Attempting to Tread Lightly

July 24, 2009

About two weeks ago, I watched the documentary, Manufactured Landscapes. It follows Canadian photographer Edward Burtynsky around the globe and examines his beautiful photographs of the seldom seen consequences of globalization (read a full review here). At first while watching the movie I found the images of gigantic factories and mountains of industrial waste to […]


Talking Poetry

April 17, 2009

In honor of National Poetry Month we asked one of our favorite poets, Dobby Gibson, author of two volumes of poetry (Polar and Skirmish) to tell us about five poems or poets that have disturbed his universe. He spoke with us via email. __________________________________________________ Dobby Gibson:  What are the five poets or poems that have “most […]


Poetry Copyright Notice

April 1, 2009

All poems featured on Off the Shelf are the property of their respective owners. All information has been reproduced here for educational and informational purposes to benefit site visitors and is provided at no charge. Poems are posted on this site purely for educational reasons, for the purpose of information and with good intentions. If […]


The Sounds of Women’s History Month #4

March 16, 2009

In honor of Women’s History Month, we’re celebrating overlooked and lesser known female musical artists from around the world. Though they may not be household names, in many cases they served as key influences on other artists who went on to be critical and commercial sensations. Their influence can still be felt strongly in the […]


The Sounds of Women’s History Month #3

March 13, 2009

In honor of Women’s History Month, we’re celebrating overlooked and lesser known female musical artists from around the world. Though they may not be household names, in many cases they served as key influences on other artists who went on to be critical and commercial sensations. Their influence can still be felt strongly in the […]


The Sounds of Women’s History Month #2

March 13, 2009

In honor of Women’s History Month, we’re celebrating overlooked and lesser known female musical artists from around the world. Though they may not be household names, in many cases they served as key influences on other artists who went on to be critical and commercial sensations. Their influence can still be felt strongly in the […]


The Sounds of Women’s History Month #1

March 9, 2009

In honor of Women’s History Month, we’re celebrating overlooked and lesser known female musical artists from around the world. Though they may not be household names, in many cases they served as key influences on other artists who went on to be critical and commercial sensations. Their influence can still be felt strongly in the […]


Dear American Airlines

February 15, 2009

                                           Miles, Jonathan. Dear American Airlines. 2008. (Fiction Miles.J) This debut novel by Jonathan Miles hinges on a simple premise which gradually unfolds to reveal a book that manages to be both subtly moving and extraordinarily hilarious. Benjamin Ford is an ex-alcoholic, ex-poet, and ex-husband two times over. Left in the wake of his years […]


Act Locally, Read Globally

February 14, 2009

Three Percent is a website dedicated to news, reviews, and information about contemporary international literature. The site gets its name from the fact that only about 3% of all books published in the United States are works of translation, and only a fraction (0.7%) of those books are literary fiction or poetry. These figures add up […]


EPL is on Goodreads

February 7, 2009

Evanston Public Library is now on Goodreads. Are you?? Click on our Goodreads link on the right side of our page to get started. Once you sign up for Goodreads, you can check out our book recommendations, write reviews of your own, start a discussion group, and invite your friends. It’s a fun and easy […]


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