"I always, always wanted to be someone," says Chantal, a mentor helping young students to learn to read at NYPL's Washington Heights branch library. Libraries change lives for the better for providing after-school programming.
最近看了三本小说，文笔简洁，故事紧凑。千丝万缕的情节，娓娓道来，令我爱不释手。
1。千机皇后 - 之臻
“朕不会爱你，所以你大可不必期待有皇后专宠的那一日，朕需要的是一个安稳的后宮。帝国需要一个可以齐头进的皇后。”p004。
皇帝与皇后互相猜忌，机关算尽，还是。。。。。。
2。捕惑君心 - 顾凤衣
一个异世飘来的狐魂，能得偿所愿？她想要坚持“ 一生一世一双人” 可以吗？她的思想是整个时代习俗的另類。。。
3。 被贴上标签的人 - Jodi Picoult (朱迪.皮考特)
我很喜欢看这著者的书，在书架上看到一本她的翻譯小说。看了后很想跟大家分享这本具有意义的书 。她的作品通常使用法庭打官司的手法， 公说公有理，婆说婆有理 ，谎言也会变成事实。人们很容易只看见他们想要看的，只想听他们想要听的话。
以上三本書，各有特色，寫作的內容及風格截然不同，值得閒來閱讀。
Special Thanks goes to Hung-yun Chang at Mid-Manhattan Library and Maria Fung in Collection Development for All their help with this blog post.
Everything, Everything tells the story of Madeline, a young teen who has a rare condition called Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID). Madeline does not go outside due to her illness. She is content with her life until a new family moves in next door. After meeting Olly, the boy next door, her life changes in ways she never expected. Everything, Everything was written by Nicola Yoon and illustrated by her husband, David Yoon.
1. “Every day you get up and learn something new. Every day you find something to be happy about. Every single day you have a smile for me. You worry more about your mother than you do about yourself. ” (p.33)
2. “I’m not a princess. And I don’t need rescuing.” (p.47)
3. “Everything’s a risk. Not doing anything is a risk, It’s up to you.” (p.68)
4.. “Me in love would be like being a food critic with no taste buds. It would be like being a color-blind painter.” (p.79)
5. “Wanting just leads to more wanting. There’s no end to desire” (p.83)
6. “Life is a gift. Don’t forget to live it.” (p.141)
7.“Sometimes you do things for the right reasons and sometimes for the wrong ones and sometimes it’s impossible to tell the difference.” (p.174)
8. “You’re not living if you’re not regretting .” (p.186)
9. “I promise you that I know my own heart. It’s one of the few things that not completely new to me.” (p.221)
10. “You learned your lesson the hard way. Some things you just have to experience for yourself.” (p.253)
Guest post by author Margaret Atwood:
There are an infinite variety of tyrannies and dystopias, but they all share one trait: the ferocious opposition to free thought, open minds, and access to information. Where people are free to learn, to share, to explore, feel and dream, liberty grows.
This is why the library matters so much. It is a democratizing and liberating force like none other. The library encourages new thinking in unexpected directions. It offers support to immigrants, students, to anyone with a well-developed curiosity or deep need for community. It is a place for minds to meet minds and hearts to move hearts.
It's no coincidence, therefore, that there are no public libraries in the dystopia I wrote about in my novel The Handmaid's Tale.
In order to thrive, a great city like New York must have a great library system. You can help by urging Mayor de Blasio and the City Council to defend this precious resource. Will you add your name now?
Without support from the Mayor and City Council, New York City's libraries can't meet the massive need of the millions of New Yorkers who rely on them. Operating hours can't be expanded, libraries are unable to offer services seven days a week, and urgent repairs can't be completed.
New Yorkers deserve better. They deserve increased hours, additional services, and a world-class library system that meets the needs of all residents. This is all within reach—but only if City leaders hear from New Yorkers like you.
Send your message to Mayor de Blasio and the City Council—tell them to invest in libraries now.
This investment marks a commitment to everything that makes this city so special. The New York Public Library is every bit the symbol of welcome and openness that the Statue of Liberty is. It demonstrates the city's greatness just as much as the steel and glass towers above, and ties New Yorkers together as strongly as the trains rushing below.
I was so honored to be chosen by The New York Public Library as a Library Lion in 2014. To have my work recognized by this institution meant so much to me. And now I'm calling on New York's leaders to invest in libraries, and I ask you to do the same. Join me.
Thank you for standing up for libraries, for open minds, for free and unfettered access to information. It matters so much for so many.
Margaret Atwood
Author and Library Lion
Make Music New York (MMNY) is one of the largest music festival in New York City. A unique festival featuring free concerts in public spaces throughout the five boroughs. This year’s MMNY festival is taking place on Wednesday, June 21st aka the Summer Solstice.
This year The New York Public Library will be hosting 20+ performances from classical to jazz to pop to kid-friendly rock concerts. A variety of events will be hosted throughout the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island. Library performances will start as early as 11am to 7pm at night. Join us as we celebrate the first day of summer with music!
#MMNY #MMNY2017 #makemusicny
MORRIS PARK, 985 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, NY 10462 - (718) 931-0636
The Bowers Fader Voice & Guitar Duo at 12:30 PM
PELHAM BAY, 3060 Middletown Road, Bronx, NY 10461 - (718) 792-6744
Aki Saijo at 1:00 PM
PARKCHESTER, 1985 Westchester Avenue, Bronx, NY 10462 - (718) 829-7830
Sadeek Cyty at 2:00 PM and SEDA at 5:00 PM
KINGSBRIDGE, 291 West 231st Street, Bronx, NY 10463 - (718) 548-5980
Alan Siegal at 2:00 PM
ALLERTON, 2740 Barnes Avenue, Bronx, NY 10467 - (718) 881-4240
Liz & Andy at 2:30 PM
JEROME PARK, 118 Eames Place, Bronx, NY 10468 - (718) 549-5200
Esther Crow from Thunder and Sunshine at 3:00 PM
MOTT HAVEN, 321 East 140th Street, Bronx, NY 10454 - (718) 665-4878
Ventrice IV at 4:00 PM
WESTCHESTER SQUARE, 2521 Glebe Avenue, Bronx, NY 10461 - (718) 863-0436
Coltrane at 4:00 PM
COUNTEE CULLEN, 104 West 136th Street, New York, NY 10030 - (212) 491-2071
Audrey Silver at 12:00 PM
53rd STREET,18 West 53rd Street, New York, NY 10019 - (212) 621-0670
Sarah Weaver Ensemble at 1:00 PM
WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, 1000 St. Nicholas Avenue, New York, NY 10032 - (212) 923-6054
Leonor Falcon at 1:00 PM
ROOSEVELT ISLAND, 524 Main Street, New York, NY 10044 - (212) 308-6243
The Pizza Bats at 3:00 PM
YORKVILLE, 222 East 79th Street, New York, NY 10021 - (212) 744-5824
HopeAlong Andrew at 3:00 PM
AGUILAR, 174 East 110th Street, New York, NY 10029 - (212) 534-2930
Gaetano at 3:30 PM
TOMPKINS SQUARE, 331 East 10th Street, New York, NY 10009 - (212) 228-4747
ICE: Improvisational Composer Ensemble at 4:00 PM till 6:00 PM
BLOOMINGDALE, 150 West 100th Street, New York, NY 10025 - (212) 222-8030
The Bowers Fader Voice & Guitar Duo at 5:30 PM
RICHMONDTOWN, 200 Clarke Avenue, Staten Island, NY 10306 - (718) 668-0414
The Rock-A-Silly Band at 11:00 AM and Sharon Ostrov at 3:45 PM
NEW DORP, 309 New Dorp Lane, Staten Island, NY 10306 - (718) 351-2977
Frank and the Soulcat at 2:30 PM
WEST NEW BRIGHTON, 976 Castleton Avenue, Staten Island, NY 10310 - (718) 442-1416
S.I. Snugs at 7:00 PM
SOUTH BEACH, South Beach Gazebo by the South Fin Grill Restaurant - (718) 816-5836
Dev Dilemma at 4:30 PM and Roberto Buscarsi at 4:45 PM
For decades, the public have walked up the marble steps of The New York Public Library (Stephen A. Schwarzman Building) to admire the building. One would first notice the Library's lions, Patience and Fortitude, resting regally on their pedestals while watching all the visitors who would pass by them. Once through, the revolving doors Astor Hall awaited.
