Tayari's Blog: If any knows that NPR librarian...

Comment #1, by Ladylee

Tayari, you're gonna be at Wal-mart one day, and Nancy Pearl is going to run up on you and give you a piece of her mind!! Why don't you send her one of your books, along with a nice little note? (just don't mention that she drives you nuts! LOL)

I've been looking for NPR here in the ATL. Can't find it, but I'm sure it's here because I've heard it before.

By the way, you, um... need a TV...

I may just send you a 13" TV in the mail or something... :)

Comment #2, by Jackie

After you get the TV that Ladylee sends, skip most of the network shows and go straight to cable. There is an alternate universe out there on cable, one you would likely appreciate (Sundance Channel, Showtime, BBC Discovery). True, you could get lost in all the channels and wake up one day to discover whole chunks of time are mysteriously missing, but there are some quirky shows worth watching.

As a TV addict (yeah, I admit it), I am curious as to how you spend your time not watching TV? I need something like a 12 step progam to break the habit.

Comment #3, by Paulette

I say we all submit our own recommended reading for a rainy day to the NPR Ombudsman, either by calling 202-513-3245 or going online to http://www.npr.org/contact/ where you can leave listener feedback by clicking the "NPR Program" button in the Contact box. Just FYI, Nancy Pearl's list appeared on the Jan. 19 Morning Edition program. Tayari, what would your list look like?

Comment #4, by Michael Fischer

Speaking of NPR, this reminds me of a letter Rita Dove wrote to "Poets & Writers" a few months ago (I think the November issue), reacting to Garrison Keiller's "Good Poems For Bad Times,” a 368 page poetry anthology with 294 poems—and, um, only three poems by African-American writers, and no poems by Hispanic, Asian-American, or Native American writers.

Here's part of Dove's response, followed by the link to the source ("Checkhov's Mistress"):

Dove: "For those readers who might have missed it (as both of Poetry's esteemed gentleman reviewers, Dana Gioia and August Kleinzahler, did), let me point out that in Keillor's entire book, all two hundred and ninety-four poems of it, I could find only three Black poets—all of them dead, no less, and the one woman actually a blues singer. Now, I may be missing someone—poems can be blessedly color-blind—but by any standard, this is an abysmal percentage. (Nor is there a Hispanic or Asian-American or Native American presence to speak of.) In his foreword, Keillor claims to have merely collected poems America—real America, good America!— wants to read; one can only conclude that his America never reads work by living African-American poets. There's no Lucille Clifton. No Marilyn Nelson. No Elizabeth Alexander or Sonia Sanchez, not even Gwendolyn Brooks!"

http://www.chekhovsmistress.com/2005/11/when_good_poems.html

I thought NPR was supposed to be the news service for the progressive, cultured, and enlightened?

Comment #5, by beenethereonce

Yes, I get a little peeved with my friendly neighborhood librarian too regarding her picks for the day. I know that I shouldn't but I get into the if there ain't no "colored" people listed in these great american anthologies than it ain't legit mode. So I consider the source and compile my lists of titles to recommend within my local neighborhood.

Comment #6, by Pam

Wow,

When I graduated (liberal quaker high school) in 1987 we were given a long long list of "great books" (and authors) to read over our lifetimes in order to be some sort of intellectually whole people by our (white male) senior english teacher.

One student raised her hand and asked how Alice Walker had missed being on the list, and we were told that in his opinion, Toni Morrison (who did make the list, oh the wonder of liberals!) was a better writer.

Um, okay, and...?

I've never heard of the library lady on MPR, I must listen at the wrong time. I do like some of the books on the list posted, but it certainly has a particular hue, doesn't it?

Thanks Paulette for the contact info. I think I'll just do that!

Pam

Comment #7, by Pam

Um, and no one needs a TV!

just sayin'