Library Newsletter - November 2022

Native American Heritage Month

November is National Native American Heritage Month. It is a time to celebrate the rich and diverse cultures, traditions, and histories of Indigenous Peoples. It is also an opportune time to educate ourselves about tribes, to learn about the unique challenges Native people have faced, and to acknowledge the important contributions of our nation’s first people.

Explore the library’s Native American Heritage display for books or peruse the Indigenous Heritage Collection through the library catalog.

OneSearch: The Library Catalog

The library’s OneSearch catalog is an all-in-one tool that lets you search for items such as print books, eBooks, and articles for research. In addition to searching our general collection, OneSearch allows you to search through a number of our databases for articles and eBooks, our reserve textbook selection, our special collections, free open access resources on the web, and physical items from any of the State Center libraries. OneSearch is a great place to start your research, and it is available to you anywhere you have Internet access, on or off campus.  All current students have an existing library account they can access to request items, renew items, and more.

Why did you want to be a librarian?
Access to information is fundamental to every aspect of who we are as people.  It helps us to express ourselves and grow as humans.  Specifically, I wanted to be an academic librarian because I LOVE working with students.

What is your favorite part of the job?
When a student shows up in my office, completely stressed out about a project, and by the time they leave, they know they can be successful.  That moment when I see their shoulders drop from the weight they were carrying before they walked in the door!

Favorite books:
The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean
Sing, Unburied, Sing: A Novel by Jesmyn Ward
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

Library Background:
Librarian at Clovis Community College since Fall 2019
Law Library Director – San Joaquin College of Law

Education:
Master of Library and Information Science - University of Arizona
Graduate Certificate - Legal Information and Scholarly Communication
Juris Doctor with High Honors - San Joaquin College of Law
Bachelor of Arts in Political Science - Penn State

I Sang You Down from the Stars

by Tasha Spillett-Sumner
illustrated by Michaela Goade

In this beautiful picture book, Spillett-Sumner provides insight into the Inniniwak Nation as a mother-to-be prepares for a baby who chooses her. As mother and child grow together, the mother prepares a sacred gift to welcome the baby she sings down from the stars.

Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story

by Kevin Nobel Maillard
illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal

This picture book is a meditation on the cultural significance of fry bread and a celebration of the many variations of this indigenous food born in adversity. “Fry bread is food […] Fry bread is time […] Fry bread is nation […] Fry bread is us.” The author includes a recipe for readers to make their own fry bread.

Night of the Living Rez: Stories

by Morgan Talty
narrated by Darrell Dennis

These twelve interlinking stories set in a Native Penobscot community in Maine weave a composite of tragedy and perseverance. From curses to drug addiction to Alzheimer’s, these stories give a believable account of real indigenous people.

The Marriage Portrait: A Novel

by Maggie O’Farrell

Set in 1550s Florence, this novel is a historical fiction account of young duchess Lucrezia de Medici who is forced to replace her dead sister in a marriage to the ruler of Ferrara, Modena, and Reggio. Less than a year later, she dies. Official reports blame “putrid fever” but there are rumors of something more sinister.

Bitter Orange Tree: A Novel

by Jokha Alharthi
translated by Marilyn Booth

Alharthi sheds a light on the control and suffering many women face. Set in Oman and Britain, this novel tells the stories of Zuhour who navigates a foreign country and language, her grandmother, who dies shortly after Zuhour leaves to study in Britain, her sister who is in an abusive marriage, and two of her friends from University.

When Two Feathers Fell from the Sky: A Novel

by Margaret Verble

Weaving magical realism in segregated 1920s Nashville, this novel tells of Two Feathers, a young Cherokee horse-diver. When one of her shows ends in disaster, strange things begin to happen at the park: apparitions, ill animals, and vestiges of the ancient past resurface. Employees and stakeholders alike must come together to solve the mystery.

Nightmare Fuel: The Science of Horror Films

by Nina Nesseth

Nina Nesseth knows what scares you and she knows why. Using psychology and physiology, Nesseth examines the science of fear from monsters to jump scares, serial killers to the undead. These in-depth discussions feature popular horror films like The Exorcist and Hereditary. Why do we like scary movies and why do we keep coming back?

Daughter of the Moon Goddess: A Novel

by Sue Lynn Tan

Hiding on the moon with her exiled mother, Xingyin must flee when her existence is discovered. Hiding in plain sight and training in magic and archery with the emperor’s son, Xingyin must go on a quest to save her mother while lying about her identity to the emperor who exiled her mother and the son with whom she’s falling in love.

The Secret Crypt

by Salvador Elizondo

This cult classic in Mexican literature is an experiment in language about an underground sect called Urkreis—and one member who attempts to discover the identity of the sect’s founder. In this story about initiation rites, sacrificial murder, conspiracy, and delirium, the author blurs the identities of the narrator, characters, and author.

Spells for Forgetting: A Novel

by Adrienne Young

Emery Blackwood’s life changed course when her best friend was found dead and the love of her life, August Salt, was accused of the murder. Unlike August, who left to pursue a different life, she remained on the island. Years passed and now Emery runs the family business and lives a quiet existence. Suddenly, the island shows signs of strange happenings and August Salt returns.

New Native Kitchen: Celebrating Modern Recipes of the American Indian

by Freddie Bitsoie et al.

Keeping the modern cook in mind, this celebration of indigenous cuisine provides modern interpretations of 100 traditional recipes that have long fed indigenous peoples. Among others, you’ll find recipes for Chocolate Bison Chili, Prickly Pear Sweet Pork Chops, and Sumac Seared Trout with Onion and Bacon Sauce.

Lapvona: A Novel

by Ottessa Moshfegh

Lapvona is a medieval village enduring drought and famine. An abused shepherd’s son clings to Ina, the woman who nursed him. Ina has the ability to communicate with the natural world and for some villagers, her home in the woods is a place to avoid. When these characters clash with the rich governor and his lackey priest, new and occult forces will upset the old order.

All Your Children, Scattered: A Novel

by Beata Umubyeyi Mairesse

This debut novel follows three generations attempting to reconnect after the Rwandan genocide left them scattered and with tenuous links to their culture. Immaculata is still in Rwanda, her daughter is exiled in France, and her grandson is caught between two countries attempting to understand where he belongs.

Dealing with Stress: Insights and Tips for Teenagers

by Christie Cognevich

This book defines stress and its function and provides coping methods and real-life experiences and advice for today’s teens and young adults who are dealing with unprecedented levels of stress compounded by bleak news and world concerns.

We Had a Little Real Estate Problem: The Unheralded Story of Native Americans and Comedy

by Kliph Nesteroff

From performing in Wild West shows as an alternative to prison to protesting for better media representation, Nesteroff recounts how Native American comedians have painstaking carved out a space for themselves in comedy. Prominent Native American comedians speak for themselves in this well-researched history.