Library

One persons trash is another persons library

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In another post, I wrote about the concept of Jugaad – the art of making something out of nothing or making do with what you have. This amazing CNN story about garbage collectors Ankara, Turkey exemplifies the concept.

While on their routes, the garbage collectors started rescuing books from the trash. As word spread about what they were doing, residents just started donating books to them. Enough for them to open a library and even share titles with schools and even prisons. An old brick factory that the sanitation department owned was used as the library and now acts also as a community center where people gather. This is really a great story about what people can accomplish by working together.

Garbage collectors open library with abandoned books

By Spencer Feingold and Hande Atay Alam, CNN

(CNN)A library in Ankara gives new meaning to the notion that books are timeless.

Garbage collectors in the Turkish capital have opened a public library comprised entirely of books once destined for the landfills.
The library, located in the Çankaya district of Ankara, was founded after sanitation workers started collecting discarded books.
For months, the garbage men gathered forsaken books. As word of the collection spread, residents also began donating books directly.
Read the full post at CNN

Am I the only one who has fantasized about living in a library and why do you write the genre you do?

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I love reading and I suspect most of you do too. It is all about the stories, right? Whether zombie apocalypse, plague, end-of-the-world-whatever, I am hauling my happy ass to a library! I would spend so much time reading everything and eating apples.

The act of reading is itself a pleasure. While I have genres I prefer to read, stick me someplace with only silly teen romances available and by golly I will read those suckers.

Dark confession time. I have read the Twilight series. My daughter swore to me that they were better than the movies.

She lies.

I couldn’t get Kristen Stewart’s voice out of my head for everyone one of Bella’s lines. It is still better than 50 Shades of Gray, just saying.

The point being, I am not tied to a particular type of book. But when I write, I stick to the fantasy genre. Because I am lazy and it is easier. Also I am trying to really improve the quality of my writing and not having to spend time worrying about the correct details helps.

Last NaNoWriMo I wrote a story based on La Carambada. A female Mexican bandit in 1870 who seriously kicked butt. This woman tried to save her French soldier lover from being killed and was betrayed by the governor. To get back at the government, she dressed like a man and took to robbing people and did it better than everyone else. To really rub in the humiliation in this machismo culture, she would bare her breasts so her victims knew they got beat up by a girl. She may have actually poisoned the officials who would not help her.

She needs a story told about her.

The problem is, that while I live in Southern California and I love the Mexican people and culture, there is no way I could do this story justice. Not in a way that it deserved.

Unless…

The story now takes place in a land that is loosely based on Europe during the 30 years war. Very loosely based. Now a young woman is trying to protect her fiancee and is betrayed by the lords of the land so in turn becomes a robbing-hood type character, fighting injustice and flashing her tatas.

No mess, no fuss. I love writing fantasy because there are no rules and anything goes.

So what about you? How did you pick the genre you like to write in?

Have a great day!

Paula

 

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In The News – The World’s Oldest Working Library Will Soon Open Its Doors to the Public

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In The News – Articles Of Interest For Authors

Morocco’s al-Qarawiyyin University is the worlds oldest continuing working library and soon it will be available for everyone. Road trip? If I only had the money! Smithsonian.com has the details.

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The World’s Oldest Working Library Will Soon Open Its Doors to the Public

Seriously who want to come!
Seriously who want to come!

By Danny Lewis

smithsonian.com

After renovations wrap up in September, the library at Morocco’s al-Qarawiyyin University will debut an exhibition section for non-scholars

When the library at Morocco’s al-Qarawiyyin University was first built in the 9th century, it was one of the world’s great centers for learning. Scholars from around the world traveled to Fez to visit the library and peruse its books, and today it is the oldest continually operating library in the world, Selina Cheng reports for Quartz. But soon students and researchers won’t be the only ones with access to the storied library. The architect in charge of a lengthy restoration project to the library, Aziza Chaouni, confirmed to Smithsonian.com that after renovations wrap in September, the library will be debuting a wing for the general public’s use for the first time in history.
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Read the full post on Smithsonian.com

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