National Film Registry Now Features 700 Cinematic Works

Established by the National Film Preservation Act of 1988, the National Film Preservation Board is an advisory body for the Librarian of Congress. The Board helps shape national film preservation planning policy, and also recommends films for the National Film Registry.

Chosen for their cultural, historic, or aesthetic significance, the Board's 25 annual selections for 2016 cover a wide gamut of genres and time periods, from such early films as Life of an American Fireman and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea to such later works as Thelma & Louise and Who Framed Roger Rabbit. The full list for 2016 is as follows:

1990s

Rushmore (1998)
The Lion King (1994)
Thelma & Louise (1991)
Paris Is Burning (1990)

1980s

Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)

The Princess Bride (1987)

The Breakfast Club (1985)

The Atomic Cafe (1982) 

Suzanne, Suzanne (1982)

The Decline of Western Civilization (1981)

1960s
Putney Swope (1969)

Funny Girl (1968)

Point Blank (1967)

The Birds (1963)

1950s

East of Eden (1955)

The Blackboard Jungle (1955)

1940s
A Walk in the Sun (1945)

Ball of Fire (1941)

1930s

Lost Horizon (1937) 

1920s
The Beau Brummels (1928) 

Steamboat Bill, Jr. (1928)
Solomon's Sir Jones films (1924-28)

1910s
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1916)
The Muskateers of Pig Alley (1912)

1900s
Life of an American Fireman (1903)

Further information on the Registry as well as the films themselves can be found on the Library of Congress' web site. All 700 films selected for the Registry since 1989 can also be browsed online. In addition, the public is encouraged to make nominations for next year's selections to the National Film Registry.

Human Rights Day 2016

Human Rights Day is celebrated annually on December 10 to mark the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). This year's campaign is Stand Up for Someone's Rights, for which United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon observes: "At a time multiplying conflicts, intensifying humanitarian needs and rising hate speech, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights reminds us that recognition of the 'equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world.'"

The Declaration was proclaimed on December 10, 1948 through United Nations General Assembly Resolution 217 A (III):

. . . as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations, to the end that every individual and every organ of society, keeping this Declaration constantly in mind, shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms and by progressive measures, national and international, to secure their universal and effective recognition and observance, both among the peoples of Member States themselves and among the peoples of territories under their jurisdiction.

Although not itself a binding legal document, it has "inspired more than more than 60 human rights instruments which together constitute an international standard of human rights." 

The Declaration has been translated into more than 300 languages and dialects, from Abkhaz to Zulu. The English version is available here, while other versions are available via an online database. A guide to UN Human Rights documentation as well as various related UN databases are also accessible on the UN Human Rights website. A showcase of UDHR-related materials from around the world is available here.

Star Gazing with the Wapsipinicon Almanac

The latest annual installment of the eclectic Wapsipinicon Almanac is now available. Published and letterpress printed since 1988 by Timothy Fay of Route 3 Press, the present issue, as with previous numbers, features an engaging mix of essays, reviews, fiction, poetry, art, wit and wisdom.

Number 23 can be purchased at bookstores and other establishments or by writing the publisher directly at Wapsipinicon Almanac, 19948 Shooting Star Road, Anamosa, Iowa 52205. Single copies are $9, plus $2.70 for postage; Iowa residents should also include 63-cents for sales tax.

The front cover shown here was designed by Elizabeth Munger of Iowa City. A brief history of the publication can be viewed at the Almanac's website, and a video of "Linotype Operator Emeritus" Eldon Meeks in action can be viewed here.

Plant Ahead with the 2017 Catalog from Seed Savers Exchange

The always-amazing annual catalog from Seed Savers Exchange (SSE), featuring heirloom, untreated, non-hybrid, and non-GMO seeds, is now available in print; a copy can be requested free of charge here. 

Founded in 1975 by Diane Ott Whealy and Kent Whealy, Seed Savers Exchange is now the largest non-governmental seed bank of its kind in the United States. With over 13,000 members, SSE conserves and maintains heirloom seeds for thousands of vegetables, fruits, herbs, and flowers. Its mission is:

. . . to save North America's diverse, but endangered, garden heritage for future generations by building a network of people committed to collecting, conserving and sharing heirloom seeds and plants, while educating people about the value of genetic and cultural diversity.

