A (Folk)Tale as Old as Time: 3 Folklore Retellings
I recently went to see Hadestown on Broadway. If you’re unfamiliar with the musical, it is a retelling of the Orpheus and Eurydice myth. The story goes like this: Eurydice is trapped in the Underworld as a result of a deal she made with Hades. Orpheus travels there to rescue her, and they are told that they can walk out of Hell, but if he looks back at Eurydice as they walk out, she has to return to the Underworld permanently. Just as they’re about to escape, Orpheus is plagued by doubt and turns to make sure that Eurydice is still following him. She gets pulled back into Hell as he laments…
Groundhog Day: Books You Can Read Over and Over Again
Ah, Groundhog Day. I grew up in Pennsylvania, not far from the home of the notorious Punxsutawney Phil and his yearly weather prediction on February 2. This is a ritual that derives from the Pennsylvania Dutch superstition that if a groundhog can see its shadow on February 2, it will retreat back into its burrow and spring won’t arrive for six more weeks. This was a relatively small, obscure rural tradition until the 1993 Bill Murrary movie Groundhog Day, which brought prominence to the event (and party that happens in Phil’s hometown). The film also forever tied the idea of Groundhog Day to…
Celebrating Queer Joy During Pride
You've Been Accepted: Queer and Trans-Inclusive Magic Schools
I have a complicated relationship with Harry Potter. I read the first three books back-to-back-to-back at the very beginning of the Harry Potter craze, then proceeded to fall in love with Harry, Hermione, and Ron over the next decade. As I was about to enter my senior year of high school, Harry was battling Voldemort for the last time. I quite literally grew up with Harry. Harry Potter taught me that girls could be smart and capable (even more so than the boys), that friendship and love and determination can defeat evil, and that evil isn’t always obvious (remember Dolores Umbridge?) and to…
What We're Reading: BPL Staff Edition
As librarians, we’re used to turning to books for comfort and escape. One of the topics of discussion that has come up for us has been how our reading habits have changed as our world has changed. Many of us are turning to new genres (hello fantasy and romance!). Some of us are finding that it’s harder to focus and we’re reading less, while some of us are finding that we’re reading a lot more as we just want a way to escape 2020. Either way, here’s a roundup of some of the books that BPL librarians and staff have been reading recently. Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chbosky The story got a…