In the Stacks

Another April, another NaPoMo, or National Poetry Month. In this episode, Brittney, Drew, and Alissa read and discuss some of their favorite poems of the year and encourage listeners to indulge in poetry not just in April, but all year long. Poems discussed in this episode include: “A Supermarket in California” by Allen Ginsberg “Three Body Problem” by Hannah Larrabee “Kanye West is Not Picasso” by Leonard Cohen “Golden Record” by Paige Lewis “Fleas” by Ogden Nash “Watching the Nature Channel” by Leonard Cohen “[an ancient pond!]” by Matsuo Basho “My Mind is Made of Cheese” by Lilly S. “Untitled” by S. “On Rare Occasions” by Leonard Cohen “Little Crazy Love Song” by Mary Oliver “What I Do” by Leonard Cohen “Sad Olympics” by Kate Baer “Billings, MT” by Brittney Uecker More information about the Three Body Problem can be found here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/physics-and-astronomy/three-body-problem#:~:text=The%20three%2Dbody%20problem%20describes,the%20influence%20of%20the%20Sun.  Listen to In the Stacks, the Library’s original podcast, on Spotify, Google Play, or at anchor.fm.

As part of last year's Summer Reading Program, the Library welcomed performance artist Dave Caserio and MSUB Professor Emeritus Dr. William Kamowski for their presentation "The Foundations of English From Beowulf to Chaucer to Shakespeare". These two enthusiastically guided us through the history of the English language and gave readings in original Old and Middle English pronunciations. Dave and Bill were kind enough to sit down with Alissa for a conversation that dives a little deeper into this topic.  You can subscribe to “In the Stacks” on Spotify, Google, and all other major podcast platforms.

*New In the Stacks episode alert!* Do you have a New Year's resolution for this year? It's February now, so if you have one and you haven't given up on it yet,  you're doing better than most of society, so kudos to you. Because we are librarians by day and book nerds by night, our New Year's resolutions obviously take the form of reading resolutions. In this episode of In the Stacks, the staff of the Lewistown Public Library share their book-related goals for 2023. We hope that by setting our literature intentions that we can inspire you to go after a reading goal of your own in the new year.  Intro and Outro music by Cosmik Jru Featured track "Vegan Breakfast" by Couple II 

The world is rife with end-of-the-year lists, but THIS is the one to listen to! In this episode, the Lewistown Library staff brings you our favorite books of 2022. Ranging from cookbooks to music, apocalyptic to feel-good, this discussion will give you plenty of ideas for reads to start your new year.

The Library hosted Joan Bird over the summer for her very popular program, "UFOs and Extraterrestrials in Montana." Join Joan and Alissa for this conversation about extraterrestrials, science fiction, and leaning into the unknown.  Many thanks to Humanities Montana for sponsoring this program. You can subscribe to “In the Stacks” on Spotify, Google, and all other major podcast platforms. Questions? Email us at lewistownpubliclibrary@gmail.com. Follow us at @lplgram on Instagram or Lewistown Public Library on Facebook.

Mary Jane Bradbury is an amazing amalgam of things — she is an actress, speaker, and educator who melds history and performance in her unique role as an historical interpreter. Mary Jane fully embodies the characters in her performances through costume, voice, and storytelling to bring these historical women to life for her audiences. Mary Jane joined up for two events at the Library — a workshop called "The Art of Storytelling" and her presentation titled "Kid Gloves and Brass Knuckles: The Life of Nancy Cooper Russell". Much thanks to Humanities Montana for sponsoring this and the other events for our Thursday Night Speakers series as part of our Summer Reading Program. For information on these and other Library happenings, visit our website and follow us on social media. Subscribe to In the Stacks on Spotify, Google, and all other major podcast platforms. You can email us at lewistownpubliclibrary@gmail.com. Follow us at @lplgram on Instagram or Lewistown Public Library on Facebook.

