Diversity Resources

CMU Library Collections - 2005

December, 2005

Beyond the Borders: American Literature and Post-colonial Theory.
[Books: PS153.M56B49 2003]

Edited by an acclaimed postcolonial scholar, Deborah L. Madsen, this book looks at postcolonial theory from an interesting new perspective. The essays in this collection use postcolonial theory as a powerful lens through which to read diverse ethnic literatures of the United States and of the regions significantly influenced by U. S. political or cultural imperialism. The scholars of Vietnamese, Indonesian, Burmese-American, Filipino/a, Hawaiian, Asian American, African American, Puerto Rican, Haitian and Latin-Caribbean, Chicana, Native American, and Canadian First Nations literatures contribute to this volume bringing their unique viewpoints. Divided into four parts, the essays in this collection address the important questions about the complicity and potential for resistance offered by the practice of postcolonial theory. For more information, ask at the Reference Desk on the second floor of the Park Library building, or call 989-774-3470.

(Review by Aparna Zambare)

November, 2005

Latin American Music CDs
[ Location: Music Resource Center]

In preparation for the Latin American Music and Art Festival last spring, the Library acquired a number of compact discs for the collection. Located in the Music Resource Center in the School of Music building, anyone can check them out. Here is a partial list, with call numbers:

15643: Music of the Andes and Argentina - Traditional and composed songs and instrumental music from the Andes Region and Argentina.

15661: Brazil Encanto – Popular music, principally vocal, of Brazil.

16742: Obrigado Brazil – Traditional and composed instrumental music performed by Yo Yo Ma and other musicians.

16745: Soul of the Tango – Instrumental tango music by many composers including Sergio Assad, Antonio Agri, Horacio Malvicino, Jorge Calandrelli, and Astor Piazzolla.

17982: Capoeira Angola from Salvador, Brazil – Folk dance music of Brazil; a musical manifestation of the art form of Capoeira Angola.

18039: Wood that Sings; Fiddle Music of the Americas – Chiefly instrumental music performed by various American fiddlers, performing or community groups.

19277: Adios Nonino – Compositions by Astor Piazzolla and others, for tango ensembles of various sizes.

20154: Anhelo – Argentinian songs by Jose Cura.

20812: Caribenos: Latin American Music for the Marimba

21071: Brazilian Collection – trumpet and piano music performed by Luis Englelke and Rubia Santos.

21485: The Spirit Cries: Music from the Rainforests of South America and the Caribbean – Recordings from the Library of Congress Archive of Folk Culture.

21538: Le Grand Tango and Other Dances for Cello and Piano – performed by Maria Kliegel and Bernd Glemser.

21472: Brazil Classics 1 – Brazilian tropicalismo music performed by various Brazilian artists.

21641: Music of the Brazilian Northeast

21559: Tango Among Friends; Mi Buenos Aires Querido - tango music by various composers, performed by Daniel Barenboim, piano; Rodolfo Mederos, bandoneon, and Hector Console, bass.

21655: Histoire du Tango – Includes a suite of Spanish and Latin American folk songs by Carlo Doneniconi.

21847: Latin American Fiesta – Includes pieces by Fernandez, Villa-Lobos and Chavez.

21848: Carmelos Latinos – Latin American “lollipops” by Ginestera,Revueltas, Moncayo, Carreno, and others.

For more information, ask at the Reference Desk on the second floor of the Park Library building, or call 989-774-3470.

(Review by Beth Macleod)

October, 2005

Victorian Women’s Magazines: An Anthology.
[ Books: PR1111.W6V53 2001]

Edited by Margaret Beetham and Kay Boardman, this anthology outlines the history of popular reading in England, focusing particularly on magazines for women from the Victorian period. The anthology shows how these magazines not only addressed women as consumers but also played a vital role in defining what it meant to be a woman; “a mother, a London lady with time and money, a working woman, a ‘New Woman’, or some other specifically female identity.” Treating these magazines as texts, the editors further divide them into various genres including the fashion magazine, the drawing room journal, the religious magazine, the feminist journal, the magazine for young women and girls, the feminist journal, prose fiction, poetry, reviews, and the personal interview. Each section begins with a short introduction to the particular genre followed by a few chosen pieces from a range of magazines from the era. There is a bibliography of titles at the end of the anthology. For more information, ask at the Reference Desk on the second floor of the Park Library building, or call 989-774-3470.

