(Image courtesy of the Library of Congress, LC-US262-5513)

We're celebrating the 175th birthday of Mark Twain!

Tuesday, November 30 at 7 p.m.

Mark Schenker will present:

"As Webster Is My Witness": Language, Lies and Laughter in Mark Twain

Mark Schenker of Yale University will survey the ways in which speaking and mis-speaking are used to convey the satire and seriousness of Mark Twain's fiction. 

In Chapter 26 of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884), Huck tells a series of outright lies about his having lived in England and met the King.

His listener responds with skepticism and requires Huck to place his hand on a big book and swear that he is telling the truth.  Huck notices that the book in question is not a Bible but "nothing but a dictionary," and so he makes his false oath, confident that technically he is not perjuring himself.

This scene of Huck's swearing on a dictionary is emblematic of how language itself throughout the work of Mark Twain operates as testament, as the source of Twain's various professions of belief: language as spoken speech, language as exaggeration, language as lies for comic or satiric effect. (Image at left, courtesy of flickr user marklarson.)

A mere 75 miles from here, in Hartford, Connecticut, and 126 yeas ago, Mark Twain penned The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Mark Schenker, currently an associate dean of Yale College and dean of academic affairs, will make the trip to Darien to discuss language, lies, and laughter.

Join us right here in your home town where the (ahem)  twain shall meet.

The 2010 Annual Meeting of the Friends of the Darien Library was held on October 24.  Isobel Coleman, Senior Fellow for U.S. Policy at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York, and author of Paradise Beneath Her Feet: How Women are Transforming the Middle East, was the featured speaker. 

The Annual Meeting of the Friends of Darien Library 2010 from Darien Library on Vimeo.

On Tuesday, October 19 at 7 p.m., a panel of nutrition experts discussed healthy food choices in the special program, To Eat or Not to Eat? That is the Question. Today’s supermarkets provide so many choices, it can become difficult to decide which foods to purchase for a healthy lifestyle. Nutrition experts Jessica Yep, MS, RD, CDN – Registered Dietician and Founder of Nutrition Consultants LLC, Mimi MacLean, Holistic Health Coach – The Well Balanced Life, and Ronna Corlin, Healthy Eating Specialist – Whole Foods Market addressed food issues such as overeating, portion-size awareness, making healthful food choices for your family (especially children), and the importance of plant-based living.

This program was part of the Library’s Health & Wellness Series, “A Picture of Health,” an extensive series of lectures, expert panels, computer workshops, and films. The schedule offers sessions on a variety of health issues, including nutrition, stress management, personal safety for children and teens, pain management, holistic medicine, sleep disorders, and medication management.For more information about the Health & Wellness Series, please click here.

To Eat or Not to Eat? That is the Question from Darien Library on Vimeo.

Paying for College and the Teen Debt Crisis with author Jill Russo Foster

October 14th at 7 PM - Conference Room

 
This program is for parents and teens. Jill Russo Foster, author of "Cash, Credit, and Your Finances: The Teen Years," will cover the two biggest sources of teen debt: college tuition and credit cards. You'll learn about different funding options such as: student loans, FAFSA, financial aid, work study programs, and more. Jill will help you teach your teens financial management so they'll be ready for life at college and beyond.

Additional parking for evening and weekend Library programs on Thorndal Circle (behind Nielsen’s).

A Picture of Health

Darien Library Health & Wellness Series

Achieving personal wellness requires a conscious decision and commitment to shape a healthy lifestyle. It encompasses self-assessments of how we feel about various aspects of our lives, including our physical and emotional well-being.

At all times, Darien Library is an excellent resource for researching information about health and medical concerns. This fall, we add A Picture of Health, an extensive series of lectures, expert panels, computer workshops, and films. The schedule offers sessions on a variety of health issues, including nutrition, stress management, personal safety for children & teens, pain management, holistic medicine, sleep disorders, and medication management.

Please join us for this important and enriching series.

