Yesterday afternoon, Arthur Frommer appeared at the Library for an entertaining and informative talk. This special program was part of our Grand Opening Author Series (yes, he was wonderful, as have been all of our speakers!). Lots of people asked about our upcoming author events, so in case you've lost the brochures, here's what's coming soon at the Library! 

Wednesday, April 1, 7 p.m.

Jonathan Lopez

Author Jonathan Lopez will talk about his groundbreaking book, The Man Who Made Vermeers: Unvarnishing the Legend of Master Forger Han van Meegeren, the real story of the world’s most famous art forger, Han van Meegeren. The Man Who Made Vermeers is an absorbing account and “unvarnishing” of the van Meegeren legend, that of a folk hero for duping the Nazi leader Hermann Goering with a fake Vermeer.  (A One Book, One Community event.)

Girls Night Out!

Please join us for these great programs!

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

Our Friday Films Series is in full swing and more popular than ever! Here's a list of our remaining films for this series:

MARCH 27

APRIL 3

"This should be the model for all modern libraries."

-- Arthur Frommer (after a tour of the Darien Library)*

Yesterday afternoon, we continued our Grand Opening Author Series with a visit from travel expert Arthur Frommer. The standing-room-only crowd came prepared with pencils and paper, eager for the best in travel information and they were not disappointed! Mr. Frommer talked up-to-the-minute travel deals and anticipated future bargains, the benefits of using travel aggregates, and had advice for travelers of all ages! His talk was peppered with lots of amusing anecdotes and a couple of hilarious stories.

We had a reception and book signing after his presentation and many, many people remained to have books signed and to talk with the author. Surprisingly, this turned out to be a family event for many, and if anyone thought that children might be bored listening to this genuinely charming speaker, they'd have been wrong. Note the family above, right...before they left the signing table, the little girl rushed over and gave Mr. Frommer a big hug!!! Arthur Frommer is a hit in Darien. We thank him so much for coming to Darien Library and we can't wait to have him back!

*Mr. Frommer gave us permission to quote him!

Friday, March 13th at 7:30 p.m. (in the Community Room)

Frozen River

Starring Melissa Leo, Charlie McDermott, Michael O’Keefe

Rated R; 97 minutes; (2008) 

Set during the Christmas season, Frozen River is the story of a struggling mother in upstate New York who is lured into the world of illegal immigrant smuggling. She meets a Mohawk girl who lives on a reservation that straddles the U.S. - Canadian border and driven by financial hardship, they form a partnership to smuggle illegal aliens across the frozen St. Lawrence River.

On Wednesday, March 18 from 9:30 to 11 a.m., Darien Library will host a valuable seminar: Recession Proofing Your Family.

Topics to be presented:

• Parenting in Tough Times – presented by Susan Jasko, LCSW, Child Guidance Center

  ·         Talking to your kids about job loss
  ·         Setting boundaries with new financial constraints
  ·         What if they have to move or change schools?

• Keeping Relationships Strong – presented by Elisabeth Tullis Schneider, LMFT, Family Centers/Center for HOPE

  ·         Maintaining intimacy when stress is high
  ·         Communicating with your spouse and others
  ·         How to manage your own anxiety and sense of loss/fear

• Getting Your Needs Met – presented by Moira Rizzo, LMFT, Darien Family & Youth Options

  ·         Healthy coping skills
  ·         Unique ideas for getting your needs met
  ·         Signs of unhealthy coping
   

• Resources in the Community – presented by Marina Thomas, Person-to-Person, and Olive Hauser, Director of Darien Social Services

  ·         What resources are available to help you or your friends?
  ·         What can you do to help others in need?

We will provide a handout of resources available at the Library. Refreshments will be served.

(Image by flickr user Darren Hester)

We've got a few really big things to tell you about this month so I thought it would be a good idea to create a little "cheat sheet" for us all.

Travel Expert Arthur Frommer will be here on Sunday, March 22nd at 5 p.m. We are all well-familiar with Frommer's® Travel Guides and at the very least, I would love to thank Arthur Frommer for all of his assistance throughout the years in helping me create some of my best travel memories. Best of all, we've heard him speak and he's wonderful -- so we know that this will be a great program! 

Also, on March 22nd, at 2:30 p.m., our Spring Book Discussion Series begins. Jordon is back and the theme is Brothers and Sisters: Families at the Front in Wartime and in Peace. We start with The Book Thief, our One Book, One Community town-wide read.

We will celebrate the Grand Opening of our Art Gallery with an exhibit featuring The Holly Pond Painters. The exhibit opens on Tuesday, March 3rd and will run until April 14th.

(At left, "The Magic Mountain" by Kathleen Millard)

On Wednesday, March 18 from 9:30 to 11 a.m., we'll be hosting a valuable seminar: Recession Proofing Your Family.

Other big news on the horizon: we're asking you to Save the Date (May 16th!) for what is shaping up to be a really fun evening (details to come).

Also, to catch you up on what's been going on and is ongoing, our events for One Book, One Community begin this month and judging from the interest from the community, we've struck a chord.

And have you been to Diane Browne's Café yet? It opened here at the Library on Monday and already we have favorite snacks, coffees, and sandwiches!

