Canarsie #34, 12/3/08

Books. Can't live with 'em, can't live...no, wait a minute. So, it's December. Which explains why it's 64 degrees and rainy outside. There's been some cold days, though, lemme tell ya. Also my crappy ikea bedframe finally fell apart so I took the advice of the internet and made a bed out of boxes. It actually works surprisingly well...one day and counting. I also got a sweet new laptop, so, win some lose some. So, I read that Ralph Bakshi book from last time. Well, maybe read is a strong word for it. I looked at all the awesome pictures, and I read my fair share of it. At least half. I also went out and downloaded on of the movies the book talked about after I finished it (Coonskin) because it doesn't seem to be readily available on DVD. Haven't watched it yet, but I'm looking forward to it. Anyway, there is of course a new library to talk about: the Canarsie Branch!

Branch: Canarsie
Location: 1580 Rockaway Pkwy. at Ave. J
Transport: F train to Bay Parkway, B6 bus to Flatlands Ave. & Rockaway
Items: Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand; The Underground Railroad by Charles L. Blockson; Lush Life by Richard Price
Date: Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Let's be clear here, I am not planning to read all of these books. I am not a Randian zombie, I'm still the same enraged weirdo you've all come to know. I had a preservation project for my class, and the first two books I took out this time were damaged and I thought I might write about them. Ok, moving on. How did I get to Canarsie? Well, you may remember in my last entry long, long ago that I wanted to get the book Lush Life by Richard Price (which has since been picked as one of The Economist's best books of the year! Woo!) but I couldn't, because the copy at Stone Avenue was missing. Well, I looked up other branches that had it, and Canarsie was one of 'em. The branch is right near the last stop on the L train, but I didn't really feel like taking the L, so I went further into South Brooklyn before getting a bus up that way. I got to see a few neighborhoods I hadn't been through, which was pretty neat. Anyway.

The library itself was very nice. I got there around when school lets out, and the atmosphere was of a bustling (but quiet) community center. There were kids reading, sleeping, hanging out, even a couple playing a Magic: the Gathering type card game. I didn't even know any of them still existed. The selection was good and the librarians were helpful: I attempted to use the auto-checkout kiosk and couldn't quite get my barcode swiping speed right, so a very nice woman came over and helped. I realize this makes me sound like an idiot, but it was hard, trust me. The other interesting interaction I had was with a woman in the vestibule when I first came in. I don't know whether or not she was a librarian, but she had seen me taking pictures of the library and she asked me why I was doing it. I told her no reason (or just because, or some other dumb answer like that) and she somewhat forcefully told me I couldn't take pictures inside the library, which I acknowledged. I wonder if my big crazy beard makes people more uneasy? Well, it's not the first time people have been weird about my picture-taking, but the other times it was just that they didn't want to be in the pictures. The neighborhood was also nice. I figured it would be somewhat similar to the part of Brownsville I was in last time: fairly bleak, empty, whatever. But as usual I was wrong. Canarsie was nice, with some pretty houses and a normal assortment of bodegas, delis, etc. I took some pictures of the neighborhood as well.

Lush Life was really excellent. The fact that I read a 450-page book in a week after haign just finished the monstrous 2666 (which was excellent, just somewhat soul-crushing) is a testament to how gripping it was. A former writer for The Wire and longtime crime novelist, Richard Price has a wonderful way of combining action, procedural cop stuff, and characters' interactions and thoughts into a fascinating book. His dialogue is some of the best I've ever read. This is just an excellent book, and to top it all off, it takes place on the Lower East Side (in 2003) so if you live in New York you can picture all of the corners where it takes place. Which I found really fun. So, hopefully I can top this book next time, but I kinda doubt it. The jury's still out on whether I will visit another branch before the end of the year, but I hope so. In any case, it is now (approximately) the two year anniversary of me starting this blog! How cool is that! I may have slowed down some since those unemployed days, but my goal of visiting every branch is definitely in sight. Only nine to go. Pics:



The Verrazano Bridge behind a large cemetery at Bay Parkway.



