Spain and the Atlantic Coast of the US

One of the ways we take advantage of our neighborhood is to visit the Library of Congress for lectures. I worked there for ten years and am very familiar with the three library buildings and the tunnels underground that connect them all with the Capitol Building. Yesterday we decided to see something different than the Middle Eastern presentations we usually go to. It was called “Spain and the Atlantic Coast of the US: Characters from the 16th Century in Search of an Author.”  I’ve come to the conclusion about a few things - the lectures never start on time, the microphones never work or the speaker doesn’t use them, the use of audiovisual aids seems foreign, the speakers always read to us, and the rooms are either too hot or cold or noisy from surrounding activities. We really love going to these events, but are oftentimes disappointed. I suppose if I spoke Spanish I would have understood more about the subject matter. But the same goes for the Persian lectures. Growing up in Florida it was obvious that Spain had a major influence - Fort DeSoto Park and St. Augustine are prime examples. But I was sorry I couldn’t fully appreciate the presentation. At least there were a couple of hard copy rare books to see, as well as the lovely view from the 6th floor where we could see our house. Next week there is a lecture on chocolate. We are curious to see how that one goes. The best part about it is it takes about fifteen minutes to walk from our house to the meeting room. That’s a great commute. 

Library of Congress Program - Gender and Dance in Modern Iran - Ida Meftahi

I worked at the Library of Congress for ten years after thirty years in health care in the Midwest. Before I retired this year, I signed up to receive all the email notifications for programs that are routinely offered there. A couple of them struck our fancy so we made a note of the dates and times and attended one of them yesterday about Gender and Dance in Modern Iran by Ida Meftahi. The programs are usually held in the beautiful Jefferson Building. It's always a treat to visit the place, and even better now that I no longer am working there! We needed to pass through the Great Hall and in to the Middle Eastern section of the building, which sits across the street from the Supreme Court. Unfortunately, the seats are arranged in such a way that my view is always blocked. But I usually can't hear or see the speaker anyway, and my husband generally knows as much, if not more, about the subject matter, and tells me about it on the walk home. I just like the idea of walking over there from our house, usually running in to a past colleague - which we did - and it is a great excuse to get out of the house. There is another event we are planning to see in September, along with congressional hearings here and there. It is one thing we would miss if and when we ever move from this neighborhood. But we still don't know if and when that will happen. 

Daniel K Inouye Lecture at the Library of Congress With Alan Simpson and Norman Mineta

I've been in the Coolidge Auditorium many times over the almost ten years I worked at the Library of Congress. But last evening was the first time I was in the Jefferson Bulding as a retiree. During the lest week of work I made sure I was on the mailing list for library programs. It's always interesting to visit the place, see some folks, hear a lecture of some sort - and all within two blocks of our house. The Daniel Inouye lecture was scheduled with Alan Simpson and Norman Mineta - moderated by Ann Compton. Not knowing how busy it would be, we arrived quite early and waited in line next to the Marvin Hamlisch Grammys that were showcased in the hallway of this beautiful building. My husband enjoys the opportunity to see and hear the goings on around town. I like the idea to go there, get bored when I'm there, and then write about it the next day. Regardless, it was a beautiful day for the short walk, and mildly entertaining given the subject matter of protecting national security and civil liberties. The event was being live streamed to Hawaii, and recorded for posterity - because that is what the library does. This afternoon is the confirmation hearing for the new Librarian. We probably would have gone just for the fun of it, but unfortunately we have an appointment. There is usually something to see and do around here, which is the reason we like the neighborhood. 

A Program at the Library of Congress: Embodying the Beloved - Matthew Thomas Miller

One of the things I really like about working at the Library of Congress is that occasionally there are programs that my husband likes to attend. They are scheduled at the lunch hour, so he comes to the office and we walk over together to the Jefferson Building to hear the subject matter. These programs are very different than the topics offered in the health care setting where I spent thirty years in my first career. I received a flyer last week and an email this week to remind us about the Persian book lecture series. We have already attended several sessions related to this topic. Some are hits while others are misses. I particularly enjoyed Hamid Rahmanian's animation presentation about the Shahnameh. He was vibrant and used a lot of visual slides to make it all so entertaining. On the other hand, when someone reads to the audience, has few interesting slides, attendees are fidgeting in their seats and looking at their watches, it's a very different story. So, to be polite, I focus on the place rather than the speaker and the topic and completely zone out. I could see the Supreme Court across the street, and observed the beauty of the Middle Eastern Reading Room. The people in the audience can also be entertaining, particularly the ones who fall asleep. The topic this day could have been much more interesting, but I left not learning one single thing. We stayed until the end because we felt we needed to. I love the people who ask questions but really give another lecture with no question intended. The best part is I get to spend time with my husband, and it breaks up the day. He then explains to me what the presentation was really about anyway. And I definitely like that idea.