Main Hall, Cheesecake Brook Along Albemarle Greenway,
photographs by Sally Brecher, November 2-29,
Opening reception Monday, November 5, 7:00 pm

African Literatures Discussion Group, led by Anne Serafin, explores the rich variety of writings from Africa. The group usually meets on the third Wednesday of the month at 7:30 pm in room A. Due to Thanksgiving they will meet on Wednesday, November 14 at 7:30 in Room A to discuss A Grain of Wheat, by Ngugi wa Thiong’. Info call: 617-527-1072.

Children’s Book Writer’s Groups are for writers who have work in progress. Pre-registration required. Maria Gianferrari (781-891-0153) leads the group that meets on the first Monday of the month at 7:00 pm in Room A. Next meeting: November 5. Karen Day (617-244-4830) leads the group that meets on the 4th Wednesday of the month at 7:00 pm in Room A. Next meeting: November 28.

Commonwealth Book Club focuses on books from the U. K. and former colonies. Next meeting: Tuesday, November 20, at 7:30 pm in the Newton Room to discuss Restless by William Boyd. Info contact: Chris Wangler at cwangler@minlib.net or 781-588-0149.

Contemporary Books Discussion Group

Contemporary Books Discussion Group holds meetings on the first Wednesday of the month at 7:30 in Room A. Info call: Marilyn Miller 617-332-4225. Next meeting:Wednesday, November 7, 7:15 pm to discuss Lost City Radio by Daniel Alarcon.

Contemporary Books 2007 - 2008 Reading List

Great Books Discussion Group meets on the second Tuesday of the month at 7:15 in Room A. Members read and discuss books or selected excerpts, some published by the Great Books Foundation. Some are available at the Library. Next meeting: Tuesday, November 13 to discuss, The Prince by Machiavelli. Info call: Ruth Greene at 617-527-4143.

News Junkies Discussion Group This discussion group, led by Reg McKeen, covers current events. The group usually meets in Room B on the first Wednesday of the month at 7:00 pm. Come with reflections and opinions on the month's topic. Next meeting: Wednesday, November 7 at 7:00 pm to discuss Health Care Reform. This group will no longer meet after November.

Newton Camera Club usually meets on the second and fourth Mondays of the month at 7:30 pm at the Nonantum Branch, 144 Bridge Street, Nonantum, MA to share slides. Info call: Marshall Goff at 617-699-5609.

Sequences: Women Tell Our Stories, a supportive, creative group, meets in a congenial atmosphere to read fiction, essays or poetry and discuss and write responses to the material. Led by Robin Mayer Stein, poet and journalist, the group meets on the second Wednesday of the month at 10:00 am in room A. Next meeting: November 14.

Short Fiction Writing Group is a workshop geared for published writers and those actively pursuing publication. Pre-registration is required, call 617-332-3347. The group meets on the first Tuesday of the month at 7:00 pm in Room A. Next meeting: November 6.

Short Story Discussion Group usually holds its meetings on the 2nd Monday of the month at 7:30 pm in Room A. Group co-leaders are Mary Lanigan (617-527-1505) and Barbara McGinley. Next meeting: November 19 due to Veteran’s Day they are meeting on the third Monday to discuss Anthony Doerr’s So Many Chances from The Shell Collector and Katherine Bell’s The Casual Car Pool from The Best American Short Stories of 2006.

Singing Group is for singers of all levels who enjoy singing classical and popular music. It meets monthly on Saturday afternoons, Noon – 1:30 pm in the Druker Auditorium. Next meeting: November 10. Info call: Miriam Simen at 617-244-6705.

Women in Career Transition. Led by career counselor Joyce Picard, this group, in its third year, provides sharing and information for women in career transition. It focuses on goals, allowing time to share concerns and gain support. For more information call 617-332-7600. The group regularly meets on the third Tuesday of the month at 7:30 pm in room A. Next meeting: Tuesday, November 20.

Bringing a style that is all their own, the New England Winds will create an intimate musical setting that promises to capture the imagination of the Library audience on Thursday, November 1 at 7:30 pm. They are versed in traditional quintet repertoire and perform musical selections ranging from the 18th century to the contemporary period. With the talents of the band’s staff arrangers, the group surprises the listener with their grasp of popular, Broadway, patriotic, jazz and folk music. We hope you will plan to attend.

Join us for an afternoon piano concert with pianist Jeanne Farewell on Sunday, November 4, 2007 at 2:00 pm. The program will include music of Prokofieff, Scriabin, Chopin, and Latin American composers and an art exhibition of Ms. Farewell’s work.