There it is!



Easy access!



Leaving.



This was a cool house a few doors down from the library.



And, here we have a house of worship of some kind.

So that's it. Nice day for a library stroll, it was. Since I've finished my book maybe I'll be back in the next couple weeks. That would be nice, right?

Stone Avenue #26, 10/22/08

Just before the month ends, here I am with a new post. It was a somewhat chill but still pleasant day last Wednesday, and I had already renewed my items from my last trip once, and the computer wouldn't do it again, because my new library card wasn't updated in the system. I didn't want any more fines, had the day off etc. etc., so I figured it was about time for another trip. I looked up a book that the Village Voice recently mentioned favorably as a portrait of gritty New York, the way it used to be (Lush Life by Richard Price), picked a library that had it and that I hadn't been to, and before I knew it, I was off to the comic store. It was Wednesday, after all. But after that I went to the Stone Avenue Branch!

Branch: Stone Avenue
Location: 581 Mother Gaston Boulevard
Transport (from comic store): L to Sutter St.
Item: Unfiltered: The Complete Ralph Bakshi (The Force Behind Fritz the Cat, Mighty Mouse, Cool World, and The Lord of the Rings) by John M. Gibson and Chris McDonnell
Date: Wednesday, October 22, 2008

This will be a pretty short entry, because I already talked about the books I got last time in that entry, and because I have to pack for my trip to L.A. tomorrow. (woo!!) Stone Avenue started out life in 1914 as the Brownsville Children's Library, the first public library devoted to children in the whole world. It was all decorated with excellent wooden carvings, like rabbit's heads on the benches, and had a decidedly pleasant, childlike atmosphere. There's even a big fake fireplace in it, though perhaps it functioned at one time. There are countless children's programs every week, and it was on the whole one of the nicest branches I've been to. The librarian was very helpful when I couldn't find the book, though she was unable to find it either. I kept circling around looking for something more portable, but my eye kept coming back to the huge Ralph Bakshi book (he made many famous cartoons, a counter-culture icon, look him up!) which I eventually selected.

I always get a bit neurotic going into the supposedly "bad" parts of Brooklyn like Brownsville, but as usual my fears were unjustified. Although I did have to walk through many blocks of projects to get to the library, and the neighborhood seemed a bit depressing as a result, the library building really stands out as a pleasant one in an otherwise very static neighborhood. I got to see a bit more of the area on my way out, since I had to get the 3 train to head back to my part of Brooklyn, and the area underneath the elevated tracks was a bit nicer (but you can't trust me, I'm kind of a sucker for elevated train tracks).

I had to get my library card all fixed up, and then pay my fines, which involved a few minor gaffes...by gaffes I mean problems, I didn't inadvertently insult the librarian or anything. Maybe they weren't gaffes then. I blame the 24-hour news networks. In any event, it's all taken care of, I don't owe the library any money, I even got a Snapple and everything so you know I'm legit.

If anything else happened, I sure don't remember it. Pics:



1



2



3!

Yeah, that's all. Told you it would be short. Now don't forget to get out there and vote! Sometime between now and Tuesday! Make it happen! Hooray democracy! See ya'll next month when we have a new president(-elect). Whew.

Sheepshead Bay #56, 9/3/08

Library time is at hand! It's like the saying goes...another month, another library! It doesn't, you say? No, no, I'm pretty sure it does. I went to this one...let's see...almost two weeks ago? Hopefully I can remember a few key details. Firstly, the book I took out from the last branch, Sentimental, Heartbroken Rednecks. It wasn't exactly what I expected; it was divided into three parts, the first being short stories, the second being essays, and the third seemingly autobiographical anecdotes. It was all very good, right up my alley, and I suppose anyone's who likes short stories and/or the South. The stories had a very immediate feel, and when reading them I really felt as though I had experienced the events that were taking place. The one story in which the narrator described his mushroom use was particularly well-written; it didn't sink into stereotypes, but instead tried to replicate an experience in language that transcends language more than most others. There was even an essay about my favorite short story writer from the South, Breece D'J Pancake. All in all a strong collection that I would recommend to pretty much everybody.

