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@The Library
Happenings for September
Closing. Bogue Banks Public Library will be closed Monday, September 5, for Labor Day.
Library Card Sign-up Month/free movie rental. September is Library Card Sign-up
Month—a time when the American Library Association and libraries across the country
remind parents that the most important school supply of all is at your library. Its your
library card.
In recognition of this month, the Carteret County public libraries will give every new
member a coupon for a free movie rental when he or she signs up for a Craven-Pamlico-
Carteret Regional Library card for the first time. Already have a card? Don’t feel left out.
Existing members are encouraged to “like” the Carteret County Libraries Facebook page
and receive a coupon code for their free movie rental. Details are available on the Facebook
page.
Book exchange and sale. Stop by the paperback Book Exchange and trade for a free
paperback book to take to the beach. Friends of Bogue Banks Public Library also host an
in-house book sale. Visit today and check out the bargains.
Activities for children. Preschool Storytime for ages 3-5 is held each Thursday at 10 a.m.
with Ms. Brita.
• Thursday, September 1, will be “All About Me.”
• Thursday, September 8, will be “Read-a-Book Day.”
• Thursday, September 15, will be “Dot Day.”
• Thursday, September 22, will be “Let it Fdl!”
• Thursday, September 29, will be “Give Me Five!”
Featured artwork. Throughout September, the art gallery will display a collection of
posters from previous NC Seafood Festivals. Also, the original painting of the winning
poster design for 2016 will be on display during the month.
The showcase will feature coastal-related treasures of various artists.
There will be no artist reception this month.
Pine Knoll Shores Recreational and Fun
PICKLEBALL TOURNAMENT
at
9 a.m. on Saturday, September 24
at the three courts behind town hall
(Rain date: September 25)
Space is limited and advance registration is required.
A partner is not necessary; we will choose partnerships by blind draw.
Mixed doubles play only. Registration: $7 per player
Come and play—or come to support your neighbors and friends.
Contact Connie Brophy at BrophyConnie@gmail.com
to register or for more information.
Registration deadline: September 7
Caught Doing Something Good
A tip of the hat to Commissioner Brodman. All of us who love playing pickleball—and
those who are learning to love playing pickleball—owe John Brodman a big thank you.
Not only does he work on our behalf in his capacity as a commissioner, but he has been
instrumental in planning and purchasing equipment for our four new pickleball courts in
town. In addition, he joined other volunteers, on his hands and knees, in laying out and
painting the white lines on the courts. He is now helping plan a tournament to be held
in September. Thank you, John, for listening when the idea was presented and leading its
implementation.—By Connie Brophy on behalf of the Pine Knoll Shores pickleballers
And then the others,.. Joining John in the painting of the courts were town residents
Bill Brophy, Kelly Clark, Ches Garner, Tom Kowalski, Kenny McGibbon and Jerry Price.
PIKSCO generously provided space for one of the courts at Garner Park. John Brodman,
Connie Brophy, Kelly Clark, Tom Kowalski, Kenny McGibbon and Jerry Price are helping
to iron out the logistics of the upcoming pickleball tournament (see related story on page
1). The support received from Town Manager Brian Kramer since the beginning is also
appreciated.
We'd like to report more stories like this. If you catch somebody doing something good,
please tell us about it at shoreline@townofpks.com and we’ll share that good news with our
readers.—The Editors
Book Talk
A Man Called Ove by Fredrick Backman
Atria Books, 2012
Reviewed by Ken Wilkins
Life after life
We just met Fredrik Backman with his excellent second novel. My Grandmother Asked
Me to Tell You She's Sorry, and this is a step back in time to his first novel, a great success
in his native Sweden. A Man Called Ove is a remarkable work, especially for readers of a
certain, shall I say, chronological maturity.
Look up “curmudgeon” in the dictionary, and don’t be surprised to find a picture of Ove
there. No other word can describe him. He doesn’t trust the internet; cannot tolerate people
who can’t back trailers (he should spend some time around boat ramps); and, all-in-all,
thinks the world is going to hell in a hand basket and there’s nothing he can do about it.
Besides that, we gradually learn that his wife, the love of his life, has died, and he has
been deemed ready to “slow down a bit” by the people at work, and therefore is now retired.
Except for the widower and retired status, I can completely relate. I was going to thank
my friend for her recommendation, but I’m having second thoughts. Ove is clearly not
meant to be me, but I can imagine that many people my age—I’m older than he—will see at
least parts of themselves in Ove.
There’s much more, of course, to recommend this novel. Ove is trying to redefine
himself, a difficult task in the best of circumstances, and he’s not doing a very good job of
it. In fact, he’s decided to kill himself. Fortunately for us, his neighbors keep interfering and
preventing him from finalizing the deal.
The first attempt, by hanging, was interrupted, but he eventually got back to it, only to
be foiled by a poor rope that broke under his weight. To Ove, this is just another example of
where things are going. They can’t even make a quality rope anymore, for crying out loud.
Along with the narrative of Ove’s attempts to end his life, Backman bit-by-bit gives us his
history—and it is extraordinary. No need for a spoiler alert; you’ll have to read the book to
learn this principled man’s biography.
When the book opens, Ove has reached the point of superfluity; whatever purpose he
had in life has gone. It takes a foreigner from Iran with two young girls and a third child
almost here to give him a reason to live. He finds this only in fits and starts, and along
the way tries to commit suicide at least three times. But slowly, slowly he admits that
“sometimes it can be quite nice having something to get on with in the daytime.”
A Man Called Ove started as a character in Backman’s blog posts. His readers demanded
more, and the marvelous result is this book. Ove’s is a fine story, and Backman’s writing is a
pleasure to read, even in translation. To me, though, the best feature of the book is watching
Ove redefine himself after all he lived for was gone. By eventually allowing himself to thrive
on his relationships with his friends and neighbors, Ove, and they, show us what it is to be
human.