Here's what's happening at the Seattle Public Library's Capitol Hill Branch in May.
For preschoolers, we will offer story times filled with stories, songs and fun at 10:30 a.m., Wednesday May, 16, 23 and 30.
This month, the Capitol Hill Book Group is reading "The Stranger" by Albert Camus, which will be discussed at 6:30 p.m. on June 6.
On May 31, join Asian American women writers Nhien Nguyen, Hannah Moon and Maliha Masood for "DisOrient Express: Asian American Women Writers on Journeys of Identity, Resettlement and Dislocation."
Seattle author Nguyen will read from her untitled work-in-progress about a refugee family's resettlement in a small town in Eastern Washington. Nguyen is the editor of the International Examiner.
Local author Moon will read from "Dreaming of Houston," her as-yet unpublished novel about a Korean American family grappling with mental illness. Moon has lived in the University District and Capitol Hill neighborhoods of Seattle, and has incorporated some of those experiences into her novel.
Kirkland author Masood will read from "Zaatar Days, Henna Nights," her 2006 travelogue about her adventures across the Middle East. Masood, in her 20s and burned out at work, decided to rejuvenate herself with a one-way ticket to the Middle East.
A public reception with these authors begins at 6 p.m. The readings will begin at 6:45 p.m. This program is presented in cooperation with the Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs and Bailey/Coy Books. Books will be available for purchase and signing. Limited free parking is available at the branch. The program is part of the Library's celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month.
Come on in or call the branch at (206) 684-4715, or visit www.spl.org for more details on either program.
And for a pre-summer read, consider:
"WHAT WOULD MACGYVER DO? TRUE STORIES OF IMPROVISED GENIUS IN EVERYDAY LIFE" By Brendan Vaughn
Angus MacGyver was a secret agent in the television program "MacGyver" who could get himself out of any sticky situation using his ingenuity and whatever ordinary objects he had on hand - socks, paperclips, a Swiss Army knife and/or duct tape. The show lasted seven seasons, and has spawned countless references and tributes (i.e. Marge's sisters on "The Simpsons" adored Mac, and never missed an episode).
But is this kind of ingenuity possible in real life? Author Brendan Vaughan sets out to prove that it is in "What Would MacGyver Do?"
The book is a collection of brief anecdotes that relate how people managed to "pull a MacGyver" using whatever they had to solve a variety of problems. There are many instances of true flashes of genius, like the person who used salty Chex Mix to melt an icy parking lot (enough to move a car, anyway), but there are also stories that rely more on luck than pure ingenuity.
However, it's a quick, fun read that's a perfect choice for these longer, warmer days that tend to give rise to shorter attention spans, due to spring fever.
Katie Hilles is a librarian at the Capitol Hill Branch Library, 425 Harvard Ave. E.
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