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What we’re reading: book news, copyrights and ephemera

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A 350-page ruling was delivered late Friday in the Cambridge University Press et. al. v. Patton case, known colloquially as the Georgia State University e-reserves copyright case. The ruling, which scholars and universities had been waiting a year for, is mixed, leaving both parties -- libraries advocating for fair use on one side and publishers on the other -- with reason to be pleased. Or to be displeased. Observers suggests an appeal is likely. (Scholarly Communications at Duke University, Publishers Weekly)

The New York Public Library announced its 2012-13 Cullman Center fellows in April, and every single project sounds fascinating. Ruth Franklin is working on a biography of writer Shirley Jackson; artist Gary Panter is exploring images of paradise and the afterlife as imagined by Milton and Dante; Saïd Sayrafiezadeh is writing a collection of stories set in 1863, when there were draft riots in New York City; Luc Sante is working on a documentary novel about the end of bohemia (think 1982); John Wray is writing a novel about a century in the life of a family of renegade physicists. There’s more, but not quite enough.That’s because I wish the L.A. Public Library might have a similar program, and offer writing space and stipends to gifted authors. There certainly is demand -- 305 writers applied for the 15 Cullman Fellowships. (NY Public Library)

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Want to buy a club chair or two for your home library? The outdoor antique show in Brimfield, Mass., has you covered. (A Continuous Lean)

L.A. moviegoers still love Raymond Chandler: ‘The Big Sleep’ is the first sellout of the Last Remaining Seats series from the L.A. Conservancy. The summer series is held at downtown’s grand, endangered theaters -- thanks in part to the series (and in part to being used as film locations) some are making a comeback. The Bansky film ‘Exit Through the Gift Shop’ premiered at the Los Angeles Theatre, completed in 1931, which is where ‘Paper Moon’ will screen this year. One other literary film will be screening as part of the series -- ‘The Wizard of Oz,’ based on L. Frank Baum’s books, will show both as a matinee and in the evening at the recently restored art deco Saban Theater in Beverly Hills. (L.A. Conservancy’s Last Remaining Seats)

Silly cover alert: ‘Dog on the Roof! On the Road with Mitt & The Mutt’ by Bill Kluger & David Slavin, illustrated by Colleen Clapp, is coming June 19. Written in rhyme, the children’s-style book is a short political satire for adults. (From our book room)

Samuel Pepys, the 17th-century Englishman whose lively diaries are now posted online, daily, in blog form, had a very good day on May 14, 1669. For the first time, he was invited to dinner with the Archbishop of Canterbury:

[T]he first time I was ever there and I have long longed for it; where a noble house, and well furnished with good pictures and furniture, and noble attendance in good order, and great deal of company, though an ordinary day; and exceeding great cheer, no where better, or so much, that ever I think I saw, for an ordinary table: and the Bishop mighty kind to me, particularly desiring my company another time, when less company there. Most of the company gone, and I going, I heard by a gentleman of a sermon that was to be there; and so I staid to hear it, thinking it serious, till by and by the gentleman told me it was a mockery, by one Cornet Bolton, a very gentleman-like man, that behind a chair did pray and preach like a Presbyter Scot that ever I heard in my life, with all the possible imitation in grimaces and voice. And his text about the hanging up their harps upon the willows: and a serious good sermon too, exclaiming against Bishops, and crying up of my good Lord Englinton, a till it made us all burst; but I did wonder to have the Bishop at this time to make himself sport with things of this kind, but I perceive it was shewn him as a rarity; and he took care to have the room-door shut, but there were about twenty gentlemen there, and myself, infinitely pleased with the novelty.

May we all have days as pleasant. (Pepys Diary)

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-- Carolyn Kellogg

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