This Week's Staff Favorites: Volume 32

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
This book’s release was highly anticipated and some bloggers even thought that there was too much hype surrounding the book. But there’s a reason for all the hype -- because it’s a really great fantasy that incorporates magic and evil spirits -- and it’s geared toward adults. It’s fairly quick at less than 200 pages and if you’ve ever wished you could be seven years old again, you should definitely check out this book. Holds can be placed for the book via SWAN or the eBook can reserved through MediaOnDemand.

-Judy, Reference

Philip Glass
I have three words for you…modern. classical. music.  Hey, where’d everybody go?

My introduction to one of the most prolific modern composers of avant-garde music today was through the score of The Hours.  Philip Glass’ haunting scores cascade through films too numerous to list but as diverse as The Illusionist (available at Acorn), Kundun, Candyman, The Fog of War and a re-visitation of Bela Lugosi’s Dracula.  He’s written operas, symphonies and, seemingly, most of that evocative music you hear in almost every movie trailer ever made…ever.

Personally, I prefer his more melodious experiments in repetition and resonance as represented by The Hours soundtrack that is playing as I write this.  Here we encounter the hypnotic sound experience of being enveloped in a heartbeat;  a sensual building of silences and crescendos, an ebb and flow, indicative of reserved passions, or ultimate despair, faltering at a precipice before finally crashing into being;  an exaltation of the search for hope and the possible repercussions of that search symbolized in the film by the discovery that that search can only end in one of three ways...love, forbearance or death.

For the more sonically adventurous, Glass has numerous works to cater to your tastes as well.  For a taste sampling, you could give The Essential Philip Glass a try, although, I would recommend listening to "Floe" with your hand firmly planted on the volume control unless the chaotic sound of two clowns trying to beat each other to death with squeaky toys appeals to you.  I do highly recommend the five-disk set, Philip on Film, (especially the fifth disk) where there is something for everyone to enjoy whether your tastes run toward the melodious or are more firmly planted in the murderous clowns end of the spectrum.      

-Danielle, Tech Services

Danceinayear.com
Web designer Karen Cheng dreamed of becoming a dancer. And she got there in one year by taking classes and practicing everywhere—in the checkout line, at the bus stop, while on her computer at work, etc.  She also used lift.do to chart her progress, get statistical feedback, and gain support from an online community. Before long, she was completely consumed by her new passion; and you can watch Cheng transform from a robot-hand greenhorn into a confident, graceful performer here.  Even if you wouldn’t dream of cutting a rug in public, you can find a way to adopt Cheng’s thoughtful, practical methodology and inspiring enthusiasm to embark on a journey of your own.

-Megan, Reference

The Dissolve
The Dissolve might have had some launch issues this past Wednesday, but the web site is finally up and running. The site, which is comprised of many former writers and staff of the Chicago-based The A.V. Club's film section, promises to provide coverage of everything movie-related, from obscure Blu-ray releases and exclusive interviews, to standard film reviews. Although I might tune in from time to time, I actually like the idea of Letterboxd better. Letterboxd is a social network/database for sharing movies you've seen and making lists of favorite directors or actor retrospectives, as well as a place to share reviews and ratings or comment on movies you've seen. The site no longer requires an invite from a pre-existing user, which makes it the perfect time to start keeping track of your viewing habits.

-Anna, Youth Services

Swamp Thing
The Swamp Thing aka Alec Holland is back as part of DC Comics’ The New 52 with Scott Snyder writing and Yanick Paquette as the artist. The first paperback volume is available through SWAN. It’s a pretty good start, but living up to Alan Moore’s Saga of the Swamp Thing is going to be difficult. Moore’s storytelling and Stephen Bissette’s artwork are outstanding in the 1984 comics. Moore, who also wrote V for Vendetta and The Watchmen among other things, made the Swamp Thing a fully realized character who is part human and part plant. While Swamp Thing struggles with his humanity, not unlike Dr. Manhattan in The Watchmen who considers letting humans perish because they've become inconsequential to him, the reader gets an entertaining story that reflects our society’s troubling coping with nature. Moore’s environmentalism is often grotesque and the comics have their share of body horror, but the eco-friendly message is clear. It is available through SWAN so go green with the Swamp Thing.

-Mike, Reference