Last, but not least...have you heard that our Friday Film Series has become the hottest ticket in town? It's true! Here's March's lineup:

March 6 - Friday Film Vote -- * Winner - Changeling

March 13 - Frozen River

March 20 - Mamma Mia!

March 27 - Brick Lane

There will be more news coming your way. Keep checking back! 

The Holly Pond Painters

March 3 - April 14

A NEW CHAPTER

The Grand Opening of the New Darien Library Art Gallery Features The Holly Pond Painters!

The Holly Pond Painters include six long-time friends who live in Darien: Donna Collins, Margot Hand, Kathleen Millard, Mary Morant, Lisa Thorén, and Meg Tweedy. They began painting together on a weekly basis, mainly executing local seascapes and landscapes en plein air, seeking to capture the spirit and character of the area. Through the years, the direction of the artists’ work has become more conceptual, thoughtfully abstract, or experimental.

(At left: "Alice in Wonderland "by Meg Tweedy

In choosing a theme for this exhibition, the artists saw an opportunity to celebrate. Margot Hand, one of the Holly Pond Painters said, “We consider it a great honor to have been asked to kick off the new Art Gallery at the New Library. We realized this is ‘A New Chapter’ for everyone – hence, the title of our exhibit.” Each of the Holly Pond Painters has explored this theme through references to favorite books or poems, from Lewis Carroll’s fantasy world to Virginia Woolf’s psychological insights, from Thomas Mann’s world of ideas to “The History of Gardening,” and from Rachael Carson’s “The Sea Around Us” to Pearl S. Buck’s 1936 classic “The Good Earth.” Hand added, “In addition (and to our delight), our painting group has rediscovered the fun of painting together and has added a new chapter to the Holly Pond Painters’ own history.”

Spring begins on March 20th and we're grabbing that first Sunday that follows to begin our Spring Book Discussion Series. Professor Jordon Pecile (photo at right) is back and our first meeting will be on Sunday, March 22 at 2:30 p.m. in the Conference Room on the Mezzanine Level.  This spring, we are focusing on four popular novels which explore untraditional family relationships in times of crisis as well as prosperity and peace.

Our theme:

Brothers and Sisters: Families at the Front in Wartime and in Peace

Our books:

March 22 - The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (This discussion is part of One Book, One Community.)

April 5 - The Private Patient by P.D. James

April 26 - The Brass Verdict by Michael Connelly

May 17 - Lark & Termite by Jayne Anne Phillips

All discussions begin at 2:30 p.m. and refreshments will be served.

Meet the Travel Expert!

Arthur Frommer

Sunday, March 22 at 5 PM

in the Community Room

Arthur Frommer revolutionized the travel industry with his 1957 publication of Europe on $5 a Day. Today, over 50 years later, Frommer’s®  travel guides have included more than 340 titles covering every major destination in the world.

A few weeks ago, Barbara T., Janet, and I attended the The New York Times Travel Expo, where we had the pleasure of hearing Arthur Frommer and his daughter Pauline offer up some truly insider advice on how to make the most of vacation time and budget during tough financial times. After the presentation, we came away knowing how to effectively negotiate with top-notch hotels for the lowest room rates, the sites that provide the best travel deals, whether cruises or all-inclusive land resorts offer the most for your money, where to find flights from the New York area to exotic locales for just $99, and so much more - not to mention sore wrists from furiously writing down every bit of information we could! 

After the talk, we spoke with Arthur and Pauline for a few minutes and quickly realized that not only are they wonderful authorities on all things travel, they are incredibly entertaining and engaging speakers who love libraries! Pauline regretfully let us know that she cannot make it to our program on March 22nd (she will be travelling for work on upcoming guides, of course!), but Arthur will be here with all of his charm and wit, ready to answer your most puzzling travel questions, and we couldn't be looking more forward to the event!

So whether your ideal vacation is relaxing on the French Riviera or climbing Mount Kilimanjaro...whether you're planning a romantic getaway for two or a road trip for the entire family...whether you want to see the far reaches of the earth or uncover the hidden treasures that lie in our own backyard, you won't want to miss Arthur Frommer's talk as he discusses his award-winning travel guide series and offers expert advice for planning a trip to anywhere in the world.

Join us with paper and pen in hand. You will want to take notes, guaranteed!

Friday Night Film Crew - Me, Drew, Stephanie, and Jane

It is very late, but I just wouldn't feel right if I didn't take the time to talk about what a special night we just had at the Library. Just a few short hours ago, we showed The Secret Life of Bees, the fourth film in our Friday Film Series. The house was packed for  this wonderfully rich and well-told story. Every drop of coffee and every sweet morsel were consumed, as we have come to expect...what was unexpected, however, was the delightful and generous effort of our good friend, neighbor, and beekeeper(!) Kathy Hammell (shown at right). Earlier in the day, she stopped by the Library to drop off her beekeeping suit and a hive (empty, of course) and Stephanie (always ready to make a fashion statement) couldn't resist wearing it when it came time to draw for the door prize (a jar of Kathy's own honey!).  When the film was over, Kathy gave a great talk about bees and beekeeping and she answered lots of questions from a truly engaged audience. (Thank you, Kathy!)

The movie was a hit. The talk was a hit.  What a great start to the weekend!

Fashion-plate, Stephanie