One person who witnessed the opening of the Library was John F. Fedeler, the first superintendent and building engineer. A blog post about about the Library's supervisors details information about The New York Public Library's live-in superintendents.
Fedeler had accepted the position to manage The New York Public Library's "Central Building" in 1910. This would be a 24/7 job. With Fedeler's living quarters inside the Library, the question to ask is, "How did Fedeler handle his job during the early years?" Everything was new in this massive structure. Fedeler was on the go the minute he took on the responsibility of keeping the Library running. His colorful background would prove valuable in managing the Library. Fedeler's comments in published articles note that he trained at the Harvard Engineering School, spent ten years working as a draughtmen for Thomas Edison and others, and tenured five years as superintendent for the massive Produce Exchange Building (now demolished).
Fedeler arrived as the Library was undergoing the final construction phase. His reports from 1911 to 1913—specifically to John Shaw Billings (1838-1913), the Library's first director—are informative. The Library's letterhead indicates that for some time Billings remained at the Astor Library Building at 425 Lafayette Street.
Fedeler typed meticulous reports about the daily activities of the building, costs, employees, and other matters. The scope of his supervision extended far beyond what would be expected from a modern building manager and engineer. Some of the reports were information heavy, others were insightful or unintentionally funny, while still other reports show concern for his fellow workers. Let's take a look at some excerpts.
"I have been instructed by Mr. Lydenberg that the care and watching of the picture galleries will not be dependent upon me. I therefore take the liberty of informing you what I have done up to the present time." May 1, 1911. (Note. Lydenberg was the Library's third director from 1934 to 1941.)
"The third chandelier from the south end of the room #225 has broken on two occasions and is liable to fall down on a reader. We have just tied it up the second time with ropes...I recommend that the architects be notified about these matters." July 7, 1911.
"On the night of July 14th one of the readers fell asleep in the Main Reading Room and must have remained all night underneath one of the tables...when he tried to sneak out he was held by a porter until he was examined. A book entitled The Wizard of the Sea was found in his possession. " July 14, 1911.
"We find that the ornamental bronze waste-baskets which were furnished by the contractors are injuring the office desks wherever they are used...I recommend that we take all these bronze waste-baskets... and replace them with ordinary wicker baskets. The bronze ones should be stored..." July 21, 1911. ( Note. Billings did not approve.)
"I am informed by coal dealers that there is a freshly mined coal on the market and I therefore ask you to permit me to store about seven hundred tons of coal in our bunkers for emergency cases during the next winter." October 25, 1911.
"Mr. Corcoran, of the Park Department, has a grand master key to this building. He used to come in after ten and eleven at night prowling around in the dark inspecting furniture. The Park Department may not be able to employ as reliable a man as Mr. Corcoran and unless we can get our grand master key and other keys the Department has back, I recommend that we change the combination in the locks of our outside doors." December 26, 1911.
"Edward McCormack was struck on the head by highway men and robbed of his month's pay in Bryant Park on February 29th. His head has to be operated on and may take some time to heal. I recommend that the Library allow him half-pay during confinement." March 26, 1912.
"On account of the Staff meeting to-night and the desire of the ladies to have refreshments served in the court, I have taken some of the old wires left by the contractors and rigged up some extra illumination for them. I also borrowed a few park benches and placed some boxes with old boards along the sides of the court for seats." June 4, 1912.
"Mr. J. L. Gilbert of the N.Y. Stock Exchange lost $85,000 in the men's toilet room on the third floor yesterday. The colored porter found the money and it was returned. He received a reward of fifty dollars, and, as such an unusual amount was involved, I made no objection." October 4, 1912.
"During the women's suffrage parade our rooms facing 5th Avenue were made uninhabitable to readers by the disorder of people wanting to see the parade. They were up on the chairs and radiators, and when we tried to maintain order we were abused. According to the law we must only use persuasion or send for a policeman if that won't do. We tried this and were abused by the women who immediately became worse when the officer had gone." October 11, 1912.
"We have recently had a number of visitors who, out of pure 'cussedness,' have refused to show any books they were carrying out of the building. I went down to see and one of these men myself this morning to ask his reason for not conforming with the rules. He told me that he wanted to see what I could do about it. " (Note. The visitor told him to call a policeman and Fedeler told him to stay out the building. The visitor replied by showing him the books which proved to be personal property.) January 31, 1913.
A memorandum circa 1911 reflects Fedeler insights about the "new" New York Public Library. Here are the hightlights:
"Since the opening of the New York Public Library entertained 1, 590,00 visitors and judging from the expressions of many the building with its content has made a gratifying impression. There is no question but that the building is a beautiful monument to the City of New York, of which its citizens may be proud.
The maintenance of the New York Public Library as a collection of books and a source of information should not be confused with the maintenance of the New York Public Library as a monument.The funds intrusted to the trustees should be applied more to the purchase of books and the maintenance of a library staff than that of the building.The propagation and diffusion of knowledge by the contents of the building far surpass the educational features of the Library as a building."
Federler's ended with the following comments: "The New York Public Library should be the greatest in the world. The finest building has been provided which is open for more hours than any other library and those in charge hope it will some day contain the most valuable collection, so that future generations may be benefitted thereby." JHF*MG.
Fedeler and his wife Cornelia Dingley Fedeler raised their three children inside The New York Public Library. Fedeler, now a widower, moved to Miami, Florida. One of his sons, John H. Ephraim Fedeler became the chief engineer for The New York Public Library. When he retired in 1949, Fedeler, Jr. gave a first-hand account of what it was like to live in the Library to the New York Times. He, along with his sister Viviani Joffre Fedeler (born in The New York Public Library), and his younger brother Edouard would have the run of the library. He found another use for the large reference books. When the library was closed they served as bases for softball games.
The New York Public Library : a universe of knowledge, Phyllis Dain.
The library. Sarah Stewart; pictures by David Small
Happy Pride Month! It's 30 days of gay YA!
Here at The New York Public Library, we’re putting the “book” into the American Library Association's GLBT Book Month. We’re excited to present our favorite LGBTQ+ books each day of June -- and the books on this list are some of our favorites about and for LGBTQ+ teens.
Follow NYPL Teens on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for more!
Check out our recommendations for adults and kids, too!
Major thanks to the expert librarians who assembled these lists: Lauren Bradley, Caitlyn Colman-McGaw, Chelsea Condren, and Nina Maness.
What are your favorite LGBTQ+ books for teens? Let us know in the comments.
Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore
Goldie Vance by Hope Larson, illus. by Brittney Wilson
Lies We Tell Ourselves by Robin Talley
If I Was Your Girlby Meredith Russo
The Hammer of Thorby Rick Riordan
We Are Okay by Nina La Coer
The Edge of the Universe by Shaun David Hutchinson
Dreamland Burning by Jennifer Latham
The Inexplicable Logic of My Life by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
Lumberjanes by written by Noelle Stevenson & Grace Ellis, illus. by Brooke Allen
Beyond Magenta by Susan Kuklin
Another Country by James Baldwin
God Loves Hair by Vivek Shraya, illus. by Juliana Neufeld
When The Moon Was Ours by Anna-Marie McLemore
Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Córdova
Being Jazz: My Life as a (Transgender) Teen by Jazz Jennings
Ashby Malinda Lo
Wuvable Oaf by Ed Luce
More Happy than Not by Adam Silvera
Honor Girl by Maggie Thrash
Simon Vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
Willful Machines by Tim Floreen
Nimona by Noelle Stevenson
Beast by Brie Spangler
Our Chemical Hearts by Krystal Sutherland
Girl Mans Up by M-E Girard
Wonders of the Invisible World by Christopher Barzak
If You Could Be Mine by Sara Farizan
Queer, There, and Everywhere: 23 People Who Changed the World by Sarah Prager
Carry On by Rainbow Rowell
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Have trouble reading standard print? Many of these titles are available in formats for patrons with print disabilities.
Staff picks are chosen by NYPL staff members and are not intended to be comprehensive lists. We'd love to hear your ideas too, so leave a comment and tell us what you’d recommend. And check out our Staff Picks browse tool for more recommendations!
