Culture Watch

In 1963 Rockwell confronted the issue of prejudice head-on with this, one of his most powerful paintings. Inspired by the story of Ruby Bridges and school integration, the image featured a young African-American girl being escorted to school by four U.S. marshals amidst signs of protest and fearful ignorance When Ruby Bridges visited the Oval Office on July 15, President Obama told her, "I think it's fair to say that if it wasn't for you guys, I wouldn't be here today." November 14, 2010 m… more »

Aprons have disappeared, along with the once-ubiquitous cotton housedress. Jeans are now the uniform of the day for everyone, regardless of gender, age or girth — or activity, for that matter — from cleaning out the garage to sipping Cosmos at the Ritz, whatevcr a Cosmo is. Mom would have no idea. more »

In celebration of the 60th anniversary of the show’s debut, the Library of Congress presents a new exhibition, I Love Lucy: An American Legend. Ball's biographer, Kathleen Brady, relates her training by Buster Keaton who "drilled her in the mantra that was the foundation of her fabled comic timing: Listen, React, then Act." more »

LSSI has received consistently icy receptions in most of the places where it has come in and taken over. Every community has its share of library users who believe that a library system is a core function of local government, regardless of what the budget situation is. more »