Connections Fall 2010

Interviewing the interviewer

TERRYGROSS

THE PRINCETON PUBLIC LIBRARY MAGAZINE

10.9.10 Gala

10.10.10 Birthday Party

CENTENNIAL

WEEKEND

Fall 2010

Pages 12-13

Children’s Book Festival

R.L.STINE

Green cleaning

DEIRDRE IMUS

Thinking Allowed

EDWIDGE DANTICAT

2 EVENTS Books and Authors

For an up-to-date calendar of all Princeton Public Library programs, please visit www.princetonlibrary.org

Fear factor

Ohio State University in 1965 and then moved to New York.

“I thought that if you wanted to be a writer, you had to move to New York and get an apartment in Greenwich Village. So that’s what I did,” he says. “My first job was making up interviews with movie stars. This woman had six monthly fan magazines to fill. I’d come in in the morning and she’d say, ‘Make up an interview with Diana Ross’ or ‘Make up an interview with the Beatles.’

It was a very creative job. I

By ANNE LEVIN learned to write really fast Connections Staff Writer and make up stuff.” ids like to be scared.

Stine wrote for several R.L. Stine, who just might be one of the world’s most R.L. Stine is one of more than 50 authors and magazines in New York and prolific authors, found this out early in his career. And illustrators who will appear Sept. 11 at the was an editor for Junior with the “Goosebumps,” “Fear Street,” “Nightmare Princeton Children’s Book Festival.

Scholastic and Scholastic Room” and other series of books for young people he magazines.

He was the editor and creator of the Scholastic magazines has churned out by the hundreds for more than two decades, he has Bananas and Maniac and the head writer for a Nickelodeon cable TV delivered what youthful readers want, with certain caveats. show “Eureeka’s Castle” before turning his attention full-time to young “When I first started doing these books, I used to go to schools and adult and children’s novels. ask kids what they like to read. Every time, they’d say ‘We like to be Humor almost always plays a role in Stine’s work. “I put a lot of scared,’ ” says Stine, who is the headliner at the library’s fifth annual humor into the ‘Goosebumps’ books. I don’t really want to terrorize Children’s Book Festival on Sept. 11. “They said books were not scary kids,” he says. “There is a very close connection between humor and enough. I realized that with these books, kids can go out and have these horror. When I go to a scary movie it always makes me laugh. There scary adventures but know they’re safe at the same time. They can fight are always people laughing at horror movies. It’s kind of like going on a the ghosts and monsters but be safe in their rooms while they’re doing roller coaster, screaming and laughing while you’re a little afraid.” it. They know the books aren’t going to go too far, but they’ll still be Stine’s ideas for books occur to him when he least expects it. “I sit scary. I think that’s the appeal.” down, or I’m walking the dog in the park, and I think of titles,” he says.

This simple formula of fright-within-limits has made Stine an “I work backwards from every other author. The other day ‘Little Shop idol among young readers and won him numerous accolades from of Hamsters’ just popped into my head. It’s a great title, though now such professional organizations as the American Library Association I have to think of a story for it. But honestly, almost every time, that’s and Nickelodeon. The Guinness Book of World Records listed how it happens. ‘Say Cheese and Die’ is another one I just thought of.

“Goosebumps” as the best-selling children’s series in history in 2000.

And I like ‘The Wizard of Ooze.’ ” Stine keeps abreast of what kids are talking about and thinking about Having turned out a number of books in a series called “Rotten by keeping his eyes and ears open. “I spy on them,” he says. “I visit School,” Stine has recently returned to “Goosebumps.” He has signed up schools. I have nephews and nieces who are the right age, and I talk to to write 25. The newest one is “Weirdo Halloween.” them. I want to see what they’re wearing, what they’re talking about, Stine is married to an editor and they have one son, now 30 years what technology they’re using. You don’t want to sound like an old man old.

“He was a non-reader,” Stine says. “He only read ‘Garfield’ comics trying to be hip.” through his whole childhood. And of course he would never read any of Stine feels fortunate to be doing what he has always wanted to do. my books. But he went off to college and was an English major.”

“I don’t know, I just love it,” he says in a telephone interview from his His son’s youthful reading material may have Upper West Side Manhattan apartment. “I was been limited, but he was reading. “I’ve found 9 years old, up in my room, typing. It’s all I’ve that the more kids read, no matter what they ever done. My mother just didn’t understand it.

More authors, music and fun read, the better they become at reading,” Stine ‘Go outside and play!’, she’d always tell me. And In addition to R.L. Stine, the Princeton Children’s Book says. “I love getting letters from kids saying ‘I here I am, still doing it. I was an editor and I’ve Festival will also feature 50 authors eager to meet young read one of your books in two days.’ They get readers. Among those who will be on hand are Deborah been a writer my whole life. I still look forward this feeling of mastery. That’s a great thing. And Heiligman (“Charles and Emma,” “Cool Dog,” “School to it every day.” it develops the reading habit. Then they go off Dog”), Tad Hills (the “Duck and Goose” series), Margie As a youngster, Stine was obsessed with Palatini (the “Bad Boys” series), Fran Manushkin (the and read other things.” horror comics. The more gruesome they were, “Katie Woo” series) and Wendy Mass (“Finally,” “BirthThat’s the idea. “My main aim is to get kids the better. “There was ‘Tales from the Crypt,’ day,” “Every Soul a Star”). reading,” Stine says. “People always ask me what ‘Vault of Horror’ – I loved them,” he says. “They Barnes & Noble will have a bookstore in the library’s kind of lessons are in my books. There aren’t were really disgusting, but they were funny, Community Room, and a percentage of all books purchased any, at least not consciously. I try to make them with twist endings. I could only read them at will go to the library’s Youth Services Department. Througheasy to read without talking down to them. the barbershop because my mother thought out the day, rocker Kenn Kweder will entertain the grownThey’re not challenging. I don’t try to teach they were trash and wouldn’t let me bring them ups. Kids can attend a performance by Yosi, the Israeli-born them vocabulary words. It’s just fast-action, home. So I got a haircut every week. I had no singer and songwriter, at 2:30 p.m. plot-driven stories, just to get them to read.” hair.”

R.L. Stine finds the right mix of terror and laughs to keep young readers entertained.

The prolific author appears at the Princeton Children’s Book Festival on Sept. 11.

K

Robert Lawrence Stine was born in Columbus, Ohio in 1943. He graduated from

For more information, including a list of all authors, please visit www.princetonlibrary.org/children/festival

Children’s Book Festival / Sept. 11 / 11 a.m.

Hinds Plaza / Rain or Shine

3

Creative tension

Edwidge Danticat’s “Create Dangerously” examines art and exile

By ANNE LEVIN Connections Staff Writer

D

elivering the second annual Toni Morrison Lecture at Princeton University two years ago, Haitian-American writer Edwidge Danticat spoke about the extraordinary courage of artists who create despite the climate of fear and horrors that drove them from their homelands. Danticat, winner of the National Books Critics Circle Award and a MacArthur Fellowship, knows all about these artists. She is one of them.

That lecture has become the topic of Danticat’s latest book. “Create Dangerously: The Immigrant Artist at Work” is a deeply personal reflection on art and exile, inspired by a famous lecture on the same topic by French writer Albert Camus. Danticat will talk about the book, recently released by Princeton University Press, when she appears at the library Nov. 5 as part of the Thinking Allowed series. Princeton University professor Anne Cheng will be the moderator for “A Conversation with Edwidge Danticat.”

“Create dangerously, for people who read dangerously,” she writes in the first chapter.

“This is what I’ve always thought it meant to be a writer. Writing, knowing in part that no matter how trivial your words may seem, someday, somewhere, someone may risk his or her life to read them. Coming from where I come from, with the history I have – having spent the first 12 years of my life under the dictatorships of Papa Doc and his son, Jean-Claude (Duvalier) – this is what I’ve always seen as the unifying principle among all writers.”

Born in 1969, Danticat was raised in Haiti by her aunt and uncle, a minister, from age 4 until she was 12. It was then that her parents, who had moved to New York in search of a better life for their children, sent for her and her brother.

The move was a difficult one for young Edwidge, who spoke no English. Reflecting on it now, as a mother of two young daughters herself, she recalls her feeling of living two realities at one time, a theme she discusses in her book.

“It was not that unusual in my parents’ time and in my time in Haiti to have this kind of situation,” she says. “Even in the house where we grew up, there were so many other kids being looked after by my aunt and uncle after a lot of parents went abroad. It’s something that’s rather common in the Caribbean. Being raised by them, I felt like I spent my childhood waiting to go somewhere else. It was sort of a constant state: When would they send for me? So life in Haiti felt, on one level, more real, because I was trying to capture everything before I left. At the same time, it felt transient. There was that feeling that you could leave at any time. People

Edwidge Danticat appears Nov. 5 as part of the Thinking Allowed series co-sponsored by Princeton University Press.

were always preparing me for that. It only made me a better observer.”

After graduating from high school in Brooklyn, Danticat entered Barnard College and earned a degree in French literature. While studying for her master’s degree in creative writing from Brown University, she wrote a thesis that was the basis for her novel “Breath, Eyes, Memory,” published in 1994. Four years later, it became an Oprah’s Book Club selection.

Since completing her master’s degree, Danticat has taught creative writing at New York University and the University of Miami. She has also worked with filmmakers Patricia Benoit and Jonatham Demme on projects on Haitian art and documentaries about Haïti. Danticat’s short stories have appeared in more than 25 periodicals and have been anthologized several times. Her novels and stories have been translated into numerous other languages including French, Korean, German, Italian, Spanish and Swedish.

“Create Dangerously” is a blend of memoir and essay. Danticat tells her story along with those of others, relating sometimes-horrifying histories that have haunted her since childhood. There are the novelists she read as a girl at the Brooklyn Public Library. There is the visual artist Jean-Michel Basquiat. And there is

the Haitian woman, shockingly mutilated in a machete attack, who became a public witness against torture.

The devastating earthquake in Haiti last January has brought new misery to the country. Soon after the quake, Danticat wrote an account in The New Yorker of her cousin Maxo’s efforts to find lost relatives in the rubble. Danticat herself has flown to Haiti to help in any way she can.

