This week, the world paused from its daily routine of human, mundane, sometimes exhilarating, interactions to remember and celebrate the life of Tina Turner. Turner, who passed away on May 24, was one of those rare transcendent stars, breaking free from so many personal tragedies to become a global success story and inspiration to many. Why was she such an inspiration to so many? It is important to know a little of her background to understand her success.

Her story seemed to be taken straight from the pages of a deep south gothic tragedy or a bluesy lament of the social and racial powder keg of rural Tennessee in the 1930s.

She was born Anna Mae Bullock in the basement of the local county hospital, because her mother wasn’t allowed in the upper-level white-only maternity ward. Growing up in rural Nutbush, TN, she overcame so much personal loss in her early, formative years. Her parents abandoned her, her mother fleeing from an abusive relationship and her father marrying another woman; both moving away to different states. Adding to her personal tragedy, her half-sister and cousins perished in a car crash. When her Grandmother Georgie died, she reunited with her mother in St Louis, where she frequented nightclubs and music spots, eventually catching the ear (and eye) of Ike Turner.

The times with Ike have been well documented, from changing her identity and name, to the broken bones and psychological torture. At the time, these were far from the public view. Success as the Ike and Tina Turner Revue, tours with the Rolling Stones, and solo hits were the main headlines. Yet no one saw the depression and attempted suicide behind the scenes.

Minor hits for the Revue were many, beginning with 1960’s “A Fool in Love”, which charted at #27 on the Billboard Hot 100. Their biggest hit, a cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Proud Mary”, reached #4 in 1971. The breakup of the revue culminated with the couple’s divorce in 1978.

Facing financial ruin, and caring for four sons, Tina Turner relied on the inner strength that she achieved by practicing Buddhism, specifically the discipline of chanting, which she embraced in the 1970s. Finding a newfound strength, and buoyed by her faith, she decided to take charge of her life to make decisions to promote her holistic well-being. This new approach, parlayed with her talent, propelled her to great success in the 1980s, producing hit after hit, beginning with “What's Love Got to Do With It”, off her fifth album Private Dancer. This song, her only #1 hit, spent three weeks at the top spot during the summer of 1984.

From there, she was a staple on the Hot 100, placing 17 songs on the chart in the 80’s and 90’s. You could her hear solo hits like “Better Be Good to Me”, “Private Dancer”, and “The Best” on pop radio stations, as well as the duet “It’s Only Love” with Bryan Adams.

“We Don't Need Another Hero (Thunderdome)”, taken from the motion picture Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, brought Turner back to the silver screen, starring opposite Mel Gibson in that 1985 installment in the Mad Max franchise. It had been 10 years since she made her film debut as The Acid Queen in the film “Tommy”, which was based on The Who’s 1969 rock opera album, Tommy.

She had become a pop culture icon. Who can forget her performance at Live Aid with Mick Jagger? Her integral vocals on “We Are the World”? She also sang the title track for the 007 movie Goldeneye.

Concurrent to her success in music and film, she co-wrote I, Tina with author Kurt Loder. That book inspired the film adaptation What’s Love Got to Do with It, released in 1993. That film garnered best actor and actress Oscar nods for Angela Bassett and Laurence Fishburne, who played Tina and Ike.

Throughout her life, Turner received numerous honors. She was ranked by Rolling Stone magazine as one of the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time. She has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Ike and Tina Turner were inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991. Two of their songs, “River Deep – Mountain High” and “Proud Mary,” have been inducted in the Grammy HOF. Tina Turner was inducted as a solo artist into the Hall in 2021. She received the Kennedy Center Honors in 2005. She is also the only female recipient of a Pop, Rock and R & B Grammy.

She has often been defined by her exterior traits: extravagant costumes, larger than life hair and wigs, and legs that President George W. Bush famously described as “the most famous legs in show business”. Her Mezzo-Soprano vocals have been described as gravelly, husky, raw, and exuberant.

But the grounding constant in her life was her faith and the peace provided by daily chanting. In her final book, Happiness becomes you: a guide to changing your life for good, she sets out her guide for living a happy life. The following quote from this book really sums up her inspirational life: “The thicker the mud, the stronger the lotus that blooms from it, rising above the muck to reach the sun.” The world will miss the lotus that was Tina Turner.

We are getting close to the last frost of the season (we know better than to be fooled by one nice weekend, right?), which means it's almost time to get those veggie plants in the garden. Over 800 seed packets have been picked up from our Seed Library since it opened in March, and there is still a great selection of veggies and herbs available. But there is no time to waste now in getting those seeds to grow into sprouts!

If you are new to the Seed Library, here is a quick recap:

The FRVPLD Seed Library offers patrons free heirloom and open-pollinated seeds to grow at home. Patrons can also donate harvested seeds to the library to replenish inventory. The Seed Library is located at the Dundee Library on the main level. We have repurposed a vintage card catalog whose many drawers are perfect for it’s new purpose. Seed packets will contain enough seeds to produce about three plants. You can choose from herbs, vegetables, fruits, native prairie flowers, and decorative flowers. The collection will grow and change depending on what seeds are acquired and donated, so check in often. Each packet of seeds is labeled and includes growing instructions.

