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October events

2008-09-30T15:05:00.000-07:00

Oct. 7 3:30 pm MH133
Book discussion about The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian.

Oct. 15 2:30 pm Arts Center Gallery
Author Tea with John Washakie

The event begins with a ceremony by the United Tribes Club to honor Washakie in the gallery of the Robert A. Peck Arts Center. This will precede his main presentation, which is scheduled to begin at 3:30 p.m. in a nearby classroom.

Washakie, a CWC alumnus and great grandson of Chief Washakie, is the author of two children’s books: Yuse: The Bully and the Bear and Yuse and the Spirit, which are both are traditional Shoshone tales told to him by his grandmother and other family members. He decided to write the books to preserve the stories for future generations. Washakie is also the author of a collection of detective stories about a private investigator named James Sweating Horse.

Before he started writing, Washakie spent 18 years on the Eastern Shoshone Business Council. While on the Council, he made numerous presentations to the U. S. House of Representatives and Senate Select Committee on Indian Affairs. He was appointed by three U. S. Department of Interior Secretaries to serve on several national committees to address issues from Reorganization of the Bureau of Indian Affairs to energy policy. He earned a B.A. in History from the University of Wyoming and is a veteran of the Vietnam War.

The CWC Library Author Series was established in 2006 to inspire creativity and honor authors. Author series participants thus far have been: Karol Griffin Young (2006), Theodore Judson (2007), Kari Grady Grossman (2007), Kent Stockton (2007) and Teresa Jordan (2008).

Salman Rushdie signs our copy of The Enchantress of Florence

2008-09-27T08:23:00.000-07:00

Sir Salman Rushdie, winner of the Booker Prize and survivor of a fatwa, spoke in Laramie Thursday and Coralina Daly and Carlie Herrick traveled down for the occasion.

July staff picks

2008-07-09T11:36:00.000-07:00

Carol's pick:

The Poisonwood Bible

by Barbara Kingsolver

PS 3561 .I496 P65 2005

"Listen, little beast. Judge me as you will, but first listen. I am your mother. What happened to us could have happened anywhere, to any mother. I'm not the first woman on earth to have seen her daughters possessed." The Belgian Congo, 1959 (excerpt)

Cory's pick:

On Writing

by Stephen King

PS 3561 I483 Z475 2000

There may not be the kind of violence in this book for which King is known, but he pulls no punches in describing life as a writer. On Writing includes his own story, advice and a section about his brush with death in 1999. It is honest, funny and crisp. Highly recommended.

Kristy's pick:

Flowers for Algernon

by Daniel Keyes

PZ 4 K4453 F1

This novel is told as a series of "Progress Reports" written by a thirty-two year-old man whose IQ is tripled by an experimental surgical procedure. The book touches upon many different ethical and moral themes such as the treatment of the mentally disabled. The story of Charlie Gordon is a memorable portrait of alienation, of an individual who is at odds with his society and who struggles to have satisfactory relationships with others. Enjoy!

Carlie's pick:

Beloved

by Toni Morrison

PS 3563 .O8749 .B4 1987B

"It was not a story to pass on." (p. 275)

Whether you decide to pass it on or pass on it is your choice. I have decided to pass it on. Enjoy!

Nicole's pick:

The architecture and design of man and woman : the marvel of the human body, revealed
by Alexander Tsiaras; Barry Werth

QM 25 .T48 2004

A fascinating look inside the human body. The detailed images are so realistic it is amazing!

Darby's pick:

Into the Wild

by Jon Krakauer

CT 9971 M38 K73 1997

Looking for that book to really boggle your mind? Check out Jon Krakauer's national bestseller Into the Wild, the story of a man who leaves behind all that he knows to find enlightenment in nature's purest form.

Candy's pick:

OceanSpace

by Allen Steele

PS 3569 .T338425 O24 2000

"You can't cross the sea merely by standing and staring at the water."

- Rabindranath Tagore

This book will take you to places not ordinary to anyone. The ocean is one of the last frontiers and this book tells a tale of people who dare to dive in .... who knows, maybe Nessie has a cousin...