“It is such a sad thing, and I wasn’t there,” she says of the chaos caused by the quake. “There are so many of us in that predicament. We lost family and friends. Certainly I had this desire, as a person, to just embrace the land. And as a writer, you’re asking yourself, ‘What can I do to help with my craft?’ The book is an exploration of all of that.”

Danticat, who lives in Miami, has been to Haiti twice since the earthquake. At press time, she was planning to return once more. “I still have family there, and a lot of the time is spent trying to find them and help them situate themselves and assist in any way I can,” she says. “It’s a long road ahead.”

“A Conversation with Edwidge Danticat,” moderated

by Anne Cheng / Nov. 5 / 7 p.m.

Part of the Thinking Allowed series co-sponsored by the library and Princeton University Press. Made possible through the support of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

4 EVENTS Books and Authors WRITERS TALKING

The Caroline Llewellyn Champlin Writers Talking Series

Andrew Lubin A war correspondent who has appeared on FOX, ABC, and CNN, Lubin has written for newspapers across the U.S. and on military.com.

He is also the author of the book “Charlie Battery: A Marine Artillery Unit in Iraq.” Having recently returned from his fifth assignment in Afghanistan, he will discuss the current situation in Marjah and Helmand Province.

Sept. 21, 7:30 p.m.

Sarah Hirschman

In “People And Stories/Gente Y Cuentos: Who Owns Literature?

Communities Find Their Voice Through Short Stories” the founder of the Gente y Cuentos program describes how men and women on welfare or in rehabilitation centers, prisoners, rural workers, disadvantaged youth or just ordinary community members are offered the chance to experience literature in a way they have not been able to in the past.

Hirschman was born in Lithuania of Russian Jewish parents. She was educated in France and the United States in literature and philosophy. She has established Gente y Cuentos in the U.S., France, and Latin America. She lives in Princeton with her husband, political economist Albert O. Hirschman.

Sept. 30, 7:30 p.m.

John P. Calu and David A. Hart In “Trenton: A Novel,” it is 1774 and the Revolution is brewing in the American colonies. This two-part saga begins with the discovery of a nearly lifeless body in the Delaware River, in Hopewell, N.J., by the son of a signer of the Declaration of Independence. The story of the Hart family, key players in the Revolution, is tied to the second part of the book, which takes place in modern-day Trenton and centers on the son of Cuban immigrants.

Luis Alma is running for mayor and he discovers the key to Trenton’s future may lie in a secret from its past.

Calu and Hart, a descendant of the Harts, have collaborated since 2003. Among their published work is a five-volume adventure series featuring Garden State sites, obscure local legends and everyday mysteries along the Jersey Shore and the Pine Barrens.

Nov. 1, 7:30 p.m.

Robert K. Wittman

Since his assignment to the Philadelphia Field Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in 1988, Wittman has been the FBI’s foremost investigative expert in the field of stolen art and cultural property. His memoir, “Priceless,” written with John Shiffman, tells the stories behind his recoveries of art and antiquities, from the golden armor of a Peruvian warrior king to the Rodin sculpture that inspired the Impressionist movement. Growing up in Baltimore, Wittman spent a lot of time in his parents’ antiques store, learning the business of art. In 2005, he was instrumental in the creation of the FBI’s rapid deployment Art Crime Team. He has represented the U.S. around the world, conducting investigations and instructing international police and museums in recovery and security techniques. Wittman is now an art security consultant for the private sector.

Sept. 22, 7:30 p.m.

Kaiser Fung A statistician with Sirius XM Radio and the author of “Numbers Rule Your World: The Hidden Influence of Numbers and Statistics on Everything You Do,” Fung has more than a decade of experience applying statistical methods to unlocking the relationship between advertising and customer behaviors.

His blog, Junk Charts, pioneered the critical examination of data and graphics in the mass media.

Fung is a fellow of the Royal Statistics Society and an adjunct professor at New York University, where he teaches practical statistics to professionals. He has a master’s degree in business administration from Harvard, in addition to statistics and engineering degrees from Princeton and Cambridge universities.

Nov. 17, 7:30 p.m.

5 The Life and Times of Sylvia Beach, a three-program series featuring scholar-led film and book discussions ... Page 24

Deborah A. Kaple

POETRY READING AND BOOK LAUNCH

An associate research scholar and lecturer in the Department of Sociology at Princeton University, Kaple is the editor and translator of “Gulag Boss,” the memoir of Fyodor Vasilevich Mochulsky, the head of a Gulag of Soviet-era Russia. While prisoners wrote most of the known Gulag memoirs, the one translated by Kaple is one of very few offering the viewpoint of an administrator. Kaple will read from the book and show slides from the 1940s of the camp. She is the author of “Dream of a Red Factory: The Legacy of High Stalinism in China.”

Eileen Malone

Malone’s new book of poems “I Should Have Given Them Water,” is published by Ragged Sky Press. Malone is a prize-winning poet based in California whose poems and short stories have been published in more than 500 literary journals and anthologies. She taught with California Poets in the Schools Program and at San Francisco Community College and wrote an arts column for a Bay Area independent newspaper.

Sept. 23, 7:30 p.m.

Fireplace Area, second floor

Nov. 8, 7:30 p.m.

FICTION BOOK GROUP

MYSTERY BOOK GROUP

CÍRCULO DE LECTURA

Led by Gayle Stratton. Conference Room.

Moderado por Lucía Acosta. Princeton Room.

“The Imperfectionists”

by Tom Rachman Set against the backdrop of Rome, this wry, vibrant debut follows the topsy-turvy private lives of the reporters, editors and executives of an international English language newspaper as they struggle to keep the paper, and themselves, afloat.

Sept. 16, 10:30 a.m.

“Spade and Archer” by Joe Gores In this prequel to Dashiell Hammett’s “The Maltese Falcon,” Sam Spade talks the straight talk, asks the hard questions, gives no favors, and allows no way for anyone to get underneath the protective shell he wears like a second skin.

Sept. 13, 7:30 p.m.

“Adán en Edén” por Carlos Fuentes Un relato que retrata la realidad mexicana haciendo foco en el narcotráfico. El relato cuenta como un poderoso empresario decide llevar adelante su propia lucha contra el tráfico de droga y los narcos, siendo más criminal que ellos.

Miércoles 15 de septiembre, 7 p.m.

Led by Kristin Friberg. Conference Room.

“Lowboy” by John Wray Will Heller, a 16-year-old New Yorker, has stopped taking his anti-psychotic medication and wandered away from the mental hospital into the subway tunnels. He believes that the world will end within a few hours, and only he can save it.

Oct. 14, 10:30 a.m.

“Await Your Reply” by Dan Chaon The lives of three strangers interconnect in unforeseen ways, and with unexpected consequences. This novel has the momentum of a thriller, in which pasts are invented and reinvented and the future is uncharted and perilously unmoored.

Nov. 18, 10:30 a.m.

“A Beautiful Place to Die” by Malla Nun The murder of a white Afrikaner police captain in a small South African border town in 1952 leads English detective Emmanuel Cooper and his Zulu sidekick on a trail that includes a powerful landowner family, a beautiful mixed race woman who may know more than she is saying, the national security police and a group of rebels whose nonviolent Defiance Campaign for civil right threatens the government.

Oct. 4, 7:30 p.m.

“The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie”

by Alan Bradley Eleven-year-old Flavia de Luce, an aspiring chemist with a passion for poison, must exonerate her father of murder. Armed with more than enough knowledge to tie two distant deaths together and examine new suspects, she begins a search that will lead her all the way to the King of England.

Nov. 1, 7:30 p.m.

“El infinito en la palma de la mano” por Gioconda Belli Poesía y misterio se dan la mano en esta novela que nos presenta al primer hombre y la primera mujer descubriéndose y descubriendo su entorno, experimentando el desconcierto ante el castigo, el poder de dar vida y la crueldad de matar para sobrevivir.

Miércoles 13 de octubre, 7 p.m.

“Carlota Feinberg” por Antonio Muñoz Molina Dos hombres de la misma nacionalidad y que no volverán a verse nunca, tienen un encuentro fortuito en el aeropuerto de Pittsburgh. Uno de ellos cuenta una historia secreta que vivió en un hotel bonaerense.

Miércoles 10 de noviembre, 7 p.m.

TALKING POLITICS

Led by Joan Goldstein of Mercer County Community College. Quiet Room.

“The Politics of Offshore Oil” edited by Joan Goldstein Series moderator Joan Goldstein is the editor of this collection from the 1980s, which includes chapters by scientists from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services and the Bureau of Land Management; an oil industry executive; and a leader of Friends of the Earth. Goldstein is updating the book for reissue.

Sept. 15, 7:30 p.m.

“The Death and Life of the Great American School System”

by Diane Ravitch As an education historian and former assistant secretary of education, Ravitch has witnessed the trends in public education over the past 40 years and has herself swung from public-school advocate to market-driven accountability and choice supporter back to public-school advocate. Here, she analyzes research and concludes that a revival of strong neighborhood public schools is part of the solution.

Oct. 13, 7:30 p.m.

“The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine” by Michael Lewis The author of “The Blind Side” returns to his financial roots to excavate the crisis of 2007–2008, employing his trademark technique of casting a microcosmic lens on the personal histories of several Wall Street outsiders who were betting against the grain to shed light on the macrocosmic tale of greed and fear.

Nov. 10, 7:30 p.m.

6 EVENTS Film “Babies”

Bayarjargal, who lives in Mongolia with his family, is one of four babies followed from birth to first steps in “Babies.”

This acclaimed documentary simultaneously follows four babies around the world – from birth to first steps. The children live in Opuwo, Namibia; Mongolia, near Bayanchandmani; Tokyo, Japan; and San Francisco. The film joyfully captures the earliest stages of the journey of humanity that are at once unique and universal to us all. At the “Mommy and Me” screening on Nov. 9, parents and caregivers are invited to attend with their young children.

Bring whatever makes your baby comfortable – bucket car seat or snugly-type carrier and pack bottles, snacks, pacifiers, or whatever will make the child’s time go smoothly.

