Albuquerque's Sister Cities

What is a sister city?  According to Sister Cities International, "A sister city, county or state relationship is a broad-based, officially approved, long-term partnership between two communities, counties or states in two countries. A sister city, county or state relationship becomes official with a signing ceremony of the top-elected officials of the two local jurisdictions... Sister city partnerships have the potential to carry out the widest possible diversity of activities of any international program, including every type of municipal, business, professional, educational and
cultural exchange or project. following approval by the local city councils."  The Sister City Program began in 1956 as a creative force for international cooperation and goodwill through community action.


Albuquerque formed its first sister city relationship in 1966 with Sasebo, Japan.  Currently, Albuquerque has nine sister cities: Alburquerque, Spain; Ashgabat, Turkmenistan;  Chihuahua & Guadalajara, Mexico; Helmstedt, Germany; Hualien, Taiwan; Lanzhou, China; Rehovot, Israel; & Sasebo.

Learn about Sasebo & the Albuquerque Sister Cities Foundation, all-volunteer organization, coupled with continual support from Albuquerque’s City Hall, on Thursday, June 30th at the North Valley Library!

International Ingredients

Yum.  I love to try food from other countries.  I'm particularly fond of paella (Spain), sushi (Japan), & ratatouille crêpes (France).  Albuquerque, I find, has a fair amount of international culinary delights.  I like to check out Gil's Thrilling (& Filling) Blog for restaurant reviews, & some of my favorite haunts for shopping include Talin Market, A-Ri-Rang Oriental Market (great Korean lunch counter-closed for the chef's summer vacation until July 15th), & 99B Market.  I used to stop by Fremont's Fine Foods, but right now I think they offer catering & special orders only.

Why am I telling you all this?  Because you have the chance to enjoy the culinary wizardry of local chef Gilda Latzky, who has been teaching a series of cooking classes for adults for our Summer Reading program, "One World, Many Stories". There a still a few spaces to squeeze into for her July offerings, Cooking French (@ Los Griegos Library) & Cooking Chinese Food (@ Juan Tabo Library).  Her sessions are always popular & fun-don't miss out!

If you are interesting in traveling the culinary world from the comfort of your own home, don't forget to check the recipe offerings from the library catalog!  The subject "international cooking" alone brings up 115 items, & you can also search by country.

What are your favorite international cuisines?  Local restaurants serving international food?  Do you have a favorite international cookbook?  I could always use more suggestions...

The Paris Wife by Paula McLain

“I wished I had died before I loved anyone but [Hadley].”
~Ernest Hemingway, A Moveable Feast 

This is a gem of a book. The Paris Wife, a fictionalized account of the first of Hemingway's four wives, Hadley Richardson, is written primarily from her perspective.  Why is Hadley the Paris wife?  She & Hemingway moved to Paris together in the early 1920s, & most of the time Hemingway spent in Paris was with Hadley & their son, "Bumby".  (Hadley & Ernest-or Hash & Nesto, or Tatie, or Tiny-were crazy about nicknames.) They were married for six years.

The story begins with their meeting in 1920 & ends with Hemingway's death in 1961, although after Hadley & Ernest divorced in 1927, they met only once.  Paula McLain seems to really have gotten under the skin of Hadley-a portrait she bases on sources such as A Moveable Feast & Bernice Kert's The Hemingway Women. I found myself drawn to the character of Hadley right away. The prose is beautiful ("My life was my life; I would have to stare it down, somehow, & make it work for me" was one of my favorite lines) & the details of Hadley's early life, her meeting with Hemingway, & her reaction to his death are very moving.

If the story of the Hemingway marriage isn't gripping enough for you, there is quite a cast of supporting players: Gertrude Stein & Alice B. Toklas; Scott & Zelda Fitzgerald; Gerald & Sara Murphy. All are very realistically portrayed, & woven into the fabric of the story in a very natural way. The hard drinking & fast living lifestyles of these Jazz Age characters is brought vividly to life.

