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BULLETIN BOARDA Newsletter of the Wisconsin Regional Library for the Blind & Physically Handicapped TIMELY BOOK DISCUSSIONS WITH THE WISCONSIN HUMANITIES COUNCIL The events that catch headlines come and go so quickly, we often don't have time to process, discuss, and reflect upon their impact and historical context. The Wisconsin Humanities Council's (WHC) discussion series, "A More Perfect Union," is designed to address this challenge. The newest "A More Perfect Union" discussion kit includes four books and one film that together provoke participants to consider and discuss the meaning of justice. How do we define justice as a nation? As individuals? What did the Founding Fathers mean when they wrote that government should "establish Justice?" How have the many struggles against injustice, and for justice, shaped our nation's history? When and how do we choose to stand up against injustice in our lives? The books included in the "A More Perfect Union: To Establish Justice" program include "A Civil Action" by Jonathan Harr, "Bombingham" by Anthony Grooms, "Sex Wars" by Marge Piercy, and "For God and Country: Faith and Patriotism Under Fire" by James Yee and Aimee Molloy. In addition to the four written works, the WHC is proud to partner with Wisconsin Public Television this year to offer a film as part of the discussion kit. The documentary, "Red Hook Justice," introduces participants to lawyers, judges, and criminals who are testing a new approach to the judicial process and further expands the "A More Perfect Union" conversation about the promise and problems of the ever-illusive ideal of "justice for all." The "A More Perfect Union" discussion kits are available, free of charge, from the WHC. "To Establish Justice" is the third discussion kit offered as part of the WHC's "A More Perfect Union program." The first set of "A More Perfect Union" books gives readers the opportunity to discuss the nature of politics, the political system and its players, and our revolutionary form of participatory democracy. The second set, "The Common Defense," explores some of the ways the U.S. has chosen to defend its national interests in the past two and a half centuries. WHC discussion programs provide space for collective reflection and conversation, rooted in the humanities, and inspire and strengthen communities of all kinds. Historical societies, libraries, retirement centers, religious groups, civic organizations, and other ad hoc groups are welcome to borrow books and host discussion groups. Applications to borrow discussion kits can be found on the WHC Web site, www.wisconsinhumanities.org. The free kits include 15 copies of each of the four titles, a VHS copy of the documentary film "Red Hook Justice," brochures to attract participants, and discussion guides with provocative questions about the books. Groups may also request money to pay scholars to lead discussions. Contact Jessica Becker at the WHC for more information: 608-262-0706. ANNOUNCEMENTS The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS), Library of Congress, received two distinguished Blue Pencil Awards from the National Association of Government Communicators (NAGC) last May. The association recognizes the best publication and communication efforts from local, state, and federal governments. "Blind Justice: Jacobus tenBroek and the Vision of Equality," a book published by NLS on the life of Jacobus tenBroek, a revered blind activist, received the Award of Excellence; and the public service announcement "A Good Book Is Worth Sharing" received the first-place nod. The Regional Library has added another magazine on cassette for our patrons' enjoyment: "Cowboys and Indians." Cassette magazines, including the cassette version of the Bulletin Board, circulate in green RC containers. Please return the containers by turning over the mailing label when done with the magazine. RESOURCES The Regional Library has up-to-date information about Medicare available in a variety of accessible formats. You can ask us to send you a copy of the following pamphlets: Choosing a Medicare Health Plan: A Guide for People with Medicare (Braille) NLS is pleased to announce the inauguration of a web page for children, Kids Zone. The site offers an online search engine to locate children's books in the national collection and provides annotated bibliographies of award-winning books such as Newbery Medal and Honor books, Coretta Scott King and John Steptoe winners, and Schneider Family Book Award winners. Kids Zone also lists books in popular series such as the Chronicles of Narnia, Harry Potter, Redwall Abbey, and Swallows and Amazons. Other features include information on children's magazines and a link to the Library of Congress Kids and Families web site. Kids Zone may be