June is Pride month, of course, but it’s also the American Library Association's GLBT Book Month! We’re excited to present our favorite LGBTQ+ books each day of June.
These recommendations shine a spotlight on the vast range of books written by, about, and for the LGBTQ+ community. Picture books, memoirs, fiction, graphic novels, poetry, photography -- there’s something for every reader, every day.
Check out our recommendations for kids and teens, too! And check out our Pride events happening all month long.
Major thanks to the expert librarians who assembled these lists: Lauren Bradley, Caitlyn Colman-McGaw, Chelsea Condren, and Nina Maness.
What are your favorite LGBTQ+ books? Let us know in the comments.
Wuvable Oaf by Ed Luce (graphic novel)
The Essential Dykes to Watch Out For by Alison Bechdel (graphic novel)
Pregnant Butch: Nine Long Months Spent in Drag by A.K. Summers (graphic novel)
Calling Dr. Laura: A Graphic Memoir by Nicole J. Georges (graphic novel)
Dirty River: A Queer Femme of Color Dreaming Her Way Home by Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha (biography/memoir)
The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson (biography/memoir)
Redefining Realness: My Path to Womanhood, Identity, Love & So Much More by Janet Mock (biography/memoir)
Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal? by Jeanette WInterson (biography/memoir)
Zami, A New Spelling of My Name by Audre Lorde (biography/memoir)
Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel (biography/memoir)
Hold Tight Gently : Michael Callen, Essex Hemphill, and the Battlefield of AIDS by Martin Duberman (biography/memoir)
Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin (fiction)
The Passionby Jeanette WInterson (fiction)
The Summer We Got Free by Mia McKenzie (fiction)
The Buddha of Suburbia by Hanif Kureishi (fiction)
Bright Lines by Tanwi Nandini Islam (fiction)
The Well of Loneliness by Radclyffe Hall (fiction)
Carol (The Price of Salt) by Patricia Highsmith (fiction)
Stone Butch Blues by Leslie Feinberg (fiction)
Queer by Sunil Gupta (photography)
Disavowals, or Cancelled Confessions by Claude Cahun and Claude Cahun: A Sensual Politics of Photography by Gen Doy (photography)
What Belongs to You by Garth Greenwell (fiction)
Wanting in Arabic by Trish Salah (poetry)
Later Poems: Selected and New, 1971-2012 by Adrienne Rich (poetry)
Trans Bodies, Trans Selves: A Resource for the Transgender Community, ed. by Laura Erickson-Schroth (nonfiction)
Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde (essays)
This Bridge Called My Back: Writings by Radical Women of Color edited by Cherríe L. Moraga and Gloria E. Anzaldúa (nonfiction)
Safe Space: Gay Neighborhood History and the Politics of Violence by Christina B. Hanhardt (history)
Brother to Brother: New Writings by Black Gay Men, ed. by Essex Hemphill; conceived by Joseph Fairchild Beam (nonfiction)
Gender Outlaws: The Next Generationby Kate Bornstein and S. Bear Bergman (nonfiction)
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Have trouble reading standard print? Many of these titles are available in formats for patrons with print disabilities.
Staff picks are chosen by NYPL staff members and are not intended to be comprehensive lists. We'd love to hear your ideas too, so leave a comment and tell us what you’d recommend. And check out our Staff Picks browse tool for more recommendations!
June isn't just Pride Month, it's also GLBT Book Month -- which means we have an opportunity to talk about some of the coolest, sweetest, most innovative books for kids: literature by, for, and about LGBTQ+ families.
We're presenting 30 of our favorite LGBTQ+ books, one for each day of June. We have 30 picks for adults and 30 picks for teens, too.
Major thanks to the expert librarians who assembled these lists: Lauren Bradley, Caitlyn Colman-McGaw, Chelsea Condren, and Nina Maness.
What are your favorite LGBTQ+ books for kids? Let us know in the comments.
The Boy and the Bindi by Vivek Shraya
A is for Activist by Innosanto Nagara
Daddy’s Roommate by Michael Willhoite
Heather Has Two Mommies by Lesléa Newman
Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress by Christine Baldacchino
Stella Brings the Family by Miriam Baker Schiffer
King and King by Linda de Haan & Stern Nijland
I Am Jazz by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings
This Day in June by Gayle E. Pitman
Worm Loves Worm by J. J. Austrian
And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
George by Alex Gino
Better Nate Than Ever by Tim Federle
The Boy in the Dress by David Walliams
Drama by Raina Telgemeier
Lily and Dunkin by Donna Gephart
Princeless by Jeremy Whitley
Star-Crossed by Barbara Dee
Totally Joe by James Howe
Gertrude Is Gertrude Is Gertrude by Jonah Winter
Everywhere Babies by Susan Meyers
10,000 Dresses by Marcus Ewert
Flying Lessons and Other Stories, ed. by Ellen Oh
The Best Man by Richard Peck
Antonio’s Card by Rigoberto González
Hit the Road, Manny by Christian Burch
My Mixed-Up Berry Blue Summer by Jennifer Gennari
The Family Book by Todd Parr
The Accidental Adventures of India McAllister by Charlotte Agell
Families, Families, Families! by Suzanne Lang & Max Lang
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Have trouble reading standard print? Many of these titles are available in formats for patrons with print disabilities.
Staff picks are chosen by NYPL staff members and are not intended to be comprehensive lists. We'd love to hear your ideas too, so leave a comment and tell us what you’d recommend. And check out our Staff Picks browse tool for more recommendations!
Happy Pride Month! The Library is celebrating Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month with a variety of books and exciting programs for all ages across our 92 locations. Check them out below, and happy #RainbowReading!
June is the American Library Association's GLBT Book Month. The New York Public Library's expert librarians are honoring LGBTQ literature with three book lists for Pride Month: 30 books for adults, 30 books for teens, and 30 books for kids. Each list contains 30 diverse books, one for every day of Pride Month. Find our favorite selections for all age groups, and celebrate this Pride Month with some #RainbowReading.
6/2: First Fridays: LGBT Pride Edition: Kick off Pride month at the Schomburg Center with this party in celebration of LGBT Pride. In addition to drinks and dancing, there will be a special pop-up exhibit from the Schomburg's collections on LGBT activist Storme DeLarverie, a drag performance by Harmonica Sunbeam, and more. 6 PM, Schomburg Center.
6/2: Undercover Girl: The Lesbian Informant Who Helped the FBI Bring Down the Communist Party: At the height of the red scare, Greenwich Village photographer Angela Calomiris was a paid FBI informant inside the American Communist Party, going undercover to bring down eleven party leaders who were conspiring to overthrow the government. Now, using never-before-published materials from Calomiris' personal archives, Lisa E. Davis tells the story of the life of this fascinating spy. 7 PM, Jefferson Market Library.
6/8: Transgender 101:This workshop, presented by Working with Transgender Communities, aims to combat discrimination against transgender and gender non-conforming persons through discussion of issues and challenges faced by those communities. 4 PM, 67th Street Library.
6/10: LGBT Philosophy Forum: This monthly meeting is for the LGBT community and its friends to gather and informally discuss important works of philosophy. 2:45 PM, Muhlenberg Library.
6/12: Jacqueline Jonee Presents: A Date with Liberace: Jacqueline Jonee, the world's premier concert drag diva pianist, presents an up-close and personal screening of her 2009 video biography of Liberace. 2:30 PM, Library for the Performing Arts.
6/13: Shall We Wed: Financial Planning for Same-Sex Households: Financial planner Thomas Chu of PridePlanners – a national network of advisors specializing in serving the LGBT community – comes to the Library to discuss the financial and legal ramifications of marriage for same-sex couples. 6 PM, Science, Industry and Business Library.
6/15: Build a Better World: Button Pride:In honor of Pride Month, celebrate your own uniqueness and the uniqueness of others by making custom Pride-themed buttons. 4:30 PM, Mid-Manhattan Library. Ages 13 to 18 years.
6/15: Stories of Resilience from the Front Lines: Listen to this discussion with a panel of trans movement organizers talk about trans history in New York in the 1980s and 1990s. Featuring Kiara St. James, Tanya Asapansa Johnson Walker, and Nicole Bowles. 6 PM, Tompkins Square Library.
