With 63% of the vote, Milk is the winner of our Friday Film vote. So...

Friday, April 17

7:30 p.m (in the Community Room)

MILK

Starring Sean Penn, Josh Brolin, James Franco, and Emile Hirsch

129 minutes; Rated R

Sean Penn, in his Oscar-winning role, stars as New Yorker Harvey Milk, who moved to San Francisco and became the city's first openly gay public official. The following year both he and the city's mayor, George Moscone, were shot to death by the former city supervisor. This film chronicles the heart-breaking true story.

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

Giulia Melucci, the author of I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti was on The TODAY Show this morning. If the name sounds familiar, it's because Giulia will be here at Darien Library on Thursday, April 23 at 7 p.m. with Ilene Beckerman, the author of Love, Loss, and What I Wore for a special Meet the Author program we're calling Girls Night Out!

Giulia's book just came out on Tuesday, and is getting fabulous reviews. Here's what Entertainment Weekly had to say, and...AND...if being on The TODAY Show wasn't enough good news for Giulia for one day, she is profiled in today's New York Times as the subject of  the "At Home With..." feature!

I loved the book and am so thrilled that Giulia and Ilene will be coming here to Darien to share share their stories with us! Talk. Laughs. Food. Wine. You know...a girls night out! Please be sure to join us!

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

It's one of our earliest memories, both as a species and individuals: the power of stories to entertain, advise, and connect. They're not just for children, though, as the popularity of events like Tellabration! and local and national festivals attest. Storytelling is for everyone, and the Darien Library is pleased to announce a very special evening of storysharing for grown-ups, at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 14.

Right here in Fairfield County, we have a very active group of storytellers (and listeners!) who've discovered the magic of fables, folktales, and personal stories. The tellers share their talents in schools, hospitals, senior centers, libraries, and in front of appreciative audiences everywhere. What they've found is that in our increasingly busy, wired world, the simple act of telling a story face to face, and in the process sharing ideas and values, seems more important than ever.

This evening, the first in what will be an ongoing series of special storytelling events, will feature some of our local storytellers as well as opportunities for new tellers to share stories. We look forward to welcoming familiar and new faces to an evening of storysharing for grown-ups that will re-introduce all of us to this timeless artform!

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

Picture from Flickr user Mike Grenville.

"In the room of the spirit, Janet Krauss fills all the seats" - Paul Dry, Paul Dry Books, Inc.

The Poet's Voice, yearly readings in Fairfield County libraries by outstanding poets, returns to the Darien Library on Sunday, April 19th at 3 p.m.. Poet Janet Krauss will read her poems at this annual event, which will be held in the Conference Room on the Mezzanine Level.

Janet Krauss is a widely published poet and teaches literature and writing at St. Basil College and Fairfield University. She is the recipient of the Fairfiled Adjunct Award of the Year, 2006, and was twice nominated for the Pushcart Prize in poetry.

A reception will follow the reading. 

The reading is supported by the Horace E. Manacher Poetry Fund and contributions to the Darien Library Annual Campaign.

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

 April is National Poetry Month!

On Monday, April 13th at 7 p.m., our Grand Opening Author Series continues with award-winning poet Christina Pugh. She is the author of Rotary, the winner of the Word Press First Book Prize in 2004. Her second book of poems, Restoration, was published in October 2008. Her poetry has appeared in The Atlantic Monthly, Poetry, TriQuarterly, Ploughshares, and other publications. In addition to her own poems, she has also published numerous articles on poetry and poetics.

We are so pleased that Christina has agreed to come to Darien (especially during National Poetry Month) and to be part of our Grand Opening Author Series. Please join us for this special program.

Refreshments will be served.

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

Do you remember what you wore on your first date with Mr. Right? Do you remember what you cooked when Mr. Wrong came to dinner? This is how my memory works, so I am especially excited about our upcoming Meet the Author(s) event! On Thursday, April 23rd at 7 p.m., Ilene Beckerman, the author of the bestselling book Love, Loss, and What I Wore, and Giulia Melucci, the author of the BRAND NEW (it comes out on April 8th) book I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti, will be at the Library for a special event that we're calling Girls Night Out!  

 Ilene Beckerman had a runaway bestseller in the 1990s when she poignantly told her life story through the clothes that she wore. Love, Loss, and What I Wore struck a chord that still resounds. So many of us can relate to the idea of memories evoked from a certain outfit or article of clothing. The author of this deliciously illustrated memoir reminds us that what we wear may help to shape our memories and ultimately may be forever intertwined in every recollection.

If every outfit tells a story...what's in your closet?

How many of our memories are somehow wrapped up with food associations? How many conversations do we have over food? About food?! Few things evoke such strong memories for us... childhood, home, cafeterias, restaurants, good times, bad times, seduction, socializing, status,  nurturing, caring, love, relationships...the list is practically endless. When it comes to relationships, my food instincts (unfortunately) lead me to food as comfort. In Giulia Melucci's new book, I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti, the author leads us on a culinary journey through her dating minefield, complete with laughs, disappointments, hope, worry, and wonderful recipes.

...and speaking of food, refreshments will be served! Please join us!

This Meet the Author(s) event is part of our Grand Opening Author Series.

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

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.