National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled

Happy birthday, Norma Jean Mortenson, born 100 years ago. For many, the real woman behind the Marilyn Monroe persona becomes more obscured as her fame endures, though writers have tried to separate iconography from identity and cultural legacy from public lore. Among the more than 50 books on Monroe in the NLS collection is Gloria Steinem’s "Marilyn (DB25894)," in which the feminist writer/activist offers her own point of view on the life of the vulnerable film actress and s*x goddess, drawing on Monroe's unpublished memoirs. In "Blonde: A Novel (DB50255)," Joyce Carol Oates mixes fiction and biography, retelling the star's childhood in Los Angeles, her marriages to baseball legend Joe DiMaggio and playwright Arthur Miller, and her major roles in movies. James Patterson and Imogen Edwards-Jones in "The Last Days of Marilyn Monroe (DB133690)" create a true-crime thriller dramatizing the actress’ last days as she attends a party with Frank Sinatra, argues with U.S. Attorney General Bobby Kennedy and confesses her loneliness to her psychiatrist. In "The Genius and the Goddess: Arthur Miller and Marilyn Monroe (DB73080),” Jeffrey Meyers traces the couple's family backgrounds and their marriage, showing Monroe's role as Miller's muse but positing that her psychological problems and feelings of inadequacy led to their divorce after five years.
For help discovering more books about Monroe, whether fiction or nonfiction, reach out to your network reader advisor, www.loc.gov/nls/find-your-library?loclr=fbnls.
[Image: Likeness of Marilyn Monroe at Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum in Hollywood, 2013. Photo by Carol M. Highsmith, Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division.]

Singer, pianist and NLS Music Section patron Holly Connor will be the guest for the NLS Music Notes webinar on Tuesday, June 2, at 7 p.m. eastern time. Connor, a student at Webster University in St. Louis, already has a lengthy resume that includes performing as a featured soloist with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and winning first place in the Webster University Orchestra Aria Competition. She will talk with NLS Music Section Senior Accessible Music Librarian Brian McCurdy about her journey as an undergraduate student, her use of braille music and her artistry as a performer of opera, art songs and musical theater. After the interview, there will be time for questions from the audience. Get details on how to join the Zoom webinar at www.loc.gov/nls/services-and-resources/music-service-and-materials?loclr=fbnls.
[Image: Holly Connor performing in 2022 at a fundraiser for organizations in the St. Louis area that support people with disabilities. https. ://www.hollyconnor.com]

Since its founding, NLS has prioritized service to veterans of America’s armed forces. But we also honor those who died defending their country and its values. On , take time to reflect on America’s fallen soldiers by learning more about those buried at Arlington National Cemetery, where the holiday was first officially commemorated in 1868. “Arlington National Cemetery, Shrine to America’s Heroes (DB64313)” shares brief biographies of some of the prominent people buried there, while “Sacred Duty: A Soldier’s Tour at Arlington National Cemetery (DB95547)” and the children’s book “Twenty-One Steps: Guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (BR23725, DB104395)” describe the work of those soldiers assigned to conduct funerals and otherwise honor those laid to rest. Younger children might also find meaning in “Anna & Natalie (DBC01410),” the fictional tale of a blind girl chosen to assist with the wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
[Image: Tomb of the Unknowns, Arlington National Cemetery, by Carol M. Highsmith. Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division.]

Born in 1952, Walter Isaacson is known for his biographies that highlight the people who have shaped our world. A Harvard graduate, Rhodes Scholar and journalist by training, Isaacson’s books are characterized by their deep research; his biographies about living people tend to involve unprecedented levels of access into their lives.
Issacson may be best known for “Steve Jobs (DB73682 and in Spanish, DB72993),” his biography of the Apple co-founder that was written at the request of Jobs himself. Released just 19 days after Jobs’ death in 2011, the book was a critical and commercial success, selling millions of copies.
Jobs’ decision to reach out to Isaacson was most likely influenced by Isaacson’s writing on other tech innovators, notably 2003’s “Benjamin Franklin: An American Life (DB56501)” and 2007’s “Einstein: His Life and Universe (DB64501).”
He released the New York Times bestsellers “The Innovators: How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution (DB79903)” in 2014 and “Leonardo da Vinci (DB89588, BRG04178)” in 2017, earning more positive reviews and further establishing himself as the biographer of big brains.
His recent books include “The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race (DB102772)” and “Elon Musk (DB116346),” an authorized biography of the world’s richest person.
Just in time for America’s 250th birthday, Isaacson has released “The Greatest Sentence Ever Written (DB134372),” about the Declaration of Independence’s most famous line: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”
Outside of writing, Isaacson has served as chair and CEO of CNN and as editor of Time magazine. In 2023, he was awarded the National Humanities Medal by President Joe Biden
[Image: Walter Isaacson poses with then-President Biden as he receives the National Humanities Medal, 2023. White House photo. ]

“Maybe who we are isn’t so much about what we do, but rather what we’re capable of when we least expect it.” Internationally acclaimed author Jodi Picoult, born in 1966, wrote that in her 2004 novel “My Sister’s Keeper (BR24839, DB58402).” Picoult has a gift for uncovering those kinds of universal truths. Her books have sold over 63 million copies across 40 countries. NLS patrons have the opportunity to enjoy Picoult’s books in multiple languages through the service they know and love. Enjoy “Small Great Things” in English (BRG03957, DB85761) and in Spanish (DB107110). “Sing You Home” is available in English (BRG02839, DB72862) and in German (DBF99312). “Nineteen Minutes (DB64175),” about a school shooting and its consequences, can also be found in Spanish (DB109509) and Italian (DBG18379).
[Image: Jodi Picoult, photograph by Adam Bouska, courtesy of Simon & Schuster.]

