Shelf Life
We are in for a busy month here at the SouthArk Library, celebrating Women’s History Month and preparing for the first-ever South Arkansas Literary Festival. We’ll give you a glimpse of what is coming with the festival soon, but first, join us for a highlight of Women’s History Month with a lineup of rock stars, astronomers and code-breakers—you don’t want to miss these titles!
First up is “The Glass Universe: How the Ladies of the Harvard Observatory Took the Measure of the Stars” by Dava Sobel. Like the women in “Hidden Figures,” back in the 19th Century another group of highly-intelligent women began work—this time in the field of astronomy. Every morning’s assignment was interpreting the complex observations made by male astronomers. Later the women turned from computation to studying stars transferred to glass photography plates, and their contributions to science became truly stellar.
Things weren’t always so good in the good old days, as even living a simple river life was precarious. Helen Spence learns the hard way in “Daughter of the White River: Depression-Era Treachery and Vengeance in the
Arkansas Delta” by Denise White Parkinson. You’ve probably never heard of Helen, raised on the White River during the 1920s. It was a simple but thriving houseboat community that would soon be torn apart by a shocking murder: the killing of Helen’s father. What happened next would change Helen’s life and make her into an infamous, though misjudged, escapee from jail.
Despite the advances made by the ladies of Harvard, even today woman have to struggle to reach high levels in math and science—not because they lack abilities, argues author Eileen Pollack, but because of discrimination against women in those fields. Pollack’s “The Only Woman in the Room: Why Science is Still a Boys’ Club” examines why this happens and how to improve it.
History is not just in the past, but is being made every day— by everyday women like Jen Hatmaker, author of “Of Mess and Moxie: Wrangling Delight Out of This Wild and Glorious Life.” Blogger, TV personality and mom, she’s Everymom, with everyday struggles and humor to get through the week. Kids, homework, laundry, messes—she’s seen it all, and blogged about it.
There might not be a blog, but there are plenty of stories to tell in “Gold Dust Woman: The Biography of Stevie Nicks” by Stephen Davis. This legend of rock made music history, alone and with the superstar band Fleetwood Mac. Known as “The Welsh Witch” and the “Fairy Queen of Rock and Roll,” her magical brand of stage presence has enchanted and energized concert-goers since the 1970s. But her biography is no fairy tale, just a gritty true story of a woman who survived addiction and heartbreak.
True love brought together the founders of American cryptanalysis Elizebeth Smith and William Friedman in 1916. His celebrated career is well-known, but although she worked beside him, her vital contributions are mostly unknown. Both were highly skilled at codebreaking and are considered among the founders of American military cryptanalysis. Later on, Elizebeth was vital in secret code work during World War II as she aided in the capture of Nazi spies. No secret, you’ll enjoy “The Woman Who Smashed Codes: A True Story of Love, Spies and the Unlikely Heroine who Outwitted America’s Enemies” by Jason Fagone.
Looking ahead to next month, we are very excited to announce that on April 13-14, South Arkansas Community College and the SouthArk Library will host the first ever South Arkansas Literary Festival! The festival will be held in the El Dorado Conference Center. What is the primary focus of the festival? The book—in all of its wonderful forms, nuances and impact.
Intended for both academic and general audiences, the festival’s programming features two keynote speakers and numerous local author spotlights, emphasizing the literary talents and accomplishments of south Arkansas and north Louisiana. A call for papers was issued in late 2017 and multiple submissions were accepted, with the presenters hailing the University of Arkansas-Monticello, National Park College, the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith, Southern Arkansas University and Henderson State University.
Also included in the program are two panels, one focused on the general reader and one dedicated to lovers of poetry. “On My Nightstand: A Look at New Releases and Favorites” will feature librarians and avid readers offering their thoughts on recently-released titles, favorite authors, the lasting power of books and specific titles that have had a profound impact on the panelists’ lives. “Poetry of South Arkansas” will feature a collection of local poets reading their original works—a must-see event for those interested in current original poetry.
All told, this inaugural South Arkansas Literary Festival promises to be a landmark event tailor-made for literature lovers, reading enthusiasts, poets, aspiring writers and anyone interested in a having a great time in a vibrant community. We promise that you’ll have a blast with plenty of wonderful memories to share!
The festival begins at 3 p.m. April 13 with a presentation from local author Dr. Steve Smart, and continues at 8:30 a.m. April 14 beginning with more local authors and guest speaker presentations. Don’t miss a single moment! Contact the SouthArk Library at librarystaff@southark.edu or (870) 864-7115 for more information, and stay tuned to our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts @ SouthArkLibrary! We’ll see you all in April!
Lauri Wilson is the library technician and Philip Shackelford is the library director at South Arkansas Community College.