6/16: Anti-Prom: Gods & Goddesses: Anti-Prom is a safe, alternative prom that welcomes all teens, regardless of sexuality, gender identity, the way you dress, or any other reason. Dance the night away at the Library and check out the Gods & Goddesses-inspired fashions created by NYPL's teen designers. 6:30 PM, Stephen A. Schwarzman Building. Only teens ages 12 to 18 will be admitted.
6/19: Film Screening: Kinky Boots: Come to this free screening of the 2005 comedy Kinky Boots – which inspired the hit Broadway musical of the same name – about the owner of a struggling shoe factory who partners with a drag queen to save his family business. 6 PM, Library for the Performing Arts.
6/22: Summer Film Series: Pariah: As part of Inwood Library's multicultural film series, the library will screen Pariah (2011), which tells the story of a black Brooklyn teenager who embraces her lesbian identity, but struggles with how much she can confide in her parents. 7 PM, Inwood Library.
6/22: She He Me: Voyage Theater Company Reading Series: Attend this reading of She He Me, a documentary play based on interviews with transgender people in the Arab world. 7 PM, 53rd Street Library.
6/27: Surpassing Certainty: Janet Mock in Conversation with Lisa Lucas: Janet Mock, the writer, TV host, and advocate, discusses her new memoir, Surpassing Certainty, with Lisa Lucas, Executive Director of the National Book Foundation. 7 PM, Stephen A. Schwarzman Building.
6/23: The Library After Hours: The city's most cerebral happy hour is back, and this time we're celebrating LGBT Pride. Come to the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building for an evening of refreshments, activities, and fun. Priority Access may enter at 7 PM; first come first served begins at 7:30 PM. Must be 21+ years of age to attend.
Throughout Pride Month, the Library will be hosting a weekly Facebook Live series featuring live reading recommendations, Drag Queen Story Time, a behind-the-scenes preview of local teen fashion designers' work for Anti-Prom, a curator sharing items from LGBT history in NYPL's collections, and more. Anyone with a Facebook account can 'Like' The New York Public Library on Facebook to be notified when live broadcasts begin.
If you want to read, learn, and discover more, please browse our selection of LGBTQ books or our Digital Collections. And if you're interested in researching this topic, the Library has over 100 collections related to gay and lesbian history in our Manuscripts and Archives Division. Plus, you can check out what other libraries across the country are doing as part of the ALA's GLBT Book Month initiative. Come join us in celebrating LGBT Pride!
Come join us this June at the Mid-Manhattan Library for the continuation of our Author @ the Library Programs. This month, we'll be delving into the history of Manhattan, a popular Greenwich village restaurant, and Jane Austen, among other topics.
Author talks take place at 6:30 PM on the 6th Floor of the library, unless otherwise noted. You can also request the authors' books by clicking on the book covers below. Seating is first come, first served; no reservations are required.
| Thursday, June 1, 2017 Making Sense of Food Waste with Andrew F. Smith, author/editor of 32 books including his latest 3-volume work, Food in America, of which the second volume is Food and the Environment. This talk explores why food waste has become such a popular concern, and the next steps in dealing with food waste. |
| Monday, June 5, 2017 |
| Wednesday, June 7, 2017 This illustrated lecture explores how Google searches open an unprecedented window into human behavior, choice, and decision-making and reveals the human psyche. |
| Thursday, June 8, 2017 This illustrated presentation features a discussion of how much some parts of Lower Manhattan have changed over time, while also showing just how much other downtown locations have remained the same, using the popular "then and now" format. |
| Monday, June 12, 2017
This illustrated lecture traces the story of aging in the United States over the course of the last half century. |
| Tuesday, June 13, 2017
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| Wednesday, June 14, 2017
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| Thursday, June 15, 2017
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| Monday, June 19, 2017
Marvellous Thieves: Secret Authors of the Arabian Nights, with Paulo Lemos Horta, Assistant Professor of Literature at New York University Abu Dhabi, in conversation with Lawrence Weschler, author of Uncanny Valley: Adventures in the Narrative. This illustrated lecture reveals the cross-cultural encounters—the collaborations, borrowings, and acts of literary larceny—that produced the Arabian Nights in European languages. Ranging from the coffeehouses of Aleppo to the salons of Paris, from colonial Calcutta to Bohemian London, Paulo Lemos Horta introduces audience to the poets and scholars, pilgrims and charlatans who made crucial but largely unacknowledged contributions to this most famous of story collections. After the talk, there will be a discussion of the book with writer Lawrence Weschler, whose grandfather, the modernist composer Ernst Toch, based his final opera The Last Tale on Scheherazade’s ultimate yarn. |
| Wednesday, June 28, 2017
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| Thursday, June 29, 2017
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What else is on the agenda for June at Mid-Manhattan? We have:
Are you writer, poet, or artist? Would you like to see your works published? The New York Public Library has an opportunity for you!
Library Zine: Voices from Across The New York Public Library is a new publication looking to showcase works from the diverse communities the Library serves! We call for the distinct and creative voices of our patrons to submit their poetry, short stories, essays, and original artwork for our second issue, which will revolve around The New York Public Library's Summer Reading theme, Build a Better World.
We are looking for inventive and creative takes on this theme which inspires reflections on community, construction, social awareness, and education. Do not take this theme literally; build your own interpretation! Make sure to stand out from the crowd and make your title unique to your work.
All written manuscripts must be typed in 12-point font with one-inch margins, and checked for spelling and grammar. At the top of your submission, please include your name, address, primary phone number, and email.
Poetry should be single-spaced and not exceed 1,000 words.
Short stories can be 500-2,500 words, about 2-10 pages double-spaced.
Non-fiction and essays should not exceed 2,500 words, about 10 pages double-spaced.
Manuscripts must be in .doc or .docx format, and/or readable in Google Drive and/or Microsoft Word.
Submissions can be written in any language.
Physical copies of artwork (e.g. paintings, sculptures, etc.) or photos will not be accepted. Instead, take a picture or scan your work into one of the following formats: .JPG/JPEG, .TIFF, and .PNG. Images must be 300 pixels per inch (PPI). Images containing nudity will not be accepted.
Along with your image, attach a separate Word document with a description of your work and a short anecdote of what inspired the work.
While Library Zine does not want to limit our patrons’ creativity, be aware that this publication is intended for all audiences. Submissions must be mindful of language, the use of graphic violence and abuse, and the depiction of harmful stereotypes based on age, race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, and mental/physical disabilities.
Limit of 5 submissions per person.
Please submit your work by filling out this form. You can alternatively email nyplzine@nypl.org for the link.
Submission Deadline: September 1, 2017
All ages and languages are welcome to submit.
This program is funded through The New York Public Library’s Innovation Project, which is made possible by a generous grant from the Charles H. Revson Foundation.
Look out, New York! Jacqueline Jonée is returning to the Bruno Walter Auditorium at The New York Public Library for Performing Arts Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center, to perform her hugely popular show, A Date with Liberace. Jonée, who’s been described as “the world's première concert pianist drag diva,” will do two performances on Monday, June 12.
The program will feature a screening of her 2009 HD video biography of Liberace’s life. The screening will be followed by a performance of Liberace’s music by Ms. Jonée and a question-and-answer session.
I recently sat down with John Nieman (aka Jacqueline Jonée) to discuss Liberace, the evolution of Jacqueline Jonée, and her return to the stage at The New York Public Library.
Nieman’s fascination with Liberace began as a child when he and his mother watched The Liberace Show in his childhood home of Saskatchewan. "I was just a kid— 6, 7,8,” he said. “I was taking piano lessons and it was just this cool sort of fascination with this TV personality," he said. "He was playing Tchaikovsky and all this wonderful classical music and having fun and the audience was having a lot of fun too." Nieman did get to meet Liberace twice as an adult.
His first meeting with Liberace was in Montréal, Québec in 1974. He was introduced through the friend of a mutual friend at one of Montreal’s gay clubs on Saint Denis Street. "The thing I remember the most was the softness of his hands and how warm and gracious Mr. Liberace was when we shook hands," Nieman recalled. "We exchanged a few words and talked about our mutual friend. Of course, the image I had of Liberace was quite grand and larger than life, but he was not a tall man, but very real and personable."
