There has long been speculation that on December 21, 2012, the world as we know it will end. Some predict that we’ll be wiped out by a natural disaster like a giant tidal wave, an Earth-wide earthquake or a tremendous volcanic eruption. Others believe that on that day in December, the Earth will collide with a mysterious “Planet X,” causing magnetic pole shifts, gravitational reversals or a black hole so big that our solar system will simply disappear. What’s more, believers say that this news is not really news at all; on the contrary, they argue, we have known about the coming apocalypse since the ancient Maya predicted and recorded it on their Long Count calendar more than 2,200 years ago.  We own some very interesting titles on the subject:

“The Book of Destiny : Unlocking the Secrets of the Ancient Maya and the Prophecy of 2012,” by Carlos Barrios

“The 2012 Story : the Myths, Fallacies, and Truth Behind the Most Intriguing Date in History,” by John M. Jenkins

“The complete idiot’s guide to 2012,”  by Synthia Andrews

Let’s explore a little bit of that history and try to separate fact from fiction once and for all. 

A sampling of some good titles:

 ”Written with Lead : Legendary American Gunfights and Gunfighters,” by William Weir

 ”Tales Behind the Tombstones : the Deaths and Burials of the Old West’s Most Nefarious Outlaws, Notorious Women, and Celebrated Lawmen,”by Chris Enss

 ”What They Didn’t Teach You About the Wild West,” by Mike Wright

 ”Frontier Justice in the Wild West : Bungled, Bizarre and Fascinating Executions,” by R. Michael Wilson

“Our Governors’ Mansions,” by Cathy Keating

“State Houses : America’s 50 State Capitol Buildings,” by Susan Thrane

and

“If This House Could Talk : Historic Homes, Extraordinary Americans,” by Elizabeth Brownstein

It’s going to be a fabulous weekend. Don’t Miss It!

“Out of the West : the Gund Collection of Western Art,” by Suzan Campbell;

“The West as America : Reinterpreting Images of the Frontier, 1820-1920,”edited by William H. Truettner;

“The Masterworks of Charles M. Russell : a Retrospective of Paintings and Sculpture,” edited byJoan C. Troccoli;

“Leading the West : One Hundred Contemporary Painters and Sculptors,”by Donald J. Hagerty; and

“Lure of the West : Treasures from the Smithsonian American Art Museum, by Amy Pastan.

Storytelling: An Encyclopedia of Mythology and Folklore by Josepha Sherman  

The Story Biz Handbook: How to Manage Your Storytelling Career from the Desk to the Stage   by Diane de Las Casas

Storytellers may also be interested in the Eastman Collection. It includes over 1,000 books found in the Index to Fairy Tales, Myths and Legends created by Librarian Mary Eastman containing a variety of stories from Maori legends to Flemish Christmas tales to tall tales from the mountains of Kentucky.

“Faith and Betrayal : a Pioneer Woman’s Passage in the American West,” by Sally Denton;

“Best of Covered Wagon Women,” edited by Kenneth Holmes;

“A Mine of Her Own : Woman Prospectors in the American West, 1850-1950,” by Sally Zanjani; and

“Stagecoach : Rare Views of the Old West, 1849-1915,”  by Sandor Demlinger.

“What are You Laughing At? : How to Write Funny Screenplays, Stories, & More,’  by Brad Schreiber;

“Red Green’s Duct Tape is Not Enough : a Humorous Guide to Midlife,” by Steve Smith;

“Help, I Can’t Stop Laughing! : a Nonstop Collection of Life’s Funniest Stories,”  by Ann Spangler; and

“1000 Unforgettable Senior Moments : of Which We Could Remember Only 246,”  by Tom Friedman.