Nov. 7, 2 p.m.

Nov. 9, noon (parents, caregivers, babies)

Screening and Discussion

“William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe” This award-winning film examines the life of this radical attorney from a surprising angle.

Kunstler’s two daughters from his second marriage grew up lionizing a man already famous for his historic civil rights and anti-war cases. Then, in their teens, they began to be disillusioned by a stubborn man who continued representing some of the most reviled defendants in America, this time accused rapists and terrorists. In this intimate biography, directors Emily and Sarah Kunstler, who will be on hand to discuss the film and answer questions following the screening, seek to recover the real story of what made their late father one of the most beloved, and hated, lawyers in America.

Sept. 27, 7 p.m.

This event is a collaboration with the award-winning documentary series P.O.V.

“Off and Running”

Directors Emily, left, and Sarah Kunstler will lead a post-screening discussion.

The library marks National Adoption Month with this story of an African-American teenager from Brooklyn who is the adopted daughter of white, Jewish lesbians. Avery is a track star with a bright future. Her older brother is black and Puerto Rican and her younger brother is Korean. When Avery writes to her birth mother, the response throws her into crisis. She struggles with her “true” identity, the circumstances of her adoption, and her estrangement from black culture. Just when it seems as if her life is unraveling, Avery decides to pick up the pieces and make sense of it all.

Nov. 18, 7 p.m.

This event is a collaboration with the award-winning documentary series P.O.V..

7 FILMS FOR FOODIES In this series co-sponsored by Mediterra Restaurant, come for the film at 6 p.m., then dine at Mediterra, where special menu items based on the theme of the movie will be available at discount prices. Call 609.252.9680 to make dinner reservations.

“Fried Green Tomatoes”

Jon Avnet directed this 1991 film based on a novel by Fannie Flagg about an unhappy housewife. She befriends an old lady in a nursing home and is enthralled by her tales of people she used to know. The all-star cast includes Kathy Bates, Cicely Tyson, Jessica Tandy and Mary Stuart Masterson.

Sept. 1, 6 p.m.

50th Anniversary “The Joy Luck Club”

This 1993 film is about the relationships between Chinese-American women and their Chinese mothers. It is based on the haunting novel of the same name by Amy Tan, who co-wrote the screenplay with Ronald Bass. The film was produced by Oliver Stone and directed by Wayne Wang.

The cast is notable for consisting primarily of Asian-American women.

Oct. 12, 6 p.m.

“Psycho”

T

his groundbreaking film directed by Alfred Hitchcock is

a complex psychological thriller starring Anthony Perkins and Janet Leigh.

Though released in 1960 to initial mixed reviews, it is now regarded as one of Hitchcock’s best films and is considered a cinematic

“Waitress”

This romantic comedy is full of unexpected twists. The story follows a young waitress (Keri Russell) who is married to a full-time loser (Jeremy Sisto) with a mean spirit. She finds out she is pregnant, which ultimately puts her on a collision course with the new doctor in town (Nathan Fillion) and they fall into a passionate affair. Look for a great cameo

by Andy Griffith.

Nov. 23, 6 p.m.

classic by international critics and audiences.

Nov. 15, 7 p.m.

8 EVENTS Film WORLD CINECLUB “Paris”

In this 2008 film written and directed by Cedric Klapisch, a professional dancer (Romain Duris) who is awaiting a heart transplant has nothing better to do than watch people from the balcony of his Paris apartment. When his sister (Juliette Binoche) and three kids move in to his place to care for him, Pierre does not change his new habits. And instead of dancing himself, it is Paris and the Parisians who dance before his eyes.

Sept. 28, 7 p.m.

“Nine Queens”

In Spanish, this 2000 Argentine crime drama written and directed by Fabián Bielinsky tells the story of two con artists who meet by chance in a gas station and decide to cooperate in a scam. The picture was nominated for 28 international awards and won 21.

Nov. 16, 7 p.m.

Juliette Binoche and Romain Duris in a scene from “Paris,” to be screened Sept. 28.

PEFF REWIND “So Right So Smart”

This was one of the most popular films from the 2010 Princeton Environmental Film Festival. The documentary shows the success of businesses that have begun to take positive steps toward a sustainable future. Those looking to find encouraging news in the midst of our current environmental crisis will be inspired by this story of leadership and hope.

Refreshments will be offered at a business networking session before the screening, and followed by a panel discussion featuring representatives from Bloomberg, Church & Dwight and McCaffrey’s Market, talking about their companies’ sustainability initiatives.

Oct. 14, 6 p.m. (film at 7 p.m.)

2011 Festival Announcement

“The Cove”

Directed by Louis Psihoyos, this feature from 2009 begins in Taiji, Japan, where former dolphin trainer Ric O’Barry has come to set things right. In the 1960s, it was O’Barry who captured and trained the dolphins that played the title character in the television show “Flipper.” He has now discovered a terrifying secret in a secluded cove where thousands of dolphins are hunted for meat and underhanded dealing to the entertainment industry. The film won an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 2010. Before the screening, refreshments will be served and announcements will be made about the 2011 Princeton Environmental Film Festival.

Nov. 12, 6 p.m. (film at 7 p.m.)

SAVE THE DATES A scene from “The Cove,” to be screened Nov. 12.

2011 Princeton Environmental Film Festival Jan. 13–24, 2011

9 FRIDAY FILM CAFÉ Enjoy cookies and coffee while watching a late-morning film. Our theme for fall is “Classics of Literature on the Silver Screen.”

“The Great Gatsby”

Francis Ford Coppola’s 1974 film of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel stars Mia Farrow and Robert Redford. Nick Carraway, a young Midwesterner now living on Long Island, finds himself fascinated by the mysterious past and lavish lifestyle of his neighbor, the nouveau riche Jay Gatsby. He is drawn into Gatsby’s circle, becoming a witness to obsession and tragedy.

Sept. 3, 10 a.m.

“For Whom the Bell Tolls”

Sept. 3. at Gatsby,”

“The Gre

“To Kill a Moc ki

ngbird,” Oct

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Ingrid Bergman and Gary Cooper star in this 1943 adaptation of Ernest Hemingway’s novel about the Spanish Civil War. Despite the film’s financial success and winning an Oscar, Hemingway greatly disliked the film, due to the removal of the book’s political content.

Sept. 17, 10 a.m.

“To Kill a Mockingbird”

This 1962 film version of Harper Lee’s prizewinning novel about racism stars Gregory Peck as southern lawyer Atticus Finch, named by the American Film Institute in 2003 as the greatest movie hero of the 20th century. Look for a young, unknown Robert Duvall in the role of Boo Radley, the neighborhood character with whom Jem and Scout, Atticus’s young children, are fascinated.

Oct. 1, 10 a.m.

“Pride and Prejudice”

Greer Garson became a star after appearing opposite Laurence Olivier in this 1940 version of Jane Austen’s novel. Elizabeth Bennet is one of five sisters whose parents hope to marry off to suitable husbands. Though she resists at first, Elizabeth cannot deny her attraction to the sober-faced, handsome Mr. Darcy.

Oct. 15, 10 a.m.

“Of Mice and Men”

In this 1939 film based on John Steinbeck’s novel, Burgess Meredith and Lon Chaney Jr. embody two tragic migrant workers during The Great Depression, facing all the hard work and hard knocks life offers in their pursuit of The American Dream. They wind up on a ranch with its share of sad, sometimes sadistic, characters.

Nov. 5, 10 a.m.

“Breakfast at Tiffany’s”

fany’s,” Nov. 19

Truman Capote’s novella comes to life in this classic film starring Audrey Hepburn as the daring Holly Golightly, an ambitious socialite who entrances her neighbor, played by George Peppard. The 1961 film was directed by Blake Edwards and won two Oscars.

Nov. 19, 10 a.m.

“Breakfast at Tif

PIXAR FILM SERIES “Finding Nemo”

When the defiant clownfish Nemo takes off from his dad Marlin and gets captured by a tropical fish seeker, he finds himself stuck in a fishbowl in a dentist’s office.

Marlin and his well-meaning, but wacky, friend Dory embark on an epic journey to find his son.

Sept. 4, 2:30 p.m.

“The Incredibles”

Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter and Samuel L. Jackson are the voices in this adventure of Bob Parr, formerly known as Mr. Incredible, who, along with his family had to be put into the witness protection program. Leaving his life of crime fighting behind, Bob is now a clockpunching insurance adjuster trying to make a life in the ‘burbs. When a mysterious communication summons him to a remote island, the whole family must jump back into action for one last mission.

Nov. 5, 2:30 p.m.

“Toy Story”

Woody, a drawstring cowboy doll (the voice of Tom Hanks), is jealous of newtoy-in-town, spaceman action figure Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) in this computergenerated fantasy of an eclectic assortment of toys and their comical misadventures. Woody and Buzz must band together to survive when they find themselves in the outside world in the first feature-length computer animated film.

Nov. 26, 2:30 p.m.

“Toy Story 2”

In this sequel to the landmark 1995 “Toy Story,” Andy goes off to summer camp and the toys are left to their own devices. Things shift into high gear when an obsessive toy collector kidnaps Woody, who, unbeknownst to himself, is a highly valued collectible. It’s now up to Buzz Lightyear and the gang from Andy’s room (Mr. Potato Head, Slinky Dog, Rex and Hamm) to spring into action and save their pal from winding up as a museum piece.

Nov. 27, 2:30 p.m.

10 EVENTS Music

Q&A/SALMAN AHMAD

Rock of understanding A Sufi rocker on the power of music and the true meaning of the word ‘jihad’

S

alman Ahmad’s musical career with the rock bands Vital Signs and Junoon represent only one aspect of his inspiring story. Born in Pakistan 46 years ago, raised both there and in the U.S., and trained as a physician, this charismatic performer has also become an educator and a goodwill ambassador.

