Category Archives: Literature

Sculpture Vulture: George Rose Smith

Posted on by

Continuing with the Sculpture Vulture focus on famous Arkansans during Arkansas Heritage Month, today’s feature is George Rose Smith.  This sculptural plaque is located in the garden at the main building of the Central Arkansas Library System downtown campus.

Created by John Deering, it showcases Justice Smith sitting in his judges robe with pen in hand. In the background is a large crossword puzzle grid.  This sculpture pays homage to the fact that Justice Smith was both a respected member of the bar as well as an author of crossword puzzles.

In his final opinion from the Arkansas Supreme Court before he retired, he embedded a message using the first letter of each paragraph to spell out his farewell.  A masterful puzzle constructor, he authored puzzles which appeared in The New York Times.  Little Rock District Judge Vic Fleming carries on this tradition of being a published puzzle author as well as judge in Arkansas.

Justice Smith was the scion of a family of Arkansas attorneys. His grandfather Uriah Rose, a longtime partner at the law firm which now bears his name, was a delegate to the Hague.

Below the sculpture is this inscription:

Judge George Rose Smith

1911-1992

Wordsmith Extraordinaire

New York Times Crossword Puzzle Author

Arkansas Supreme Court Justice 1949-1987

CALS J. N. Heiskell Lecture to feature Douglas A. Blackmon

Posted on by

Douglas A. Blackmon will present the Central Arkansas Library System’s J.N. Heiskell Distinguished Lecture on Friday, May 11, at 6:30 p.m. in the Main Library’s Darragh Center at 100 Rock Street.

Blackmon’s book, Slavery by Another Name: The Re-Enslavement of Black Americans from the Civil War to World War II, was awarded the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction and was a New York Times bestseller. The book is a searing examination of how the enslavement of African Americans persisted deep into the 20th century, profoundly sculpting current American life. A documentary film based on Slavery by Another Name is scheduled for broadcast on PBS in late 2012.

Blackmon has written extensively over the past 25 years about the American quandary of race-exploring the integration of schools during his childhood in a Mississippi Delta farm town, lost episodes of the Civil Rights movement, and, repeatedly, the dilemma of how a contemporary society should grapple with a troubled past.

The lecture is free and open to the public. A book signing and catered reception will follow the Friday evening lecture. For more information or to RSVP for the lecture, contact lblackwell@cals.org or 918-3029.

Sculpture Vulture: Fred Darragh Jr.

Posted on by

May is Arkansas Heritage Month.  In keeping with that, the Sculpture Vulture in May will feature sculptures of Arkansans.

Today is a sculptural plaque of Fred Darragh, Jr. which was created by John Deering.  It depicts Mr. Darragh in standing in a suit with a wry smile on his face and his hands casually resting in his pockets.

Over his right shoulder is an image of a the earth with a plane circling it.  This pays homage to Mr. Darragh’s status as a pilot as well as his interest in world travel.  It also pays tribute to his belief in a common humanity which unites people of all ages, races, backgrounds, and economic statuses.

Accompanying this sculpture is a plaque which says:

Fred Darragh, Jr.

(1916-2003)

pilot, veteran, businessman, world traveler, philanthropist, civil rights advocate, library trustee, raconteur, supporter of the first amendment, and friend of the oppressed.

The sculpture is displayed near the entrance to the Darragh Center in the Central Arkansas Library System’s main building.

Happy 100 to WR

Posted on by

One hundred years ago today, Winthrop Rockefeller was born in New York.  After moving to Arkansas in the early 1950s, he would establish himself as a positive force for the development of the state.

Perhaps his most obvious impact was helping to transform the provincial Little Rock Museum of Fine Arts into the first rate Arkansas Arts Center.  He and his family were generous donors of money and art to this effort.

Through the effort of the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, many cultural institutions have received funds for programming which has reached into every county and every corner of this state.  For instance, one of the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra’s string quartets is the Rockefeller Quartet.

Mr. Rockefeller at the groundbreaking for the Arkansas Arts Center

It is hard to quantify what impact his efforts had on cultural institutions which did not even exist in his lifetime.  Without the elevation of the arts and the understanding of their impact, it is doubtful that endeavors such as the Arkansas Repertory Theatre, Arkansas Opera Theatre (now Wildwood Park for the Arts) and Ballet Arkansas would have had success with donors in their nascent days.

In 2012, a year-long Celebration is planned to highlight the legacy of Winthrop Rockefeller in the state 40 years after he left office as the state’s 37th governor.  His leadership in political, economic, and cultural arenas as well as in his philanthropic endeavors had a significant impact on the development of Arkansas. This celebration is intended to promote an understanding of these accomplishments to an audience that may know little of his deeds as an historical figure or his contributions to the evolution of the state.

Over the next year, the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute, the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, Winrock International, the Winthrop Rockefeller Charitable Trust, the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, the Central Arkansas Library System, and the Arkansas Arts Center will celebrate the 100th anniversary of Winthrop Rockefeller’s birth by reaching out from Petit Jean Mountain, the home he created in his adopted state, to the rest of Arkansas and the United States.

This Centennial Celebration will offer a variety of programs that will honor his legacy, bringing it alive to a new generation. These programs will convene some of the nation’s leading thinkers and innovators to explore his contributions and take a contemporary look at the issues about which he cared so deeply. Alongside celebratory events, the Celebration will include an assortment of academic conferences, public forums, art exhibits, and educational programs.

