Connections Fall 2009

princeton reads

greg

MORTENSON Fall 2009

friends of the library benefit

calvin

TRILLIN

ppl foundation presents

philippa

GREGORY

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Tech Talk: Cloud Computing, 7 p.m. p.12 SCORE: Advertising for Small Business, 6:45 p.m. p.12 Ask a Lawyer, 7 p.m. p.11 American Red Cross Blood Drive, 11 a.m. p.11 “Twilight” screening, 7 p.m. p.15 Genealogy, 7 p.m. p.11 Reading to Emma, 3:30 p.m. p.16 Anime Films, 4 p.m. p.15 Quilting Open House, 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. p.13 SCORE : How to Start a Small Business, 6:45 p.m. p.12 Read One/Knit Too, 7 p.m. p.6 Readings Over Coffee, 10:30 a.m. p.8 Home School Book Discussion Group, 11 a.m. p.17 Circulo de Lectura, noon p.7 Origami Club, 7 p.m. p.17 Talking Politics, 7:30 p.m. p.7 Contemporary Books, 10:30 a.m. p.6 “The Other Boleyn Girl” screening, 7 p.m. p.3 Estate Planning, 7 p.m. p.11 Reading to Emma, 3:30 p.m. p.16 Children’s Book Festival, 11 a.m. p.15 Scrapbooking Circle, 2 p.m. p.10 Mystery Book Group, 7:30 p.m. p.6 Resume Review Night, 7 p.m. p.12 Noodle Talk, 7 p.m. p.10 Philippa Gregory, 7 p.m. p.3 Teen Book Discussion, 7 p.m. p.15 Writers Talking: David Kushner 7:30 p.m. p.7 Book Journeys, 7 p.m. p.7 Thinking Allowed: Mariana Cook, 7:30 p.m. p.20 Home School Book Group, 9:15 a.m., 10:30 a.m. p.17 Reading to Emma, 3:30 p.m. p.16 Teaching Italian Through Theater, 3:30 p.m. p.8 Citizenship Workshop, 2 p.m. p.11 Homegrown String Band, 3 p.m. p.14 Read, Write and Share, 10:15 a.m. p.13 Intuition is Easy and Fun, 7 p.m. p.10 College Essay Night, 7 p.m. p.15 Grandparenting, 7 p.m. p.17 Gente y Cuentos, 7 p.m. p.7 U.S. 1 Poets Invite, 7:30 p.m. p.8 New Jersey College Fair, 7 p.m. p.15 Reading to Emma, 3:30 p.m. p.16 Thinking Allowed: William G. Bowen, 7:30 p.m. p.20 Heads & Tales Club, 2:30 p.m. p.17 Word for Word, 2:30 p.m. p.17 Socrates Café, 7 p.m. p.10 Parenting with Joan Cittadino Rice, 7:30 p.m. p.17 Sentience Foundation Talk: Susan Nieman, 7 p.m. p.10 Genealogy, 3 p.m. p.11 McCarter Live at the Library, 7:30 p.m. p.8 Reading to Emma, 3:30 p.m. p.16 Read, Write and Share, 10:15 a.m. p.13 Mystery Book Club, 7:30 p.m. p.6 This I Believe, 3 p.m. p.10 Tech Talk: Google-Friendly Web site Design, 7 p.m. p.12 Citizenship Class, 7 p.m. p.11 Princeton Reads Kickoff, 7 p.m. p.4 Contemporary Books, 10:30 a.m. p.6 Planning a Secure Retirement, 7 p.m. p.11 Thinking Allowed: Viktor Mayer-Schonberger, 7:30 p.m. p.20 Reading to Emma, 3:30 p.m. p.16 Anime Films, 4 p.m. p.15 Go-Between Club, 10 a.m. p.15 Teen Advisory Board, 11 a.m. p.15 Quilting Open House, 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. p.13 “Osama” screening, 2 p.m. p.5 Heads and Tales Club, 2:30 p.m. p.17 Crossing Generations, 12:30 p.m. p.15 Peace Concert, 2 p.m. p.5 “Afghan Star” screening, 4 p.m. p.5 Noodle Talk, 7 p.m. p.10 Music of the Andes, 7 p.m. p.14 This I Believe, 3 p.m. p.10 Read One/Knit Too, 7 p.m. p.7 Stress Management, 7:30 p.m. p.12 Readings Over Coffee, 10:30 a.m. p.8 Home School Book Discussion Group, 11 a.m. p.17 Women in Islam lecture, noon p.5 Circulo de Lectura, noon p.7 Talking Politics, 7:30 p.m. p.7 Teen Book Discussion, 7 p.m. p.15 Citizenship Class, 7 p.m. p.11 Origami Club, 7 p.m. p.17

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The Shadow Knows, 7 p.m. p.8 Gente y Cuentos, 7 p.m. p.7 Home School Book Group, 9:15 a.m., 10:30 a.m. p.17 Reading to Emma, 3:30 p.m. p.16 Game On!, 3:30 p.m. p.15 Scrapbooking Circle, 5 p.m. p.10 Word for Word Club, 2:30 p.m. p.17 Tasty Tofu, 3 p.m. p.13 Teen Read Week begins p.15 “What a Billion Muslims Really Think” screening, 1:30 p.m. p.5 Read, Write and Share, 10:15 a.m. p.13 Alice Paul film screening, 7 p.m. p.9 This I Believe, 3 p.m. p.10 Guys Read, 7 p.m. p.17 The Afghan Women You Don’t Know, 7 p.m. p.5 SCORE: Business and Entity Formation, 6:45 p.m. p.12 Engaged Retirement, 7 p.m. p.11 Citizenship Class, 7 p.m. p.11 Tea Lecture, 7 p.m. p.5 Reading to Emma, 3:30 p.m. p. 16 “Ghostbusters” screening, 4 p.m. p.15 Greg Mortenson, 6:30 p.m. p.4 Sharim v’Sharot, 2 p.m. p.14 Alice Paul discussion, 7 p.m. p.9 This I Believe, 3 p.m. p.10 Socrates Café, 7 p.m. p.10 Understanding ADD, 7:30 p.m. p.17 “Who Does She Think She Is?” screening, 7 p.m. p.9 Citizenship Class, 7 p.m. p.11 Poe readings, 7 p.m. p.8 Gente y Cuentos, 7 p.m. p.7 Game On!, 3:30 p.m. p.15 Reading to Emma, 3:30 p.m. p.16

Songwriters Showcase, 2 p.m. p.14 Music Supports Learning, 9:30 a.m. p.17 Read, Write and Share, 10:15 a.m. p.13 SCORE: Franchising, 6:45 p.m. p.12 Mystery Book Club, 7:30 p.m. p.6 Tech Talk: Connecting on Twitter, 7 p.m. p.12 Election Night at the Library, 8 p.m. p.12 Citizenship Class, 7 p.m. p.11 Origami Club, 7 p.m. p.17 Building a Resume for an Encore Career, 7 p.m. p.11 Talking Politics, 7:30 p.m. p.7 Genealogy, 7 p.m. p.11 Gente y Cuentos, 7 p.m. p.7 Art Talk, 7 p.m. p.13 Game On!, 3:30 p.m. p.15 Reading to Emma, 3:30 p.m. p.16 Quilting Open House, 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. p.13 Holiday Cardmaking, 2 p.m. p.13 Noodle Talk, 7 p.m. p.10 “Children of Heaven” screening, 7:30 p.m. p.9 Read One/Knit Too, 7 p.m. p.7 The library will be closed all day.

The Community Room will open in the evening U.S. 1 Poets, 7:30 p.m. p.8 Contemporary Books, 10:30 a.m. p.6 Downsizing and Selling Your House, 7 p.m. p.11 Exploring the Right Brain, 7 p.m. p.11 Gente y Cuentos, 7 p.m. p.7 Reading to Emma, 3:30 p.m. p.16 Anime Films, 4 p.m. p.15 Go Between Club, 10 a.m. p.15 Teen Advisory Board, 11 a.m. p.15 Nursery Kindergarten Fair, 2 p.m. p.17 Heads & Tales Club, 2:30 p.m. p.17 Crossing Generations, 12:30 p.m. p.15 Scrapbooking Circle, 2 p.m. p.10 Read, Write and Share, 10:15 a.m. p.13 Wine-Buying for the Holidays, 7 p.m. p.13 “Naturally Obsessed” screening, 7 p.m. p.9 Guys Read, 7 p.m. p.17 Home School Book Discussion Group, 11 a.m. p.17 Circulo de Lectura, noon p.7 Teen Book Discussion, 7 p.m. p.15 Citizenship Class, 7 p.m. p.11 Gente y Cuentos, 7 p.m. p.7 Home School Book Group, 9:15 a.m. & 10:30 a.m. p.17 Friends Benefit, Calvin Trillin 6 p.m. p.6 Word for Word, 2:30 p.m. p.17 Socrates Café, 7 p.m. p.10 Citizenship Class, 7 p.m. p.11 Game On!, 3:30 p.m. p.15 Read, Write and Share, 10:15 a.m. p.13

SPECIAL EVENT

Philippa Gregory revisits the War of the Roses in her latest novel, ‘The White Queen’

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Writing royalty

By ANNE LEVIN

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Connections Staff Writer hen it comes to historical fiction, Philippa Gregory reigns supreme.

