September Book Discussion Group: "The Death of Vishnu" by Manil Suri

This story of one apartment building becomes a metaphor for the social and religious divisions of contemporary India, and Vishnu's ascent of the staircase parallels the soul's progress through the various stages of existence. We had a lively discussion on several topics, such as racism, rights of women, and religion in India during the 1960's and 70's. We were very fortunate to have a member of our discussion group with first-hand knowledge of India's culture and religion.

The author, Manil Suri, infused his tale with many details and insights into everyday Indian life -- its hardships and customs. His descriptions of food, particularly the many sweets that are consumed, was mouth-watering.

Please join us in October when we will be reading "Cod" by Mark Kurlansky. The Discussion Group Meetings will be held in conjunction with The Sustainable Book Club, an Island-wide book group, which is reading and discussing books that examine our relationship with nature. The group is sponsored by all six Island Libraries, Felix Neck Sanctuary, Polly Hill Arboretum and The Vineyard Conservation Society. The group will meet at the Oak Bluffs Library on Tuesday, October 23rd, at 6:30 pm and Wednesday, October 24th, at 10:30 am.

Summer Memories: Past and Present - Jessica Harris

Popular author, Jessica Harris, performed readings and reminisced about topics from her latest book, “The Martha’s Vineyard Table”. A crowd of 18 people came to the event. The intimate environment allowed for some great discussion and input from the audience!

About Jessica Harris:Excerpt from Ebony Magazine (March 2007, pg 118)
Culinary historian Jessica B. Harris, Ph.D. has authored nine acclaimed cookbooks that document the foods and foodways of the African Diaspora. A culinary historian, she has lectured on food at the Museum of Natural History in New York City, the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., as well as at numerous institutions and colleges throughout the United States and abroad.
Harris has written for major food magazines, including Gourmet, Food & Wine, Cooking Light and Eating Well. In addition, she has given presentations at prestigious events, including meetings of the international Association of Culinary Professionals and the American Institute of Wine and Food conference. Dr. Harris also has appeared on The Today Show and Good Morning America, and she has served as culinary and cultural expert on two Burr Wolf series for PBS.
A tenured professor of English at Queens College, C.U.N.Y., Harris holds degrees from Bryn Mawr College, Queens College, The Universite de Nancy, France, and a doctorate in performance studies from New York University. She speaks French fluently and is conversant in Spanish and Portuguese.

Oxford African American Studies Center - New Library Resource!

About the OAASC: Excerpt from the OAASC Website



The Oxford African American Studies Center combines the authority of carefully edited reference works with sophisticated technology to create the most comprehensive collection of scholarship available online to focus on the lives and events which have shaped African American history and culture.









To learn how you can begin using the Oxford African American Studies Center please speak with an Oak Bluffs Public Library Staff Member today!

Triad Club Display!

The Library would like to thank the Martha's Vineyard Museum and Susan Wilson for contributing materials to the Triad Club Display (by the staircase in the upstairs of the library).

The materials were on display during the month of August, and library patrons enjoyed viewing the collection and reading Susan Wilson's article, For 70 Years, the Triad Club of Oak Bluffs Was a Forum For Members' "Improvement", which appeared in the Dukes County Intelligencer (August 2007 Edition).

You can learn more about other topics related to local history by visiting the Library and reading a book from our Martha's Vineyard Collection!

Darfur: Too Dark, Too Far - Hafiz Farid

A second screening of the powerful documentary Darfur: Too Dark, Too Far, attracted an audience of over 50 people to the Oak Bluffs Public Library! After the movie, a discussion session with Director Hafiz Farid helped to shed even more light on this important social issue.

Please monitor our online calendar to learn about upcoming Movie/Documentary Nights, Lectures, Educational Programs, Scrabble Group Meetings, Coffee Times, and other great programs at your library!

Charlayne Hunter-Gault - Africa's Best Kept Secret...

Over 30 people came to hear Charlayne Hunter-Gault provide a riveting account of the current events effecting the continent of Africa at a recent library program.

Copies of Charlayne's most recent book, "New News Out of Africa: Uncovering the African Renaissance" may be checked out at the library or by requesting them online through our website!

Book Discussion Group - "To Kill A Mockingbird"

The Book Discussion Group met on the 28th and 29th of August. Harper Lee's only novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, is a classic and all-time favorite. Librarians across the country voted it the best novel of the 20th Century! Across the board, the group agreed that it was one of their favorites -- one person even said that she would like to read it once a year. We dissected and discussed many interesting topics, such as: race relations in the South during the 1930's, single male parenting, coming-of-age stories, the integrity and justice of the court system both then and now.

For more information about Harper Lee's life and other books that may interest people who enjoyed reading To Kill a Mockingbird, please check out NoveList, which is accessible from the oakbluffslibrary.org website. Listed below are several suggestions for similar books:

The Summer We Got Saved by Pat Cunningham Devoto

The Quiet Game by Greg Iles

The Madonna of Excelsior by Zakes Mda

We Are All Welcome Here by Elizabeth Berg

Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg

Please join us next month for our next meeting when we will discuss The Death of Vishnu by Manil Suri. Stop by the circulation desk to pick up your copy today!

Senator Brooke visits the OBPL for Book Signing/Reception!

A tremendous crowd attended Senator Edward Brooke's Book Signing and Reception at the Oak Bluffs Public Library this past Thursday.

The crowd was so large that an overflow room with a live audio/video feed was set-up in the Library's Conference Room to accomodate more people!

The Senator spoke about his book and fascinating life experiences and then answered questions from the audience.

Afterwards the Senator signed copies of his new book, "Bridging the Divide: My Life" and a Reception was held in the Library's Meeting Room.

Click here to see more pictures from the event!

Thank you Senator for visiting the Oak Bluffs Community, and to all of the Volunteers and Library Staff that worked so hard to organize this event!

Portuguese-American Literature Program

Last week, a group of attendees thoroughly enjoyed Christopher Larkosh's presentation on the subject of Portuguese-American Literature in the Library's Conference Room. Mr. Larkosh is an Assistant Professor at UMASS-Dartmouth in the area of Portuguese-American Studies and is an Oak Bluffs native.

The lecture was co-sponsored by the Center for Portuguese Studies and Culture at UMass-Dartmouth and the Massachusetts Foundation for the Humanities. The Oak Bluffs Public Library would like to thank both organizations for making this educational program possible.

Portuguese-American Literature Today

Friday, August 24 at 3:30pm

Assistant Professor and Oak Bluffs native, Christopher Larkosh, will speak on the topic of Portuguese-American Literature today.

This event is co-sponsored by the Center for Portuguese Studies and Culture at UMass-Dartmouth and the Massachusetts Foundation for the Humanities