Sterling's pick:

Madeline's Rescue

by Ludwig Bemelmans

OVERSIZE PZ 7 B423 MAF

Who wouldn't want to read about the adventures of a little red-headed French girl? This great children's bool tells the story of a how Madeline finds her dog, Miss. Genesieve. All throughout the story you read how Madeline is saved by Miss G and then later tries to find her in the streeets of Paris. This story also has a surpurse ending that will have you asking for more!

June staff picks

2008-06-02T12:32:00.000-07:00

Carol's pick:
The Life of Pi by Yann Martel
"I slept in fits that night. Shortly before sunrise I gave up trying to fall asleep again and lifted myself on an elbow. I spied with my little eye a tiger. Richard Parker was restless. He was moaning and growling and pacing about the lifeboat..."

Cory's pick:
Little Things in a Big Country
by Hannah Hinchman
"Little Things in a Big Country is charming! Hannah Hinchman shows the magic of nature with detailed watercolors and her sometimes sweet, sometimes plucky journal entries. A treat!"

Kristy's pick:
The Past from Above by Georg Gerster
"Georg Gerster is "one of the world's finest and best-known aerial photographers." His motto is: 'distance creates an overview of the subject and an overview creates a greater understanding.' This is a fascinating look at archaeological sites as seen from the air. Enjoy!!"

Carlie's pick:
Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse by Louise Erdrich
"Louise Erdrich's storytelling is at its finest in The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse. Crossing borders of gender and spirituality cause the protagonist, Father Damien, to experience a higher calling in the Church and in the Ojibwe tribe. For Father Damien many mysteries, both internally and externally, are pieced together as he finds his place within the tribe and within the Church. Much like the Chopin Nocturnes that Father Damien loves to play, Erdrich's story draws the reader into a rich display of minor and major keys."

Nicole's pick:
Silence and Solitude by Tom Murphy
"This book will capture your attention from beginning to end! It appeals to both nature-lovers and city slickers!"

Darby's pick:
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
"Jane Austen's timeless romantic classic that will have you begging for more. Go ahead and buy that pint of ice cream and curl up on your couch 'cause you're not gonna want to put this one down. A book every hopeless romantic can enjoy. No sneak peeks in this review, go ahead and read the book to find out for yourself! Enjoy!"

Sterling's pick:
The Annotated Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien
"The Hobbit is J.R.R Tolkien's amazing prequel to The Lord of the Rings trilogy. The story of Bilbo Baggins' journey to the Lonely Mountain will keep you reading on and on. In this book you find out how Bilbo comes across one small trinket that sets up the whole Lord of the Rings trilogy. I enjoy this book everytime I read it and I hope you do, too."

Candy's pick:
Atlas of Bird Migration by Jonathan Elphick, Ed.
"I once had a sparrow alight upon my shoulder for a moment, while I was hoeing in a village garden, and I felt that I was more distinguished by that circumstance that I should have been by any epaulet I could have worn."-- Henry David Thoreau (1817 - 1862)

"The Atlas of Bird Migration traces the migration of birds in North America, and the season weather patterns, and the environmental factors. It has big, colorful pictures, traces the migratory patterns of potentially large flocks of birds. Go ahead, start this new hobby, you won't be disappointed!"

Edible Books bring smiles

2008-05-15T09:39:00.000-07:00

The Library hosted its first Edible Book event March 3.

Winning entries were:

Best in Show: Workforce and Community Education Assistant Judy Hubbard's interpretation of The Rainbow Fish

Wittiest Entry: Jack Schmidt's interpretation of O'Pioneers

People's Choice: Facilities Coordinator Linda Becker's interpretation of Frankenstein

To see photos of the winners and other entries, visit
http://www.cwc.edu/About-CWC/Photo-Galleries.htm?album_id=10

Teresa Jordan wows audience

2008-05-13T13:23:00.001-07:00

Lois Herbst of Shoshoni speaks with Teresa Jordan during the reception.

Lois Herbst of Shoshoni, Dianne Tippets of Riverton, Martha Hellyer of Lander, and Barbara Gose of Riverton gather around Teresa Jordan's books signing table during the reception.

Chair of the CWC Library Friends Barbara Gose of Riverton speaks with Teresa Jordan.

