|
|
Biography and Memoir November 2025 |
|
|
|
| Water Mirror Echo: Bruce Lee and the Making of Asian America by Jeff ChangBruce Lee’s arrival on the big screen was seismic, as recounted here by Asian American author Jeff Chang. Lee leveraged a potent mix of “magnetism and physical talents” (Kirkus Reviews) to gain renown as a martial arts teacher and later as an actor in Hong Kong and Hollywood, soon becoming the original Asian megastar. For fans of: The Golden Screen: The Movies That Made Asian America by Jeff Yang. |
|
| Girl Warrior: On Coming of Age by Joy HarjoFormer United States Poet Laureate Joy Harjo’s latest book is equal parts memoir and inspirational guide addressed to young Native women. Accordingly, her story is imbued with lyricism, spirituality, and a call to embrace one’s creativity even in the face of the pain, despair, and injustice that many young Indigenous people frequently encounter. For another inspiring memoir that incorporates ethnic identity and creativity, try Aftershocks by Nadia Owusu. |
|
| Paper Girl: A Memoir of Home and Family in a Fractured America by Beth MacyAuthor Beth Macy tells her life story framed within a recent visit to her hardscrabble Midwestern hometown. Although Macy’s childhood was marked by trauma, she remembers Urbana, Ohio, as a place where neighbors had each other’s backs, a situation since compromised by declining opportunities, opioid addiction, and social polarization. Try this next: Stolen Pride: Loss, Shame, and the Rise of the Right by Arlie Russell Hochschild. |
|
| Joyride by Susan OrleanCelebrated nonfiction author Susan Orlean chooses her own life as subject in Joyride. Orlean openly reveals her bumpy road through the often challenging life of a professional writer, including her years developing a strong journalistic voice, and as a bonus provides indispensable advice to aspiring writers throughout. For another work-centered memoir from a writer of nonfiction, try Working: Researching, Interviewing, Writing by Robert A. Caro. |
|
Focus on: Native American Heritage Month
|
|
| Postcolonial Love Poem by Natalie DiazMojave poet Natalie Diaz’s second volume of poetry draws details from her own life as an Indigenous American and spotlights themes and sentiments rooted in the Indigenous experience. Diaz employs sensual images to invoke American imperialism, Indigenous protest, assimilation, and desire, the latter of which she explores in numerous love poems that “buzz with erotic energy” (Booklist). For fans of: the socially aware poetry of Ada Limón. |
|
| Becoming Little Shell: A Landless Indian's Journey Home by Chris La TrayMontana Poet Laureate Chris La Tray’s story is one of self-discovery in the face of resistance from one’s own family: La Tray’s father denied his Indigenous ancestry and refused to discuss it with his son. La Tray has spent the years since his father’s death as an enrolled member of the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa and advocating for young people curious about where they come from. Try this next: From the Ashes by Jesse Thistle. |
|
| Thinning Blood: A Memoir of Family, Myth, and Identity by Leah MyersLeah Myers, a Native American writer of mixed ethnicity, writes about embracing her Jamestown S’Klallam heritage as the last member of her family's bloodline using Pacific Northwest Native tradition to create a totem pole of her female ancestors in the form of spirit animals. For another memoir about family history complicated by multiracial identities, read We Take Our Cities with Us by Sorayya Khan. |
|
| Soft As Bones by Chyana Marie SageEssayist Chyana Marie Sage relates a harrowing tale of surviving severe poverty and sexual abuse at the hands of her drug-dealing father, a Woodland Cree tribe member from Alberta. As Sage entered adulthood and found therapy and writing, she gradually began to heal from her past and rescue a sense of hope and identity from the Canadian legacy of boarding schools, forced integration, and intergenerational trauma. “Readers will be as inspired as they are horrified” (Publishers Weekly). |
|
Village Book Club
Thursday, November 20,
3:00 PM
Village Library
Calling all readers! Looking to build community and challenge yourself to discover new, exciting tales? If so, then look no further! Come meet new friends, read new books, and enjoy lively conversation at your neighborhood library. On November 20, we will be discussing Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer.
|
|
Podcasting 101 at Almonte
Thursday, November 20,
6:00 PM
Almonte Library
Interested in entering the world of podcasts and content creation? Do you have a story to tell or expertise to share with the world? Don't know how to start? Join us at the Almonte Library for the start of a series on Podcasting with our STEM Librarian. You will learn what types of podcasts there are, the basic equipment and skills, and how to develop your ideas to be ready for broadcast.
