A Photographic Exhibition by Elsie Trask Wheeler

September 1 - October 12 (Artist's Reception: Friday, September 11, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.)

 ...just a hint at what you will see.

Last week, I had the immense pleasure of enjoying a preview of the ART ON VIEW at the Library. This video, bits and pieces of the whole, truly only provides a hint at the extraordinary photos that will be on display at this exhibition. 

Like I said, this is just a hint at what's to come. (We''ve got more to tell you, so please check back.) Below, a bit about Elsie Trask Wheeler...in her own words. 

"The idea of creating images has woven its way through every aspect of my life. Skiing down the slopes of the Alps, or trying to spot a tiger from the back of an elephant, or hoping to catch a shot of the colorful spinnakers on boats trying to pass as I stood on the fantail of a competing yacht,  I was never without my 35mm camera.  Being in the thick of the action, getting that split second shot was a central component of my love of photography.  What else fueled my thrill of bringing back exciting images, which I wanted to share. A warm love of people, a gift of endless curiosity, that feeling of having to know what is around the next corner.

How did I learn to master the little black box?  My father and uncle were both excellent amateur photographers. They provided the implicit permission for me to take myself seriously as a photographer when a teenager. Their darkrooms were haunts of magic and wonder to my young mind."

Please come by and experience this show. 

Cinda Baxter, the Founder of The 3/50 Project, will speak at the Library at 6 p.m. on September 8. This event is free and open to the public. 

Relying on the simple premise “Pick 3, spend 50, save your local economy,” The 3/50 Project exploded onto the national stage as a way to help brick and mortar businesses reclaim consumer dollars in a positive, effective manner.

Cinda Baxter (pictured) understands small business from the inside out, having once been a retailer herself. As recipient of two national Retailer Excellence Awards and frequent press coverage, she now “pays it forward” to business owners and vendors through her consulting company Always Upward, and as founder of The 3/50 Project that Fox Business News refers to as “the formula that could save some local businesses that might not otherwise survive the recession.”  

Cinda urges us to "Save your local economy...three stores at a time."

For more information, please click on the attachments below.

Please join us for this important community event.

August 21st at 7:30 p.m.

The Soloist 

Usually, our "green" news has to do with our fabulous new green building, but this time it's with a capital G, as in Green, as in George Dawes Green, who was our featured speaker at our Adult Summer Reading Grand Finale last week. In case you don't know already... his newest novel, the fabulously-reviewed Ravens is my favorite book of the summer. When the author agreed to come to Darien Library to speak, I was expecting something really good...possibly GREAT...what we got was AMAZING.!

There's something about a Southerner being in the room that slows the whole pace down just a bit. When you factor in the remarkable writing and storytelling ability and his skill at provoking thriller-worthy tension for the reader/listener, George Dawes Green was the perfect tonic for the lull of August. Just as he does in Ravens, he drew everyone in instantly. Thrills. Laughter. Pin-dropping tension. His genre is the thriller. His writing is poetic. His storytelling, masterful. This was goosebumps in August.

We can't mention George Dawes Green's incredible storytelling ability without mentioning that he is the founder of The Moth, a not-for-profit storytelling organization. That's the very basic description...if you saw this past Sunday's New York Times, then you know it's much bigger than that. The Sunday Styles section led with a (huge!) fabulous article about The Moth. We are so pleased that George agreed to spend some time with us and share his great talent.

This special author event was the highlight of our Grand Finale for our Adult Summer Reading Program but that night, we also had the drawing for the Grand Prize winners. Considering the hundreds of entries that we had, it was such fun that all three winners were in the audience that night! Here are just a few more shots from this extraordinary event.

 Thank you to everyone (members...staff....George) for making this our most successful Adult Summer Reading Program ever!

 Our Summer Film Series continues...

August 14, 7:30 p.m.

The Great Buck Howard

Troy Gabel is a law-school drop out who impulsively takes a job as an assistant to an aging but charismatic magician. The conjurer is definitely on the downward slope of his career, but the mystery surrounding him keeps Troy intrigued. The two embark on a journey across the country staging the comeback of a lifetime. 