He has performed all over the world with such stars as Melissa Etheridge, and was invited by former President Bill Clinton to speak at a Clinton Global Initiative Panel in 2006. Ahmad’s appearance in Princeton was one of the highlights of the TEDx New Jersey Libraries event in the spring. He will return on Oct. 6 at 7 p.m. to perform and speak about his work helping to bring peace between Pakistan and India. Ahmad is currently teaching at Queens College and performing solo under the Junoon label.

achieve my rock ‘n’ roll dreams. Jihad literally means to strive or to make an effort. Prophet Muhammad explained to Muslims that the greater Jihad means positive struggle to find your purpose in life, to overcome your nafs (ego) and to help lift yourself up and society.

Jihad does not mean flying planes into buildings or blowing yourself up in the name of Allah. Martin Luther King’s movement for civil rights was a form of Jihad, as was Gandhi’s struggle for independence. Jihad was never used as a form of offensive militant struggle throughout the history of Islam but in today’s world, terrorists, masquerading as

Q: What was it like performing with Melissa Etheridge?

A: Melissa and I met at the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony and became close friends. She’s really down-to-earth and very humble for an Academy Award-winning artist. We jammed at her house in L.A. with acoustic guitars and co-wrote and recorded “Ring the Bells.”

The song defines a vision of hope for the future as seen by a Sufi Muslim rocker from Lahore and a lesbian rock star from Kansas.

Anything is possible if you choose love.

Here are Ahmad’s responses to some questions posed by Connections writer Anne Levin.

Q: You were trained as a doctor. How did you decide to make music your focus?

A: Music was the passion in my heart, and medicine a profession that my parents wanted me to pursue. Rock musicians never got any respect in Pakistani society, so it was only after becoming a licensed doctor that I told my parents that I was going to take a year off to follow my passion — but I didn’t say how many days in that “one” year. I’m happy that I took a year off to listen to the whisper in my heart. Making music has allowed me to bring both healing and joy to a lot of people around the world. While my mother still hopes for me to return to medicine, she does love singing along to Junoon’s songs!

Q: Do people tend to misunderstand the term “jihad”?

A: I think so. Even the publisher of my book “Rock ‘n’ Roll Jihad” asked me not to use the “J” word for the book’s title because of the confusion over its meaning. I’ve tried to shine a light on its meaning and how I was able to wage a Jihad against extremism to

A: Junoon’s songs are about the ecstatic celebration of love, life and passion. The 13th century Sufi poet Rumi said “If you follow the music it will show you the way.” In 2008, Junoon performed (despite death threats from militants) the first ever rock concert in the violence-ridden state of Kashmir. Thousands of college students, girls and boys, braved bullets and jumped over barbed wire to come and see us at the edge of the Dal Lake surrounded by the Himalayas.

It was a historic and memorable concert that illustrated the power of rock ‘n’ roll to bring people together. In the long run, music is mightier than the sword and the guitar more powerful than the gun.

Q: What will you be focusing on at your appearance here in Princeton in October?

A: To make new friends and to touch as many hearts as I can with my music and storytelling!

Salman Ahmad performs Oct. 6 at 7 p.m.

holy men have hijacked Muslim culture and language. They have distorted the meaning of Jihad and are brainwashing young Muslims to commit wanton violence.

In Islam, both suicide and the killing of innocent women, men and children is considered haram (prohibited). There’s a Quranic verse which says “if you kill one innocent person, it’s like the killing of all humanity” and “Saving one life is like saving the whole of humanity.” To overcome the ignorance and confusion associated with Islam and Muslims can only be defeated by better communication of the message of the Quran and Islam.

Q: What is it about your music, and music in general, that brings people together and crosses boundaries?

Q: What is your mission?

A: Rock & Roll Jihad’s message is a positive one — of cultural fusion; when we see with the heart all the masks fall down. In order to face the threats that our planet faces — of terrorism, nuclear proliferation, pandemic diseases, water shortages, global warming — we have to come together as global citizens and rise above our differences. This is not some tree-hugging, hippie peace-and-love message, This is an urgent plea for the collective interest of the human race: if we come together, collectively, we can overcome these dangerous threats that confront us.

This is the work that my wife Samina and I are doing through the Salman and Samina Global Wellness Initiative.

For more information on Ahmad’s work, visit www.ssgwi.org, www.junoon.com or follow on Twitter @sufisal.

Salman Ahmad / Oct. 6, 7:30 p.m.

11 PRINCETON SYMPHONY SOUNDTRACKS

T

his new series gives a behind-the-scenes look into the workings of the Princeton Symphony Orchestra.

What does it take to present a major concert by a professional orchestra? Who chooses the music, the soloists? What inspires the programming? Is new music hard to play? How do individual musicians in each section shape the overall sound of the orchestra? And what’s behind the hierarchy of seating on stage?

Discover the answers to these and other questions in these programs.

City Winds Trio This New Jersey-based ensemble made up of flutist Crispian Fordham, oboist Meredyth Coleman and pianist Jack Bender, will discusss and perform some of their favorite works by J.S.Bach, Jacques Ibert, Eugène Goossens, Madeline Dring, Jules Demersseman and Felix Berthelemy.

Sept. 26, 3 p.m.

Made possible through the support of the National Enowment for the Humanities.

Season Preview

At this opening evening, PSO Music Director Rossen Milanov will preview the 2010-2011 season, which will feature acclaimed guest soloists and a mix of orchestral classic and modern repertoire.

Sept. 29, 7:30 p.m.

“The Eternal Feminine” The second Princeton Symphony Soundtracks will be a lecture on “The Eternal Feminine,” the theme of PSO’s November 14 concert and joint program with the Princeton University Art Museum highlighting artists’ and composers’ perspectives on the mysteries of womanhood and the changing feminine ideal through the ages.

Nov. 3, 7:30 p.m.

Fireplace Area, second flloor

Lecture-in-Song: Cole Porter

Pianist, singer and narrator Fred Miller presents his musical and anecdotal overview of the great American songwriter’s life and career. Miller has nearly 50 lectures-in-song in his repertoire, each a 60- to 75-minute program profiling a great personality or important facet of American popular song.

Nov. 14, 3 p.m.

Fred Miller

Cole Porter

Rossen Milanov

Harley & Lind

Sufalko

Kim Yarson

Songwriters in the Round

Songwriter Kim Yarson returns to the library with the duo Barbara Harley and Al Lind and Dan Sufalko for this special showcase. The musicians perform their music in an in-the-round setting, allowing the audience to learn more about the songs and the process of songwriting.

Nov. 28, 3 p.m.

12 FEATURE Centennial Weekend

Fresh perspectives

Terry Gross on her life as a teacher, interviewer and lover of libraries

By ANNE LEVIN Connections Staff Writer

anymore. What does make me nervous is if I haven’t had a lot of time to prepare. I used to get particularly nervous interviewing people who meant a lot to me personally, like Stephen Sondheim. You want to live up fter graduating from SUNY Buffalo with a degree in English to your ideal of what they are.” in 1973, Terry Gross got certified as a teacher and landed a One of her favorite subjects was the late novelist John Updike. “I feel job in an inner-city Buffalo junior high school. She was fired lucky to have interviewed him many times,” she says. “He had a very after six weeks. distinctive voice, not just as a writer but as a speaker. Now, when I read “It was a disaster,” recounts the famed public radio host, unleashing his books, I actually hear his voice.” the mellifluous laugh that has endeared her to the millions of fans of Gross grew up in Brooklyn, where the neighborhood library was an her weekday show, “Fresh Air.” “Not only could I not control them,” she important part of her childhood routine. “There was a public library continues, “I couldn’t even get them into the room!” about three blocks away, and my mother went there once a week and got This willingness to share her own shortcomings is part of what out one or two books for herself and a kids’ book for me,” Gross recalls. makes Gross so appealing to her listeners and to most – not all – of “When she sat in front of the TV, she would read. Then when I got old her subjects. Gross is the featured speaker Oct. 9 at the library’s enough to buy her a gift, I bought her a book. She was mad at me. ‘Why Centennial Gala, and she plans to bring tapes from interviews where the did you spend money on a book?’, she said. ‘That’s what libraries are for.’ ” personalities got so angry that they walked out. Fox News commentator When she went to college, Gross gravitated toward the library. “I used Bill O’Reilly is one; musician Lou Reed is another. to go there to study, to get out “He didn’t want to talk about of my dorm room,” she recalls. himself, or his earlier music,” “I liked the quiet, but in a Gross says. “I think he was in public space. There was a sense a bad mood. But that hasn’t of solitude. But the etiquette of diminished my love of his the library was there.” music.”

Still based at WHYY in It was Gross’ unsuccessful Philadelphia, Gross does stint as a teacher that led, very few of her “Fresh Air” indirectly, to her entry into interviews in person. Most are radio. “I kind of stumbled into conducted remotely via fiber it,” she says. “I got a job on a optic and other technology. It feminist radio show in Buffalo, is variety that keeps her in love and I loved it. I used to think, with the job. Where one day she ‘All I want is that they allow me might be questioning a political to keep doing this.’ So I’m really pundit, the next interview happy now to be getting paid can be with a rock star or film to do a national radio show. director.

I’m very surprised things have “I like mixing it up,” she turned out this way.” says. “I get to talk to all kinds More than 4 million listeners of people. It’s easier for me from 500 stations across the to stay fresh. You’re always country tune into “Fresh Public radio personality Terry Gross is the speaker at the Oct. 9 Centennial Gala. learning and always engaging Air” on weekday afternoons. in different types of conversations. That said, it can be a relief to talk to a What started out as a local program on WHYY-FM in Philadelphia person without having to master knowledge of a brand new field. It can has blossomed into what NPR calls its most listened-to program after be relaxing to talk to a favorite songwriter or novelist, whose work you “Morning Edition” and “All Things Considered.” The award-winning know well.” interview show pairs Gross with celebrities from the worlds of politics, Gross has a Kindle that she loads with books and magazine articles music, film, and literature. She has a way of asking probing questions in when traveling. But she is a book person at heart. “I’m hell on books,” she a non-threatening manner, often getting subjects to relax and open up says. “I dog-ear them, I write in the margins. It’s so easy to do that on a as if having a casual conversation. book and find your way around. They haven’t figured that out yet with Even after 35 years, Gross still battles pre-show nerves on occasion. the Kindle. I need a book.”

