Search results matching tags 'Round Rock Public Library' and 'Shoeless Joe'

Moonlight Graham Rocks!

Linda Sappenfield — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 23:05:00 GMT

To borrow from "Casey at the Bat", the outlook wasn't brilliant for last week's adult book club. We all liked W. P. Kinsella's Shoeless Joe--not an ideal situation. Book group veterans will tell you that an occasional "hated it!" or "who chose this book anyway?" can spark a lively give-and-take. Sadly, unanimous approval can morph into a quick, party-pooping round of compliments with nowhere to go from there (at least nowhere fun).

Thank goodness we disagreed on the book-vs-movie question. I still contend that Field of Dreams, while a nice film, can't hold a candle to Shoeless Joe, its literary inspiration. The opposing camp, though, was more than adequately represented. As one alert researcher pointed out, you can hardly fault the moviemakers' changing the J.D. Salinger character, given that Salinger's legal representation expressed definite views.

And then we reverted back to total accord--though with plenty to say about everyone's favorite character: Archibald "Moonlight" Graham. Burt Lancaster's poignant portrayal of the New York Giant who played in only one inning of one big-league game is memorable cinema. Moonlight, who trades in his glove for a worthy career as a small-town physician, doesn't regret his choice but yearns to have experienced just one time at bat. The character's name and the premise are wonderful--and they're not fiction.

Several sources, including Keith Olbermann's "Moonlight Graham Remembered", quote Kinsella as reporting that he discovered Moonlight Graham while exploring The Baseball Encyclopedia. "Doc" Graham really did live in Chisholm, Minnesota, and did achieve the beloved reputation described in Shoeless Joe. Graham even accomplished pioneering research on children's blood pressure. And what about the "Moonlight" moniker? Though Kinsella invents a charming scenario for the book, most sources believe the nickname came either from Graham's speed or from the fact that he was "moonlighting" as a medical student.

If you, too, are a Moonlight Graham fan, you should come into the library and see his listing in The ESPN Baseball Encyclopedia; it's on page 537, along with Skinny Graham and Peaches Graham. You could also check out http://theghostofmoonlightgraham.com. I recently ordered Chasing Moonlight: The True Story of Field of Dream's Doc Graham (by Brett Friedlander and R. W. Reising); it should appear in the library catalog in the near future. Finally--are you even surprised to learn of a Cincinnati rock band called "Moonlight Graham"?

Good news: no recalls for reading acceleration

Linda Sappenfield — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 18:12:00 GMT

I'm living on the edge these days. And I'm not referring to the 2009 Toyota that awaits me in the library parking lot. The book bag on the front seat bulging with selections from five different reading discussions--that's what triggers my panic attacks.

Yesterday, for example, I showed up right on time for the 1:00 Baca Center book discussion on George Bernard Shaw's Major Barbara, hoping that the pages of the book weren't somehow smoking from the laserlike intensity that propelled me through the final thirty pages during my 12:00 lunch hour. That was a close one.
Another group I attend chose Rembrandt's Jews for their meeting later this month; it's more of a challenge for interlibrary loan than I'd expected. My husband and I both need that copy, so the book's last-minute arrival will likely instigate a marital share/read/who-has-it-now routine rivaling anything ever scripted on I Love Lucy.
Thanks to some speedy readers ahead of me in the queue for Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, my turn came up several days in advance of next week's Round Rock New Neighbors group meeting at Barnes and Noble. I'll return the favor and check the volume back in promptly.
A library colleague and I challenge each other to read work-related nonfiction titles, and we're finishing up Paco Underhill's Call of the Mall and Why We Buy before our discussion date next week.
I'm familiar with W.P. Kinsella's Shoeless Joe (it inspired the movie Field of Dreams) but need to re-enjoy it before the library's adult book club discussion on March 2.

To complicate matters, I'm compelled to indulge in non-discussion books, probably to sustain the illusion of being in control. Though currently engrossed in Elizabeth Kostova's The Swan Thieves, I had reluctantly bypassed it for several weeks in favor of assigned reading. Swan Thieves is wonderful, and I regret not giving in and picking it up sooner. Here's just one reason why: the book is an ARC (Advance Reading Copy) intended to be perused and remarked upon prior to publication.

What sort of infraction does one commit by reading an ARC when the final version is now available? Will be a citation be involved, or does a subtle shift in the space-time continuum occur? I'm reminded of Steven Wright's announcement that "I put instant coffee in a microwave oven and nearly went back in time."

Our stormy relationship: it's over

Linda Sappenfield — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 00:27:00 GMT

We knew it couldn't last. A library and its community-wide reading choice eventually have to part ways. Isaac's Storm: a Man, a Time, and the Deadliest Hurricane in History is a thing of the past. I'm on the Round Rock Reads! committee and will admit that we have a roving eye; we'll soon be seeking a relationship with another exceptional book.

But this was fun while it lasted. Last night's final Isaac's Storm program was a hit with the audience, which numbered over sixty. KEYE meteorologist Troy Kimmel's appearance highlighted the evening, and just about everyone stayed on to view the History Channel documentary Great Disasters: Galveston Hurricane 1900: Isaac's Storm.

I was intrigued (not to mention entertained) by Mr. Kimmel's overview of some milestones in storm forecasting, along with user-friendly explanations of key hurricane concepts, e.g., "storm surge". I also appreciated his sharing passages from an account of the Galveston hurricane; it was published shortly after the disaster.

The audience proved to be worthy company, as well, and not just because they shared my preferences for film-watching treats: popcorn and ice cream. Some obviously well-read attendees asked insightful questions that were expertly fielded by our Meteorologist for the Evening.

Yes, the program was great, and so was the book. And we have more than memories to document the fourth annual Round Rock Reads!. The 1900 Storm Photo Exhibit on loan from the Galveston County Historical Museum continues on display in the library for the entire month of January. Also, the Round Rock Reads! Nominees Book Club will be discussing Nick Arvin's Articles of War in February and W.P. Kinsella's Shoeless Joe (inspiration for the movie Field of Dreams) in March.

So--no regrets on the library's part. We'll find another book to love. Do you have suggestions? Why not send us a comment?