Well-known to be one of the best short story writers of his century, Franz Kafka turns up in school curriculums and must-read lists often--and for good reason.  His stories border between realism and the wacky in ways that make us question what we know about life, humanity, and writing itself.  The test of a good (literary) writer is in being able to read and re-read their work, always finding new things to question your thinking.  Kafka most definitely does this with his unmistakably unsettling writing.  While all of Kafka’s works are worth reading, it helps to know where to start.  Undoubtedly his most famous work, ‘Metamorphosis’ or ‘Die Verwandlung’, is a great starting place for anyone new to Kafka’s writing.  True to form, Kafka tosses the reader into the midst of the story, beginning ‘in media res’ when Gregor Samsa wakes one morning to find himself turned into a giant beetle (commonly thought of as a cockroach).  Gregor becomes isolated from his family as he struggles to communicate and to live a healthy life.  He is ‘simply tolerated’ and he is abhorred, with the story exploring themes of depression, otherness, and in the very end, hope.  Other popular works include The Trial and his first novel Amerika (also known as The Man Who Disappeared).  https://writersedit.com/fiction-writing/the-top-3-short-stories-by-franz-kafka/  Link to fourteen of Franza Kafka's stories at http://www.kafka-online.info/

Paul Many of Toledo has written a delightful new children's picture book titled "Dinomophosis."  Illustrated by Stan Jaskiel. it's a take off on Kafka's "The Metamorphosis" but, instead of waking up as a giant bug, Gregor(y)--a small boy--wakes up as a 6-foot-tall T. Rex.  Kafka's 135th birthday is July 3 and 2015 was the 100th anniversary of "The Metamorphosis."  Find publication information for "Dinomorphosis" at http://pelicanpub.com/proddetail.php?prod=9781455623044#.WwlSv-4vyUk

In the words of author Paul Many:  "I read numerous translations of the opening of The Metamorphosis and tried to mimic the haunting words and spirit of the opening pages as best I could.  I wanted Gregor/Gregory's view down the blankets which the illustrator gave me on the title page, and the scene with the blankets slipping off of him.  I wanted Gregor's attitude of "I can't really think about this now; I must carry on as if nothing is wrong" (paraphrase) to come through.  I also wanted the illustrator to include some of the other objects like the picture of the lady with the fur hat, but it's a collaborative process and I could get only so much and didn't get those things into the illustrations, also reflecting the fact that it was ultimately a children's book.  For the explanatory afterword, I read various pieces about what exactly Gregor had turned into.  It turns out that Kafka didn't really want the kind of "horrible vermin" specifically identified, wanting to leave it blurred in Gregor's sleepy mind, not wanting it on the cover when it was first issued in it's own stand-alone volume, for example.  He and his friends did call it the "bug" story, however, so I thought "bug" was appropriate to use, especially in relating the story to children."  "Here's a New Yorker piece on translating The Metamorphosis, a piece I consulted among other sources:  https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/on-translating-kafkas-the-metamorphosis  Among other materials out there on the web, I took a look at The Royal Ballet's dance adaptation of the piece just to see what they did with it."    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r57j2U-kVtM  1:32:55

A bento box is a convenient lunch box.  The bento box has a long history in Japan, and although modern times have encouraged some weird and wonderful bento inventions and designs, the bento box as a concept has been around for centuries.  The first verified historical record of a bento-style lunch in Japan was during the Kamakura Period from 1185 to 1333.  During this period, a process of cooking rice and then storing it and eating it later became popular among the people of Japan.  The rice was often stored in traditional lacquer boxes and kept to eat later.  This process came about as it was very convenient and allowed people to eat whilst working or traveling.  The word bento literally means ‘convenient’.  The reason for this word to describe this type of lunch box is because it is usually nicely packaged and easy to eat on your lap or on a trip.  The food is usually bitesize and doesn’t need to be heated up, and it is usually tightly packed into small boxes which are easy to carry around.  A typical bento box has several different things, including rice, fish or meat, eggs, vegetables, pickled foods, and sometimes fruit.  Modern bento boxes have tried to offer a bit of variety, and some now contain sandwiches, sweet desserts and yogurts, salads, and fried potatoes.  Read more and see pictures at http://jpninfo.com/17972

