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

PATRICK MADDEN

Leaving New York City

Paintings and Drawings

In the Art Gallery through August 31st

 (Left: Cab in from JFK -- Right: Left Turn Out of LaGuardia) 

“Leaving New York City,” paintings and drawings by artist Patrick Madden, will be on display in the Art Gallery through August 31.

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 will take place in the Art Gallery on the Library’s Lower Level.

Today, our Woodstock Weekend continues!

Sunday, July 26 at 2 p.m.

We'll continue our Woodstock Weekend on Sunday with a discussion of  the new book Woodstock Revisited: 50 Far Out, Groovy, Peace-Loving, Flashback-Inducing Stories from Those Who Were There. The book is a compilation of 50 stories written by people who attended the 1969 festival; Editor Susan Reynolds and contributing authors Jeff Blumenfeld, Louis Denaro, Catherine Hiller, and Sandy McKnight will read their essays and talk about their experiences.

(Far out!)

Woodstock Weekend is an Adult Summer Reading event.

Classics 2.0!

Thursday, July 23 at 11 a.m.
The good old summertime is the perfect time to kick back with an old favorite. Why not consider a literary classic? 

We have an entire room filled with brand new copies of these timeless goodies, and we'll show you how they are remarkably relevant to today's world.

Learn about what constitutes a classic, the meaning of this special collection to Darien, and how your favorite modern-day bestsellers in print, music, and film have deep roots planted in the past.

Refreshments will be served.

Classics 2.0 is an Adult Summer Reading event.

(Photo courtesy of flickr user truds09)

This summer marks the 40th anniversary of Woodstock, the most famous music concert in modern history. Join us for a screening of the Academy Award-winning film!

Saturday, July 25 at 7 PM
A screening of  Woodstock.
Live introduction by Bob Spitz (pictured, right), author of Barefoot in Babylon: The Creation of the Woodstock Music Festival, 1969.

(Bob Spitz is also the author of Dylan: A Biography, The Beatles: The Biography, and The Saucier's Apprentice: One Long Strange Trip Through the Great Cooking Schools of Europe.)

Sunday, July 26 at 2 p.m.

We'll continue our Woodstock Weekend on Sunday with a discussion of  the new book "Woodstock Revisited: 50 Far Out, Groovy, Peace-Loving, Flashback-Inducing Stories from Those Who Were There." The book is a compilation of 50 stories written by people who attended the 1969 festival and several of the contributing essayists will be here to talk about their experiences!

Woodstock Weekend is an Adult Summer Reading event.