Newton Free Library

FEBRUARY, 2002 / Archives

Gallery & Main Hall Hours

Monday to Thursday 9:00 am to 9:00 pm
Friday 9:00 am to 6:00 pm
Saturday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
Sunday Noon to 5:00 pm

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G A L L E R Y

February, 2 0 0 2

MIXED-MEDIA AND CERAMIC WORKS BY NAAVA PIATKA & DAISY BRAND

"The Way Home"
©Naava Piatka, 2000 mixed media 53" x 21"

"End of the Tunnel"
© Daisy Brand, Ceramic and Wood, 19" x 22" x 2"

Mixed-media paintings by Naava Piatka and ceramic wall sculptures by Daisy Brand will be displayed in the Newton Free Library Gallery February 2 – 27 with an opening reception on Monday, February 4, 6 – 8:00PM.

Piatka’s panelled paintings explore a primitive world with simple human figures leaping and repeated symbolic images of ladders, clouds and triangles, evoking an image of cave paintings. This is the spiritual world, just beneath the surface of the daily world we inhabit. She sees life as a "linear journey of collected experiences" and uses natural found objects, such as sticks and stones, as "markers on the journey" in her mixed-media works. She suggests that viewers might "stop to wonder what we collect along our own paths that add meaning to our lives." Fascinated by "markings, symbols, textures, layers and openings in a metaphysical and aesthetic sense," she seeks to uncover hidden meanings and connections in life, to expose the "inter-relatedness of the elements" and present the varied physical plane we inhabit as a "reflection of many worlds."

Brand’s ceramic wall sculptures represent a "backdrop of an event from the distant past, possibly from my childhood and my experiences as a survivor of the Holocaust," she says. Using architectural or landscape imagery, she presents an ambiguous narrative to allow for a "dialog of sorts between the viewer and myself." Like Piatka’s primitive symbols, Brand repeats certain images: train tracks leading ominously to a large stone structure as in her piece "The Last Trip," crisscrossed threads suggesting barbed wire, placed across a sunset sky (or is it flame-colored?), scrolls which might be the Hebrew Torah, striped curtains reminiscent of Jewish prayer shawls, prison bars. The scenes are framed in windows or doors adding depth and a plaintive feeling of something remembered from long ago.

Brand has exhibited in the International Ceramic Art Competition in Italy, the Biennale Internationale de Ceramique d’Art in France, the International Exhibition of Contemporary Art which toured the UK and Germany, the San Angelo National Ceramic Competition in Texas and locally at University Place Gallery in Cambridge and other places.

Piatka has exhibited in Johannesburg and Cape Town in her native South Africa and in the Boston area at the Bromfield Gallery, Howard Yezerski Gallery, the AAMARP Gallery at Northeastern University, the Newton Arts Center and at Keys Robbins Gallery in Sag Harbor, New York, among others.

Both artists live in Newton.

M A I N H A L L

February, 2 0 0 2

CATHERINE EZELL’S DRAWINGS "EXPRESSIONS: PENS & PORTRAITS"

"Zora Neale Hurston"
2001

Catherine Ezell’s drawings "Expressions: Pens & Portraits" will be exhibited at the Newton Free Library Main Hall, February 2 – 27 with a reception on Thursday, February 7, 5:30 – 7:30PM.

This exhibit pays loving tribute to American writers of the late 19^th and 20th century. In pen and ink, Ezell renders their portraits, aiming to "capture the intellectual and artistic intensity reflected in their faces." To avoid reinterpreting original works by earlier artists, Ezell limits herself to authors who lived after the invention of photography and refers to several photos for consistency of character and expression for each author.

Each portrait is drawn in a style suited to the personality of her subject, thus Hemingway is drawn with jet black ink and hatched lines "to convey a bold simplicity and ruggedness of character," she says, while for the more sensitive F. Scott Fitzgerald, she tempers black with lighter nuances of gray. A variety of cool and warm tones, watercolor effects and an occasional splash of color is used as in Zora Neale Hurston’s jaunty fuchsia hat. A passion for literature and deep admiration for these writers informs her choices of subject and artistic interpretation.