“I’m still trying to figure out where the line is located between being Terry Gross / Centennial Gala / Oct. 9, 6 p.m. / Details: 609.924.9529, ext. 280 nervous and having anxiety,” she says. “Celebrities don’t intimidate me

A

Centennial Weekend Sponsors

Presenting Sponsor Church and Dwight Platinum Sponsor Glenmede Trust Gold Sponsors Howe Insurance Deborah Bailey Silver Sponsors Fidelity Investments Novo Nordisk

HOWE Insurance Group Established 1885

13

BIRTHDAYParty 10.10.10 T

o celebrate its centennial, Princeton Public Library is inviting not just its cardholders and supporters, but the entire community to a day of special events. Inside the building, outside on Hinds Plaza, and at sites all over town, this giant birthday bash on Oct. 10 (10/10/10) is designed to offer something for everyone, at every age.

“This is a community-wide birthday party that celebrates everything the library is about,” says Janie Hermann, the library’s programming coordinator. “It’s not just about our library. It’s about the community, the people we serve and the many partners we work with. Local entertainers are appearing as a gift to the library, and the entertainment will be continuous.”

The party starts officially at 1 p.m., preceded by a 5K Fun Run in the morning. All of Hinds Plaza will be covered by a single tent with an outdoor stage featuring the acclaimed Princeton High School Stage Band; Princeton-born children’s musician Joel Frankel, who is flying in from Chicago; and Princeton native Chris Harford and His Band of Changes. WPST-FM will be broadcasting live from the party, which continues until 5 p.m.

Inside the library, the best of Princeton’s many choral groups will be performing on the unplugged stage by the second floor fireplace.

An ensemble of members of the American Boychoir, a cappella groups from Princeton High School, the Princeton Girlchoir, and Princeton Pro Musica Chamber Chorus will all be participating.

Children will recognize four costumed characters from their favorite books, roaming the premises and posing with them for pictures. Look for The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Pat the Bunny, and two other surprise characters from classic children’s literature.

Adding to the festive environment will be a raffle to win great prizes, including an iPad, a new tile on the library’s first-floor “Happy Wall,” free DVD rentals for one year, and 100 free music downloads.

Another way to win a prize is to participate in a “Princeton By the Decade” walking tour, organized by Princeton Tour Co.’s Mimi Omiecinski. Ten businesses, each representing one of the 10 decades of the centennial, will be open, with characters dressed in period costumes. Collect stamps from each one and earn a reward.

Of course, there will be food.

In the Community Room, 1,000 cupcakes and a giant birthday cake baked by a local bakery, selected from several who competed for the privilege, will be set out at 4 p.m. Everyone is invited to indulge their sweet tooth.

“This is a very special celebration for everyone, and it is communitycentric,” says Hermann. “We want everyone to join in the fun.”

Centennial Weekend Birthday Party / Oct. 10, 1-5 p.m. (Fun Run at 9 a.m.)

Hinds Plaza and inside the library

SCHEDULE HINDS PLAZA 9 a.m. 5K Fun Run

U N P L U G G E D S TA G E (second floor fireplace area)

1 p.m. Princeton High School Stage Band

1 p.m. Princeton Pro Musica Chamber Ensemble

1:45 p.m. Joel Frankel (children’s entertainer)

2 p.m. American Boychoir

2:30 p.m. WPST-FM Live Broadcast

3 p.m. Princeton High School a cappella groups

4 p.m. Birthday Cake Cutting

4 p.m. Princeton Girlchoir

4:15 p.m. Chris Harford and His Band of Changes

CHARACTER LANE (first floor fireplace area)

Throughout the Afternoon Century Tours by Princeton Tour Co. Community Partners and Sponsor Tables Book Art exhibit at Arts Council of Princeton

1-5 p.m. Favorite children’s book characters, including Pat the Bunny and The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Bring your camera.

Underwriters In Their Own Hands Auction: Wells Fargo, The Gould Group Birthday Cake: Johnson & Johnson Consumer Group 5K Family Fun Run/Walk: Firmenich Character Lane: PNC Bank

Book Arts Exhibit and Panel Discussions

During the past 40 years, books have become a popular form of expression for painters, printmakers, and other visual artists. An exhibition and two panel discussions at the Arts Council of Princeton will explore the work of 16 artists and their books. The panels and exhibit are held in honor of the library’s centennial. Among the artists participating are Buzz Spector, Sarah K. Stengle, Asha Ganpat, Hedi Kyle, Chuck Miley and Marcia S. Wilson. Michael S. Joseph, consulting curator for the project and the rare book librarian at Rutgers University, will moderate the panels.

Oct. 7, 4 p.m. (exhibit opening and panel discussion) Oct. 21, 7 p.m. (panel discussion) Arts Council of Princeton, 102 Witherspoon St.

All times subject to change. Please visit www.princetonlibrary.org for updated schedule.

Bronze Sponsors Bank of Princeton Drinker Biddle Mason, Griffin & Pierson Miele Palmer Square Princeton University Princeton University Press The Residences at Palmer Square

Sponsor list complete at time of printing

14 EVENTS Enrichment

Clean and green

Deirdre Imus works to raise awareness about the toxins around us

By ANNE LEVIN Connections Staff Writer

E

nter into a conversation with Deirdre Imus, and you are likely to experience three stages: shock, horror, and hope.

The shock comes from the statistics that Imus, a tireless advocate of environmental reform, reels off about potentially deadly toxins that are present in our environment. The horror comes from the devastating effects of these toxins, particularly for children. The hope comes, thankfully, because Imus knows many things that can be done – from the smallest gesture inside the home to the entire “greening” of a public building – to create positive change.

“The good news with all of this is that there are definitely things you can do to prevent the onset of cancer and autism and so many other problems, and there are ways to reduce the odds,” says Imus, who will speak about her efforts at the library Sept. 23. “You can join us in educating the policymakers, so that we can create change. It can be done, and we’re doing it.”

Imus was speaking by phone from The Imus Cattle Ranch for Kids With Cancer, where she spends every summer with her husband, radio personality Don Imus, who broadcasts his show from there, and their 12-yearold son Wyatt. At this 5,000-acre working cattle ranch in northern New Mexico, children suffering from cancer and blood diseases, as well as those who have lost a sibling to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, get to be cowboys and cowgirls for a few weeks at a time. “Everything here is non-toxic, from the food to the personal care products to the cleaning products,” Imus says. “The kids do really well here and we love it.”

Growing up in Connecticut, Deirdre Coleman was a candy striper in the local hospital and volunteered at a school for children with muscular dystrophy. “It wasn’t like I had a plan,” she says of her evolution into a major figure in the fight for environmental safety. “I think it started, in part, because I was conscious of my own health. I realized that in order to help others, we have to keep ourselves in good health. I look back now and see that I was on that path, because I was an athlete and was conscious of myself through food. That led to the environmental connection. Not to sound corny or anything, but it grew kind of organically.”

After marrying her husband in 1994, Imus started raising money to help families of children with cancer and other diseases. She began to realize the staggering number of children who are sick and families who need help. “I started to see the connection between all of these pesticides that are in everything, and the numbers of kids who were getting sick,” she says. “I really wanted to learn about the science behind it.”

Imus founded the Deirdre Imus Environmental Center for Pediatric Oncology, a part of the Hackensack University Medical Center, a center with a specific mission to identify, control, and ultimately prevent exposures to environmental factors that may cause adult, and especially pediatric, cancer, as well as other health problems

Deirdre Imus, pictured here testifying before New York City Council, will speak Sept. 23 at the library.

with children. The center developed the Greening the Cleaning program to eliminate products with hazardous cleaning agents and replace them with those that have the least level of toxicity.

“I wanted to know, are hospitals true places of healing? And I quickly found out that they are not,” Imus says. “I saw that the place where I could have the biggest impact was cleaning products.

Because the toxins that are the ones that hospitals use everywhere and every day cause cancer and breathing problems, sometimes just the problems that the hospital is supposed to be treating.”

One out of six children today is diagnosed with an attention deficit disorder or related problem. The numbers of kids with autism, asthma, allergies, obesity, diabetes and cancer has soared. “This is what is going on with our children, and it is epidemic,” Imus says. “And this is really where my interest is. We have moved from the age of infectious diseases to the age of chronic diseases, but still with the problems of infectious diseases.”

At her talk, Imus will use visual aids to lay out the sobering statistics, followed by tips for simple changes in lifestyle that can help prevent these problems. “There is a lot people probably won’t know, about how we’re connected globally,” she says. She will conclude her presentation, as she always does, with simple ideas to create change.

“What I start with is organic foods. I tell people to go organic, to cut down or eliminate their consumption of meats. I

know that a lot of people are still going to eat meat or chicken, so I tell them to make sure it is grass-fed, free-range and organic.”

Imus talks about green cleaning, urging the purchase of non-toxic products.

While she is happy when people purchase her own line of Greening the Cleaning products, she is most interested in getting consumers to use any product that says “We disclose all ingredients” on the label.

“If it doesn’t, don’t buy it,” she says.

Imus was named in 2006 to the National Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production. She has been honored with several awards. Her book “The Imus Ranch: Cooking for Kids and Cowboys,” was a best-seller. Her efforts to make the world a healthier place continue, through education and advocacy.

Three years ago, Imus wrote in the Huffington Post: “If academic grades could gauge how well a country values and protects its children, the United States would not only receive an “F”, it would be one of the lowest grades in the class. America may be a superpower, but when it comes to protecting our children’s health we certainly are not keeping up with other developed nations. Not even close.”

Yet her message, though sobering, is ultimately upbeat. “Everyone can make a difference,” Imus says. “Whether it’s just doing one little thing in your own home or getting out to help educate our legislators, there is hope.”

Deirdre Imus / Sept. 23 / 7:30 p.m.

15 MARKET DAY This series of 2 p.m. programs through Oct. 28 in the Community Room is being held in conjunction with the Princeton Farmers’ Market on Hinds Plaza. Crafts, food-tastings, speakers and other special events are planned.