After moving to New York in 1976 to study acting, Nieman met Liberace again in 1986 at an after party at the Fillmore East to celebrate a performance at Radio City Music Hall. The area was roped off and on the tables were quarter-sized plastic grand pianos in all colors. "I still have several of them as a remembrance from that night, said Nieman. "Again, Liberace was very gracious and I spoke to him for a little." Liberace gave him an autographed picture with the dedication, ‘To My Pal John’ which he displays on the piano during his A Date With Liberace concert.
Liberace would die of AIDS, just four months later on February 4, 1987.
Nieman explained that the evolution of Jacqueline Jonée began when he was performing in Fire Island with a group called The Imperial Court of New York. "I could play the piano in some of these shows and raise money for whatever the cause happened to be." That exposure eventually led to doing shows at the famed don’t tell mama. He then took the show to the Arts Project of Cherry Grove. Many re-writes later, he said, a new and better version ensued.
As his drag character evolved, her fans clamored for a name. "My given name is John Dennis and my dad was John Dietrich," he said. "I became Jack because it’s a nickname for John. So when I started doing drag, people said to me ‘you should be Jackie, you should be Jacqueline.’ which capitalized on his French ancestry on his mother’s side. "First I was Diva Dijonee with a French twist," he said. "Everybody was a diva. But some people said It sounded like a French mustard so we abandoned that. So from then on I was Jacqueline Jonée."
Nieman first performed at the Bruno Walter Auditorium in 2007 when he was invited by Dr. Joe Jeffries, a professor at NYU Tisch School of the Arts, to perform in his production of Drag Show Video Verité. "He did his screen presentation and then I performed. The library staff asked if I could come back next year to do my own program and I said I would love to," he said.
The following year he did a show called "Liberté, Egalité, Jacqueline Jonée," which was hugely popular. In 2009 he followed with A Date with Liberace. "There were so many people that couldn’t get in,” he recalled. "That is why now I perform two concerts." The show also features Jonee's orchestra, the JouJou Jacquettes Philharmonic Orchestra whose numbers can range in a given performance from 3 musicians to 8. "They're still the JouJou Jacquettes even if there's just one," quipped Nieman.
Nieman modestly attributes the show’s success to the enduring appeal of Liberace. "He really became that popular entertainer, he set the stage,” he said. "Cher, Elton John, Michael Jackson, Madonna came into that, but he had been doing it since the 1940s. He was doing it with the glitz and glamour and making classical music accessible, making it entertainment." Of Jonee’s stage style Time Out Magazine said: "Ms. Jonée blends accomplished technique with Liberace-style flair, taking the concept of a drag show far beyond the standard lip-synch performance of "It's Raining Men."
Nieman enjoys that his concert attracts a cross-generational audience. "It’s a very adult show but it’s kid friendly. You see little kids from 5,6,7. It’s so gratifying."
Jonee has played at Christie’s for the benefit of the New York City Gay Men’s Chorus, in venues in Montreal and at WorldPride Jerusalem in 2006. She will also do double duty as host and guest pianist at Queer Urban Orchestra's annual Gay-La to be held Saturday June 17 at 8:30 pm at the Church of the Holy Apostles.
But Nieman considers his upcoming event a personal highlight. "I’m part of the LGBTQ events at the library," said Nieman. "This concert for Bruno Walter is my favorite because I love Cheryl Raymond (Manager, Public Programs and Special Events, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts). "They’re so lovely and they treat me like gold. They’re just fun."
During the week, it can be tough to stay on top of everything. On Fridays, though, we suggest kicking back to catch up on all the delightful literary reading the internet has to offer. Don’t have the time to hunt for good reads? Never fear. We've rounded up the best bookish reading of the week for you.
Beloved Asian American literature during Asian Pacific American Heritage Month and beyond. Are you a fan of Riverdale? Then you just may love these books too. Kick off Pride Month right with our thirty picks for #RainbowReading! The Schomburg Center has scored an amazing archive of jazz saxophonist Sonny Rollins's notes and recordings. Small but satisfying: some quick reads for the busiest bibliophiles. Manhattanhenge is really cool, and so are the books on our Manhattanhenge reading list.
GIF made with the NYPL Labs Stereogranimator
No need to get up! Join our librarians from the home, office, playground — wherever you have internet access — for book recs on Twitter by following our handle @NYPLrecommends from 10 AM to 11 AM every Friday. Or, you can check NYPL Recommends any day of the week for more suggestions.
Ready for the long weekend? Tell us a book you like and we'll suggest another, until 11 AM EST. #FridayReadspic.twitter.com/SxQQuYsoYS
— NYPL Recommends (@NYPLRecommends) May 26, 2017
More witty, sardonic, flawed but likeable characters? Romantic comedies?
— NYPL Recommends (@NYPLRecommends) May 26, 2017
How about THE PORTABLE VEBLEN by Elizabeth McKenzie
Every other week, our resident book experts are live on Facebook giving book recommendations! Like our Facebook page, and every other Thursday at 3 PM EST you can watch live and comment to get a personalized book recommendation.
If you read something fantastic this week, share with our community of readers in the comment section below.
Brooklyn Workforce Innovations "Made in NY" Post Production Training Program connects men and women to careers in film and television post production. This five-week program combines a thorough introduction to the post production industry with hands-on-skills training in five commonly-used software applications for video editing and visual effects.
During this year's Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) Heritage Monthn in May, the Department of Labor presents a blog post, A Histoy of Achievements (May 30, 2017) to honor the accomplishments of AAPI women in STEM, authored by Michelle Vaca, an economist at the department's Women's Bureau. Michelle points out that early exposure to science and mathematics, access to education from childhood to college, and the support of mentors that encouraged their academic and career pursuits are key common experiences that can lay the groundwork for women's success and persistence in the STEM fields.
Career Development Workshop on Monday, June 5, 2017, 10:30 am - 12:30 pm, at Brooklyn Wokforce 1 Career Center, 250 Schermerhorn Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201. This workshop is for all interested jobseekers to learn the value of the career exploration process and how the process can positively impact their career path.
CVS will present a recruitment on Tuesday, June 6, 2017, 10 am - 1 pm, for Clerk/Cashier (10 openings), Shift Supervisor Management Trainee (10 openings) at Upper Manhattan Workforce 1 Career Center, 215 West 125th Street, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10027. By appointment only.
Mega Contracting Group will present a recruitment on Tuesday, June 6, 2017, 10 am - 2 pm, for Labor Monitor (4 openings) at Flushing Workforce 1 Career Center, 138-60 Barclay Avenue, 2nd Floor, Flushing , NY 11355. By appointment only.
Career Development workshop: Job Finding Club on Tuesday, June 6, 2017, 2 - 4 pm at Flushing Workforce 1 Career Center, 138-60 Barclay Ave. 2nd Floor, Flushing, NY 11355. This workshop is for all interested job seekers and dislocated workers to form a weekly support group focusing on obatinng job goals.
Basic Resume Writing workshop on Thursday, June 8, 2017, 1:30 - 3 pm at Brooklyn Workforce 1 Career Center, 250 Schermerhorn Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201. Participants will learn the purpose of a resume, chronological and combination resumes and select the appropriate type for their specific needs.
START Treatment & Recovery Center Career Fair on Friday, June 9, 2017, 3:30-7:30 pm at START Treatment & Recovery Center, 119 West 124th Street, New York, NY 10027. This job fair is for all interested jobseekers. Open positions include: Executive Roles , Counselors (CASAC), Clinic Directors (LCSW), Asst. Clinic Directors (LCSW), Nurses, Nurse Practioners, Physician Assistants, internships.
Job Postings at New York City Workforce 1. 
Apprenticeship Opportunities in New York City.
Brooklyn Community Board 14: Available jobs
The New York City Employment and Training Coalition (NYCE&TC) is an association of 200 community-based organizations, educational institutions, and labor unions that annually provide job training and employment services to over 750,000 New Yorkers, including welfare recipients, unemployed workers, low-wage workers, at-risk youth, the formerly incarcerated, immigrants and the mentally and physically disabled. View NYCE&TC Job Listings.
