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> Programs, Press, Exhibits & Classes > Calendar Archives > December 2005
Calendar of Events |
DECEMBER 2005 |
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Booksale
Auburndale
10am - 3pm |
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5
Puppet Sale
10am - 7pm
Children's Book Writers Group, 7pm
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Short Fiction Group, 7pm Author Talk,
7:30pm
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Library Closed
for a
Strategic Planning Day |
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Newton Camera Club, 7:30pm Short Story Discussion Group, 7:30pm |
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Great Books Discussion Group, 7:15pm
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Sequences Group Meeting, 10am
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Writer's Voice Group, 10:30am
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Concert, 2pm
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Board of Trustees
Meeting, 8:30am
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African Literature Discussion Group, 7:30pm
Children's Book Writers Group, 7pm |
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Library Closes at 4PM for Christmas Eve
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Library Closed for Christmas
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Library Closed for Christmas
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Newton Corner Book Group, 10:30am
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Library Closes at 4PM for New Year's Eve |
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| For
more information on any of the Library events,
please call the Library at (617) 796-1360 |
Unless noted otherwise, all events take place at the Library's Main Branch.
All events are free and open to the public.
The Library is handicapped accessible. For special assistance when attending programs, call 796-1410 during business hours and 796-1360 evenings and weekends.
To view a previous calendar, click here to view the Archives. (Available from October 2004.) |
| Art Exhibits |
| 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 5:00pm
Sunday Noon to 5:00 pm
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| ART EXHIBITION INFORMATION
Are you interested in exhibiting your artwork at the Library? The
Newton Free Library presents monthly exhibits by regional artists
in the Gallery and Main Hall of the main library, a state-of-the-art
facility which 11,000 people visit weekly. Please click
here for more information.
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| GALLERY / DECEMBER |
Susan Post Lichtenstein:
Starting with Trees:
Oil Paintings Bordering on the Abstract
December 2 - 29
Reception: Thursday, December 8, 6 - 8:00PM |
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Lichtenstein’s large oil paintings blur the line between abstraction and representation. In lush color, she explores the tension of her subjects – vibrant trees - bursting from or resting against a shadowed background. “How do the formal components of a painting – line and edge, color and luminosity – serve to enhance spatial depth or undermine it?” she wonders. Painting from photographs which can flatten an image, she focuses on contrasting colors and shapes in an effort to convey “the movement of air travelling through branches or the equally awesome stillness of dead air.”
Lichtenstein has exhibited at the Attleboro Museum, Cambridge Art Association, BAAK Gallery in Cambridge, Maison Robert, with Provincetown Art Association and at many other galleries. She is an MFA candidate in painting at Massachusetts College of Art and at the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown. |
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VERTICAL |
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| MAIN HALL / DECEMBER |
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Shelby Tiziani: Colored Shadows
December 2 - 29 |
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RIBBONED REDS 2 |
Each of Tiziani’s pastel still lifes is a world unto itself, golden pears snuggled in the folds of a red cloth, green apples rolled to a standstill on a shadowed stone walkway, a cluster of tomatoes glinting in early morning light on top of a rumpled checked dishcloth. Somehow she creates a compelling story with her layered colors, textured backgrounds, and especially with her use of deep shadow and contrasting light. In fact her shadows are as much a part of her subject as the tangible object – the peppers or blue plate – as they set a mood of intensity, mystery, as tranquil and simple as the composition may seem.
Tiziani has 25 years experience as an art director for various clients and now has “come full circle back to her roots as a fine artist,” she says. She has shown work at the Attleboro Museum, Providence Art Club, with the Pastel Painters Society of Cape Cod, Connecticut Pastel Society and at other venues.
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| Clubs |
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.
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African
Literatures Discussion Group |
Led by Anne Serafin, this group explores the rich variety of writings from Africa. The group meets on the third Wednesday of the month at 7:30PM in Meeting Room A. Meeting Date: December 21: The Madonna of Excelsior, a novel by Zakes Mda from South Africa. For further information, call 527-1072.
