Attention all graphic novel and comic book fans! You are cordially invited to join us for our inaugural event celebrating comics, graphic novels, and sequential art on Wednesday, Sept. 27, from 6-7 p.m. at Villanova University’s Falvey Library. The event will feature professional cartoonist Brad Guigar and will be held in Speakers’ Corner on the Library’s first floor.

In 2000, webcomics grew out of dissatisfaction with gatekeepers (publishers and syndicates) and led to a new generation of creator-entrepreneurs who taught themselves about art AND business — and are currently finding a financially stable career in a climate in which “published” artists are struggling. What used to be known as “vanity press” is now offering a superior outcome for many creative professionals. Furthermore, it opened the door for marginalized voices that had previously been ignored by corporate gatekeepers.

Brad Guigar is considered by many to be an independent comics pioneer, having published his daily comic strips and other comics on the Web for over 20 years. His most well-known comic, “Evil Inc.,” is about supervillains who realized that most of their evil schemes could be enacted legally if they formed a corporation.

He has published over two dozen collections of his comics, and he is the author of three books on the subject of cartooning. The Everything Cartooning Book is an all-ages cartooning tutorial. Both How To Make Webcomics and The Webcomics Handbook break down the business of self-publishing comics using social media and crowdfunding strategies.

Guigar has been nominated for the Eisner Award in comics, as well as the ’Ringo Award and the NCS Silver Rueben. He co-hosts a weekly podcast, ComicLab, which has been described as “Car Talk for cartoons,” which will be entering its seventh year in January. He lives in Philadelphia with his wife and two sons.

This event, co-sponsored by Falvey Library, the Idea Lab, Department of English, Creative Writing Program, Department of Communication, and the Writing Center, is free and open to all! Light refreshments will be served. Join us!

Please join us for readings from three acclaimed Irish poets, Jane Clarke, Katie Donovan, and Catherine Phil MacCarthy on Monday, Sept. 25, from 5-6:30 p.m. in Falvey Library’s Speakers’ Corner. This event, titled “Wonders and Realities: Three Irish Poets on Sustainability,” will explore how poetry helps us fine-tune our senses and pay attention to the wonders and realities of our threatened world.

Dig deeper and explore the links below for more information on the featured poets.

Jane Clarke grew up in County Roscommon, Ireland. She is the author of three poetry collections: The River, When the Tree Falls, and A Change in the Air. The latter is shortlisted for the Forward Prize for Best Collection 2023. When the Tree Falls was shortlisted for the Pigott Prize 2020, the Irish Times Poetry Now Award 2020, and the Farmgate Café National Poetry Award in 2020.

• The River (Clarke, 2015)
• When the Tree Falls (2019)
• A Change in the Air (2023)
• Jane Clarke website
• Jane Clarke reads and introduces twelve poems from When the Tree Falls (Bloodaxe Books)
• Three poems by Jane Clarke (And Other Poems)
• Conversation with Jane Clarke (Rattle Poetry)
• Interview with poet Jane Clarke (Writing.ie)
• NYU DC Salon Series: A Conversation with Jane Clarke

Katie Donovan was born near Camolin in County Wexford, Ireland and earned degrees from Trinity College Dublin as well as the University of California at Berkeley. Her five books of poetry have all been published by Bloodaxe Books. Her most recent, Off-Duty appeared in September 2016. It was shortlisted for the Irish Times/Poetry Now Prize in 2017. She is the 2017 recipient of the O’Shaughnessy Award for Irish Poetry.

• Entering the Mare (Donovan, 1997)
• Watermelon Man (Donovan, 1999)
• Day of the Dead (Donovan, 2002)
• Rootling (Donovan, 2010)
• Off Duty (Donovan, 2016)
• Katie Donovan website
• Expert workshop: Katie Donovan and how family inspires creativity (Irish Family History Centre)
• Writer’s Block with Katie Donovan (The Gloss)
• Poems from Off Duty by Katie Donovan (Poethead by Chris Murray)
• In conversation with Katie Donovan (The Attic Sessions)
• Katie Donovan reads from Rootling (Bloodaxe Books)

Catherine Phil MacCarthy was born in County Limerick, Ireland. The author of five poetry collections, she studied at University College Cork, Trinity College Dublin, and Central School of Speech and Drama, London. She is the 2014 winner of the O’Shaughnessy Award for Irish Poetry. The Arts Council, An Comhairle Ealaíon, have awarded her a Bursary in Literature towards each of her 2013 and 2020 poetry collections.