While watching this movie (click here to watch the trailer), I found myself really rooting for Colin Hanks (Tom's son), who, it turns out, is quite good. Tom also appears in the film...as the dad...but the we-shouldn't-be-surprised but wow-is-he-good performance totally belongs to (the great) John Malkovich, who plays The Great Buck Howard. Malkovich never ceases to amaze me...never. What didn't amaze me, but did catch me a little by surprise, was learning that the the film is based on the experiences of writer-director Sean McGinly who worked briefly as the road manager for The Amazing Kreskin. Wow. I vividly remember Kreskin's numerous appearances on The Tonight Show.

A few of us from the Library had the pleasure of meeting (The Amazing) Kreskin at this year's BookExpo America. Tomorrow night, at the film screening of The Great Buck Howard, you can enter to win a signed copy of Kreskin's newest book, Kreskin Confidential: The World’s Greatest Mentalist Speaks Out.

Please join us! I predict it will be a fun  (and great) night!

Please come and join us as our Summer Film Series continues! This Friday at 7:30 p.m., we'll be showing Grey Gardens.

August 7

Grey Gardens

In 1973, filmmakers Albert and David Maysles entered the strange world of "Big Edie" and "Little Edie" Bouvier Beale, two charming eccentrics who were relatives of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy. In this film we are taken behind the scenes of that famous documentary with a shocking and raw look into the lives of this reclusive mother and daughter who chose to live in squalor and almost total isolation in a decaying, 28-room mansion in East Hampton called Grey Gardens.

We conclude our 4th Annual Adult Summer Reading Program with our Grand Finale on Thursday, August 13th at 7 p.m. Our special guest speaker will be George Dawes Green...author...poet...storyteller.

George Dawes Green is the author of the critically-acclaimed novels The Caveman's Valentine and The Juror. It's been 14 years since Green published The Juror, but the wait has certainly been worthwhile - his new book Ravens is a captivating thriller and it's been getting great reviews. Personally speaking, I loved it...I could not put it down. Click here to read what The Wall Street Journal had to say about Green's return.

George Dawes Green is also the founder of the not-for-profit storytelling organization, The Moth. Now in its 11th year, The Moth conducts six ongoing programs featured widely on television and radio. "Stories at the Moth" has attracted such notable headliners as Margaret Cho, Ethan Hawke, Moby, Rosie O'Donnell, George Plimpton and Julia Stiles. The annual Moth Ball was called the 'it' charity by the New York Observer and has included such guests as Garrison Keillor, Malcolm Gladwell, and Adam Gopnik.

Our Adult Summer Reading Grand Finale will also include a book signing by Green (books will be available for purchase), a wine and cheese party, and the drawing for the Grand Prizes. It's sure to be a great evening and we hope that you can join us!

As I write this, we still have nearly two weeks of Adult Summer Reading left and it's not too late to sign up and enter to win some great prizes! I don't, however, think it's too early for me to say that this year's effort has been a huge success! Thank you!

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

On display in the Art Gallery through August 31st.

LEAVING NEW YORK CITY

Paintings and Drawings by Patrick Madden

   (Pictured: "The Last Ferry"; the artist's reception for Patrick Madden at Darien Library.)

Click here for more information.

"Leaving New York City" - Paintings and Drawings by Patrick Madden

On Friday, July 31, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., there will be an artist’s reception with wine and appetizers from Gigi Market/Hudson River Valley. The exhibit and the reception is open to the public and will take place in the Art Gallery on the Library’s Lower Level.

"Leaving New York City" will be on display at the Library through August 31st.

For more inforrmation, click here.

(Pictured above: Times Square V)

Fresh off of our Woodstock Weekend, tonight's film will be "A Walk on the Moon."

July 31st at 7:30 p.m.

A Walk on the Moon

Diane Lane, Viggo Mortensen, Anna Paquin, Liev Schreiber; Rated R; 107 minutes; 1999