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Children's
Book Writers Group |
Meetings are usually held on the first Monday or on the fourth Wednesday of the month at 7:00PM. This group is for writers who have work in progress. Pre-registration required. Please call Jacqueline Davies at 781-455-8334 or Karen Day at 244-4830 for more information. Meeting Dates: Monday, December 5 in Meeting Room A or Wednesday,
December 21 in the Cafe.
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Contemporary
Books 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: Marilyn Miller. Meeting Dates: December 7: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon; January 4: Revenge by Mary Morris.
Contemporary Books Booklist |
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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: December 13: “Tartuffe” by Moliere/ trans. Richard Wilbur. For further information, call Ruth Greene at 527-4143.
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Newton
Camera Club |
Meetings are held at 7:30PM usually on the second and fourth Mondays of the month at the Nonantum branch. Group coordinator: Amy Oppenheimer: amy.oppenh@verizon.net, www.newtoncameraclub.org. Meeting Date: December 12: Guest presenter Cory Silken: “Capturing the Thrill of Sailboat Racing.”
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Sequences:
Women Tell Our Stories Group |
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: December 14.
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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. Leader is Michael Kaufman. Pre-registration is required: call coordinator Dorian Kotsiopoulos at 781-821-4786. The group meets the first Tuesday of the month, 7:00PM, in Meeting Room A. Meeting Date: December 6.
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Short
Story Discussion Group |
Meetings are held on the second Monday of the month at 7:30PM in Meeting Room A. Group co-leaders are Mary Lanigan and Barbara McGinley. For further information, call 527-1505. Meeting Date: December 12: “The Fat Girl” by Andre Dubus and “Christie” by Caitlin Macy.
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Singing
Group |
This group will meet again in January.
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Writer’s Voice Group |
A group to support beginning writers of the short story, novel, personal essay or memoir. Led by Tom Yee, the group meets on the third Saturday of the month, 10:30 – Noon in Meeting Room A. Pre-registration required: Call 630-0742. Meeting Date: December 17. |
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| Concerts |
All
concerts are free and open to the public. For directions to the Library,
please click here.
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| Clarinet/ Piano Concert of
Brahms, Schumann and more |
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The Library presents clarinetist Emil Lancea and pianist Gabriella Sanna in a program of Brahms, Schumann, Poulenc and Martinu on Sunday, December 4, at 2:00PM.
A Newton resident, Lancea’s extensive orchestral experience includes performances in Vienna, Munich, Salzburg and Budapest with the Transylvanian Symphony Orchestra. He also held the position of principal clarinetist with the Radio Bucharest Chamber Orchestra, Academy of Music Orchestra (Bucharest), Virtuosi Orchestra (Bucharest) and the Timisoara Philharmonic Orchestra (Romania). Among his prizes and awards are First Prize in the National Clarinet Competition in Romania and a Special Prize in the international Aurelian Octav-Popa Clarinet Competition.
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An active pianist and pedagogue both in the United States and overseas, Sanna has been the recipient of top prizes in national and international competitions and a soloist with numerous symphony and chamber orchestras. She is actively involved in the Contemporary Music Seminar at the Rivers Music School which has hosted famous guest composers such as Lukas Foss, John Tavener, John Cage, Yehudi Wyner and Samuel Adler. Sanna is the former artistic director of the Al Castello dei Malaspina concert season in Sardinia, Italy and is often invited to be a juror in national and international competitions, such as the Schubert International Competition in Italy. She was the Artist-in-Residence from 1997-99 at the Beaver School in Chestnut Hill and is currently on the faculty of the Rivers Music School in Weston. Sanna is one of the founders and the artistic director of the Steinway Society Piano Competition of Boston.
