I highly recommend the book A Land So Strange: The Epic Journey of Cabeza de Vaca, the Extraordinary Tale of a Shipwrecked Spaniard who Walked Across America in the Sixteenth Century by Andrés Reséndez (2007, Basic Books, New York). It is an easy-to-read and fascinating nonfiction book about the strangely-named Spaniard Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca who, along with three other men, was one of the only survivors of a party of 300 colonists that landed near Tampa Bay, Florida, on April 15, 1528, and ended up making a 1500-mile trek across North America eventually arriving in Mexico City. It is a tale not only of survival, but of exploration, and also of transformation, as Cabeza de Vaca went from being a slave of various Native American tribes to a trader, allowing him to travel freely among the tribes, to eventually being regarded as a faith healer with a large following of Native Americans who called Cabeza de Vaca and his compatriots "children of the sun." Cabeza de Vaca published a report of his experiences in 1542 and called it La Relacion (The Report), later known as Naufragios (Shipwrecks). It has been reprinted many times under different titles and in many different languages. The San Francisco Public Libary has a few of these in the original Spanish, and translated into English. The following are available at the Mission Branch...
What are you doing over winter break?Questions? Contact Nicole at 355.5738 or ntermini@sfpl.org
Vamipre Holiday Card Parties!
Henna body art or mendhi, is an ancient art. This natural substance has been used to adorn young women's bodies as part of social and holiday celebrations since the late Bronze Age in the Eastern Mediterranean. In this workshop, you'll be able to choose a design for a free, safe, temporary tattoo, and learn how to apply it with henna! Henna artist, Charitie Bolling, will show you how. Program limited to 20 teens. For ages 12-18. For participants under 18 , a signed parent/guardian permission form must be returned prior to the workshop. Join us!
Day of the Dead (El Día de los Muertos in Spanish) is a celebration that melds European Catholicism with Aztec and other Mesoamerican traditions, honoring ancestors and the recently departed. It combines Christianity's All Souls Day (Nov. 2) and All Saints Day (Nov. 1) with the annual Aztec celebration of the goddess Mictecacihuatl, as well as other indigenous peoples' festivals and traditions that honor the dead and help their spirits pass safely into the next world.
Every year from September 15 to October 15, the U.S. celebrates its Hispanic heritage, focusing on the culture and traditions of Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, Spain, and South America. On Saturday, Oct 3rd, the Mission Branch Library offered dance, poetry, and music celebrating a variety of traditions from Mexico, the Caribbean, and Argentina. Participating in the program were De Colores [pictured] -- demonstrating Mexican traditional dances, Maria Medina (performing poetry and percussion), Jurek Mazur (of the Academia de Tango Argentino, presenting the history of Argentine Tango), and Xiuhcoatl Danza Azteca.
Ever wonder if ghosts are real? If they are, how can you tell a real ghost from a fake? Is it true that teens tend to experience poltergeists more than other age groups? A real ghost hunter from the SF Ghost Society , Tommy Netzband, will talk about his experiences investigating ghosts and hauntings. He will also show you how to use ghost hunting tools and share some ghostly images and sounds he has caught on DVD. Get the info., then you decide what to believe!
The Mission Branch blog is back!! And we have a new look, and a new outlook, which is that we'll be dedicated to bringing you timely and consistent news and information about the Mission Branch and the whole San Francisco Public Library. Additionally, our new blog will be bilingual (English and Spanish). We hope you will keep track of us here, and feel free to give us feedback at any time.
