The California Midwinter International Exposition of 1894, more commonly known as the California Midwinter Fair, was the brainchild of Michael H. deYoung, the publisher of the San Francisco Chronicle and a commissioner of the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago. DeYoung was inspired by the great success of the Columbian Exposition and wanted San Francisco to benefit from the public’s desire for this kind of extravaganza. His idea was to transport...
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For the average aspiring writer, the idea of getting published -- much less getting published to critical acclaim -- feels like a fever dream, something unattainable and reserved for those without a raging case of imposter syndrome. With that said, last Wednesday, I had the privilege of attending the premiere of Ted Gioia's Rising Writers Series, featuring Ingrid Rojas Contreras (Fruit of the Drunken Tree) and Elaine Castillo (America is Not the Heart) in conversati...
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BOOKS
FICTION
Lawrence Ferlinghetti Little boy
Laila Lalami The other Americans
Rajeev Balasubramanyam Professor Chandra follows his bliss
Ann Beattie A wonderful stroke of luck
Evan James...
April is National Poetry Month! Browse our audiobook display on the second floor for a selection of poetry from our audiobook and eAudiobook collections.
Plus, don’t miss out on our National Poetry Month events here at Mechanics’ Institute cosponsored by Poetry Flash on April 3rd at 6:30 pm and...
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BOOKS
FICTION
Jesse Blackadder In the blink of an eye
Adélaïde Bon The little girl on the ice floe
Kate Hope Day If, then
Dave Eggers The parade
Salley Vickers...
BOOKS
FICTION
William Boyle A friend is a gift you give yourself
Nickolas Butler Little faith
Maggie Gee Virginia Woolf in Manhattan
Anne-Gine Goemans Gliding flight
Anne Griffin...
BOOKS
FICTION
Kathryn Davis The Silk Road
Chigozie Obioma An orchestra of minorities
Fernando Aramburu Homeland
Jamil Jan Kochai 99 nights in Logar
Preti Taneja...
Despite the Orwellian nature of her new novel, Hazards of Time Travel, Joyce Carol Oates imbued humor into her talk, mostly self-deprecating but always hitting its intended mark. The novel was originally supposed to be called Vicissitudes of Time Travel, though admittedly I had to look up the word; apparently it means “a change of circumstances or fortune.”
For a second, I forgot that a literary titan was standing in front of me; her talk was conversational, like goi...
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BOOKS
FICTION
Jen Beagin Vacuum in the dark
Levan Berdzenishvili Sacred darkness: the last days of the Gulag
Historical Fiction
Christopher Castellani Leading men
Elizabeth Letts...
Since March is Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day is celebrated on March 8th, we selected audiobooks focused on women in history and women leaders for our current audiobook display. Enjoy historical tales of bravery alongside words of wisdom from contemporary women. There is a little bit of everything from life during the Tudor Age to life under the Taliban’s rule. Happy listening!
The Hidden Lives of Tudor Women: A Social History by El...
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