The Paris Wife is an intense, compelling read, even for-or perhaps especially for-those who know how the story will end.  Whether or not you are familiar with Hemingway's life, you will enjoy this delightful portrait & finely crafted tribute.  You will not want to put it down-I didn't! 

To read an interview with Paula McLain, visit The Hemingway Project website.

For more books about Hemingway ex-wives & family, consider Caroline Moorehead's Gellhorn: A Twentieth Century Life, about the journalist who was Hemingway's third wife, & Running with The Bulls: My Years with the Hemingways, written by Valerie Hemingway, Ernest's secretary & the wife of his youngest son.

Sylvia Beach & the Lost Generation: A History of Literary Paris in the Twenties & Thirties by Noel Riley Fitch

This is simply one of the best biographies I have ever read.  Detailing the life of Sylvia Beach & her milieu from her birth in 1887 until 1962, the year she died, Sylvia Beach & the Lost Generation is the most comprehensive study I have read of the era.  It is such a full and vibrant portrait of Sylvia Beach & all the literary figures, American, French, English, that passed through the doors of her famous bookshop, Shakespeare & Company, that you will never be bored, despite the 400-plus pages of this tome.

For me Sylvia Beach was one of those names you hear in connection with Joyce & Hemingway, a woman who owned a bookstore that both those illustrious Lost Generation authors frequented. Reading about her life, one of three sisters, daughter of a pastor from Princeton, New Jersey, who ended up living in Paris for over 40 fascinating years & meeting everyone worth knowing, was quite an education.  Sylvia & her family first went to Paris in 1902, when her father was associate pastor of the American Church of Paris.  They moved back to Princeton in 1905, but Sylvia, & to a lesser extent her mother & sisters, had already fallen for Europe's charms.  Sylvia went to Italy in 1907, to Spain in 1915, finally returning to Paris in 1916.  She opened Shakespeare & Company in 1919, with the help of her family & of Adrienne Monnier, owner of her own (French) lending library, La Maison des Amis des Livres, who for 38 years would be Sylvia's "sister, lover, mother & mentor".

Shakespeare & Company was an English language bookstore & lending library that attracted English-speaking literary lights of the early 20th century but also famous French friends, such as the poets Paul Valéry & Léon-Paul Fargue (who alarmed her with his nocturnal prowlings, which he called his "ministry of the night"),  & writers Valery Larbaud, Jules Romains, & André Gide (winner of the Nobel Prize in 1947).  The walls were full of pictures of "the Company", many taken by Sylvia, & out front was a hand-painted sign featuring a bust of Shakespeare.  In the confines of the shop, Sylvia rubbed shoulders with Gertrude Stein (at least in the early days), Ezra Pound, T.S. Eliot, Wyndham Lewis, William Carlos Williams, Kay Boyle, Janet Flanner, John Dos Passos, & Elizabeth Bishop, to name a few luminaries. Shakespeare & Company also sold books by mail to other writers such as Yeats & the Sitwells, as well as the little literary magazines of the era, such as transition, This Quarter, Criterion, & Poetry-with Sylvia contributing to them a few times (mostly translations). The bookshop was not just Sylvia's job, it was her vocation.

In 1920 she met Joyce, which would be a turning point, because for a decade her life would be wound up with the Irishman & his family; Shakespeare & Company published Ulysses, & Sylvia was one of the two women who financed the Joyces' extravagant lifestyle while he wrote-the other woman was in England, so Sylvia also found herself running Joyce's errands & acting as his secretary on many occasions. This took up a lot of her time & Adrienne thought affected Sylvia's health. Also, Gertrude Stein no longer visited the shop, since she was feuding with Joyce.

Besides her long-running commitment to the welfare of James Joyce (& publishing 10 editions of Ulysses), some of Sylvia's other projects during her years in Paris including putting on an exhibition about Walt Whitman & putting a roof over the head of composer George Antheil.  In fact, a great deal of Sylvia's time seems to have been spent as a facilitator-finding someone to translate something, finagling a loan for someone, giving discounts to those in need (in fact, letting Hemingway walk out with any books he wanted).