Digital NYC is the official online hub of the New York City startup and technology ecosystem, bringing together every company, startup, investor, event, job, class, blog, video, workplace, accelerator, incubator, resource, and organization in the five boroughs. Search jobs by category on this site.
St. Nicks Alliance Workforce Development provides Free Job Training and Educational Programs in Environmental Response and Remediation Tec (ERRT). Commercial Driver's License, Pest Control Technician Training (PCT), Employment Search and Prep Training and Job Placement, Earn Benefits and Career Path Center. For information and assistance, please visit St. Nicks Alliance Workforce Development or call 718-302-2057 ext. 202.
Brooklyn Workforce Innovations helps jobless and working poor New Yorkers establish careers in sectors that offer good wages and opportunities for advancement. Currently, BWI offers free job training programs in four industries: commercial driving, telecommunications cable installation, TV and film production, and skilled woodworking.
CMP (formerly Chinatown Manpower Project) in lower Manhattan is now recruiting for a free training in Quickbooks, Basic Accounting, and Excel. This training is open to anyone who is receiving food stamps but no cash assistance. Class runs for eight weeks, followed by one-on-one meetings with a job developer. CMP also provides Free Home Health Aide Training for bilingual English/Cantonese speakers who are receiving food stamps but no cash assistance. Training runs Mondays through Fridays for six weeks and includes test prep and taking the HHA certification exam. Students learn about direct care techniques such as taking vital signs and assisting with personal hygiene and nutrition. For more information for the above two training programs, email: info@cmpny.org, call 212-571-1690, or visit. CMP also provides tuition-based healthcare and business trainings free to students who are entitled to ACCESS funding.
Nontraditional Employment for Women (NEW) trains women and places them in careers in the skilled construction, utility, and maintenance trades. It helps women achieve economic independence and a secure future. For information call 212-627-6252 or register online.
Grace Institute provides tuition-free, practical job training in a supportive learning community for underserved New York area women of all ages and from many different backgrounds. For information call 212-832-7605.
Please note this page will be revised when more recruitment events for the week of June 4 become available.
We can all become so focused on a particular task that we ignore helpful and relevant information. This is why it is so helpful to take a step back from what you are doing and see if there is a different tactic that could be applied to the situation. Welcome the comments of outside observers who are not as mired in the work as you are. This will also assist with the gargantuan task of avoiding the tempting pitfalls of group think.
In life, there are errors of commission and errors of omission. Notice what is not there but should be as much as you would pay attention to what is there and should not be. Ask questions to generate information that can better aid your decision-making process. Many times, people do not notice behavior in society and in the workplace. In particular, instances of immoral behavior are frequently intentionally and unintentionally ignored. Sometimes, it is easier to do and say nothing rather than blow a whistle. In addition, people can work very hard to prevent others from noticing their illicit actions.
Psychological tests have shown time and time again that it is possible to hide information from people by directing their attention elsewhere. Magicians are masters of this art. The term for people missing information that is right in front of them is "inattentional blindness." For example, this often happens when pedestrians are focused on their headphones or iPhones and not watching where they are walking.
The Power of Noticing: What the Best Leaders See by Max Bazerman, 2014
This is a superb read, unlike any other leadership books that I have read.
In keeping with The New York Public Library's Summer Reading theme, Build A Better World, Inwood Library is pleased to present its very own summer film series, Films For A Better World. We hope to use the NYPL film collection as a tool to shine a light on diverse cultural narratives from around the globe. Here's a breakdown of the films we'll be showing, as well as other fine works of world cinema that aren't in our series, but that you might want to see anyway:
Lone Star (Texas, USA/Mexico): When the skeleton of his murdered predecessor is found, Sheriff Sam Deeds unearths many other long-buried secrets in his Texas border town, some of which turn out to be very personal. We'll be screening this Oscar-nominated (for Best Screenplay) film on the first Sunday in June. Directed by John Sales; Rated R; Warner Bros.; 135 minutes; 1996.
Screening on: SUNDAY, JUNE 4TH @ 2pm
Moolaade (Burkina Faso): In a small African village, a strong-willed woman stages a lone protest against the traditional practice of female circumcision, and invokes moolaadé (magical protection) in her own house to protect four young girls who are fleeing the ritual. Directed by Ousmane Sembène; Not Rated; New Yorker Films; 124 minutes; 2004.
Winter's Bone (Ozark Mountains, USA): Ozarks teen Ree Dolly (Jennifer Lawrence) risks her life to find her criminal father after he puts up the family home to cover his bail and then vanishes without a trace. We'll be screening it the second Thursday night in June. Directed by Debra Granik; Rated R; Lions Gate Films, Inc.; 100 minutes; 2010.
Screening on: THURSDAY, JUNE 8TH @ 7pm
Bamako (Mali): In the courtyard of a small Mali apartment building, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund are on trial on charges of corruption and stealing money from the people of Africa. Meanwhile, life goes on for the residents, including a nightclub lounge singer and her unemployed husband. Directed by Abderrahmane Sissako; Not Rated; New Yorker Films; 115 minutes; 2006.
Pariah (New York, USA): A black teenager (Adepero Oduye) living in Brooklyn embraces her identity as a lesbian, but struggles with how much she can confide in her parents (Kim Wayans, Charles Parnell). Come and check this one out on the fourth Thursday night in June. Directed by Dee Rees; Rated R; Focus Features; 84 minutes; 2011.
Screening on: THURSDAY, JUNE 22ND @ 7pm
Together (Sweden): When Stockholm wife and mother Elizabeth takes her kids and leaves her husband, there's nowhere for her to go except to the socialist commune where her brother lives with his free-spirited girlfriend. As they struggle to get used to their new situation, cultural values clash, family relationships are tested and everyone soon finds something to complain about. Directed by Lukas Moodysson; Rated R; IFC Films; 106 minutes; 2000.
Bad Day at Black Rock (USA): When Spencer Tracy's one-armed war veteran arrives in the desert town of Black Rock, hoping to repay his debt to a Japanese-American soldier he served with, he finds a chilly reception from the locals. We'll be screening this classic Western-thriller with a special focus on racial discrimination on the first Sunday in July. Directed by John Sturges; Not Rated; Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Inc.; 81 minutes; 1955.
Screening on: SUNDAY, JULY 2ND @ 2PM
Trollhunter (Norway): A uniquely Norwegian take on the horror-fantasy genre, this darkly humorous "found-footage" film follows the exploits of (you guessed it!) a man employed by the Norwegian government to hunt the giant man-eating trolls of legend. Directed by André Øvredal; Rated PG-13; Magnolia Home Entertainment; 103 minutes; 2010.
Caramel (Lebanon): A Beirut beauty salon becomes a treasured meeting place for several generations of women from various walks of life to talk, seek advice and confide in one another. This film will be screened at the Inwood Library on the second Thursday night of July. Directed by Nadine Labaki; Rated PG; Lions Gate Films, Inc.; 96 minutes; 2008.
Screening on: THURSDAY, JULY 13TH @ 7PM
Gabbeh (Iran): An elderly Persian man husband and wife are busily washing their beloved carpet in a stream. Suddenly, a young woman magically emerges from the carpet, with a story to recount of love, tradition, family and color. Directed by Mohsen Makhmalbaf; Not rated; New Yorker Films; 75 minutes; 1996.
Osama (Afghanistan): Living under the Taliban's oppressive regime, an Afghan girl poses as a boy in order to get a job and provide for her family. We'll be showing this, the first film to be shot entirely in Afghanistan since the beginning of Taliban rule in the country, on the fourth Thursday evening of July. Directed by Siddiq Barmak; Rated PG-13; Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Inc.; 83 minutes; 2003.
Screening on: THURSDAY, JULY 27TH @ 7PM
Onibaba (Japan): In war-torn medieval Japan, a young woman and her mother-in-law barely manage to eke out a living by killing and robbing fleeing samurai. When their neighbor returns from the front lines, it sets off a chain of events that may destroy the three of them in a malestrom of jealousy and lust. Directed by Kaneto Shindo; Not Rated; Janus Films; 103 minutes; 1964.