So, that finished, I hopped on my bike, down Ocean Parkway's wonderful bike path, and ultimately turned just before reaching Coney Island, to find the Sheepshead Bay Branch.

Branch: Sheepshead Bay
Location: 2636 E.14th St. at Ave. Z, between Sheepshead Bay Rd. and Shore Pkwy.
Transport: bike!
Items: Project X by Jim Shepard; Stuck in the Middle: 17 Comics from an Unpleasant Age edited by Ariel Schrag
Date: Wednesday, September 3, 2008

It was nice being in the vicinity of Coney Island so close to Astroland's last weekend in operation (and I went back that Friday night to experience it one last time). I always enjoy that part of Brooklyn, as it's a nice bike ride to get out there, the sea breeze is in the air, and it's got a nice isolated, small town (well, maybe mid-size city) feel. The library itself was wonderful; a nice group of patrons, friendly librarians, good selection, well laid out, I'm pretty sure it even smelled nice. Well, I honestly don't remember that...maybe it's time to start taking notes.

The two best things that happened were as follows. First, it's absurd now how long ago this was because at this point I've basically lost all hope, but there were three or four older ladies talking about the most vile, despicable gathering ever to befoul my beloved Twin Cities: you may know it as the RNC. They weren't very loud, so I listened for a while, as I couldn't tell which side they supported. I figured it out when one of them said, "Did you hear Lieberman's speech? I thought I would throw up!" Put a smile on my face, which subsequent poll numbers have almost completely removed.

The other thing: getting a new library card. It's all green and whatnot! Comes in a little case with a foldout map of all the branches! Whaaaaaa!!! Of course, I basically had my old bar code number memorized, but it's a small price to pay. I asked the librarian why they had new cards, and she answered something to the effect of they have nothing better to do. I said they could pay you guys (the librarians) more, and she just rolled her eyes. Yeah, it was pretty damn funny.

The books? Well of course I've read them both now, but I'll just give a brief run-through now because...let's face it, I'm tired. Project X was an excellent, if disturbing and nearly hopeless look at two middle-schoolers who are picked on beyond any reasonable degree. The book does seem realistic, and the characterizations are excellent, but on the whole I enjoyed Jim Shepard's short stories more. Stuck In the Middle is a comic book anthology of stories in which the protagonists are in - yep - middle school. Most are funny, some are depressing, others happy. Overall, just as realistic as Project X, and definitely more hopeful, but not as gripping. Project X actually made me miss my subway stop on the way to work one morning, though, so there you go. Why am I reading all these books about kids anyway? Damn kids. No respect these days!

Pictures, as always:



Most



Less



Vanished



Oh yeah, and this awesome sign for a lawyer! Mostly in Cyrillic! All right!

Ok, that's it, I'm gonna go watch some more Pete and Pete Season 3. Bye!

Bedford #22, 8/21/08

Well, I'm back, and the response has been overwhelming! Wait, did I say overwhelming? Yeah, I meant non-existent. As in, Yankees playoffs hopes non-existent. Sigh. But, anyway, wouldn't want to leave everyone hanging regarding my "express read" (No Country For Old Men) from last week: I did indeed finish it and return it on time. And it was excellent! In some ways I wish I had read the book before seeing the movie, because they are both so similar, and also found myself picturing the actors as the characters. Still, I'm glad I read it, since I love McCarthy's writing style, and there was added depth to the story, particularly Sheriff Bell's character but also Llewelyn Moss', that I really enjoyed. It was also interesting seeing how many off the offbeat jokes that I assumed were Coen Brothers' touches that were actually right from the book.

