Tuesday, May 14, 2019


Artists the Muser is grateful for 

 In 1812, as a result of settlers moving into the region, the New York State Legislature created the Town of Bellona, taken from the western section of Caledonia.  In 1813, the State Legislature changed the name to LeRoy, after Herman LeRoy, a wealthy New York City merchant, land speculator, and owner of the Triangle Tract, a portion of which now contains the Town.  Located on the eastern border of Genesee County, The Village of LeRoy is one of the most picturesque communities in upstate New York.  First settled in 1797, the community is nestled along the beautiful Oatka Creek.  The tree-lined streets are lined with stately Victorian homes in a quiet setting only a half hour from Rochester and less than an hour from Buffalo.  http://www.leroyny.org/

Practicing an art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow, for heaven's sake.  Sing in the shower.  Dance to the radio.  Tell stories.  Write a poem to a friend, even a lousy poem.  Do it as well as you possibly can.  You will get an enormous reward.  You will have created something.” ― Kurt Vonnegut, A Man Without a Country  “And on the subject of burning books:  I want to congratulate librarians, not famous for their physical strength or their powerful political connections or their great wealth, who, all over this country, have staunchly resisted anti-democratic bullies who have tried to remove certain books from their shelves, and have refused to reveal to thought police the names of persons who have checked out those titles.  So the America I loved still exists, if not in the White House or the Supreme Court or the Senate or the House of Representatives or the media.  The America I love still exists at the front desks of our public libraries.”  ― Kurt Vonnegut, A Man Without a Country

The National Medal for Museum and Library Service is the nation’s highest honor for institutions that make significant and exceptional contributions to their communities.  Since 1994, IMLS has presented the award to institutions that demonstrate extraordinary and innovative approaches to community service.  Link to 2019 winners and finalists at https://www.imls.gov/issues/national-initiatives/national-medal-museum-and-library-service/2019-medals

NOTHING VENTURED, NOTHING GAINED - " You can't get anywhere unless you're willing to take a risk.  The saying dates back to Chaucer (c. 1374) and is similar to the late fourteenth century French proverb:  Qui onques rien n'enprist riens n'achieva (He who never undertook anything never achieved anything).  The proverb was included in John Heyword's collection of proverbs in 1546.  First cited in the United States in 'Letters and Papers of Cadwallader Colden.  It takes varying forms:  Nothing ventured, nothing lost, nothing ventured, nothing won, etc . . . "  From the "Random House Dictionary of Popular Proverbs and Sayings" by Gregory Y. Titelman (Random House, New York, 1996).  https://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/5/messages/951.html

Sun, Moon, and Talia is an Italian literary fairy tale written by Giambattista Basile in his 1634 work, the Pentamerone Charles Perrault retold this fairy tale in 1697 as The Sleeping Beauty and also the Brothers Grimm in 1812 as Little Briar Rose.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun,_Moon,_and_Talia 
See also Sleeping Beauty, tales of Aarne-Thompson-Uther type 410 translated and/or edited by  

Charles Perrault (1628–1703) was a French author and member of the Académie Française.  He laid the foundations for a new literary genre, the fairy tale, with his works derived from earlier folk tales.  The best known of his tales include Le Petit Chaperon Rouge (Little Red Riding Hood), Cendrillon (Cinderella), Le Chat Botté (Puss in Boots), La Belle au bois Dormant (The Sleeping Beauty) and Barbe Bleue (Bluebeard).  Some of Perrault's versions of old stories have influenced the German versions published by the Brothers Grimm more than 100 years later.  The stories continue to be printed and have been adapted to opera, ballet (such as Tchaikovsky's The Sleeping Beauty), theatre, and film.  Perrault was an influential figure in the 17th-century French literary scene, and was the leader of the Modern faction during the Quarrel of the Ancients and the Moderns.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Perrault

Actress Doris Day, who became one of the greatest box-office attractions of her time as the cheery, freckle-faced personification of wholesomeness, died May 13, 2019 at the age of 97.  Her shiny girl-next-door image was built on a series of innocent romantic comedies, including “Pillow Talk,” for which Day received an Oscar nomination, “That Touch of Mink” and “The Thrill of It All.”  Day also had hit records, most notably “Que Sera, Sera” from the movie “The Man Who Knew Too Much.”  It became her theme song, even though she had initially been reluctant to record it.  Day was born Doris von Kappelhoff on April 3, 1922, in Cincinnati and headed to California at age 14 to be a dancer.  She abandoned that dream after her right leg was broken in an auto accident.  Day concentrated on singing and at 16 had a job with Les Brown, one of the top orchestra leaders of the day, and recorded her first hit, “Sentimental Journey,” with him.  She changed her surname at the suggestion of a band leader who heard her sing “Day by Day.”  She stayed away from entertainment circles for more than 20 years after accepting a lifetime achievement honor from Golden Globe organizers in 1989 but released a CD in 2011.  Proceeds from the recording went to her animal foundation.  Bill Trott  https://www.reuters.com/article/us-people-doris-day/doris-day-hollywood-star-of-the-1950s-and-60s-dead-at-97-idUSKCN1SJ1E7

 http://librariansmuse.blogspot.com  Issue 2097  May 14, 2019 

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