A project that may interest a number of our readers and members:-

After Coal: Welsh and Appalachian Mining Communities

" I am working to raise $5000 to support After Coal: Welsh and Appalachian Mining Communities. This documentary film that explores how two mining cultures face the challenge of their dependence on fossil fuels. Currently the Appalachian coalfields are struggling with chronic unemployment and environmental degradation, while Wales has experimented with strategies to rebuild their communities after the mines closed. As the Appalachian coalfields enter their last generation of mining, this documentary project will help map directions to a sustainable future after coal ." .... more .

"As y'all may recall, this summer I took a class on Postindustrial Wales as my first graduate course at Appalachian State. For our final assignment, we were instructed by Billy Schumann to propose three sites for a proposed Appalachia/Wales documentary. I'd love to share my proposal with y'all (it is quite humorously cinematic), but it was handwritten when I submitted it this summer. I've become quite interested in Wales and am trying to find ways to incorporate what I've seen into my thesis.".... more .

AmeriCymru would like to acknowledge and welcome the contribution of new member Nick Stradling who has agreed to link to reviews of Welsh movies ( or movies with Welsh themes or locations ) from his excellent blog Wales In The Movies

The reviews will be linked from the appropriate film listing page on the Welsh American Bookstore. Examples can be found on the pages below.

Hunky Dory - Its the long hot British summer of 1976 and Viv (Minnie Driver) has left London and her thespian aspirations, to work as a drama teacher in the local high school of her south Wales home town. Determined to fire up her hormonal, apathetic teenage charges, she sets about staging a rock musical based on Shakespeares The Tempest for the schools end of year show.

The Dark - Sean Bean and Maria Bello star in this psychological thriller about a young couple whose daughter vanishes into the ocean. The same evening that their daughter disappears, a seemingly harmless girl who bears a striking resemblance to their missing daughter appears at their farmhouse.

Now is a good time to visit the bookstore with Christmas purchases in mind. AND if you are particularly looking for a movie with a Welsh theme or location then this is the page for you - Film & TV The film and TV section includes box sets of popular Welsh TV shows as well. All items can be purchased from Amazon.com by clicking the 'Buy Now' link on the listing page.

We are confident that Nick's reviews will help you make the right choice and we invite other readers/bloggers to consider posting book or film reviews on the site. We will accept links back to your site or blog in the event that you post a contribution of reasonable length and quality on the site. To join the Welsh American Bookstore please go here:- Create an Account

( All reviews are subject to review and may be removed at the editors discretion if they are deemed not to have met quality standards. )

The latest edition of Ninnau the North American Welsh Newspaper prominently features a report from the Los Angeles West Coast Eisteddfod by Mona Everett on its front page. Also in the current edition you will find reports on the new WNAA/WNGGA Board of Trustees and the organisation's name change ( from WNGGA to WNAA ) AND much, much more.

To subscribe ( only $20 a year ) go to this page:- Ninnau Subscriptions

More about Ninnau:-

NINNAU & Y Drych is the North American Welsh Newspaper . It is the result of the merger in November 2003 of NINNAU, then the North American Welsh Newspaper, and Y Drych, the oldest Welsh newspaper in the Americas. Now united as one newspaper, NINNAU & Y Drych provides complete coverage of the North American Welsh community.

NINNAU & Y Drych is dedicated to preserving and enhancing the vitality of the North American Welsh community. To that end, we are guided by the following editorial policy:

* Endeavor to maintain the North American Welsh informed of local and general news and events of interest
* Publicize individual contributions to community life
* Provide a forum for discussion and individual expression
* Educate the Welsh people in their traditions
* Serve as a link between North American Welsh people and organizations
* Serve as a link between the North American Welsh people and Wales.

Here's how you can join us in promoting a vital Welsh community:

* Subscribe to NINNAU & Y Drych
* Attend a Welsh event
* Submit an article for possible publication
* Get involved!

Stumbleupon is a great promotional tool and a great way to drive traffic to your website ( and of course this one ). We are inviting all members who are keen to promote Wales and Welsh and Welsh American websites in any way shape or form to consider signing up. Besides anything else its great fun!

Here is the url:- http://www.stumbleupon.com/ . If you decide to join please email me at americymru@gmail.com or through the site email page and I will add you as a friend on Stumble. If anyone has problems working out how to use Stumbleupon please email and we will try to help. We will also get around to posting a tutorial sometime in the site promotion group.

The evening, taking place in Caerphilly, will feature songs from West End and Broadway musicals and feature a host of West End and local performers including; Peter Karrie, Dan & Laura Curtis, Adam Robert Lewis, Billy Harvey, Bruce Anderson, Samantha Link and Your Voice Competition winner, Kasia Howley.

The concert has been organised by composers, Dan and Laura Curtis, who have recently returned from working on their new album in New York and are currently working on a musical about Richard Burton.

Dan Curtis said We recently worked with one of the Philipines most renowned artists, Lea Salonga on a song that we have written for a forthcoming album. As a result of this we have been in contact with many of her fans from the Phillipines. When the Typhoon struck we were hearing first hand about the terrible ordeal people were going through and heard several heartbreaking stories about those who had lost contact with their families. We just want to try and do something to help.

