Marc McKee is a Columbia, MO author whose latest book is, “Meta Meta Make-Belief.” It’s a poetry collection full of riffs, tangents, & experiments inspired in spirit by the long tradition in literary and performing arts of calling attention to and celebrating the artificiality and constructedness of art. McKee has authored several other poetry collections, and is currently the managing editor at the Missouri Review. I emailed some interview questions to him, and he was kind enough to take time to write back some answers. Continue reading “Q&A With Marc McKee, Author of “Meta Meta Make-Belief””
Here are just a few of the debut novels coming out in May. For a complete list, please visit our catalog.
“A Song for the Road” by Kathleen Basi (local author)
It’s one year after the death of her husband and twin teenagers. Miriam Tedesco has lost faith in humanity and herself. When a bouquet of flowers that her husband usually sends her on their anniversary shows up at her work place, she completely unravels. With the help of her best friend, she realizes that it’s time to move past these deaths. Step one is not even cleaning out her family’s possessions, but just to take inventory starting with her daughter’s room. But when she opens up her daughter’s computer, she stumbles across a program written by her daughter to embark on an automated cross country road trip, for her and her husband to take when they would have begun their empty-nesting in a few more months.
Seeing and hearing the video clips of her kids embedded in the program, Miriam is determined to take this trip for her children. Armed with her husband’s guitar, her daughter’s cello, and her son’s unfinished piano sonata, she embarks on a musical pilgrimage to grieve the family she fears she never loved enough. Along the way she meets a young, pregnant hitchhiker Dicey whose boisterous and spunky attitude reminds Miriam of her own daughter and forces her to look harder at what she had rather than what she’s lost.
Tornadoes, impromptu concerts, and an unlikely friendship … whether she’s prepared for it or not, Miriam’s world is coming back to life. But as she struggles to keep her focus on the reason she initially set out on this journey, she has to confront the possibility that the best way to honor her family may be to accept the truths she never wanted to face.
Continue reading “Debut Author Spotlight: May 2021”
To help you get through the dog days of summer, the Daniel Boone Regional Library invites you to participate in our “pawsome” Summer Reading theme “Tails & Tales.” This theme encourages readers to explore the great outdoors and learn more about animals, both real and fictional. Our annual program launches June 1, and we have versions for all ages. The following tales will transport you into the captivating worlds of creatures of all kinds. Continue reading “Literary Links: Summer Reading 2021”
In the United States, chess has seemingly been held at arm’s length, generally thought of as a game for rainy days and old men in parks. A few times in the past 170 years, interest has swelled to a more appropriate representation of the populace. Understandably, these surges usually coincide with the ascension of a prominent player to the world stage. Most notably, this happened when Bobby Fischer won the World Chess Championship in 1972. Continue reading “The New U.S. Chess Boom”
Study up on the directors featured at this year’s True/False Film Festival. Their past documentaries below are available for check out as either DVDs or streaming online through Kanopy. Continue reading “Previous Docs From True/False 2021 Directors”
Below I’m highlighting some nonfiction books coming out in May. All of the mentioned titles are available to put on hold in our catalog and will also be made available via the library’s Overdrive website on the day of publication in eBook and eAudiobook format (as available). For a more extensive list of new nonfiction books coming out this month, check our online catalog. Continue reading “Nonfiction Roundup: May 2021”
The Environmental Protection Agency explains what compost is and why it’s important: “Compost is organic material that can be added to soil to help plants grow. Food scraps and yard waste together currently make up more than 30 percent of what we throw away, and could be composted instead. Making compost keeps these materials out of landfills where they take up space and release methane, a potent greenhouse gas.” Continue reading “International Compost Awareness Week”
I have a weakness for crime dramas. If there’s an English accent involved, all the better. Here, I have rounded up a few of my favorites from the library collection. In order to narrow the list, I have only included women who fight crime. They aren’t necessarily newer acquisitions, but they’re worth a look if you haven’t checked them out yet.
First, “Vera.” Brenda Blethyn stars as DCI Vera Stanhope, a loner with a sharp tongue and a quick wit who always solves the crime. She is accompanied by her ever-patient young Sergeant, DS Joe Ashworth, played by David Leon from 2011-2014, and DS Kenny Doughty, played by Aiden Healy from 2015-2021. Set in the moorlands of Northumbria, these mysteries have a bleak and slightly creepy feel. Vera lives in her father’s old house by herself, barring the taxidermy birds her father kept around the place. She is a well-developed character with flaws and charms almost in equal measure. Continue reading “Women-Centered Crime Dramas”
Join us online to discuss “Circe” by Madeline Miller. The novel follows Circe, the banished witch daughter of Helios, as she hones her powers and interacts with famous mythological beings before a conflict with one of the most vengeful Olympians forces her to choose between the worlds of the gods and mortals. This discussion is geared for adults.
Please register to receive a Zoom link.
For a list of similar books, click here.
Books and beverages are a classic combination. The experience of curling up with a good book is always enhanced by having some kind of tea, coffee, or whatever else nearby. Matching the vibe of the drink to the vibe of the book really elevates the experience. As a self-proclaimed expert on books and Starbucks, consider me your literary, caffeinated sommelier. Continue reading “Starbucks & Book Pairings”