Jeanne Farewell is a graduate of Vassar College where she majored in Art History. She studied piano at the Manhattan School of Music. Also a writer, Jeanne's stories and essays have been published in literary journals in the U.S. and in London, and on the Victorian Web.

Ms. Farewell has performed in the United States, Europe, the U.K., and China. Miss Farewell has been recorded live on WQXR Radio in New York City.

 

In their delightfully refreshing classical style, Trio Con Brio will present a program including works by J.S. Bach, German composer, Harald Genzmer, Arias from Mozart's Don Giovanni and a Trio of G.F. Handel. The program will take place on Sunday, November 11 at 2:00 pm.

Wendy Vignaux studied flute at the Boston Conservatory where she received her Bachelor of Music. Ms. Vignaux has been a freelance musician in the Boston area for over ten years and has played in numerous local orchestras including the Boston Civic and the Longy Summer Orchestras.

A graduate of the Boston Conservatory, Laura Wilkins has been teaching flute in the Boston area for over 25 years. She studied flute with James Pappoutsakis and Phillip Kaplan, formerly of the BSO and was a participant in a Masterclass with Jean~Pierre Rampal.

Susanne Friedrich was born in Vienna, Austria. She studied modern cello at the Vienna Conservatory and baroque cello at the Tirol State Conservatory in Innsbruck. Ms. Friedrich has performed numerous concerts as soloist, in chamber music and with orchestras throughout Austria and Europe as well as in Asia.

 

The All Newton Music School will co-sponsor a concert at the Newton Free Library on Sunday, November 18 at 2:00 pm with vocalist Ashley Lieberman. Ms. Lieberman is a gifted teacher, actress, director, and voice-over artist. She will sing selections from musicals such as Into the Woods, Working, Assassins, Three Penny, Nine, Avenue Q and Company, as well as some light and classic cabaret pieces. She will be accompanied by Laura Backley.

Ms. Lieberman has taught acting and voice for 30 years since graduating from Yale Drama School. She recently produced and starred in her own cabaret piece called A Cabaret of Passion and Ambivalence. Her New York City credits include Bocaccio’s Decameron at the Manhattan Theatre Club with Henry Winkler, and The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man Moon Marigolds with Shelly Winters. Ms. Lieberman’s Boston musical credits include Berlin Cabaret, HMS Pinafore and 1776. She is currently Chairperson for the advisory board of the Boston Association of Cabaret Artists.

 

Newton residents Gabriel Lefkowitz and Emily D. Smith, violin, Elzbieta Weyman, viola, and cellist Jude Tedaldi are The Newton String Quartet. They will give a concert of masterpiece works of Mozart, Beethoven, and Debussy on Sunday, November 25 at 2:00 pm at the Newton Free Library.

Gabriel Lefkowitz began playing the violin at the age of four. He currently studies with Joel Smirnoff, first violinist of the Juilliard String Quartet. In the summer of 2004, Gabriel was invited to perform a solo at the internationally televised Democratic National Convention at the Fleet Center in Boston, replacing Yo-Yo Ma who canceled his scheduled appearance only 3 days before. This performance led to performances on the CNN Morning Show and at the State House in Boston for Governor Mitt Romney in the fall of 2004.

Violinist Emily D. Smith studies with Joel Smirnoff at the Juilliard School. In 2006, her piano trio of 6 years won the gold medal at the national Fischoff Chamber Music Competition, in the junior division, as well as first prize in the International Chamber Music Ensemble Competition, presented by the Chamber Music Foundation of New England.

Elzbieta (Izia) Weyman began studying the violin at the age of four with Sofia Gurfinkel and Magdalena Richter at the New England Conservatory's Preparatory Division. At the age of fourteen, she switched to viola. She has won several Boston-area competitions, including the Newton Symphony, Waltham Philharmonic, and Arlington Young Artist's competition.

Jude Tedaldi studies the cello at the Juilliard School with Joel Krosnick, cellist of the Juilliard String Quartet. A member of the Alisier Trio for six years, Jude won the gold medal in the junior division of the 2005 Fischoff International Chamber Music Competition as well as first prize in the Chamber Music Foundation of New England's "International Chamber Music Ensemble Competition" which concluded with a performance in Carnegie's Weill Hall.

In a slide show entitled, Where in the World is Kingdom Country, Howard Frank Mosher will discuss how, in his new book On Kingdom Mountain, he transformed a beautiful and wild corner of Vermont into fiction that will appeal to outdoor enthusiasts across the country. The presentation will be given on Tuesday, November 6 at 7:30 pm and will be followed by a book signing. On Kingdom Mountain, is the story of Vermont individualist, Miss Jane Hubbell Kinneson, and her battle to preserve the ancestral mountain where she lives from development.