|
|
Genealogy 101
Saturday, November 22,
10:00 AM
Edmond Library
Join us for a monthly discussion of all things genealogy! Learn about free library resources to help with your research.
|
|
Indigenous Genealogy: How to Research Native American Heritage
Saturday, November 22,
2:00 PM
Southern Oaks Library
Genealogical research can be a great way to learn about your family history, but researching Native American ancestry has a unique set of challenges. Come learn how navigate those hurdles and connect with your heritage at the Southern Oaks Library!
|
|
Author Talk & Three Sisters Salad Demonstration with Chef Loretta Barrett Oden
Saturday, November 22,
2:00 PM
Belle Isle Library
Join us for an inspiring afternoon with Emmy Award-winning Chef Loretta Barrett Oden (Citizen Potawatomi Nation) as she shares the story behind her cookbook Corn Dance. Chef Loretta will discuss her culinary journey and the cultural significance woven throughout her cookbook, offering insights into Indigenous foodways and traditions. During this special event, Chef Loretta will demonstrate how to prepare a Three Sisters Salad, showcasing the traditional agricultural trio of corn, beans, and squash.
|
|
Oklahoma Fancy Dancers: Powwow Champions Performance
Sunday, November 23,
2:00 PM
Northwest Library
The Oklahoma Fancy Dancers are a group of powwow champions that come together to form a professional and highly acclaimed Native American dance troupe. All the dancers are enrolled tribal members, most of whom are full-blood, representing various tribes. The award-winning dance regalia worn by each dancer is brilliantly colorful, traditional and representative of the dancer's tribe and dance performed.
|
|
Veterans Day Missing Man Table
Saturday, November 29,
9:00 AM
Warr Acres Library
A Missing Man Table is a memorial that’s set up in military dining facilities of the United States Armed Forces and during official dining functions, in honor of fallen, missing, or imprisoned military service members. Also known as a fallen comrade table, the table serves as the focal point of ceremonial remembrance. Each item on the Missing Man Table represents the emotions and feelings reserved for those who did not come home. The ceremony symbolizes that they are still here in spirit. Visit the Warr Acres Library to see our Missing Man Table and pick up special take home kits for children and adults commemorating Veterans Day.
|
|
Intro to Donating Bone Marrow/Hematopoietic Stem Cell Donation
Thursday, December 4,
6:00 PM
Southern Oaks Library
Are you interested in getting on the bone marrow registry? Have you gotten on it years ago and are curious as to what happens if you match with a patient? Come talk with professionals from OU Health as they walk you through the process of hematopoietic stem cell donation for both related and unrelated donors, and the importance of willing participants.
|
|
Scrapbooking and Crafting
Thursday, December 4,
6:00 PM
Ralph Ellison Library
Ralph Ellison Library is offering a new creative and collaborative club for the community! The Scrapbooking Club is an opportunity for guests to preserve memories, create personalized keepsakes, and connect with fellow scrapbook enthusiasts. *Children under 12 should be accompanied by an adult or guardian. Learn various scrapbooking techniques including photo layout design, embellishment, journaling, and creating thematic albums. No experience required!
|
|
|
|
Indigenous Peoples: North America
Research the political, social, and cultural history of Indigenous Peoples in the United States and Canada from the 16th century until well into the 20th century. Explore the impact of invasion and colonization on Indigenous Peoples in North America, and the intersection of Indigenous and European histories and systems of knowledge through the use of manuscripts, monographs, newspapers, photographs, motion pictures, images of artwork, and more.
|
|
|
|
American Indian History Online
Explore more than 15,000 years of culture and history with event and topic entries, biographies, images and videos, maps and charts, legends, primary sources, and timeline entries.
|
|
|
|
VetNow
VetNow has resources carefully tailored to veterans transitioning to the civilian workforce. Visit VetNow for live help navigating veterans’ benefits, resume building, job coaching, and skills building.
|
|
|
|
Kanopy
Kanopy offers over 30,000 films, TV shows, and documentaries that you can stream in your browser or watch on iOS, Android, Chromecast, AppleTV, Kindle Fire, or Roku. From The Criterion Collection, PBS, and World Cinema to The Great Courses, popular movies, and movies for kids, Kanopy has something for everyone. You can check out 8 titles per month. Once a title is checked out, you have unlimited viewing of it for the next 3 days.
|
|
|
|
|
|