October programs are to be announced.

T H U R S D AY S

11 TO 4

What It Means to Eat Well

“What should I eat?” The answer to this ordinary question can be complicated for those trying to consume a healthy diet.

Nutritional guidelines can be confusing and conventional wisdom doesn’t always hold true. Jan Cho, an expert who blogs on the subject, advocates eating meaningfully, which requires complete participation in the experience, from knowing how and where an ingredient was grown to savoring it in a meal we prepared. This is the way to eat for wellbeing, and for all aspects of our being: mind, soul and body alike. Cho will offer samples of some freshly prepared and nutritious food following the hour-long discussion.

Sept. 2, 2 p.m.

Water Conservation

Leith Sharp on Sustainability

T

his program will teach the fundamentals of becoming a successful change agent for sustainability in any organization, business or group. Presenter Leith Sharp, executive director of the Illinois Community College Sustainability Network and visiting scholar at Harvard University School of Public Health, will introduce participants to the art of catalyzing wide-scale change in the behaviors and practices of large organizations, encouraging them to reduce their environmental impact. Sharp will use her many years of experience greening Harvard University as her primary

Following a short film, Judith K. Robinson, manager of Princeton Farmers’ Market, will moderate a panel discussion on the individual impact of water use and how all can help conserve this necessary resource and pass it on to future generations.

Sept. 9, 2 p.m.

Make Your Own Baby Food

Happy Baby representative Nicole Koroghlian Auker will demonstrate how to prepare healthy, organic food for babies. The process of starting solid foods and the benefits of making your own will be taught. Babies are welcome.

Sept. 16, 2 p.m.

Film Screenings

Films created this past summer by Princeton University’s Student Environmental Communication Network will be shown. The network trains students to produce media stories based on their explorations of sustainability. They investigate the nuances of what is “green” and learn the technical skills to communicate them.

Sept. 23, 2 p.m.

Green Cleaning Demonstration

case study.

Nov. 11, 7:30 p.m.

Co-sponsored by the library, OASIS, Sustainable Princeton and Sustainable Lawrence.

Local green cleaning expert Karen K. Nathan, owner and founder of Olivine LLC, will offer an interactive presentation on green cleaning methods. She will help attendees evaluate their cleaning products as well as offer tips on how to eliminate redundant cleaners.

Nathan will answer questions about how to replace toxic conventional cleaners with green alternatives, and show guests how to mix their own nontoxic cleaners.

Sept. 30, 2 p.m.

How to Make the Rest of Your Life, the Best of Your Life Author Jim Donovan is passionate about aging and the myths that surround it.

In this presentation and book-signing, he talks about why he believes getting old is just a state of mind. Sharing strategies that will keep purpose and

prosperity in one’s life regardless of age, Donovan strives to skewer stereotypes about getting older. Among his beliefs: retirement is the worst idea anyone ever had.

Sept. 9, 7 p.m.

16 EVENTS Enrichment

Bayard Rustin: Unsung Hero of the Civil Rights Movement

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his is a two-part series about the American civil rights activist who was important, largely behind the scenes, in the civil rights movement of the 1960s and earlier. Rustin is credited as the chief organizer of the 1963 March of Washington, counseled Martin Luther King, Jr. on the techniques of nonviolent resistance, and became an advocate on behalf of gay and lesbian causes in the latter part of his career. We will watch a film about Rustin at the first program, and hear a lecture by Princeton University professor Melissa Harris-Lacewell at the second program.

“Brother Outsider”

Since its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival and its 2003 national broadcast on public televison’s P.O.V. series, “Brother Outsider” has introduced millions of viewers around the world to the life and work of Bayard Rustin. The film combines rare footage, including some never broadcast in the U.S., with powerful interviews to chronicle the life and work of a forgotten prophet of social change.

Oct. 27, 7:30 p.m.

Melissa Harris-Lacewell

An associate professor of politics and African American studies at Princeton University, HarrisLacewell is author of the awardwinning “Barbershops, Bibles, and BET: Everyday Talk and Black Political Thought.” Her writings have been published in The Chicago Tribune, The Los Angeles Times, and Newsday and she provides commentary for NBC network and cable news.

Nov. 3, 7:30 p.m.

Series co-sponsored by the library and Princeton Friends Meeting.

Witherspoon-Jackson Genealogy Group

The group meets monthly to share ideas, listen to speakers and get beginners started with researching the history of families who lived in Princeton’s historic Witherspoon-Jackson community. On the steering committee are Frances Craig, Minnie Craig, Penney Edwards-Carter, Robert Harmon, Wallace Holland, Henry F. Pannell, Shirley Satterfield and Joseph Tadlock. All interested in the history of this community or in African American genealogy are invited to attend.

Sept. 2, Oct. 7, Nov. 4, 7 p.m.

Noodle Talk

A single, noodle-shaped paper strip drawn from a container can lead to a stimulating conversation about life experiences in Alan Goldsmith’s conversation game. Each noodle holds one or two questions. There are no right or wrong answers in these resulting discussions; just the truth of experience.

Sept. 13, Oct. 11, Nov. 8, 7 p.m.

Witherspoon School, 1903

Socrates Café In the spirit of Socrates’ belief that “the unexamined life is not worth living,” participants seek wisdom and knowledge through interactive discussion, questioning, and presenting multiple perspectives on topics of interest to the group.

Everyone is invited.

Sept 28, Oct. 26, Nov. 23, 7 p.m.

Conference Room

Jackson

Street in

0s

the 193

Continuing Conversations on Race and White Privilege

Members of Not in Our Town, the Princetonbased interracial and interfaith social action group, facilitate these discussions of race-related issues of relevance to our community and nation.

Oct. 4, Nov. 1, 7:30 p.m.

Conference Room

17 SCORE EVENTS Counseling Service

The mostly retired executives and small business owners of the Princeton Chapter are available three hours each weekday for by-appointment counseling sessions for individuals who are considering starting a new business or are in business and are seeking advice. All counseling is free and confidential. Call 609.393.0505 to schedule a session.

Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, 6 p.m.

Wednesdays, Fridays, 10 a.m.

Tower Room, second floor.

Seminars

Topics to be announced Sept. 14, 6:45 p.m.

Oct. 4, 6:45 p.m.

Nov. 30, 6:45 p.m.

Tuesday Networking Breakfasts

J

oin fellow job seekers for networking and some assistance with the search. This group is for those who are currently unemployed, underemployed or seeking to make a career or job change. Each month will feature a guest speaker and an open discussion time on a relevant topic. At 10 a.m., there will be time in the Tech Center for the group to use our databases and get assistance with technology.

Peter Bromberg and Janie Hermann will talk about how the library can assist jobseekers Sept 28, 8:30 a.m.

Dale G. Caldwell speaks about picking the right company to work for.

Oct. 19, 8:30 a.m.

Fred Ball will discuss interview skills and creating the perfect “elevator pitch.”

Nov. 30, 8:30 a.m.

Quickbooks Workshop

This free, hands-on workshop conducted

by Oria Gonzales, a certified Quickbooks trainer, is co-sponsored by the library and the Princeton area chapter of SCORE. Registration is limited and must be done through SCORE’s website, www.scoreprinceton.com.

Sept. 11, Oct. 9, Nov. 13, 9:30 a.m.

Peter Bromberg

Janie Hermann

Dale G. Caldwell

Ask a Lawyer

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

Sept. 22, 7 p.m.

Co-sponsored by the library, the Latin American Task Force, Lutheran Social Ministries, the Princeton Borough Housing Authority and the Mercer County Bar Association. For more information, call Lucia Acosta at 609.924-9529, ext. 245.

Citizenship Workshop

This three-hour workshop gathers in one place all the necessary resources to begin the application process for U.S. citizenship. Immigrants who have been legal permanent residents for at least five years (three if married to a U.S. citizen) and meet other requirements can qualify for citizenship. For those who may not meet all the requirements yet, or are unsure about whether they want to take the step, there will be presentations on what the process entails. A group of trained volunteers will assist applicants with completion of the N400 application form. Qualified attorneys will review the completed documents at no charge.

Sept. 18, 2 p.m.

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

Citizenship Classes

The Latin American Task Force offers a series of seven classes to assist in preparing for the U.S. Citizenship Test, including history and civics lessons and a review of basic English necessary for the citizenship interview.

Oct 6, 13, 20, 27; Nov 3, 10, 17, 7 p.m.

Conference Room, second floor

Why Can’t I Get That Job?

What are recruiters really looking for? Learn from career counselor Alex Freund of landingexpert.com about the importance of the “fit” factor, the issue of discrimination and companies’ unwritten little secrets about hiring. Get prepared for interviews of all types.

Oct. 26, 7 p.m.

Fred Ball

18 EVENTS Enrichment RETIREMENT Engaged Retirement Series

Social Media Event

Lee Mikles, CEO of The Archer Group of Wilmington, Del., and author of “Engage Your Brand,” will be the guest speaker at this event co-sponsored by the Social Media Club of Princeton. Anyone interested in social media is invited to attend.

A “meet and greet” will be followed by Mikles’ program. Mikles started The Archer Group with a desire to do something more than just build websites. He wanted to help marketers make their interactive marketing efforts invaluable to their overall businesses. As the CEO of the company, he provides the vision and overall strategy.

Sept. 15, 6 p.m.

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

Making Your Money Go Further In Retirement Marion Sommer, certified financial planner with MetLife, addresses one of the greatest fears shared by retirees: that they will outlive their savings. If you are 65 years old, you have a 50 percent chance of living past age 87. Find out how you can make your money go further in retirement using a number of strategies.

Sept. 14, 7 p.m.

What Do I Need to Know About Medicare?

Deborah Breslin, program director of the State Health Insurance Program, will talk about Medicare Basics, eligibility, enrolling in Medicare, Medicare Parts A & B, also Medicare Advantage (Part C) and Medicare prescription drug coverage and costs.

Oct. 12, 7 p.m.

Wills and Estate Planning William Isele, an attorney with Archer & Greiner, discusses the concept of estates. Whether rich, poor or in between, everyone has an estate. Retirees might also want to minimize the burdens, both emotional and financial, on their loved ones, who must deal with what is left behind. Isele will talk about the need for a will and other planning documents, and some of the aspects of estate planning not always considered.

