A Town Like Mparntwe ... and Who the F#ck is Alice?

Outback sign painted with traditional
Indigenous names sparks Aussie debate

I mentioned that I was reading Nancy Pearl's 'Book Lust' in my last post -

Neuro-Nancy?

Ironically with all the news in the Australian Media about 'The Alice' and its English name, Nancy Pearl starts her book off with a category about books written by authors with the first name of Alice.

Alice Springs (Eastern Arrernte: Mparntwe) is the third-largest town in the Northern Territory of Australia.

Known as Stuart until 31 August 1933, the name Alice Springs was given by surveyor William Whitfield Mills after Alice, Lady Todd (née Alice Gillam Bell), wife of the telegraph pioneer Sir Charles Todd.

Now colloquially known as The Alice or simply Alice, the town is situated roughly in Australia's geographic centre.

It is nearly equidistant from Adelaide and Darwin.
The area is known as Mparntwe to its original inhabitants, the Arrernte, who have lived in the Central Australian desert in and around what is now Alice Springs for tens of thousands of years.

Alice (name)

I've lived in Australia all my life, but I've never been to The Alice ... I mean Mparntwe, or even the Northern Territory, Western or South Australia.

And I've not even read any books about The Alice .... I mean Mparntwe, not even Nevil Shute's book 'A Town Like Alice'.

Nancy Pearl's Australian fiction recommendations:-)

One day I'll get around to reading all of those books:-) [UPDATE 2023 ... NOT!]

And I might even make a trip out to The Alice ... I mean Mparntwe one day, too?

Not to mention Adelaide in South Australia, as well:-)

UPDATE: March 8th, 2021

This is the news story from my local newspaper about the Dr. Seuss books that were "cancelled" and which is discussed in the comments below.

I guess 'Lady and the Tramp' will be on the chopping block next for promoting insensitive Asian stereotypes?-)

And let's not even contemplate Mickey Rooney's "comical" take on an Asian landlord in 'Breakfast at Tiffany's'.

Neuro-Nancy?

Wouldn't Read About It... Would You?

I saw this news story about the urgent need for school librarians and I thought maybe I should send them my Nancy Pearl Deluxe Librarian Action Figure?-)

I met Nancy Pearl at a Brisbane library talk back in 2006 and she signed the box my action figure was in, and the box is still on the top shelf of my bookcase in my living room.

'Neuromancer' is the dark blue book on Nancy's trolley

Nancy's book recommendations were a big reason why I bought a copy of William Gibson's 'Neuromancer' and finally read it this year -

Neuromancer, Coming to a Secondhand Bookstore Near You?

Nurse Nancy warning Fox in 'The X-Files'
episode  'Kill Switch'?!

'Kill Switch' was an X-Files episode
 written by William Gibson

'Book Lust' is the book
I'm reading now

Podcast  about the NANCY PEARL–
LIBRARIAN ACTION FIGURE

My Nancy Pearl Action Figure.
Signed by Nancy Pearl...Shhh!

Robot librarian tidies up after humans

ABConversations Podcast
featuring Stuart Kells 

My copy of 'Neuromancer', soon not to be:-)

The Librarian Is In Podcast Episode 55

The Seattle Channel:
Book Lust with Nancy Pearl

I'm one reader who likes to read hard copy books, rather than the Kindle versions, and I hope that old school librarians like Nancy never die and they just SHHHH! away:-)

Lawrence Ferlinghetti founder of
City Lights Bookstore died aged 101

And I hope that old bookstores don't fade away into cyber-space, either.

March Astrological Forecast?

Trish MacGregor: Star Power For March 2021

Author, teacher, and Vedic Astrologer
Freedom Cole on 'Rune Soup'

These two podcasts on astrology hit my iPad early this morning, and while I'm not really into astrology the subject does intrigue me.

I'd rather just go with the flow than worry about forecasting my stars, but I guess people like to think that they can dodge a cosmic bullet with their name on it.

I have no idea what most of that stuff means,
I just like to rip the days away:-)

Personally, I don't believe that you can outrun your own fate, but it's interesting trying to understand why people think that they can.

Rabbit Rabbit Rabbit ... Hole?

This happened on the 28th day?

Holey Moley?

I found two old magazines in my bookshelf while doing a de-clutter and wondered why I had kept the NEXUS magazine.

Turns out there was an article in it written by Trish and her partner Rob about the Bermuda Triangle.

My hometown Brisbane, Australia seen from the sky 

The back of the 'New Dawn' magazine

I must have kept that 'New Dawn' magazine because I was thinking of going to the 'Close Encounters Conference' at Coff's Harbour that year, but it just wasn't in my stars it seems:-)

Then I was going to go the following year when I heard Gordon was going, but it still wasn't in my stars to go that year either it seems -

Magick, Coincidence, Synchronicity and Lizards?