.

The University of Cincinnati Libraries will celebrate the International Edible Books Festival with an event scheduled from 1-2 p.m. on Monday, April 1, in the fifth floor lobby of the Walter C. Langsam Library.

At the event, over 20 participants will present their edible creations that represent a book in some form. There are few restrictions in creating an edible book – namely that the creation be edible and have something to do with a book. Submitted entries include edible titles such as Food: A Love Story and A Series of Unfortunate Cupcakes. Best sellers The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up and The Giving Tree are represented alongside classics like Middlemarch, Where the Red Fern Grows and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, among other literary greats.

t-shirtAs in past years, entries will be judged according to such categories as “Most Literary,” “Most Delicious,” “Most Hilarious” and “Most Gruesome.” In addition, the winners of “Top Student Entry” and “Best Overall Entry” will receive a limited edition UC Libraries t-shirt. After the entries are judged they will be consumed and enjoyed by all in attendance.

According to the International Edible Book Festival website, the edible book was initiated by librarian and artist Judith A. Hoffberg during a 1999 Thanksgiving celebration with book artists. It became an international celebration in 2000 when artist Béatrice Coron launched the Books2Eat website. Traditionally, the event is celebrated on April 1st (April Fools’ Day) to mark the birthday of Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin (1755-1826), a French lawyer and politician who became famous for his book, Physiologie du gout (The Physiology of Taste). To view images of the 2018 edible books, visit the Libraries Facebook page.

The Libraries International Edible Books Festival is free and open to the public. It is sponsored in part by Books by the Banks: Cincinnati Regional Book Festival.

Come to celebrate (and eat) “books good enough to eat!”

“An Evening with Aristophanes” in the Classics Library March 28

evening with AristophanesJoin the John Miller Burnam Classics Library, Thursday, March 28 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., in celebrating the life and work of the Greek comedy playwright Aristophanes.

The evening will include remarks by Rebecka Lindau, head of the Classics Library; a brief presentation of Aristophanes’ life and work by Susan Prince, associate professor of classics; and a reading of the play Lysistrata in Jeffrey Henderson’s Loeb translation, under the direction of Brant Russell, assistant professor of acting. The play will feature students from both UC’s Classics Department and from the College-Conservatory of Music (CCM). True to ancient Greek drama, music will further accompany the entrances and exits of the chorus and interludes, under the direction of Yo Shionoya, a graduate student in CCM.

The evening will conclude with a reception including Greek food.

The event will be presided over by the Greek god Dionysus who will greet all revelers at the door. The Classics Library will also feature a book exhibition with works of Aristophanes, including rare editions.

Please RSVP to Cade Stevens at stevencd@ucmail.uc.edu or (513) 556-1314 by Monday, March 25.

UC Libraries Seeks Books Good Enough to Eat for the International Edible Books Festival

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

2018 Best Overall – 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jessica Ebert

Know of a good book to eat?! Create an Edible Book for UC Libraries International Edible Books Festival!

It’s time once again for the fan-favorite International Edible Books Festival scheduled for Monday, April 1, 2019, from 1-2:00pm in the Walter C. Langsam Library’s 5th floor lobby. UC Libraries is seeking people interested in creating an edible book for the enjoyment (and consumption) of all in attendance. There are few restrictions – namely that your creation be edible and have something to do with a book – so you may let your creativity run wild.

t-shirtAs in previous years, entries will be judged according to such categories as “Most Delicious,” “Most Creative,” “Most Checked Out” and “Most Literary.” Those awarded “Best Student Entry” and “Best Overall” will win a limited-edition UC Libraries t-shirt.

If you are interested in creating an edible book, please e-mail melissa.norris@uc.edu by Friday, March 22 with your name and the title of your creation.

Looking for inspiration? Visit UC Libraries on Facebook to see photos from the 2018 festival.

Library Student Worker, Brianna Williams, Publishes Three New Poems

When she’s not providing reference service and fulfilling the needs and requests of library users, Brianna Williams, student worker in the Walter C. Langsam Library’s Research, Teaching and Services Department, is, among other things, a poet. She recently had three poems published in Call + Response, a student-run literary and arts journal providing a creative hub for new and emerging artists of color. You can read Bri’s poems online at https://callandresponsejou.wixsite.com/candr/art-lit/three-poems-by-brianna-williams.

Congrats, Bri!

Read the University of Cincinnati Libraries 2017/18 Annual Progress Report

UC Libraries Progress ReportRead the University of Cincinnati Libraries 2017/18 Annual Progress Report where we ask the question: Have We Transformed Yet?

In this year’s annual Progress Report, we make note of the accomplishments of the previous year, as well as take a holistic view of UC Libraries since the Strategic Plan was launched five years ago. We celebrate the continued success of annual events that promote library collections and services, highlight milestones of major library initiatives and feature library spaces.

Integral to fulfilling the work of the Strategic Plan is the dedication of the faculty and staff of UC Libraries along with the investment of our donors. By highlighting the accomplishments of our hard-working staff and listing the current donors, both groups are recognized and celebrated in this Progress Report.

Finally, if all of the accomplishments listed in this report signal that we are at least on the road to transformation than we must ask ourselves the question…what’s next?

The Progress Report is available online at https://issuu.com/uclibraries/docs/uclannualprogressreport17_18.

Questions? Request a print copy? Email melissa.norris@uc.edu.

Happy Reading!