In case you haven’t heard, June is LGBT Pride Month! Celebrate by reading one of these LGBT books: Rubyfruit Jungle by Rita Mae Brown Rubyfruit Jungle, first published in 1973 and still painfully relevant today, follows protagonist Molly Bolt, comfortable as lesbian though everyone around her isn’t. While the slang the characters use won’t let you forget this book is from the ‘70s, Molly’s life as a queer individual is not so different than some people’s today, and it’s refreshing to follow a character whose sexual identity does not result in ultimate unhappiness, but drives her to succeed.     Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz No, this book is not about a philosopher and a poet traversing through space and time (but wouldn’t that be great?!). In Sáenz’s novel, two Mexican-American boys grapple with car crashes, romance, and hate crime in the 1980s. As they grow older, they seek the definition of love and acceptance for who they are.       The Night Watch by Sarah Waters Starting in 1947 and working its way back to 1941, The Night Watch follows the lives of four twenty-something year olds trying to piece their lives together in WWII London. Each character’s story is told separately, often with guest appearances from some of the others. The narrative moves backwards in time, so as you go you’ll learn more about events that were only hinted at previously and discover what made these people who they are.     Liquor by Poppy Z. Brite First in its series by trans writer Poppy Z. Brite, Liquor stars Rickey and G-Man, best friends, boyfriends, and line cooks in New Orleans. When Rickey is unexpectedly fired, the two decide to open a restaurant where every dish is cooked with some sort of liquor. The protagonists of this novel are gay, but the plot has nothing to do with their sexuality, offering a welcome change from the typical coming-out story.     Sorry, Tree by Eileen Myles This collection by punk poet Eileen Myles combines love with politics to take a definitive stance on what it means to be a lesbian. With her signature style of haphazard rhythm and unmetered stanzas, Myles’ work feels raw and powerful. It’s only 83 pages—bring it for your T ride to Boston Pride Festival this Saturday!

Ever wanted a book, DVD, CD, or hard copy journal that we didn’t have in the stacks? Well, lucky for you the hard working staff at Snell just made it a lot simpler to get it from another library! Learn more about what this change means for you below.                   …Psst! Didn’t know you could get a book from other libraries? Check out the basics here: http://library.northeastern.edu/services/borrow-renew/interlibrary-loan-ill   1) We’ve streamlined how you request Interlibrary Loan materials. Now instead of choosing between two systems you’ll only have to request things through Illiad. Just search for the item you’re looking for and click “Request from another library.” Library staff will figure out the fastest way to get you what you need.                       2) You will now see all of your returnables (that’s the swanky library term for physical items you have to bring back to us) in the My Account area of the library website. This makes it easier to keep track of all the materials you have out.                                             3) You can renew all your Interlibrary Loan materials the same way! All renewals will now be processed through Illiad. Just click the link on the My Account page.                                                             4) It’s easier to know what the late fees will be. Now all your returnables will accrue fees the same way. Learn more about our fee policy here. Of course, you can avoid fees all together by remembering to bring your library books back on time!   The only fee difference with Interlibrary Loan materials will be replacement fees since they depend on the place we borrowed the materials from. But we know you’d never lose something from the library, right?   So that’s it! Everything you need to know about Interlibrary Loan at Snell. Feel free to shoot us any questions you have at ill@neu.edu and we look forward to getting you all the returnables ( I told you that vocab word would come in handy) you could ever need!

Finals season is undoubtedly here. Every study room is booked, every chair is filled, every student is slogging away. If you need to take a moment away from that Organic Chemistry textbook, relax for a minute with a poem or two. It’s still National Poetry Month! Click the pictures to see the catalog listing for each poet. Shel Silverstein Unwind with the familiar and conversational poetry of Shel Silverstein, acclaimed children’s poet and cartoonist. Re-read an old classic like The Giving Tree, or find something you don’t remember as well like A Giraffe and a Half. If you’re checking out A Light in the Attic, don’t miss “Somebody Has To” and “Snake Problem.”       The McSweeney’s Book of Poets Picking Poets The collection started with ten poems. The ten poets of those ten poems then chose another piece of their own to include, and invited a new poet’s work to be included. These ten newly nominated poets repeat the cycle, contributing a poem of their choosing and selecting another poet to join. The result is Poets Picking Poets, 100 different poems by 50 different poets. The unique selection process of this anthology lets you compare what poets consider their own best work to what other poets think of their work.       Bertolt Brecht Though known mostly for his playwriting, Bertolt Brecht has a surprisingly stocked arsenal of poetic works. His scope was far-ranging, from the personal to the political, in unique form, many intended to be set to music or as part of a play. From his collection Poems, 1913-1956, check out “Questions,” “The Burning of the Books,” and “A Worker Reads History.”       Natasha Trethewey Pulitzer Prize winner and United States Poet Laureate from 2012 to 2014, Natasha Trethewey’s poetry successfully blends free verse with traditionally structured form poetry. Addressing the racial legacy of America, Trethewey’s work is rooted in history but recounted in a more personal tone, so that each character comes to life with a combination of factual accuracy and relatable personality.         Lord Byron When you think romantic, you should think Lord Byron. In a personal letter to a friend, Byron once wrote, “The great object of life is sensation—to feel that we exist—even though in pain.” This mastery of language and expression is present in all of Byron’s work, from his long epic narratives to his short lyric poems. If Don Juan, entertaining and satirical as it is, intimidates you with its page count (768!), start with a collection of his shorter works, like “Prometheus.”