Wednesday, December 22, 2021

Lord of the Rings, Pink Flamingos, and Cooley High Among Selections to National Film Registry


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 2021 cover a wide gamut of genres and time periods, from such early films as the Ringling Brothers Parade Film and The Flying Ace to such later works as Stop Making Sense and The Watermelon Woman. The full list for 2021 is as follows:

2000s
WALLE (2008)
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

1990s
Selena (1997)
The Watermelon Woman (1996)

1980s
Who Killed Vincent Chin? (1987)
A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
Stop Making Sense (1984)
Star Wars Episode VI — Return of the Jedi (1983)

1970s
The Wobblies (1979)
Chicana (1979)
Richard Pryor: Live in Concert (1979)
Cooley High (1975)
The Long Goodbye (1973)
Sounder (1972)
Pink Flamingos (1972)
The Murder of Fred Hampton (1971)
Requiem-29 (1970)                                                                                                    
1960s
Evergreen (1965)
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)

1950s
Strangers on a Train (1951)

1930s
Flowers and Trees (1932)
Hellbound Train (1930)
           
1920s
The Flying Ace (1926)

1910s
Jubilo (1919)

1900s
Ringling Brothers Parade Film (1902)
              
Further information on the Registry as well as the films themselves can be found on the Library of Congress' web site. All 825 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.

Wednesday, December 15, 2021

2022 Seed Savers Exchange Catalog


The latest tantalizing annual catalog from Seed Savers Exchange (SSE), featuring open-pollinated, untreated, non-hybrid, and non-GMO seeds, is now available online; a print copy of the 2022 catalog can also be requested free of charge.

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.