City of Stillwater NEWS | For Immediate Release

Stillwater Public Library at 1107 S. Duck Street in Stillwater, Okla. For more information, call (405) 372-3633 or e-mail askalibrarian@stillwater.org or visit the library online at library.stillwater.org. Library programs are co-sponsored by KOSU 91.7 fm

'Crime and Comedy: The Lighter Side of Murder and Misdemeanor' is topic for 2010 'Let’s Talk About It, Oklahoma' reading and discussion series at Stillwater Public Library

(STILLWATER, OKLA. / Nov. 18, 2009) – Crime and comedy might seem to be polar opposites, but comic elements have been cropping up in crime fiction ever since Edgar Allan Poe wrote the first detective story.  Today a growing number of authors deliberately create comic crime novels for an enthusiastic audience, and the Stillwater Public Library will explore this genre in the 2010 "Let's Talk About it, Oklahoma" (LTAI) reading and discussion series.

LTAI begins Tuesday, Jan. 5 at 6:30 p.m. and will continue through March 30.  All programs are free and open to the public. The first book in the series is available for check out at the Library Help Desk.

Books, services, and other materials for this series are provided by “Let’s Talk About It, Oklahoma,” a project of the Oklahoma Humanities Council with funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

“Crime and Comedy: The Lighter Side of Murder and Misdemeanor” was developed by Jennifer Kidney, director of Let’s Talk About It, Oklahoma, with a grant from the Inasmuch  Foundation.  “Although these books evoke laughter,” said Kidney, “they often also deal with serious issues.” 

Library Director Lynda Reynold agreed. " Some of the books poke fun at aspects of our society, while others target the mystery genre itself. Each program features a guest speaker who will talk about the book in the context of the theme, as well as small group discussions of the book. The discussions should be wide-ranging and interesting.” 

Caroline Larsen will open the first program on The Code of the Woosters by P.G. Wodehouse on Tuesday Jan. 5 at 6:30 p.m.  Refreshments will be provided courtesy of the Friends of the Stillwater Public Library.
 
Other books in the series include The Burglar Who Traded Ted Williams by Lawrence Block on Jan 26; Native Tongue by Carl Hiaasen on Feb. 16; Cozy by Parnell Hall on March 9; and One for the Money by Janet Evanovich on March 30. 

For more information, please visit the library’s web site at library.stillwater.org or contact the library Help Desk at (405) 372-3633 ext. 106 or e-mail askalibrarian@stillwater.org. 

The Stillwater Public Library is located at 1107 S. Duck St. (the corner of Duck and 12th Ave.). Library hours are Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Sunday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.  This event is co-sponsored by the Friends of the Library and KOSU.

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Contact: Sherry Fletcher, Director of Marketing and Public Relations
Phone: 405.742.8362
E-mail: sfletcher@stillwater.org
Web: stillwater.org