Holly Havlicek

“Street scene in Montmarte,” an 1887 painting by Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh, has been privately owned by a French family and rarely seen by anyone in public. It is set to be publicly displayed for the first time in Amsterdam and Hong Kong before being auctioned off by Sotheby’s. It is estimated that it will sell for almost $10 million. I think I’ll have to stick to checking out these books in our collection for now.

On this day, February 25, 1964, a young 22-year-old Muhammad Ali, then still known by his birth name of Cassius Clay, defeated Sonny Liston to become the Heavyweight Champion. One of his best, and arguably most famous, phrases , “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. The hands can’t hit what the eyes can’t see” was uttered about this fight, a fight in which Ali was was not favored to win. But win he did, and from it we got another unforgettable Ali quote, “I am the greatest!”

Interested in learning more about the Muhammad Ali? Check out some of the library’s resources about him here.

Enjoy this photo from the TIME 100 Photos Collection

Looking for a current topic to write about? Something that has been very prevalent in the news, are the recent wins for women in the world of sports. For example, we have the new WNBA contract, in which we see salary increases, travel improvements, and new family-planning benefits, among other things. We also have Katie Sowers, who is not only the first female assistant coach to head to the Super Bowl with the San Francisco 49ers, but also the first openly gay assistant coach to make it that far as well.

You can also check out the many resources we have here at the library and take a look at our online news databases for plenty of past stories on an ever-changing topic.

And just as a celebration for these wins for women, let’s not forget the photograph heard around the world, from the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup Final, given to us by the great Brandi Chastain.

Do you love animated films as much as I do? If so, then you probably already know that Disney’s Frozen 2 is being released in theaters this weekend. But did you also know that the original Frozen is based on a Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale called The Snow Queen? Andersen is also responsible for other classics such as The Little Mermaid, The Princess and the Pea, and The Ugly Duckling, to name a few.

If you are interested in reading Andersen’s complete collection of fairy tales and stories, you can check that out here.
If you would like to just read a selection or them, check out this.
You can also check out all that the library has to offer from Andersen here.
Lastly, if you haven’t seen the original Frozen you are in luck because the library has a copy! Fair warning, you will have the song Let It Go stuck in your head for a good three months afterwards.

Margaret Atwood, author of The Handmaid’s Tale and The Testaments, has been named a member of the Order of the Companions of Honour for her services to literature by Queen Elizabeth. This is an award given to those with outstanding achievements in the arts. The Testaments was also awarded the 2019 Booker Prize, sharing the honor with Bernardine Evaristo’s Girl, Woman, Other. The sharing of this prize has caused a controversy, as the rules state that the prize may not be divided. The chair of the judges revealed that it was a unanimous decision to split the prize.

In 2016, Hulu began production on the dystopian drama, The Handmaid’s Tale, based on Atwood’s 1985 novel. The show has received critical acclaim and has so far released three seasons. Don’t have Hulu and still want to catch up? You can find Season 1 and Season 2 here at the library!

November is National Native American Heritage Month. Learn a little more about the rich history and traditions of the Native Americans here.

This past September the Diné, or Navajo people, crowned a new Miss Navajo Nation, Miss Autumn Montoya. See some pictures of that journey and the week long celebration that accompanied it here. And congratulations to Miss Montoya!

I personally had the pleasure of living in Flagstaff, AZ for a little over a year and was able to work for and volunteer with many members of the Navajo Nation and I couldn’t be more grateful for my time there. Some of the things I learned from them was patience, stopping and seeing the beauty in all things, and true and genuine kindness. What are some things that you have learned from another person or group of people?

Did you know that you will be able to see Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system, tonight? Head out to the Telescope Open Viewing at the G. Jack Bradley Observation Deck in the Nature Study Area to check it out! You should also be able to see the waxing crescent moon as it travels eastward, making these next couple of nights something to see! Interested in keeping up with the night sky? Check out a couple of resources here and here and you will always know when to look up and what to look out for!