Sylvia kept Shakespeare & Company going through the Depression, but it would not survive the war-she closed its doors dramatically in 1941, worried the Nazis would confiscate her stock. There is a Shakespeare & Company operating in Paris currently, but it is a different store, opened in 1951, & renamed Shakespeare & Company after Sylvia Beach's death.  This bookstore also has a grand literary tradition, serving as a base for writers of the Beat Generation-but that is another story.

Check out Sylvia Beach & The Lost Generation to learn about this remarkable woman, the linchpin of a literary generation, & also for its anecdotal history of other writers: the profligacy & dependency of the illness-ridden Joyce; Hemingway's many women, his delight in fatherhood, & the ox-tulip incident; the unfulfilled life of longtime member of the Company Robert McAlmon; & all the others who flit in & out of this stunning biography.

A Library Tour: Cherry Hills Branch



Welcome to Clifford's library.  At least, you'd think it was Clifford's library!  Many kids are asking to see Clifford or "red dog" pretty much as soon as they enter the building.  Clifford is on loan from a generous library employee, but based on his popularity with the junior library customers, hopefully he will never leave!

However, though Clifford is the library mascot, Cherry Hills did not choose to be Bigreddogland for the Summer Reading program, instead going by the name "Cherrytopia" on your Summer Reading passport.   The branch has traditionally embraced fruit-related elements in their decor, & good friend & sometimes employee Alysa DeMella created the beautiful flag (from the Teen Advisory Board's design) & the "Cherrytopians" graphic. 

Cherry Hills Library  is located at 6901 Barstow NE, located at the corner of Harper Road and Barstow Street, one block east of the intersection of Harper Road and Wyoming Boulevard. It's a brick building with a green roof! The library is adjacent to the Del Norte Shopping Center whose tenants include McDonald's and Walgreens-for directions by car or bus, visit the ABC Libraries' website. The library has 18 public computers including 2 express and 2 children's. Cherry Hills also offers many of the standard amenities of the ABC Libraries' branches: fax service; voter registration forms, None for the Road DVDs, & bus schedules are all available, but the branch does not have a magazine swap. Cherry Hills does have a community room & 2 study rooms for public use.

What delights await you when you choose Cherrytopia for your summer fun destination?  Cherry Hills is one of three branches (the other two are Erna Fergusson & Taylor Ranch) that are open 7 days a week.  After you enter its portals, once you find the book return (to your right, under the big red flag-customers always miss this!), you can sit out the summer heat in comfortable chairs or study in carrels.  Browse an array of displays, including one devoted to Staff Picks & one dedicated to mysteries-this month, it's Female Sleuths!  The display case changes out monthly-during Summer Reading, however, you'll be able to ogle the prizes you could win instead.  Make sure to check out the Turkmen books in the International Collection & feel like a real world traveler! If you are the kind of person who doesn't like to ask questions at the Information Desk, there is a library map to help you navigate the branch.

The great nation of Cherrytopia is taking its Summer Reading responsibilities very seriously.  All visitors are encouraged to stop by the Travel Agency, where one of the charming teen volunteers will sign them up for the program & distribute weekly prizes. (Make sure you check out the national costume of Cherrytopia, on display!) The Bureau of Internal Affairs is here to make sure your library checkout goes smoothly, so if you have any difficulties with the 3 self-checks or need to renew your card, the folks at the Bureau will be happy to help.  Also, the Cherrytopia Tourist Board will be your cruise directors-need help on the computer?  Can't find the book on the shelf? Need assistance placing a hold?  These local experts will keep your library experience flowing smoothly.  Just don't ask them to dance the national dance of Cherrytopia, the Cherry Cha Cha-it's only done on important ceremonial occasions.