The author of “The Other Boleyn Girl,” “The Other Queen” and numerous other bestsellers, Gregory has captivated readers worldwide with her compelling marriages of fiction and fact.

The author’s Sept. 15 appearance at Nassau Presbyterian Church, a fund-raiser sponsored by the Princeton Public Library Foundation, is part of a publicity tour for her latest book “The White Queen,” which takes on the bloody saga of the War of the Roses and the Plantagenets, told in first-person by the formidable character Elizabeth Woodville.

For a superstar of contemporary literature, Gregory is surprisingly self-effacing.

Complimented on “The White Queen” last summer before its official release, she expressed genuine gratitude and appreciation. “That is so nice to hear, because we haven’t had any reviews yet,” she said. “I’m so glad you enjoyed it.”

“The White Queen” was originally designed to be the first of a trilogy about the wars of the Plantagenets. But as the book evolved, Gregory’s plans changed. “What we’re looking at now is a series,” she said. “The first five books will be about women, but others will have male characters as a focus. One is almost written, another is in my mind, and I have some ideas for the others.”

With a doctorate in 18th century literature and a background in journalism, Gregory had a head start when she wrote her first novel, “Wideacre,” during a down time in her academic career 22 years ago.

“I was looking for work and not having much luck,” she recalled. “I decided to write the book.

From then on, I continued in my style of first person, present tense, with a real regard to character and dialogue. It’s a process I’ve been working on -- looking at real biography and history and bringing it alive with fiction. All that happens in my books actually did happen.”

It was “The Other Boleyn Girl” (2002) that sent sales of Gregory’s books through the roof.

Made into a Hollywood film starring Scarlett Johannson and Natalie Portman, the novel’s rise to popularity took the author by surprise.

“I had no idea it would take off the way it did,” she says. “It happened to strike an enormous chord. People just lent it to each other. It was the readers’ groups in America more than anybody else that made it so popular. I don’t think anyone would have predicted that. Now it is widely read in places like Japan, Korea, and all over the world.”

“The White Queen” marks Gregory’s first foray into descriptions of brutal combat. She does not spare detail, giving a realistic account of horrifying

cover story

Philippa Gregory appears Sept. 15 at Nassau Presbyterian Church in a benefit sponsored by the Princeton Public Library Foundation.

Film screening: “The Other Boleyn Girl” Sept. 10, 7 p.m.

butchery. Her goal was not to sensationalize, but rather to make these brutal scenes compelling to readers not normally drawn to writings about warfare.

“This is new for me,” she said. “And I found, to my surprise, that it was quite interesting. I approached these scenes as fantastic stories of human endeavor.

War is always tremendously gruesome. I think present methods of battle have done us a disservice, in a way, because when someone is bombing from an airplane, for instance, they don’t experience what is happening on the ground. But what is happening is always gruesome.”

Elizabeth Woodville is a complex character of tremendous ambition. She fights tenaciously for the success of her family, but sacrifices precious kin as a result – a quality her daughter Elizabeth deplores.

From her years of research, Gregory found her to be, ultimately, a sympathetic character. “She is one of those people who have had a very raw deal from history,” she said. “I think she is one of the great characters of history.”

The saga of the warring Plantagenet clan has surprising parallels to modern life, Gregory acknowledges. “It is a story of feuding families grappling for power, very much like the Mafia,” she said, “the same for any struggle of power that goes on and on.

And I think we can relate to that.”

Philippa Gregory / Sept. 15, 7 p.m.

Nassau Presbyterian Church Tickets: $10. Order online: www.princetonlibrary.org Proceeds benefit library’s book collection.

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events

PRINCETON READS

Princeton Reads is the library’s community-wide book discussion. This year’s title is “Three Cups of Tea” by Greg Mortenson.

A dream realized

Greg Mortenson keeps winning awards. In the past few months, the celebrated author of “Three Cups of Tea,” who will appear at the library as part of the “Princeton Reads” initiative on Oct. 23, has been honored with the Jefferson Award for Public Service in Washington, D.C. and the Star of Pakistan medal in Islamabad, Pakistan.

Formal recognitions withstanding, it is the realization of his dreams – educating children and promoting peace – that are the greatest rewards the 51-year-old humanitarian can receive. For the past 16 years, Mortenson has worked tirelessly to build schools and purge ignorance in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Educating girls has been his strongest focus, and it comes from an African proverb: If you educate a boy, you educate the individual. But if you educate a girl, you educate a community.

So far, Mortenson has established nearly 80 schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan, in a region where the literacy rate is as low as 20 percent. Through his Central Asia Institute, Mortenson is committed to changing that statistic.

Greg Mortenson / Oct. 23, 6:30 p.m. / Nassau Presbyterian Church To order free tickets, visit www.princetonlibrary.org. Limit two tickets per cardholder

Princeton Reads Kickoff Event Celebrate the official beginning of this year’s Princeton Reads with a special concert featuring a choral performance by students from Noor-Ul-Iman School in Monmouth Junction. Resource guides and copies of “Three Cups of Tea” will be available.

Oct. 7, 7 p.m.

Book Discussions Discussions of “Three Cups of Tea” and related titles.

Contemporary Books Group Oct 8, 10:30 a.m.

Go Between Club Oct. 10, 10 a.m.

(Young readers edition of “Three Cups of Tea”)

Heads and Tales Club Oct. 10, 2:30 p.m.

(Discussion of “Listen to the Wind: The Story of Dr. Greg and ‘Three Cups of Tea’ ” picture book)

Crossing Generations Oct. 11, 12:30 p.m.

(At Acorn Glen Assisted Living Residence)

Read One/Knit Too Oct. 13, 7 p.m.

(Discuss while knitting. See details on Page 7.)

Circulo de Lectura Oct. 14, noon (Discussion in Spanish)

Talking Politics Book Group Oct. 14, 7:30 p.m.

Greg Mortenson appears Oct. 23 at 6:30 p.m. at Nassau Presbyterian Church in the culminating event of Princeton Reads.

If you are unable to attend the Princeton Reads event, Greg Mortenson will appear at a fund-raiser for the Central Asia Institute on Oct. 24 at the Hyatt Regency in New Brunswick.

Details: www.ikat.org

Pennies for Peace Share your pennies to make a difference. Look for the specially marked containers in the library beginning in September, and join us as we collect Pennies for Peace.

A program of the Central Asia Institute, founded by Greg Mortenson, Pennies for Peace has helped build schools in Afghanistan and Pakistan and serve more than 28,000 students. In these countries, a penny can buy a pencil, start an education and transform a life.

(Discussion of “Descent Into Chaos” by Ahmed Rashid)

Teen Discussion Group Oct. 14 7:30 p.m.

(Teens and adults welcome)

Word for Word Club Oct. 21, 2:30 p.m.

(Discussion of “Listen to the Wind: The Story of Dr. Greg and ‘Three Cups of Tea’ ” picture book)

Book Journeys Oct 29, 7 p.m.

(Cooking demonstration at Whole Foods Market)

5 Peace Concert

On Hinds Plaza , local bands will play while a collection is taken for the Pennies for Peace program, which helps fund the building of schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan. This three-hour event is in conjunction with the Princeton Reads selection “Three Cups of Tea” by Greg Mortenson.

Oct. 11, 2 p.m.

Princeton Reads Films

Afsheen Shamsi

Women in Islam

A scene from “Afghan Star,” which will screen at the library after the Oct. 11 Peace Concert.

“Osama” The first Afghan film to be made since the end of the Taliban regime, this feature tells the compelling story of a 12-year-old girl and her mother who must fend for themselves when the hospital where they work is closed and the girl must disguise herself as a boy named Osama.

Oct. 10, 2 p.m.

Afsheen Shamsi, public relations director at the New Jersey chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations, will speak about common misconceptions about Islam as they relate to the role of women in Islam and Muslim countries. Shamsi, a former adviser to the Pakistan mission to the United Nations, is the founder of CAIR-NJ’s free Explore Islam Campaign, a free 10-part course on Islam. She has represented American Muslim interests in the national and local media.

Oct. 14, noon

“Afghan Star” The X-factor comes to Kabul in this documentary about the TV talent show that challenges gender, tribal and religious boundaries, transfixing the nation’s people and antagonizing religious scholars.

Oct. 11, 4 p.m.

A scene from “Thread,” which will be screened as part of The Afghan Women You Don’t Know.

The Afghan Women You Don’t Know This documentary based on a Gallup poll study takes viewers inside Islam to find out the real views of Muslims on a variety of topics. The poll was the most extensive study ever done of this group. Executive producer Michael Wolfe will lead a post-screening discussion.

Oct. 18, 1:30 p.m.

Michael Wolfe

“Thread” This documentary tells the story of five brave women who started businesses in Afghanistan through the work of the organization BPeace. The film will be screened as part of the program The Afghan Women You Don’t Know.

Oct. 20, 7 p.m.

This examination of Afghan women entrepreneurs and how they are helping to build their country’s economy begins with a screening of the documentary “Thread.” The film tells of the work of BPeace, an international organization assisting women in countries emerging from war to develop the skills to start their own businesses. The Afghan women involved with BPeace and another program, Thunderbird School of Global Management’s Project Artemis, have created about 1,400 jobs that support more than 12,000 people.

A panel discussion with Toni Malloy of BPeace and Suzanne Dennemeyer of Project Artemis will follow the film.

Oct. 20, 7 p.m.