Located on the 890-acre Heritage Farm in Decorah, Iowa, SSE is open to visitors from April to October, and sponsors special events such as seed starting, grafting, and gardening workshops. It also hosts an annual conference and campout. To learn more about Seed Savers Exchange and the benefits of membership, visit its website.

Congratulations, Robert Zimmerman!

Bob Dylan was awarded the 2016 Nobel Prize in Literature today, his work being cited "for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition." The image above is a still taken from the film accompanying his 1965 song, Subterranean Homesick Blues.

The 2016 Iowa City Book Festival

Designated in 2008 as one of the first UNESCO Cities of Literature in the world and still the only one in the United States, Iowa City will be hosting the eighth annual Iowa City Book Festival, October 4-9, 2016. In conjunction with the University of Iowa, FilmScene, the Iowa City Public Library, and the Iowa Arts Council, as well as other organizations and individuals, the newly expanded six-day event will feature a Book Fair, readings by numerous authors, and non-stop programming at many venues in and around downtown Iowa City. The 2016 Program can be downloaded as a PDF, and full details can be found at the festival website.

Banned Books Week: Celebrating the Freedom to Read

Sponsored by the American Library Association and allied organizations, Banned Books Week is an annual celebration of the freedom to read. It began in 1982 in response to widespread censorship of books, and since that time over 11,000 books have been challenged in communities throughout the United States.

The American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom has been documenting cases of challenged and banned books since 1990, and the ALA's Library Bill of Rights strongly supports free and unfettered access to information and ideas. Internationally, the Index on Censorship is an organization that promotes and defends the right to freedom of expression. 

Campaign for New Seed Vault at Seed Savers Exchange

Seed Savers Exchange (SSE), one of world's leading organizations dedicated to the preservation of heirloom seeds, has launched a fundraising campaign through Indiegogo's Generosity platform to raise $80,000 for an upgraded and enlarged facility to house its growing collection of over 20,000 varieties of seeds. The current storage space has developed structural issues that could potentially compromise the integrity of the collection. To learn more about the project, or to make a contribution, please visit SSE's campaign webpage.

Dr. Carla Hayden Sworn in as Librarian of Congress

Dr. Carla Hayden was sworn in as the 14th Librarian of Congress by Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr. on September 14, 2016. Nominated by President Obama on February 24, 2016, Dr. Hayden was confirmed by the U.S. Senate after her confirmation hearing on April 20, 2016. She is both the first woman and first African American to serve as Librarian of Congress since the Library was established in 1800.

The National Book Festival: Journey to the Unknown

The 16th annual National Book Festival, organized and sponsored by the Library of Congress, will be held on Saturday, September 24, 2016, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. The festival is free and open to the public.

More than 120 authors, poets, and illustrators will be making presentations throughout the day in the theme-based pavilions for Children, Teens, Books to Movies, Contemporary Life, Fiction, Food & Home, Graphic Novels, History & Biography, International, Poetry & Prose, and Science. Keynote speakers on the main stage include Stephen King, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shonda Rhimes, Bob Woodward, Raina Telgemeier, and Salman Rushdie. 

Further information, including a schedule of events and a map of the festival grounds, can be found at the festival website. Mobile apps are also available for the Festival. This year's poster was designed by Yuko Shimizu; a gallery of all Festival posters from 2001 to 2016 can be viewed here. 

National Park Service Centennial

One hundred years ago on August 25, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed legislation to create the National Park Service (NPS), with the mandate "to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wild life therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations."

In 2015 alone, more than 300 million people visited the 412 different areas in the park system, which covers over 84 million acres in every state, as well as the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. To help plan future visits, the NPS website provides a Find a Park tool that offers information about the many sites of interest.

To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the NPS, the U.S. Postal Service issued a set of 16 stamps with images of various well-known parks. The oldest park in the system is Yellowstone National Park, which was created through a bill signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant on March 1, 1872. The Yellowstone stamp features the silhouettes of two bison, which coincidentally became the national mammal when President Obama signed the National Bison Legacy Act into law on May 9, 2016.