Over 60 people came to hear Teresa Jordan speak in CWC's Little Theater on April 10, 2008. Many also attended the subsequent pie reception and book signing sponsored by the Friends of the CWC Library.

Jordan, who lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, spoke about learning to speak Spanish and what the processs taught her. She spoke about the language barrier for immigrants and soldiers and how a person's personality changes when he or she is uncomfortable with the language. Jordan also took questions and solicited stories of audience members' experience with language.

Among the comments listed on audience surveys were "TERRIFIC PROGRAM!!" and "EXCELLENT AND ENTERTAINING AS WELL AS THOUGHT PROVOKING."

The program was made possible through a grant from the Wyoming Humanities Council. In addition to speaking at CWC, Jordan spoke at Western Wyoming Community College and both the Powell and Cody branches of the Park County Public Library System.

Photos courtesy of Carolyn Aanestad

Teresa Jordan presents "Learning the Language: Close Encounters of the Spoken Kind"

2008-04-09T11:45:00.000-07:00

6:30 pm
April 10, 2008
CWC Little Theater
Reception/book signing to follow

Through the great generosity of the Wyoming Humanities Council, the CWC Library presents Teresa Jordan, author of the classic memoir Riding the White Horse Home, among many others.

Riverton is the second stop on a four-city tour for Jordan. She speaks at Western Wyoming Community College in Rock Springs on April 9, and in Cody and Powell on April 12.

Jordan's latest work is about immersing herself in Argentinian culture and her attempts to master the Spanish language.

The April 10 presentation will be followed by a pie reception and book signing in the Fremont Room. Teresa Jordan's art and books will be for sale.

Call 855-2141 for more information.

Edible Book Extravaganza!

2008-02-20T08:30:00.001-08:00

The CWC Library is hosting our first-ever edible book contest on Monday, March 3.

Anyone is welcome to enter and participate. The idea is simple:
Play with your food!

You just come up with an edible interpretation of a book title (or scene, etc.).
For example, "The Tale of Pita Rabbit," pictured above fom the University of Texas' 2007 event. One entry here will be "The Rise and Fall of the Ramen Empire." For more ideas, see more great submissions from the University of Texas here, or watch this youtube video from the public library in Portland, Maine.

If you can't participate, stop in and vote and sample the entries. We will be in the CWC Fremont Room from 11:30 am - 1 pm on Monday March 3. Call 855-2332 for more information.

Diversity Month book discussion: The Kite Runner

2008-02-04T10:25:00.000-08:00

"The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini

Join with us Feb. 27 from 1:30 to 2:20 in MH 137. We have several copies of the book for you to check out, but you needn't have read it to participate.

What do you think about what is happening in Afghanistan?

Many of us can't even spell Afghanistan, let alone understand what is going on and why.

Part of the library's focus on Diversity this month is a chance to talk about these issues during a discussion about Khaled Hosseini's tremendous first novel, "The Kite Runner" (a movie version was released last fall).

One synopsis calls "The Kite Runner":
"An epic tale of fathers and sons, of friendship and betrayal, that takes us from Afghanistan in the final days of the monarchy to the atrocities of the present.

The unforgettable, heartbreaking story of the unlikely friendship between a wealthy boy and the son of his father's servant, The Kite Runner is a beautifully crafted novel set in a country that is in the process of being destroyed. It is about the power of reading, the price of betrayal, and the possibility of redemption, and it is also about the power of fathers over sons-their love, their sacrifices, their lies."

What we're reading: Carlie Herrick

2008-01-31T14:56:00.000-08:00

Sherman Alexie’s Flight takes readers on a postmodern picaresque time journey. The main character Zits, a fifteen year old, anger walking machine, decides to gun down innocent bystanders at a Seattle bank lobby. During his shooting rampage, Zits is shot in the head and, thus, begins his pícaro time journey. Instead of visiting traditional Purgatoire, Zits’s spirit embodies historical figures, such as a young Native American boy at Little Big Horn; a racist, white male FBI agent at Red River; and an Indian Scout at Sand Creek Massacre. Through his time travels, Zits begins to ask questions about resolution, violence, judgment, and grace. Further, he begins to understand that his identity doesn’t have to be tied to zits, anger, and abuse. Alexie’s style of humor and poignancy are at its best.