Exploring Asian Tea Culture Tea expert Judith Krall Russo will speak about the history, customs and traditions of tea in Asia, where it can serve as a sign of welcome and friendship or as part of meditation, in addition to being a beverage. Krall Russo began studying the customs and traditions of tea 30 years ago and has earned certifications as a tea specialist

by The Tea School in Pomfret, Connecticut and The Specialty Tea Institute of New York. Tea paraphernalia will be displayed and there will be tea for sipping following the talk.

Oct. 22, 7 p.m.

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events

BOOKS AND AUTHORS Contemporary Books Led by Kristin Friberg. Conference Room, second floor

“The House on Fortune Street”

by Margot Livesey This novel, set in London, opens multiple perspectives on the life of Dara MacLeod through her interactions with a graduate student, an actress and an amateur photographer.

Sept. 10, 10:30 a.m.

“Three Cups of Tea” by Greg Mortenson The current “Princeton Reads” selection is an extraordinary account of the author’s commitment to education and political understanding in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Oct. 8, 10:30 a.m.

Calvin Trillin appears Nov. 20 at the annual benefit of the Friends of the Library.

It’s not about the food

“Serena” by Ron Rash Set in 1929, in the rugged mountains of North Carolina, Rash’s novel is a tightly knit tale of industrial development, greed, and betrayal.

Nov. 12, 10:30 a.m.

Calvin Trillin will discuss any number of topics during his appearance at the Friends of the Library benefit, but he’ll leave the food for eating

By ANNE LEVIN

Connections Staff Writer For generations of New Yorker magazine readers, seeing Calvin Trillin’s name in the table of contents yields a certain level of pleasurable expectation. A column, poem or essay by Trillin is guaranteed to bring a smile, maybe even a guffaw, while at the same time stimulating thought about the subject at hand. It can be politics, food, parking spaces, Wall Street, or any number of topics about daily life. Weekly verses in The Nation are another outlet for Trillin’s subtle style, not to mention the novels, short stories, even a few one-man shows, that make up his remarkable resume.

Trillin is the featured speaker at the Friends of the Princeton Public Library’s annual benefit on Nov. 20, starting at Nassau Presbyterian Church and followed by dinner and an auction at the library. A sought-after speaker, he talks often about politics, writing, or current events. But never about food.

“I would walk a mile to avoid talking about it,” declares this author of such titles as “Third Helpings,” “Alice, Let’s Eat” and “American Fried.” “Because then people want to ask me where the best restaurants are, and I don’t know. I’ve never reviewed a restaurant and I don’t really know anything about food.”

That statement might surprise fans of Trillin’s columns in The New Yorker about eating, which he now does once a year. To him, these writings are as much a slice of American life as they are about ferreting out delectable things to eat in out-of-theway places. His books on the subject are the same, conveying the local color of locales like Uzes, France and his hometown of Kansas City as much as the flavor of the food.

Trillin thinks his food-writing facility could be genetic.

His father, a Kansas City grocer who was the topic of one of his books, liked to jot down food-related verses.

“My father had a restaurant for a while, and he wrote couplets on the lunch menu every day,” he says. “They were usually about pie. You know – ‘pie is nigh.’ Things like that.”

Admired widely for his wit – this is the writer who has rhymed MS DOS with michegas (the Yiddish word meaning craziness) — Trillin has also done his share of

serious reporting. Some of his essays have focused on murder, racism and other grim topics. His 1993 book “Remembering Denny” is a sad memoir of a Yale classmate, a golden boy destined for glory who committed suicide in the early 1990s. This reflective volume led Trillin to write “Messages From My Father,” an essay in The New Yorker, which led to a book of the same name. After Trillin’s beloved wife and muse Alice Stewart Trillin died on 9/11 at only 63, he was moved to write a much-admired essay about her for the magazine, which also was turned into a book, “About Alice.”

Trillin’s writing career began at Time magazine, where he worked as a reporter in the South and as a writer in New York after graduating from Yale in 1957. Disenchanted with Time, he joined The New Yorker in 1963. For 15 years, he did a series for the magazine called U.S. Journal, from somewhere in the country every three weeks. Since 1984, his series of longer narrative pieces have come under the heading American Chronicles. Trillin has contributed weekly poems to The Nation since 1990.

Now 74, he writes less than he did in the past. But the practice and the craft of writing for him remain the same. “As far as writing goes, I’ve always just written,” he says. “But I’m knocking on wood and facing the evil eye as I say this.”

Trillin lives in Manhattan and summers in Nova Scotia. He makes frequent trips to Hunterdon County and California to visit his two daughters and their families. Last winter he went on a cruise that featured writers from The Nation, which he refers to as “Lefties at Sea.” His talk for Friends of the Princeton Public Library might touch on any number of subjects. “I talk about whatever I feel like talking about,” Trillin says. “The only thing I know is that it won’t be about food.”

Calvin Trillin / Nov. 20, 6 p.m., Nassau Presbyterian Church Benefit party and auction to follow at the library.

Order online: www.princetonlibrary.org

Mysteries Led by Gayle Stratton. Conference room, second floor

“A Carrion Death” by Michael Stanley The debut novel of South African writing team Michael Sears and Stanley Trollip is a fast-paced, grisly thriller that takes place in Botswana.

Sept. 14, 7:30 p.m.

“The Collaborator of Bethlehem”

by Matt Benyon Rees This debut book humanizes the struggle of the West Bank, where a schoolteacher becomes an unlikely detective amid a series of murders in modern Bethlehem.

Oct. 5, 7:30 p.m.

“Murder on the Eiffel Tower” by Claude Izner Set in 1889, this thriller centers on a Parisian bookseller and amateur sleuth who probes into a baffling series of deaths connected with the newly opened Eiffel Tower.

Nov. 2, 7:30 p.m.

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AUTHORS APPEARING IN THE THINKING ALLOWED SERIES Page 20

Read One/Knit Too

Read or listen to the month’s selection at home, then bring a knitting project to work on at the library while discussing the book. Led by Cynthia Lambert. Quiet Room, first floor.

Writers Talking

The Caroline Llewellyn Champlin Writers Talking Series

“The Body in the Library” by Agatha Christie Set in the fictional village of St. Mary Mead, this 1942 classic centers around the body of a woman in tawdry evening dress, found by a maid in the library.

Sept. 8, 7 p.m.

“Three Cups of Tea” by Greg Mortenson This year’s Princeton Reads selection is an account of one man’s drive to build schools in the embattled region of central Asia, and his extraordinary journey to accomplishment.

Oct. 13, 7 p.m. Participants are asked to bring a 6-by-6-inch knitted square to be donated to the Afghans for Afghans program.

“Luncheon of the Boating Party” by Susan Vreeland This historical novel takes readers inside the world of Impressionist painter Auguste Renoir and his subjects as he conceives, plans and paints the 1880 masterpiece that helped establish his fame.

Nov. 10, 7 p.m.

Círculo De Lectura Moderado por Lucia Acosta Sala de Conferencia, Segundo piso

“Los amores confiados,” Luisgé Martin Duda, sospecha, inseguridad, obsesión enfermiza. Una novela que retrata las pasiones más bajas y las acciones más absurdas, las que surgen cuando uno de los dos amantes desconfía del otro. Una historia de crímenes que se convierte en espejo de la que el propio narrador vivió.

Miércoles 9 de septiembre, 12 del mediodía “Tres tazas de té,” Greg Mortenson Nos unimos al resto de la biblioteca en el programa de Princeton Reads para leer la historia de la campaña de un hombre por construir escuelas en las zonas más peligrosas, remotas y anti-americanas del Asia.

Miércoles 14 de octubre, 12 del mediodía El autor hará una presentación en la biblioteca el miércoles 23 de octubre “El caso Neruda,” Roberto Ampuero El poeta Pablo Neruda le pide un favor al detective Cayetano Brulé que desembocará en una investigación bastante particular. Neruda está enfermo de cáncer, y le pide a Brulé que encuentre a un médico mexicano que puede ser el único capaz de salvar su vida.

Miércoles 18 de noviembre, 12 del mediodía

Daisy Myers, Levittown, Pa., 1957

David Kushner In “Levittown: Two Families, One Tycoon and the Fight for Civil Rights in America’s Legendary Suburb,” Kushner relates the story of two families who challenged the segregationist policy of the post-World War II model communities that were the brainchild of real estate tycoon Abraham Levitt and his sons.

These planned neighborhoods on Long Island and in Bucks County, Pa. came with a set of requirements: perfectly manicured lawns, no fences, and no black families. In 1957, the integration of America’s most famous suburbs by Bill and Daisy Myers caused the downfall of a titan and a major shift in the nation.

Sept. 16, 7:30 p.m.

Book Journeys Giulia Melucci The author of “I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti” makes an appearance and demonstrates some of the recipes in her witty book about failed romances and the food she made to seduce men and later comfort herself when the relationships fizzled.

Sept. 17, 7 p.m.

Whole Foods Market, Windsor Green Shopping Center, Route 1, West Windsor. Please register at www.princetonlibrary.org or call 609.924.9529, ext. 218.

Whole Foods Market, Windsor Green Shopping Center, Route 1, West Windsor. Please register at www.princetonlibrary.org or call 609.924.9529, ext. 218.