Ezell holds a Master’s degree in American and English Literature in addition to her artistic training. She has been drawing and painting commissioned and non-commissioned portraits for 18 years. The Copley Society, Cambridge Art Association and Concord Art Association have represented her work regularly in their juried shows and/or portrait registries. She teaches portrait painting and drawing at the Cambridge Center for Adult Education, Arlington Center for the Arts and Munroe Center for the Arts in Lexington. Ezell’s work is held in collections internationally.

For more information on the artist, please click here: http://www.noca-arts.org/catherineezell.html

To email the artist, please click here.

Library groups meet at the Newton Free Library, 330 Homer Street, Newton Centre, unless otherwise noted.
All meetings are free and open to the public.

February, 2 0 0 2

African Literatures Group

Led by Anne Serafin, this group explores the rich variety of writings from Africa. The group usually meets on the third Wednesday of the month at 7:30PM, this month in Special Collections. Meeting Date: February 27: A Border Passage, a memoir by Egyptian writer Leila Ahmed. For further information, call 552-7145.

Children's Book Writers Group
Meetings are held on the first Monday or the fourth Wednesday of the month at 7:00PM, in Meeting Room A. This group is for writers who have work in progress. Pre-registration required. Please call Ruth Glass at 332-0835 or Karen Day at 244-4830 for more information. Meeting Dates: Monday, February 4 or Wednesday, February 27.

Current Fiction Discussion Group
Meetings are held the first Wednesday of the month, 7:30PM in Meeting Room A. Participants should read works in advance. Group coordinator: Alice Simons. For information, call the Library at 552-7159. Meeting Dates: February 6: Margaret Atwood, The Blind Assassin and March 6: Willie Morris, Taps.

Great Books Discussion Group
Meetings are held on the second Tuesday of the month at 7:15PM in Meeting Room A. Members read books from the Great Books Foundation (available at the Library). Meeting Date: February 12: Rasselas by Samuel Johnson. For further information, call the Library at 552-7145.

Landscape of Aging
This group will not meet until March.

Newton Camera Club
Meetings are held at 7:30PM on the second and fourth Mondays of the month at the Nonantum Branch Library. Group coordinator: Elisif Brandon: (617) 243-0557. Meeting Dates: February 11: Slide presentation by Karl Schanz: "Right Time, Right Place." February 25: Competition on People at Work and Open categories.

Playreading
Meetings are held at Newton Corner on the first Tuesday of the month at 7:00PM. Preparation is not necessary. Meeting Date: February 5. For further information, please call the Library at 552-7145 or the branch at 552-7157.

Sequences: Women Tell Our Stories
In this women's workshop, participants read, discuss and write about literature by women. The group meets the second Wednesday of each month from 10 - 11:30AM in Meeting Room A. Leader: Robin Mayer Stein. Meeting Date: February 13. For further information, call 552-7145.

Short Fiction Writing Group
This workshop provides an atmosphere of expert support to polish short fiction. It is geared for published writers as well as those who are actively pursuing publication. Preregistration is required: 617-965-8835. The group meets the first Tuesday of each month, in Meeting Room A, 7:00PM. Meeting Date: February 5. Please bring 5 copies of work to the meeting. Coordinator is Halcyon Mancuso.

Short Story Discussion Group
Meetings are held on the second Monday of the month at 7:30PM in Meeting Room A. Group leader is Mary Lanigan. For further information, call 552-7145. Meeting Date: February 11: Andrea Barrett, "Theories of Rain" and Kate Walbert, "The Gardens of Kyoto."

All concerts are free and open to the public. For directions to the Library, click here.

February, 2 0 0 2

AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY MONTH PERFORMANCE BY KEMP HARRIS

Actor and singer Kemp Harris will present a special African-American History Month program of song and story at the Newton Free Library on Sunday, February 10, 2:00PM. Joined by blues harmonica player Adam O and drummer Jim Lucchesse, Kemp will intersperse stories in a concert of gospel, blues and original musical pieces. Seating is limited.