The other book I read, Skim, was a graphic novel about a girl's experience in high school and dealing with death and relationships and annoying peers etc. It was really good, the art was very evocative, giving an excellent sense of time and place, and probably the part of the work that I enjoyed most. The story was quite good too, and really resonated with me when it reminded me of similar experiences and relationships I'd had in high school. Definitely worth the time. Plus, it made me think of fall, which I'm quite excited for.

So, last week, still high off going to my first (Brooklyn) library in months, I went to another one...the Bedford Branch.

Branch: Bedford
Location: 496 Franklin Avenue
Transport: bike!
Item: Sentimental, Heartbroken Rednecks: Stories from the New South by Greg Bottoms
Date: Thursday, August 21, 2008

So it's gotten to the point where I need to just pick a library I haven't been to on the map and go there, selection be damned. This one, despite its name bringing up images of hipsterburg, is up in Prospect Heights, where I've been a lot lately for some reason. It's a nice neighborhood, pleasant and green but not too crowded or loud. Despite the fact that I'm no longer going with specific items in mind, I'm happy to say that I basically always end up with something I'm pleased with, this time being no exception. I'm a sucker for any and all art from the American South; I picked this up thinking it was a short story anthology, but it's all by this one guy. So far it's really good.

The library was nice, a typical Carnegie building design, but unlike in many others the upstairs/balcony portion is open to the public. There was a nice magazine reading/relaxing area up there. I think there was a sleeping guy up there, but its been a week, so I can't be too sure. No water fountain. There was some outdoor seating around back and a nice grassy area. And a big tree out front. So, good atmosphere all around. And as a bonus, I took a route home that went through the park, so i got to sit there for a while and read my new comic purchase (Abandoned Cars by Tim Lane, it's really excellent).

Oh I almost forgot, I also went to this great free concert at Lincoln Center last Wednesday (Aug. 20th) that WFMU put on. It was mostly African music that I was completely unfamiliar with, an it was all amazing. The Ex (great Dutch punk band) played with Gétatchèw Mèkurya, an awesome Ethiopian saxophonist. The Either/Orchestra, a big band orchestra from Boston, played with Mahmoud Ahmed and Alèmayèhu Eshèté, who are both superstars in the African community who have been around for decades - the crowd went nuts for them, and with good reason, they were great. Extra Golden is a D.C. based band that mixes traditional/indie rock type stuff with African music. So yeah, a totally amazing show, and I'd recommend all of the performers to anyone (though i think Mahmoud Ahmed was my favorite.) Now, for pictures...of the library, not the concert. Though I have those too.



Kid stuff kids.



Wonder at the awesome majesty!



Neighborhood resident chatting with one of New York's finest. Seriously, though, he didn't harass me for taking the picture, so that's good.

That's all for now, but this book is coming along nicely and I should be done soon. Oh yeah, don't forget to watch Obama's speech tonight. Woo! Elections! Democracy! Yeah!

Dyker #82, 8/16/08

Been a long time. You didn't think I'd give up so close to my goal, though, did you? The last book I read (from a Brooklyn Library) was The End of America. I don't remember it too well now. As far as politics is concerned, The only thing really on my mind is the upcoming presidential election. How is Obama not crushing in the polls? What's the matter with people??? BAAAAAAAA Ok rant over. I just pray I'm not going to be one sad little boy on November 4th. I'd also feel better if I lived in a swing state...not that one vote makes a big difference. But, on to the library stuff. That's what we're all here for!

