Trees are poems that the earth writes upon the sky.–Kahlil Gibran
The recent ice storm took a serious toll on many of the beautiful trees across the Willamette Valley and beyond. Despite all the damage, tree leaves are unfurling and blossoms are blooming to welcome the arrival of spring. Looking at the trees around us in all their glory might just inspire those with a creative writing talent to put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) and compose a poem. Happily, April is the perfect time to contemplate trees and poetry because it is both Arbor Month and National Poetry Month! Join us in celebrating poetry, trees, and nature by sampling some of the many wonderful books (both print and electronic) available through the Hatfield Library and listed on our WU Reads Reading Guide.
Recognizing, remembering, and celebrating the role women have played in American history is important. By official presidential proclamation, March has been designated Women’s History Month and now is the ideal time to reflect on the many extraordinary contributions of women through the years. The National Women’s History Alliance chooses an annual theme and this year’s theme is a continuation of last year’s theme–“Valiant Women of the Vote: Refusing to Be Silenced.” 2020 was the women’s suffrage centennial but the pandemic overshadowed this milestone so the celebration is continuing into 2021. Recognizing early suffragists such as Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, and Lucy Stone is important but it also crucial to pay tribute to civil rights activists like Ida B. Wells, Ella Baker, and Shirley Chisholm, who championed voting rights for women and African Americans. And we can bring the celebration into the 21st century by acknowledging the important contributions of women like Stacey Abrams whose organizing skills helped register thousands of new voters in the state of Georgia, making it a key battleground state during the 2020 election. On our 
This book on political and social theory turns its attention to biology, geology, and climate science to discuss the finely tuned systems that make up our world and are ignored or devalued by neoliberal political and economic policy. Connolly ultimately promotes a marriage of ethics, spirituality, and democratic activism as a remedy to modern crises of ecology and society.
(Also available as an 
Most of us have heard of Amanda Gorman, National Youth Poet Laureate, who read her poem “The Hill We Climb” at the recent inauguration of U.S. President Joe Biden. Amanda’s inspirational poem reminds us all of the beauty and power of words. Salman Rushdie expressed this exquisitely when he wrote:
The days are short, the nights are long, and frosty mornings abound–it’s definitely sweater weather! Winter in the Northwest can sometimes feel overly long and dreary but if you look at things from a different angle, there is actually a whole lot to cheer about! There are lots of different wintertime celebrations including Hanukkah, Winter Solstice, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and New Year. Sparkly lights adorn houses and trees. Hot drinks, warm cookies, tasty soups, cozy fires, cuddly pets, are all worth appreciating. The weather is exciting with rain, snow, sleet, fog, and even glorious sunshine. Look at the naked tree limbs stark against the winter sky. Notice the squirrels still busily squirreling away. Check out a winter sunrise or a crisp, clear winter night. Times are challenging right now in so many ways but finding the positive side of these winter months can really put some cheer in your drear! So grab a blanket, a cuppa, and one of these winter-related print and e-books listed on our 
National Native American Heritage Month provides us with a great opportunity to celebrate the amazing heritage and history of Native Americans. The original inhabitants of America have rich and varied cultures dating back thousands of years. Congress has authorized an annual presidential proclamation that designates November as National American Indian Heritage Month (or National Native American Heritage Month) since 1990. Let’s take time this month to appreciate and pay tribute to the many achievements and contributions of Native Americans everywhere. On our 
The leaves are changing color, the sun is rising later and setting earlier, there is a slight nip in the air–fall is here! That means it is time to uncover your coziest sweaters, discover your favorite hot beverage at the Bistro, and start thinking about pumpkins! Or more specifically jack-o’-lanterns, because Halloween is just around the corner. Did you know one of the earliest meanings of jack-o’lantern didn’t have anything to do with pumpkins but actually referred to a man with a lantern or a nightwatchman? Want to know more about Halloween? Check out the interesting selection of Halloween-related print and e-books listed on our 
National Hispanic Heritage Month originally began as Hispanic Heritage Week back in 1968 when President Lyndon B. Johnson issued an official proclamation designating the week. In 1989, President George W. Bush issued the first proclamation to change the week celebration to a month celebration and thus National Hispanic Heritage Month was born. It begins September 15, the anniversary of independence of several Latin American countries, and runs through October 15. This annual celebration gives us a chance to pay tribute to the many ways the Hispanic and Latinx communities have positively influenced and enriched our nation.
There is a lot going on in the world right now and many of us are feeling anxious or stressed. Finding methods to help us cope with the uncertainties in our lives is important; one valuable resource to remember is art. Whether you enjoy making art or you love looking at art, art can make a difference. Art has a way of lifting us up, providing much needed distraction, offering moments of joy, inspiring us, and helping us through times of crisis. There is increasing evidence that “