Bookstore Layover

  I was stuck @ PDX and spent a couple hours browsing through my favorite bookstore.  Powell's is such an eclectic gamish of new, used, unusual and oh so worthy books.    These quotes drew my eye.

SMILE Eugene

  This morning I sauntered down to the box to complete my post travel habit of checking out what's new in our little library.  As I walked up I noticed an officious looking typed page carefully wrapped in a plastic sheet protector and attached to the side of the box.  My first thought was "uh oh" we've had a complaint and the city's getting on our case.

  The notice started "Recently some neighbors have noticed unusual rocks mixed in the gravel at LFL 8481."  What is going on?  There's nothing wrong with this gravel, hey wait a minute what is that mixed in with the regular gravel the neighbors spread?  And just who put out this letter?

  Reading further the letter's mirth and sly manner was exposed.  Here's the full text for your own exegesis to make sure there's not something subtly nefarious at foot here.  Seriously it's great to be back in Eugene and see another spontaneous event around the box.

  Here's a quick review of a book I picked up from the Olive Street LFL: Finding George Orwell in Burma.  Did you know that George Orwell was actually a British Imperial policeman as a young man in Burma?  The connection from Orwell's young adult days, Burma (now Myanmar) and the protests of Aung San Suu Kyi is a fascinating memoir written by American journalist Emma Larkin.  Emma Larkin is actually a pseudonym and the writing is a detailed and enlightening account tying Orwell's life and writing to modern day events.  I'm almost finished and will pass this engaging read back to the box.  Cheers to All.

Read Books

  Today I woke up to a winter thunder and lightening display outside my window.  No I'm not in Oregon, although this is the final day of my visit to South Carolina.  My bags will soon be packed with a few books I collected at local little free libraries and a bevy of rich memories.

Reader Robot says...

  Along with rich family time getting to see two of my sons, their wives and grandson Neil, we managed to start and complete a new library.  The kid's at Buena Vista Elementary School in Greer, South Carolina now have a little free library to steward, enjoy and hopefully encourage them down the reading road.  Thanks to the efforts of Sean & Hayley Flanagan this creative project became reality.

New Years

  I'm on the road in the Carolinas visiting kids and enjoying grandson Neil.   Neil's a ways from joining the next generation of readers, but he has plenty of laps to nurture his love of story.   In fact he just happened to receive "The Giving Tree" by Shel Silversteen from his Auntie Lauren & Uncle Eli who joined us for the New Year's get together.

    Shel Silversteen was quite popular in my undergrad days and it's been a while since I've picked up one of his books.   The story, not dissimilar to so many great tales, is poignant and sad.   A child's love affair with a generous tree fades under adulthood's preoccupations.  There are so many great writers who remind us of how growing up seems to invariably press childhood out of our souls.

  And then one day you're a Grandpappy giggling with your adult kids and grandchild. And maybe you recall that magical tree you slept under, played hide and seek under, learned and grew up under, that tree which arched over your nascent days.  

  I love that our neighborhood book box is under a beautiful tree, that this is a giving place and that kids are discovering Whitty Storeys.

Blessings in the new year.

Stephen
W/S Library Steward

Urban Walk

  Today I went for a walk.  Before starting off I packed a rain shell (just in case) and a handful of books to share with other Library Boxes in the neighborhood.  A neighbor had mentioned a new box off of 37th and Donald and then Hope Crandall (the steward of the Friendly Park LFL) had mentioned another new box on Olive near the Market of Choice.  A few hours on Sunday morning, a bit of urban exploring and Voila some exercise to boot.  Here's a map of my route:

  On the way to 37th & Donald I discovered tiny Willis Park which is tucked away just north of 37th and consists of a simple oak grove and picnic bench.  I'd never have noticed this park unless I was walking and happened to see a gravel path between two houses.  This park seems like a well kept neighborhood secret that's quietly enjoyed by those nearby.

On 37th just West of Donald

The "secret path" into Willis Park

  Another Sunday secret along the way to Olive street is Metropol Bakery where French pastries and fine coffee are the perfect complement to a Bakery copy of the Sunday New York Times.  Munch, munch, catch up on some great reading and then head to the next library box.  Before reaching the Olive St. LFL a short detour south on McMillian will uncover a comfortable bench and poetry box.  One of the featured poems this month is from Karma Tenzing Wangchuk:

After the rain,

she finds puddles

to jump in -

my child, knowing nothing

of the storms to come.

From: Poets Against the War, 2003

The new LFL @ 2770 Olive 

  The afternoon turned sunny and my roof gutters were calling for their annual clean out chore.  While I was clearing out gutter junk & later planting some bulbs I observed two families with small kids visit Whitty Storeys.  The first couple had a three year old who explored the box, played with the scrabble letters, crawled up on the logs and sat in the afternoon sun soaking up the rays and a book.  The parents made three attempts to leave and each time their daughter drew them back to the box.  

  A bit later a Mom and her three kids came walking across the field and spent a good length of time choosing books, reading magnetic poetry tiles and lingering around the box.  After repeated tries, Mom coaxed her kids onward and up the hill to Crest School.  It was just so enjoyable to watch these kids playing and engaging with this simple neighborhood project.

Cheers everyone... thanks for making this happen.  

Friendly Gifts

  It looks like we've been visited by a neighborhood library box bearing gifts.  Two copies of the New Yorker, A couple adult books, and an American Girl dress up guide.  The network of Little Free Libraries continues to grow and sharing books between libraries is part of the fun.  I'll have to make a run past Friendly Park and reciprocate the gift.

  One book that made it back to the box is Tea Obreht's The Tiger's Wife.  The story is imaginative and though it deals with the dark side of the most recent Balkan conflict, its use of allegory and mythology is quite engaging.  Obreht is a young American author whose future works will afford attention.  So, Enjoy the holidays, the short days and cozy up to some great reads.  Cheers...

Winter Ideas

  So it's winter.  With all this time cooped up inside it's time to think about ideas for our neighborhood spot.  I was thinking about a kinetic poetry box.  What you say?  A moving poetry box?  Yeah, something along the lines of this quite creative book box.


  Maybe we can get together after the holidays & toss around ideas?  What about something with some sort of kid engaging wheel & chain contraption that would spit out poems?  Here's another quite creative DIY contraption from over the pond.  
  I'm not sure I'd have the time for something this detailed, but it would be a cool community project.  Any takers?