Once numbering in the tens of millions in North America, bison were hunted to near extinction in the nineteenth century. In 1905, Theodore Roosevelt and William Hornaday formed the American Bison Society in an attempt to help save the species. Today, bison herds on public lands managed by the U.S. Department of the Interior support around 10,000 bison; Yellowstone has the largest of these herds, with a population estimated at 4,900 as of last summer.

Olympic Opening Ceremonies: London 1908 to Rio 2016

A medley of opening ceremonies for the Summer Olympics since 1908. The 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin were the first to be televised, although only to local Berlin audiences; the 1956 Winter Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, were the first to be televised internationally. The modern Olympic Games began in 1896 in Athens.

What Kind of Movies Are Your Children Seeing?

Today is the 50th anniversary of the horrific mass shooting that took place on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin on August 1, 1966. The perpetrator, Charles Whitman, killed 17 and wounded more than 30 others. Today is also the first day of the so-called Campus Carry law (S.B. 11) in the state of Texas, which will allow licensed holders to carry concealed handguns at public universities.

The issue of gun violence in the United States has long predated the tragedy at the University of Texas. The cartoon above, which expresses a concern over how weapons are depicted in the new art form of the cinema, was originally published in 1927. Its author, incidentally, was Norman Woodlieff, a musician and founding member of the North Carolina Ramblers.

Amber Waves of Rye

The Declaration of Independence

Currently on exhibit in the Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom at the National Archives Museum, the Declaration of Independence was drafted by Thomas Jefferson between June 11 and June 28, 1776. A transcription of the complete text can be read online. The original document is badly faded today largely due to poor preservation techniques of the 19th century.

The Equal Rights Amendment: Yesterday and Today

There have been more than 11,000 attempts since 1787 to amend the U.S. Constitution, with only 27 successes. The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) was introduced into every session of Congress between 1923 and 1972, when it was finally passed by Congress. Ultimately, however, it failed to be ratified by the required three-fourths of the states to be become part of the Constitution. Written in 1921, the proposed text reads:

Section 1. Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.
Section 2. The Congress shall have the power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.
Section 3. This amendment shall take effect two years after the date of ratification.

The video above features a panel discussion, The Equal Rights Amendment: Yesterday and Today [note that the speakers begin at 5:12], that was sponsored by the National Archives in partnership with the National Woman's Party. Held at the Belmont-Paul Women's Equality National Monument on June 16, 2016, the event was part of the programming that is accompanying the exhibition, Amending America, which runs through September 4, 2017 at the National Archives Museum.

For further historical information on the constitutional amendment process, see the dataset created by the National Archives: Amending America: Proposed Amendments to the United States Constitution, 1787 to 2014.

2016 Seed Savers Exchange Conference

Registration is now open for the 36th annual Seed Savers Exchange Conference & Campout to be held July 15-17, 2016. The event will feature numerous speakers, workshops, and other activities on the grounds of Heritage Farm in Decorah, Iowa. Dr. Carol Deppe of Fertile Valley Seeds will be the keynote speaker; other speakers include Southern heirloom experts Dr. David Shields and Glenn Roberts; The French Laundry garden chef, Aaron Keefer; and community seed activist Rowen White. A full schedule as well as registration details can be viewed on the conference website.

Summer Solstice

A Living Service Flag

In honor of Memorial Day, above is shown a living (or formation) photograph circa 1918 depicting the service flag of the U.S. Armed Forces. It was produced by Arthur Mole and John Thomas with the assistance of hundreds if not thousands of troops of the 164th Depot Brigade stationed at Camp Funston in Fort Riley, Kansas. Technically complex to stage, the pair created around 30 such photographs on patriotic themes at various military camps during World War I.

As defined in the U.S. Code at 36 USC § 901:

A service flag approved by the Secretary of Defense may be displayed in a window of the place of residence of individuals who are members of the immediate family of an individual serving in the Armed Forces of the United States during any period of war or hostilities in which the Armed Forces of the United States are engaged.

Service flags are also known as service banners, and Blue Star Service Banners depict a blue star for each family member who is serving during war or hostilities. Gold Star Service Banners depict a gold star (with a thin blue border) for each family member killed during wartime service.

