David Shratter, Assistant Circulation Supervisor, recommends "2666" by Roberto Bolaño.

Bolaño astounds me. This novel, monumental in scale, can truly be seen as a monument to the hundreds of young women who have been murdered in a border town in Mexico.The murders are the central focus of the novel, and the author has found a way to bring a level of intimacy and respect to the victims who otherwise seem to be part of an invisible population of poor factory workers. Even though his subject is extremely disturbing Bolaño is remarkable in his ability to reveal the sublime quality that exists at life's source.

by David Shratter, Assistant Circulation Supervisor

The Library Classroom is now open for group and individual study on nights and weekends. The hours are Monday through Thursday 6pm-8am, Friday 6pm-10pm, Saturday 11am-7pm and Sunday 9am through Monday at 8am. The Library Classroom is located down the hall to the right of the Reference Desk, just look for the signage outside. Come check it out!

Environmentalism has often focused on the bad things we do: fossil fuel burning, biodiversity loss, pollution—essentially, our whole unsustainable way of living on earth. And indeed our way of life may need to change, as recent crises ranging from climate to credit have suggested. But change is not just about doing less bad: we also need to reconstruct a larger vision of the good life in the midst of these crises to guide our hopes and our hard work. Environmental Affairs Symposium 2009 will recruit religious leaders, political commentators, economists, artists, and others working alongside environmentalists and environmental scholars in reimagining the good life and what it means for the crises we face today. The Environmental Studies department and Watzek Library invite you to read up on some of the issues that will be presented at the 12th Annual Symposium on Environmental Affairs: Reimagining the Good Life, October 27-29, 2009.