Happy National Poetry Month! In this episode, Alissa and Brittney share and discuss some of their favorite poems and poets. Simple as that. The poems discussed in this episode include: "Who Let the Hogs Out!" by Aileen Keown Vaux   "One Art" by Elizabeth Bishop    "Female Author" by Sylvia Plath    "Mossbawn Sunlight" by Seamus Heaney    "Taking a Break Outside the Trailways Bus from Grandma's" by Devin Kelly    "Filling Station" by Elizabeth Bishop    "The Two-Headed Calf" by Laura Gilpin    "The Red Wheelbarrow" and "This Is Just to Say" by William Carlos Williams    "How to Triumph Like a Girl" by Ada Limón    "Strawberries" by Edwin Morgan    "Heirloom" by torrin a. greathouse    "Catholic Guilt" by Brittney Uecker Subscribe to In the Stacks on Spotify, Google, and all other major podcast platforms. You can email us at lewistownpubliclibrary@gmail.com. Follow us at @lplgram on Instagram or Lewistown Public Library on Facebook.

Chris is a Montana writer, Métis storyteller, and an enrolled member of the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians. His book, “One-Sentence Journal: Short Poems and Essays from the World at Large”, was published by Riverfeet Press in 2018 and was the winner of the 2018 Montana Book Award and a 2019 High Plains Book Award. His book “Descended From a Travel-worn Satchel” was published by FootHills Publishing in 2021 and his book “Becoming Little Shell” comes out in 2023 from Milkweed Editions. Chris teaches with the Missoula Writing Collaborative’s Writers in the School program, which brings creative writing education to schools across Montana. Additionally, Chris is an absolute pleasure to talk to. Chris chatted with Brittney about his background, his history, and the intersection and influence of his identities, as well as his about writing and creativity and the art of observation, and about Missoula, a place they both love.

We are well into the new year and maybe now is really the best time to discuss our resolutions for this 2022, when we’ve had a chance to feel them out and decide whether we want to hang on to them through the rest of the year or abandon them to wishful thinking. In this episode, Alissa and Brittney revisit Their resolutions from last year, let you know how they went, and then lay out their resolutions for 2022, book-related and otherwise.  Subscribe to In the Stacks on Spotify, Google, and all other major podcast platforms. You can email us at lewistownpubliclibrary@gmail.com. Follow us at @lplgram on Instagram or Lewistown Public Library on Facebook.

For our last episode of 2021, we bring you the LPL staff's books of the year. Brittney say down with each of the Lewistown Library librarians to discuss the one (or maybe two) best books that they read in 2021 that stood out the most for them.  The books discussed in this episode include: "Fresh Water for Flowers" by Valérie Perrin (Nancy)" "コンビニ人間 (Convenience Store Woman)" by Sayaka Murata (Alissa) "Nightbitch" by Rebecca Yoder (Brittney) "The Blue House" by Phoebe Wahl (Brittney) "Ghosts of Harvard" by Francesca Serritella (Misty) "On What Grounds" by Cleo Coyle (Sue) Subscribe to In the Stacks on Spotify, Google, and all other major podcast platforms. You can email us at lewistownpubliclibrary@gmail.com. Follow us at @lplgram on Instagram or Lewistown Public Library on Facebook.

While the consumption of the stories of real crimes as a form of entertainment is not new, the internet age and the proliferation of podcasts have made these stories especially accessible. Just like any media explosion, there are pros and cons and plenty of nuances to the genre of true crime and the world's obsession with it, which gravitates from voyeuristic at worst to purposeful at best. In this episode, Alissa and Brittney discuss what makes true crime entertaining, whether its consumption is harmful, and the positive impact that sharing these stories can have. While there is nothing explicit or gruesome discussed here, be aware that there are references to violence and abuse. Subscribe to In the Stacks on Spotify, Google, and all other major podcast platforms. You can email us at lewistownpubliclibrary@gmail.com. Follow us at @lplgram on Instagram or Lewistown Public Library on Facebook.

As we welcome back students and families into a fully open library, we also welcome our new director, Alissa Wolenetz. Brittney and Alissa and have a conversation about Alissa's background growing up in Ekalaka, Montana and teaching in Japan, how she ended up here in Lewistown, and what the future for the Library holds. Random tangents include hyper-holds, Brittney's thesis research, and the staying power of Scooby-Doo. Subscribe to In the Stacks on Spotify, Google, and all other major podcast platforms. You can email us at lewistownpubliclibrary@gmail.com. Follow us at @lplgram on Instagram or Lewistown Public Library on Facebook.