Lectures, Expert Panels & Meet-the-Author Events
Health Choices Information & Technology Courses
Health & Wellness Film Screenings

Lectures, Expert Panels, & Author Events

Managing Your Medication

Thursday, September 23 at 10:30 AM
Get the 411 on medication safety! While prescription and over-the-counter medications can improve health and overall quality of life, they also contain powerful chemicals with potential to harm when used incorrectly. This presentation will review the general risks and benefits of medication therapy, common medication use problems, and ways everyone can improve medication safety. All participants will complete a medication safety self-assessment. Free medication organizer and a packet of valuable informational materials will be provided. (And for information about "Safe Disposal = Safe Returns," Darien's Free Medication Collection Day on Saturday, October 9, please click here.)

Presented by Elaine Abrams, MPH RN CHES, Certified Health Education Specialist and Community Health Coordinator at Visiting Nurse & Hospice of Fairfield County (formerly Nursing & Home Care).

Ask the Doctors!

Tuesday, October 5 at 7 PM
It's time to take the anxiety out of the word "healthcare!" Doctors4Darien, a team of four esteemed community physicians, will discuss new research findings and information related to our bodies and our health. The panel will also focus on preventative healthcare from head to toe - literally! From dental care to foot care and everything in between, this is your chance to learn new and better paths to well-being.

Presented by Dr. Maryann Lehmann, D.D.S., Dentist; Dr. Brian P. McKay, D.C., Chiropractor; Dr. Brian S. Sheets, D.O., Ob/Gyn; and Dr. Josephine Velasquez, D.P.M., Podiatrist.

Personal Safety: A Workshop for Kids (ages 9 - 12)

Monday, October 11 from 2 PM to 3:30 PM
In this self-protection class, your children will learn the ABC's of safety in a fun and supportive atmosphere. Practice when and how to say no to strangers, friends, and familiar adults, and when it's time to find safety and ask for help. Sign up for this workshop in the Children's Library, or call (203) 669-5235 for details.

Presented by Michael Robin, certified self-defense instructor.

Medicare 411

Tuesday, October 12 at 10:30 AM
When it comes to understanding Medicare, we know you have tons of questions - so we're giving you the answers! Learn about CHOICES (the Connecticut Health Care Options program), the types of Medicare plans that are available, buying and paying for plans, and how the new healthcare reform benefits you. (CHOICES does not sell insurance, nor does it endorse one plan over another; it is funded by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Administration on Aging, and the State of CT.)

Presented by Christine Crain, Director of Programs - Southwestern Connecticut Agency on Aging, and CHOICES Regional Coordinator. The Q&A portion will also feature Inta V. Adams, Assistant Director - Darien Social Services.
 
 

Personal Safety: A Mother/Daughter Workshop (ages 12 - 18)

Saturday, October 16 from 2 PM to 3:30 PM
Learn self-protection skills and safety basics with your teen in this mother/daughter workshop. A definite bonding experience, this class has won rave reviews for improving parent-child communication. Sign up for this program by emailing the Teen Librarian at eleone@darienlibrary.org.

Presented by Michael Robin, certified self-defense instructor.

 

To Eat or Not to Eat? That is the Question.

Tuesday, October 19 at 7 PM
With so many choices available at the supermarket these days, deciding which food to purchase for a healthy lifestyle can be very difficult! What should we be eating? And how much? Our panel of nutrition experts will help address these food issues and more, including overeating, portion-size awareness, making healthful food choices for your family (especially children), the importance of plant-based living, and how to be a budget organic. Healthy snacks will be provided by Whole Foods Market.

Presented by Jessica Yep, MS, RD, CDN - Registered Dietician and Founder of Nutrition Consultants LLC; Mimi MacLean, Holistic Health Coach - The Well Balanced Life; and Ronna Corlin, Healthy Eating Specialist - Whole Foods Market.

 

Meet the Author! Gene Stone

The Secrets of People Who Never Get Sick
Thursday, October 21 at 7 PM
The Secrets of People Who Never Get Sick tells the stories of 25 people who each possess a different secret of excellent health - and shows how we can all use these insights to improve our own lives. The stories make it personal; then comes the science, the expert authority, and the nuts and bolts. From probiotics to veganism to a daily dose of garlic, from yoga to cold showers, it's an extensive list: 25 secrets to health and how to make each work for you. A book signing will follow the presentation. Book will be available for purchase at the event.