Further information on the work of Mole & Thomas and other photographers who created similar large-scale images can be found at the Library of Congress' Picture This blog in the post: Formation Photographs: Lining Up to Salute the Flag. The original photograph above is held in the Library of Congress' Prints & Photographs Division.

Iowa Governor Visits Smith Farm on Conservation Tour

Iowa Governor Terry Branstad visited the Tim Smith Farm on May 4, 2016 as part of on ongoing tour to learn about soil conservation practices and strategies that are being used by environmentally concerned farmers to improve soil health and mitigate the effects of agriculture on water quality in the state. The video above was produced by Joe Murphy of the Iowa Soybean Association (ISA), and includes interviews with Governor Branstad, Kirk Leeds (CEO of ISA), and Smith, as well as scenes of conservation practices on several different farms. The ISA web site also features a recent article on Smith's work.

Previous Common Curator posts about conservation practices on the Smith farm include: Mr. Smith Goes to Washington; Iowa Soil Conservation Farmer of the Year; Cover Crops Reduce Nitrogen Run-Off, Improve Water Quality; and The Boone River Watershed: Why Strip-Till and Cover Crops Matter.

MayDay 2016: Saving Our Archives

Since 2006, the Society of American Archivists (SAA) has designated May 1st as MayDay, or a day of action for both individuals and organizations such as archives, libraries, museums, and historical societies to improve their capacities to deal with emergencies that can threaten or destroy historical collections. The ravages of natural disasters such as the tornadoes and hurricanes of recent years are just some of the physical risks facing cultural heritage institutions.

Although the landmark study, A Public Trust at Risk: The Heritage Health Index Report on the State of America's Collections (2004 & 2014 follow-up report), systematically documented that most institutions lack an adequate disaster preparedness plan, the SAA has worked to mitigate these deficiencies. The SAA web site provides recommendations for MayDay activities, as well as a compilation of resources, including technical literature and tools, disaster plan templates and examples, tutorials and courses, bibliographies, and other resources.

In recent years, the State Historical Society of Iowa (SHSI) has undergone severe cuts to both collections and services, which are documented in detail in a recent White Paper produced by the Save Iowa History Alliance. Leading historians on both a state and national level have addressed their concerns directly to Governor Branstad and to Mary Cownie, Director of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs, which oversees the SHSI.

Further details on these efforts, as well as contact information for key decision-makers, is available in the previous Common Curator posts: Save Iowa History and Save Iowa History 3. The complete White Paper on the State Historical of Iowa can be downloaded as a PDF.

Librarian of Congress Confirmation Hearing

Dr. Carla Hayden is shown here on April 20, 2016 delivering her opening statement at the Senate confirmation hearing on her nomination to become Librarian of Congress. The entirety of the hearing can be viewed via C-Span. Hayden was nominated to become the 14th Librarian of Congress by President Obama on February 24, 2016.

National Collegiate Book Collecting Contest

Entries are now being accepted for the 2016 National Collegiate Book Collecting Contest. Begun in 2005 by the Fine Books & Collections magazine for young bibliophiles, the competition is now jointly sponsored by the Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America, the Fellowship of American Bibliophilic Societies, as well as the Center for the Book and the Rare Books and Special Collections Division of the Library of Congress.

A number of contests are currently held at colleges and universities around the U.S., with Swarthmore College's competition being the first in the 1920s. College-level students from all educational institutions, however, are encouraged to participate. Entries for this year's competition are due by May 31, 2016. Contest rules and further information are available at the Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America website. Winners of the last several years can be viewed here: 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, and 2010.

Mahler's Symphony No. 9 and Coltrane's A Love Supreme among Latest Entries to the National Recording Registry

In the fourteenth year of the National Recording Registry, Acting Librarian of Congress David S. Mao has announced 25 sound recordings as the official entries for 2015, stating: "These recordings, by a wide range of artists in many genres of music and in spoken word, will be preserved for future listeners. This collection of blues, jazz, rock, country and classical recordings, interspersed with important recordings of sporting events, speeches, radio shows and comedy, helps safeguard the record of what we've done and who we are."

