Stuff We Found While Weeding

Swimming the American Crawl, Johnny Weissmuller. Yes, you read the author’s name correctly — Johnny Weissmuller, the original Tarzan. But before he was famous for yodeling and swinging through trees he was famous for breaking swimming records. He won five Olympic gold medals and set sixty-seven world records. So I guess he knew a thing or two about swimming.

Cybernetic Serendipity: the Computer and the Arts, Jasia Reichardt. The title won’t grab you but the date might: 1968. This book contains examples of very early forays into computer art. I almost said primitive computer art, but many of these works are remarkably sophisticated given the state of computer programming in those days. Opening pages show some of the actual equipment used to produce the art. This alone will give any youngster under the age of, say, 40 some idea why most people back then sagely told themselves nothing would ever come of this “computer craze.”

Hawaii Says Aloha, Don Blanding, illustrated by the author. This is a pleasant collection of poems about life in Hawaii, which is a nice enough thing to contemplate on a cold January day. But what really sets this book apart is the illustrations, all vintage woodcuts by the author. Sprinkled among the poetry are little vignettes of island people and creatures, but suddenly a two-page spread explodes with colorful plantlife or mythic scenes from Hawaii’s past. A real surprising find!

Sue - Main Library