Book Launch: A Ghost Arm Made Of Angry Ghosts By Oliver Mertz at Fantom Comics [audio and photos]

Oliver Mertz; Zack Quaintance

Washington, DC: Fantom Comics (Aug 29 2026): https://archive.org/details/book-launch-a-ghost-arm-made-of-angry-ghosts-by-oliver-mertz-fantom-comics-260829

Karen MacPherson retiring from Takoma Park Maryland Library

Photo credits: Bruce Guthrie

 by Bruce Guthrie 

http://www.bguthriephotos.com

 

Folks who've used the Takoma Park Maryland Library at the Takoma Park Community Center or attended children's author events there were accustomed to being greeted by the library's coordinator of children's and teen services, Karen MacPherson.  Karen recently announced that she'll be retiring from the library on June 30.

Like many who loved their jobs especially because of the interaction it provided with customers, the pandemic took a heavy toll.  While most places are looking forward to reopening in full bloom in a near-post-pandemic vaccinated world, the library building will be demolished in November, being replaced 18-ish-months later by a new one.  Operations will move to temporary quarters in the interim.  

Kwame Alexander and Karen

Karen didn't start as a librarian.  As a kid, she loved reading and children's books.  She decided that she'd either be a reporter or a children's librarian.  For 30 years, she was the former, working as a reporter.  Originally with the UPI in Richmond, she moved to Washington, DC and worked for Thomson Newspapers, Scripps Howard News Service (DC correspondent for the Albuquerque Tribune), and finally the Pittsburgh Post Gazette.  She was working for the latter when the 9/11 attacks happened.  The next day, she was on her way to report from the Pentagon when she was told to turn around because there were rumors of another pending attack.  She wondered why she was risking her life when she now had a family (two children and a husband who was also a reporter) and decided to switch to Plan B.

The next year, she enrolled at the University of Maryland in College Park to get a Master's in Library Science.  In 2006, she started at the Takoma Park library.

At the library, she created a new teen section and a number of programs like the Banned Books Club for teens.  In 2009, the latter was recognized with the American Library Association's (ALA) John Phillip Immroth Award, which "seeks out and recognizes personal courage and contributions to intellectual freedom."   For 23 years, she wrote a weekly column on kids books for Scripps Howard News Service.  Later, she wrote occasional kids book columns for the Washington Post.

In 2016, she served on the prestigious Caldecott committee.  The Randolph Caldecott Medal is an annual award to the illustrator of the "most distinguished American picture book for children."  The committee which selects the award winner as well as the runners up is made up of 15 members chosen by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the ALA.  Publishers send in books to be considered (there were said to be 700 works submitted in 2009) and the committee considers each.  It's a time-consuming job and committee members typically serve just one year.

Kate DiCamillo and Karen

 In the year Karen was involved, the winning book selected was Sophie Blackall's "Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World’s Most Famous Bear".  

In 2013, DC's iconic independent bookstore, Politics and Prose, approached the library about hosting out-of-store children's author events.  Over the years, 75-ish have graced the venue including Kate DiCamillo ("Because of Winn-Dixie", "The Tale of Despereaux", "Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures"), Jason Reynolds ("As Brave as You", "Ghost (Track series)", "Miles Morales: Spider-Man"), Katherine Applegate ("The One and Only Ivan", "Animorphs"), Jon Klassen ("Sam and Dave Dig a Hole", "I Want My Hat Back", "This Is Not My Hat"), Tom Angleberger ("The Strange Case of Origami Yoda") and Cece Bell ("El Deafo"), and Sophie Blackall ("Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World’s Most Famous Bear", "Hello Lighthouse").

MacPherson saw many comics creators come through the library. Over the years, I personally attended events there for Alex Alice ("Castle in the Stars"), Alexis Frederick-Frost ("Hocus Focus"), Ben Hatke ("Nobody Likes a Goblin"), Eleanor Davis & Drew Weing ("Flop to the Top"), Emily Jenkins ("A Greyhound, a Groundhog"), Eoin Colfer and Oliver Jeffers ("Imaginary Fred"), Fabien Cousteau ("Great White Shark Adventure"), Gail Carson Levine ("Stolen Magic"), Gareth Hinds ("Macbeth"), Jay Hosler ("Last of the Sandwalkers"), Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm ("The Evil Princess vs. The Brave Knight"), Jérémie Royer ("Audubon: On the Wings of the World"), Jonathan Roth ("Beep and Bob"), Jorge Aguirre ("Dragons Beware!"), Juana Medina ("Juana and Lucas"), Julie Fogliano ("Just in Case You Want to Fly"), Kate Dicamillo ("Leroy Ninker Saddles Up"), Kevin McCloskey ("Real Poop on Pigeons"), Mac Barnett and Matt Myers ("Rules of the House"), Christian Robinson ("Josephine" and "Last Stop on Market Street"), Ruth Chan ("Where's the Party?"), Ryan T. Higgins ("Mother Bruce"), Sophie Blackall and John Bemelmans Marciano ("Witches of Benevento"), William Joyce ("Bently & Egg..."), and Yuyi Morales ("Dreamers/ Soñadores").

