Don Quixote de la Mancha and Sancho Panza. By Gustave Doré, 1863 Part one of The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha (better known as Don Quixote) by Miguel de Cervantes was first published on January 16, 1605. Part two followed ten years later, and the novel as a whole went on to inspire countless other authors, artists and performers, as well having the honor…
Read moreFrench Architecture in New York City Edith Wharton traveled widely in Europe from the time she was a child and was fluent in French and Italian. Her travel books about Italy and France display her thorough knowledge of the architecture of European cathedrals, abbeys, fortresses, and villas. Though she never gave up her American citizenship, she eventually settled in France, purchased two homes there, and was…
Read moreDid you make a New Year's resolution to expand your language skills? Try Pronunciator, the newest language learning electronic resource from Milwaukee Public Library! If you desire an intensive language learning guide Pronunciator may be just what you want. With 82 languages, including the less-common Pinyin Chinese, Romaji Japanese and Somali, Pronunciator offers additional options for language students who want to go more in-depth. Creating a…
Read morePhoto by the AVRO Take your protein pills and put your helmet on as David Bowie (musical mastermind, actor, record producer, and goblin king) mystifyingly celebrates his 67th birthday today. He's won an Emmy, a Grammy (and another Lifetime Achievement Grammy), 3 MTV Music Video Awards, a Saturn, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996 and just this past year inducted…
Read moreOn January 3, 1892, John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was born in Bloemfontein in the Orange Free State (now Free State Province in South Africa) to Arthur Reuel Tolkien and his wife, Mabel, née Suffield. The image above shows the Tolkien family's 1892 Christmas card, sent by Mabel to her family in Birmingham, England on November 15, 1892. J. R. R. Tolkien became a major scholar of…
Read more Happy Birthday Crossword Puzzle! Today we salute your ability to trick our minds, stretch our vocabulary, and help us stave off boredom. Are you a pencil or a pen user? Do you prefer the New York Times brain busters or People Magazine's pop culture run-down? Puzzlers today have a plethora of choices, but it all began on December 21, 1913 when editor Arthur Wynne published a diamond…
Read moreUndeterred by the bitter cold, construction of the new East Branch Library moves heroically forward! Here are the latest photos:
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