Nov. 9, 7 p.m.

Related Programs Intro to Your Retirement Carol King, director of Engaged Retirement and Encore Careers at the Princeton Senior Resource Center, presents this single-session program, which offers an introduction to planning for retirement or a major lifestyle change. It will help participants explore options for dealing with change, managing time, identifying passions and volunteering.

Sept. 29, 7 p.m.; Nov. 3, 7 p.m.

Maximizing a Volunteer Experience Adrienne Rubin, executive director of VolunteerConnect.org, discusses how volunteering at a nonprofit lets you make a difference in the community, expand your horizons, give you new skills and help you create new relationships. Learn how to connect to the many opportunities available and find the one that will best meet your personal and professional goals.

Sept. 29, 10 a.m.; Nov. 15, 3 p.m.

Job Search Strategies for Older Workers Carol King presents strategies for competing in the new workplace, updating your skills, networking, dealing with ageism, job searching on the Internet and avoiding job scams.

Oct. 20, 7 p.m.

Comedy in Radio’s Golden Age

Henry Morse, the Old Time Radio Man, returns to the library by popular demand to present a lecture on how comedy, during the years of World War II, was the salve that kept our country together.

Come relive or be introduced to such radio greats as Fred Allen, Bob and Ray, Abbott and Costello and Smiling Ed and his Buster Brown Gang.

Oct. 7, 7 p.m.

TUESDAY TECHNOLOGY TALKS Web 2.0 Classroom Tools

fastest-growing social media tools, surpassing a million check ins in a single day in July. Join social media aficianados Amy Vernon and M. Elizabeth Williams to learn about best practices and tips for this fun and addicting platform.

Oct. 5, 7 p.m.

This session will examine some of the latest tech trends being used by students and will help parents and educators keep abreast of rapid developments in classroom technology. Suzanne Carbonaro, the National Council for Teacher Education and Accreditation assessment coordinator at Rider University, will discuss concepts such as backchanneling, videosharing and microcasting, then give a tour of some of the tools associated with these technologies.

Sept. 7, 7 p.m.

Future Tech in Libraries

Brian Downing, founder of Library Ideas, will prognosticate about technology in public libraries and discuss some of the innovative products that his company has been marketing to libraries. Freegal, which offers free-forever downloads of music from the Sony music catalog, and Moviestick, are two such products available at the library.

Nov. 2, 7 p.m.

Foursquare

This web and mobile application, which allows registered users to connect with friends and earn points for updating their locations, is one of the

The Writer’s Room Group Develop your writing skills in this friendly, non-threatening atmosphere. Receive constructive feedback at these sessions, during which participants read their work and members offer suggestions. Works read are usually less than 15 minutes long, so there is time to discuss a number of pieces during each session. While non-fiction has been the focus at previous groups, fiction writers are welcomed.

Past participants have ranged from published authors to those just writing for the joy of it and looking to improve their skills.

Sept. 7, 21; Oct. 5, 19; Nov. 2, 16, 7-9 p.m.

Princeton Room Registration is required; visit www.princetonlibrary.org.

Scrapbooking Circle

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

Sept. 19, Oct. 17, Nov. 21, 1 p.m.

Read, Write and Share

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

Sept. 27; Oct. 11, 25; Nov. 8, 22, 10:15 a.m.

Quiet Room Register: 609.924.9529, ext. 228

Knit for Others

With the approaching winter months in mind, the library invites patrons to join the staff as we spend the afternoon knitting for others. Our goal is to have 100 hats by 10/10/10, our 100th birthday party. Any hat, any size, any yarn will be accepted. Hats knitted at home can be dropped off at the Welcome Desk.

Hats will be donated to TASK and Homefront.

Oct. 3, 1 p.m.

19 ART TALK Cassie Jones

Thanksgiving Edition

Princeton Eats

Jones’s vibrantly colored works on paper, foam, plastic, paper bags and other media have earned her a reputation for innovative, interesting work. In this talk, she will discuss the works on exhibition in the second floor Reference Gallery.

Jones is a Princeton native who lives in Bowdoin, Maine. She earned an undergraduate degree in visual art and psychology from Bowdoin College and a master’s in painting from the Rhode Island School of Design. Her work has been displayed at the Coleman Burke Gallery in New York and at galleries in Maine, Chicago, and Boston.

Sept. 16, 7 p.m.

Christopher Albrecht, chef at Eno Terra, returns to the library’s Community Room for a reprise of the popular summer series Princeton Eats: Cooking With Local Ingredients.

In this special fall edition, Albrecht will demonstrate some new twists on old favorites for Thanksgiving.

Nov. 10, 10 a.m.

Please register by visting www.princetonlibrary.org

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

Visit one of these museums; it’s on us

T

he Museum Pass program proved a hit with our customers in its first year, and we’ve added some new museums,including the Intrepid Air, Sea and Space Museum and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. Museum Pass gives library customers a variety of options for visiting cultural institutions. With the economic crisis still keeping budgets tight, the free passes — one per day and five per month — are especially prized.

Cardholders can sign up for the program in the library, or from their home computers by visiting www.princetonlibrary.org. Participating museums are Garden State Discovery Museum and Montclair Art Museum in New Jersey, American Folk Art Museum, American Museum of Natural History, Children’s Museum of Manhattan, Frick Collection, Guggenheim Museum, Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum and Museum of the City of New York, all in New York; and the Academy of

Build a Scarecrow

Creative types of all ages are invited to build a scarecrow in the plaza outside the library.

We will provide the frame and hay. Some “scarecrow wear” (recycled clothing) will be on hand, but please bring your own clothing and accessories. The library will be dressed up for the season with finished scarecrows, and everyone can vote for their favorites.

Oct. 23, noon to 3 p.m. (raindate Oct. 24)

Natural Sciences and Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia.

The Children’s Museum of Manhattan and the Garden State Discovery Museum are members of the Association of Children’s Museums, and participate in its reciprocal museum program allowing entry, either discounted or free, into hundreds of participating children’s museums across the country including the Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia.

Family Photo Day

Get a professional-quality picture taken of your family just in time for creating personalized holiday greetings. The library will provide the atmosphere and photographers for making a memorable holiday photo card with a variety of props and backgrounds available for the various December holidays. Photos will be available for download within five days of the photo shoot. Once the photos are downloaded they will be yours to do with as you wish; no restrictions.

Photographers M. Elizabeth Williams of Girl+Camera, Bentley Drezner and Clancy August are donating their time and talent. The sitting fee of $25 will be donated to the Princeton Public Library Foundation. Stay tuned to the librarEnewsletter and our website for details on how to register and reserve your slot.

Oct. 24, 1-5 p.m.

Haunted House

Library staff and teen volunteers will be transforming our Community Room into a “haunted house” that will be open for tours. Meet in Palmer Square for the annual Arts Council of Princeton’s Halloween parade, and then dance in Hinds Plaza to spooky tunes while you wait your turn to go through the haunted house, which will remain open till 9 p.m.

Oct. 29, 4 p.m.

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

20 EVENTS Children

Geo-Bee

Teams of four, in grades 4-8, will join forces to test their knowledge of geography in this new contest. Prizes will be awarded. The audience can also get in on the fun.

Nov. 4, 7 p.m. (Sign-in begins at 6 p.m.)

Registration is required. Register via the online calendar at www.princetonlibrary.org or by calling 609.924.9529, ext. 240.

Greek Mythology and Percy Jackson Trivia Test your knowledge of mythology and the popular “Percy Jackson & The Olympians” series of adventure/fantasy books in this trivia contest, geared toward readers ages 8-12. The books

by Rick Riordan are set in contemporary United States and predominantly based on Greek mythology.

Nov. 12, 4 p.m.

New day Reading to Emma

Regular visitors to the library’s third floor know Emma, the black Labrador Retriever who listens patiently as children practice their reading skills while getting in some cuddling time. The most uncritical of audiences, sweet-faced Emma allows young readers to relax and enjoy themselves as they work on their proficiency. Her owner, Joe Turner, is always on hand to help.

Mondays, 4 p.m. (Beginning Sept. 13) Story Room, third floor Registration is recommended for 15 or 20 minute sessions. Call 609.924.9529 ext. 240 or register at the Youth Services Desk.

FREE HOMEWORK HELP

After-school homework help at Princeton Public Library

Every Monday-Thursday when Princeton Regional Schools are in session, teachers and community volunteers are on the third floor of the library 3:30–6 p.m. to provide homework help to students in kindergarten through Grade 12. Help is available in English and Spanish to students in all schools.

Free online homework help from real tutors is available through tutor.com’s Live Homework Help program. Tutors are available 2 –10 p.m. every day at home or on computers in the library.

21 Pixar Film Series Sept. 4; Nov. 5, 26, 27, 2:30 p.m. ... Page 9

Preschool and Kindergarten Fair

Stuffed Animal Sleepover A Night in the Haunted Library Bring your favorite stuffed animal, ghost or monster, for a sleepover at the library. After an evening of spooky stories, music and poems at Family Story Time, tuck the animals in and say goodnight. Sorry, only the toys sleep over.

Come back the following day between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. to pick them up and find out what mysterious mischief they got into during the night. This 45-minute program is geared to children ages 3-6 years. Registration is required; visit our events calendar at www.princetonlibrary.org.

Oct. 27, 7 p.m.

Streamline the search process for a preschool or kindergarten by meeting representatives of area schools at this two-hour event. The schools will provide information about philosophy, programs, availability and the application process.

Nov. 6, 2 p.m.

Story Room

Fall 2010

CLUBS STORY ROOM, THIRD FLOOR

11

Unless otherwise noted, all clubs meet in the Conference Room, second floor

Heads and Tales Children in second and third grades are invited to join the club and share their love of books with their classmates at monthly meetings.

Sept. 11, Oct. 23, Nov. 20, 2:30 p.m.

Word for Word This is where fourth- and fifth-graders can discuss what they are reading and get suggestions from other kids who love to read.