The following Terry Crews profile is adapted from the book, Tribe of Mentors: Short Life Advice from the Best in the World, which features practical and detailed advice from 130+ of the world’s top performers.   Q.  What is the book (or books) you’ve given most as a gift, and why?  Or what are one to three books that have greatly influenced your life?  A.  The Master Key System by Charles F. Haanel.  I have read hundreds of personal development books, but this is the one that clearly showed me how to visualize, contemplate, and focus on what it was I truly wanted.  Q.  What are bad recommendations you hear in your profession or area of expertise?  A.  “Work hard to beat the competition.”  The truth is that competition is the opposite of creativity.  If I am working hard to beat the competition, it actually prevents me from thinking creatively to make all concepts of competition obsolete.  As a football player, I was told to work hard to compete against the other team, some perceived future threat (new draftees, age, or injury), and even my current teammates.  As an actor, you are told to look a certain way or do things you don’t agree with in order to “compete.”  This competitive mindset destroys people.  It’s the scorched-earth way of thinking, and everyone is burned.  from an interview by Tim Ferriss  https://tim.blog/2017/11/21/terry-crews/

Join us for a night of mixing and mingling as we celebrate The Steinem Sisters Collection!  The Steinem Sisters Collection is a feminist collection that explores the lives and achievements of women; champions their historical, cultural and political contribution; and strives to provide a welcoming space for women of all walks of life to share their truths.  Steinem Sisters Collection Opening Celebration  Monday, July 09 | 2018    6-7 p.m.  Toledo-Lucas County Public Library  Huntington Room, main library  Light refreshments will be provided.  This Steinem Sisters Collection was made possible due to a generous donation by The Steinem’s Sisters Collective.  For more information on The Steinem Sisters Collection and related programs, visit special collections on the Library website or call the Humanities Department at 419.259.5218.

A.Word.A.Day with Anu Garg  Coined from the Greek epi- (upon) + -onym (name), eponyms are words coined after people.  Hobbesian  (HOB-zee-uhn)  adjective  1.  Of or relating to Thomas Hobbes or his ideas.  2.  Grim, selfish, unrestrained, etc.  After English philosopher and author Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679), who in his book Leviathan displayed a grim, dog-eat-dog view of human nature.  Earliest documented use:  1776.

How to Cook Bacon Ahead, Freeze, and Warm Up Fast  Lay bacon on a a broiling rack in a single layer.  Place the rack of bacon on a baking sheet to catch the grease as it bakes.  Bake in a 375 degree oven for 15-30 minutes (time varies based on thickness of bacon).  Pull bacon out of oven just before it has reached the crispiness level you prefer.  Allow bacon to cool on paper towels.  Transfer cooked and cooled bacon to a gallon-sized freezer bag.  (I leave the cooked bacon on the paper towels when putting it in the freezer bags.)  Freeze up to three months.  Rewarm bacon by taking desired amount of cooked bacon slices directly from freezer and heating them in a skillet for about 1 minute on each side.  http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/how-to-cook-bacon-in-the-oven-freeze-and-warm-up-fast

                     

Ask just about anybody, and you'll probably hear that a healthy diet is one full of fruits and vegetables, olive oil, nuts and fish—what's called Mediterranean diet.  A lot of research has suggested people who eat this way tend to be healthier, but it's been harder to prove whether that is because of the diet or some other factor.  So in 2013, many took notice of a study in the New England Journal of Medicine that seemed to provide some proof.  The study found that people eating the Mediterranean diet supplemented with olive oil were 30 percent less likely to experience a heart attack, stroke, or death from cardiovascular causes than people assigned to a low-fat diet.  People who stuck with a Mediterranean diet supplemented with mixed nuts had a 28 percent lower risk than those asked to follow a low-fat diet.  But the New England Journal of Medicine retracted the paper June 13, 2018 because of problems in the way the study was carried out.  Although retractions are relatively rare—taking down fewer than 1 in 1,000 published articles—the rate is increasing.  The authors of the NEJM paper are replacing the 2013 paper with a corrected version that shows people following the diet had a similarly reduced level of heart attacks and strokes.  The major change is softer language about the conclusions.  The revised paper says only that people eating the Mediterranean diet had fewer strokes and heart attacks, not, as the original paper claimed, that the diet was the direct cause of those health benefits.  Alison McCook  Find out why the 2013 study was investigated at https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2018/06/13/619619302/errors-trigger-retraction-of-study-on-mediterranean-diets-heart-benefits

http://librariansmuse.blogspot.com  Issue 1902  June 14, 2018  Word of the Day  move the goalposts  verb  (idiomatic) To alter the terms of an agreement or an agreed target, or the rules of a negotiation while it is ongoing, especially in an unfair way. The 2018 FIFA World Cup begins today in Moscow, Russia.  Wiktionary