books

Ted Barris and World War II History

BY KIRANDEEP SINGH

Author, journalist, and broadcaster Ted Barris will be visiting the Bailey Theatre to speak about the importance of World War II history through his book The Dam Busters: Canadian Airmen and the Secret Raid Against Nazi Germany.

The Dam Busters is a story that goes back to 1943, the middle of the war. The allies had little success in attempting to turn the tide against the Nazis and the spread of fascism and the occupation of the most of Europe. The Prime Minister was looking to give people of the troops and their people a sense of hope in winning the war. The dams were a form of hydroelectricity for the Nazis and a man named Barnes Wallis stepped up with the plan of a bouncing bomb to attack the dams in order to slow down the Nazis.’ The story is about the bizarre plan to attack the dams.

It is important to look at these stories one at a time to get a sense of who participated, what happened, and who these people were. They were volunteers, men who trained in Canada who left their civilian jobs; they were farmers, students, professionals, labourers; they were all kinds of people who stepped up and managed to change the tide of the war with this operation.

“I think it’s important to remember these people because they were ordinary,” Barris said. “They weren’t extraordinary war heroes, they were essentially average Canadians who realized the threat of what was happening in Europe and volunteered for the army, the navy, and the air force to change what was happening in Europe and the rest of the world.”

The greatest difficulty Barris faced was the missing records of the 14 Canadians who died. “Thirty Canadians were involved and half of them were killed,” Barris explained. “You can’t do interviews with those 14 men but you can trace the records.” Barris traced the diaries, flight logs, letters, and photographs of the people who did not return and tried to reconstruct their stories.

People can make themselves more aware about the importance of history by going online and exchanging information on social media. Reading would be most effective as nonfiction writers like Barris give sources to deliver the stories so the reader can tell where the material is derived from. Barris hopes to leave his audience with the images of the people and the stories of who they were, where they came from, and what they did. He aims to make the men from the war come alive, both the ones who survived and the ones who did not.

“I hope that people will consider coming to listen and watch and to ask questions,” said Harris. ” And perhaps purchase a few books to get a clearer picture of who these Canadians were.”

Barris will be visiting the Bailey Theatre Friday, Nov. 9 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets will be $10 at the door and will include refreshments and snacks.

 

The Plot Matures: A Book Club for 20-Somethings

SUBMITTED BY CAMROSE PUBLIC LIBRARY (KELLY HIGGINS)

Libraries and book clubs go together like mac and cheese. It just makes so much sense that one would go with the other and you would be hard pressed to find a public library that does not offer some form of book club to its community. Book clubs do not just happen in the library, of course, and they can be found in living rooms, pubs, cafes, and parks around the world. They are a way for people to get together, enjoy each other’s company, maybe have a few drinks, and if they get around to it, talk about a book.

There are so many great book club ideas out there, and all you really need is a friend or two to start a successful club. Clubs can have a theme, think Jane Austen, graphic novels, Pulitzer Prize winners, harlequin romances, or you can just wing it and read whatever you feel like that month. There are Cookbook Clubs, where members choose a recipe from the same cookbook and bring their dish to the next meeting (or just a bottle of wine if the recipe does not work out). Silent Book Clubs where introverts and wannabe introverts gather to read their own individual books together, but silently; or article clubs, where the books are scrapped and members just read and discuss an interesting published article. The real beauty of book clubs is how fluid they can be, they can be one thing one month, and then something completely different the next. It is really anything your group wants it to be.

A few summers ago 20-something staff at the Camrose Public Library were looking at different extra-curricular groups and activities to do in Camrose. Besides sports groups, very little was offered in the way of free group activities during the summertime, and fewer aimed at younger adults in their 20’s. Even the library, which offers a plethora of adult programming (which you should check out, obviously) slows things down in the summer and only a small handful of these programs are aimed at young adults. From this somewhat dismal discovery The Plot Matures was born, a book club for people in their 20’s. The first meeting was held on a Tuesday night at the library, a couple chairs were set out, and a single plate of cookies was provided, in the hopes that one or two people would come. Instead, 20 people showed up! A wonderful mix of people from different backgrounds who were looking for a way to connect with like-minded people and read some good books while they were at it.                                                                                                                                                                                        

Fast forward a couple of years to the present day, and with the exception of an assortment of different members, the book club has essentially stayed the same, attracting a lovely variety of people to get together once a month to hang out, chat about books (and movies, podcasts, pop culture etc.), and eat delicious treats. Many club members are new to the city and looking to make connections, some want motivation to read, others come because their friends do, and some may just be coming for the free  fro-yo…but, no judgement 😉

A book for the following month is chosen at the end of each meeting, and copies are put on hold at the library so participants can come pick them up at their convenience. There is no theme in choosing titles, but the group has recently delved in to the likes of non-fiction and science fiction with some favourite titles this year being The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood, Lab Girl by Hope Jahren, and Enders Game by Orson Scott Card.  New members are always welcome to the club and people are encouraged to come to a meeting even if you have not read the book!

This month’s title is The Little Old Lady Who Broke All the Rules by Catharina Ingelman-Sundberg. The next meeting is Tuesday, Nov. 27 at 7:00 p.m. at Twisted Frozen Yogurt. If you would like more information you can join the Facebook group ‘The Plot Matures: A Book Club for 20 Somethings’ or e-mail kelly@prl.ab.ca

 

Brian Goldman’s Perspective on the Importance of Kindness to be Shared in a Visit to the Camrose Public Library

BY KIRANDEEP SINGH

Dr. Brian Goldman will be visiting the Camrose Public LIbrary this November to discuss his new book, The Power of Kindness: Why Empathy Is Essential in Everyday Life.

Goldman is an emergency physician, author, public speaker, as well as a radio host. His book, The Power of Kindness focuses on the search of the nature and nurture of empathy and kindness through his own personal search for the natural empathy he had as a child but lost as an ER physician. He has traveled around the world to meet the kindest people on the planet to find out why they are the way they are.

“I was accused of unkindness by the husband and children of a patient I saw in the ER.  I did my clinical job competently but was too self-preoccupied by my own stress and time pressure to empathize with them. It was only through the death of my father that I realized what they were going through as concerned family members.”

Unlike Goldman’s other works, The Power of Kindness spends no time at the hospital. He learned that he could leave his comfort zone and write a book about that which he knew didn’t know much about. “I learned that shame about medical errors acts as a brake on my riskiest impulses. I learned that my personality makes me well suited as an ER physician and the host of a radio show.”

Goldman is visiting the Camrose Public Library at 7:00 p.m.  Nov. 2 to further discuss his book and answer any questions.

“I have found it very rewarding to speak to audiences about The Power of Kindness because they bring many questions about the nature of human connection and about existence.” Goldman says to show authors like himself support, people can read his books, ask questions, and engage with him about their opinions.  “I hope you like the book and feel moved to share stories with me.”

Books will be available to for purchase for $30.