The multi-talented Harris is a composer, performer and author but may be best-known to the Newton community as a beloved kindergarten teacher for the past 28 years. He has written and performed original compositions in the U.S. and Europe, including work for the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and WGBH TV and has shared the stage with Taj Mahal, Gil Scott-Heron and Koko Taylor. As an actor, he has performed in television, film and on stage, recently in the film "Next Stop Wonderland" and "Amistad." His storytelling performances are much in demand at schools and festivals. His upcoming CD, "Kemp Harris," is a tapestry of American roots music, jazz and African folk. Harris will be narrating Copland’s "The Lincoln Portraits" with the Newton Symphony Orchestra on February 9. His previous performance at the Library celebrated his children’s book and tape "Snow."

Lucchesse is an accomplished percussionist and a member of the improvisational jazz group, the Zen Bastards. Founder of the website Bostonbands.com, he served as producer of Harris’ upcoming CD. O is a poet, painter and sculptor as well as musician.

"EAST MEETS WEST" CONCERT AT LIBRARY FEATURES PIANIST LI FAN

Pianist Li Fan will return to the Newton Free Library for an "East Meets West" concert on Sunday, February 24, 2:00PM. Fan will play works by Chopin, Beethoven and Liszt as well as the Chinese works "Duo Ye" by Chen Yi, "Flutes and Drums at Sunset" by Li Ying-hai and "Yunnan Folk Songs" by Wang Jian-zhong.

A Newton resident, Li is originally from China where he made a nationwide concert tour of major cities, including a performance at the prestigious Beijing Concert Hall. In the Boston area he has performed as a soloist, chamber musician and collaborative pianist at Jordan Hall, Sanders Theater and Longy School of Music Pickman Hall and in Washington, Indiana and New Hampshire. Last spring he was the soloist for the Yellow River Piano Concerto with the Newton Symphony Orchestra at Lincoln Center. He is a faculty member of Brookline Music School.

In a related event, the Library will celebrate the Chinese New Year of the Horse with a concert of Chinese music followed by a program of traditional word games on Saturday, February 23, at 1:00PM. In addition, an exhibit of Chinese art from the collections of Newton residents will be on view in the Library display cases on the first floor throughout the month of February.

SOPRANO CARLA CHRISFIELD & PIANIST WILLIAM MERRILL

Soprano Carla Chrisfield and collaborative pianist William Merrill will present a program of works by Mozart, Britten, Strauss, Honegger, Turina and Stravinsky. The concert will take place at the Newton Free Library on Sunday, February 3, at 3:00PM. Seating is limited.

With her crystalline voice, Chrisfield is much in demand on the concert stage and has given recitals in Great Britain, the Netherlands and throughout the U.S. She has performed as soloist with many orchestras and chamber ensembles including the Cleveland Orchestra in a critically-acclaimed performance of Mozart's Requiem, conducted by Susan Davenny Wyner, and collaborated with pianist Peter Serkin, among others. Chrisfield has sung with the Handel and Haydn Society, the Cantata Singers and Emmanuel Music and has been a featured soloist in numerous choral works and orchestral works for voice. Among her teachers is the acclaimed Dutch soprano, Elly Ameling.

One of the premiere collaborative pianists in the Boston area, Merrill has accompanied many singers in Boston and New York, including recitals at Alice Tully Hall and Carnegie Hall. In recent seasons he has concertized in Rome, Beijing and Shanghai. Principal Coach and Accompanist of the Boston Aria Guild, he has also been affiliated with the Boson Academy of Music, the Opera Company of Boston and the Boston Lyric Opera Company.

PRIZE WINNING JAPANESE PIANIST YURI OTSUBO

Japanese pianist Yuri Otsubo will perform a program of Bach, Beethoven and Liszt at the Newton Free Library on Thursday, February 21, 7:30PM.