• How High the Moon (MacCarthy, 1991)
• This Hour of the Tide (MacCarthy, 1994)
• The Blue Globe (MacCarthy, 1998)
• One Room An Everywhere (MacCarthy, 2003)
• Suntrap (MacCarthy, 2007)
• The Invisible Threshold (MacCarthy, 2012)
• Daughters of the House (MacCarthy, 2019)
• Catherine Phil MacCarthy website
• “Limbo,” read by Catherine Phil MacCarthy (UCD Library Special Collections)
• Interview with Catherine Phil MacCarthy (Island’s Edge)

This ACS-approved event, co-sponsored by the Center for Irish Studies, Falvey Library, and Global Interdisciplinary Studies, is free and open to the public.

Julia Wagner ‘26 CLAS is a Communication major from New Hampshire (Go Patriots!). She works as a Communication & Marketing Student Assistant at Falvey Library. Links provided by Kallie Stahl, Communication & Marketing Specialist at Falvey Library. 

We invite the Villanova Community to join us for a taste of mindfulness meditation on Mondays from 1-1:30 pm during the fall semester. Mindfulness Mondays will offer a comfortable space, both in person and virtually, where you are guided and encouraged to stop and focus on the “here and now.” Mindfulness is proven to reduce stress and enhance well-being, which can be beneficial to all faculty, staff, and students.

Sessions will take place each week in person and via Zoom. Please follow this link to join: https://villanova.zoom.us/j/99049034689.

Sessions will take place on most Mondays from August 28 and through December 18. *Please note: there will not be sessions on September 4 (Labor Day) and October 9 (Fall Break). A full list of dates is available here.

Mindfulness Mondays are ACS-approved and presented by Campus Ministry and co-sponsored by Falvey Library. Registration is not required. All are welcome at these events!

By Anna Jankowski, Ethan Shea, and Annie Stockmal

Happy Thursday, Wildcats! This installment of the Curious Cat is especially important because it’s National Library Week! To celebrate the occasion, we asked some Falvey patrons why they love the Library. Keep reading to see the responses we received, and be sure to watch the accompanying Reel on Instagram!

“I love old book stacks. I just love walking into random parts of the Library and sifting through old books that smell old. It’s really weird, but there’s so many little things you can find that are so interesting.”

— Satrant Bains ’25

“I’d say overall it’s just the atmosphere. I usually like to come and just sit and do some work.”

— Aliana Rojas ’25

“My favorite part of the Library is the Reading Room. I just really like how it’s always bright in there, and I work best in the quiet.”

— Maddie McClay ’23

“I like Holy Grounds because I feel like I need a little stimulation when I’m doing my work.”

— Ashley Mulhare ’23

“I like coming and people watching and doing work.”

— Christian Badalamenti ’24

“I’d say my favorite part is this room in particular [Falvey 205].”

— Mac Clark ’24

“My favorite part of the Library is the Reading Room with all of its windows. Sometimes I can watch the sunset there.”

— Julia Barclay ’25

“I agree with the Reading Room, and to elaborate on that, I like the peace and quiet.”

— Peter McSherey ’25

Anna Jankowski ’23 CLAS is a Senior Communication Major from just outside Baltimore who ​​works as a Communication & Marketing Assistant in Falvey.

Ethan Shea is a second-year graduate student in the English Department and Graduate Assistant at Falvey Library.

Annie Stockmal is a graduate student in the Communication Department and Graduate Assistant in Falvey Library. 

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

In The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien wrote, “There is nothing like looking if you want to find something. You certainly usually find something, if you look, but it is not always quite the something you were after.”