Books as art

2008-01-09T15:25:00.000-08:00

The Lander Art Center's new exhibit "Altered Books" opens today, Jan. 9. The public is invited to a reception will be held from 6-8 pm, Friday, January 11.

"Altered Books" is a body of work based on a collaboration of 24 artists using the idea of “book” as a starting point and arepresented in a variety of structures in mixed media. The resulting works explore a range of ideas from mapping and place, to secrets,celebrating the ordinary in daily life, to passage, alchemy and perception, trees as metaphor, list making, home and the cycles oflife to name a few. It's a must see! If you can't make the reception, "Altered Books" will be on display until February 1, 2008.

The Lander Art Center is located at 224 Main Street in Lander (former location of Hello the House). Call 332-5772 for more information.

“The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.” - St. Augustine

2007-12-06T08:44:00.000-08:00

For the adventurers, hunters, travelers and anyone in between, the library has a variety of maps dating from the 1950s to now. We have National Geographic Maps; topographical maps of Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana; National Forest Service maps of almost all fifty states; state park maps; geological maps of Wyoming; world maps; national park maps; and Idaho and New Mexico logging maps. All of these maps may be checked out for your navigational needs or for your perusal.

Finals week in the library

2007-12-06T08:37:00.000-08:00

With free wireless internet, comfy chairs and plenty of distraction-free nooks and crannies in which to study, the library is the place to be this time of year.

Humanities Council awards grant to CWC Library

2007-12-04T09:17:00.000-08:00

We recently received notice that the Wyoming Humanities Council approved our grant application to fund Teresa Jordan's visit in April.

Jordan is the author of the Western classic, Riding the White Horse Home about her experience growing up on a ranch near Iron Mountain and the later sale of the ranch. She has written about a wide variety of Western issues, in particular the role of women in the settlement of the region.

Four communities are participating in the grant project. Jordan will speak at Western Wyoming Community College in Rock Springs on April 9 as part of their Speakers of the West series, here at CWC on April 10 and in Cody and Powell on April 11.

For more information about Jordan, visit her webpage at: teresajordan.com.

What we're reading: Judy Nethercott

2007-11-08T15:56:00.000-08:00

CWC Financial Aid Technician Judy Nethercott recently finished reading Cokie Roberts' Founding mothers: The women who raised our nation and highly recommends it.

"Very interesting and enlightening," says Judy.

Find this book in the CWC Library: E 176 .R63 2004

Cowboy up!

2007-11-05T15:20:00.000-08:00

Award-winning cowboy poet Dr. Kent Stockton performed to a sell-out crowd Thursday, Nov. 1, during the CWC Library's Dutch oven dinner fundraiser. He was joined by Oklahoma singer/songwriter Paul Harris. The meal (Baron of beef, maple green beans, potatoes and sourdough chocolate cake) was prepared by Jack Schmidt and Colleen Sloan, with tremendous assistance from the CWC Food Court.

New Book: Maori Tattooing

2007-11-01T11:56:00.001-07:00

Maori Tattooing
By: Horatio Gordon Robley
GN 667 .N9 R7 2003

This classic of ethnography describes Maori tattooing (moko), which communicates the bearer's genealogy, tribal affiliation, and spirituality. This definitive study relates how moko first became known to Europeans and discusses the distinctions between men and women's moko, patterns and designs, and moko in legend and song. Features 180 black-and-white illustrations.

Published 2003
240 pages
ISBN 0486430928

Fall Author's Tea: Kari Grady Grossman

2007-10-26T14:09:00.000-07:00

Formerly of Lander but now of Fort Collins, Colo., Kari graciously agreed to honor her commitment to come back to Wyoming and visit with us about her book, Bones that Float, and her ongoing work in Cambodia.

For more information about the Grady Grossman School, please visit their website.

Kari's video and discussion was well-attended and the group appreciated her Cambodian treats and purchased several of the items she sells to raise money for the Grady Grossman school.

Wyoming Author Showcase

2007-10-12T08:40:00.000-07:00

Authors! Here! From all over Wyoming!

