Spring 2011 - Northeastern University Libraries

Meet the Author Series and Events
Spring 2011
Losing Graceland
Micah Nathan
Thursday, January 27 th @ Noon
421 Snell Library
From Booklist: “Ben Fish has recently graduated with a degree in
anthropology, undying love for his high-­‐school-­‐aged ex-­‐girlfriend Jess,
who broke up with him six months ago, and no plans for how to spend his
summer. To avoid another season working a dead-­‐end job at the local
mall, he responds to a newspaper ad from one John Barrow, who is
looking for a driver on short notice. John hires Ben to drive him to
Memphis, 900 miles away, in search of his granddaughter Nadine.
“Their trip quickly turns into a capriciously epic journey as John, who claims to be, and for all
purposes seems to actually be, Elvis Presley, takes them on detours to fight with biker gangs, visit
an oracle, and save a hooker named Ginger from her one-­‐eyed pimp. Nathan presents the reader
with several fantastic characters in this rollicking, adventurous tale. Readers will pore through this
fast-­‐paced, adrenaline-­‐filled novel and eat up the fantastic dialogue that brings Elvis back to life in a
new, deliciously lascivious way.”
“A novel of lost souls and a lost America . . . the idea of Elvis Presley hiding in plain sight as an Elvis
impersonator is a stroke of genius. Losing Graceland is pure entertainment.” —Tottenville Review
Sponsors: NU Libraries, NU Department of Music, NU Bookstore
People of the World: Through My Lens
Dr. Joseph Heyman, NU ’68
Thursday, February 3 rd @ Noon
333 Curry Student Center
WilliamsburgNative.com says, “Dr. Heyman’s photos are of the
quality you would expect to see in National Geographic or Life
magazines. After retirement from NASA Langley Research Center
in 2001, Heyman and his wife took a photo safari with a new DSLR
Photo by Joe Heyman

camera. They traveled to at least 10 countries in Europe, Africa, South America, Southeast Asia, and
the US,” taking breathtaking images along the way. Come learn about the stories behind these
sensational images!
“Art gives us new perspectives. Thank you, Joseph Heyman, for sharing yours.” —
WilliamsburgNative.com
Sponsors: NU Libraries, NU School of Journalism, NU Bookstore
Snell Library’s 20 th Anniversary Celebration
Postponed from February 4 th
Further details to follow
Hidden Harmonies: The Lives and Times of the Pythagorean Theorem
Robert Kaplan & Ellen Kaplan
Wednesday, February 9 th @ Noon
90 Snell Library
Hidden Harmonies opens up the world of controversy and discovery
surrounding the famous Pythagorean Theorem. Tracing the proof back to
the early years of its origin, the authors reference the numerous historical
geniuses who influenced the proofs of the theorem, including Leonardo da
Vinci, Albert Einstein, President James Garfield, and of course Pythagoras.
The book not only discusses the creation of the theorem, but also provides
in-­‐depth accounts of its many uses and applications throughout the
ancient and present world, from the planning and building of ancient
Egyptian pyramids to present day astronomers measuring the distance
between stars in the galaxy. — Amazon.com
Sponsors: NU Libraries, NU Bookstore
Getting Ahead: Social Mobility, Public Housing, and
Immigrant Networks
Silvia Dominguez
Wednesday, February 23 rd @ Noon
90 Snell Library
Getting Ahead tells the story of local Latin-­‐American immigrant women
who live in low-­‐income public housing around the city of Boston. With in-­depth
interviews and personal accounts, Dominguez captures the raw
emotion of the women themselves, and insists that each of them “parlay
social ties that provide support and leverage to develop networks and
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achieve social positioning to get ahead” (Amazon.com). The book emphasizes the strength and
determination of the women interviewed and how their ambitions and perseverance allow them to
push ahead, but also offers policy recommendations to help smooth their path. — Amazon.com
“A valuable contribution to the understanding of Latin American immigrants in the U.S.” —Roberta
Villalon, author of Violence Against Latina Immigrants: Citizenship, Inequality, and Community
Sponsors: NU Bookstore, NU Latino/a Student Cultural Center, NU Libraries
Your Creative Brain: Seven Steps to Maximize
Imagination, Productivity, and Innovation in Your Life
Shelley Carson
Wednesday, March 9 th @ Noon
90 Snell Library
Harvard psychologist Shelley Carson explains that creativity isn't
something only scientists, inventors, artists, writers, and musicians
enjoy, but rather all of us use our creative brains every day. She
shares how everyone has the ability to increase mental functioning
and creativity by activating seven brainsets: Connect, Reason,
Envision, Absorb, Transform, Evaluate, and Stream.
— Barnesandnoble.com
Sponsors: NU Libraries, NU Bookstore
Save the Date: Meet the Artist, Deborah Davidson
NU Humanities Center’s Artists and Practitioners in Residency Program
Presented By: NU Libraries & NU Humanities Center
Wednesday, March 16 th @ noon
Further details to follow
The Wise Man’s Fear
Patrick Rothfuss
Wednesday, March 16 th @ 6pm
90 Snell Library
The Wise Man’s Fear is the second book in Rothfuss’s Kingkiller
Chronicles series. Regarding the series’ first book, The Name of the
Wind, Library Journal says, “From his childhood as a member of a close-­knit
family of the nomadic Edema Ruh to his first heady days as a
student of magic at a prestigious university, humble bartender Kvothe
relates the tale of how a boy beset by fate became a hero, a bard, a
magician, and a legend. The author explores the development of a
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person’s character while examining the relationship between a legend and its reality and the truth
that lies at the heart of stories. Elegantly told and layered with images of tales to come, this richly
detailed ‘autobiography’ of a hero is highly recommended.”