accessed through a link on the NLS home page (www.loc.gov/nls) or directly at www.loc.gov/nls/children/index.html. The Regional Library is now offering OverDrive Audiobooks as part of the Wisconsin Public Library Consortium. OverDrive Audiobooks allow you to select and download audiobook titles to play directly on your computer, play on an MP3 player or burn to a CD. If Regional Library patrons are having difficulty using Overdrive, staff will be happy to mail or email an instruction sheet. Just phone 1-800-242-8822 to request it. Bibliography: The Wisconsin Humanities Council Books for Discussion A Civil Action, by Jonathan Harr. Can lawsuits uncover the truth? What happens when the power and resources of the parties at odds are disproportionate? Harr's compelling, true story recounts the case constructed by a young personal injury lawyer on behalf of working class families of Woburn, Massachusetts. It takes the reader into the homes and hospitals where children died of leukemia, allegedly caused by the chemical waste of two major corporations. From behind-the-scenes negotiations in hotels and back rooms, to courtroom proceedings shaped by the peculiarities the U.S. legal system, Harr's suspenseful storytelling and eccentric characters reveal the messy, human way that justice is wrought. RC 41279. Bombingham: a novel, by Anthony Grooms. Bombingham begins as a deceptively simple coming-of-age story, but ultimately explores a rich tapestry of profound ethical and moral questions. While writing home to the parents of his friend killed in Vietnam, Walter's mind returns to the explosions of his childhood in 1960s Birmingham. In the center of the nation's civil rights movement, young Walter and his sister were drawn into demonstrations with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and acts of civil disobedience. Simultaneously, they discovered a world beyond their parents' control. While they marched, tragedy unfolded at home, underscoring the implications that the tumultuous era had for the nation and the American family. The book powerfully explores questions of justice, and of life and death, and whether such matters are truly in the hands of the individual or a matter of fate. RC 55983. Sex Wars: A Novel of the Turbulent Post-Civil War Period, by Marge Piercy. From an impoverished family of con artists, Victoria Woodhull uses her fierce intelligence and determination to become many things that were unheard of in 1860s New York: a successful stockbroker, an advocate for women's rights, and a candidate for the U.S. presidency. The flamboyant free-love proponent seeks out women's suffrage leaders Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony as she strives to shape her personal struggle for freedom into a broader political platform on behalf of all women. Meanwhile, Victorian reformer Anthony Comstock comes to national attention in a personal crusade against the corruption of society by pornography, birth control, and abortionists. Based on historical figures, Piercy brings to life the laws, conflicting beliefs, and social customs that first provoked women in the U.S. to organize for change. RC 62707. For God and Country: Faith and Patriotism Under Fire, by James Yee and Aimee Molloy. On September 11, 2001, James Yee was one of a very few Muslim Chaplains in the U.S. Army. As the nation sought to understand the 9/11 terrorist attacks, his superiors asked Yee to serve as a spokesperson for Islam to his fellow servicemen and the media. After the military established a prison for detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Yee was assigned to serve its Muslim residents-both prisoners and U.S. military personnel. Returning home on leave, the military arrested Chaplain Yee and held him for seventy-six days in solitary confinement. No official charges were brought against him, but accusations of spying and aiding the enemy were leaked to the press. This personal account, from a first-generation American who grew up loving his country, attending West Point Military Academy, devoting years to military service, and then finding himself imprisoned and slandered for that service, is more than an individual story of injustice. Yee's account challenges readers to ask how we, as a nation, behave toward citizens and non-citizens alike in times of war and insecurity. RCW 80 BULLETIN BOARD is published four times a year by the Wisconsin Regional Library for the Blind & Physically Handicapped. It is available in large print, Braille, and audio-cassette editions. The Wisconsin Regional Library makes no recommendations or endorsements concerning any products or services which may appear in this publication. Wisconsin Regional Library for the Blind & Physically Handicapped
Last updated on 2/28/2008 8:52:00 AM |
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