What's Going on This Week at Boswell, and Why am I So Distracted? (week of 8/15)

It's 3:30 pm and I still haven't gotten the blog out.  As usual, we are juggling a number of things--lots of deadlines going on, orders to be placed, last minute events to be booked. So what did I do yesterday?  I cleaned out our storage area.  And today?  I decided we needed some directional signage.  Next time you come in, you might actually know where the travel section is.  It's a work in progress.

So we have three great events this week.  I'm a little burned out on creativity, so I'm using a lot of Stacie's press release.  But let me just say now that our directional sign is incredibly creative. 

Tuesday, August 16 , 7:00 pm:

Glen Jeansonne and David Luhrssen, co-authors of Elvis Presley: Reluctant Rebel, His Life and Our Times.

"Before Elvis there was nothing," John Lennon famously said. Few performers have been as influential as the man whose sexy voice, good looks, and gyrating hips redefined rock ’n roll. Although he made many poor choices and died far too young, Elvis Presley lives on for legions of fans and generations of musicians.

Elvis Presley, Reluctant Rebel: His Life and Our Times, written by UWM professor Glen Jeansonne and Shepherd Express editor Dave Luhrssen probes both the man and his influence, delving deeply into the personality of its protagonist, his needs and motivations, and the social and musical forces that shaped his career. Elvis's musical talents and liabilities are explored, as are his records, films, and live performances and his relationship with his manager, Colonel Tom Parker, whom he allowed to manipulate him as a money-making machine. Readers will learn about Elvis's personal life, his devotion to conventional religious and political beliefs, and his decline into self-destruction and death. Finally, the book explores Elvis's impact on the musical and racial revolutions of the 1950s and 1960s, his legacy, and his importance in shaping a generation of Baby Boomers.

Our event was originally supposed to also include the third writer, Dan Sokolovic, but he recently passed away.  Our thoughts are with his family and friends.

Wednesday, August 17, 7:30 pm:
David Gordon, contributor to Max Gordon: Architect for Art.

Whether creating enormous exhibition spaces or designing living quarters for collectors and homes and studio facilities for artists, the acclaimed architect Max Gordon (1931-1990) shaped the physical settings of art in the world's major metropolises during his influential career. David Gordon, former director andof the Milwaukee Art Museum, comes to Boswell to talk about his brother, Max Gordon, on what is likely his last public appearance before moving to New York. Contributor of the preface and an essay to this latest collection about Max Gordon’s life work, David has both a professional and personal relationship with this talented late architect that will be unlike any other insight available to us.

Friday, August 19, 7 pm:
Timothy Messer-Kruse, author of The Trial of the Haymarket Anarchists.

On Tuesday, May 4, 1886 at Haymarket Square in Chicago, Mayor Carter Harrison paused to observe a large rally in support of the men who died fighting for the newly legalized eight-hour workday. The crowd calmly listened to speakers as a light rain began to fall. Mayor Harrison headed home. A short while later, though accounts conflict greatly as to the events, a bomb was thrown into the ranks of policemen advancing towards the rally, and an officer was killed. The police opened fire and some workers shot back. In a matter of minutes, it was all over. Sixty officers, and an unknown number of civilians were injured; at least eight policemen and four workers were killed.

Messer-Kruse examines the ensuing trial, commonly depicted as a “travesty of justice,” using thousands of pages of previously unused materials, to bring light to the legal labyrinth surrounding one of the most iconic events in American labor history Timothy Messer-Kruse received his Ph.D. in history from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1994. His work, published in numerous journals and books, including the Encyclopedia of the American Left, explores issues related to labor, race and politics, and have earned acclaim from such places as the Journal of Blacks in Higher Education and the University of Toledo which recognized him with an outstanding teaching award in 2003. He is currently a professor of history and ethnic studies at Bowling Green State University.