Librarian by Day, Nude Butler by Night

by Stephen J. Gertz

Russell Davies, a 28-year old a librarian at Hartshill Library, in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, U.K., assists the bookworm in need while fully clothed. By night, he assists on the domestic front serving the needs of ladies seeking a little fun.

He's The Naked Butler.

In a great example of pretzel-logic, he says that he knew he could be an excellent nude butler after he trained as a wrester at the Ultimate Pro Wrestling Training School here in the U.S.A. We thus learn why the P.G. Wodehouse characters got along - Jeeves never put the Tilt-a-Whirl Crossbody Press on Bertie. It just isn't done.

It's the skimpy outfits, Russell says.

He, until recently, kept his nocturnal vocation a secret from his boss and colleagues at the library.

“They were all pretty shocked. But it was fine. I haven’t told my parents what I do. I think my mum wouldn’t like it but they live Spain.”

He works ladies "hen" parties, which he says can get pretty wild. Let's face it: the Dewey Decimal System is not for kids. Older women are generally the randiest. "Sometimes the women will be screaming. They do try to pinch your bum."

His girlfriend doesn't mind. She's Jemma Palmer, aka Gladiator Inferno, a wrestling star. It is unclear whether she serves as Sergeant-At-Arms while Russell services. Someone's got to referee when the ladies put the Body Avalanche on him.

Next time you visit your local library, should the Reference Desk librarian sport a mohawk and split the seams of his Keep Calm and Carry On T-shirt, do not be alarmed. Be good.  You may be served champagne. Be rude and it's the Leapfrog Body Guillotine for you.

"Hat's off to Russell," a library patron exclaims. "I've hired
him for my Friday night book club. Fine condition in handsome
binding, and a colophon that won't quit.

"And the book isn't bad, either."

 __________

Full story at Sunday Mercury.

Thanks to LISNews for the lead.

__________

Image courtesy of Buff Naked Butlers, with our thanks.
__________
__________

Public Amusements in Paris With Gustave Doré

by Stephen J. Gertz

A remarkable and very important suite of lithographs from early in Doré’s career, Les différents publics de Paris contains twenty-one original lithographs, superbly colored by a contemporary (publisher’s?) hand.

The series depicts Parisian society at the circus, the theater, the public garden, at magic performances, a puppet show in the park, a reading in the imperial library (this is a particularly famous Doré image), and at the amphitheater of the medical school, among other settings.`

“These twenty lithographs are studies of massed humanity, ranging from audiences at the great Parisian theaters to the crowds at a wrestling match or a Punch and Judy show. Without exception they are striking in conception and fertile in detail... each of Doré’s scenes is based on close observation, and the album provides valuable testimony to the manners of the day."

“[‘Les Travaux d’Hercule’] and the more imposing albums which followed [Les différents publics de Paris] remain too little known even among Doré’s ardent admirers because of their great scarcity. They show the artist at his most engaging, bearing witness to a lively sense of humor, now broad, now sophisticated, which was muted in his later illustrations” (Ray p. 327).

“All three of these lithographic albums are rare. Most copies were long ago taken apart to sell the lithographs individually.

"There are also full-color versions of the Ménagerie and Publics, and those are particularly desirable” (Dan Malan,  Gustave Doré, Adrift on Dreams of Splendor. A Comprehensive Biography and Bibliography).

__________

DORÉ, Gustave. Les différents publics de Paris. [Paris]: Au Bureau du Journal Amusant, n.d. [1854]. Lithographic printed title and 20 contemporary hand-coloured lithographic plates, all mounted on stubs. Oblong quarto (262 x 350 mm.).

Ray: Art of the French Illustrated Book 241; Rahir: Bibliothèque de l’amateur, 404; Beraldi VI.30; Leblanc 90.

__________

Images courtesy of Ars Libri Ltd., with our thanks.
__________
__________

Presenting the WrestleMania Reading Challenge Smackdown!

by Stephen J. Gertz

Madison Square Garden. Within a locked steel cage, two men, two books. Jay "The Great" Gatsby and Rowdy Roddy Reader square off, trading passages from the Barset Novels of Anthony Trollope until the audience begs for mercy and cries "Uncle!"

The WrestleMania Reading Challenge is now in its fifth year, and changes have been made to make double-sure that the challenge is real-real, not real-staged.  The result must be like Caesar's wife, beyond suspicion, the other caesar's wife, Linda McMahon, another matter altogether. The Challenge now will take place over seven days, during Teen Read Week. Registration, alas, is now closed.

Here's how the Challenge has been modified:

• Contestants will no longer be allowed to carry razor blades, typically used during the competition to draw blood and paint the drama in the sanguine hues fans crave.

• The Chokeslam, Moonsault, Piledriver, Brainbuster, Doomsday Device, Powerslam, and Powerbomb moves have been outlawed. They tend to upset concentration while perusin' text. The Speedread, Bookslam, Pageturner, and Leafblower, however, remain legit.

• To participate, students will pledge to read five books or graphic novels between Teen Read Week and WrestleMania 27 on April 3, 2011.

• Students who want a chance to win the trip to WrestleMania 27 in Atlanta will need to complete a special project.

• Grades 7-8 and Grades 9-12: Form a tag team of your favorite character from literature and your favorite WWE Superstar, and describe and/or illustrate on an 8.5x11-inch piece of paper the strategy you would use to defeat the current WWE Tag Team Champions (“Dashing” Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre). Teens may use art, drawing, collage, poetry and/or writing alone or in any combination in creating your project. All projects must be the original work of the individual teen. Only one entry per person.

• Grades 5-6: Design a bookmark illustrating a slogan created by you that promotes reading. All projects must be the original work of the individual tween. Only one entry per person.

The students chosen as Grand Prize Winners represent their libraries at the WrestleMania Reading Challenge World Finals in Atlanta on April 2, 2011 and win their libraries $2,000 grants and other prizes.

The WWE WrestleMania Reading Challenge is sponsored by YALSA (Young Adult Library Servicce Association) and World Wrestling Entertainment, with support from Mattel, Penguin, Cold Stone Creamery, DK Publishing, E1 Entertainment, and Topps. The program encourages teens and tweens to read during Teen Read Week and beyond. By doing so, they can win prizes donated by WWE and other organizations. The goal of this program is to reach reluctant readers and get more teens reading beyond Teen Read Week by implementing a reading incentive program that provides prizes from World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) as a reward.

"This is the fifth year of the WrestleMania Reading Challenge, and we are expecting our strongest participation ever,” said Gary Davis, WWE Vice President, Global Public Affairs.   “WWE remains committed to encouraging teens to read through our efforts with YALSA.”

“Partnering with WWE provides YALSA the chance to reach a wide audience of teens and tweens with a message about the vital role books, reading and libraries can play in their lives,” said YALSA President Kim Patton.

According to Nielsen Media Research, WWE's programming reaches 15.8 million fans each week, of which 23 percent is under age 18. That's a long reach to an age group crucial to capturing the book bug.

Read what novelist Will Weaver had to say about being part of the 2009-2010 Challenge in the Huffington Post!

Read what Bambi Mansfield, a library director in Michigan, told WWE about how joining the program has brought new users into her library!

See teen readers twist themselves and each other into The Pretzel while trying to comprehend  Finnegan's Wake!
__________

With thanks to our friends at ALA-Direct for the lead (and much of the copy!).
__________
__________