It's been a while, but we are back! For this episode, Dani and I bring you a list of the perfect drinks to go with some of our favorite books. We've got new stuff, old stuff, fiction and non, classic and modern - 16 books in total, each with a drink that fits the theme or feel of the story. (There is some mild cursing in this episode as well as references to alcohol, so listen accordingly.) Books and accompanying drinks mentioned in this episode include: “Godshot” by Chelsea Bieker with a Blood Orange Mezcal “In the Time of the Butterflies” by Julia Alvarez with a Margarita “Paradise, WV” by Rob Rufus with a Snakebite “Tale for the Time Being” by Ruth Ozeki with a Charred Chili and Orange Aperol “Townie” by Andre Dubus III with a Budweiser or PBR “Discovery of Witches” by Deborah Harkness with a White Claw “Outlawed” by Anna North with a Cherry Vanilla Moonshine “The Lost Apothecary” by Sarah Penner with Death in the Afternoon “Nightbitch” by Rachel Yoder with a Bloody Mary “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald with a Bathtub Gin “A River Runs Through It” by Norman Maclean with Ole Gus Scotch Rye “Animal” by Lisa Taddeo with a Prickly Pear Gin Buck “Cadillac Desert: The American West and Its Disappearing Water” by Marc Reiser with a tall drink of water “Harry Potter” series by J.K. Rowling with a spot of tea or cup of coffee “Blackbird House” by Alice Hoffman with an Old Fashioned “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Bronte with 7 Deadly Zins Subscribe to In the Stacks on Spotify, Google, and all other major podcast platforms. You can email us at lewistownpubliclibrary@gmail.com. Follow us at @lplgram on Instagram or Lewistown Public Library on Facebook.

On this episode, we finally dive into some spooky campfire stories of wilderness legends, a haunted hotel, a sinister cat, and more, just in time for camping season. The stories we share in this episode are scary, so if you are sensitive to that or have children listening, please take care of yourself accordingly. Stories shared in this episode can be found at/in: "Crow Brings Daylight" "Harlem Hotel" from Montana Chillers: 13 True Tales of Ghosts and Hauntings by Ellen Baumler "Brown Mountain Lights" "Cold as Clay" and "Room for One More" from Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz "Porch" from Dark Blood Comes From the Feet by Emma J. Gibbon Subscribe to In the Stacks on Spotify, Google, and all other major podcast platforms. You can email us at lewistownpubliclibrary@gmail.com. Follow us at @lplgram on Instagram or Lewistown Public Library on Facebook.

In a flurry of seasonal confusion and library-land craziness, Dani and Brittney managed to catch up about what they are reading lately, as well as reminisce about the classic 90's sports-anthem compilation, 'Jock Jams'. Books mentioned in this episode include: "The Neon Hollywood Cowboy" by Matt Mitchell (https://www.biglucks.com/store/matt-mitchell) "Hunt, Gather, Parent: What Ancient Cultures Can Teach Us About the Lost Art of Raising Happy, Helpful Little Humans" by Michaeleen Doucleff "Justine" by Forsyth Harmon Subscribe to In the Stacks on Spotify, Google, and all other major podcast platforms. You can email us at lewistownpubliclibrary@gmail.com. Follow us at @lplgram on Instagram or Lewistown Public Library on Facebook.

The LPL is ecstatic to be able to a host our Summer Reading Program for 2021 - Tails and Tales, focusing on animals and the stories about them. To get us into this theme, today's episode of In the Stacks is about the animals of Central Montana and the people that get to work with them. We interviewed several individuals from various walks of life about what influenced them to pursue a career working with animals, what makes Central Montana a unique ecosystem in which to encounter wildlife, and their funniest, wildest animal experiences - their tales about tails. Stay tuned to the end of the episode to hear details about this year's Summer Reading Program. Thank you to guests Mariah Shammel, Matt Comer, Katy Beady, Whitney Brady, and Andy Oestreich. For more information about their work, visit: Montana RancHERS, American Prairie Reserve Wild Sky Program, Lewistown Veterinary Service, BLM Lewistown Field Office Subscribe to In the Stacks on Spotify, Google, and all other major podcast platforms. You can email us at lewistownpubliclibrary@gmail.com. Follow us at @lplgram on Instagram or Lewistown Public Library on Facebook.

