​The main character is an older judge whose main interest is in preventing couples from divorcing whenever he can.  Judge Jeong Jin Wu is a thoughtful, sympathetic, and good-hearted man who refuses to put his stamp on a divorce until he is sure the marriage can’t be saved, in this case that of a famous soprano and a factory lathe operator.  The novel is state-sanctioned and adheres to Party doctrine; in the latter part of the book obvious propaganda is blended into the plot.  Nevertheless we learn something of what is expected of North Korean citizens in their relations with each other through the several plotlines in Friend.

We’re already noting what worked and what we might do differently next year. If you have comments or suggestions, please share them with Faye Herold. Over the winter, Faye is your contact for anything involving the Library.

John Nyberg Songbooks

Those of us who have lived at Coffman for a number of years miss our friend John Nyberg. Each July he’d take to the piano and lead residents in a sing-along. The songs came from his vast collection of books of familiar melodies. Thanks to Jan Sigmund, several of these music books and a selection of sheet music are now permanently in Coffman Library’s reference collection. Members of both the Social Committee and Music Committee may have occasion to refer to these references for their programming.

For that reason, books and sheet music are available for brief loans only. Please contact a Library Committee co-chair (Faye Herold or Carol Van Why) before borrowing any of these materials.