A LITTLE TOO QUIET: THE FERNDALE LIBRARY PODCAST

Sheela Lal - South Asian Shuffle & Unerased Book Club

Tune in to the podcast this week to hear our chat with Sheela Lal, the host of Ferndale Radio 100.7 FM's South Asian Shuffle (streaming Wednesday nights)! We also chatted with Sheela about the Unerased Book Club, which she co-founded back in 2018. Oh, and we ALSO chat about our monthly Chess Club! 

https://www.unerasedbookclub.com/ 

https://ferndaleradio.com/ 

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCRdejUlw4Tmdo7g0nLFcZ_h_bDV-W43p 

Sacha Lamb - When The Angels Left The Old Country

Sacha Lamb is a 2018 Lambda Literary Fellow in Young Adult fiction, and graduate in Library and Information Science and History from Simmons University. Their debut novel, When The Angels Left the Old Country, is a Sydney Taylor and Stonewall award winner, a Printz Honor book, and a National Jewish Book Award finalist, and received the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award. Sacha lives in New England with a miniature dachshund mix named Anzu Bean.

When The Angels Left The Old Country was a shared-FAVORITE Book of 2023, selected by two of our Youth Librarians, and your hosts for this week's episode. 

 

For more information, visit: https://sachalamb.wordpress.com 

Ruth Behar - Across So Many Seas

Ruth Behar is a Cuban-American author and currently a Professor of Anthropology at the University of Michigan. Her work, spanning fiction, poetry, and memoir, includes Lucky Broken Girl, Letters From Cuba, and her latest, Across So Many Seas. As you'll hear on the podcast, Ruth has a lot of fans here at the Ferndale Library. 

About her latest book, Across So Many Seas: Spanning over 500 years, Pura Belpré Award winner Ruth Behar’s epic novel tells the stories of four girls from different generations of a Jewish family, many of them forced to leave their country and start a new life.

Behard was born in Havana, Cuba, grew up in New York, and has also lived in Spain and Mexico. In addition to writing for young people, her work includes poetry, memoir, and the acclaimed travel books. 

https://www.ruthbehar.com/bio/ 

Boisali Biswas - Bonded Thru Threaded Memories

This week, we're chatting with esteemed studio artist Boisali Biswas, who specializes in mixed-media fiber arts. Biswas recorded this podcast episode just before the closing of her exhibition, which was hosted here at the Ferndale Library throughout the late winter and featured some of her painted weavings and quilts. Biswas has an incredible story—she grew up and studied art in India before moving to Michigan—and she shares it here on our podcast, so tune in! 

You can find more information here: http://www.boisalibiswas.com/ 

Also, we discuss Biswas' upcoming show at the Buckham Gallery in Flint, titled Bonded Thru Threaded Memories. You can find more information about that exhibition, and the opening reception (April 12) at the Buckham Gallery's website here: https://www.exploreflintandgenesee.org/event/bonded-thru-threaded-memories-and-founders-feature/3741/ 

 

Third Places / Third Spaces

We went ahead and recorded an entire episode using the phrase "Third Space," which is used significantly less than the original phrase: "Third PLACE." But oh well. As library staff, we like the word "space" because it just seems to imply much more possibility! Anyway, whether you say "Third Place" or "Third Space," the idea is simple: it's not your  workspace, it's not your home space, it's your THIRD SPACE..., a communal space where you can exist, relax, be creative, and ideally not be expected or required to pay any admission or purchase something in order to be there. 

Your library is here for you. Comfy furniture, free wi-fi, and a relatively quiet--though not TOO quiet--atmosphere. It has always been, and remains, an ideal third "place"!

TODAY: We have guests from the Ferndale Library, the Royal Oak Public Library, and the Fowlerville District Library, sharing their thoughts and perspectives on this subject, as well as talking about some of their own favorite "spaces" in their libraries. 

 

When Detroit Played The Numbers with Author Felicia B. George

Felicia B. George is a native Detroiter who loves Detroit history and culture. She earned her doctorate in anthropology from Wayne State University, where she is now an adjunct professor. Her new book, When Detroit Played The Numbers, tells the true story of how Detroit entrepreneurs created a thriving - if illegal - lottery system to support themselves and uplift their communities.

On Friday, March 29, Source Booksellers hosts a night of storytelling and history, delve into the world of Detroit's underground number games, with George's official book launch. Click here for more info.