The 50th Annual Local Author Exhibit – Golden Anniversary – runs through February 29 at the downtown San Diego Public Library.
San Diego is the home of many thoughtful, creative residents. Proof of this can be seen at downtown’s San Diego Public Library, where a special exhibit features books by local writers that were published in 2015. It’s an impressive visual tribute to local writing talent. Works of fiction and nonfiction alike are on proud display. Congratulations to all!
Many exceptional books of all types were published in 2015 by local San Diego writers.One display case contains an old manual typewriter, and several lists from past years of published authors in San Diego.The many glass display cases feature books by local authors that came out in 2015. Some of the writers are quite famous!Christmas in San Diego by local legend Bill Swank. Cool San Diego Sights has 5 photos in this awesome book! What an honor!
I made a cool discovery! It’s Bill Swank’s new book Christmas in San Diego! I blogged about it a couple months ago!
Through the Dark Door of Time: SAN DIEGO 1867, a novel by Barbara McMikle. Blood of the Band: An Ipai Family Story, by David L. Toler, Jr.Sunshine/Noir II: Writing from San Diego and Tijuana. Coastal Zone, poems by Joe Safdie.7 Deadly Sins That Poison the Soul and How to Conquer Them! by A.D. Brown. States of Terror. The Advocate’s Geocache, by Teresa Burrell.Sally Ride: A Photobiography of America’s Pioneering Woman in Space, by Tam O’Shaughnessy. Troubleshooting Your Mac, by Joe Kissell.Books by local authors concern every subject imaginable, including art, history, culture and photography.Horror, detective fiction, graphic novels, young adult and children’s books . . . San Diego authors are prolific creators!Many eBooks were published online by local San Diego writers!A number of works by local authors were written in foreign languages.How to be Happy in an Unhappy World, by Marie Chapian, a New York Times Bestselling Author.Congratulations to all San Diego writers who had books published in 2015!
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View of the lit dome of San Diego’s downtown library, seen from the 9th floor at night.
Yesterday evening after work I walked a bit in the darkness. The air was cool, downtown was quieting. I was drawn to the San Diego Central Library, and of course I had to ascend to the 9th floor. Few others were about. I lingered high above the city, outside under the lattice steel dome. I watched small trolleys slip past below. A thousand distant lights stretched toward the South Bay. The world seemed remote. Paths of gentle light were traced above, around and below. I seemed to float in a swirled galaxy; but I saw no stars.
Inside a glowing steel lattice. The new library’s dome in the past couple years has become a distinctive feature of San Diego’s skyline.Gazing through the unique dome toward the 12th and Imperial Transit Center’s clock tower.Nine stories below, a trolley heads north into the heart of East Village.Looking down into the large reading room of the San Diego Central Library after dark. Under the dome, people were quietly studying, or just gazing out into the nighttime.Meshed paths of light seem to radiate like a halo from the top of San Diego’s amazing downtown library.
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San Diego Book Project promotes literacy both locally and worldwide. They were present at TwainFest in Old Town.
The San Diego Book Project promotes literacy both locally and worldwide. It’s an effort I strongly support. So when I happened to see these folks with a table full of books at TwainFest this weekend, I instantly decided to provide a hand with my blog.
The San Diego Book Project has given away nearly a million donated books! They’re sent to teachers, schools, classrooms and students who might not have the resources to buy their own material. Beyond San Diego’s more disadvantaged neighborhoods, schools in South Africa, India, Peru and the Philippines have also received free books. Life-changing books are also sent to hospitals and prisons, and any not-for-profit organization that actively encourages literacy.
Do you need some free books? Would you like to donate or volunteer? Check out their website.
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is a work of classic literature sure to interest new readers.Good books open minds, promote education. An exciting journey with the written word makes life richer and more meaningful.
War Comes Home: The Legacy. A collection of letters written by veterans and their families.
A poignant exhibit is now on public display at San Diego’s downtown Central Library. It’s titled War Comes Home: The Legacy. Through a number of emotionally charged letters to and from troops abroad, one can begin to feel how war changes lives. Included is personal correspondence, including email, from almost every major conflict in United States history. This exhibition is put on in partnership with Cal Humanities, and its stated purpose is to promote greater understanding of our veterans and explore the impact of war on communities.
The exhibit can be found on the first floor of the library and will run through August 16.