Talking Politics Discussions led by Joan Goldstein of Mercer County Community College Quiet Room, first floor

“The Predator State: How Conservatives Abandoned the Free Market and Why Liberals Should Too”

by James Galbraith The son of famed economist John Kenneth Galbraith offers his views on the gap between conservative ideology and its use and abuse to cover up the Bush administration’s Predator State.

Sept. 9, 7:30 p.m.

Gente y Cuentos In discussing Latin American short stories in Spanish, participants recount their personal experiences and how they relate to the characters in the story.

Oct 15, 22, 29; Nov 5, 12, 19, 7 p.m.

Conference Room, second floor

“Three Cups of Tea”

by Greg Mortenson Discussion of this Princeton Reads selection, with a cooking demonstration.

Oct. 29, 7 p.m.

“Descent into Chaos: The U.S. and the Disaster in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Central Asia”

by Ahmed Rashid The ongoing turmoil in Afghanistan and Central Asia receives a searching retrospective in this revealing book on the Taliban. This event is in conjunction with Princeton Reads.

Oct. 14, 7:30 p.m.

Author Appearance and Discussion

“House and Senate” by Ross K. Baker A portrait of America’s bicameral legislature, through interviews with lobbyists, legislators and journalists.

Nov. 4, 7:30 p.m.

8

events

SPOKEN WORD

U.S. 1 Poets Invite Co-sponsored by the library and U.S. 1 Poets Cooperative

Nancy Scott

Matt Schwartz

Nancy Scott and Matt Schwartz Scott is the author of two books of poetry, “One Stands Guard, One Sleeps” and “Down to the Quick.”

She is managing editor of U.S.1 Worksheets, the journal of the U.S.1 Poets’ Cooperative in New Jersey.

Her poems have appeared in many literary journals and magazines. Schwartz’s first book of poetry, “Blessings for the Hands,” was published in 2008.

His work has received awards from the Academy of American Poets and the International Institute of Modern Letters.

Sept. 23, 7:30 p.m.

A scene from Roger Corman’s “The Fall of the House of Usher.”

Evie Schockley

Paul Muldoon

Philip Holmes

Evie Schockley Paul Muldoon and Philip Holmes Schockley is the author of the poetry collection “a half-red sea” and two chapbooks, “31 words* prose poems” and “The Gorgon Goddess.” Her work has appeared in many journals and is forthcoming in “Black Nature: Four Centuries of African American Nature Poetry.” She teaches African American literature and creative writing at Rutgers University.

Muldoon, a Pulitzer Prizewinner, is Howard G.B. Clark ’21 Professor at Princeton University and founding chair of the Lewis Center for the Arts.

His most recent book of verse is “Horse Latitudes.”

Holmes, a professor of mechanics and applied mathematics at Princeton University, has published four collections of poetry, including “The Green Road” (a Poetry Book Society recommendation) and “Lighting the Steps.”

Nov. 11, 7:30 p.m.

The library will be closed Nov. 11, but the Community Room will be open for the U.S. 1 Poets Invite.

Shade and Shadow: Readings and Reflections on the Works of Edgar Allan Poe On the bicentennial of Poe’s birth, James McCullough and other actors examine his poetry, short stories, and the many dimensions of the writer’s art. The focus will be on the Romantic, Gothic, and Tragic aspects of Poe’s output, and will include a film clip from Roger Corman’s “The Fall of the House of Usher.”

Oct. 29, 7 p.m.

The Shadow Knows

Henry Morse, the Old Time Radio Man, talks about the history of “The Shadow” radio broadcasts, covering his adventures in pulp fiction. Audio clips will augment this lecture about the origins, characters, and plots of the series. The event concludes with the playing of an entire “Shadow” program followed by a question-and-answer session.

Oct. 15, 7 p.m.

Readings Over Coffee Musical Tales For Kids of All Ages

Dick Swain and Derry Light present Prokofiev’s “Peter and the Wolf,” Francis Poulenc’s “Babar The Little Elephant,” Brian Easdale’s “The Red Shoes,” and Prokofiev’s “The Ugly Duckling” in reading, music, and pictures.

Sept. 9, 10:30 a.m.

The Oct. 14 Readings Over Coffee will feature Pat Connor. There will be no program in November.

Teaching Italian Through Theater

In the Yale University Press book “Set the Stage!

Teaching Italian Through Theater,” co-editor Nicoletta Marini-Maio provides essays on teaching all aspects of Italian culture through theater. Marini-Maio will lecture on the topic at this special two-hour event. She is an assistant professor of Italian at Dickinson College.

Sept. 18, 3:30 p.m.

McCarter Live at the Library “She Stoops to Conquer”

Join artists from McCarter Theatre’s production of “She Stoops to Conquer” (Oct. 13-Nov. 1) for a behind-thescenes glimpse into the play and the creative process.

Written by Irish playwright Oliver Goldsmith, this boisterous comedy of mistaken identities was first performed in 1773. Goldsmith, who also wrote the novel “The Vicar of Wakefield,” is credited with reinventing the comic theater of his day. The story concerns a young urbanite who arrives at a country estate to court a young woman, mistaking her father for an innkeeper and her for a saucy barmaid.

Oct. 1, 7:30 p.m.

Additional film programs on Page 15

FILM

www.princetonlibrary.org/film

events

“Who Does She Think She Is?”

9

This documentary directed

by Pamela Tanner Boll explores the lives of five women artists who are also mothers. These five pursue their calling but pay a price: each sustains the competing claims on her heart despite financial hardship, institutional disinterest and lack of support. But art has the power to transform their lives, so they persist. The film was produced

by Mystic Artists in collaboration with the Wellesley Center for Women.

Oct. 28, 7 p.m.

Co-sponsored by the library and the Princeton Artists Alliance

Alice Paul

Alice Paul on Film and In Words

The famous New Jersey-born women’s rights activist Alice Paul is the subject of a screening of the HBO movie “Iron Jawed Angels”, followed a week later with commentary and moderated discussion by scholar Jean Baker. Hilary Swank stars in the film as Paul, who broke away from the mainstream women’s rights movement to help create a more radical wing. Paul was the master strategist for the final push to get women the vote in 1920.

Baker, the Bennett-Howard Professor of History at Goucher College, is the author of several books including ”Sisters: Lives of America’s Suffragists” (2005) which has a chapter ”Endgame: Alice Paul and Woodrow Wilson.”

“Iron Jawed Angels” film screening Oct. 19 , 7 p.m.

Lecture and discussion Oct. 26, 7 p.m.

Co-sponsored by the library and the Princeton Friends Meeting

This documentary tells an intensely dramatic story about a trio of graduate students in a doctoral training program guided by a tough but genial mentor. It was filmed over a three-year period in the molecular biology laboratory of Lawrence Shapiro, associate professor in the Department of Biochemistry at Columbia University. A panel discussion featuring Shapiro will follow the film.

Nov. 17, 7 p.m.

A scene from “Children of Heaven.”

World Cineclub “Children of Heaven”

This 1997 Iranian film by Majijd Majidi was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. It deals with a brother and sister and their adventures over a lost pair of shoes.

Shot in Tehran, its filming was kept secret in order to capture a realistic picture of life in that city.

Nov. 9, 7:30 p.m.

Persian with English subtitles Series co-sponsored by the library and L’ Association Francophone de Princeton

Save the Date and Call For Entries

Princeton Environmental Film Festival: Jan. 2-17, 2010 Entry deadline: Sept. 1

“Naturally Obsessed: The Making of a Scientist”

Details: www.princetonlibrary.org/peff

Co-sponsored by the library and the local chapter of the New Jersey Association of Women in Science.

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events

ENRICHMENT

Bringing people together With programs ranging from Noodle Talks to ESL Conversation Groups, the library trades on social capital in the community

S

eventeen earnest individuals are clustered around a table in a conference room at Princeton Public Library. Their topic, euthanasia, was voted in by the group after 12 suggestions of questions for the evening’s discussion. People of several nationalities and walks of life are gathered for this, the July gathering of Socrates Café, one of the library’s increasingly popular programs centered around a theme of social capital.

The idea behind Socrates Café, Noodle Talk, This I Believe, Read, Write and Share, ESL (English as a Second Language) Conversation Groups and Scrapbooking Circle is social interaction as a way of building community. Patrons have responded with enthusiasm.

“I think people enjoy grappling with these questions about life,” says Alan Goldsmith, who moderates Socrates Café and Noodle Talk, both of which meet monthly at the library.

Socrates is part of a national network of programs; Noodle Talk, Goldsmith’s creation, is unique to the library. Where Socrates Café is completely impersonal, bringing up questions for discussion of a general nature in the spirit of the ancient Greek philosopher, Noodle Talk digs deeper into personal experience.

Participants in Keith Wheelock’s This I Believe gatherings, which encourage people 55 and older to share their personal beliefs, have become so close that they got together to hold a reunion after last year’s programs ended. Members of Scrapbooking Circle, who meet Sunday afternoons, have bonded and supported one another through various life experiences.

“The connections made in these groups are strong,” says Janie Hermann, the library’s programming coordinator and the creator of Scrapbooking Circle. “All of these programs reach into the community to make a deeper connection. So it’s not just about coming to the program each month, but about creating lasting bonds.”

The ESL Conversation Groups at the library, created to encourage verbal interaction among those learning English, have morphed into something more. “Some of the people in these conversation groups have actually become quite close,” says Hermann. “For some of them, it was their first venture into getting to know people in the community.”

