Misadventures of the Monster Librarian

I read an interview with Kevin Costner when I was something like 15 years old, and still think about his quote, which I paraphrase here, "People in America are so afraid of failure that they don't even try."   I took this quote to heart because I was afraid of so many things at 15, and as many others are, I was so scared of missing out on the rest of my life. I've reminded myself of this quote as I've gone snorkeling--I'm scared of the ocean; as I applied for jobs I felt were outside of my reach--they were, and I didn't get the jobs, but I got the interview and the experience; as I took on the role as Library Director with minimal experience; as I opened my heart and trusted ChicagoBoy. Each day is rife with opportunities for our own personal greatness, not by achieving at everything we seek out to do, but rather for being brave enough to try. I loved this video so much. Thanks, J.K. Rowling. 

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No, no, not that kind of adult novel, I am refering to J.K. Rowling's new novel geared at adults, The Casual Vacancy , which is due out in September. Described thus by Little, Brown, "...set in a small English town called Pagford, which comes undone after one of its denizens, a man in his early 40s named Barry Fairweather, unexpectedly dies. The event shakes the town and reveals the rampant unrest bubbling under the surface in the deceptively perfect hamlet."  Full article here . I am not sure that I will read it, as I am still fist-shaking-angry at Rowling for her damn epilogue in HP7.

Came across this absolutely wonderful commencement speech that J.K. Rowling recently gave to the '08 grads of Harvard University. There was some good strong advice in this article that I found moving after an especially hard two weeks. The Fringe Benefits of Failure, and the Importance of Imagination by J.K. Rowling President Faust, members of the Harvard Corporation and the Board of Overseers, members of the faculty, proud parents, and, above all, graduates, The first thing I would like to say is 'thank you.' Not only has Harvard given me an extraordinary honor, but the weeks of fear and nausea I've experienced at the thought of giving this commencement address have made me lose weight. A win-win situation! Now all I have to do is take deep breaths, squint at the red banners and fool myself into believing I am at the world's best-educated Harry Potter convention. Delivering a commencement address is a great responsibility; or so I thought until I cast my mind back ...

J.K. Rowling's handwritten book : The Tales of Beedle the Bard , will be auctioned in December at Sotheby's to raise money for Rowling's charity of choice, The Children's Voice . Rowling has handwritten 7 copies of the book, 1 set to be auctioned, the other 6 to be given as gifts to those who have been most integral in her writing of the Harry Potter series. Each book is bound in leather with semi-precious stones adorning it and each will have its own special dedication based on who it will be going to. All I can say is, "Can somebody spot me 50,000 pounds?"