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There's Never a Last Word on Spelling
As Samuel Johnson and Noah Webster can attest, the test of time can be rough on dictionaries.
LA Times: May 27, 2009 by David Wolman

This year marks the 300th anniversary of the birth of Samuel Johnson, and were the master wordsmith alive today, I suspect he would be both a fan and a critic of the Scripps National Spelling Bee, taking place today and Thursday. Johnson penned the first annotated dictionary of the English language. At 3 million words in length, with 43,000 entries, it is one of history's greatest lexicographical achievements. As it happens, Johnson also believed that no word should ever end with "c." Had he successfully persuaded the public of this sentiment, today we would be writing not just "publick" but also "gothick," "pedagogick," "musick" -- you get the idea.

Johnson would appreciate the celebration of words inherent in bee mania, and likewise this week's etymological feast. But he (by which I mean I, using Johnson for cover) might also ask: As dramatic as the big bee may be, with its multimedia medley of spinoff movies, books and musicals, does it suggest a capital-C Correct English that paints a false impression of fixed orthography and a strict constructionist view of language? Is English at the bee more rigid than the real thing?

Two generations after Johnson's dictionary took the (literate) English-speaking world by storm, a fiery patriot and obsessive word nerd from Connecticut published his own magnum opus, "An American Dictionary of the English Language." Noah Webster nixed all those extra "k's" -- few people other than Johnson had paid them much attention anyway -- while leaving his own orthographic mark on the lexicon.

In the United States, "gaol" became "jail, "masque" became "mask," "centre" became "center" and "humour" became "humor" -- all because of Webster. He was particularly adamant about purging the "u" in words like "humour" and "colour," a spelling convention that he called a "palpable absurdity." READ MORE !

David Wolman is the author of "Righting the Mother Tongue: From Olde English to Email, the Tangled Story of English Spelling."

What We're Reading: Death by Water

Death by water : a Phryne Fisher mystery, by Kerry Greenwood, popular novelist from Australia.

The 15th title in the "Phryne Fisher mystery" series takes place on SS Hinemoa, a luxury liner bound for New Zealand. The name "Hinemoa" was adapted from the chieftainess of a Maori tribe (the first Polynesian settlers of New Zealand) who falls in love with a young man from another tribe whose relatives don't approve the union. This true love story is the greatest love story in Maori History.

The year is 1928 and someone on board has been stealing jewelry from the ship's passengers; Phryne Fisher with her beauty, poise, and intelligence is the best detective that would blend in with the first class passengers in order to solve the mystery without jeopardizing the reputation of the cruise ship.

As a bait, she wears a magnificent fake sapphire, the Maharani, that lures the thief. Phryne's social observations are enlightening and the conclusions reached by logical deduction lead her to solve the mystery. The description of New Zealand is wonderfully told and entices the reader to visit the country.

Brown Bag Book Club

Next month the Brown Bag Book club is reading Mistress of the art of death by Ariana Franklin. As always we meet the 3rd Tuesday of the month ( 6/16/09) at noon at Central on the 2nd floor. All are welcomed to join us.

What We're Watching: Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog

Fans of Joss Whedon, Musicals, Internet Sensations, Supervillains, and/or Neil Patrick Harris will want to check out this new rental DVD. Previously released in three separate acts on the Internet, Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog is now available on DVD, complete with extras like musical commentary...but more on that shortly.

Those familiar with Joss Whedon's other shows will know that this TV auteur has an ear for music. In "Once More, With Feeling", one of the more popular episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, characters were frequently breaking out into song. (It sounds odd, but it works.) He adopts this format for the whole of Dr. Horrible. The music ranges from upbeat to melancholy, but it is always catchy and tuneful. Neil Patrick Harris (you may know him as Doogie Howser MD) plays the part of Dr. Horrible, who is intent on his admission into the Evil League of Evil. He banks on his invention, the freeze ray, being his ticket into this group of super villains. Naturally, there are some hurdles. One is his growing attraction to fellow laundromat patron and do-gooder Penny (played by Felicia Day). Also, every villain needs an arch-nemesis, and Dr. Horrible finds his in the narcissistic hero Captain Hammer (Nathan Fillion, AKA Mal from Firefly/Serenity). You get everything you have come to expect from a Whedon production - from the giddy highs to the heartbreaking lows - all packed into 43 minutes.