We’re all here at Villanova to obtain some type of deeper knowledge or experience, in most cases a degree, but sometimes what you find in college is much more than a (still important) framed diploma or a resume-booster. You find friends, you find hobbies, you even find yourself.

This week, give yourself some time to go out and find something, something that makes you happy, something that makes you mindful, even something you hate. You never know what you might find if you look.

THIS WEEK AT FALVEY

Monday, September 19

Mindfulness Monday | 1-1:30 p.m. | Virtual | Free & Open to Villanova Students, Faculty, and Staff

The Learners’ Studio/Center for Speaking and Presentation | 4-9 p.m. | Room 301 | Free

Wednesday, September 21

Fall 2022 Falvey Forum Workshop: Using Zotero Citation Manager | 12-1 p.m. | Virtual | Free & Open to the Villanova Community | Register Here

The Learners’ Studio/Center for Speaking and Presentation | 4-9 p.m. | Room 301 | Free

Thursday, September 22

The Learners’ Studio/Center for Speaking and Presentation | 4-9 p.m. | Room 301 | Free

Friday, September 23

Villanova Gaming Society Meeting | 2:30-4:30 p.m. | Speakers’ Corner | Free & Open to the Public

HOLIDAYS THIS WEEK

Photo by Mike Swigunski on Unsplash

As many of you may already know, tomorrow is 1842 Day, our very own Villanova holiday of gratitude and giving. You can celebrate by showing your support and making a donation to a campus resource that you feel passionate about or has impacted your ‘Nova experience for the better. To return some of the gratitude, five lucky people who give a gift to the library will receive some Falvey swag.

Tomorrow is National Voter Registration Day. Celebrate, if you haven’t already, by registering to vote (and check out this blog if you want some helpful links and information about the Pennsylvania midterm elections).

Thursday, Sept. 22, is Hobbit Day. If you’re a fellow LOTR fan and feeling festive, celebrate by reading any part of the classic series, watching the movie adaptations, or by eating “second breakfast” and “elevensies,” as Tolkien’s Bilbo Baggins would have wanted. I know I’ll be rewatching The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. How could you go wrong with Christopher Lee, Treebeard, and the Battle of Helm’s Deep?

Friday is Celebrate Bisexuality Day. Did you know that according to research from Gates in 2011, bisexuals make up more than half of all LGB individuals? That’s a significant portion of the LGBTQ+ community that identifies with bisexuality. You can celebrate by showing your own bi pride, engaging with a bisexual artist or performer (with options like David Bowie, Alan Cummings, Megan Fox, and Amy Winehouse, the options are endless), or by learning more about the community.

Annie Stockmal is a graduate student in the Communication Department and graduate assistant in Falvey Library.

The Villanova community is cordially invited to join us for a taste of mindfulness meditation on Mondays from 1-1:30 p.m. this fall. This virtual series began with the first meditation on Monday, Aug. 29, and will run on Monday afternoons throughout the semester until the last session on Monday, Dec. 19.

Mindfulness Mondays will offer a comfortable space where you are guided and encouraged to stop and focus on the “here and now.” Mindfulness is proven to reduce stress and enhance well being, which can be beneficial to all faculty, staff, and students.

Sessions will take place each week via Zoom. Please follow this link to join each week: https://villanova.zoom.us/j/99049034689

Mindfulness Mondays are presented by Campus Ministry and co-sponsored by Falvey Memorial Library. Registration is not required. All are welcome to attend these ACS-approved events! Please join us!

Dig Deeper
To learn more about the practice and benefits of mindfulness meditation, we invite you to read some of the following e-books which are part of Falvey Library’s collection:

• Mindfulness for Students: Embracing Now, Looking to the Future
• Mindfulness and Meditation: Handling Life with a Calm and Focused Mind
• Psychology of Mindfulness
• Mindfulness at Work: The Practice and Science of Mindfulness for Leaders, Coaches and Facilitators
• Mindfulness Made Simple: An Introduction to Finding Calm Through Mindfulness and Meditation
• Mindfulness for Every Day
• The Mindfulness Solution
• Mindfulness Made Easy: Teach Yourself

These e-books are available to any student, faculty, or staff with a valid Villanova email address.