At the July Socrates Café meeting, new participants were immediately made to feel welcome and encouraged to join the discussion. During a summing up at the gathering’s close, each expressed their appreciation.

“These discussions, at both Socrates and Noodle Talk, are for everyone,” says Goldsmith.

“No one should feel intimidated. There is no right or wrong.”

That’s the idea, says Hermann, of all of the social capital groups. “We’re making a broader reach, to further connections in the community,” she says.

Socrates Café In the spirit of Socrates’ belief that “the unexamined life is not worth living,” participants ask questions of each other and listen to responses, raise challenges and consider alternative answers. Everyone is invited.

Sept. 22, Oct. 27, Nov. 24, 7 p.m.

Conference Room, second floor

Noodle Talks Enrich interpersonal relationships by attending these sessions led by Alan Goldsmith. Participants select from a container filled with paper strips (“noodles”), each with one or two questions about life experiences.

There are no right or wrong answers in these resulting discussions; just the truth of experience.

Sept. 14, Oct. 12, Nov. 9, 7 p.m.

Quiet Room, first floor

This I Believe This program for those 55 and older is inspired by the CBS Radio program broadcast in the 1950s — it was reprised in 2005 by National Public Radio for a four-year run — about people, their personal philosophies and beliefs.

Keith Wheelock, son of one of the program’s founders, leads the sessions, which are designed to allow people to listen to the beliefs of others while exploring their own.

Oct. 6, 13, 20, 27, 3 p.m.

Conference room, second floor

Scrapbooking Circle Assembling a scrapbook takes time and space to spread out. Both are offered at the monthly meetings of the Scrapbooking Circle. The library supplies a cropping station; scrapbookers bring their own books, photos and other supplies. A consultant is on hand at some of the sessions.

Sept. 13, 2 p.m.; Oct. 16, 5 p.m.; Nov. 15, 2 p.m.

Community Room. Registration is recommended. Call 609.924.9529, ext. 220

Susan Nieman

Sentience Foundation Talk

Susan Nieman Against Resignation: The Seduction of Pessimism Advocates of pessimism describe themselves as realists, suggesting that anyone who doesn’t share their views is either naive, or unable to muster the courage to face reality. Nieman, author of the 2008 book “Moral Clarity: A Guide for Grown-up Idealists,” argues that such views prepare us to decrease our expectations and resign ourselves to whatever happens to be. In this lecture, she will argue in favor of grown-up idealism and discuss the moral values needed to uphold that idealism in today’s world.

Sept. 30, 7 p.m.

Fireplace area, second floor

Susan Barbara Apollon

Intuition is Easy and Fun

Yanni Maniates

Everyone has a natural gift of intuition. The trick is to make use of it, according to psychologist Susan Barbara Apollon and meditation teacher Yanni Maniates. The two will reveal the basic tools, techniques and meditations that enable participants to live more meaningful, joyful lives. Apollon and Maniates are co-authors of “Intuition is Easy and Fun: The Art and Practice of Developing Your Natural Born Gift of Intuition.”

Sept. 21, 7 p.m.

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Exploring the Right Side of the Brain Author Daniel H. Pink declares that right-brainers will rule the future in his book “A Whole New Mind.” Pink’s theories are explained concisely and accurately in his DVD of the same name, a screening of which will be followed by a panel discussion featuring several area educators, including faculty of the Waldorf School of Princeton.

Nov. 12, 7 p.m.

Co-sponsored by the library and the Waldorf School of Princeton

Engaged Retirement Co-sponsored by the library and the Princeton Senior Resource Center, these seminars are designed to help make the transition to retirement or another major life change easier to navigate. Conference Room, second floor.

Estate Planning William Isele of Archer & Greiner, P.C. Attorneys at Law, will cover powers of attorney, anticipated increased healthcare needs and senior scams.

Sept. 10, 7 p.m.

Planning a Secure Retirement Jeffrey Davidson, associate vice president-investments for Wells Fargo Advisors, leads this discussion of retirement planning, including the three major roadblocks. The lecture is followed by an “Ask the CFP” question-and-answer session.

Oct. 8, 7 p.m.

An Introduction to Engaged Retirement Baby boomers nearing retirement age must plan not only for their financial futures, but for their lifestyles in general. This program addresses the issue, helping to explore options, including time management, developing interests and staying active as a volunteer.

Oct. 21, 7 p.m.

Building a Resume for an Encore Career Those retiring from one career and starting another can acquire new skills to re-enter the job market by volunteering. This workshop will show how to develop and demonstrate new skills and how to connect with organizations that will value individual talents.

Nov. 4, 7 p.m.

Downsizing and Selling Your House Madolyn Greve, sales associate with Gloria Nilson GMAC Real Estate, will talk about the preparation and planning necessary to downsize and place your home on the market.

Nov. 12, 7 p.m.

Financial Planning Katherine A. Hanadel, financial adviser with Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc., talks about “Turning Uncertainty Into Opportunity.”

Dec. 10, 7 p.m.

Penney Edwards-Carter and Robert Harmon of the Witherspoon-Jackson Genealogy Group review documents in the Princeton Room.

Witherspoon-Jackson Genealogy Group

T

his new group will meet monthly in the Princeton Room to share ideas, listen to speakers, get beginners started with researching their roots and help each other with problems. The group concentrates on the history of families who lived in the historic Witherspoon-Jackson community. On the steering committee are Carl E. Brown, Jr., Penney Edwards-Carter, Lucy Hall, Robert Harmon, Wallace Holland, Henry F. Pannell, Shirley Satterfield and Joseph Tadlock. Those interested in Princeton history or genealogy are invited to attend.

Sept. 3, 7 p.m. Reception: meet the steering committee, see the Paul Robeson Collection Oct. 1, 3 p.m.; Nov. 5, 7 p.m.; Dec. 3, 3 p.m. Regular monthly meetings Princeton Room, second floor

Citizenship Workshop

This three-hour workshop will gather in one place all the necessary resources to begin the application process for U.S. citizenship. Immigrants who have been legal permanent residents for at least five years (three if married to a U.S. citizen) and meet other requirements can qualify for citizenship. For those who may not meet all the requirements yet, or are unsure about whether they want to take the step, there will be presentations on what the process entails. A group of trained volunteers will assist applicants with completion of the N400 program to review documents.

Sept. 19, 2 p.m.

Co-sponsored by the library, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service and the Latin American Legal Defense and Education Fund, Inc. Registration required. To register, or if you are fluent in a foreign language and would like to volunteer for this event, contact the Latin American Legal Defense and Education Fund at (877) 452-5333.

Citizenship Classes

In this series, the Latin American Task Force helps participants prepare for the U.S. Citizenship Test. This includes history and civics lessons as well as a review of basic English needed for the citizenship interview.

Oct. 7, 14, 21, 28; Nov. 4, 18, 25, 7 p.m.

Co-sponsored by the library and the Latin American Task Force. For more information, call 609.393-4900, ext. 14.

Ask a Lawyer

Lawyers will be at the library for free private consultations and general legal issues. No appointments necessary; service on a first-come, first-served basis. Spanish translators will be available.

Sept. 2, 7 p.m.

Co-sponsored by the library, the Latin American Task Force, Lutheran Social Ministries, the Princeton Borough Housing Authority and the Mercer County Bar Association. For more information, call Lucia Acosta at 609.924.9529, ext. 316.

American Red Cross Blood Drive

Every two seconds, someone in the United States needs blood. More than 38,000 blood donations are necessary every day. If you are at least 17 years old (16 with signed parental consent), weigh more than 110 pounds and are in good general health, you can do your part by donating blood in this drive run by the American Red Cross.

Sept. 3, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Appointments are preferred. Call 609.924.9529, ext. 240. Sign up at www.pleasegiveblood.org/donate using Sponsor Code 14362.

12

events

ENRICHMENT

Upon further review, a job A Resume Review Night success story

L

ike so many people looking for jobs, Karen Kane embellished her resume with a flowery introduction stating her objective. But the resume wasn’t getting results. So last May, the Plainsboro resident decided to attend Resume Review Night at Princeton Public Library. Within a month, she had landed a new job with a small company in West Windsor.

“I met for 20 minutes with Robert Tanenbaum (of SCORE), who advised me to streamline my resume and tailor it to each job I was applying for,” said Kane, a few weeks before starting her new position. “And he also said to have a professional skills section right up front, telling them what skills I had. So I reformatted my resume and sent it to about 10 companies.”

Kane got two responses, one of which led to the new job.

“I know if I had used the original version of my resume, the man who interviewed me might not have looked at it twice,” she said. “But it really stood out, he told me. I’m so glad I attended the workshop, because it really worked.”

Resume review night

About a dozen employment experts will be on hand to offer advice about proper style and formatting when composing a resume. The session will allow job-hunters to spend 20 minutes with one of the experts, who come from a variety of area companies. Participants should bring a printed copy of their resume to the workshop. Registration will begin at 6:30 and participation is on a first-come, first-served basis.

Sept. 14, 7 p.m.

SCORE Counseling and Seminars Counseling Service

The 27 mostly retired executives and small business owners comprising the Princeton Chapter are available three hours each weekday for by-appointment counseling sessions for individuals who are considering starting a new business or are in business and are seeking advice. All counseling is free and confidential.

Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6 p.m.

Wednesdays and Fridays, 10 a.m.

Tower Room, second floor. Call 609.393.0505 to schedule a session.