In honor of Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month, the Library of Congress has partnered with the Smithsonian and other cultural institutions to compile a wealth of resources, from oral history interviews with Asian American veterans to recordings of songs and poems, at https://asianpacificheritage.gov. But NLS patrons can also find Asian/Pacific American voices right here in the NLS collection — not only as authors, but also as narrators. Did you know that Broadway star BD Wong, who once won five awards for his role in “M. Butterfly,” has read books you can find on BARD? Here are just a few of the Asian/Pacific American-narrated books available to NLS patrons today:
● YA: “The Red Scrolls of Magic: The Eldest Curses, Book 1 (DB95205),” by Cassandra Clare and Wesley Chu, narrated by BD Wong
● Children’s: “Word Travelers and the Taj Mahal Mystery (DB119194),” by Raj Haldar, narrated by Vikas Adam
● Mystery: “Vera Wong’s Guide to Snooping (on a Dead Man) (DB128361),” by Jesse Q. Sutanto, narrated by Eunice Wong
● Romance: “Polite Society (DB96349),” by Mahesh Rao, narrated by Deepti Gupta
● Historical Fiction: “Hula (DB114776),” by Jasmin ‘Iolani Hakes, narrated by Mapuana Makia
[Image: Asian Lantern Festival at Reid Park Zoo in Tucson, Arizona, 2019. Photograph by Carol M. Highsmith, Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Collection.]

Paul Harvey had already been a nationally syndicated radio personality for 25 years when he launched a new daily feature on the ABC Radio Network this week in 1976. In each short segment, he spun a story about a famous or not-so-famous person or event — ending with a surprising twist and his signature signoff: “And now you know … the rest of the story.” “To some people he was a far-right conservative,” an NPR commentator wrote in 2014, five years after Harvey’s death. “But Paul Harvey was also a delightful history teacher — with a velvety voice that turned the news into narrative and entertainment.” You can read some of the best of “The Rest,” written and edited by the broadcaster’s son and wife, in “Paul Harvey’s The Rest of the Story (BRA15917, DB17167),” “More of Paul Harvey’s The Rest of the Story (BR04551, DB15954)” and “Destiny: From Paul Harvey’s The Rest of the Story (BR05669, DB20155).” A 2009 biography by Stephen Mansfield and David Holland, “Paul Harvey’s America: The Life, Art and Faith of a Man Who Transformed Radio and Inspired a Nation (DB72283),” recounts Harvey's Oklahoma childhood, early days in radio and 68-year marriage.
[Image: Paul Harvey receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President George W. Bush in 2005. White House photo by Shealah Craighead.]

Comedian George Carlin, born in 1937, once joked, “If you're looking for self-help, why would you read a book written by somebody else?” In his book "Last Words (DB70103),” posthumously released in 2009, he argues that language is most often a tool for concealing the truth. He also details his often-controversial 50 years as a comedian, his family life and his time on the road.
The NLS collection includes several other books by Carlin. "Brain Droppings (DB44750)" is filled with zany observations, such as oxymorons like "mandatory options" and redundancies like "added bonus." "Na**lm & Silly Putty (DB52283)" continues with a collection of one-liners and loony lists and observations on modern life. For a more personal look, try his daughter's memoir, "A Carlin Home Companion: Growing up with George (DB88327)," which addresses her parents' substance abuse and mental health, as well as parenting styles and how these issues — along with the surrounding celebrity culture — influenced her.
[Image: Publicity photos of George Carlin in 1967 (left) and 1975. The earlier photo is from the New York World-Telegram and the Sun Newspaper Photograph Collection Repository, Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division.]

NLS has a full slate of patron-focused online events this month.
On Thursday, May 14, the monthly Many Faces of BARD program will explore Typing Text Using the DA2. After a presentation and demonstration, NLS staff members will take your questions about all things BARD (our Braille and Audio Reading Download service) for the remainder of the hour. The program will begin at 7 p.m. eastern time and last for one hour. Get more information at www.loc.gov/nls/news-and-updates/many-faces-of-bard.
The topic for the Thursday, May 21, Smart Speaking to the Smart Speaker online program at 7 p.m. eastern time will be Creating the Personalized Experience: Effectively Setting Volume, Speed and Tone in the My Talking Books Skill on Alexa. More information: www.loc.gov/nls/news-and-updates/smart-speaking-to-the-smart-speaker.
Finally, That All May eRead resumes its regular schedule on Tuesday, May 26, at 7 p.m. eastern time. Navigating DAISY Files on Your eReader is the subject of this month’s program. NLS staff members will answer questions about the Braille eReader for the remainder of the hour. More information: www.loc.gov/nls/news-and-updates/that-all-may-eread.
[Image: Close-up photo of a person holding an NLS DA2 audiobook player.]

He was known as the Master of Insults. The Merchant of Venom. And his favorite, credited to Johnny Carson: Mister Warmth. But even the prickliest of celebrities didn’t seem to mind being roasted by comedian and actor Don Rickles, born 100 years ago . In fact, for the stars who packed his stand-up performances in Las Vegas or shared the sofa with him on late-night talk shows, “the only real insult would have been for Rickles to overlook insulting them,” the Guardian wrote when Rickles died in 2017. The NLS collection includes a comprehensive biography, “Don Rickles: The Merchant of Venom (DB113235),” by journalist Michael Seth Starr. Rickles reflected on his life and career in a 2007 memoir, “Rickles’ Book (DB64593).” He also shows up in Jerry Seinfeld’s “The Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee Book (DB111557).”
[Image: Cover of “Don Rickles: The Merchant of Venom” on an illustration of a semi-lit stage with a microphone. iStock.]