There are several extras, including two commentary tracks - one regular, spoken word and a special "Commentary! The Musical". This last idea seems better in theory than it is in reality. The regular commentary was both humorous and informative, though the audio wasn't always consistent and it was difficult to hear some of the participants. The musical commentary was well done, but overly clever and ultimately impossible to get through in its entirety. There will obviously be some who think it brilliant. You should definitely give it a try. Stay tuned for the making of featurettes to find out all about the evil Dead Bowie. All in all? Wonderful, and well worth your time.

What We're Reading - Feelers by Brian M. Wiprud

Currently I am in a run of reading books/authors recommended to me by others. First up for review is Feelers by Brian M. Wiprud.

If you are a fan of quirky, amusing and twisty crime fiction involving bad guys, good guys of somewhat dubious natures, [think Elmore Leonard, Duane Swierczynski, Donald Westlake] then this is a fun fast read that you need to seek out and enjoy.

You'll meet Morty Martinez who cleans out the houses of dead people, is a possible descendant of Conquistadors and is a "feeler", someone with a knack of sensing hidden stashes of lost money in houses. Toss in a bank robbery and $5 million that never was found, Morty's competition in business, a lovely clever hairdresser, a bunch of "tight ones", an ex-cop and a newly released ex-con seeking the cash who has a talent with an ice pick, mix well with many twists and Brooklyn flavorings and you have a high body count and brisk read that will more than satisfy.

My thanks to my friend Matt for the recommendation.


For more, visit the author's website.

How Do the Library's Free Access Computers Help You???

Please take a few minutes to complete a national survey about the impact of public access computers on your life. Thank you so much for your participation. Click here to get started and help us learn about you!


The survey will be available to take through May 25, 2009.

What We're Reading - The Caryatids by Bruce Sterling.

First off, I will be upfront, I rarely read Science Fiction, but upon reading the, ahem [sorry couldn't help it], "sterling" review of Bruce Sterling's new novel The Caryatids [click to read the review], I decided to read something different.

In many ways I have to agree with Greg Bear's review; I found The Caryatids full of vivid, imaginative storytelling as he paints a post ecological disaster world and humanity's attempts at salvaging the damage done. The four sisters involved in the three main sections are complex in nature and their intertwining relationships lead to some fascinating reading, and yes, Sterling's portrayal of Los Angeles is particularly delicious for us LA area residents to enjoy.

That said, I must take exception with the review, in that I find The Caryatids to be a story in search of an ending. Each main section stands well and good on it's own, but to me, Sterling's effort didn't lead to an ending and just slapped a quick summation to conclude his story. Shall I mention some major unexplained cliff hangers that he dangles in front of the reader? Sorry, but I was expecting the three sections to lead to something a bit more cohesive in intent. So in the end, if you are intrigued enough, do read The Caryatids and I will let you decide for yourself if vivid and imaginative storytelling without a worthwhile conclusion justifies your time or am I missing the point?!?

Now I have to figure out if I want to venture back into the Science Fiction genre for something a bit more satisfying, but I would love to hear back from anyone who has read or reads this book for their views and meanwhile I am going off to buy property in Norwalk [you'll have to read the book to understand that comment...hehehe]

Job Hunting.

Newly posted on among the iBistro book lists found under the Have you read? link is one on Job Hunting

Look for this icon for books on resumes, cover letters, interviewing skills, careers and more.

Lĭt / uh / ruh / sē Äw / fĭs

Get Caught Reading Month: May

To mark the 10th Birthday of Get Caught Reading, the Association of American Publishers is teaming up with the National Basketball Association and Reach Out and Read.

To celebrate the pleasures of leisure-time reading, the group plans to distribute thousands of posters featuring NBA and WNBA stars “caught reading” their favorite books, at select NBA events and through Reach Out and Read pediatric centers in 50 states.

May 1 – Mother Goose Day


so Get Caught reading Mother Goose to teach the ABC’s, counting and vocabulary

Visit Rhyme Time with Mother Goose for a WebQuest
~ learn the history of Mother Goose
~ read the Mother Goose rhymes
~ take a quiz
~ color a picture of your favorite Mother Goose rhyme
~ prepare a costume of your favorite Mother Goose nursery rhyme character

Visit ClassBrain for a Mother Goose Coloring Book

. . . and don't forget to Check Out a Book @

Burbank Public Library

Mother Goose's Little Treasures
~ a rare selection of little-known rhymes made new again
Candlewick Press, 2007
Iona Opie and Rosemary Wells