Seminars Advertising for Small Businesses SCORE counselor Alan Yarnoff, a seasoned advertising and marketing executive with a wide range of corporate and advertising agency experience, will focus on marketing and advertising basics using first-hand experience and case histories.

This event is geared to existing businesses and start-ups in these challenging times.

Sept. 2, 6:45 p.m.

How to Start a Business Adam Siegelheim of the law firm Stark & Stark and Jack Armstrong, president of Franchise Network of New Jersey, discuss the pros and cons of buying an existing business, purchasing a franchise or building your own. They will also touch on how to negotiate commercial leases and vendor contracts to help and protect you.

Sept. 8, 6:45 p.m.

Business and Entity Formation Cary Kvitka of the law firm Stark & Stark discusses the key legal business considerations when buying an existing business, buying a franchise or starting a business from scratch. Topics will include how to structure transactions, due diligence, and intellectual property issues.

Oct. 21, 6:45 p.m.

Franchising Jack Armstrong of Franchise Network of New Jersey talks about the differences between owning a business and owning a franchise. Armstrong will explain a logical process to help you make decisions on what is best for you.

Nov. 2, 6:45 p.m.

Tenth Anniversary Season

Tuesday Technology Talks Cloud Computing Defined as on-demand access to virtualized IT resources that are housed outside of your own data center, shared by others, simple to use, paid for via subscription and accessed over the Web, cloud computing is changing the way we manage data. Princeton Public Library’s own Scott Sanicki and Janie Hermann will look at trends and advantages (as well as drawbacks), and give practical advice on “computing in the cloud.”

Sept. 1, 7 p.m.

Google-Friendly Web site Design and Optimization This presentation features two business-friendly Web site professionals, Ken Greenberg, web designer with HG Media, and Frank Montero, Google advertising professional with Think Smart SEO. Greenberg will review the userfriendly design elements that make a Web site most effective and make Google take notice. Montero will review the search engine optimization techniques to earn the highest possible ranking on Google.

Oct. 6, 7 p.m.

Connecting in 140 Characters or Fewer on Twitter Two top twitterers, Amy Kearns and Julie Strange, will demonstrate how to use this popular application to connect with friends, colleagues or customers. Learn how to start tweeting and connecting with those who use their computers and mobile devices to send and receive updates using this simple tool that can leverage a lot of power when used correctly. They will also examine how Twitter has influenced political events in recent months, including elections. Stay after this talk to watch the election returns.

Nov. 3, 7 p.m.

Election Night at the Library Join us after the Tech Talk about Twitter to watch the state election returns. We will monitor the live twitterstream and send our own tweets out from the community room.

Nov. 3, 8 p.m.

Stress Management With unemployment figures continuing to rise, managing stress has become a priority to those who have lost jobs and others fearful of joining their ranks. Dr. Gisele Hruzek, an expert in the field of stress management and burnout prevention, will talk about her new program specifically geared to today’s uncertain economic climate.

Oct. 13, 7:30 p.m.

New Jersey College Fair

At this two-hour event, representatives from colleges and universities throughout New Jersey will present information for area high school students and adults looking for new higher education opportunities close to home.

Sept. 24, 7 p.m.

13

In the Technology Center Internet Drop-In For an hour each week, the Technology Center welcomes visitors to drop in and practice their computer skills, learn about the Web, and get answers to questions about the Internet from a librarian or technology specialist. No sign-up is required for this “open surfing.”

Thursdays, 3 p.m.

Open Tech Time in the Lab The library’s Technology staff is on hand to provide hardware and software assistance. Registration is not required; just stop by. Scan photos, test drive equipment from our Gadget Garage, or just work on projects using such software as DreamWeaver and Photoshop. Open weekends and evenings; stop in to get the schedule.

Scanning Lab This one-hour drop-in lab is devoted to learning how to scan and save photos and documents using the Technology Center’s scanners. A member of the staff will be present and participants are encouraged to bring in a CD or Flash Drive to save their documents. No sign up is required.

Computer Classes All levels of classes are offered free by the technology training program to area residents, with preference given to PPL cardholders. Classes range from Computer Basics to Microsoft Office applications to photo editing and sharing to Web 2.0, and are taught by qualified library staff in the second floor Tech Center. A schedule for these hands-on classes is published monthly and is at www.princetonlibrary.org/reference/techcenter.

Most classes require registration.

Photographs by Richard Tenner and landscapes by Jim Morgan are on display in the Reference Gallery.

Art Talk In conjunction with the exhibit in the library’s Reference Gallery, photographer Richard Trenner and painter Jim Morgan will talk about their work and process. Trenner will show 16 photographs that use patterns of line, light and space. Landscape artist Morgan has been exhibiting in galleries across the United States, and is part of several corporate and private collections.

Nov. 5, 7 p.m.

Co-sponsored by the library and the Arts Council of Princeton.

Wine Buying for the Holidays

Quilting Open House

The holiday season means lots of food, from gourmet delights to recycled leftovers. Pairing wine with these edibles can be a challenge.

Mark Censits, founder of CoolVines Wine and Spirits, demystifies the process in this special talk, during which participants will learn how to select wine for serving at home or giving as a gift. The talk will be accompanied by the presentation of a number of wines that have selected as great examples of holiday wines.

Nov. 17, 7 p.m.

Learn the age-old art of quilting in these 21⁄2-hour sessions with Meg Cox, a journalist and passionate quilter. A former writer for the Wall Street Journal, Cox created one of the most up-to-date resource guides ever written for quilters, “The Quilter’s Catalog: A Comprehensive Resource Guide.” She will bring pre-cut fabric for those who want to start a simple quilt project and will answer questions from anyone who is interested.

Sept. 5, Oct. 10, Nov. 7, 11 a.m.

Holiday Cardmaking The Authentic Way to Make Tasty Tofu

Local Chinese cookbook author Angela Chang will talk about how to use this popular soy product in many types of dishes. This demonstration will include delectable samples.

Oct. 17, 3 p.m.

Linda Willimer of “Stampin’ Up!” demonstrates the art of making cards for the upcoming holiday season, from Thanksgiving through all of the winter holidays. The basic designs in the workshop can be adapted to each of the holidays. Participants will go home with a set of six cards.

Nov. 8, 2 p.m.

Read, Write and Share

In these no-pressure sessions, participants are invited to share a short piece of their own writing or a short selection from a book they have read.

Sept. 21; Oct. 5, 19; Nov. 2, 16, 30, 10:15 a.m.

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events

MUSIC

The Homegrown String Band Georgianne and Rick Jacofsky call their ensemble the Homegrown String Band because it is “100 percent organically grown,” comprising the couple and their two daughters, Erica and Annalee. For more than a decade, the family has been performing around the country, from the National Theatre in Washington, D.C., to the Festival of American Music and Crafts at Silver Dollar City in Branson, Mo. Inspired by rural string bands of the early 20th century, they are a 21st century incarnation of the traditional family band. Their instrumentation includes guitar, banjo, fiddle, dulcimer, mandolin, banjo-ukelele, harmonica, jawharp, and doumbek. They put their own stamp on a repertoire drawn from the classics of rural American music, including blues, bluegrass, country and folk. The family has released four CDs and shares their music with hundreds of concert audiences throughout the United States.

Sept. 20, 3 p.m.

Music of the Andes Musician and independent scholar John Burkhalter will give a slide lecture and demonstration of original instruments from the ancient cultures of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and other countries. Burkhalter has lectured extensively on the ancient musical cultures of the Americas, most notably at Princeton, Yale and Dumbarton Oaks.

Oct. 12, 7 p.m.

Sharim V’Sharot The sounds of Yiddish music will fill the air as Sharim V’Sharot, Central New Jersey’s Select Jewish Choir, performs a program titled Yiddish Music In America. This popular ensemble’s repertoire includes songs of love, work, struggle, joy, immigration, assimilation and triumph, past and present, from the old country to the California surf.

Oct. 25, 2 p.m.

Songwriters Showcase

Kim Yarson

Joy Wymer

Sarah Donner

Come hear three New Jersey songwriters perform their music, Nashville-style, in a “songwriters-in-the-round” gathering. Kim Yarson, Joy Wymer and Sarah Donner will bring their individual sounds at this event, letting the audience in on where the sounds come from as well. Raffles will follow the concert.

Nov. 1, 2 p.m.

TEENS

Film

events

15

Teen Read Week

PPL will join thousands of other libraries, schools and bookstores across the nation encouraging teens to “Read Beyond Reality @ Your Library.” Read something out of this world, just for the fun of it.

Oct. 18-24

Book Discussions These events are open to teens and interested adults. Princeton Room, second floor.

“The Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger The classic tale of Holden Caulfield, prep school rebel, was published in 1951 and is on the must-read list of many high school and college curricula.

Sept. 16, 7 p.m.

A scene from “Twilight,” to be screened Sept. 3 following the American Red Cross Blood Drive.

“Twilight” A teenage girl risks everything when she falls in love with a vampire in this 2009 hit film based on the novel

by Stephenie Meyer.

Sept. 3, 7 p.m.

“Three Cups of Tea” by Greg Mortenson This year’s “Princeton Reads” selection is an unforgettable adventure and the inspiring true story of how one man really is changing the world, one school at a time.

Oct. 14, 7 p.m.

“The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins In a future North America, where the rulers of Panem maintain control through an annual televised survival competition pitting young people from each of the 12 districts against one another, 16-year-old Katniss’s skills are put to the test when she voluntarily takes her younger sister’s place.