On the first Sunday of August, the Inwood Library will be doing a very special screening! With the generous participation of the Other Israel Film Festival, dedicated to showcasing films "about history, culture, and identity on the topic of minority populations in Israel with a focus on Arab citizens of Israel/Palestinian citizens of Israel", we will be presenting six short films NOT currently available in the NYPL's collection. Festival founder and Executive Director Isaac Zablocki will be there in person to present the films. Screening on: SUNDAY, AUGUST 6TH @ 2PM
Tikkun (Israel): An ultra-Orthodox yeshiva student is revived after being clinically dead for 40 minutes. While his family is plagued by strange dreams, he becomes overtaken with a peculiar awakening in his body and, suspecting that God is testing him, begins wandering the streets alone at night. Directed by Avishai Sivan; Not rated; Kino Lorber; 120 minutes, 2015.
Europa, Europa (Germany): A Jewish boy in Nazi Germany poses as a Gentile and joins the Hitler Youth, but romantic encounters complicate his life and threaten to blow his cover. We'll be showing this film on the second Thursday night in August. Directed by Agnieszka Holland; Rated R; Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Inc.; 112 minutes; 1990.
Screening on: THURSDAY, AUGUST 10TH @ 2pm
Nine Queens (Argentina): Two con artists try to swindle a stamp collector by selling him a sheet of counterfeit rare stamps (the "nine queens"). As the deceptions mount, it becomes more and more difficult to figure out who is conning whom. Directed by Fabián Bielinsky; Rated R; Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment; 114 minutes; 2000.
Dreams (Japan): Eight tales about art, nature, spirits, war, death and life, all based upon the actual dreams of the director, legendary filmmaker Akira Kurosawa. This will be our final film screening of the summer, on the fourth Thursday night of August. Directed by Akira Kurosawa; Rated PG; Warner Bros; 120 min; 1990.
Screening on: THURSDAY, AUGUST 24TH @ 2pm
Nobody Knows (Japan): Four children move with their mother into a small apartment in Tokyo. Their mother, however, soon starts coming home later and later, until one night she doesn't come home at all. Akira, the eldest, becomes responsible for the welfare of his siblings, together with their friend Saki. Directed by Hirokazu Koreeda; Rated PG-13; IFC Films; 141 minutes; 2004.
Of course, this is just meant to be a small sampling. World cinema comprises a vast body of work. What are your favorites? Let us know what you'd like to see at our screenings in the comments below!
May’s Open Book Night was one filled with tales of truly wacky families, plays and novels that have been adapted into films, and many, many questions. We learned about a mysterious society, held a serious discussion about the transient population, chatted about the wonders of libraries, and gained insight into one of history’s great tragedies.
Piece of MindbyMichelle Adelman
Joan found Adelman’s story of a young woman overcoming a traumatic childhood accident incredibly endearing and heartwarming. She would like to stress that this contemporary fiction ends on a happy note.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
Joan also thought Haddon’s mystery novel was engaging and insightful. The story follows Christopher John Francis Boone, a teenaged boy with autism who is investigating the death of his neighbor’s dog. Joan felt the vivid first-person narrative shed light on what it means to live with autism.
A Small Corner of Hell: Dispatches from Chechnyaby Anna Politkovskaya
Joan (a different one!) was really sucked in by the brutal depiction of the war in Chechnya by Politkovskaya, a reporter who was murdered in 2006. Joan found the fact that the novel was written from a historical, socialist and journalistic views, gave it a unique flavor — an honest look at war as a killing machine and the extreme measures to which it can push people. She shared a tidbit of reading this novel on the train and as she finished the last two pages, a fellow straphanger asked her opinion about it. Though she found it to be a rough read, she thought her conversation with the passenger was a good way to end the book.
The Mole People: Life in the Tunnels Beneath New York City by Jennifer Toth
Mark recalled going to journalism school in New York and due to his curiosity about people, had befriended those at Grand Central Station and Penn Station. He had grown up in a neighborhood where the community worked with what was given to them and learned that life is lived through spontaneity and concoction. Toth’s eye-opening book about those who live below our feet exemplified the improvisation and loss of inhibition that occurs when one is homeless.
The Death of Sweet Misterby Daniel Woodrell
Cynthia felt unsettled while reading about literary fiction’s most dysfunctional family. Though the dialogue was wonderful, she was disturbed by the family’s awfulness and the drastic difference from how she was raised. She found the plotline about a young boy who becomes a man to be a stereotypical portrayal of Deliverance (1972) with its general progression of vileness and lack of sympathy for the protagonist.
The Book of Illusions by Paul Auster
After his family dies in a plane crash, Professor David Zimmer becomes fixated on Hector Mann, a silent film star. Believing that he is alive, he sets out on a journey to find Mann and ultimately-himself. Cynthia admired the quirkiness of Auster’s writing and the enigmatic plot with its unexpected twists and turns. She was amazed how much life could be given to a character without dialogue.
You Can’t Take It With You by George Kaufman and Moss Hart
Carol adored this 1936 comedic play about a wacky family of six whose attempts at normalcy constantly backfire in knee-slapping ways. Though a movie was adapted from the play, the plot was changed and it was not as well-received as the original. The play is reminiscent of The Munsters (1964-1966) and The Addams Family (1964-1966).
Tales of the San Francisco Cacophony Society by Carrie Galbraith and John Law
Carol is a member of a secret society of pranksters, social innovators, and artists. Originally named Suicide Club after Robert Louis Stevenson’s set of short stories, members challenge themselves to participate in events and go on adventures with like-minded people. Some of their memorable stunts have been making changes to billboards, developing a fake product to infiltrate a Macworld Expo, and holding “idiotarods” — shopping cart races across the Brooklyn Bridge. Delve into the fascinating history and quirky events of this surreptitious society. Want to become a member? Good luck — entrance into the society is by invitation only.
A Man Called Oveby Fredrik Backman
Susen admitted that Backman is one of her favorite authors whose titles (My Grandmother Asked Me To Tell You She’s Sorry, Britt Marie Was Here; And Every Morning The Way Home Gets Longer and Longer) are incredibly straightforward. A gem of a book, she liked how curmudgeonly Ove was, despite the loveable family who moves in next door. She found the dialogue well-written and the relationship between Ove and the family authentically heart-wrenching. Read the book or watch the film adaption— just don’t forget the tissues.
This Is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper
Because we all love quirky, dysfunctional families, Susen brought up the Foxman clan, with all their hang-ups. The story follows a family that comes together to sit shiva for their patriarch only for secrets to be revealed, past grudges to come alive, and mistakes to occur. You can also watch the film adaptation starring Jason Bateman, Tina Fey, Adam Driver, and others.
This post was co-authored and co-researched by Nicholas Parker and Electronic Resources Librarian Rhonda Evans.
June 6th is the birthday of Alexander Pushkin, one of the most famous literary figures in all of Russia – arguably more popular and revered in his homeland than even Tolstoy or Dostoyevsky. Highly celebrated in his lifetime, Pushkin wrote plays, poetry, and short stories, but he is best known for his epic poem Evgeny Onegin, which tells the story of a man who kills his best friend in a duel (excerpts are available online here). Little did Pushkin know that just five years after he finished this acclaimed verse novel, he would meet the same demise as his title character’s victim: felled in a duel, in an ill-advised attempt to defend his honor. He was 37 years old.
Intrigued by Pushkin’s story, we did some digging into our collections and pulled more stories of writers who fought in, died in, or narrowly avoided duels. Here are six fascinating tales of literary “affairs of honor:”
Even though he was praised throughout Russia, in the latter years of Pushkin’s life, complicated court politics and financial difficulties caused him to struggle to provide for his wife, Natalia, and her two sisters. To make matters worse, rumors began to spread that Natalia was having an affair with one Baron Georges d’Anthes-Heeckeren, a member of the upper crust of Russian society. D’Anthes claimed that he loved Natalia’s sister, and married her in 1837, but rumors persisted that with D’Anthes’ closer access to the Pushkin family, he was pursuing Natalia even more strongly. The last straw for Pushkin came when he learned that one of his children caught the pair alone together; Pushkin challenged d’Anthes to a duel. Both men were wounded, but Pushkin’s injury was fatal, and he died two days later.