New! Gardening Tool Kits available. Just getting started? Check out a gardening tool kit, which contains a seed planting trowel, weed puller, bypass pruning shears, hand shovel, hand rake, and hand spade. 

And of course we can't let you go without some reading recommendations! Scroll through the titles below for books and magazines available to FRVPLD cardholders, and click on the cover to place a hold or download a digital version.

Happy Earth Day! Here are some book reccomendations to complete your reading badge Our Home. 

Beanstack Challenge Starts April 1. Sign up at frvpld.beanstack.org! Become an Earth activist and find out how to grow, cook, recycle, and live life while taking care of our most precious resource – our planet! Earthlings of all ages will find activities and bookish challenges that are fun to earn together or on their own. This challenge will be an example of sustainability in that it will only be available on Beanstack and all the badges will be comprised of links to eResources, materials to be checked out, or relevant programs offered this Spring. To complete the challenge, you must earn all four Celebrate Earth badges: Eat Green for the Planet, Happy Earth Day!, Keep Growing, and Recycling is Cool. There will be no age categories. Most activities can be completed by any age, which provides an opportunity for families or other groups to enjoy the challenge together and create teachable moments. The first 100 finishers will earn an FRVPLD Reusable Lunch Bag!

As the blog post about the 400-year anniversary of Shakespeare’s First Folio mentioned, one of our April Beanstack challenges (running April 1-April 30) will revolve around Shakespeare. While we’re celebrating the First Folio and the way it preserved the play texts, the truth is that most of Shakespeare’s work was meant to be seen, not read. In that spirit, this Beanstack challenge incorporates multiple forms of media. Our recommendations provide various ways to engage with the texts, including watching full performances of the Bard's works or clips of specific scenes, reading a play by one of his contemporaries, reading a retelling of one of his plays, listening to music, and more. Shakespeare has inspired countless artists who came after him but was also inspired by those who were writing at the same time or before him. Our lists take all of this into account and offer a wide range of options, celebrating his influence in a much broader context. Does Channing Tatum make you think of Shakespeare? Does Star Wars? Check out our recommendations to see how the unexpected connects to these classic works.  

As usual, you are free to read something that isn’t on our list if it stays on theme. Read another modern retelling, watch another film version, read the original text of one of the plays, and so on. For more recommendations of retellings, check out my blog post for Shakespeare's birthday last year. Since many of the pieces shared are extremely short, for this challenge you will need to complete 4 of the activity badges to earn a prize.

The challenge is for ages 12 and up and will be available through the Beanstack app or website. Once you log in, you’ll be able to join the new challenge beginning April 1 (while you’re in there, make sure to sign up for the Celebrate Earth challenge for April, too). Click on the activity badges within Beanstack for reading and viewing recommendations. Once you’ve read or watched an item in any given badge, enter the title in the text box and move on to the next badge you choose! Upon registration, you can collect a Shakespearean insult button. Those who finish will have a choice between a canvas tote bag or a coffee mug decorated to fit our First Folio theme. Collection of the finisher prizes upon completion will begin April 7 at either the Dundee or Randall Oaks Library and are while supplies last.

Comedies:

A Midsummer Night's Dream- film adaptation set in late 19th C. Italy; Measure for Measure- film adaptation set in the modern day; Kiss Me, Petruchio- documentary on a Shakespeare in the Park production of The Taming of the Shrew; The Two Gentlemen of Verona- performance at Hoftra University; Two Wrongs Make a Right by Chloe Liese- book reimagining of Much Ado About Nothing; Shakespeare in Love trilogy (featuring Much Ado About Jack) by Christy English- book reimaginings of Shakespeare's comedies (only 1 book of the trilogy required for badge fulfillment); She's the Man- film reimagining of Twelfth Night

Histories:

Lady Hotspur by Tessa Gratton- book reimagining of Henry IV; The Hollow Crown (The Wars of the Roses)- film trilogy adaptation of Henry VI and Richard III (only 1 film required for badge fulfillment); "The Stranger's Case"- performance of a speech written by Shakespeare for the collaborative play Sir Thomas More; Henry V- film adaptation; King John- solo performance of a speech; Richard II- clip from full length performance; Henry VIII- full cast audio recording

Tragedies:

Enter the Body by Joy McCullough- inspired by and featuring characters from various tragedies; Prince of Cats by Ron Wimberly- graphic novel featuring Tybalt from Romeo and Juliet; As I Descended by Robin Talley- book reimagining of Macbeth; Julius Caesar- solo performance of a speech; All for Love by John Dryden- full cast audio recording of play inspired by Antony & Cleopatra; Tigers, Not Daughters by Samantha Mabry- book reimagining of King Lear; Filming Othello by Orson Welles- documentary on Welles's creation of the film Othello

Revenge:

The Steep & Thorny Way by Cat Winters- book reimagining of Hamlet; Coriolanus- film adaptation; The Revenger's Tragedy by Thomas Middleton- performance of play written by Shakespeare's contemporary; The Spanish Tragedy by Thomas Kyd- textual analysis video of play written by Shakespeare's contemporary; The Duchess of Malfi by John Webster- performance of play written by Shakespeare's contemporary; Titus- film adaptation of Titus Andronicus; Hamlet/Horatio- film of Hamlet's events from Horatio's perspective