The Cherry Hills children's area (or "Reading Realm National Park") is the hub of Summer Reading activities at the branch, where there will be fun programs for kids, tweens, & teens.  There is Introduction to Mandarin Chinese,  Teen Tuesdays (next week is Origami!), monthly first Saturday Chess Club, Star Wars Crafts, Preschool Art: Bubbles, and more!

But don't worry, adults, you haven't been completely left out!  Stop by the event tower (above) & pick up a flier or visit the Cherry Hills webpage for news on An Itch to Stitch, the library stitch group; the branch's 2 book groups; computer classes...the list just keeps going on!  The library's webpage will tell you what's on display at the branch each month  (with printable booklists) & also features Staff Picks & a gallery of photos taken at some recent events.

Make sure you check the "For Teens" page of the website weekly to find out more of Cherrytopia's customs & symbols!  The teens came up with our beloved national anthem, with a little help from How to Build Your Own Country by Valerie Wyatt.

While you're in the area...
Cherry Hills is a pretty new part of town (the library was built in the late '90s), but that doesn't mean there's nothing to do around here!  Check out the Heritage Hills Park- it has playgrounds, sports fields, benches, & "tremendous views of the volcanoes, Mount Taylor and the Sandia Mountains". If you want to get some exercise while in the area, the paved loop around the Albuquerque Academy runs along Academy/Ventura/Harper/Wyoming and is approximately a mile on each side-this friendly trail is very popular with walkers & runners. Are you a fellow yarn addict?  Make a stop at Village Wools a priority. You can also get your food shopping done-the library is between Whole Foods & Trader Joe's-& there's ample shopping (Target, Kohl's) & eating (Five Guys Burgers, anyone?) opportunities on Paseo between Barstow & I25. A little further down the road, stop for great baked treats at Just A Bite.  This area is always growing. One of the library's newest neighbors, North Domingo Baca Multigenerational Center, features a computer cafe, community rooms, fitness room, classrooms, and meals.

Parisians: An Adventure History of Paris by Graham Robb

I feel like I am cheating slightly by including this in my Paris: The Luminous Years challenge, as very little of this book takes place between 1905-30.  I'm grandfathering this book in because who could be a bigger player in Paris' Luminous Years than the city itself?  Plus, this book is good.

I think I can safely say that I have never read a history of a place like this one before.  The idea of an "adventure history" piqued my interest, & I have not been disappointed by Parisians.  Author Graham Robb has taken incidents in the life of Paris between 1787 & the present day, using French historical figures from Napoleon to Marcel Proust to François Mitterand as narrators, & has woven together a very illuminating read. Different sections take different forms-"Expanding the Domain of the Possible", about the student riots in May 1968, takes the form of an examination, & "Lovers of Saint-Germain-des-Prés", starring Simone de Beauvoir, Sartre, Juliette Gréco & Miles Davis, is written as a script-without being annoyingly gimmicky.

I really felt like I learned something about the city & its people from this book & its judiciously chosen snatches of history. From Charles-Axel Guilliamot & the beginnings of the Catacombs to the files of Sûreté to the alchemists of Notre Dame, from the real-life Mimi who has been immortalized in La Bohème to Baron Haussmann to Madame Zola to the creation of the Paris Métro (or Métropolitain), Robb takes highlights & sideshows & scandals over history to create, perhaps not the most complete portrait of Paris, but one of the most entertaining you will ever read.

A Library Tour: Juan Tabo Branch

(Boy Reading, dinosaur, and background art by Adrienne, for her puppet show)

And I think to myself... what a wonderful world!

As Louis Armstrong sings for the puppet show at every Music and Movement session this summer, what a wonderful world it is at Juan Tabo Library, indeed!

Located on busy Juan Tabo Boulevard, the library is still a quiet, serene place--set down from the road, and embraced by two walled gardens, its windows look out on greenery and landscaping, rather than on the ample parking space around the building. (It is, in fact, a park and ride station for public transit!) The unconventionally shaped library was dedicated in December of 1983, and has been a neighborhood fixture ever since.