Mosher is a Guggenheim and National Endowment for the Arts Fellow, winner of several literary and book awards. He is the author of A Stranger in the Kingdom, Where the Rivers Flow North, and Disappearances, all of which have been made into feature movies.

Leonard Bernstein

In the second of this two part series; writer/historian Roger Kolb of New England Arm Chair Tours will take the audience on a fascinating slide show tour for a look at the famous musicians who were natives of New England on Wednesday, November 7 at 7:00 pm. From Arthur Fiedler to Leonard Bernstein visit their homes, discuss their careers, and learn about the origins of some of America's most familiar music.

Photo by Caroline Forbes

Journalists Adrian Levy and Catherine Scott-Clark's investigation in to how much we knew about Pakistan's illicit program to sell nuclear weapons and know how to Iran, North Korea, and Libya is disclosed in their new book Deception. They will give a talk on Thursday, November 8 at 7:00 pm followed by a book signing with books provided by New England Mobile Book Fair.

The book reveals how every American administration from Jimmy Carter's to George W. Bush's has condoned Pakistan's nuclear activity and puts our current stand-offs with Iran and North Korea, and the quagmire in Iraq, in a stark perspective. It charts how Pakistan has gone from being an ally to a rogue nation at the epicenter of world instability.

Adrian Levy and Catherine Scott-Clark are internationally renowned and award winning journalists who worked as staff reporters for The Sunday Times of London. They published the critically acclaimed Stone of Heaven, a New York Times 'notable book.' They live in Britain and in France.

The Newton Free Library Poetry series, directed by Doug Holder continues on Tuesday, November 13 at 7:00 pm. The reading will be followed by an open mike with a limit of one poem a person.

Susan Eisenberg is the author of the poetry book, Pioneering, and the nonfiction book, We’ll Call You If We Need You: Experiences of Women Working Construction, which was selected as a New York Times Book Review Notable Book and optioned by MGM for a feature film.

Mary Bonina has published poetry, memoir, and fiction in literary magazines, online journals, and anthologies. She was winner of Boston Contemporary Authors competition, as a result, her poem Drift is inscribed on a granite monolith permanently installed outside Green Street subway station.

Wendy Drexler's recent and forthcoming publications include Nimrod (Semi-Finalist, 2006 Nimrod/Hardman Pablo Neruda Award), The Comstock Review (Honorable Mention, 2006 Muriel Craft Bailey Memorial Award) and the anthology Blood to Remember: American Poets on the Holocaust. Her chapbook, Gas Stations, Drive-Ins, the Bright Motels was recently published by Pudding House.

Alice Rothchild grew up in a family grounded by the traumas of the Holocaust and passionately devoted to Israel. In her book Broken Promises, Broken Dreams Stories of Jewish & Palestinian Trauma & Resilience, she recounts her experiences as she grapples with the reality of life in Israel, the complexity of Jewish Israeli attitudes, and the hardships of Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza. Ms. Rothchild will give a book talk on Wednesday, November 14, 2007 at 7:00 pm which will be followed by a book signing.

Working within Israel and the Occupied Territories with a medical and human rights project, Rothchild, a Jewish-American physician, was able to interview a number of different women. She examined their diverse perspectives and the complexities of Jewish Israeli identity. A Boston-based physician, she has sought to build alliances between Israelis and Palestinians in opposition to Israeli policies of occupation and to promote a more honest dialogue within the Jewish community in the United States.

The Newton Free Library Legal Series continues Thursday, November 15 with a comprehensive tour of the State Library of Massachusetts at the State House in Boston. Established in 1826 with a collection of maps, statute books and government documents, its unofficial roots go back to 1811 when a document exchange program with other states was begun. Now "geared to meet the information and research requirements of the executive and legislative branches of state government," it also serves the general public and others as a law library. Renamed The George Fingold Library in 1960, the library is both historic and modern with the collections and services it offers.

The tour will be given by Pamela Schofield, Reference Librarian and Legislative Liaison. Katherine Chase, Special Collections Librarian, will show us historic Newton materials and other special items collected over nearly two hundred years.

Meet at 10:00 am on the third floor of the State House, outside of Room #341. Registration is required, call: 617-796-1380. Participants are responsible for their own transportation.

 

Longtime Boston rock critic Brett Milano has been penning reviews for various music publications since 1980. He will give a talk on his new book The Sound of Our Town, A History of Boston Rock and Roll, on Thursday, November 15 at 7:00 pm. The talk will be followed by a book signing with books provided by New England Mobile Book Fair.