“I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of immersing myself completely in the world and the events.
It’s such a great world, and the people are like real people, and what happens is endlessly
entertaining.” — Jo Walton, author of Lifeload
Sponsors: NU Libraries, NU Bookstore
To Get Back Home: A Mysterious Disease: A Fight for Life
Wendy Chapin Ford
Thursday, March 24 th @ 6pm
90 Snell Library
To Get Back Home describes an inspirational true story of survival and
triumph over a life-­‐altering disease. It tells the story of a young
woman who, despite her healthy and active lifestyle, is suddenly
struck with a rare neurological disorder, known as Acute
Demyelinating Encephalomyelitis (ADEM), that leaves her in a coma
and later a quadriplegic. The story follows Ford’s journey through the
diagnosis and treatment of her ailment, as well her miraculous
triumph over a disease that was previously believed to be fatal.
— Togetbackhome.com
“An engaging, moving memoir that unravels at a quick pace. Straightforward and honest, emotional
realism is achieved with quiet dignity, making it all the more poignant...” —Kate Darnton,
Contributing Editor, PublicAffairs
“Your very desire to live and not die was itself a kind of prayer.” —Professor Kimberley Patton,
Harvard Divinity School
Sponsors: NU Libraries, NU Bouvé College of Health Sciences, NU Bookstore
Hot Stuff: Disco and the Remaking of American Culture
Alice Echols
Wednesday, March 30 th @ Noon
90 Snell Library
In the Los Angeles Times, Ann Powers writes, “In this expertly
rendered, wide-­‐ranging history of one of pop’s most exciting social
and musical movements, Alice Echols thoroughly recovers the
moment in which disco was born and flowered—a moment of
liberation for women, gay men, and not a few straight boys; of rich
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experimentation in the studio and behind the DJ decks; and of joyful dancing that broke down all
kinds of boundaries. Echols, one of our best chroniclers of how pop creates social change (and is, in
turn, inspired by it), gets its vibe because she lived it—and because she can step back from it now
and see it whole.”
“Engrossing…Hot Stuff is not just about disco; it re-­‐examines the ’70s as a decade of revolution.”
— James Gavin, The New York Times Book Review
Sponsors: NU Libraries, NU Humanities Center, NU Bookstore
For the Love of Movies: The Story of American Film Criticism
A movie screening with Gerald Peary, world class film critic
Thursday, March 31 st @ 3pm
90 Snell Library
Quirky, beautifully constructed and indispensable, Gerry
Peary's film, For the Love of Movies, chronicles the cultural
and aesthetic history of the last fifty years of American film
criticism. Replete with examples from a half-­‐century of
American Cinema, the film explores the nature of filmic
experience and the daily missives that constitute the film
critic's work. Piece by piece, the film builds an argument for Gerald Peary, photo by Bram Belloni
the deep value film criticism has added to the history of
movies, and to our understanding of them. Not only a terrific film for the classroom, but a terrific
film as well. – Robb Moss, Harvard University
"I enjoyed it immensely, I learned a lot. Very well done, edited, researched-­‐-­‐and narrated!" – Roger
Ebert
"A lively and thoughtful survey...For the Love of Movies offers a concise, entertaining account of
mass-­‐market movie criticism, and I think a lot of universities would want to use it in film and
journalism courses." – David Bordwell, University of Wisconsin-­‐Madison
Sponsors: NU Libraries, NU Department of Cinema Studies, NU Bookstore
About the Meet the Author Series:
Northeastern University Libraries encourage dialogue on significant contemporary questions
through its Meet the Author program. The wide ranges of talks and discussions enrich the
intellectual and cultural fabric of the University. The Meet the Author programs are free and open
to the public. Refreshments will be served. For more information please contact Maria Carpenter at
617.373.2821 or m.carpenter@neu.edu.
About Northeastern University Libraries:
Northeastern University Libraries consist of Snell Library, John D. O’Bryant African-­‐American
Institute Library, and Marine Science Center Library. The libraries welcome over two million online
and walk-­‐in visitors a year. Collections include 967,000 volumes, 126,000 e-­‐books, and 35,000
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electronic journals. The libraries provide award-­‐winning research and instructional services, a
pioneering multimedia content creation space, a very popular Meet the Author series, and house
internationally recognized special collections that document social justice efforts in the Greater
Boston area. Northeastern has an ambitious vision to expand its digital initiatives, building on its
institutional repository and digitization of special collections. The libraries continue to break new
ground in scholarly communication, interdisciplinary research, and the emerging field of
transliteracy – the ability to read, write, and interact across multiple media formats. Northeastern
University Libraries lead the way in redefining library service in the 21st century. For more
information, please visit www.lib.neu.edu.
About Northeastern:
Founded in 1898, Northeastern is a global, experiential, research university. Grounded in its
signature co-­‐op program, Northeastern today provides students with unprecedented experiential
learning opportunities around the world. The University’s rapidly growing research enterprise is
strategically aligned with three national imperatives: health, security, and sustainability.
Northeastern offers a comprehensive range of undergraduate and graduate programs leading to
degrees through the doctorate in nine schools and colleges. For more information, please visit
www.northeastern.edu.
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