Birmingham Public Library Blog

Teens, get your poetry on at the Flow Tactics Teen Open Mic every 3rd Saturday from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.at the YMCA Youth Center, 2400 7th Avenue North (near Phillips Academy). Admission is free. The sessions are for high school students only. To sign up to perform or for more information, e-mail johnpaul@reallifepoets.org. This month's program is scheduled for Saturday, February 16. Flow Tactics is sponsored by The Real Life Poets , the Mayor's Office Division of Youth Services , YMCA Youth Center , and the WORD UP! Student Poetry Slam Committee of the Jefferson County Library Cooperative. WORD UP! is an annual poetry slam for Jefferson County high school students hosted by the Birmingham Public Library.

Next week marks the 137th anniversary of the Westminster Kennel Club's Annual All-Breed Dog Show. This year's show will air on television on Monday and Tuesday, February 11th-12th. For more information on the show and the television schedule, check the Club's website: Westminster Kennel Club Tune in and root for the pooch of your choice! And for more information on dogs, don't forget to visit your local public library. If you're thinking of adopting a dog or choosing any other kind of pet, the library has numerous books and videos that can assist you. Let us help you pick the right pet for you! Mary Anne Ellis Southern History Central Library

An all-around fantastic time was had last Saturday at BPL's Local Authors Expo . Many thanks go to the Friends of the Birmingham Public Library for once again sponsoring this event, and to all of the authors who attended. Several participants have blogged about the day's events, including Amy Leigh Strickland and Steve Gierhart at Ardent Writer Press . Many photos of the Expo can be found on the BPL Flickr page . We're already looking forward to making next year's Expo even bigger and better than this one!

Enjoy an excerpt from Sixth Avenue Baptist Church's Annual Black History Concert, directed by Denna Wilkins. Wednesday, February 13, noon. This Brown Bag Lunch Program is hosted by the Five Points West Regional Library . [Note: The title of the article in the BPL newsletter erroneously shows this event taking place at Springville Road Library. The concert will be performed at Five Points West Library. Sorry for the mistake.] To commemorate the 50th anniversary of Birmingham's civil rights struggle, the Birmingham Public Library is sponsoring the Year of Birmingham , a 12-month series of lectures, documentary films, performances and panel discussions. Feed your body and mind at BPL's Brown Bag Lunch programs . You bring the lunch and we'll bring the drinks. For more information call 226-3604 or visit www.bplonline.org.

“Our dearest Miss Suzuko, we are delighted to send you to America in the far distance as the messenger of peace. We hope you will make good friends with the American people.” These were the words spoken to 1,300 school children of Iwate Prefecture in Japan, commemorating the departure of Miss Suzuko Iwate, one of 58 Friendship Dolls leaving in 1927 as gifts and ambassadors to the people of the United States. These two sentences represented the hopes of many in Japan and the United State as relations between the two countries had deteriorated to the point where the United States passed the Immigration Act of 1924, which prevented any Japanese from entering the country. In 1927, an American missionary to Japan, Dr. Sidney Lewis Gulick, responded to these events by organizing an effort to collect and send dolls to the children of Japan. Since relations between the two governments were declining, Gulick wanted to show goodwill directly to the people of Japan. His efforts wer...

There are a multitude of authors who write historical fiction romance, but sometimes it can be difficult sorting through them to find the best writers. Stephanie Laurens is a renowned historical fiction romance author who encompasses mystery, drama, and intrigue in most of her writings. The Jefferson County Library Cooperative downloadable collection has a large number of ebook/audiobooks written by author Stephanie Laurens available for checkout. Laurens is well known for her series such as the Cynster and Bastion Club novels, as well as her single novellas and regency novels. One of Laurens' most popular series is the Black Cobra Quartet . This popular series is full of spellbinding and captivating intrigue and mystery. This top-rated series centers around four top officers of the British Crown fighting against a deadly foe known as the Black Cobra. There are many mindboggling twists and turns that are exciting and fascinating and will keep you mesmerized though out. ...

The Carlton Reese Memorial Singers marched and demonstrated during Birmingham's civil rights movement. Come hear them express themselves through freedom songs, gospel music, and testimonies. Wednesday, February 6, noon. To commemorate the 50th anniversary of Birmingham's civil rights struggle, the Birmingham Public Library is sponsoring the Year of Birmingham , a 12-month series of lectures, documentary films, performances and panel discussions. Feed your body and mind at BPL's Brown Bag Lunch programs . You bring the lunch and we'll bring the drinks. Central Library, Linn Henley Research Building, Arrington Auditorium, 4th floor. For more information call 226-3604 or visit www.bplonline.org.

The Passage of Power: The Years of Lyndon Johnson Robert Caro Very rarely has a politician’s political fortunes been where one is at height of power, then fallen to near-powerlessness, then in a moment back to the heights. Robert Caro’s fourth volume about the life of Lyndon Johnson tells the story of Johnson’s clumsy attempts to run for president in 1960 while leader of the Senate, then the offer of the vice president by John F. Kennedy, despite the intense dislike of Johnson by Robert Kennedy. Johnson then spent the next couple of years isolated in the office of vice president. So used to power, Johnson languished and was marginalized while John and Robert Kennedy grew more powerful and more popular with the American public. Desperate to have some influence on events, Johnson tried to exert his viewpoints on current events such as the Cuban missile crisis and the civil rights movements. These attempts at influence were quickly squashed by the Kennedys. Entering the fall of ...