Branch: Dyker
Location: 8202 13th Ave. (@ 82nd St.)
Transport: bike!
Items: Skim by Mariko and Jillian Tamaki; No Country For Old Men by Cormac McCarthy
Date: Saturday, August 16, 2008

Wow, it's hard to even think of all things things that have happened since my last update. I went to a music festival in England, turned 25, got a new camera, finished some library school classes...uh...um...there was a Solstice...yeah, you know, lots of things happened. And now, it's nearly the end of summer. How'd that happen? I've actually been reading a ton (I recently got compeltely obsessed with the Love and Rockets comic book series, I recommend it to all humans) but it's all been stuff I get at work and read (of which there's still a large backlog) or comics. Finally, even though I'm in the middle of an excellent book, I took advantage of yesterday's perfect weather to bike to Kensington, collect my friend Amanda, and make her bike to a library with me. The Dyker Branch, to be exact!

It's a nice branch to come back to, as it reminds me what I love about the Brooklyn Public Library system. Sure, it has a somewhat cold exterior with barbed wire on the roof, and the inside is just a big open rectangle. But the neighborhood is gorgeous, the books are laid out very well, and the staff is friendly. The librarian who checked my books out even recommended a great pizza place in the area when I asked for a lunch place! Way to nail the reference question. Also, she reminded me of my $1.50 in fines from my last book, which I promptly paid. Hopefully posting that information here won't destroy my reputation.

One last bit of good news: the library has a new (to me) feature! Express reads are books that can only be taken out for a week at a time. No Country For Old Men is one such book. This of course means I have to finish my current read as well as No Country by next Saturday, which should be doable with no class to contend with. I like the policy because it gives people a chance to get more popular books that would otherwise all be checked out, such as an excellent western that have since been made into a best picture-winning film, but I also like it because it ups the odds that I'll be back here with another library under my belt in barely over a week! If I have any readers left, they should certainly be excited by the news. Oh yeah, also, Skim is some comic that looked somewhat interesting. High school angst and whatnot. Full report later. Now, on to the pics.



Full view.



Left side...



Right side.



Nice church across the street.



And lastly, Amanda "enjoying" a piece of pizza from Rosa's. No, actually, the pizza was really good. "Get the squares," as the librarian told us.

Well, that's a wrap for today. Hope you're excited that I'm back, I know I sure am. See you all soon!

Clarendon #33, 4/03/08

Yet another post done way after the actual visit. Worse still, this visit was the day after I went to a Yankee game (they lost) and broke my camera. So I have pictures taken from my cell phone, but they happen to be very tiny. I'm sure I'll get a new camera soon, cause this cell phone thing is pretty ridiculous. But on to the "good" stuff.

Persepolis 2 was just as great as the first, although it interested me a little bit less just because the first one had more political stuff (about Iran's repressive government, the Iran-Iraq war, etc.) and this one focused more on her being a fish out of water in Germany, going through her teenage years, and so on. It was a bit more about growing up, a failed marriage, and other interpersonal relationships, but I think I enjoyed the deeper familial bonds established in the first book. Still, they're both great, they work best as a unit anyway, and anyone who likes one will like the other.

I've gotten to the point where I've been to the majority of Brooklyn's public libraries (actually last post was my 45th, indicating I'm 3/4 done), and so I've more or less given up on looking for specific items at specific branches. At this point, it just seems to make the most sense to pick a branch I haven't been to and go over there. And since I just got a new bike but am not back in great shape yet, I thought I'd go to relatively close library...the Clarendon Branch.

Branch: Clarendon
Location: 2035 Nostrand Ave.
Transport: bike!
Item: The End of America: Letter of Warning to a Young Patriot by Naomi Wolf
Date: Thursday, April 3, 2008

This library is really nice. Just southeast of Prospect Park, near Flatbush Avenue, it's easy to get to (especially via bicycle) and the building is fairly new, built in 1990 according to the website (and it won some award). There was also a really nice outdoor courtyard area, and it was nice enough to sit out there, but I didn't because I had only had my bike a couple days at that point and was extra paranoid about it getting stolen. More likely the seat getting stolen, since that has happened to my other bike twice now. But I've calmed down about all that a little bit now. Really.