Nearby, you can enjoy Mexican food at Garcia's Kitchen, or have an Irish Pub experience next door at O'Neill's. A bit further afield, you can celebrate Greek culture at either Zorba's or the Mykonos Cafe. You could shop at Albertson's or Smiths, and even take care of your recycling at the City Recycling center at Montgomery and Tramway! And of course, our neighbors across the street at Lowe's can help you with your home needs while you're in the neighborhood.
The Juan Tabo Library is located at 3407 Juan Tabo Blvd NE, between Comanche and Candelaria, on the west side of the street, just south of the North Glenwood Hills arroyo.

Featuring a full-sized children's area across the building from the adult area, Juan Tabo gives opportunites for patrons of all ages to enjoy the library space in their own ways--whether it's using one of our eleven adult computers (or three children's computers), finding a quiet spot near the adult garden windows to read or work, or joining rambunctious play at the puppet show in the children's area (a kind donation from Jim Fisher, in memory of his wife, Mary Ann), or settling down to color.

The library offers the full range of the collection--books, videos, books on tape and CD, music, digital downloads--and help from librarians to find what you're looking for. Remember, if it's not on the shelf, that doesn't mean you can't get it! Just ask about a hold, if you see it in the system, or Interlibrary Loan if you don't! Our goal is to help you find what you need.

Ever wonder what you're going to read next? Sometimes, you just need an idea to get started.

Each part of the library features displays--themed displays of same-colored books, similar subjects, points of interest to go along with programs, displays of multiple copies of books. This year's summer reading theme has inspired a travel book display, a folklore display, and a display of postcards sent to Juan Tabo from all over the country and all over the world.

Adults at Juan Tabo enjoy a wide variety of activities, from poetry readings to cooking programs to our monthly book group, BookWorms, which meets the second Tuesday of each month at 1:30, to talk about books they have chosen. The books represent a wide range of interest--recent titles have included both the classic play The Glass Menagerie and the YA novel The Giver--but the strongest interests have been in mysteries, New Mexico-related books, and current fiction and non-fiction. For the meeting on July 12, members are reading their choice of biographies about Eleanor Roosevelt--new members are welcome! August's book will be Child of Rainless Year, by Jane Lindskold.

Juan Tabo is also actively reaching out to teens, with our YA area--decorated by the new Teen Council--and many activities for teens. This summer, in conjunction with the summer reading theme of world travel, Juan Tabo has become the ancient Greek city-state of Juantapolis... a suggestion that first came from our teens, and was chosen from among many other options. This has inspired the creation of the Argonauts, our classical mythology club for teens and tweens, as well our Percy Jackson inspired game of Capture the Flag. Teenage leaders are also the driving force behind the teen Dungeons and Dragons group, the Gamers' Guild, which meets every Saturday this summer at 3:00 p.m. New members are welcome for all of these events!

The children's area is always fun, with its bright book characters hanging from the ceiling, the dinosaur rug, the puppet show, the zoo's worth of stuffed animals to play with, and our newest edition, a five foot tall blue plastic dinosaur, donated by Councilwoman Jones... who still has to be named! The rogues' gallery of puppets and stuffed animals are constantly in use, from Dragon the puppet to Teddy Tonks, the pink teddy bear and the gang leader, Captain Cupcake, the blue octopus. These well-loved friends are there to welcome children back whenever they come.

Children's programming happens all the time--whether it's Read to the Dogs on the fourth Saturday of each month, Lego Club on the second Saturday, or Art Through the Ages on the first Saturday, 1:00 is a great time to drop by. During summer reading, our programming takes place on Saturday mornings at 10:30. There are two storytimes available--either Music and Movement with Adrienne on Tuesday and Thursday at eleven, which features toe-tapping songs and musical instruments, or Preschool Passport with Miss Barbara on Fridays at eleven, which features more books, kids' control over Old McDonald's farm (and over languages for Frere Jacques) and a craft or coloring sheet.

Juan Tabo... what a wonderful world to visit!