Shakespeare on Trial at Clinton School

Posted on by

The Quality of Mercy Is Not Strained – The Merchant of Venice

For centuries, controversy has raged over whether William Shakespeare is the true author of the plays attributed to him. Was it Shakespeare himself, or some nobleman such as the Earl of Oxford, merely using Shakespeare as his front man?

The Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre in conjunction with Clinton School for Public Service explores this controversy in an imaginative and entertaining format in a program at Sturgis Hall tonight at 6pm.

Tonight’s program sets out to answer these questions by giving Shakespeare himself an opportunity to bring suit in front of U.S. Judge Joe Volpe, with the help of top Arkansas attorneys serving as the prosecution and defense.

Other Elizabethan luminaries may make appearances as witnesses to add their two cents as AST celebrates Shakespeare’s (traditionally held) birthday in the courtroom. Birthday cake will be provided, whether or not Shakespeare wins his case.

Reserve your seats by emailing publicprograms@clintonschool.uasys.edu, or calling 501-683-5239.

Prized Occupants

Posted on by

The Pulitzer Prizes were announced yesterday.  Though Mt. Holly Cemetery touts that it is the site of a whole host of elected officials, it is also the only place in Arkansas where two Pulitzer Prize recipients are buried.

In 1939, John Gould Fletcher became the first Southern poet to win the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry.  He was born into a prominent Little Rock family in 1886.  Fletcher was awarded the prize for his collection Selected Poems which was published by Farrar in 1938.  Two years earlier, he had been commissioned by the Arkansas Gazette to compose an epic poem about the history of Arkansas in conjunction with the state’s centennial.

Fletcher is buried next to his wife, author Charlie May Simon and his parents.  Other relatives are buried nearby in the cemetery.

The other Pulitzer Prize winner buried in Mt. Holly is J. N. Heiskell, the longtime editor of the Arkansas Gazette.  It was Heiskell, in fact, who asked Fletcher to compose the poem about Arkansas.  Heiskell served as editor of the Gazette from 1902 through 1972.  He died at the age of 100 in 1972.  Under his leadership, the Gazette earned two Pulitzer Prizes for its coverage of the 1957 desegregation of Little Rock Central High.  One was for Harry Ashmore’s editorial writing and the other was for Public Service.

Heiskell remained in charge of the Gazette until his death in 1972.  He is buried alongside his wife.

Ark Lit Fest this Weekend!

Posted on by

April 12 – 15

The Arkansas Literary Festival, the premier gathering of readers and writers in Arkansas, has expanded to include more than 95 presenters in many locations on both sides of the river from April 12-15, 2012. The Central Arkansas Library System’s Main Library campus and other venues in the River Market and Argenta Arts districts are the sites for a stimulating mix of sessions, panels, special events, performances, workshops, presentations, opportunities to meet authors, book sales, and book signings. Most events are free and open to the public.

Festival authors include New York Times columnist Jason Zinoman, Bryan Borland, Kevin Brockmeier, Frank Thurmond, Roy Blount Jr., Diana Southwood Kennedy, George Dohrmann, Deborah Crombie, Trent Stewart, Mary Monroe, Justin Torres, Greil Marcus, and more. Festival authors include winners of such awards as the Pulitzer Prize, World Fantasy Award, James Beard Foundation Award for Cookbook of the Year, Critics Choice Award for Best Family Film, American Book Award, The Heartland Prize, Truman Capote Award for Literary Criticism; Thomas Wolfe Award; National Association of Black Journalists Award, Guggenheim Fellowship, and a regional Emmy. One author was decorated with the Order of the Aztec Eagle, the highest honor given to foreigners by the Mexican Government; another was inducted into the French Legion of Honor, the highest honor bestowed on a French citizen. Many of the presenters’ works have been translated into multiple languages, optioned for television, and made into feature films.

Special events during the Festival include a cocktail reception with the authors, a book fiesta for children, cooking workshops, two films, and a street fair featuring area musicians. Panels and workshops will feature topics such as graphic novels, poetry, memoirs, romance, craft activism, electronic books and publishing trends, magazine editing, and pencil sharpening. Children’s special events include a storytime on the lawn of the Governor’s Mansion, a reading of a children’s story with illustrations and musical accompaniment at the Clinton Presidential Center, two plays, a magic show, a puppet show, and a concert by the Kinders.

Through the Writers In The Schools (WITS) initiative, the Festival will provide presentations by 17 authors for Pulaski county elementary, middle, and senior high schools and area colleges.

Author! Author!, a cocktail reception with the authors, will be Friday, April 13 at 7:30 p.m.; tickets are $25 in advance, and $40 at the door. Cooking workshop tickets are $20. All tickets go on sale at http://www.arkansasliteraryfestival.org beginning Thursday, March 1. Author! Author! tickets will also be available for purchase at all Central Arkansas Library System branches. All other Festival events are free and open to the public.

The Arkansas Literary Festival’s mission is to encourage the development of a more literate populace. A group of dedicated volunteers assists Festival Coordinator Brad Mooy with planning the Festival. Jay Jennings is the 2012 Festival Chair, with Laura Stanley serving as the Vice Chair. Other committee chairs include Katherine Whitworth, Talent Committee; Lisa Donovan & Darcy Pattison, Youth Programs; Martha Perry, Finance; and Amy Bradley-Hole, Moderators.