As for the selection, I'm sure my bike-related fears didn't give me the most peaceful browsing experience, but I couldn't really find anything. Part of it is I have a bunch of books backed up at home that I need to read thanks to my new job, and school has been extra busy this semester, so it's hard to pick out any serious selection that I'd really be able to devote some time to. I ended up picking what I did because it's fairly short, and hey, I could always use another book depressing me about the current state of the country. Woooooooo!! Anyway, that's it for today except for the "photos."



Street view.



Right side.



Courtyard.

I probably won't go to another library until I have a camera; as you can see, these pictures are fairly worthless. Hopefully that won't take too long but whenever I say that it does. So, I'll update when I update! Throwing caution to the wind here!

Flatlands #39, 3/19/08

Well, another month, another post. Though, oddly enough, I actually went to this library a full week ago. What have I been doing since then? Trespassing around Yale, getting into Hellboy (awesome), watching some movies like Lost Highway (awesome), and doing classwork (slightly less awesome). Not to mention the good old job, which is actually going really well. I even have insurance and all, though I recently got a couple of lists of approved and non-approved drugs. Hadn't heard of any on the approved list, but they must be better...right?

We're here, though, for the libraries! Yeah! The last books I took out were Persepolis and All The Pretty Horses. They were both fantastic. I knew a little more what to expect from Persepolis, having seen the movie, but I enjoyed the comic a bit more, it being somewhat fuller (though it was only part 1 of the whole story that was in the movie) and, well, I just really love comics. Animation's great too though.

All The Pretty Horses was just amazing. I knew, after seeing No Country For Old Men and reading The Road, that Cormac McCarthy was capable of amazing writing, both through his language and his plotting, but All The Pretty Horses still blew me away. It was an adventure story, a love story, a prison story, a story about family, and how they suffocate you: a million stories all in one. And the language was stunningly beautiful. And Eric Stolz's character in Kicking and Screaming found it erotic! Perfect! Also, lots of horses. I'll have to read more of McCarthy's work as soon as possible.

So, this library. I knew I wanted to finish the Persepolis story, so I found the branch that I hadn't been to that had said book on the shelves. And it's name was! The Flatlands Branch.

Branch: Flatlands
Location: 2065 Flatbush Ave. at Ave. P
Transport: R train to Pacific St., B41 bus to Ave. P
Item: Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return by Marjane Satrapi
Date: Wednesday, March 19, 2008

This library was nice. I shouldn't wait I week to write, because I forget a lot. It was rainy, and the bus ride took absolutely forever. I assume it's called "Flatlands" because it's on Flatbush Avenue, but so far out that it's like distant lands. Maybe that's what the neighborhood is called, who knows. It was a relatively modern branch, the building having been built in the 1950s. And don't let the fact that I only got one book out fool you, it had a great selection. Also a Snapple machine. I got an iced tea.

An interesting side benefit of this trip was the ability to fulfill my destiny. Loyal readers may remember (though it is extremely unlikely) in this post, almost a year ago, when a nice librarian named Ellen told me she was enjoying my blog, and should ask for her when i fulfilled my destiny by coming to Flatlands and obtaining the Triforce. Something like that. Anyway, for some reason, asking for this Ellen took all of my nerve. I sat reading my new Persepolis volume for a while, picking out who I thought might be Ellen, waiting, waiting, and finally I asked her if an Ellen worked there. Apparently her hours had changed and she wasn't in as much anymore and she had actually been in earlier that day (!) but I missed her. I was too flustered to leave a message. Ellen, if you're out there, hello, sorry I missed, your branch was delightful.

And we've got the pictures to prove it!



We have across the street...



and in the crosswalk. I feared for my safety! Are libraries truly the most dangerous game???

It was one of those building-locked branches, so I only took a couple of pictures. Well, three pictures really, but one of them was way blurry. It's no excuse, I know. But...it was raining! I was getting wet! Come on!!!

I finished Persepolis 2 (review next time) so expect another post soonish.