Please also check out these helpful resources being offered by Campus Ministry:

• Campus Resources for Spirituality
• VU Campus Ministry on Facebook and Instagram
• Campus Ministry Staff Contact Information

For FREE guided meditations, please see UCLA’s Mindful Awareness Research Center website.

Regina Duffy is a Communication and Marketing Program Manager at Falvey Memorial Library.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

In Verse 64 of Tao Te Ching, Lao Tzu said, “A journey of  a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

Welcome and welcome back, Wildcats! A new year at Villanova brings new beginnings, whether it’s your first year or your last. As you embark on your 2022-2023 journey, remember that all of your fellow Wildcats are taking the step with you. Happy fall semester!

THIS WEEK AT FALVEY

Monday, August 29

Mindfulness Mondays | 1-1:30 p.m. | Virtual | Free & Open to all Villanova Students, Faculty, and Staff

Check back next week for more awesome Falvey Library events and exhibits!

HOLIDAYS THIS WEEK

Celebrate We Love Memoirs Day on Wednesday, August 31, by reading or listening to one of your favorite memoirs. If you need a bit of humor in your day, Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel provides some genuine laughs and things to reflect on (and, bonus, as a graphic novel, it’s a pretty quick read).

September 2 is College Colors Day. So, if you’re stuck picking out an outfit for Friday, throw on some blue and white to show your ‘Nova pride.

Annie Stockmal is a graduate student in the Communication Department and graduate assistant in Falvey Library.

Happy National Dog Day! If you are an incoming student, perhaps you haven’t experienced our pet therapy sessions, courtesy of Pals for Life, which happen each semester in the Library.

You don’t need a scientific study to tell you that petting dogs lower stress and blood pressure. Well, if you do, here’s that. And we just think having a day to boop a dog’s nose, rub a puppy’s belly, or just spend some time with an amazing canine, is the perfect thing to get you mentally prepared for a test or finals. Look for news of upcoming events like this on the Library home page or right here on the blog!

If you can’t wait for canine cuddles, the Office of Health Promotion offers “Where is the Love” pet therapy most Wednesdays during the semester, too!

By Jenna Renaud

Word of the Week: Nudiustertian  

(adj) of or relating to the day before yesterday 

Maybe you’re thinking to yourself “Why wouldn’t I just say the day before yesterday or the name of the day?” And that’s a valid point. But if you want to impress your friends and family with your extensive vocabulary, throw nudiustertian into conversation.  

For example, “I really should have done more studying nudiustertian morning for my upcoming finals.”  

This Week at Falvey  

NOW–Wednesday, June 15 

“That Fairyland of Ice”: Polar Exploration in Mind and Memory Exhibit | Falvey First Floor & Virtual | Free & Open to the Public 

Monday, April 25 

Russia’s War on Ukraine: Historical Turning Points | 6–7 p.m. | Virtual | Register Here 

Wednesday, April 27   

2022 Falvey Forum Workshop Series: Bringing Historical Maps into GIS | 12–1 p.m. | Virtual | Register Here 

Thursday, April 28

Alfred F. Mannella and Rose T. Lauria-Mannella Endowed Distinguished Speak Series Lecture Featuring Poet Maria Famà | 2:30–3:45 p.m. | Register Here 

Friday, April 29

Falvey Library’s Semi-Annual Stress Busting Open House: Make Finals a Grand Slam | 11 a.m.–1 p.m. | Free & Open to all Villanova Students 

This Week in History 

April 29th, 2004– World War II monument opens in Washington D.C. 

18 years ago today the World War II monument opened in Washington D.C. providing recognition of the 16 million U.S. men and women who served in the war.  

The monument was formally dedicated by US President George W. Bush, although the memorial was inspired decades earlier by veteran Roger Durbin. Durbin served under Gen. George S. Patton and in February 1987 he asked US Rep Marcy Kaptur why there was no memorial on the National Mall to honor World War II veterans. Kaptur then introduced legislation to build one, initiating the 17-year journey until it opened.  