Sept. 25, Oct. 16, Nov. 13, 2:30 p.m.

Origami Club Anyone with a passion for paper folding is invited to meet for an hour of new and interesting, often seasonal, folding. Beginners are welcome.

The club is not just for kids; a parent must accompany those under age 7.

Sept. 22, Oct. 13, Nov. 10, 7 p.m. Activity Room Home-School Book Discussion Club Home-schooled children meet to discuss the very best in children’s books. Registration is required. For more information contact Pamela Groves at 609.924-9529, ext. 244.

Sept. 17, Oct. 15, Nov. 19, 9:15 a.m. (ages 7-9) Sept. 17, Oct. 15, Nov. 19, 10:30 a.m. (ages 10-12) Sept. 8, Oct. 13, Nov. 10, 11 a.m. (ages 13-15) Fantasy Book Club This new book club is for young people ages 9 through 18 who read and love the fantasy genre.

Oct. 2, 20, 4 p.m.

SPECIAL EVENT

Family Stories for Thanksgiving Nov. 22-24, 26-27, 10:30 a.m.

22 EVENTS Teens

Teen and adult program

Science Café

Experience entertaining and interactive live science demonstrations with David Maiullo, physics support specialist at Rutgers University’s Department of Physics and Astronomy. Maiullo will host “Humanly Impossible,” an upcoming National Geographic Network program featuring scientists who debunk the mysteries behind human acts that seem to defy the laws of nature. He is the coauthor of the book “A Demo a Day: A Year of Physics Demonstrations” and received a Distinguished Service Citation in 2009 from the American Association of Physics Teachers. Refreshments will be served in Dispensa, the library’s café.

Oct. 1, 7 p.m.

COLLEGE PREP College Essay Writing

Geo-Bee Teams of four, in grades 4-8, will join forces to test their knowledge of world geography in this new contest. Prizes will be awarded. The audience can also get in on the fun.

Nov. 4, 7 p.m. (Sign-in begins at 6 p.m.)

Learn more about what to write on a college admission essay and hear how admissions officers react when they read essays.

The session features a panel of representatives from area col- Shelley Krause leges and preparatory schools, including Shelley Krause of Rutgers Prep and Meg Caddeau of Stuart Country Day School, who will offer approaches and Meg Caddeau strategies for students writing an essay and provide suggestions on how parents can be helpful through the process.

Sept. 20, 7 p.m.

Getting College Right: Preparing Students with Disabilities for the College World

Registration is required. Register via the online calendar at www.princetonlibrary.org or by calling 609.924.9529, ext. 240.

Halloween Celebration

Elizabeth Hamblet, a former postsecondary learning disabilities specialist and published author, will explain how disability services and

accommodations work at college, discuss the changes students can expect to encounter, and offer practical planning tips.

Oct. 12, 7 p.m.

Teen Advisory Board

Members in grades 9-12 meet on selected Tuesday evenings to support the library and plan services and programs for peers. For more information and to apply for membership, visit www.princetonlibrary.org/teens or contact Teen Services Librarian Susan Conlon: 609.924.9529, ext. 247 or sconlon@princetonlibrary.org.

Go Between Club

Participants in grades 6-8 meet monthly at the library to talk about reading and other interests, help with library events, plan programs and have a say in library services. Healthy snacks are provided and new people are welcome.

Sept. 25, Oct. 16, Nov. 13, 10 a.m.

Middle school students are invited to celebrate Halloween with this special afterhours program. Be entranced by a hypnotist, take part in a game show and enter our costume contest.

Oct. 30, 7 p.m.

Co-sponsored by the library, Corner House, The Arts Council of Princeton, HiTOPS, and the Princeton Recreation Department.

SAVE THE DATES A Cappella Night Dec. 3, 7 p.m.

Princeton Environmental Film Festival Jan. 13 - 24, 2011

Game On!

Children and teens can drop in to play board and video games and pingpong for 90 minutes on Friday afternoons after school.

Fridays, 4 p.m.: Sept. 24–Nov. 19 Third floor

Friends of the Library SPOTLIGHT 23 LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT

The market for books

By ELLEN PITTS Friends Council President

W

hen the Princeton Farmers Market made the decision to move to Hinds Plaza just outside the Library, the Friends saw this as a wonderful opportunity to try an experiment. That is, to expand our “gently used book sale” to the great outdoors and reach a whole new world of book loving bargain hunters.

On June 17, the Friends Book Sale Committee set up a tent alongside the farmers and merchants offering a gorgeous array of produce, baked goods, cheese and eggs, honey, juices and flowers. Our tent was filled with treasures of a different sort, books and videos for people of all ages, gently used and generously donated to the Friends, for sale at irresistible prices.

What is it about farmers markets? Do they happen to attract people who are happy? Or is there something about them that makes people feel that way? The view from the Friends’ tent was a lively scene of people young and old, enjoying the live music, chatting with neighbors, wandering from vendor to vendor, thrilled that summer had finally arrived.

The people who wandered into the Friends tent were no different. Some came looking for something specific and others were content to browse, yet everyone was happily surprised to find us selling books at this beautiful venue. Those who couldn’t find what they wanted were directed to the more extensive selection of the Friends’ Gently Used Book Store, which is located on the left as you enter the library from Witherspoon Street. And some, who learned that the proceeds of the sale provide the library with funds to buy new books, were inspired to donate books.

It was a great experiment, and a wonderful experience. As I write this letter, however, we have since decided that the talents of the hardworking volunteers on the Friends Council and the Friends book sale committee would be better used focusing on the fabulous Gently Used Book Store inside the library.

So the next time you stop by the Farmer’s Market, which is open 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. every Thursday through Nov. 4, step into the library and check out the Gently Used Book Store. You’ll find treasures for all at amazing prices. It’s recycling at its best, and a win for you, the library and the community.

GALA PLANNING Join us for the Centennial Gala with Terry Gross on Oct. 9. From left, co-chairs Wendy Pierce Evans and Pam Wakefield are joined

by Executive Director Leslie Burger at a recent planning meeting. Invitations were mailed in late August.

If you would like more information, please call Mary Wisnovsky at 609.924.9529, ext. 280.

Sherri Garber and Eve Niedergang accepted the Gale Cencage Library Development Award on behalf of the Friends at the American Library Association Annual Convention in June.

The Friends received the national honor for transforming the former Library Store into the successful Gently Used Book Store.

Annual Sale builds on success

By SHEILA SIDERMAN Friends of the Library

T

he Friends of Princeton Public Library Annual Book Sale, to be held Oct. 22-24 in the library’s Community Room, is always a highly anticipated event, with attendees coming from all parts of the Northeast.

Thousands of gently used hardcovers, paperbacks, world-language books, CDs, DVDs, and other materials will be available at the sale, which will extend onto Hinds Plaza this year.

There will be a broad range of titles for readers of all ages and interests. Special donations and collections, as well as academic collections and rare books, will be featured. Most books will sell from $1-$20, with the majority priced at $3 or less; special selections will be higher.

Friday, Oct. 22, opens with a preview sale from 10 a.m. to noon. The admission fee of $10 is waived for Friends of the Princeton Public Library. Numbered admission tickets will go on sale starting at 9 a.m. Preview-sale purchasers receive two hours of free parking in Spring Street Garage.

At the noon conclusion of the preview sale, the doors will open for free general admission.

The sale will continue until 5:30 p.m. On Saturday, sale hours are 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Sunday will be half-price day, with hours 1-5:30 p.m.

There will be separate checkout lines for small and large purchases. During the preview sale, assistance will be available for moving large purchases to the garage.

Donations of books in good condition are welcome all year, except for textbooks, outdated travel guides and computer manuals, magazines, encyclopedias, and condensed books.

Books in poor condition cannot be offered for sale. Some donations are slated for the ongoing sale on the library’s first floor; others go to the annual sale. Donors should ring the bell at the library deliveries entrance, accessible from the Wiggins Street driveway. For large donations, arrangements must be made in advance by phoning 609-924-9529 ext. 280. In special cases, home pickup can be arranged, The year-round Gently Used Book Store, located on the main floor of the library, is open during library hours. It features a wide range of books of interest to all ages at attractively low prices. All proceeds go to the library for the purchase of new books and materials.

Non Profit Org. U.S. Postage PA I D Princeton, NJ Permit No. 4

Executive Director: Leslie Burger Assistant Director: Peter Bromberg Programming Coordinator: Janie Hermann Youth Services Manager: Jan Johnson Public Information Director: Tim Quinn Princeton Public Library Sands Library Building 65 Witherspoon St. Princeton, NJ 08542 609.924.9529 princetonlibrary.org

Program Committee: Lucía Acosta, Leslie Burger, Susan Conlon, Kristin Friberg, Pamela Groves, Romina Gutierrez, Janie Hermann, Jan Johnson, Terri Nelson, Tim Quinn, Allison Santos, Barbara Silberstein Staff Writer: Anne Levin Illustrations: Lauren Acevedo

Frıends of the

Princeton Public Library

Editing and design: Tim Quinn

24 EVENTS Books and Authors

Editor Keri Walsh, seen here outside Shakespeare and Company in Paris, will lead two of the three programs about Sylvia Beach.

The Life and Times of Sylvia Beach

W

ho was Sylvia Beach?

This three-

part series on one of the leading expatriate figures in Paris between the world wars­— she founded the famous Shakespeare and Company bookstore ­— will examine the woman and the times in which she lived.

Sylvia Beach “Paris Was a Woman” The screening of this award-winning documentary about Paris during the early decades of the 20th century and the Left Bank inner circle of writers has newly-discovered home movies and anecdotes. The film will be followed by a discussion with scholar Lee Mitchell.

Oct. 13, 7 p.m.

Book Discussion Beach’s memoir “Shakespeare and Company” is the topic of this talk, led by scholars Keri Walsh and J. Michelle Coghlan.

Oct. 19, 7 p.m.

Reading and Book Signing Keri Walsh will read from and discuss her new book, “The Letters of Sylvia Beach.”

Oct. 21, 7 p.m.

Series made possible through the support of the National Endowment for the Humanities.