Nov. 18, 7 p.m.

Crossing Generations

The screening follows the American Red Cross Blood Drive, taking place from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. See Page 11 for Blood Drive details.

Teens will have the opportunity to meet with seniors at Acorn Glen Assisted Living Residence to read and discuss short works of literature.

Oct. 11; Nov. 15; Dec. 13 12:30 p.m.

Contact Susan Conlon: sconlon@princetonlibrary.org or call 609.924.9529, ext. 247.

A scene from classic Anime film “Spirited Away.”

Anime Films

The Princeton High School Anime Club will screen and lead discussions of classic and new Japanese Anime films, starting with a screening of the classic film “Spirited Away.” Future selections will be announced.

Sept. 4, Oct. 9, Nov. 13, 4 p.m.

Clubs

Game On!

Participants meet monthly at the library to talk about reading and other interests, help with library events, plan programs and have a say in library services.

Healthy snacks are provided and new people are always welcome.

Go Between Club (Grades 6-7) Oct. 10, Nov. 14, 10 a.m.

Teen Advisory Board (Grades 8-12) Oct. 10, Nov. 14, 11 a.m.

Funded by a generous gift from Princeton Tour Company.

Drop in Fridays after school to play video and board games. Volunteers with gaming experience who would like to help organize tournaments should contact Susan Conlon: sconlon@princetonlibrary. org or 609.924.9529, ext. 247.

Oct. 16, 30; Nov. 6, 27, 3:30 p.m.

College College Essay Writing Night

New Jersey College Fair At this two-hour event, representatives from colleges and universities throughout New Jersey will present information for area high school students and adults looking for new higher education opportunities close to home.

Sept. 24, 7 p.m.

Krause

Caddeau

Learn more about what to write on a college admission essay and hear how admissions officers react when they read essays. The session features a panel including Shelley Krause, college counselor for Rutgers Preparatory, School; Meg Caddeau, a teacher at Stuart Country Day School; and a representative of Princeton University. They will offer approaches and strategies for students writing an essay and provide suggestions on how parents can be helpful through the process.

Sept. 22, 7 p.m.

Save the Date “Ghostbusters”

Unemployed parapsychologists become “ghostbusters” to rid New York of monstrous apparitions threatening the city in this popular ‘80s comedy. Dan Ackroyd, Bill Murray and Sigourney Weaver star. The screening is in conjunction with Teen Read Week’s “Beyond Reality” theme.

Oct. 23, 4 p.m.

A Cappella Night for high school students

Dec. 4

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16

events

CHILDREN

The Fourth Annual Princeton Children’s Book Festival

A

lbert E. Hinds Community Plaza is the place for young readers and their families to be when the Children’s Book Festival, now in its fourth year, brings literature for

youngsters to life. Some 50 authors and illustrators will gather, rain or shine, to display their latest offerings.

“We have some new authors and some returning, many from New Jersey but also several from New York, Pennsylvania, and beyond,” says Allison Santos of the Youth Services Department.

Saturday, September 12, 2009

“They’ll have tables, and some of them will do presentations. It’s really a great day.”

The festival is co-sponsored by the Friends of the Library and The Princeton Packet. A satellite bookstore from Barnes & Noble, and musical entertainment for kids (Mr. Ray) and grownups (Kenn Kweder) are also part of the mix. See www.princetonlibrary.org for more information.

Sept. 12, 11 a.m.

Authors and Illustrators Tony Abbot Victoria Adler Jennifer Allison Lynne Barasch Lauren Baratz-Logstead Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen Alex Beard Peter Brown Michael Buckley Stephanie Calmenson Lynne Cherry R. Greg Christie Floyd Cooper

Jen Corace Pat Cummings Margery Cuyler Denise Dowling Mortensen Stephanie Duckworth Elliott Eve Feldman Lisa Funari Willever David Gavril Diane Goode Lisa Greenwald Dan Gutman Deborah Heiligman Alan Katz

Leslie Kimmelman Daniel Kirk Michelle Knudsen E.B Lewis Greg Logsted Pooja Makhijani Ann Malaspina Trish Marx Wendy Mass Jennifer Morgan Roxie Munro Ammi-Joan Paquette Elise Primavera

Edel Rodriguez Patricia Saxton Judythe Sieck Rebecca Stead Nancy Tafuri Matthew Trueman Jean Van Leeuwen Nancy Viau David & Mutiya Vision Kay Winters Ferida Wolff Harriet Ziefert

Reading to Emma

R

egular Friday afternoon visitors to the library’s third floor know Emma, the black Labrador

Retriever who listens patiently as children practice their reading skills while getting in some cuddling time.

The most uncritical of audiences, sweet-faced Emma allows young readers to relax and enjoy themselves as they work on their proficiency. Her owner, Joe Turner, is always on hand to help.

Fridays, 3:30 p.m.

Story Room, third floor. Registration is recommended. Call 609.924.9529 ext. 240

From left, Manuel Engst, Joe Turner and Grace Engst with Emma in the Story Room.

17

Clubs

Parenting

Heads & Tales Book club for readers who are 7 and 8 years old at the beginning of the school year.

Sept. 26, Oct. 10, Nov. 14, 2:30 p.m.

Joan Cittadino Rice The former director of Parent Education for the Princeton Family Resource Center, will speak and sign copies of her new book, “Parenting Solutions: Encouragement for Everyday Parenting Concerns” at this special appearance.

A pediatric nurse and parent educator, Rice lives in California, where she teaches parenting classes at Warner Brothers Studios and elsewhere.

Sept. 29, 7:30 p.m. Story Room, third floor

Conference Room, second floor

Word for Word Book club for readers who are 9 and 10 years old at the beginning of the school year.

Sept. 26, Oct. 16, Nov. 21, 2:30 p.m.

Conference Room, second floor

Guys Read Dads and kids ages of 6 and 10 join in short book discussions. Uncles, big brothers and grandfathers welcome, too. Call Tom Hammel, 609.924.9529, ext 210 to learn the title of the next selection.

Oct. 20, Nov. 17, 7 p.m.

Conference Room, second floor

Home School Book Discussion Group Home-schooled children meet to discuss the very best in children’s books.

Sept. 9, Oct. 14, Nov. 18, 11 a.m. (ages 13-15) Sept. 18, Oct. 16, Nov. 20, 9:15 a.m. (ages 7-9) 10:30 a.m. (ages 10-12)

Study Room, third floor Registration is required. For more information please contact Pamela Groves at 609.924.9529, ext. 244

Talks for Parents and Grandparents Carolyn Schindewolfe of Princeton Health Care System will deliver a series about child-rearing skills.

Grandparenting 2009 This fun, interactive session will keep new grandparents and new grandparents-to-be up to date on the latest information on baby care.

Sept. 22, 7 p.m. Story Room, third floor Understanding Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder A pediatrician from Princeton Nassau Pediatrics will share up to date information about symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment options.

Oct. 27, 7:30 p.m. Story Room, third floor

Music Learning Supports All Learning Lili Levinowitz, professor of music at Rowan University, will discuss and demonstrate how music learning in early childhood that includes parents, teachers and other primary caregivers is a positive force that enhances learning in all domains. This fun, interactive session will appeal to anyone interested in the wellbeing of young children.

Nov. 2, 9:30 a.m.

Origami Club Meet other origami fans of all ages and learn seasonal designs and patterns. Children under age 8 must be accompanied by an adult.

Sept 9, Oct. 14, Nov. 4, 7 p.m.

Activity Room, third floor

Nursery and Kindergarten Fair Parents are invited to drop in during our two-hour fair to meet representatives of Princeton’s nursery schools, preschools and independent kindergartens.

Nov. 14, 2 p.m.

STORY TIMES program

Fall 2009 ages

day, time

dates

To 15 months

Tue., 11a.m.; Thu, 11 a.m.

Sept. 15-Nov. 12

Must attend

Mother Goose Time

15 mos.-2 years

Wed., 10 a.m.; Thu., 10 a.m.

Sept. 16-Nov. 12*

Must attend

Saturday Stories

2 to 8 years

Saturdays, 10:30 a.m.

Sept. 5-Nov. 28

Must attend if child is 5 or under

Sunday Stories

2 to 8 years

Sundays, 3:30 p.m.

Sept. 6-Nov. 29

Must attend if child is 5 or under

Toddler Stories

2 to 31⁄2 years

Tue, 10 a.m.; Wed, 11 a.m.

Sept. 15-Nov. 4*

Must attend

Preschool Stories

31⁄2

Thursdays, 2 p.m.

Sept. 17-Nov. 12

Must remain in the library

Folktales From Afar

3 to 8 years

Saturdays, 2 p.m.

Sept. 26; Oct. 10,24; Nov. 14

Must attend if child is 5 or under

Stories in Japanese

3 and older

Thursdays, 4:30 p.m.

Sept. 10; Oct. 1; Nov. 5

Must attend if child is 5 or under

Stories in French

5 and older

Saturday, 11:15 a.m.

Nov. 21

Must attend if child is 5 or under

Stories in Spanish

2 to 8 years

Tuesdays, 4:30 p.m.