Under the National Recording Preservation Act of 2000, selected recordings must be "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" and at least ten years old.

Spanning the years 1911-1986, the selections for 2015 are as follows:

1. Let Me Call You Sweetheart—Columbia Quartette (The Peerless Quartet) (1911)
2. Wild Cat Blues—Clarence Williams' Blue Five (1923)
3. Statesboro Blues—Blind Willie McTell (1928)
4. Bonaparte's Retreat—W.H. Stepp (1937)
5. Vic and Sade—Episode: Decoration Day (June 4, 1937)
6. Mahler Symphony No. 9—Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Bruno Walter (1938)
7. Carousel of American Music—George M. Cohan, Irving Berlin, Johnny Mercer, Arthur Freed, Shelton Brooks, Hoagy Carmichael, others (Sept. 24, 1940)
8. The Marshall Plan Speech—George C. Marshall (June 5, 1947)
9. Destination Freedom—Episodes: A Garage in Gainesville and  Execution Awaited (Sept. 25 and Oct. 2, 1949)
10. Original Soundtrack from A Streetcar Named Desire—Alex North, composer (1951)
11. Cry Me A River—Julie London (1955)
12. Mack the Knife (singles)—Louis Armstrong (1956); Bobby Darin (1959)
13.  Wilt Chamberlain's 100-Point Game, Fourth-Quarter Coverage (Philadelphia Warriors vs. New York Knicks)—Bill Campbell, announcer (March 2, 1962)
14. A Love Supreme—John Coltrane (1964)
15. It's My Way—Buffy Sainte-Marie (1964) (album)
16. Where Did Our Love Go (single)—The Supremes (1964)
17. People Get Ready (single)—The Impressions (1965)
18. Mama Tried (single)—Merle Haggard (1968)
19. Abraxas—Santana (1970)
20. Class Clown—George Carlin (1972)        
21. Robert and Clara Schumann Complete Piano Trios—The Beaux Arts Trio (1972)
22. Piano Man (single)—Billy Joel (1973)
23. Bogalusa Boogie—Clifton Chenier (1976)
24. I Will Survive (single)—Gloria Gaynor (1978)
25. Master of Puppets—Metallica (1986)

The full National Recording Registry currently numbers 450 recordings, and can be viewed here. The Registry solicits nominations annually for inclusion on the registry; further information on the criteria and procedures for making nominations for 2016 is available at the Registry website. 

Sunshine Week 2016

March 13-19, 2016 marks Sunshine Week, an annual event which serves to raise awareness of the need for transparent and open government at all levels. Freedom of Information Day is also being observed on March 16, which coincides with James Madison's birthday. In 1822, Madison stated:

A popular Government without popular information or the means of acquiring it, is but a Prologue to a Farce or a Tragedy or perhaps both. Knowledge will forever govern ignorance, and a people who mean to be their own Governors, must arm themselves with the power knowledge gives.

Sunshine laws such as the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and open meetings laws provide essential legal rights and remedies for citizen access to government records and information. FOIA, which was signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson on July 4, 1966 and went into effect one year later, created a "right to know" as the basis for access whereas previously citizens needed to demonstrate a "need to know." As Johnson observed at the time:

This legislation springs from one of our most essential principles: a democracy works best when the people have all the information that the security of the Nation permits. No one should be able to pull curtains of secrecy around decisions which can be revealed without injury to the public interest.

On March 15, 2016, the U.S. Senate passed Senate Bill 337 which contains a set of amendments to FOIA that would create a specific presumption of openness as well as other enhancements to government access if signed into law by the President. Further details can be found at the Fix FOIA by 50 Clearinghouse. The need for updates to FOIA is well illustrated by the Electronic Frontier Foundation's compilation of "the worst government responses to public records requests" during the last year.

For further information, the following resources may be of interest: The National Freedom of Information Coalition; The National Security Archive; The Center for Effective Government; The American Civil Liberties Union; The Electronic Frontier Foundation; and, for news of international freedom of information advocacy, FreedomInfo.org.

International Women's Day: Step It Up for Gender Equality

March 8th marks the 105th anniversary of International Women's Day. The United Nations' theme for International Women's Day 2016 is "Planet 50-50 by 2030: Step It Up for Gender Equality." The video above features remarks by UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka.