Otsubo won several national and international piano competitions in Japan, Switzerland and Italy including the Lugano Switzerland International Piano Competition in 1999, the Johannes Brahms International Competition in 2000 and the Franz Schubert International Piano Competition in 2001. An Artist Diploma candidate at the Imola Music Academy in Italy, she performs extensively in Europe and Japan. Her appearances in the U.S. include a concert at the Dana Hall School of Music on Saturday evening, February 23.

FLUTE/ PIANO DUO TO PERFORM FRENCH AND BRAZILIAN PIECES

Flutist Wellington Cardoso and pianist Ivana Pinho will perform a concert of works by Bach, Debussy, Villa-Lobos and other French impressionist and contemporary Brazilian composers at the Newton Free Library on Sunday, February 17, 2:00PM. Seating is limited.

Cardoso and Pinho have been performing in the Boston area over the past year to much acclaim and will soon be recording a CD of Brazilian and French works. Previously, Cardoso performed in the major cities of Brazil and appeared as a soloist with the orchestra of Brasilia. He is currently a faculty member at Boston University Medical Center and performs as part of a harp/ flute duo in Rhode Island. Pinho is an active musician who has performed several solo and chamber music recitals including an appearance with the orchestra of Bahia in Brazil. A music educator as well, she has participated in international music conferences and teaches on the faculties of Lasell College and Mount Ida College.

February, 2 0 0 2

HISTORIAN JILL LEPORE TO SPEAK ON NEW BOOK

Noted author Jill Lepore will speak on her new book A is for American: Letters and Other Characters in the Newly United States at the Newton Free Library on Thursday, February 28, 7:30PM. This is a fascinating account of how language was used in the early American Republic to define national character and shape national boundaries. The talk will be followed by a booksigning with books provided by the New England Mobile Book Fair.

In the century following the drafting of the Constitution, Americans from Noah Webster to Samuel Morse tried to use letters and other characters – alphabets, syllabaries, signs and codes – to unite and strengthen the new nation. Webster published a spelling book to teach Americans to speak and spell alike, Morse devised a dot-and-dash alphabet to link the country by telegraph, Caribbean-born William Thornton devised a "universal alphabet," evangelical minister Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet brought French sign language to the deaf in America and elocution professor Alexander Graham Bell was inspired by his father’s universal alphabet, "Visible Speech," to invent the telephone. Others used signs to distance themselves from the United States: Cherokee silversmith Sequoyah invented a syllabary for the Cherokee language to promote his people’s independence and freed slave Abd al-Rahman Ibrahima used his Arabic literacy to gain passage back to Africa. Taken together, these superbly told stories reveal the daunting challenges faced by a new nation in unifying its diverse people.

Lepore teaches history and American studies at Boston University and is co-editor of the web magazine Common-place (www.common-place.org). Her previous book, The Name of War: King Philip’s War and the Origins of American Identity won the Bancroft Prize and many other awards.

SLIDE LECTURE ON VIETNAM TODAY

Perfume River - Hue, Vietnam
July, 2001 © Doug Clifford

Photographer Doug Clifford will give a talk on Vietnam Today, illustrated with slides taken over the past thirty years with an emphasis on the present. The program will take place at the Newton Free Library on Wednesday, February 13, 7:15PM.

When Clifford first saw Vietnam in the late 1960s, he was serving as a photographer for the U.S. Air Force. In his two trips there since, in 1988 and 2001, he’s seen a high level of development in the cities. This slide talk will show scenes of street life, pagodas and rice paddies as well as many historical and cultural sights and will contrast a more traditional way of life in the country against the urban development. In particular, he will concentrate on the southern rural area of My Tho in the Mekong Delta, the former imperial capitol of Hue, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

Clifford’s photographs and writings have been published in the Time-Life series, The Vietnam Experience and Reflexes and Reflections, an art book about the Vietnam Veterans Art Museum in Chicago. He speaks frequently at schools on Vietnam. He serves on the English Department faculty of Bunker Hill Community College.