The concert will be held at St Martins Church in Caerphilly on Thursday 28^th November at 7:30pm, with tickets available at 10. Tickets can be purchased directly from the church or reserved via e-mailing dan.curtis@dlcmusic.com or phoning 07584486312.

Typhoon Haiyan

Typhoon Haiyan slammed into the Philippines on Friday (8 November), causing catastrophic damage. It is the strongest storm ever to make landfall, hitting an area where thousands of people are already homeless after an earthquake in mid-October.

The 300-mile wide typhoon locally known as Yolanda has left a trail of destruction with thousands feared dead. The full extent of the damage will become clearer in the next few days as rescue teams reach the more remote areas.

Philippine Red Cross volunteers have been on the ground since before the storm hit, helping with evacuation plans and warning communities. Now, they are getting aid to the people who are most in need and preparing to help thousands more.

On our way to the West Coast Eisteddfod in L.A. last month Gaabriel and I were amazed to find what appeared to be a large metal Ddraig Goch by the side of I5 in the Siskiyous. We took it as a good omen for the success of the event.

We were not disappointed. The event was indeed a huge success and we determined to take some pics of this strange creature on the return journey.

After consulting Google image search we discovered that the dragon, whose name is Penelope, is the work of Siskiyou based sculptor Ralph Starritt. You can read more about him here:- http://siskiyouartscouncil.org/registry/starritt.htm

Diolch for bringing us luck ( Penelope ) and inspiration ( Ralph )

The warden of a unique library in Wales is embarking on a micro tour of the United States.

Peter Francis, warden of Gladstones Library in Hawarden, Flintshire, is visiting Washington DC and Minneapolis in late November to meet the librarys American supporters and host talks on what makes the library so special.

Gladstones Library is Britains only Prime Ministerial library and the national memorial to William Gladstone the only man ever to have served as Great Britains Prime Minister four separate times.

Home to a unique collection of more than 250,000 printed items, around 32,000 of which were donated by the Grand Old Man himself, the library offers a comfortable, sociable and stimulating environment together with resources for creative study including renowned collections of theological, historical, cultural and political materials.

Gladstones Library is the only one of its kind in the world, explained Peter. Its a haven of peace and tranquillity; somewhere you can study, work and relax.

We have a lot of very good Friends in the USA and Im delighted to be able to come over and meet with them and to share our library and its treasures.

The library is housed in a magnificent Grade 1 listed building, first opened to the public in 1902.

Free to use, it is open to the public all year round. As well as the wonderful resource of the Library itself (the collection can be viewed online), visitors can sleep with books, attend and engage in stimulating courses and events and enjoy the Welsh countryside and welcome.

Peter said: We have serviced accommodation, a marvellous caf called Food for Thought and a wide ranging programme of courses and events.

You can learn Welsh, Greek, Latin or Hebrew in a week, listen to thought-provoking speakers like Dr Robin Meyers and Bishop Gene Robinson, or join our nine writers in residence at our literary festivals for readings and workshops throughout 2014.

Following its founder, the library seeks to be a centre of liberal education, thought and values. It is engaged in a project to re-define and re-understand what it means to be liberal (with a small l) in the contemporary world.

For further information, please contact enquiries@gladlib.org / 01244 532350. You can also follow Gladstones Library on Twitter @gladlib, visit the US Friends of Gladstone's Library Facebook page or find more information on the US Friends of Gladstones Library at www.gladstoneslibrary-us.com .

About Gladstones Library

Gladstones library is Britains only Prime Ministerial library, founded by Victorian statesman William Gladstone in 1889. Following his death in 1898, the library also became a national memorial to the four-time Prime Minister.

The library fulfills Gladstones vision of making his personal library, comprising 32,000 books, available to the public. Following his death in 1889, a public appeal to fund a permanent home for the collection raised 9,000, which coupled with an endowment of 40,000 from Gladstone himself, funded the imposing building present today, which opened on October 14 1902. The Gladstone family fulfilled the founders vision by funding the residential wing of the library, which welcomed its first resident on June 29 1906.

Today, Gladstones Library comprises a residential library and meeting place which is dedicated to dialogue, debate and learning for open-minded individuals and groups. In line with Gladstones liberal values, the librarys vast collection of more than 250,000 books and journals focuses on a broad range of literature and culture, with a particular focus on theology and Victorian studies. Gladstones Library also hosts a range of events, from book launches to seminars and courses on matters of cultural significance.

As well as its extensive collection of books, Gladstones library is also a peaceful, relaxing place to stay, with comfortable accommodation and soothing grounds to explore. The library also includes the Food for Thought restaurant, offering relaxed, ethical dining, as well as conference and meeting facilities.

About William Gladstone

Born December 29 1809, William Ewart Gladstone was one of the central political figures of the Victorian era, and the only man to hold the position of Prime Minister for four separate terms (3 December 1868 to 17 February 1874; 23 April 1880 to 9 June 1885; 1 February 1886 to 20 July 1886; 15 August 1982 to 2 March 1984). He was also Britains oldest Prime Minister, resigning from his fourth term in 1894 aged 84-years-old.

( Photos reproduced with permission from the Gladstone Library Pinterest account )