Did you miss Karl Marlantes‘ visit last May?  Click here to hear the author of Matterhorn and What it’s like to go to War read from Matterhorn and talk about writing and publishing.

The library doesn’t host literary events only.  Community members tell us they love it when the library brings in musicians like John Jarvie for a free concert.  Click here to hear a podcast of Jarvie play gorgeous classical guitar.

Even better, we sometimes hear, are events that combine both music and literature.  Did you enjoy Willy Vlautin’s recent reading and musical performance at the library?  Click here to hear him again.

Are there upcoming events you hope we’ll record?  Let us know!

Posted by Alex, a second floor librarian

Image credit:  Mic by biladay on Flickr

Thanks to the generosity of the Friends of the Library, we are happy to present a free concert by classical guitarist John Jarvie.  The concert will be on Thursday evening, November 10 at 7:00 pm.  Click on Corvallis Program 2011 to see the songs and composers he will be playing.

At noon on Wednesday, Gary Whitehouse will review Willy Vlautin’s novel Lean on Pete as part of Random Reviews.

On Wednesday, November 16th at 7:00 pm, Oregon hiking guru William Sullivan takes us on a tour of his favorite hikes and adventures in all parts of the state, recommending top trips for every month of the year. Based on his new book, Oregon Favorites, the show includes tips on new trails, as well as anecdotes about history, geology, wildlife, and people along the way.

On Friday, November 18th from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm we’re having an ereader drop in session just for you to ask your questions about library ebooks and ereaders.

All programs are free and open to the public.  All programs, (except for the ereader clinic, which will be in Conference Room C on the second floor) will be held in the Library’s Main Meeting Room.  Please call 541-766-6793 for more information.

Posted by Alex, a second floor librarian

Image credit

Mr. Marlantes’ work has been highly praised, eliciting this review from Mark Bowden of the Philadelphia Enquirer:

There has never been a more realistic portrait of or eloquent tribute to the nobility of men under fire…. Marlantes’ story is so intense that there were times reading it when I thought I could not stand to turn the page…. Vladimir Nabokov once said that the greatest books are those you read not just with your heart or your mind, but with your spine. This is one for the spine.

Read on to find out about the variety of May events featuring Mr. Marlantes…

Random Review, presented by Pete Sandrock & Dave Famous

Wednesday, May 11th
Noon to 1:00 pm

Pete Sandrock, the former District Attorney for Benton County, and Dave Famous, Captain of the Professional Standards Division of the Portland Police Bureau, will be presenting the Random Review for May on Matterhorn. Bring your lunch and hear their thoughts on the book. Both men served in Vietnam.

Thursday, May 12th
2:00 pm to 3:00 pm

Hear Corvallis’ own Oregon Book Award-winning author Tracy Daugherty interview Karl Marlantes about the writing and publishing process. There will also be some time at the end for audience questions.

Come early to guarantee a seat! Doors will open at 1 pm and once the seats are filled, we will have to close the doors. Seating for this event will be first-come, first-served.

Buy a book! The OSU Bookstore will be on hand to sell books at this event. 10% of the proceeds will go to the Friends of the Library.

Thursday, May 12th
7:00 pm

Hear Karl Marlantes read from Matterhorn and share his thoughts.

Come early to guarantee a seat! Doors will open at 6 pm and once the seats are filled, we will have to close the doors. Seating for this event will be first-come, first-served.

Buy a book! The OSU Bookstore will be on hand to sell books at this event. 10% of the proceeds will go to the Friends of the Library.

I have been moved, often to tears, with the power of literature to heal, to reach the dark places where we hide pain or shame. I’ve seen literature bring to light the previously unmentionable. I had no idea of this power until I went on tour to talk about my novel of the Vietnam War, Matterhorn.

It is a moving article, and you can read the whole thing here. We are excited to have the honor of hosting Mr. Marlantes, and we are looking forward to seeing you at the events!

Posted by Lisa, a second floor librarian

However, I had the pleasure of hearing Jo Anne Trow, Emeritus Vice President of Student Affairs at Oregon State University, give a fabulous book review of Gail Collins’ book, When Everything Changed: The Amazing Journey of American Women from 1960 to the Present, for Random Reviews here at the library on the following day so that was my celebration.

Now you may be feeling sad to have missed that opportunity but the good news is that you can also ‘attend’ the review in the form of a podcast. You couldn’t do that 100 years ago! The most interesting part of the review to me was Dr. Trow’s description of the uphill battles that African-American women fought within the civil rights movement to have their efforts recognized.

The Library of Congress celebrates Women’s History Month with images, slideshows, author interviews, and more. Here is your chance for a visit to Washington DC without the cross-country travel.

Can’t leave you without a selection of books from our collection. Happy reading!

	Elizabeth Cady Stanton : an American life Lori D. Ginzberg
	A jury of her peers : American women writers from Anne Bradstreet to Annie Proulx Elaine Showalter
	Poems from the women’s movement Edited by Honor Moore
	We are our mothers’ daughters Cokie Roberts
	When everything changed : the amazing journey of American women, from 1960 to the present Gail Collins

Posted by Amy, a second floor librarian

Photo credit: International Womens Day, 2007, by wiccked on Flickr

Yatzy by Anders Adermark on flickr

The Friends of the Library do a great job locating presenters for their wildly popular book review series Random Reviews.

Not only are the reviews great to attend, but you can always catch up on those that you miss via podcast. The Random Review archive is now 2 years deep!

The next review will be February 10th: My Antonia by Willa Cather.
Reviewer: Penny Fulton Brassfield

Posted by Christopher, a Second Floor Librarian

For the full schedule Click Here

Want to check
out our podcasts of past reviews Click Here

Christopher will be doing this month’s Random Review. He’s going to be talking about Andrew Pham’s book The Eaves of Heaven: A Life in Three Wars. Pham tells the story of his father, who lived through the French occupation of Vietnam, the Japanese invasion in World War II, and the Vietnam War. This book blends together the history of a country with a family history.

From a review in the Washington Post:

By the story’s end, Thong [Pham's father] has witnessed cruelty, waste and government corruption, and has endured prison, torture, and the deaths and humiliations of one friend after another. All he has left are the things inside him: the books he’s read, the memories of the people he loves and hopes to see again, the strength and wisdom he’s gained from deprivation. He has lost everything, and yet so much remains.

Posted by Lisa, a second floor librarian