(Review by Aparna Zambare)

September, 2005

Encyclopedia of Ethnic Groups in Hollywood.
[REF PN 1995.9 .M56 M85 2003]

This single-volume encyclopedia focuses on five ethnic groups in America—African Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanic Americans, Jewish Americans and Native Americans—and how each of these ethnic groups have been portrayed in American film and television. Each of the five detailed sections of this work include topical entries on relevant motion pictures, television shows, themes genres, stereotypes and biographies of key actors, entertainers and filmmakers. Entries are alphabetic. There are more than ninety photographs throughout the book, and it includes a useful bibliography and an extensive index. This resource provides valuable and fascinating information regarding the multicultural history of Hollywood and American television from their beginnings to the present day. For more information, ask at the Reference Desk on the second floor of the Park Library building, or call 989-774-3470.

(Review by Rob Faleer)

August, 2005

Indian Country.
[MAP G3301.E1 2004 .N3]

Related web site: http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0409/

Created by the National Geographic Society to coincide with the opening of the new National Museum of the American Indian in Washington in September 2004, this colorful map shows the location of all current American Indian reservations and tribal lands in the United States. Four ancillary maps trace the social and political history of American Indians from 1775-2004. The top margin of the map contains photographs and brief biographies of 16 famous American Indians. Other notes explain the many state names which have Native American origins. On the reverse side is a large color map of North and Central America showing the geographic boundaries of all American Indian and Alaska Native language families at the time of the first European contact. The catalog record for his map also includes a hot link to the NGS web site where Indian history and lore is narrated by Abenaki storyteller, Joseph Bruchac. The site also includes a slide show on modern-day Indians created by the writers and photographers of the Society. For more information, ask at the Reference Desk on the second floor of the Park Library building, or call 989-774-3470.

(Review by Dave Shirley)

July, 2005

Filmography of Social Issues: a Reference Guide.
[REF PN 1995.9 .S62 M58 2004]

This work examines one hundred English-language motion pictures via twenty specific social themes. The themes are presented in the Introduction to the book and include Abortion, AIDS, Disabilities, Homosexuality, Racism/Civil Rights, and Women's Rights. Each theme includes the titles of representative motion pictures that serve to exemplify the issue. The film section of the book lists each thematic motion picture alphabetically by title and includes the studio, director, cast, etc., a brief overview of each film, an in-depth synopsis, plus a critique relating to the specific theme explored in each film. The book also includes an extensive index. This specialized filmography serves as a valuable resource for identifying motion pictures that reflect and comment on major social issues. For more information, ask at the Reference Desk on the second floor of the Park Library building, or call 989-774-3470.

(Review by Rob Faleer)

June, 2005

Creating Their Own Image: The History of African-American Women Artists.
[Books: N6538.N5 F27 2005]

This beautiful book is the first comprehensive history of the art of African American women from slavery, through the Harlem Renaissance, the years of the Civil Rights Movement, to the present time. It opens with a social history of the stereotypical notions about women of African descent ("the carnal Jezebel, the asexual Mammy, the imperious Matriarch") and then shows how the art of African-American women has succeeded in breaking down these stereotypes. The book contains striking images and reproductions, many published here for the first time. It also contains revealing interviews with many contemporary artists including Betye Saar, Faith Ringgold and Xenobia Bailey. From utilitarian objects such as quilts and baskets to more "traditional" art such as painting and sculpture, this important book is a testament to the human need to express oneself through art. For more information, ask at the Reference Desk on the second floor of the Park Library building, or call 989-774-3470.

(Review by Beth Macleod)

May, 2005

Dynamic Diversity: Projected Changes in U.S. Race and Ethnic Composition 1995 to 2050.
[Gov. Doc. C 1.102:R 11]

Available online (PDF format only): http://purl.access.gpo.gov/GPO/LPS10456

Prepared by the U.S. Census Bureau for the Minority Business Development Agency in the Commerce Department, this 58-page report provides detailed statistics on changes in U.S. race and ethnic composition from 1995-2050. Both national and state projections are included for the following sectors:

For more information, ask at the Reference Desk on the second floor of the Park Library building, or call 989-774-3470.