Gene Stone is a health-savvy journalist, writer, and former Peace Corps volunteer. He's written and/or ghostwritten more than 30 books, most recently the national bestseller The Engine 2 Diet, with Rip Esselstyn; his articles and columns have appeared in New York, Playboy, Esquire, Vogue, Elle, and GQ.

Integrative/Holistic Approaches to Wellness

Tuesday, October 26 at 7 PM
What is holistic medicine? This modern approach to medicine integrates traditional and complementary therapies to promote optimal health, taking into account physical, emotional, spiritual, social, and environmental factors that affect our overall wellness. Experts from Greenwich Hospital's Center for Integrative Medicine, where hearing the patient's entire story is essential to its more natural approach to wellness, will discuss these integrative and holistic practices, including new ways of thinking about healing.

Presented by Dr. Henri Roca, Medical Director - Greenwich Hospital's Center for Integrative Medicine. The Q&A panel will also include additional experts from the center.

Meet the Author! Beth Lambert

A Compromised Generation:
The Epidemic of Chronic Illness in America's Children
Thursday, October 28 at 7 PM
Children today are being diagnosed with illnesses such as autism, asthma, allergies, and ADHD at breakthtaking rates. A Compromised Generation reveals how environmental factors, specific American lifestyles, and pharmaceutical over-usage are at the root of the epidemic, offering advice on how it can be reversed. A book signing will follow the presentation. Book will be available for purchase at the event.

Beth Lambert is a former healthcare consultant and teacher, and is currently the Executive Director of PEACE: Parents Ending America's Childhood Epidemic, a 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to education the public about the epidemic of chronic illness affecting our youth. The Q&A portion will also feature co-author Victoria Kobliner, MS, RD, a registered dietician with extensive experience using diet to help children with autism and related disorders.

Stress Management: Caring for Ourselves, Empowering Our Children

Friday, November 12 at 11 AM
We all live busy lives, and trying to fit our commitments into a 24-hour day while juggling the needs of our family, friends, and ourselves sometimes seems impossible! But no matter how busy we are, it is important to find ways to manage stress to maintain a healthy lifestyle and overall sense of well-being. This panel discussion will provide specific tips for reducing stress for ourselves while helping our children to develop healthy stress-management habits, as well.

Presented by representatives from The Child Guidance Center of Southern CT, Darien Youth Options, and Family Centers.

Healthy Choices (Lecture + Technology Series)

Registration Required

People are turning to the internet more than ever to find health and wellness information. But with so many online options, how can we be sure we're getting the best information out there? This unique health education series combines lectures by world-class physicians with hands-on computer workshops that will help you to become a more information-literate healthcare consumer and to make more informed health decisions for you and your family. Co-sponsored by Stamford Hospital.

Each session will take place in Darien Library's Technology Lab (lower level) and consist of a lecture on a health-related topic, followed by a hands-on workshop that will teach you how to find corresponding health information online.

Registration for Healthy Choices is open to all Darien residents, those who work full-time in Darien, and non-resident Friends of the Library at the Contributor level ($300 annual donation). To register, visit darienlibrary.org. (Registration begins in mid-September). All registrants will be notified via email or phone to confirm that your registration has been accepted. If you have any questions about registration, contact Judy Sgammato at jsgammato@darienlibrary.org or (203) 669-5256.

A Focus on Sleep Disorders

Monday, October 4 at 7 PM
Guest Lecture: Steven A. Thau, MD, FCCP, Associate Director of Sleep Center - Stamford Hospital
Workshop Instructor: Judy Sgammato, Technology Manager - Darien Library

Living Healthy with Diabetes

Friday, October 15 at 10 AM
Guest Lecture: Debbie Milne, RN, CDE, Director of Diabetes & Endocrine Center - Stamford Hospital
Workshop Instructor: Guillaume Van Moorsel, Director, Health Science Library - Stamford Hospital

All About Pain Management

Tuesday, October 26 at 10 AM
Guest Lecture: Vincent Carlesi, MD, Pain Management Specialist - Stamford Hospital
Workshop Instructor: Guillaume Van Moorsel, Director, Health Science Library - Stamford Hospital
 