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| Holiday Jazz Concert with Pianist Eyran Katsenelenbogen |
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Jazz up the holidays at the Library with jazz pianist Eyran Katsenelenbogen playing Christmas and Hanukah “chestnuts” and jazz standards on Sunday, December 18, 2:00PM. Seating is limited.
This innovative and acclaimed improvisational artist is celebrating the release of his 8th solo piano CD “Solotude” with concerts in the U.S., Europe and Israel. Past tours include concerts and recordings in Jerusalem, London, Germany, Switzerland, Luxembourg, at the Italian National Festival in Rome, Tel-Aviv Jazz Festival, Boston’s Jordan Hall, New York’s 5C Cultural Center and many other venues. Recipient of the ASCAP Plus Award for the years 2002 – 2006, he holds a faculty position at New England Conservatory and has pioneered techniques for teaching contemporary music performance to autistic children and students with diverse needs. His appearances have been enthusiastically received around the world and here at the Library.
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Cadence magazine has glowingly reviewed his recordings: “…his playing…is at times introspective, at times explosive, but at all times dynamic and challenging….”
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| Lectures |
| Author Anita Diamant to Speak |
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A gifted storyteller with great imaginative range, Newton’s own Anita Diamant gave voice to the silent women of the Old Testament in The Red Tent. Now, in her third novel, she brings to life an early New England world long forgotten. Set on Cape Ann in the early 1800s, The Last Days of Dogtown is peopled by widows, orphans, spinsters, scoundrels, prostitutes, freed slaves, and “witches.”
Hear Diamant speak on this vivid recreation of an obscure chapter of history told from the point of view of those who’ve often been left out of history. The talk will be held at the Library on Wednesday, December 7, at 7:30PM, followed by a booksigning.
Nearly a decade ago, Diamant found an account of an abandoned rural village at the turn of the nineteenth century. That pamphlet inspired this novel about a small group of eccentrics and misfits, struggling in a harsh, isolated landscape only fifty miles north of Boston, yet a world away. This is an absorbing, bittersweet story of hardship and resilience.
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Diamant is a prize-winning journalist whose work has appeared in The Boston Globe Magazine and Parenting. She is the author of the national bestselling novels Good Harbor and The Red Tent, which was named Book Sense Book of the Year. She has also written a collection of essays, Pitching My Tent, and six nonfiction books about contemporary Jewish practice. |
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| "The Greatest War Stories Never Told" |
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History is filled with unpredictable people and unbelievable stories. Rick Beyer has collected some of the most amazing in his new book, The Greatest War Stories Never Told: 100 Tales from Military History to Astonish, Bewilder, and Stupefy. He’ll speak at the Library on Tuesday, December 6, at 7:30PM. The book will make a great gift; copies will be sold after the talk.
Inspired by The History Channel’s series “Timelab 2000,” this collection contains stories from more than 2000 years of military history. Some of the surprising facts that readers will discover include: the shooting of an elderly pig triggered an international crisis, a topless dancer saved the Byzantine Empire, one military unit served on both sides during the Civil War, and the invention of Silly Putty, the development of the #2 pencil and the marriage of bread and butter all came about because of wartime crises.
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Beyer is an award-winning documentary producer whose work for The History Channel includes “Timelab 2000,” “The Wright Challenge,” “Secrets of Jamestown” and “The Patent Files.” He is also the author of The Greatest Stories Never Told.
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Author Kurt Gerstner will speak on his new mystery, A Complex Solution, and the reality of fraternity life on Thursday, December 15, at 7:30PM at the Library followed by a booksigning.
It’s hard to hear the word “fraternity” and not think of the movie Animal House or of sadistic hazing rituals. Yet there are many positive reasons for pledging a fraternity: the brotherhood, volunteer service and the fact that alumni tend to be more successful in life than members of other extra-curricular college groups. “There’s a huge disconnect between the media image of Greeks and the reality,” says Gerstner. He’ll point out some of those misperceptions and speak on what a parent or potential college student can expect of Greek life today at his talk.