(Review by Dave Shirley)

April, 2005

Black Fathers in Contemporary American Society.
[Books HQ 756 .B55 2003]

Although a great deal of research has been conducted on many topics related to African American families, relatively little attention has been paid to African American fathers. This collection of essays seeks to understand African American fathers by examining their roles and obligations and the challenges they face. Specific topics include marriage and fatherhood in the lives of African American men, declines in marriage among African Americans, effects of imprisonment on families, and evaluation of fatherhood-renewal programs. Authors are from the academic, nonprofit, and commercial sectors. For more information, ask at the Reference Desk on the second floor of the Park Library building, or call 989-774-3470.

(Review by Sandy Folsom)

March, 2005

Routledge International Encyclopedia of Women: Global Women's Issues and Knowledge.
[REF HQ 1115 .R69 2000]

Edited by Cheris Kramarae and Dale Spender, the Routledge International Encyclopedia of Women: Global Women's Issues and Knowledge aims at preserving women's knowledge and experience, particularly in terms of the body, the community, work, the environment, and history. The entries are divided into four volumes and thirteen thematic categories including arts and literature; culture and communication; ecology and the environment; economy and development; education; health, reproduction, and sexuality; history and philosophy of feminism; households and families; politics and state; religion and spirituality; science and technology; violence and peace; and women's studies. Important terms are explained at the beginning of each entry and a list of references and further readings is provided in the end. Discussing the issues of women's visibility and empowerment and having the international scope, the encyclopedia is a truly integrated multidisciplinary reference work that could be useful to scholars and general readers alike. For more information, ask at the Reference Desk on the second floor of the Park Library building, or call 989-774-3470.

(Review by Aparna Zambare)

February, 2005

Understanding Global Cultures: Metaphorical Journeys Through 28 Nations, Clusters of Nations, and Continents.
[Books GN 345.7 G36 2004]

Written by Martin J. Gannon, a professor of business, who believes that cultural metaphors are an effective method of profiling and learning about ethnic, national and continental cultures, and about the diffusion of culture across nations. His definition of a cultural metaphor is "any activity, phenomenon, or institution which members of a given culture consider important and with which they identify emotionally and/or cognitively." The book divides the 28 countries into four types of cultures, developed independently by H. Triandis and M. Gelfand in 1998 and A. Fiske, 1991; they are horizontal collectivism or community sharing, vertical collectivism or hierarchical ranking, horizontal individualism or equality matching and vertical individualism or market pricing. In addition the author uses the categories of torn and cleft cultures developed by Samuel Huntington. Using this as a framework, each country is discussed in terms of its cultural norms and outside perception of those norms. For more information, ask at the Reference Desk on the second floor of the Park Library building, or call 989-774-3470.

(Review by Judy O'Dell)

January, 2005

The Garland Encyclopedia of World Music.
[REF ML 100.G16 1998-]

This amazing 10-volume set describes musical cultures all over the world. Clearly written and beautifully illustrated, each volume includes an overview of the region, a survey of its musical heritage, traditions and themes, and a description of specific music genres, practices and performances. The volumes are arranged as follows:

  1. Africa
  2. South and Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean
  3. United States and Canada
  4. Southeast Asia
  5. South Asia and the Indian subcontinent
  6. Middle East
  7. East Asia: China, Japan and Korea
  8. Europe
  9. Australia and the Pacific Islands
  10. The World's Music: General Perspectives and Reference Tools

Articles are illustrated with many photographs that show musicians, musical instruments and the cultural context of dances, rituals and ceremonies. There are also drawings, maps and musical examples and an audio CD that provides examples of the music described in the text. The set covers all types of music, including classical, traditional and popular. It is an incomparable source for both the scholar and the layman.

For more information, ask at the Reference Desk on the second floor of the Park Library building, or call 989-774-3470.

(Review by Beth Macleod)

Diversity Resources from Previous Years