In his new book which is illustrated with old photos and posters, Milano surveys the evolution of rock music over the last 50 years, from the high-flight successes of Aerosmith and the Cars to lesser known bands like Dirty Ticket, the Konks and Red Invasion.

Milano, who lives in Somerville, MA, has been a longtime columnist for the Boston Phoenix, is a former columnist for the Boston Globe, contributor to the Boston Herald. He is music editor for Soundstone Entertainment and Firefly, and worked for Rhino Records. He has a master’s degree in journalism from Boston University.

On Monday, November 19 at 7:30 pm., West Newton resident Carole Herman will discuss her recent trip to Mississippi. The discussion will be held at the Auburndale Branch at 375 Auburn St., Auburndale, MA 02466.

Living out of her mobile home for four months, Ms. Herman served as a volunteer for the Long Term Recovery of Hurricane Katrina Survivors. Her presentation entitled, How a Liberal Northeasterner Survived and Prospered in the Deep South, incorporates slides of areas affected by Hurricane Katrina and first-hand accounts of how locals are coping. Light refreshments will be served.

Fred Reidy will return with his amazing assortment of puppets for a library fundraiser Monday, November 26, 10 am – 7 pm, Druker Auditorium.

Boston Globe Staff Photo

Join Boston Globe reporter Sean P. Murphy for a crash course on the most expensive—and most elaborate—highway project in America, the Big Dig. This is the story of politicians, union workers and commuters who have been shoveling the Big Dig’s dirt for over 20 years. The program will take place on Tuesday, November 27 at 7:00 pm.

An award-winning investigative reporter and editor, and member of the Mass Bar Association, Sean P. Murphy has spent the last 20 years breaking stories on the Big Dig, including the state’s failure to hold Big Dig contractors accountable in 2003, and the cause of the ceiling collapse in 2006.

Newton raised author Marcella Pixley’s first riveting novel, FREAK, addresses the challenge of and triumph over bullying. The book's main character, Miriam Fisher, is a budding poet who reads the Oxford English Dictionary for fun. In the midst of teasing and taunting in the seventh grade, Miriam, pushed towards breaking, finds the inner strength to prove she is a force to be reckoned with. Miriam manages not only to save herself but also to inspire and transform others.

Marcella Pixley teaches eighth-grade language arts. Her poetry has been published in literary journals such as Prarie Schooner. Ms. Pixley will speak on Thursday, November 29 at 7:00 pm. A book signing will follow.

After 14 years as Director of the Newton Free Library, Kathy Glick-Weil has announced that she will retire on January 2, 2008. Glick-Weil was hired in 1993 following the term of Director Virginia Tashjian.

After receiving her BA from Newcomb College of Tulane University and her MLS at the University of California at Berkeley, Glick-Weil served in libraries in Braintree, Stoughton and Brockton. Before coming to Newton, she was the Assistant Library Director in Medford, and the Director at the Lincoln Public Library. Her professional activities included a term as President of the Massachusetts Library Association in 2006-2007.

During her term at the Newton Free Library Glick-Weil oversaw a tremendous growth in services. Circulation more than doubled, topping 1,950,000 in FY07. She and the staff shepherded the library’s evolution into a true educational and cultural center of the

community, with collections and programs for all ages and all interests. Since 1999 the library has consistently ranked in the top 10 in the United States for libraries in communities of similar size. Glick-Weil implemented numerous changes at the library benefiting citizens in Newton and beyond. Implementation of technology included high speed internet access and wireless throughout the building, the development of the library’s popular website, and access to informational data bases both in the building and from home. Program offerings increased such as additional concerts, author talks, and monthly clubs. Print and audio visual collections grew to better meet borrower needs, and many new items in foreign languages were added. The Main Library Building changed to meet user needs, with expanded Children’s and Audio Visual Departments, and a new Young Adult Department currently in development. The library received many federal grants during Glick-Weil’s tenure, including funding for several pre-school literacy programs, a grant focused on customer service, and funding to conserve some of the library’s most valuable Newton historical documents. From the installation of the library’s exterior installation of Winnie the Pooh to the improvements in services and community outreach, Glick-Weil has had a stellar career in Newton and she will be greatly missed.

Glick-Weil will be moving to Bethlehem, PA where her husband, Gordon Weil, was recently appointed Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty at Moravian College. Her retirement plans include volunteering at nursing homes and hospitals with her dog Nino serving as a therapy dog. A celebration honoring Glick-Weil will be held on December 2 at the Library from 4:30-6:30 pm, with details to follow.