Increasing Vitality with Herbs

Monday, November 8 at 7 PM
Guest Lecture: Joseph Feuerstein, MD, Director of Integrative Medicine - Stamford Hospital
Workshop Instructor: Judy Sgammato, Technology Manager - Darien Library

Health & Wellness Films

Good Night with the Sleep Doctor

Thursday, September 30 at 7 PM
Noted sleep expert Dr. Michael Breus explains how your genes, environment, job, and physiology may be hampering your sleep and in turn, dramatically affecting your waking life. In the PBS lecture, he shows  that getting the proper quality and quantity of sleep can help rejuvinate your mind and body, increase your energy, help you lose weight, take years off of your appearance, and more. Not Rated; 79 minutes (2007).

Just Add Spice: Parenting for Happy, Healthy Kids

Monday, October 18 at 2 PM
Follow four families as they attempt to instill healthy habits in their kids by using a set of proven positive parenting skills represented by the acronym SPICE (Structure, Praise, Inspire, Consistency, and Enjoy) - including how to deal with children who refuse to eat healthy foods and turn to sedentary forms of entertainment. Not Rated, 90 minutes (2010).

Food, Inc.

Monday, October 18 at 7 PM
This controversial documentary film lifts the veil on our nation's food industry, which is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health. We have bigger, better, longer-lasting food, but the consequences may often outweigh the benefits. Named one of the ten best films of 2009 by Entertainment Weekly. Rated PG; 94 minutes (2009).
 
 

The Alternative Fix

Monday, October 25 at 2 PM
The past few years have seen an explosion in the popularity of complementary and alternative medicine. Under pressure from everyone from consumers to Congress, major hospitals and medical schools have embraced therapies that were once dismissed as quackery. But the question remains: Do these treatments actually work? PBS's Frontline examines the controversy over complementary and alternative medical treatments. Not Rated; 60 minutes (2004).
 

The Way We Get By

Wednesday, November 10 at 2 PM
A deeply moving documentary film about life and how to live it. Beginning as a seemingly idiosyncratic story about a group of senior citizens who gather daily at a small airport to thank American soldiers departing and returning from Iraq, the film quickly turns into an incredibly compassionate story about aging, loneliness, war, and mortality. Winner of the 2009 SXSW Special Jury Award. Not Rated; 84 minutes (2009).

Mark Schenker

On Thursday, June 3 at 7 p.m., Mark Schenker of Yale University will lead a discussion of Othello here at the Library. Othello will be the summer production of Shakespeare on the Sound, now in its 15^th year.

In anticipation of Shakespeare on the Sound's summer production, Mr. Schenker will lead a discussion of Othello both as an individual play and with respect to its place in the Shakespeare canon.  Alone among Shakespeare’s major tragedies, Othello does not concern the killing of a king (as in Hamlet and Macbeth) nor the abdication of one (as in King Lear).  More intimate in scale and theme, it focuses on the personal rather than the political as its domestic tragedy narrows its focus from the affairs of state to those of the heart.  Whereas Hamlet poses the question “To be or not to be” and spends much of his time lodged in the middle ground between planning and realizing his mission, Othello seeks too soon to resolve his implicit question, “To love or not to love?” Unaware that the opportunistic Iago is manipulating his idealistic nature, Othello tragically chooses the destruction of his love and of himself. 

Copies of the play will be available and it is not necessary to read the play ahead of time. 

Mark Schenker has been at Yale College since 1990. He is currently an associate dean of the College and dean of academic affairs. Born and raised in New York City, he received his Ph.D. in English Literature from Columbia University and has taught at Columbia, New York University, and Trinity College (Hartford). He has led book discussion series in public libraries in Connecticut for over 20 years through programs sponsored by the Connecticut Humanities Council and lectures frequently on literary topics for public audiences. He was the recipient of the 2001 Wilbur Cross Award for Outstanding Humanities Scholar, presented by the Connecticut Humanities Council.