I’m coming home! I’m looking forward to seeing you again…but I’m in no hurry to see the expressions on your faces when you see me. You might even ask me for proof that I’m your son.U.S. wars are mostly fought abroad, allowing many Americans distance from the personal implications. The war experience, however, remains with veterans for the rest of their lives.Now that it is all over, what is there to look back upon? The fifteen months in France have been like a book with strange chapters…Although most people think that they are War Conscious, are they really? So far removed from the battle fronts, can they be?Those of us coming back from Iraq or Afghanistan are not looking for sympathy. We might be reluctant at first to talk about what we’ve been through, good or bad…You cannot imagine, I believe, what thoughts came over me as I thought of all those who stood there on that day–and what it was all for, and what would come of it…Not a day goes by that I don’t think of you. I never know that love could hurt so much.Enduring Loss: The Costs of War.The things that I am going to say in this letter are about twenty years and a whole lifetime late, but maybe that won’t matter once they’ve been said.Coming home to “normal” life from a war zone can be a jarring experience for many troops.Ultimately, your loved one should start to feel “normal” after about five to six months–just in time to be deployed again.Let me be the first to tell you that we have a rough road ahead of us, kiddo. The life of a soldier isn’t an easy one.My son: you are missed in our home. There is a silence and a sadness because of your absence.Hearing grown men speak with wavering voices, some shedding tears, was more than I could bear.You ask if the boys have changed much. Some, having had experience enough for a lifetime, are older…and yet, they have a greater zest for life…Sketch of servicemember in military hospital with amputated leg, reading or writing a letter.
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Visitor to eighth floor of San Diego’s downtown public library checks out photographs in the Sullivan Family Baseball Research Center.
Many San Diegans don’t realize that our city–our amazing new Central Library, to be exact–contains a unique and important repository of American history. The Sullivan Family Baseball Research Center, located on the eighth floor of the downtown library, is home to the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) Collection. It constitutes the largest baseball library west of Cooperstown! Shelves of books, magazines, journals, scrapbooks and other historical documents, and many photographs, have recorded in detail the fascinating history of American baseball. And it’s all open to the public!
The research center is directly adjacent to the spacious, high-domed reading room. In the center of the collection is a shiny sculpture of a player swinging a bat, titled Male baseball #1, created in 2009 by artist Yoram Wolberger. On one wall among many old photos, a video screen shows scenes from baseball history. This is one super cool section of the library!
According to the website of the Society for American Baseball Research: “The Baseball Research Center opened in 2001, with an initial collection of books and microfilm donated by SABR’s Ted Williams Chapter. In the years since, it has grown to more than 3,000 publications, books, and journals, and 300 microfilm reels.”
Today, the collection is housed in museum-like grandeur, and to peruse the many photographs and titles is like taking a wonderful, nostalgic journey back through time. Anyone who is a fan of baseball in San Diego needs to check it out!
Bronze and chrome Yoram Wolberger statue of a baseball player swinging a bat.Many historical photographs can be enjoyed on one wall of the baseball research center.Anyone who is interested in sports, and America’s Pastime in particular, should visit the SABR Collection in San Diego.The collection includes many books, periodicals and artifacts concerning the great sport of baseball.Photo of one display case, which contains a copy of Baseball Magazine, plus various programs and record books.Another display case, with an old newspaper, World Series Records, Sporting News publication, team photograph.Shelves in the library contain hundreds of baseball reference books and registers.One small exhibit focuses on fan photography, called Fantography.Cool photo of the KGB Chicken between two Padrettes. Ted Giannoulas later became known as The Famous San Diego Chicken.Image of San Diego past superstar Dave Winfield in stadium greeting fans.Wonderful photo of San Diego Padres legendary Hall of Fame player Tony Gwynn with his family out on the playing field.
The Ocean Beach Public Library needs your activism and help!
I wasn’t expecting to write this blog. But I have to.
During this morning’s Ocean Beach Street Fair, I took a few photos of a smiling lady in a Dr. Seuss Cat in the Hat hat. My senses were so dazzled by all the cool sights and activity round about me that I didn’t really notice the important purpose of her booth.
As I left the festival, I popped into the local library to use the restroom. And there, standing behind the front counter, was the Cat in the Hat hat lady! She greeted me–she was a librarian! She had noticed me taking photos.
They’re for a blog, I said. Help us raise a million dollars, she said. I laughed, promised I’d try!
It wasn’t until this afternoon, as I looked closely at my photographs, that I realized she wasn’t kidding! The Ocean Beach branch of the San Diego Public Library really does need to raise money! Check out the poster which I enlarged!
So now I have to keep a promise.
Please help the Ocean Beach public library raise funds for much needed improvements!
Is this a cause you’d like to support? You might like to help them out! The OB Library is overdue for expansion. Spread the word! Let’s get it done!
Why expand the library? The children’s area is crowded and too small! No space for teen and adult activities. The computer area is crowded, unpleasant and outdated!The library is the creative heart of Ocean Beach!
Abraham Lincoln, slavery, the Constitution, dissent, the Civil War, and lingering questions.
A thought-provoking historical exhibit is currently on display in downtown San Diego’s Central Library. Titled “Lincoln: The Constitution and the Civil War,” the large multi-paneled exhibit outlines and discusses a number of controversial issues that arose during the time of America’s Civil War. The exhibit, which has visited a number of different libraries, was created by the American Library Association and the National Constitution Center.
Old photos and texts help visitors to understand the election of Abraham Lincoln, the secession of the southern states, and the Civil War itself; complex topics that are explored include slavery and the plight of African Americans, the Constitution and state sovereignty, and civil liberties.
