New Writer's Group

Have you always wanted to write a novel, the one that you know is inside you? Or maybe it’s a memoir of an interesting life, or a children’s book. If that’s the case, Wilks Library’s new Writer’s Group is the place for you. Meeting once a month, the group welcomes all writers. It doesn’t matter your level of experience, whether you’re a beginner or have been at it for a few years. It doesn’t matter what you write. Here you’ll find the kind of help and support that comes only from other writers. The most important thing is getting feedback on your work. Writing is solitary and it’s hard to know if what you’re doing is any good. Oh, your mother says it is (of course), but mothers aren’t impartial. Other writers are. A group like this can be invaluable.

The group will be led by librarian Mary Kruger, a published author of romance and mystery novels. Meetings will be held on the first Thursday of every month, at 6-7:30 PM. The first meeting is on November 5th. For more information or to register, call the library at (508) 991-6214. The Wilks Library is located at 1911 Acushnet Ave, New Bedford. Membership is limited, so reserve your place soon!

Dueling Books

Usually slapping a leather glove (or bookmark) in someone's face means pistols at dawn. In this case, it means books at dawn, on July 1. The books that I'll have read, more than my esteemed co-worker has. She is going to lose. Big time. My Irish is up, and so is my competitive streak. No way am I going to lose.

Last year I took the 50 Book Challenge one further and decided to try for 100 books. When I heard my co-worker talking about her goal this year, the challenge was set. We might talk about winning pizza or cake, but what's really at stake is bragging rights. The truth is, it's been fun. I've always loved reading, but through this challenge I've discovered a new dimension to it. Yes, I want to win the contest, but I also want to read more than I have in a while. I suspect she does, too. The winner might walk away with the prize in a few days, but we've both already won something. We've won renewed joy in books.

That being said, this is still very much a contest. Since I see how many books she takes out I sometimes panic: can she possibly read as fast as I can? Or is she spinning a web to confuse me? I'll have to ferret out the answer to that question.

One thing is not in doubt, though. Come Wednesday, I'll be eating chocolate cake!

Showdown at the Library

How many books do you read in a year? How about 6 months?

At some point at the end of 2008, my co-worker and I got to wondering. Wondering led to comparing. Comparing led to challenging. I’m not even sure how it happened, though I think she might have smacked me in the face with a leather glove at some point. My memory is a little hazy.

A year seemed too long, so we decided to see who could read the most books in 6 months – from January 1 to June 30 2009.

The rules are few. Read a book. Keep track. We’re on the honor system. We also assume that the books we are reading have a decent amount of pages – at least 100. Though since we never formally agreed on that point, 11:30 p.m. on June 30 might find me reading all the Dr. Seuss books I can get my hands on.

I have no idea how many she has read so far, though I see the books that she checks out, takes home, then brings back and I get a little worried. But maybe she’s just trying to psych me out.

What’s riding on this? Cake for her if she wins, pizza for me if I win. Not to mention bragging rights.

Challenge yourself at the 50 Book Challenge (http://community.livejournal.com/50bookchallenge/) or just keep track in a notebook or a spreadsheet. You might surprise yourself. (And perhaps you too can reward yourself with a treat!)

The deadline for our little competition is fast approaching - stay tuned. I’m looking forward to the pizza! :-)

Leno, O’Brien… or Carson?

How do you take your late night TV? If you’re a Tonight Show fan, you probably know that the show has passed from Jay Leno’s hands to Conan O’Brien’s. Before being chosen to take over for Leno, O’Brien had hosted NBC’s Late Night since 1993. He had been plucked out of relative obscurity for Late Night – he was a writer and producer for the television show The Simpsons from 1991 – 1993.

Check out some of his work by borrowing early seasons of The Simpsons on DVD.

• The Simpsons, The Complete 4th Season - episodes: “Marge vs. the Monorail,” “New Kid on the Block”
• The Simpsons: The Complete 5th Season - episodes: “Homer Goes to College,” “Treehouse of Horror IV"

Leno, who hosted The Tonight Show for 17 years, had previously been a comedian and a writer. A staple during his tenure on The Tonight Show was “Headlines,” in which he shows actually news clippings featuring ridiculous (but true) headlines. He has published some of these as books.

• Jay Leno’s Headlines: Real but Ridiculous Headlines from America’s Newspapers

Of course, the legendary Johnny Carson was the host of The Tonight Show for 30 years. Highlights of his shows, including his best monologues, interviews and animal guests, are available on several DVD sets:

• The Ultimate Carson Collection (3 DVDs)
• The Johnny Carson Show (2 DVDs)
• Here is…the Johnny Carson Show (3DVDs)

You can place any of these items on hold with your library card.