Shakespeare on the Sound’s 2010 summer production schedule is as follows:

Othello -- Rowayton, Pinkney Park:  June 15-26,  Greenwich, Baldwin Park:  July 2-11 (No performances Mondays.) 

Additional parking for evening and weekend Library programs on Thorndal Circle (behind Nielsen’s).

April showers don't just bring May flowers . . . they also bring exciting guest speakers to Darien Library! Take a look at who will be visiting us over the course of the month. We hope you will join us!

Let's begin with our Spring Author Series:

Meet the Author! Charlotte Smith
Dreaming of Dior: Every Dress Tells A Story
Wednesday, April 28 at 7 PM
We LOVE fashion and will talk fashion anytime, but this April is special because this April, our Spring Author Series continues to unfold with an author and fashion expert whose remarks and collection are in vogue, in demand, and most desirable no matter what the season.  Five years ago, Charlotte Smith, Curator of The Fashion and Textile Gallery in Sydney, Australia, inherited a priceless vintage clothing collection from her American Quaker godmother, Doris Darnell. Dating from 1790 to 1995, the collection had been a lifetime labor of love for Darnell and consists of more than 5,000 treasures, ranging from a pioneer woman’s daintily mended best dress to couture originals by Dior, Chanel, and Balenciaga. Ms. Smith has compiled a gorgeously illustrated book of the dresses, their stories, and the lifetime of memories the collection holds. The presentation will include a display of several pieces from the collection.
 

And mark your calendars for:

Weathering the Storm: Climate Change, Science, and Policy
Guest Lecture by Dr. David Downie, Fairfield University
Monday, April 5 at 7 PM
During the month of March, Darien and the rest of the Northeast experienced some of the most extreme weather we've seen in quite awhile, with tons of snow, rain, and wind reminding us that while nature is beautiful, it can also take some wild turns. But is it as unpredicable as we may think? Will climate change bring similar conditions in the coming years? Please join us for a special One Book, One Community event, as Dr. David Downie, Director of Environmental Studies and Associate Professor of Politics at Fairfield University, will give a dynamic presentation about the factors that influence extreme weather and global warming, as well as what is being done to help protect the future of our planet.

The Poet's Voice, featuring Anne Boutelle
Sunday, April 18 at 3 PM
April is National Poetry Month! We are celebrating at Darien Library with the return of The Poet's Voice, which features yearly readings in Fairfield County libraries by outstanding poets. Ann Boutelle will read poems from her selected works, Becoming Bone and Nest of Thistles, winner of the 2005 Samuel French Morse Prize from Northeastern University Press. Boutelle teaches at Smith College, where she founded the Poetry Center. She is considered the guiding light of the Poetry Center and continues to guide the Center's efforts.

College Admissions 101: A Panel Discussion for Families
Advice for Student Athletes
Thursday, April 22 at 7 PM
We know how stressful college admissions can be. We also know you can never get too many tips on how to prepare yourself for the admissions process! And if you're a student athlete, the process can be even more confusing and complicated. So we've gathered a panel of coaches, parents of student athletes, and current student athletes who have been through it all and have tried and true advice to offer on college admissions, the recruitment processes, and how to juggle academics and sports all at once.

Ask the Master Gardeners!
Container Gardening for Flowers & Vegetables
Tuesday, April 27 at 7 PM
It's an evening of asking the experts! Wally Pugh and Regina Campfield, both graduates of the CT Master Gardener Program at the Barlett Arboretum, will share their gardening wisdom with us. First Mr. Pugh will offer an assortment of good gardening practices and skills for optimal yield. Then, Ms. Campfield will discuss designing your planter, types of plant materials, soil provisions, and watering techniques. Learn the theory of "thrillers, spillers, and fillers" for your pots! Come with paper and pen in hand. You will want to take notes!

There is so much more that is happening this month! Click here for a full listing of events for April.

On December 1st, Dr. Mark Schenker of Yale University helped us draw our Fall Book Discussion Series to a close with a lecture: "Imagined Travels to Real Places: How Fiction Connects Us to Places We've Never Been." And it's now available online!

