Public Library a cradle of democracy

The Carnegie  McMinnville Public Library is 100 years old.  Andrew Carnegie funded the library built in 1912.

 Carnegie  said  “There is not such a cradle of democracy upon the earth as the Free Public Library, this republic of letters, where neither rank, office, nor wealth receives the slightest consideration.”

He believed in Libraries  “A library outranks any other one thing a community can do to benefit its people. It is a never failing spring in the desert.”.  


The benefits a Public Library for Democracy and for Community are still very true today.

Jill Poyer, Director of McMinnville Public Library and Bernice Owen, author of “History of the McMinnville Public Library” talk with Arts Alive host Lynda Phillippi at McMinnville Community Media studio.   Ms Owen explains the fascinating history the McMinnville Library.    Ms Poyer talks about the extensive programs the Library offers, which would, I’m sure, make Mr Carnegie nod his head in agreement and smile.  McMinnville Public Library is doing for Democracy and for Community just as Andrew said it would.                   

To watch Arts Alive McMinnville Public Library Part Two                                          

Reading and Watching: Gorky Park, book and movie

We just finished reading the 1981 crime novel Gorky Park written by     Martin Cruz Smith.  It was a 1981 best seller and won the Golden Dagger Award from the British Crime Writer's Association.  Set in Russia the story follows Arkady Renko, a police chief investigator, who is assigned a grisly case of three mutilated corpses found in Gorky Park, the Moscow amusement park.  A wonderful story of inter-agency rivalry, failed relationships, a love story, friendship, betrayal and redemption wove together the strands of suspense.  A thirty year old story that aged well.

After reading a book, if there has been a movie based on it, we try to watch the movie, as soon as we can. so the book is fresh.  In 1983  the  movie Gorky Park was directed by Michael Apted.  Dennis Potter wrote the screen play, which won an1984 Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America.  Movietime Video in McMinnville has a great selection of movies and Gorky Park was in the Suspense Section.  We wondered if the movie had aged as well as the book.

The movie eliminated and changed many of the relationships but keep the main love story.  Film has to simplify.  Eliminating the wife and failed marriage did not effect the film's story.  What did surprise me was eliminating the New York and FBI part.  It showed a nice parallel with Russia police and KGB and New York Police and FBI.  And changing the KGB Major Pribulda  character to another corrupt Russian, worked for the film story.  I preferred the book Major Pribulda and the interactions with the Renko character which the richness of the characterization.

Reading and writing

Setting in front of a warm fire, big oak logs rumbling with a lazy rhythm.  Reading Boarderliners by Peter Hoag.  It is dim from rain clouds moving in.  Maybe snow tomorrow.   A good time to write.
Surfing I ran across a free e-book list at www.freelancewriting.com.  Some good titles.  The HP Lovecraft book on writing weird fiction from 1933.

Poetry Reading, Writing, Blood Orange Review

The filming of the Stafford poetry reading went well.  New folks reading and new poems read. Fewer students.  Mostly us grey headed folks.  Finished reading Red to Black.  Lots of narrative, that seemed to struggle to close in and get to near the story.

The Blood Orange Review is bright with colorful home page, it hurts the eyes.  But the creative writing, the fiction and the poems are much calmer.  CI Bledsoe's poem "starting a garden" is wonderful.

William Stafford Memorial Poetry reading

Getting cameras and everything ready for the Annual William Stafford Memorial Poetry Reading at Linfield's Nicholson Library. 

 The reading is hosted by Barbara Drake whose most recent book of poetry is "Driving One Hundred".  This will be the third time we have filmed Barbara and the Stafford event.  I like it because they invite anyone to come up and read a favorite Stafford poem and then one of their own poems.  It makes for a great evening.