April is National Poetry Month, and in this episode we are going to convince you that yes, you do in fact like poetry. Dani and Brittney discuss what poetry is and can be, and analyze several of their favorite poems, both new and old. Which poem makes Dani cry? How many times can Brittney use the word "visceral" to describe poetry? Listen and find out. Visit the links below to read these poems and learn about how you can celebrate National Poetry Month. National Poetry Month https://poets.org/national-poetry-month “Fragment 105(a)” by Sappho https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/browse?contentId=38962 “Good Bones” by Maggie Smith https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/89897/good-bones “The Peace of Wild Things” by Wendell Berry https://www.scottishpoetrylibrary.org.uk/poem/peace-wild-things-0/ “ Should Have Never Left the Great Lakes/I Hate This Place” by Matt Mitchell https://www.hobartpulp.com/web_features/i-should-have-never-left-the-great-lakes-i-hate-this-place “Yesterday When I Was Teaching I Nearly Cried” by Devin Kelly from the collection In This Quiet Church of Night, I Say Amen (Civil Coping Mechanisms, 2017) https://devingkelly.com/ “Don’t Worry” by Mary Oliver from the collection Felicity: poems (Penguin, 2015) https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/mary-oliver “Sarah Cynthia Silvia Stout Will Not Take the Garbage Out” by Shel Silverstein from the collection Where the Sidewalk Ends (Harper & Rowe, 1974) https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/shel-silverstein Subscribe to In the Stacks on Spotify, Google, and all other major podcast platforms. You can email us at lewistownpubliclibrary@gmail.com. Follow us at @lplgram on Instagram or Lewistown Public Library on Facebook.

Astrology, horoscopes, and interest in the zodiac have seen a resurgence in popularity and an ascendance in the popular culture. In this episode, Dani talks with astrological enthusiast Ashley Kuykendall about birth charts and what their various features mean. Then Dani and Brittney break down their own astrological identities through the context of two books: "You Were Born For This: Astrology for Radical Self-Acceptance" by Chani Nicholas and "Guide to the Stars: Astrology, Our Icons, and Ourselves" by Claire Comstock-Gay. Open your minds, open your hearts, and open your ears as we look to the stars. Subscribe to In the Stacks on Spotify, Google, and all other major podcast platforms. You can email us at lewistownpubliclibrary@gmail.com. Follow us at @lplgram on Instagram or Lewistown Public Library on Facebook.

For today’s episode of In the Stacks, we thought we would offer you a diverse menu of podcast recommendations to keep you in the podcast-listening loop. We interview friends and patrons of the library and Lewistown community about their favorite podcasts, as well as offer up some of our own recommendations, and Dani and I discuss our theories for why podcasts are such a hot commodity right now. Podcasts recommended on this episode include: The Bill Simmons Podcast, WTF with Marc Maron, DNF Podcast, Criminal, Call Your Girlfriend, Reply All, You Must Remember This, Someone Knows Something, This American Life, Stuff You Should Know, Hidden Brain, Growups Reading Things They Wrote as Kids, The Anfield Wrap, Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me, The History Chicks, Dateline NBC Podcast, Case Remains, My Favorite Murder, Mysterious Secrets of Uncle Bertie’s Botanarium, Terrible, Thanks For Asking, and Giant Steps. Thank you to guests Laura Anderson, Mary Baumstark, Charlie Denison, Matt Hassler, Clint Smith, KellyAnne Terry, and Josh Uecker. Subscribe to In the Stacks on Spotify, Google, and all other major podcast platforms. You can email us at lewistownpubliclibrary@gmail.com. Follow us at @lplgram on Instagram or Lewistown Public Library on Facebook.

Brittney and Dani ring in the new year with a conversation about their 2020 reading and the reading goals they resolve to accomplish in 2021.  Book recommendations in this episode include City of Brass (Daevabad Trilogy #1) by S.A. Chakraborty from Dani and Gutshot: Stories by Amelia Gray from Brittney. Do you have any 2021 reading resolutions? Any favorite reads from 2020? What books are you looking forward to reading in 2021? Let us know! You can email us at lewistownpubliclibrary@gmail.com. Follow us at @lplgram on Instagram or Lewistown Public Library on Facebook.  Subscribe to In the Stacks on Spotify, Google, and all other major podcast platforms.