Those of us in the audience are very VERY thankful for the opportunity to hear once again the brilliant ways in which our guest explained how literature transports us from the every day, giving us the only true opportunity in life to stop being ourselves, even for just the moment we're on the page, and become anyone we want to be - and that reading a book is like getting an "insider's" view of different cultures...different places...and different times. As soon as the lecture was over, all we wanted to do was stay and hear more!

Take a break from that holiday shopping and enjoy a cup of coffee in front of the screen. If you love reading...if you love travelling...heck, if you love chocolate and sunny days and finding money in your pocket (and who doesn't?!)... you will no doubt be fascinated and inspired by what Dr. Schenker has to say.

Dr. Mark Schenker from Darien Library on Vimeo.

John Wargo

Darien Library and Yale Club of Lower Fairfield County Speakers' Series Present

PROFESSOR JOHN WARGO

Chair of Environmental Studies, Yale University

Green Intelligence: Creating Environments that Protect Human Health

Sunday, October 18 at 5:30 p.m.*

Darien Library is pleased to bring you this exciting and timely presentation and discussion with Yale Club of Lower Fairfield County Speakers' Series. Please join us for this important event featuring Professor John Wargo, where he'll talk about the risk of toxic exposures and the health threat, particularly on children. In his new book, Green Intelligence, he demonstrates that exposure to hazardous health-damaging chemicals is widespread and poorly regulated, and that knowledge of contamination and danger is often kept from a too-trusting public. 

Most individuals carry in their tissues a combination of metals, pesticides, solvents, fire retardants, waterproofing agents, and by-products of fuel combustion and not surprisingly, many toxins are significantly more concentrated in the bodies of young children. 

Pesticides. Nuclear testing. Vehicle emissions. U.S. military activity. Plastics. These are some of the specific examples of past and present exposures to identify weaknesses in our system and lessons we can apply to guard human health.

Professor Wargo's sobering assessment of the impact of toxic chemicals on human health is frightening, but he also proposes clear solutions, and outlines practical protective measures and guidelines. 

Professor Wargo was a guest this week on the Living on Earth radio show and podcast - click here to listen. 

John Wargo is professor of environmental policy, risk analysis, and political science at the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies and the Department of Political Science at Yale University. He is Chair of the Environmental Studies Major in Yale College and has been an adviser to several EPA administrators and National Academy of Sciences Committees, theU.S. Congress, the U.N. World Health Organization, and Vice President Al Gore.

Here are more details about the October 18th program at the Library:

* - 4:30 p.m.  - Special behind-the-scenes Green Tour of our environmentally innovative Darien Library

  - 5:30 p.m. - Presentation by Professor Wargo

  - 6:15 p.m. - Q&A and reception

Additional parking for evening and weekend Library programs on Thorndal Circle (behind Nielsen's.)

On Thursday, June 4 at 7 p.m., Mark Schenker of Yale University will lead a discussion of A Midsummer Night’s Dream here at the Library. A Midsummer Night’s Dream will be the summer production of Shakespeare on the Sound, now in its 14^th year. Mr. Schenker will discuss the play both as an individual work and with respect to its place in the Shakespeare canon.  Long considered one of Shakespeare’s finest comedies, A Midsummer Night’s Dream presents a world capable of being transformed by magic, by love and by art. The play combines elements of music, dance, and pageantry with the comic misadventures of two pairs of star-crossed lovers and the comic prose of the “rude mechanicals,” common tradesmen who labor to create and perform a drama that serves as counterpoint to the sophistication and formality of the larger comedy that encompasses it. 

Mark J. Schenker has been at Yale College since 1990.  He is currently an associate dean of the College and dean of academic affairs.  Born and raised in New York City, he received his Ph.D. in English Literature from Columbia University and has taught at Columbia, New York University, and Trinity College (Hartford).  He has led book discussion series in public libraries in Connecticut for over twenty years through programs sponsored by the Connecticut Humanities Council and lectures frequently on literary topics for public audiences. He was the recipient of the 2001 Wilbur Cross Award for Outstanding Humanities Scholar, presented by the Connecticut Humanities Council. (Pictured above: Mark Schenker)

Additional parking for evening and weekend Library programs on Thorndal Circle (behind Nielsen's).