… Steampunk, that is, which is a way of going back to the future via the 19th-century, steam-powered past. It’s a literary genre, under the heading of fantasy, and even a lifestyle if your taste turns to Victorian clothing and customs. You can watch the steampunk aesthetic in popular films. You can role-play computer games according to the steampunk mindset too. And on Saturday, February 23rd, kids can join the “Clockwork Mechanalists” (the Memphis-based Steampunk fan group) to learn more about the library and increase their information literacy.
The program, “Reaching for Aether: Literacy Through Steampunk,” is at the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library (3030 Poplar) and runs on Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m., with an opening address and shared stories by participating steampunks, a fashion show (picture-taking encouraged), and a crafts area. A trivia hunt throughout the library, with costumed “Mechanalists” to help those in search of answers, will follow. And after the trivia challenge: a live reading/”shadow play” drawn from the pages of Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. For more information about “Reaching for Aether,” contact Geoff Harris at clockworkmechanalists@gmail.com.