The World War II monument is my favorite memorial in Washington D.C. In high school, I spent part of one summer exploring Washington D.C. and taking a writing seminar. As part of the seminar, we had to choose a monument to visit, reflect on, and then write about. I have always taken an interest in World War II, in part due to my Jewish heritage and the atrocities my Great Aunt lived through as a young girl in Romania during the Holocaust. When it came time to choose a monument, I was immediately drawn to the World War II monument.  

What has always struck me about the World War II monument is all the symbolism and how each detail and piece represented something about the war and the many lives lost. From representing the war in Europe to the war in the Pacific to the hundreds of thousands of American lives lost, the monument produces a sobering effect. Read this article from the National Park Service talking about the various aspects of the monument to learn more. 

Read more about the monument’s opening from History.com. 

Jenna Renaud is a graduate assistant in Falvey Memorial Library and a graduate student in the Communication Department.

By Jenna Renaud

Word of the Week: Type II Fun 

Maybe you’re thinking, “I know what fun is,” but did you know that there are different types of fun?  

Type II fun usually feels terrible while you’re doing it, like climbing up a mountain in the freezing cold, running an ultra-marathon, or standing in line at Disney World in the blazing sun, but when it’s over, your memory erases the miserable parts, and you would do it again for fun.  

This is all based on the “fun scale,” typically used by outdoor enthusiasts. You can read more about it in this article from REI. But in summary the other types of fun are: 

Type I Fun – Enjoyable when it’s happening. Simply fun. Eating good food with good friends. Celebrating birthdays or holidays with family. Movie nights.  

Type III Fun – Not actually fun at all. While you’re doing it or in retrospect. Maybe you’re waiting for the Type II fun effect to hit, but it never does. 

For many people, Type II fun is the sweet spot. It’s challenging but isn’t actually putting your life at risk. With finals right around the corner, consider planning some Type II adventures for this summer. 

This Week at Falvey  

NOW–Wednesday, Jun. 15th  

“That Fairyland of Ice”: Polar Exploration in Mind and Memory Exhibit | Falvey First Floor & Virtual | Free & Open to the Public 

Tuesday, April 19th  

Polar Voyaging and the Humanities | 4–5 p.m. | Virtual | https://villanova.zoom.us/j/98337578849 

Wednesday, April 20th   

2022 Falvey Forum Workshop Series: Capturing the Web – Introduction to Web Archiving | 12–1 p.m. | Virtual | Register Here 

“The Politics of the Irish Harp Symbol from Henry VIII to Brexit” Lecture & Harp Performance with Mary Louise O’Donnell | 4 p.m. | Speakers’ Corner | Learn More Here 

Thursday, April 21st 

2022 Literary Festival: Tiphanie Yanique | 7–8:30 p.m. | Speakers’ Corner | Free & Open to the Public | Find more info here 

Friday, April 22nd  

Villanova Gaming Society Meeting | 2:30–4:30 p.m. | Speakers’ Corner | Free & Open to the Public 

2022 Falvey Scholars Virtual Research Presentation and Awards Ceremony | 10 a.m. | Virtual | Register Here 

2022 Concept Virtual Recognition Ceremony | 1–2 p.m. | Virtual | Register Here 

This Week in History 

April 22nd, 1970 – First Earth Day was celebrated 

Earth Day is an annual event used to demonstrate support for environmental protection and bring awareness to a wide range of environmental issues. 2022 marks the 52nd celebration of the holiday.  

Earth Day was started by Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin, an environmentalist who wanted to increase awareness and provide unity to the environmental movement. “The objective was to get a nationwide demonstration of concern for the environment so large that it would shake the political establishment out of its lethargy,” Senator Nelson said, “and, finally, force this issue permanently onto the national political agenda.” 

Earth Day has contributed to the passage of the Clean Water and Endangered Species Act. Each year the holiday is recognized by 192 different countries. 

Read more from History.com. 

Jenna Renaud is a graduate assistant in Falvey Memorial Library and a graduate student in the Communication Department.