Details about the life of the author of Don Quixote are sketchy, but historians do know that the young Miguel de Cervantes was an adventurous man who longed to travel, particularly to Italy, the primary destination for Europeans interested in pursuing learning, knowledge, and culture at the time. In 1569, he did leave his native Spain for Italy, but it’s possible that he was motivated less by his love of travel than by trouble with the law. According to government records, there was a warrant out for Miguel de Cervantes’ arrest for wounding a man named Antonio de Sigura; the warrant called for his “right hand to be cut off and... to be in exile from Madrid for ten years.” Whether his exile was self-imposed or court-ordered, Cervantes did stay out of Spain, and mostly out of trouble, for over a decade before he returned.
Somehow, in between writing War and Peace, Anna Karenina, and several other acclaimed works of Russian prose, Leo Tolstoy managed to find time to get into it with fellow Russian author Ivan Turgenev, author of Fathers and Sons, after he insulted Turgenev for having an illegitimate child with one of his own serfs. However, after some apologies (and further perceived slights), Turgenev and Tolstoy settled their differences without a duel, sparing fans of Russian literature from what would have been an undoubtedly disastrous loss.
The playwright Ben Jonson was a contemporary of William Shakespeare, and is considered second only to the Bard in his influence on English theatre during that time. In 1597, Jonson dueled actor Gabriel Spenser – who had performed in Jonson’s play, The Isle of Dogs– and killed him. Jonson was imprisoned for the murder, but released on benefit of clergy, a practice of English law that allowed the accused to gain leniency if they could recite a Bible verse in Latin. Jonson avoided hanging and was released from prison; his punishment was a branding and the forfeiture of his property.
The French writer of In Search of Lost Time might have been killed before he could even begin the landmark work, in a duel with poet and novelist Jean Lorrain in 1897. Lorrain publicly accused Marcel Proust of being in a relationship with writer Lucien Daudet; though Proust was gay, he was not open about his sexuality, and it is possible that Proust and Daudet were not lovers – though they were at least close friends. Proust challenged Lorrain to a duel. Lorrain, who himself was gay, accepted, and the two faced off; neither man was hurt.
Mark Twain never fought in a duel – but he does have a humorous story about managing to avoid one. When he was promoted to editor-in-chief of a small Virginia newspaper, The Daily Enterprise, Twain insulted an editor of a rival paper, named Mr. Lord. Twain recalled, "he flew up at some little trifle or other that I said about him--I do not remember now what it was. I suppose I called him a thief, or a body-snatcher, or an idiot, or something like that." Mr. Lord responded in kind, and Twain challenged him to a duel, though Twain “hoped he would not accept." But Mr. Lord did accept, and Twain immediately regretted his decision, especially when his friend, Steve Gills, attempted to teach him how to shoot, and watched as Mark Twain repeatedly failed to hit an entire barn door.
But who knew that a little sparrow would save the day, and possibly the future of American literature. As the small bird landed on a bush Mr. Gills aimed his pistol at it and shot its head off. Mr. Lord, who was practicing his shooting nearby, driven by curiosity, came over and the conversation went like this:
Lord: "That was a splendid shot. How far off was it?"
Gills: "Oh, no great distance. About thirty paces."
Lord: "Thirty paces! Heavens alive, who did it?"
Gills: "My man--Twain!"
Lord: "The mischief he did! Can he do that often?"
Gills: "Well--yes. He can do it about--well--about four times out of five."
A half hour later Lord pulled out of the duel. Mark Twain may not have lost his life, but just a week after becoming editor-in chief of The Daily Enterprise, he lost his job.
Twain has two more humorous quotations on the practice of dueling:
"Duelling was all the fashion among the upper classes in that country, and very few gentlemen would throw away an opportunity of fighting one. To kill a person in a duel caused a man to be even more looked up to than to kill two men in the ordinary way."
"I think it is a bad immoral thing. I think it is everyman's duty to do everything he can to discourage duelling...If a man were to challenge me now...I would go to that man, and take him by the hand, and lead him to a quiet, retired room--and kill him."
This blog post was researched entirely using NYPL's electronic resources. If you are interested in researching the lives of your favorite writers explore Literature Resource Center, Artemis Literary Sources, or Dictionary of Literary Biography.
If you’re interested in research on dueling, take a look at these two dueling manuals from the 19th century, The Code of Honor, or, Rules for the Government of Principals and Seconds in Duelling. or An Essay on the Practice of Duelling, as it Exists in Modern Society: Occasioned by the Late Lamentable Occurence Near Philadelphia. Accessible through Sabin American Digital Archive (1500-1926).
With more than 500 online research options available, many accessible from home with a library card, you can go beyond your search engine and dig deeper online with NYPL.
Gutsche, George J. "Alexander Pushkin." Russian Literature in the Age of Pushkin and Gogol: Poetry and Drama, edited by Christine Rydel, Gale, 1999. Dictionary of Literary Biography Vol. 205. Literature Resource Center, i.ezproxy.nypl.org/login?url=http://go.galegroup.com.i.ezproxy.nypl.org/ps/i.do?p=LitRC&sw=w&u=nypl&v.... Accessed 1 June 2017.
Lathrop, Thomas A. "Don Quixote and its errant author." New England Review, vol. 31, no. 4, 2010, p. 8+. Literature Resource Center, i.ezproxy.nypl.org/login?url=http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=LitRC&sw=w&u=nypl&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA247.... Accessed 2 June 2017.
Durán, Manuel. "Cervantes’ Harassed and Vagabond Life." Cervantes, Twayne Publishers, 1974, pp. 21-30. Twayne's World Authors Series 329. Gale Virtual Reference Library, i.ezproxy.nypl.org/login?url=http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=GLS&sw=w&u=nypl&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CCX1389.... Accessed 2 June 2017.
Schuyler, Eugene. "The quarrels between Tolstoy and Turgenev." New England Review, vol. 33, no. 2, 2012, p. 187+. Literature Resource Center, i.ezproxy.nypl.org/login?url=http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=LitRC&sw=w&u=nypl&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA301.... Accessed 2 June 2017.
Evans, Robert C. "Ben Jonson (11 June 1572?-August 1637)." Seventeenth-Century British Nondramatic Poets: First Series, edited by M. Thomas Hester, vol. 121, Gale, 1992, pp. 186-212. Dictionary of Literary Biography Vol. 121. Dictionary of Literary Biography Main Series, i.ezproxy.nypl.org/login?url=http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=DLBC&sw=w&u=nypl&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CSRBKP.... Accessed 2 June 2017.
Donovan, Kevin J. "Ben Jonson (11 June 1572?-6 August 1637)." Elizabethan Dramatists, edited by Fredson Bowers, vol. 62, Gale, 1987, pp. 136-182. Dictionary of Literary Biography Vol. 62. Dictionary of Literary Biography Main Series, i.ezproxy.nypl.org/login?url=http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=DLBC&sw=w&u=nypl&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CKIMVW.... Accessed 2 June 2017.
"Becoming a 'Man of Letters'." Marcel Proust: A Documentary Volume, edited by William C. Carter, vol. 371, Gale, 2013, pp. 24-94. Dictionary of Literary Biography Vol. 371. Dictionary of Literary Biography Main Series, i.ezproxy.nypl.org/login?url=http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=DLBC&sw=w&u=nypl&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CTETNG.... Accessed 2 June 2017.
Alden, Douglas W. "Marcel Proust: Overview." Gay & Lesbian Literature, vol. 1, Gale, 1994. Literature Resource Center, i.ezproxy.nypl.org/login?url=http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=GLS&sw=w&u=nypl&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CH14200.... Accessed 2 June 2017.
Alden, Douglas W. “Marcel Proust's Duel.” Modern Language Notes, vol. 53, no. 2, 1938, pp. 104–106. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/2912041.
"Mark Twain." Contemporary Authors Online, Gale, 2013. Literature Resource Center, i.ezproxy.nypl.org/login?url=http://go.galegroup.com.i.ezproxy.nypl.org/ps/i.do?p=LitRC&sw=w&u=nypl&v.... Accessed 1 June 2017.
"Mark Twain Fights a Duel." San Francisco Chronicle (1869-Current File): 6. Jan 11 1907. ProQuest. Web. 1 June 2017 .
Twain, Mark. "HOW I ESCAPED BEING KILLED IN A DUEL." Chicago Daily Tribune (1872-1922): 3. Dec 25 1872. ProQuest. Web. 1 June 2017 .
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