2007-08-10T15:48:00.000-07:00

CWC Library is excited to announce the first Wyoming Author Showcase, to be held here on Sept. 7. Writers from all over Wyoming will be here to discuss their work with you. They will also have copies of their books to autograph and sell. Every purchase is a contribution to the library - 10% will go to our new endowment.

Best-selling authors Kathleen O’Neal Gear and W. Michael Gear, former Wyoming Poet Laureate Robert Roripaugh, mystery writer Craig Allen Johnson and children’s book author Eugene Gagliano are among seasoned and new Wyoming authors who converge at Central Wyoming College in Riverton Friday, Sept. 7 for the first Wyoming Author Showcase.

CWC Library has invited writers from around the state who have published book-length works in a wide assortment of genres, including photography, cowboy poetry, fiction, wilderness medicine, romance, memoirs, nature, history and many more.

During the 5-7 p.m. event at the CWC Library, the authors will share their work and talk about their creative processes, said Assistant Librarian Coralina Daly.

The Gears are known for their novels on North American prehistory, which includes a series that melds the latest archaeological findings with dramatic narratives and strong Native American tradition. The couple has combined to write 33 novels with historical and anthropological themes. In addition to writing, the Gears raise bison on a ranch that borders the Wind River Indian Reservation and are principal investigators for Wind River Archaeological Consultants.

Among the participants are Tom Bowen of Lander, author of Backcountry Pilot: Flying Adventures with Ike Russell; Carolyn Lampman Brubaker of Riverton, author of many historical romances and Beating the LD (Learning Disability) Monster; Barbara Foote Colvert of Cody, author of Resolutions: A story of transformation through the process of loss; William Day of Riverton, author of The Running Wounded: A personal memory of the Korean War; Eugene Gagliano of Buffalo, author of several children’s books including C is for Cowboy: A Wyoming Alphabet; Cathleen Galitz of Riverton, author of many Wyoming-themed romance novels; Rebecca Hein of Casper, author of A Case of Brilliance about her children; Ron Howard, Jody Rae Boyd and Micki Hanser of Riverton, authors of the Prairie Fairy series of children’s books; Butch Hudson of Lander, author of Sunrise Over the Rim, a historical novel about central Wyoming’s version of Johnny Appleseed; Joe Hutto of Lander, author of Illumination in the Flatwoods: A Season with the Wild Turkey; photographer Jack Jeffers of Riverton, author of Appalachian Byways; Craig Allen Johnson of Ucross, author of the popular Walt Longmire mystery series; Theodore Judson of Riverton, author of Fitzpatrick’s War and Tom Wedderburn’s Life; Jeffe Kennedy of Laramie, author of the collection of personal essays Wyoming Trucks, True Love and the Weather Channel; Elaine King of Casper, author of a book chronicling her Alaskan hunting adventure honeymoon; cowboy poet Echo Roy Klaproth of Shoshoni; photographer Mike McClure of Lander, author of Artifact; Betty Schmidt of Douglas, author of an award-winning collection of Meeteetse pioneer stories; Wyoming Arts Council Arts Specialist Mike Shay of Cheyenne, author of fiction and essays, Holly Skinner of Lander, author of Eye of the Blackbird: A story of gold in the American West and Only the River Runs Easy: A historical portrait of the upper Green River Valley; Bill Sniffin of Lander, author of two books of stories about Wyoming; Jack and Diantha States of Lander, author of Wildflowers of Wyoming; Dr. Kent Stockton of Riverton, author of The Campfire Ain’t Quite Out; Abby Taylor of Sheridan, author of romance novel We Shall Overcome; Buck Tilton of Lander, co-founder of the Wilderness Medicine Institute and author of over 25 books about life and safety in the great outdoors; Cat Urbikigt of Pinedale, author of several children’s books about agriculture, including Brave Dog, Gentle Dog; Garry Wallace of Powell, author of Biography of a Bird Dog; John Washakie of Fort Washakie, author of Yuse: The bully & the bear, a story; University of Wyoming professor of history Cheryl Wells, whose book Civil War Time showed how America’s sense of time changed during the 1860s; Jeannette Woodward of Lander, author of several business and trade books; and Karol Griffin Young of Riverton, adjunct English instructor at CWC and author of the highly-acclaimed memoir Skin Deep: Tattoos, the Disappearing West, Very Bad Men and My Deep Love for them All.

