A LITTLE TOO QUIET: THE FERNDALE LIBRARY PODCAST

Ferndale’s Zero Waste Program Coordinator Claire Dion

We're talking about Ferndale's efforts to encourage sustainable habits with new Zero Waste Program Coordinator Claire Dion. When it comes to "the three R's" of being environmentally conscious, we were all raised on the importance of recycling, but today we're really talking about just how important REDUCING and REUSING can be... Claire will be joining us in the late winter for an event on sustainable mending, so stay tuned for that as well! For more information on the city's recent compost pilot program, click here. And, if you live in Ferndale and have any questions about Zero Waste, you can reach Claire here: zerowaste@ferndalemi.gov 

Aaron Blatt - On Cultivating Joy & Culturally Responsive Teaching

Aaron Blatt teaches English Language Arts at Ferndale Middle School; he's been teaching for 20 years and has experience as a reading specialist. Blatt also cohosts our Middle School Book Club. He recently joined us on a weekday, just as school had let out, to talk about the experience of teaching during the pandemic, and so much more--including culturally responsive teaching and his aspirations of cultivating joy in the classroom setting. 

Joel Stone - ‘100 Years of the Detroit Historical Society‘

Since its founding in 1921, the Detroit Historical Society (DHS) has been dedicated to safeguarding the history of our region so that current and future generations of metro Detroiters can better understand the people, places, and events that helped shape our lives. 100 Years of the Detroit Historical Society, written by senior curator Joel Stone, captures in words and photographs the little-known story of the people who have been telling Detroit’s stories and preserving its material culture for the last century.

There Is A Happy Ending; That‘s The Point! - Romance Novels

Staff discuss the joys of reading romance novels, as well as addressing previously stereotyped tropes and celebrating the new wave of contemporary authors of the genre. Circulation specialist Rodi Brown is back, along with Youth Librarian Mary Grahame Hunter--both are ardent fans of this literary genre and they are putting on a master class for the podcast host. Provided below are their top 5 authors of romance novels. 

Rodi: 
Beverly Jenkins 
Alyssa Cole
Rebekah Weatherspoon
Stacy Reid
Helen Hoang 

Mary Grahame: 
Cat Sebastian
KJ Charles
Courtney Milan
Rose Lerner
Joanna Shupe

Peter Markus - When Our Fathers Return to Us as Birds

Peter Markus is the author of the novel, “Bob, or Man on Boat,” as well as three books of short fiction, the most recent of which is “We Make Mud.” He lives in Trenton, Michigan, and is the Senior Writer with the InsideOut Literary Arts Project of Detroit. His first book of poetry, When Our Fathers Return to Us as Birds is an exploration of the grieving process, as well as the healing that can be found in honoring the memories of our loved ones. We also talk about the role poetry can play in ALL of our lives. 

Genevieve Gornichec - The Witch‘s Heart

We're chatting with Cleveland-based author Genevieve Gornichec about her debut novel, The Witch's Heart: "When a banished witch falls in love with the legendary trickster Loki, she risks the wrath of the gods in this moving, subversive debut novel that reimagines Norse mythology." Gornichec earned her degree in history from The Ohio State University, but she got as close to majoring in Vikings as she possibly could, and her study of the Norse myths and Icelandic sagas became her writing inspiration.