BOSTON INSTITUTE FOR PSYCHOTHERAPY PRESENTS LIBRARY PROGRAM
ON STRESS IN THE AFTERMATH OF SEPTEMBER 11

In response to the traumatic events of September 11, the Boston Institute for Psychotherapy will present a talk and discussion on "Life, Family and Work in the Aftermath of September 11." The talk will take place at the Newton Free Library on Monday, February 11, 7:30PM. Questions will be most welcome.

Led by psychotherapists Elizabeth Slater and David Sloan-Rossiter, the program will explain how people experience or process trauma and provide an opportunity for those attending to share their pain, sense of loss, fear and hopes for the future. The evening will include practical techniques to deal with the pain and sense of powerlessness while continuing daily routines and work, with a focus on taking care of children and loved ones.

GREEN DECADE TALK LED BY BARNEY FRANK

The Green Decade Coalition/Newton will present a panel discussion led by Barney Frank on "World Trade and the Environment." This program is cosponsored by the Newton League of Women Voters and will take place at the Newton Free Library on Monday, February 25, 7:00PM.

From an environmental point of view, economic globalization provides both greater problems and greater possibilities to safeguard our planet and its natural systems. The World Trade Organization's approach is "...to strike a balance between two fears: that trade and environmental protection might be in conflict and that environmental concerns could turn into trade protectionism." What can we do as a nation to adapt global economics as a tool to protect the environment? Hear Congressman Barney Frank and other experts speak on this complex topic. Light refreshments will be served; please bring your own mug.

To follow up this talk, please visit this website prepared by one of the speakers, Tim Weiskel at http://ecojustice.net/globalization/newton/index.htm

CHINESE NEW YEAR FESTIVAL

The Newton Free Library will celebrate the Chinese New Year of the Horse with a concert of Chinese music followed by a program of traditional word games on the afternoon of Saturday, February 23. In addition, an exhibit of Chinese coins from the collection of Jing Kao and Chinese art and horse figurines from the collection of Judith Funkhouser will be on view in the Library display cases on the first floor throughout the month of February.

At 1:00PM on February 23, Jimmy Zhao will lead a program of solo, duet and ensemble pieces from the traditional Chinese repertoire played on stringed instruments and bamboo flutes. Zhao is the first prize winner of the 1981 Erhu competition in Dalian, China and teaches erhu (a two stringed fiddle) to adults and children in the Boston area.

Following the concert, at 2:15PM, a Deng-Mi Hui activity will be presented, a program of Chinese and English word games composed by Sun-Shine Yuan, a well-known practitioner of the craft. Deng-Mi dates back 1000 years, when riddles were hung from lanterns under a full moon at the Chinese New Year. At the Library, the Deng-Mi will be strung from a height; audience members can read the questions and their answers aloud. Yuan will offer hints as to the correct solutions. Because a single Chinese character can have multiple meanings and because the language contains many homophones, there may be more than one answer to the puzzles.

In a related event, Sunday, February 24, 2:00PM, pianist Li Fan will present a concert of music, "East Meets West."

The month-long display and the Chinese New Year program were coordinated by Wendy Hsu, a Library acquisitions volunteer and Mandarin language teacher. The Library is grateful for her assistance.

TOUCHING THE SHARK: THE POETRY OF RAD SMITH

The Library Poetry Reading Series continues with a special memorial tribute to a talented local poet on Tuesday, February 12, 7:00PM. "Touching the Shark: The Poetry of Rad Smith" will include readings of his poetry as well as poems written in tribute to him by his friends, colleagues and his children: Barbara Helfgott Hyett, award-winning director of the Workshop for Publishing Poets, published poets Wendy Mnookin, Martha Wright and Allen West and his children Zandy and Jordan Smith, also poets.