Sept. 29; Oct. 6, 13, 20, 27; Nov. 3

Must attend if child is 5 or under

to 6 years

Plan your

adult

Lapsits

tomorrow

tonight

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STORY TIMES program

Lapsits

Fall 2009 ages To 15 months

day, time Tue., 11a.m.; Thu, 11 a.m.

dates Sept. 15-Nov. 12

adult Must attend

Text PPLPARENTS to 51684

18

spotlight

FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY

You don’t have to take it with you The latest developments in audiobooks

By EVE NIEDERGANG Friends of the Library

O

n vacation without a book to listen to? Finished all your audiobooks but still have miles to go tomorrow — with the kids — in the car? Well, as long as you can access the library’s Web site, you can get audiobooks while on vacation or from the comfort of your home. Digital audiobooks can be downloaded onto your computer and to your iPod/iPhone or other compatible MP3 or WMA device, so you can restock without actually going to the library.

The library has a new system for downloadable books called Ingram Digital Library. Here’s how it works: From the library home page, scroll down on the left and click on “Ingram Digital Library.” You can then view the available audiobooks in the full collection or by genre.

Found a book you like? Select the book and check to see if it’s available (a gray bar on the right will read either “add to bookshelf” or “place a hold.”)

Once you’ve found one that offers the “add to bookshelf” option, click on that arrow

and follow the prompts to login (you need your 14 digit library card number from the back of your library card, but no password). The title in question will then be added to your bookshelf.

Once you’ve selected a title, you’ll need to do a one-time download of the Ingram Media Manager, then go to your bookshelf and click “download now.”

You will be prompted to hook up your iPod or other MP3 player if you want to transfer it to that device.

(The Media Manager will check to see if there is sufficient room for the audiobook on the device).

Within a few minutes, you’ll have the new audiobook on both your computer and your iPod. You can check out three audiobooks at a time, each for seven days. You can check out an audio again and again as long as it is available. Books are automatically returned after seven days or when you sync your iPod after seven days. Right now, the Ingram collection contains about 80 titles, but expect it to grow in the future. This collection, and many others in the library, is supported by funds raised by the Friends of the Library.

Other electronic resources

I

n addition to the new Ingram Collection, which is for the exclusive use of Princeton Public Library cardholders, library users have access to digital audiobooks through the library’s participation in the Listen NJ consortium.

These audiobooks can be borrowed through the regular catalog — such items will be listed as “electronic resource” — or by going to the bottom right of the library’s home page and selecting “Listen NJ Audiobooks” from the “Find a Service” drop-down menu. You’ll have to download some specialized software the first time you check out a book, but then you have access to all 4,500-plus individual audiobook titles at Listen NJ. The loan period is 10 days.

Since January, Listen NJ audiobooks have been downloadable onto iPods or other compatible devices, leading to a surge in usage, according to Barbara Silberstein, media librarian. In January, 108 Listen NJ audiobooks were downloaded; in May, the number was 224. The Ingram collection went on line officially on July 1; 27 titles were checked out in just the first week.

One other electronic resource deserves a mention: the library’s large online music collection from the Alexander Street Press – more than 170,000 tracks of music from five online libraries. You can stream music from any of the collections for free or download tracks for a small cost. Most of the collections are historical in nature; many contain unusual and rare tracks. However the extensive jazz collection contains both historical and contemporary tracks. To access the music collection, go to the bottom right of the library’s home page and select “Music: Alexander Street Press” from the “Find a Service” drop-down menu. Funding from the Friends of the Library supports these collections.

— Eve Niedergang

JOIN THE FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY visit www.princetonlibrary.org/yoursupport/friends

19

The life of a donated book: an almost true story

By MARGARET SIECK

Friends of the Library I’ve been on this shelf for so long that my spine is creaky. I haven’t been opened in such a long time. But I’m still a good book, although I’m not getting used. Finally, after years and years of inattention, I am moving. Off the shelf I go, into a box with other books that have been nearby, all this time. Most of us still have our dust jackets, and we are in good shape.

We are loaded into boxes and then into a car. We are unloaded; I hear somebody say something about The Princeton Public Library. We are being donated. We’ve been with the same family for a really long time, but maybe a new family will actually read us again. This could be a whole new chapter in our lives, so to speak.

We are taken out of the box in the vestibule by the back door. There are a lot of books here and I see that some of them are being dumped in the trash but it’s clear that they are not the kind of books I’d want to share shelf space with anyway: They are torn, mildewed, cracked, or outdated.

We are loaded into a cart and taken out by the front door of the library. We are put on the top shelf in a section called “New Arrivals.” This is a pretty good place to be seen. Now people are picking me up and flipping through my pages. My spine is holding up well. I’m not sure what my price is. Most of the hardcovers are $2 or $3. If I’m a hot book or come from a university press, I’m in the range of $4 to $5. If I’m really special (and who doesn’t like to think they are?) I could be $10 to $15.

Call 609.924.9529 Ext. 280 for details

Eve Niedergang and Norman Klath sort through donated books in book storage space on the fourth floor of the library.

No one scooped me up right away, so I move off the “New Arrivals” shelf and get put into the appropriate section for me, whether it’s politics, history, spirituality, fiction, or something else. Or I could make it to the Big Time, the Show, the Majors: the Annual Book Sale, which will be held Oct. 2 – 4 (see box) this year. There I will be joined by thousands of other books.

But whichever shelf we’re on, we are all sold to raise money for the library.

That is fine by me. “Better read than dead” is my motto.

The Annual Book Sale The Friends of the Princeton Public Library Annual Book Sale will be Oct. 2–4 in the first floor Community Room, opening with a Preview Sale, Friday, Oct. 2 from noon to 2 p.m. Admission to the Preview Sale is free to members of the Friends; non-members will be charged $10. Numbered admission tickets will be available outside the Community Room starting at 10 a.m. on Preview Sale Day. From 2 to 5:30 p.m. on Friday and for the remainder of the sale, there is no admission charge. Hours on Saturday, Oct. 3 are 9 a.m. to 5:30. The Annual Half-Price Sale will be Sunday, Oct. 4 from 1 to 5:30 p.m. The sale will feature substantial donations from the libraries of historian James McPherson, novelist and translator Edmund Keeley, and pioneer in psychology and cognitive science George Armitage Miller, all professors emeriti of Princeton University.

SAVE THE DATES

Friends Annual Book Sale Oct. 2-4 Friends Annual Benefit with Calvin Trillin Nov. 20

Princeton Public Library Sands Library Building 65 Witherspoon St. Princeton, NJ 08542 609.924.9529 princetonlibrary.org

20

Frıends of the

Princeton Public Library

Non Profit Org.

Library Director: Leslie Burger Assistant Director: Elba Barzelatto Programming Coordinator: Janie Hermann Youth Services Manager: Jan Johnson Public Information Director: Tim Quinn Program Committee: Lucía Acosta, Leslie Burger, Elba Barzelatto, Susan Conlon, Kristin Friberg, Pamela Groves, Romina Gutierrez, Janie Hermann, Jan Johnson, Terri Nelson, Tim Quinn, Allison Santos, Barbara Silberstein, Margaret Sieck (Friends of the Library) Illustrations: Jenna Garrison Staff Writer: Anne Levin Editing and design: Tim Quinn

U.S. Postage PA I D Princeton, NJ Permit No. 4 Return Service Requested

events BOOKS AND AUTHORS

Thinking Allowed

Author appearances co-sponsored by the library and Princeton University Press

William G. Bowen

Matthew M. Chingos

William G. Bowen and Matthew M. Chingos: “Crossing the Finish Line” President Barack Obama has challenged American universities to lead the world in college attainment by 2020. But, we’re left with the daunting problem of how to get there. “Crossing the Finish Line: Completing College at America’s Public Universities” is an important first step. Bowen, the former president of Princeton University, and co-author Matt Chingos provide a detailed exploration of college completion rates at America’s

Viktor Mayer-Schonberger “Delete: The Virtue of Forgetting in the Digital Age” looks at the surprising phenomenon of perfect remembering in the digital age, and reveals why we must reintroduce our capacity to forget. Mayer-Schönberger traces the important role that forgetting has played throughout human history, from the ability to make sound decisions unencumbered by the past to the possibility of second chances. The author is on the faculty of Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, and serves as director of the Information and Innovation Policy Research Centre at the National University of Singapore’s Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. He is the co-editor of Governance and Information Technology: From Electronic Government to Information Government.

Oct. 8, 7:30 p.m.

public universities, a potential guidebook for higher education policy in America. Their research of parental education, family income, race and gender, high school grades, test scores, financial aid, and characteristics of universities attended all come into play as the authors shed light on why 40 percent of freshmen don’t graduate in the requisite four years, or at all.

Sept. 25, 7:30 p.m.

Mariana Cook

In “Mathematicians: An Outer View of the Inner World,” the internationally acclaimed photographer has created a collection of 92 photographic portraits featuring some of the most amazing mathematicians of our time. The compelling black-and-white portraits introduce readers to a range of mathematicians including Fields Medal winners, those at the beginning of major careers, and those who are long-established celebrities in the discipline. David Blackwell, Henri Cartan, John Conway, Pierre Deligne, Timothy Gowers, Frances Kirwan, Peter Lax, William Massey, John Milnor, Cathleen Morawetz, John Nash, Karen Uhlenbeck, and many other mathematicians provide candid personal essays about why they love the subject and how it captured their attention. R.C. Gunning, professor of mathematics at Princeton University, wrote the introduction for this collection.

Sept. 17, 7:30 p.m.