We’re putting a special historical twist on fashion by celebrating the looks that were in style during the Civil War. Participants in the program will choose a person that was associated with Lawrence during the time of Quantrill’s raid and create an updated modern look with some inspiration from the past. We’ll meet every Thursday starting in June to work on our designs and will showcase all of our hard work with a fashion show on July 28 at the Watkins Community Museum of History. Registration is required for the program. Please sign up by calling 785-843-3833.

Civil War Fashion Show Workshops
Thursdays, June 6-July 25 (no meeting July 4)
10:30 am- 12:30 pm
Watkins Community Museum of History 

Civil War Fashion Show
Sunday, July 28
2:00 pm
Watkins Community Museum of History
Reception to follow

If you have questions or want more info about this program, please email Karen Allen at kallen@lawrencepubliclibrary.org.

Macbeth -  Set in Scotland in the year 1040, Macbeth is thought by many to be Shakespeare’s finest tragedy – it is certainly one of his best known and most dramatic plays. Macbeth is a general  in King Duncan’s army who is highly thought of amongst his fellow countrymen. Returning victorious from a battle, he encounters three witches who convince him that he will be king of Scotland. When Lady Macbeth learns about this, they formulate an evil plan to secure their future.

The Merchant of Venice - Here is the tale of young Bassanio, who, to win the love of fair Portia, entangles his dearest friend, Antonio, in a dangerous bargain with the moneylender Shylock. Only Bassanio’s heartfelt efforts – and a clever intervention by Portia – will save Antonio from paying Shylock “a pound of flesh.”

A Midsummer Night’s Dream -  In one of Shakespeare’s funniest, most enduring stories, meddling fairies create unexpected love triangles among a group of teenagers. Hermia is in love with Lysander. Demetrius is in love with Hermia. Helena is in love with Demetrius. Add to the mix Puck, a fairy with a powerful love potion, and chaos is sure to follow. Now everyone’s in love with Helena, Hermia is hopping mad, and the fairy queen Titania is in love with a man with a donkey’s head!

Romeo and Juliet - Ideally suited for the manga format, Shakespeare’s classic tragedy has teenage heroes, scheming and villainous adults, heartbreaking tragedy, and the ultimate romantic plot about star-crossed lovers.

Here are some other non graphic novel works by Shakespeare! Click to see them in our catalog!
Hamlet  
Julius Caesar
King Lear
Much Ado About Nothing

Perhaps if I had known the book was a part of the series, I wouldn’t have been so angry when I got to the end… which was clearly not an end since there were too many story lines left open. My frustration aside, the book was good enough for me to recommend it. I liked the character building and the similar travels and travails as those in Grapes of Wrath. There were also some scientific twists that I did not see coming. A definite read for sci-fi and dystopia fans!

Friday, April 26
4:30-6:00 pm

Create blackout and silhouette poetry while noshing on delectable pizza for inspiration.
No writing experience necessary.

This event is in coordination with the Free State Film Festival happening April 26-28. Check their website to learn more about the festival and for a complete schedule of showtimes and events.

Summer Reading at the library is our busiest time of the year and we need your help. There are opportunities to help with circulation, tech services, programs for children or teens, or help the librarians in the children’s room. The program doesn’t require much of your time, only a couple of hours a week in June and July. If you’re interested, you must attend one of our Volunteen Info Sessions on one of the following days:

Sunday, April 28
1:00 – 2:00 pm

Wednesday, May 1
4:00 – 5:00 pm

Both meetings will be held at the library. This program is open to students ages 13 through high school.  For more information, contact Karen Allen at kallen@lawrencepubliclibrary.org or ask for info at the Teen desk.

Elle

Elle has all the news you need on fashion, beauty, health, and entertainment!

Nylon

This magazine covers the best in pop culture and fashion from New York to London!

Seventeen

The first magazine developed especially for teens, Seventeen covers fashion, beauty, health, love, and life.

If fashion isn’t your thing, don’t worry. Zinio has tons of magazine on music, sports, gaming, and news, too!

Poets.org explains: Exquisite Corpse is a collaborative poetry game that traces its roots to the Parisian Surrealist Movement. Exquisite Corpse is played by several people, each of whom writes a word on a sheet of paper, folds the paper to conceal it, and passes it on to the next player for his or her contribution.

In order to write a poem, participants should agree on a sentence structure beforehand. For example, each sentence in the poem could be structured “Adjective, Noun, Verb, Adjective, Noun.” Articles and verb tenses may be added later or adjusted after the poem has been written. The game was also adapted to drawing, where one participant would draw the head of a figure, the next the torso, etc. The name “Exquisite Corpse” comes from a line of poetry created using the technique: “The exquisite corpse will drink the young wine.”

The only hard and fast rule of Exquisite Corpse is that each participant is unaware of what the others have written, thus producing a surprising—sometimes absurd—yet often beautiful poem. Exquisite Corpse is a great way to collaborate with other poets, and to free oneself from imaginative constraints or habits. Remember, many of the most effective phrases or metaphors are those that are most surprising. So get a couple of friends and try writing an exquisite corpse.

The Nebula Awards are voted on, and presented by, active members of Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, Inc. at the awards banquet held this year on May 16-19th. Check back here in May to find out who won!

Summer of the Mariposas by Guadalupe Garcia McCall
Fair Coin by E.C. Myers