CaptainOrange

  Quest New Year Qe31 Once a year on March 17th (for ancient historical reasons) I like to look away from the horrid winter that I am currently stuck in and look forward to POSSIBILITY! Much of the thinking that I do is personal and comes out in lots of ways through my thoughts and actions over the year. But, part of it is about gathering with like-minded people who want to challenge themselves to believe in themselves, plan for a glorious (and sometimes frivolous) future. Talk, laugh, exchange reading ideas, talk about movies, and drink way too much coffee. It feels like forever since I celebrated a proper QNY. I went full orange and even decorated my fingernails.  Had to work a full day at the Rusty MacDonald branch library, but I still had plenty of emotional energy left for celebrating the new year. 20:13 Dr. Exudu Had a catch-up conversation with The Dr. for over an hour. It was the first time we spoke since 2019. It was good to reconnect, hear how he is doing, and tell h...

One of my “update” style posts. We are going to get into a hodge-podge of activities. Puppets Hmmm... I think that bear may be putting on a layer of winter fat :(   A few months back, I was contacted to do some shadow puppetry for the Remai Modern  art gallery. I try and choose to involve the library whenever possible, so I arranged to do it via SPL . I get paid less for the gig this way, but I also get paid for the development and preparation time, so it more than balances. Also, it raises the profile of the library, which I love.   I decided to do a show that we had previously developed which we call “The Hat Trilogy.” It is a mixed puppetry version of three of Jon Klassen’s books : I Want My Hat Back, This is Not My Hat, and We Found a Hat. They are excellent and entertaining children’s picture books. It was originally Claire’s idea and she directed the original showing of it at the library. So, it’s general form is pretty much thanks to her (and, of...

As we explored Calgary’s newest library, the differences between Wendy and I made themselves as clear as ever. We decided to do “he said, she said” comparison posts. Following is the Wendy Brain:  Library as art gallery When Mike and I arrived at Calgary’s new central library, it felt like we were arriving at an art gallery. There was big   sculpture shouting community out front, and the building’s architecture flowed. But when you get inside, the volunteers (yes, there are regular tours departing from the front doors) from tour groups to describe exactly how form and function are married in the building.  We’ll talk about that more as we go, but favorite elements. Mike loved the stairs and how they formed the heart of the building.  I thought the stairs, combined with open but demarcated spaces give you windows into all the special spaces. Finally, we both loves the geometric windows and lovely found spaces. You could spend days thinking about the use of light in ...

Calgary’s new central branch has been open for a week. Since Wendy had a conference in Banff and I was keeping her company, we decided to stop in at the library on the way through. I have some thoughts. Some of them are library insider thoughts, but lots of them are just from the perspective of someone who loves art and learning and books and people. This library was a modern wonder and is beautiful, both inside and out. My phone battery was in critical condition, but lucky for me I had the talented and generous photography skills of Dr. Wendy to fill the gap.  If you have only seen one photo of this library, it is probably similar to the one below. This is the view from one floor above the front entrance. The area to the left of the entrance is dominated by this mural—clearly inspired by the reconciliation movement. The impression I got upon walking through the door was that I was entering into a beautiful art gallery. But not a gallery of precise, unchanging beauty. Instead, it w...

I felt pretty powerless as a little kid. I was terrible at crossing the street. Even if my mother started crossing, I would rip my hand free of hers and stubbornly wait if there was a car within two blocks. I think the only reason I ever crossed, is that she began leaving without me and the only thing I feared more than being struck by a car was being lost and alone. Example: When I was a pre-schooler, I once cried while holding my mothers hand on a crowded stairwell (in church) because I had momentarily lost sight of her. Maurice Sendak acknowledged the utter powerlessness of children, but still gave them power. It made a big difference to me. I took comfort knowing that Max was a tiny kid and on a time-out, but still able to stare down the ferocious Wild Things. Sendak is dead. If you are wired, you already know this, so let's not rehash(tag). There are already fantastic stories in the New York Times and tributes on NPR . If you are a fan and have an hour to spend,...