First celebrated on March 19, 1911 by more than one million people in Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland after a proposal by Clara Zetkin [1857-1933] in 1910 at the second International Conference of Working Women in Copenhagen, International Women's Day is now observed in many nations throughout the world.

The United Nations first began celebrating March 8 as International Women's Day during International Women's Year in 1975, and in 1977 approved a resolution proclaiming a United Nations Day for Women's Rights and International Peace for member states.

WFMU Marathon 2016

Love free-form radio? Then consider supporting independent station WFMU during its annual fundraising Marathon that runs March 6 through March 20, 2016. WFMU first hit the airwaves on April 24, 1958 at the now-defunct Upsala College and has never looked back. Currently based in Jersey City, New Jersey, WFMU broadcasts at 91.1 Mhz and via a second signal at 90.1 Mhz in Mount Hope, New York. WFMU has also long been an Internet pioneer, streaming its programming 24/7 in multiple formats, including iPhone and Android. Past shows are archived at the station's website, as is ten year's of the station's Beware of the Blog.

What is free-form radio you might ask? WFMU describes itself as follows:

WFMU's programming ranges from flat-out uncategorizable strangeness to rock and roll, experimental music, 78 RPM Records, jazz, psychedelia, hip-hop, electronica, hand-cranked wax cylinders, punk rock, gospel, exotica, R&B, radio improvisation, cooking instructions, classic radio airchecks, found sound, dopey call-in shows, interviews with obscure radio personalities and notable science-world luminaries, spoken word collages, Andrew Lloyd Webber soundtracks in languages other than English as well as country and western music.

And because the station is listener-supported, WFMU DJs have for years maintained complete autonomy and control over their own programming, which is extraordinarily eclectic. Check out the current WFMU audio smorgasbord, and see for yourself!

Grant Wood at 125

Today is the 125th anniversary of the birth of artist Grant Wood [1891-1942]. Pictured above is the house in Eldon, Iowa that is portrayed in the background of his most famous painting, American Gothic. An iconic work that has been parodied countless times since its execution in 1930, Wood based the taciturn farm couple on his own sister and dentist. The painting won a bronze medal in a competition sponsored by the Art Institute of Chicago, where it has remained as part of their permanent collection.

Further information on Grant Wood can be found in previous Common Curator posts: Grant Wood Sketchbook Returns to Figge Art Museum and 120th Anniversary of Grant Wood's Birth.

Happy Year of the Monkey / 猴 年 快 樂 !

A Chinese street performer and his costumed monkey are putting on a show for an appreciative crowd. This photograph was taken by the Common Curator during travels in the People's Republic of China.

RAGBRAI 2016 Overnight Towns Announced

The eight overnight towns for RAGBRAI XLIV, the Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa, were just revealed at the annual Route Announcement Party: Glenwood > Shenandoah > Creston > Leon > Centerville > Ottumwa > Washington > Muscatine. As has been the case since the inaugural ride in 1973, the ride begins at the Missouri River and ends at the Mississippi River.

This year's seven-day ride takes place July 23-30, 2016, and will be 420 miles in length with 18,488 feet of total climb, making it the 3rd shortest and 24th flattest route since RAGBRAI began. Registration for the world's oldest, largest, and longest recreational bike touring event is currently open, with a deadline of April 1, 2016 for online applications. Lottery results will be announced May 1, 2016.

R.I.P. David Bowie

The incomparable David Bowie [1947-2016] is shown above performing on December 8, 1983 at the Hong Kong Coliseum during the final concert of his Serious Moonlight world tour. The concert featured songs from his recently released album, Let's Dance, including of course the local favorite, "China Girl." As the concert happened to fall on the third anniversary of John Lennon's death, Bowie also sang Lennon's "Imagine," prefacing his moving tribute by observing that it was in Hong Kong that he had last seen his friend, with whom in 1975 he had famously co-written (along with Carlos Alomar) his first American No. 1 hit, "Fame." (Note: The photo here was taken from a balcony seat by the Common Curator with a 50mm lens and 800 ASA film, hence the graininess.)

The Year Ahead: Tempus Fugit