In retirement, Karen plans to keep busy -- studying French, playing piano, traveling -- and is also open to volunteering at the library as needed.  It will be nice to be able to see her there again because she's been missed!

May 18: Jorge Aguirre at Takoma Park library

Graphic Novelist Jorge Aguirre

Takoma Park Maryland Library

Monday, May 18, 7:30 p.m.

Join us on Monday, May 18 at 7:30 p.m. when artist Jorge Aguirre presents his newest graphic novel for kids, "Dragons Beware!" The book, aimed at ages 7-12, is a sequel to the popular "Giants Beware!" Politics & Prose will be selling copies of Aguirre's books, but the program is free and no purchase is required to attend.

May 13: Matt Phelan at Takoma Park library

Picture Book Creators Michelle Knudsen and Matt Phelan Takoma Park Maryland Library

Wednesday, May 13, 7 p.m.

Author Michelle Knudsen and illustrator Matt Phelan will read and discuss their new picture book, "Marilyn's Monster," on Wednesday, May 13, at 7 p.m. In the book, aimed at ages 3-7, Knudsen and Phelan tell the story of a little girl who grows impatient at being the only kid without a monster and goes off in search of one to call her own. Politics & Prose will sell copies of the book, but the event is free and no purchase is required to attend.

 

Phelan's done some all-ages graphic novels which I recommend highly. 

April 9: Nadja Spiegelman and Sergio Garcia Sanchez

Graphic Novelists Nadja Spiegelman and Sergio Garcia Sanchez

Takoma Park Maryland Library

Thursday, Apr. 9, 7:30 p.m.

 

Graphic novelists Nadja Spiegelman and Sergio Garcia Sanchez will present their new book for kids, "Lost in NYC: A Subway Adventure" on Thursday, April 9, at 7:30 p.m. In the book, Spiegelman and Sanchez  tell the story of a boy named Pablo, who gets separated from his schoolmates on a class trip and has to figure out how to navigate the NYC subway system. In a starred review, Kirkus noted that the book is "required reading for anyone, tourist or resident, mystified by or anxious about using arguably the greatest public-transportation system on the planet.." At our event,  Politics & Prose will be selling copies of "Lost in NYC," but the event is free and no purchase is required to attend.

Feb 5: George O'Connor returns to the Takoma Park MD Library

George O'Connor returns to the Takoma Park MD Library, Thursday Feb 5th, 7:30 in the kids room at the Takoma Park Maryland Library.  If you can't make his signing earlier in the day come find him here.  He's introducing Ares: Bringer of War, the newest in his Olympians series.
Talk process, research,  story, characters, etc. with a real chill dude who has managed to carve a nice space for himself on the bookshelves of your local library and in schools etc. Nice guy does well.  Hang out and have fun.

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May 2: Charles Vess in Takoma Park Library

Colin Solan's Convention Scene caught that one of my favorite cartoonists will be in town -

Artist Charles Vess signs at the Takoma Park Library on Thursday May 2nd at 7:00 pm! Books provided by Politics & Prose.
Takoma Park Library
101 Philadelphia Avenue, Takoma Park, MD 20912

 http://www.conventionscene.com/2013/04/03/md-cats-of-tanglewood-forest-signing/

Takoma Park librarian on Amelia Rules

See "Corner Books: Comics for kids" By KAREN MACPHERSON, Scripps Howard News Service, March 4, 2009, for her look at Amelia Rules! by Jimmy Gownley.

Takoma Park librarian on Babymouse

See "'Babymouse' a superhero kids can identify with," By KAREN MACPHERSON, Scripps Howard News Service 06/18/2008.

Graphic Novel Primer at Takoma Park, MD Library

A press release passed along to us reads:

The Takoma Park Maryland Library has a great upcoming program -- an introduction to graphic novels, with an emphasis on those for kids and teens -- on Tuesday, May 20th at 7:30pm. The library is located at 101 Philadelphia Ave. in Takoma Park, MD.

At the program, Dave Burbank, their library assistant and graphic novel expert, and Karen MacPherson, children's/teen librarian, will offer a primer on this literary form, illustrating their talk with examples of graphic novels for kids, teens, and adults. They will give a brief overview of the history of graphic novels, discuss why they are so popular with children and teens, and show how they can inspire an interest in reading among reluctant readers as well as help develop key literacy skills among all kinds of readers. Participants will take home a reading list of suggested graphic novels for various ages.

Although this program is aimed at parents and other interested adults, school-age kids also are welcome to attend. You can now sign up on-line at their website (www.takomapark.info/library -- click on the word "events," just under the logo) or call 301-891-7259.

Takoma Park librarian on Yang's American Born Chinese

See "Children's Corner: Mild-mannered high school teacher channels Batman" by Karen MacPherson, Scripps Howard News Service Tuesday, October 09, 2007.