Smith studied poetry with Elizabeth Bishop at Harvard University, worked as an executive in a high-technology firm for many years, then left the field and resumed writing poetry. An All-American swimmer and founder of karate schools in the South and in Germany, he studied Japanese swords as art objects, earning a national reputation in the field. A Newton resident, he loved the wilds of nature and built a house in Maine with his family. Once he joined the Workshop for Publishing Poets, with the support of fellow poets who became his friends, his writing sharpened and blossomed. He completed a manuscript before his premature death in 1998. His poetry colleagues and in particular, Helfgott-Hyett and Mnookin, refined the manuscript and are seeking a publisher for it. Individually, Smith’s poems have been published in The Antigonish Review, Lyric (City Lights), Poetry, Prairie Schooner, Spoon River Anthology, The MacGuffin and other journals.

The evening is coordinated by his widow, Rena Koopman. Upcoming Poetry Readings will take place on March 12 and April 9.

Computer Classes

The Library offers free, hands-on computer classes in Basic PC Skills, Internet, Setting up an E-mail Account and much more. Call 617-552-7152 or drop by a Reference desk next time you're at the Library to sign up.

For more information on the computer classes, please click here.

COMING IN MARCH!

"Growing up with Churchill"

Join Derek Lamb for his nostalgic presentation, "Growing up with Winston Churchill: Songs and Personal Memories of World War II" on Sunday, March 3, 2:00PM at the Library.

Lamb is known for his charm, wit and insight displayed in his previous Library programs, one on his short films and the other on British Music Hall Songs. In this performance he'll relate stories and songs from his youth, growing up in London during the Blitz of World War II. Evacuated to the countryside, the young boy lay in bed at night, hearing the planes take off on their way to bombing raids over Europe. "On Saturday nights we'd hear American servicemen and British locals gathered in the nearby pub, laughing and singing 'We'll Meet Again,' 'Rum and Coca Cola' and 'Kiss Me Goodnight, Sergeant-Major.'" The current war on terrorism has reminded Lamb of the wartime sensibility when "the speeches, faith, confidence, humor and patriotism of Churchill and Roosevelt affected us all profoundly."

Lamb is best known for his animated openings for Mystery! on WGBH, created with Edward Gorey. He is also a composer, performer and filmmaker who has written songs for Sesame Street and created Oscar-winning films. His recordings include "She was Poor but She was Honest" on the Smithsonian label. This past year he sang on the soundtrack for the PBS special on Shackleton's antarctic expedition and performed at the St. Botolph Club, the Colonial Inn in Concord and the Natick Arts Center.

Cinema Discussion Group

This new group engages in discussion and critique of significant films. Led by Paulette Idelson, the group will meet on Tuesday, February 19, 7:00PM, in Meeting Room A to discuss "Casablanca." Those who have not seen the film are encouraged to view it before the meeting.

Free Tax Help

If you have questions about filling out your tax return, now's the time to come to the Library for free tax assistance. An IRS-trained volunteer will teach you how to complete your tax return or answer questions Saturdays, 2 - 4:00PM, in Meeting Room A, starting February 9.

Morning Programs at the Library!

Both groups are open to new members at any time - just drop in!

At WABAN, the book group will discuss Blackbird: A Childhood Lost and Found by Jennifer Lauck on Wednesday, February 27, 10:30AM.

NEWTON CORNER'S group will discuss Penelope Lively's Tiger Moon on Friday, February 22, 10:30AM at Heritage at Vernon Court in Newton Corner.

The Music of Richard Rodgers

For nearly 50 years, Richard Rodgers composed sparkling music that enchanted audiences worldwide. Yet his life stood in contrast to the openhearted melodies that characterize his work. This lecture/concert by pianist Stanley Macht will explore the enigma of "Richard Rodgers: The Music and the Man" in celebration of the 100th anniversary of his birth. Vocalist Beth Purcell will join Macht for some of the songs. The program will take place Thursday, February 21, 10:30AM at the Library with songs from such Rodgers & Hart hits as "Pal Joey," "Jumbo" and "Babes in Arms" as well as from the Rodgers & Hammerstein classics "Oklahoma," "King & I" and many more.

Macht has been delighting audiences with his concerts and biographical programs at senior residences and events throughout the region. He makes regular appearances at the Museum of Fine Arts and Lasell Village. The Library warmly welcomes him back.