Pulitzer Prizes Awarded

Literature Prizes awarded today include:

For Fiction
March by Geraldine Brooks. Not to be confused with E. L. Doctorow's novel by the same title, which was also nominated for a Pulitzer-
In a story inspired by the father character in "Little Women" and drawn from the journals and letters of Louisa May Alcott's father, a man leaves behind his family to serve in the Civil War and finds his beliefs challenged by his experiences.
Reading Group Guide

For Biography
American Prometheus: the triumph and tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin. A portrait of scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer, the father of the atomic bomb, discusses his role in the twentieth-century scientific world, as well as his roles as family man and head of Princeton's Institute for Advanced Studies. This book also was a winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award.

For General Non-fiction
Imperial Reckoning the untold story of the end of empire in Kenya by Caroline Elkins
Reveals how the British colonial government detained more than one million members of Kenya's largest ethnic minority in prisons and work camps where many met their deaths as a result of a British attempt to stop the Mau Mau uprising.

For a complete list of prizes and nominations:
http://www.pulitzer.org/

Poems, Poets, Poetry

To help you rediscover poetry --if you've lost it ... (After all, April is National Poetry Month)

Roger Housden shares his ideas on 10 Poems to change your life, 10 Poems to Last you a lifetime, 10 Poems to open your heart, 10 poems to set you free, and more
Ten Poems, etc

With Voice of the Poet series on Audio CD, you can hear over 20 American poets, including Sylvia Plath, Elizabeth Bishop, Allen Ginsburg, Robert Frost, and e.e. cummings share their poems aloud.

Billy Collins , former U.S. Poet Laureate, has done much to promote the awareness of poetry in America. He's been heard of NPR, PBS, and the library has several of his books.

The Poet Laureate position in the U.S. began only in 1937. A number of notable Southern poets have served as Laureates, including Conrad Aiken, Allen Tate, Randall Jarrell, and James Dickey.

For more poetry news,
Library of Congress Poetry Place
Academy of American Poets
Teacher Resources for National Poetry Month
Anti-National Poetry Month by Charles Bernstein

Cherry Blossoms, Kites, Origami

Did you know that April is National Kite Month?

Check out the website:
National Kite Month

For books about kite flying, building, stories and such, see the library's catalog listings:
Kites

The Cherry Blossom Festival continues through April 9. Despite wind and rain, there may be some blossoms left to see. Look at the official website for the festival's calendar of events, including the parade on Saturday, April 8
Cherry Blossom Festival

The National Park Service also has a site about the Cherry Trees in Washington:
National Park Service Cherry Trees

Origami resources at the library include books, videos and DVD's for adults and children:
Origami as Keyword