Now Reading in Albuquerque

Participants at the South Broadway Library will be discussing Beloved by Toni Morrison, on Saturday, December 17, from 2-3:30 pm.     

Albuquerque Dialogues Picking up Steam

Check out this video of the very first discussion at the Albuquerque-Bernalillo County Public Library's South Broadway library, on Louise Erdrich's Plague of Doves.

Hello everyone!  I am about halfway through the book and I'm sure all of your have noticed that there are many references throughout the book to mythical creatures, historical persons, and mucho mas Spanglish and Spanish phrases and idioms.  There is a wonderful website that will help decipher much of it.  It is especially wonderful because it is grouped by chapter and each entry is listed in the order in which it appears in the book.  Of course it is too long to print out but it is a handy reference if you want to cross reference as you read.  The website is called The Annotated Oscar Wao and the URL is http://www.annotated-oscar-wao.com/index.html . 

Please check it out and have a great day.  I can't wait to see you all next Saturday.

Malcolm

Diaz's Language in Oscar Wao

The first thing you'll notice reading The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao is the language. If you Google the title you'll find article after article discussing the code-switching, the use of "Spanglish," no explanation of the Spanish words, and whether Diaz did this just to frustrate readers or he did it to make a point. There is a lot to discuss in "Wondrous," but I can't imagine having a discussion on this book and not talking about the language.

Why did Diaz choose not to include English translations to his Spanish words and phrases? What effect does the seamless blending of Spanish and English create? Why does Diaz choose not to italicize Spanish words the way foreign words are usually italicized in English-language text? These are just a few things to think about as you embark on The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. I've also included a recording of a 2008 NPR interview with Junot Diaz discussing his Pulitzer Prize winning novel. It's a great jumping off place for getting into the book!

Horror and Humor in The Plague of Doves

It's not long now until our first book discussion and we've got a good number of people registered. This novel is so rich it's hard to decide what to focus on. One thing that got my attention right off is the way Louise Erdrich uses dichotomies in The Plague of Doves to create conflict. There are the obvious ones, of course, like indigenous vs. white culture and Christianity vs. the Chippewa religion, but I’m intrigued by the contradictions of the sacred vs. the profane and humor mixed with horror that arise, especially in Mooshum’s stories; in particular, the use of humor before the lynching. I’m looking forward to hearing everyone’s thoughts on these ideas, and more!

Albuquerque, Are You Ready for the Pulitzer Challenge?

Albuquerque Bernalillo County Librarians in the South Broadway branch are ready to celebrate five months of Pulitzer winning literature.  Although we're just focusing our discussion groups on three novels and two short story collections, these wonderful librarians have assembled a broad collection! 15 lucky participants can sign up here to receive free copies of the books to be discussed.

First up, Plague of Doves by Louise Erdrich, on August 27.