The event is free and open to all.

For more information, contact Daly at 307-855-2141 or at 800-735-8418, ext. 2141.

New book: Artifact

2007-07-27T12:09:00.001-07:00

Artifact: A Cultural Geography of Wyoming
By: Michael McClure
Wyoming F 762 .M166 2007

Lander photographer Mike McClure's 2003 exhibit, "Artifact: A Cultural Geography," which captured many of the disintegrating relics across the state in graceful black and white photographs, is now available in book form.

With a foreward by University of Wyoming history professor Phil Roberts and passages from other authors, McClure's photographs document the "history of man's imprint on the landscape of the American West."

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

2007-07-24T14:37:00.000-07:00

The CWC Library received fantastic news today: an anonymous donor gave our newly-established endowment fund a tremendous kick-start with the $5,000 we needed to make sure the funds would be matched by the state. We are tremendously grateful and look forward to putting the money to good use!

New Book: The Places in Between

2007-07-18T12:17:00.000-07:00

The Places in Between
By: Rory Stewart
DS 352.S74 2006

You've heard about the man who walked across Afghanistan relying on the kindness of strangers. Now read his story.

Stewart began his journeyin in January 2002. Along the way he met heroes and rogues, tribal elders and teenage soldiers, Taliban commanders and foreign-aid workers.

Through these encounters Stewart makes tangible the forces of tradition, ideology, and allegiance that shape life in the map's countless places in between.

What we're reading: Sue Thompson

2007-07-16T13:40:00.000-07:00

Academic Services Administrative Assistant Sue Thompson is reading Alma Mater, by P.F. Kluge, a member of the faculty of Kenyon College in Ohio.

Sue is reading Alma Mater in preparation for CWC August staff book discussion, which will be led by CWC Vice President J.D. Rottweiler and Chief Information Officer John Wood.

In case you missed it, January's staff book discussion was a great hit. The book, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime, by Mark Haddon, is still available (PZ 7 .H1165 CU 2003) and we're keeping our eyes peeled for word of a movie version.

Come discuss Here, Bullet on July 12

2007-07-03T13:43:00.000-07:00

How can anyone wrap their mind around what is happening to U.S. soldiers in Iraq? Three-minute news clips hardly do justice to such an enormous situation. In "Here, Bullet," Brian Turner gives us a chance.

Turner, who has a Master of Fine Arts degree in poetry from the University of Oregon, wrote most of the poems while serving as an infantry team leader in Iraq. He joined the Army in 1998 and served in Bosnia-Herzegovinia before being deployed to Mosul, Iraq with the 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division in 2003.

“Here, Bullet,” which contains 47 poems, was published by Alice James Books in 2005 and has since earned several prestigious awards and attracted the attention of national media.

During one interview, Turner explained his title poem, “Here, Bullet,” was a “taunt toward death” as much of a tangible expression of fear.

“That poem came out in an outburst,” Turner told The News Hour’s Jim Lehrer. “What I did was I wrote it and I don't know what this means, but I folded it up and I put it in a Ziploc bag and I put it in my left breast pocket, and I kept it with me for the remainder of my time there in my uniform.”

Here, Bullet

If a body is what you want,
then here is bone and gristle and flesh.
Here is the clavicle-snapped wish,
the aorta's opened valves, the leap
thought makes at the synaptic gap.
Here is the adrenaline rush you crave,
that inexorable flight, that insane puncture
into heat and blood. And I dare you to finish
what you've started. Because here, Bullet,
here is where I complete the word you bring
hissing through the air, here is where I moan
the barrel's cold esophagus, triggering
my tongue's explosives for the rifling I have
inside of me, each twist of the round
spun deeper, because here, Bullet,
here is where the world ends, every time.

The book discussion about “Here, Bullet” will be held at 4:30 p.m. in the CWC Library’s upstairs conference room on Thursday, July 12. For more information, call 855-2141.