What: Exhibit: The Social History of the Sea
Where: James Ford Bell Library, fourth floor of Wilson Library
When: Through June 30, 2008
Free and open to the public.

"The Social History of the Sea" is the newest exhibit at the James Ford Bell Library. Located in the Bell's T. R. Anderson Gallery, 4th floor of Wilson Library, this exhibit explores the many facets of our interaction with the sea. We've viewed it as a moral frontier, as a space to be governed; it has formed the hub of cultural interaction and community building; we have written about it, painted it, and depended on it economically. Although most of the material on display is from the Bell collection, the exhibit also includes items from Special Collections and Rare Books, the Children's Literature Research Collections, and Wilson Library. The gallery is open Monday-Friday, 8:30-4:30 p.m.; arrangements for curator-led tours of the exhibit during or outside of normal hours can be made by calling 612-624-1528 or send us an e-mail at jfbell@umn.edu.

Posted by Timothy Cronin at 08:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

What: The 46th Annual James Ford Bell Lecture
Where: James Ford Bell Library, fourth floor of Wilson Library
When: Thursday, May 1, 2008 • 7 p.m.
Cost: $20; seating is limited and tickets are going fast so reserve yours now!
Call 612-624-1528 or email jfbell@umn.edu

Professor John B. Hattendorf, chair of Maritime History at the Naval War College, will give the 46th Annual James Ford Bell Lecture on Thursday, May 1, 2008. He will share his research on the general history of naval novels during the Napoleaonic era, as well as the portrayal of life at sea with reference to the novels of Patrick O'Brian. A reception and viewing of the Bell Library's new exhibit, "The Social History of the Sea," will follow the talk. This lecture is part of Center for Early Modern History's conference, "The Social History of the Sea in Early Modern Times," May 1-3, 2008. Contact the center at cemhconf@umn.edu for more information.

Posted by Timothy Cronin at 08:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Who: Lise Lunge-Larsen
What: Kerlan Professional Development Morning
Where: Elmer L. Andersen Library, room 120
When: Saturday, May 10, 2008 • 9 - 11:30 a.m.
Cost: $25 ($20 for Kerlan Friends)

From Idea to Word to Final Brushstroke and Period: How a Book Is Born
Come hear author Lise Lunge-Larsen talk about her collaboration with Betsy Bowen on The Troll with No Heart in his Body. Following the presentation, participants will discover more about how a book is created by exploring original materials from the Kerlan Collection. Tours of the Andersen Library storage caverns will be available.



      

Who: Walter Dean Myers, 2008 award recipient (with a posthumous Kerlan award to Robert Kraus)
What: Kerlan Award Ceremony
Where: Lunch: Elmer L. Andersen Library atrium & room 120 • Ceremony with speech by Walter Dean Myers: Willey Hall 125
When: Lunch: 12 noon • Ceremony: 1 p.m.
Cost: Lunch: $25 ($20 for Kerlan Friends) • Ceremony: Free and open to the public

Author Walter Dean Myers will be honored along with author/illustrator Robert Kraus (posthumously) as the recipients of the 2008 Kerlan Award. The award is presented annually "in recognition of singular attainments in the creation of children's literature and in appreciation for generous donation of unique resources to the Kerlan Collection for the study of children's literature."

Please register for morning and afternoon events by May 1
Registration and Kerlan Friends membership information available at http://special.lib.umn.edu/clrc/2008KerlanAward.php

Posted by Timothy Cronin at 08:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

What: Launch Party: 2008 edition of Ivory Tower, the undergraduate art and literary magazine at the University of Minnesota
Where: Elmer L. Andersen Library
When: Friday, April 25, 2008 7 p.m.
Free and open to the public.

A record-breaking number of submissions from undergraduate University of Minnesota artists and students! Twelve more pages than last year! Personal advice from Garrison Keillor! More art than ever!

Ivory Tower, the University of Minnesota’s undergraduate literary and art magazine, is celebrating not only the release of a new issue, but a record-breaking year. Join 2008 Ivory Tower artists, writers, and staff at our launch.

Co-sponsored by the University of Minnesota Libraries and the Department of English, this event will feature the awarding of $100 for the winning entries in fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and art. Several writers will read from chosen submissions and art will be displayed. Dessert reception to follow.

Ivory Tower is produced by students in a year-long English class. The first incarnation of Ivory Tower ran as a weekly insert in the Minnesota Daily from 1953 to 1969. It was mainly a current events publication but also included non-fiction essays, cartoons, and poetry. The publication reached its peak in the ‘60s, when local writers Garrison Keillor and Patricia Hampl led the staff.

In 2006, Ivory Tower was revived and taken in a new direction as an annual literary and art magazine. This year, we made a call for submissions in a broader scope of genres. We hoped to be more inclusive of all voices on campus—opening not only to fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and art submissions, but also to other areas such as comics, experimental writing, plays, and critical essays.

In addition, we wanted to bring in a more diverse tone, from playful to serious. The motto for writers to go by this year was, “Make it fun. Make it funky. Make it serious. Make it your own.” The response was overwhelming, and we are proud to present the most diverse and colorful issue of Ivory Tower ever.

Also this year, Ivory Tower editors met with Garrison Keillor for lunch and heard about his own experiences at Ivory Tower. They talked together about the future of the publication and our agreed intent to make the magazine’s tone more varied.

“People your age shouldn’t attempt serious literature,” Keillor joked.

We think we can do it all. Judge for yourself at our launch party!

Posted by Timothy Cronin at 08:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)