A Complex Solution is a witty, fast-paced murder mystery, a chase to catch the killer of a graduate teaching assistant so obnoxious that the suspect list includes everyone who has ever met him.
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Newton resident Gerstner is a trial lawyer and a member of Sigma Chi Fraternity. He has served as an officer in many fraternity alumni associations and has been an advisor to several fraternities and sororities.
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| Understanding the Modern Middle East Discussion Series |
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The Library has been selected by the Massachusetts Foundation for the Humanities as one of 12 libraries in Massachusetts to host a new reading and discussion program, "Understanding the Modern Middle East."
Led by local scholars, the three session program will be held on Wednesday evenings beginning in mid-January. The topics will range from Understanding Iraq and Voices of Muslim Women to the History of U.S. Relations with the Middle East.
Scholars will base their lectures/discussion questions on a background text, R. Stephen Humphreys' Between Memory and Desire: The Middle East in a Troubled Age. The author integrates the medieval and modern history of the Middle East to show how the sacred and secular are tightly interwoven in its political and
intellectual life.
Participants will be required to purchase the text which will be made available.
Participation is limited to the first 25 registrants. For more information or to register, please call 617-796-1410 or e-mail bpurcell@newtonma.gov.
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Puppet Sale
Look no further for holiday gifts for the children on your list than our annual holiday puppet sale, sponsored by the Friends. Fred Reidy will bring his large assortment of puppets to Druker Auditorium on Monday, December 5, 10:00AM - 7:00PM.
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Computer Classes
The Library offers free one-session computer classes in PC Basics, Internet, Genealogy, Travel Resources and more. Sign up at a Reference Desk or call 617-796-1380.
Transition Navigators Wanted
Share the wisdom of your experience with adults age 50+ as they transition to and journey through retirement. Volunteer 6-8 hours/month for one year at the Discovering What's Next Hub (a resource and connection center) opening at the Library November 1. Training begins in late September. Call Jan Latorre-Stiller at SOAR at 617-969-5906, ext. 120 or dwnext@comcast.net.
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Morning Programs at the Library |
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Nonantum Book Group
At Nonantum, The Year of Pleasures by Elizabeth Berg will be discussed. All are welcome to attend on Thursday, December 15, at 10:30AM. |
Newton Corner Book Group
The Newton Corner branch will host a discussion on Nicholas by Rene Goscinny and Jean-Jacques Sempe on Friday, December 30 at 10:30AM at Evans Park in Newton Corner. All are welcome.
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Booklists
Available
Looking
for a good book to read or conducting research in a particular area?
The Reference Department has compiled many booklists in a variety of
subjects: African Americans in American Life, College Admissions, Books
for Modern Parents, Buddhism, Day Trips, Gardening Guides, Rise and
Fall of Saddam Hussein, Retirement and much more.
Ask a Reference librarian at the YA Desk on the second floor for help in locating a list, or click here. |
| Garden
City Cafe, Too!
Stop by our cheerful
cafe off the art gallery for coffee, muffins, soups, salads, sandwiches and more, open Monday - Saturday.
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| For Your Information |
Consider
a Gift to the Library
Please help supplement our municipal funding and contribute towards
the purchase of books, audio/visual materials or equipment. Send your
check, payable to the Trustees, to: Development Office, Newton Free
Library, 330 Homer Street, Newton, MA 02459. For further information,
call 796-1400. Thank you.
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To Our Concert Goers:
Please be considerate of the performer
today as well as your fellow audience members and refrain from leaving
the auditorium during a piece of music. If you have small children with
you, please sit in the back rows. If you leave the auditorium between
pieces, please close the door quietly behind you and wait to re-enter
after a musical piece. Also, if you have a cellphone, please shut if
off. Thank you. |
| PLEASE
DON'T SAVE SEATS!
When attending a Sunday afternoon concert,
please do not save more than one seat as this deprives others of attending
the concert. The rule is first come, first served.
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