If you happen to find yourself in East Village, pop into the library. The large display is on the ground floor and very difficult to miss. The traveling exhibit will remain at this location through January 9, 2015.
Lincoln: the Constitution and the Civil War is on display in San Diego’s Central Library.Meet Mr. Lincoln. The new American president was viewed by some with uncertainty or distrust.People at San Diego’s new downtown public library check out a provocative historical exhibit.The Confederacy attacked Fort Sumter after Lincoln decided to resupply the fortification.Old envelope depicts a boxing match between Lincoln and Jefferson Davis.The Civil War, fought for complex reasons, effectively ended slavery in America.The original Constitution didn’t abolish slavery. It left the matter to the states.Exhibit examines dissent, and Lincoln’s choice to suspend the writ of habeas corpus.Traveling library exhibit asks about the state of equality, freedom and democracy today.It is for us the living…to be dedicated here to the unfinished work.
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L. Frank Baum wrote many fantastic, very popular children’s books.
The Coronado Public Library is featuring a world-class exhibit of Oz art and artifacts this month! Two huge glass cases full of books and collectibles and a large wall display of original graphic art are alive with the beloved characters that populate author L. Frank Baum’s fantasy land of Oz. The artwork, toys, figures and other cool stuff have been assembled from several important Oz collections, and made available to the viewing public during Oz Con International.
I’d like to share a few photos that I took!
Eisner Award-winning Eric Shanower’s graphic novels.Oz collectibles and artifacts in many languages on display.First edition of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz used by a Dorothy actress.Oz books and cool stuff in an exhibit at the Coronado Public Library.Colorful panels of Oz art catch the eye of library visitors.Troll Queen original comic art from Shanower’s The Forgotten Forest of Oz.More artwork based on the fairy tale creations of L. Frank Baum.Scarecrow and Tin Woodman among many characters in the collection.This Wicked Witch is cooking up trouble!
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Festival celebrates all things Oz at Spreckels Park in Coronado.
Today a special event was held in Coronado’s Spreckels Park celebrating The Wizard of Oz and L. Frank Baum’s other popular children’s novels. The family festival was put on to coincide with the 50th annual Winkie Con, a convention for fans of the Land of Oz.
Winkie Con, now also called Oz Con International (I suspect to sound like Comic-Con International), is growing in popularity and will be held next week for the first time in San Diego. This year also marks the 75th anniversary of the classic Wizard of Oz movie, starring Judy Garland!
I strolled through the happy, colorful Coronado festival and got a few pics. According to what I’ve read, there were all sorts of activities during the day, including a children’s parade.
I then sauntered across Orange Avenue and took several photos of the famous Wizard of Oz stained glass wall inside the Coronado Public Library!
Dorothy and a Wicked Witch walk along checking out some art.Art along Orange Avenue sidewalk includes images from the Oz books.Wizard of Oz characters were all over Spreckels Park today!People enjoy music at the bandstand on a warm summer day.Kids could follow the yellow brick road and spin a prize wheel.These signs and balloons were all over the green grass.
I assume these were part of a fun kids activity.
The Cowardly Lion on stained glass at Coronado Public Library.
Now I’m visiting the Coronado Library which is located across the street from Spreckels Park.
Author L. Frank Baum spent a good deal of time in Coronado, writing many of his novels in a rented house not far from the Hotel del Coronado. (You might check out my earlier blog post on this subject!) He modeled the Emerald City of Oz after the fantastic, world famous Victorian beach resort hotel.
Because of its strong connection with L. Frank Baum, Coronado today is often referred to as the Emerald City!
These fun Wizard of Oz glass panels in the library were created by artist Brenda Smith.
The Scarecrow greets two crows and library visitors.Dorothy, Toto and Munchkins are a permanent feature of the library!
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Figures associated with books linger in relief above entrance of old San Diego Central Library. Literature East, by famed local artist Donal Hord, 1953.
San Diego’s old Central Library on E Street was never really much to look at–in my opinion, at least. It was just a small, nondescript, almost colorless building across from the downtown Post Office. When the brand new gleaming Central Library opened in East Village, the doors of the old library were shut forever. But a few notable images–beautiful works of art near the entrance–still remain.
The classic Literature Panels at either side of the library entrance were created in 1953, when the building was new, by important San Diego artist Donal Hord, whose iconic works can be seen throughout the city. These reliefs depict readers and writers of books in human history.
Because of poor health as a child, he spent many hours in the San Diego Public Library and developed a love for reading.
Timeless art by an internationally renowned San Diego sculptor depicts books and their association with history, music and culture. Literature West, by Donal Hord, 1953.
Clock shows midnight on east side of closed San Diego library.
A lamp still burns on the vacant library’s front sidewalk.The empty sidewalk contains images once tread by many feet.Graphic on sidewalk in front of old library tells of dreams, boldness and genius.Books still line the parking lot behind vacant library.Little else remains to be seen at the old Central Library.
Cool San Diego Sights! 