Romances (tragi-comedy):

Philaster or Love Lies A-Bleeding by Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher- play text written by Shakespeare's contemporaries; The Faithful Sheperdhess by John Fletcher- play text written by Shakespeare's contemporary; The Tempest- film adaptation; The Winter's Tale- ballet by Christopher Wheeldon (there's also a good intro to the ballet and play here); Pericles: a version by Andrew Hilton and Dominic Power- performance by the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School; Exit, Pursued by a Bear by EK Johnston- book reimagining of The Winter's Tale; Cymbeline- performance by Shakespeare by the Sea

Sonnets:

No Fear Shakespeare Sonnets- all of the sonnets in the original verse as well as a modern "translation"; "Sonnet 1" read by Sir Patrick Stewart as part of his "A Sonnet a Day" readings; "Sonnet 116" read by Juliet Stevenson; "Sonnet 18" read by Lorna Laidlaw; "Sonnet 20" in song, music written and performed by Rufus Wainwright; Canzoniere by Petrarch- Petrarchan (or Italian) sonnets follow a different structure than Shakespearean (or Elizabethan), but are another example of the form by one of its masters; Pop Sonnets: Shakespearean Spins on Your Favorite Songs by Erik Didriksen- modern pop songs reimagined in Shakespearean verse

Miscellaneous:

That Way Madness Lies edited by Dahlia Adler- book with 15 of Shakespeare's works reimagined; Ian McKellen: Acting Shakespeare- film in which McKellen performs scenes and sonnets, with accompanying scholarly material on the art of performance; Speak the Speech!: Shakespeare's Monologues Illuminated by Rhona Silverbush and Sami Plotkin- guide book to performance for actors; William Shakespeare's Star Wars Trilogy by Ian Doescher- books reimagining the original Star Wars trilogy told in Shakespearean verse (only 1 book of the trilogy required for badge fulfillment); Shakespeare Live! from the RSC- performance recorded at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, an all-star cast pays tribute to Shakespeare's works across artistic media; Playing Shakespeare with John Barton- filmed Masterclass on using verse in both heightened and realistic fashions; Something Rotten! original Broadway cast recording- musical spoof of playwrights competing with Shakespeare

The place you go for gardening books is now the same place you go for seeds to plant. The FRVPLD Seed Library offers patrons free heirloom and open-pollinated seeds to grow at home. Patrons can also donate harvested seeds to the library to replenish inventory.

The Seed Library is located at the Dundee Library on the main level. We have repurposed a vintage card catalog whose many drawers are perfect for its new purpose

Seed packets will contain enough seeds to produce about three plants. You can choose from herbs, vegetables, native and pollinator flowers. The collection will grow and change depending on what seeds are acquired and donated, so check in often. Each packet of seeds is labeled and includes growing instructions. All seeds are non-GMO and there are no hybrids. You can help us keep the Seed Library stocked by donating seeds from your garden’s crop. We will re-package and add them to the Seed Library so others can plant them in their garden next season. Drop your seeds off at the Dundee Library.

Gardening Tool Kits: Each kit contains the tools you need to successfully start or care for a garden, all contained in a handy mesh bag for convenient transport. Kits check out for three weeks. Seed planting trowel, Weed puller, Bypass pruning shears, Hand shovel, Hand rake, Hand spade and Kneeling Pad.

Join the Seed-Sharing Movement! Encourages community members to sustainably grow and harvest their food. Supports and builds community among local gardeners. Offers a risk-free opportunity to new and reluctant gardeners. Offers a wide variety of seeds to allow experienced gardeners to try new plants Increases the availability of fresh local produce. Preserves open-pollinated and heirloom seeds, increasing plant biodiversity and sustainability. Encourages community members to grow and save seeds.

In-Person Gardening Programs

Visit our online calendar at www.frvpld.info/events to register for these garden-themed programs.

Seed Packet Flowerpots Thurs., March 9, 7 to 8 p.m. Dundee Decoupage clay pots with seed packet labels to make lovely planters for your kitchen or patio. Ages 14 and up.

Seed Starting and Garden Planning Sat., March 11, 11 a.m. to noon Dundee Learn about starting seeds and garden planning. We will start some pepper, tomato, kale and lettuce seeds to take home. Ages 14 and up. Plant a Salsa Garden Mon., March 20, 6:30 to 7 p.m. Dundee Kids can celebrate the new Seed Library by growing their own ingredients for homemade salsa. All ages.

DIY Recycled Garden Planter Tues., April 4, 3:45 to 4:45 p.m. Dundee Repurpose an old tin can into a garden planter. Plant a succulent to celebrate Earth Day! Grades 3-6.

Growing and Using Herbs Thurs., April 20, 11 a.m. to noon Dundee This class will discuss growing, collecting and preserving techniques for all kinds of herbs and offer suggestions for using herbs in cooking. Presented by the Kane County Master Gardeners. Ages 14 and up.