Pulitzer Prize Winners

The Pulitzer Prize is a yearly award honoring excellence in journalism and the arts - a prize that has been in existence since 1917.

Past honorees in the Fiction category include such greats as The Magnificent Ambersons, The Age of Innocence (my favorite book!!), The Good Earth, Gone with the Wind, and Our Town.



Of particular note in this category is 2007's winner, The Road by Cormac McCarthy. Haunting is the best word to describe this book and I am still lost for words on how McCarthy was able to craft such elegant prose from a story that was so minimal and wordless.




On the non-fiction side of the arts:

2010...
Lords of Finance: The Bankers who Broke the World

Liaquat Ahamed, using his skills as an economist and historian, traces the origins of the greatest economic disaster back to the hands of just a few bankers. Yet these few toppled the economies of the Western World and, Ahamed asserts, brought about WWII.

2008...
What Hath God Wrought: The Transformation of America

Daniel Walker Howe's revolutionary understanding of the creation of modern-day America. How did we turn from a pioneer's outpost to one of the most industrial countries? That question provides the backbone to Howe's history.

2007...
The Most Famous Man in America: The Biography of Henry Ward Beecher

Though overshadowed by his more famous siblings (Harriet Beecher Stowe, for one), Henry Ward Beecher founded modern Christianity. By replacing God-fearing sermons with a focus on love and mercy, Beecher's influence continues to be felt in sermons every Sunday. Outside of the pulpit, his life held some demons which Debby Applegate chronicles in this fast-paced tale.

These are just a few examples we have in the library of Pulitzer Prize winners.

For more information about the prize itself, click HERE.

Or come in and check out our special display
located by the Circulation Desk.

READ Poster Winner!

I would like to congratulate our 2010 National Library Week READ Poster Contest winner...

Congrats Jonus!!!

Come check out his poster next week as it takes its place of honor!

Thanks to all of our wonderful entries and to all of you who participated in voting! We look forward to seeing your submissions next year!

Local History - Seattle Style

Perhaps I enjoy history more than the next person; however, my tastes mostly lead me to the exotic, foreign and distant history of lands and peoples far away. The more foreign the place, the more I am interested in it.

Local history, on the other hand, is the stuff of boredom, forever associated with dull battles over water rights.

But this is Seattle! SEATTLE! Where the Wild West continued on through the 1930s, where the Gold Rush put us on the map, and our fair city has seen more than its fair share of ill repute! Lately, I can't get enough!

Thankfully, Hurst Library has some recent acquisitions to satisfy my new-found interest in all things local.

Here are my new favorites...

The House of Hope and Fear - Though more recent history, this is the real life story of a city hospital, Harborview to be exact, and the day-to-day struggles to keep up with the continuous flow of patients. This is the real-life Grey's Anatomy, in a real-life Seattle hospital.

A great read for nursing students!







Family of Strangers is a collection of newspaper clippings, birth records, and, most interestingly, photos of Washington's Jewish pioneers. Following the first settlers all of the way through WWII, this book is a time capsule lovingly written.

Did I mention the pictures?!?!







I credit PBS, more specifically their special on the Alaska Yukon Pacific Exposition, for igniting my local history fever!

In this book, you are taken on a pictorial journey through the greatest unknown fair Seattle ever had. "World's Fair, Shmorld's Fair" is what you will say by the end of this book!

The Alaska Yukon Pacific Exposition took place over a hundred years ago, saw hundreds of thousands of visitors, and left us a great legacy - all of the original UW buildings were created to house this fair.

My words fail to describe the beauty of this book!

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Hopefully it does not sound as though I have over hyped this local history stuff, but I just cannot get enough!

Scandal! Money! Double-Crossing! It is all here in our little town!

New Music Focuses at NU

There are exciting things happening in NU's Music department! Over the past year they have been building a state of the art music studio in the 6710 Building and working on crafting three (yes, 3!) new major areas of interest.

Here in the library, though we do not have the fancy new equipment, we have been working on developing our collection to best serve the new students!

Recording Arts

The Guide to MIDI Orchestration - This is the original and premiere book for composers! It has everything: history, orchestration, MIDI and sampling environment, studio setup, future of orchestration, etc.

The Desktop Studio: A Guide to Computer-Based Audio Production - Using your computer for audio production is where the industry is heading and this book gives you the basics to lay the groundwork for an excellent computer based audio production experience.

Music Production: A Manual for Producers, Composers, Arrangers, and Students - This handbook walks its readers through every possible step in the production process. If you are new to the field, this will prove to be invaluable!

Sound FX - Want to learn how to use your studio to produce better music? This is what you need. If you have the basics down and want to expand your understanding of distortion, reverb, equalization, and pitch shift, then take a look at this book for helpful advice and inspiration.

Worship Technology

The New Worship - Though not specifically about worship technology, Liesch does discuss the changing role of music itself in worship. Anyone pursuing a career in Worship Technology needs to know how/if this relationship works!

Music Technology in Worship - This is the handbook for this particular focus, describing the role of technology within the church and within the music. Learn how to make the best out of what you have and reach as many people as possible.

Music Business

Music Business Handbook & Career Guide - A great, general guide to all of the major ins and outs of the music industry. From songwriting to production, this newly revised handbook is up-to-date and a first stop for people interested in any music related career.

Get a Job in the Music Industry - Still wondering if the music business is where you are being called? This volume highlights many different career possibilities in the industry, explains how to build a resume, and, best of all, provides a directory of other important publications to continue your quest.

Artist Management for the Music Business - From the Focal Press, the most trusted name in music publication, this volume addresses the managers. It starts from the beginning, instructing potential managers on the best ways to enter into the profession (college advice, internships, networking, etc), and continues by offering more advanced career advice.