Events
In the Gallery - Art on View
Written by Erin S on 09/28/2012
December 11 - January 17
L. D. D’Isernia, a Rye New York native, has always been involved in the arts. As a young child she became involved in painting because of her great-grandfather, an accomplished lifetime oil painter in New York City. “I can remember him setting up his palette and asking me to help him.”
A graduate of Suny Purchase, she has continued to pursue her passion of painting. The charming scenery and upbeat palette are pulled from her imagination and experience. Today Laurie strictly studies with her mentor Laurel Stern Boeck, an accomplished award winning congressional oil painter. Working out of her studio “Little Squab” here in Darien, she collaborates with decorators and accepts commissioned paintings for clients. Laurie has ribboned paintings and shows her works in Bedford, New York, Palm Beach, Florida, and Greenwich, Connecticut.
Friday Night Features in December
Written by Erin S on 09/26/2012
There will be no Friday Night Feature December 7, 2012.
Friday, December 14 at 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. – Hope Springs (2012) Starring Meryl Streep, Tommy Lee Jones, and Steve Carell; Rated PG-13; 100 minutes; Closed captioned for the hearing impaired.
SPECIAL PRESENTATION! Parts of this movie were filmed right here in Darien and we will have the homeowner whose house was used and her neighbor participate in a Q&A session following the 6:30 p.m. screening. Find out what Meryl and Tommy Lee are really like!
Kay and Arnold are a devoted couple, but decades of marriage have left Kay wanting to spice things up and reconnect with her husband. When she hears of a renowned couple’s specialist in the small town of Great Hope Springs, she attempts to persuade her skeptical husband, a steadfast man of routine, to get on a plane for a week of marriage therapy. Just convincing the stubborn Arnold to go on the retreat is hard enough - the real challenge for both of them comes as they shed their bedroom hang-ups and try to re-ignite the spark that caused them to fall for each other in the first place.
For more information, please watch the film's trailer.
Friday, December 21 at 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. – First Position (2012) Documentary Feature; Not Rated R; 95 minutes. Closed captioned for the hearing impaired.
Every year, thousands of aspiring dancers enter one of the world’s most prestigious ballet competitions, the Youth America Grand Prix, where lifelong dreams are at stake. In the final round, with hundreds competing for only a handful of elite scholarships and contracts, nothing short of perfection is acceptable. This award-winning documentary follows six extraordinary dancers as they prepare for the chance to enter the world of professional ballet, struggling through v bloodied feet, near exhaustion and debilitating injuries, all while navigating the drama of adolescence.
For more information, please watch the film's trailer.
Friday, December 28 at 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. – Safety Not Guaranteed (2012) Starring Aubrey Plaza, Jake Johnson, and Karan Soni; Rated R; 86 minutes; Closed captioned for the hearing impaired.
When an unusual classified ad inspires three cynical Seattle magazine employees to look for the story behind it, they discover a mysterious eccentric named Kenneth, a likable but paranoid supermarket clerk, who believes he¹s solved the riddle of time travel and intends to depart again soon.
For more information, please watch the film's trailer.
All films are free and open to the public.
Additional parking for evening and weekend Library programs on Thorndal Circle (behind Nielsen's).
Friday Night Features in January
Written by Erin S on 09/25/2012
Friday, January 4 at 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. – Trouble with the Curve (2012) Starring Clint Eastwood, Amy Adams, Justin Timberlake; Rated PG-13; 111 minutes; Closed captioned for the hearing impaired.
Gus Lobel has been one of the best scouts in baseball for decades, but, despite his efforts to hide it, age is starting to catch up with him. The one person who might be able to help is also the one person Gus would never ask: his daughter, Mickey an associate at a high-powered Atlanta law firm whose drive and ambition has put her on the fast track to becoming partner. Against her better judgment, and over Gus's objections, Mickey joins him on his latest scouting trip to North Carolina, jeopardizing her own career to save his. Forced to spend time together for the first time in years, each makes new discoveries—revealing long-held truths about their past and present that could change their future.
For more information, please watch the film's trailer.
Friday, January 11 at 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. – Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012) Starring Quvenzhané Wallis, Dwight Henry and Levy Easterly; Rated PG-13; 94 minutes. Closed captioned for the hearing impaired.
Hushpuppy, an intrepid six-year-old girl, lives with her father, Wink, in the Bathtub, a southern Delta community at the edge of the world. Wink's tough love prepares her for the unraveling of the universe; for a time when he's no longer there to protect her. When Wink contracts a mysterious illness, nature flies out of whack, temperatures rise, and the ice caps melt, unleashing an army of prehistoric creatures called aurochs. With the waters rising, the aurochs coming, and Wink's health fading, Hushpuppy goes in search of her lost mother.
For more information, please watch the film's trailer.
Friday, January 18 at 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. – To Rome with Love (2012) Starring Woody Allen, Alec Baldwin, Jesse Eisenberg, Roberto Benigni, and Penelope Cruz; Rated R; 112 minutes; Closed captioned for the hearing impaired.
Set in the romantic city of Rome, this movie features intertwining stories. There is the worker who wakes up to find himself a celebrity, an architect who takes a trip back to the street he lived on as a student, a young couple on their honeymoon, and a frustrated opera director who has a talent for discovering talented singers.
For more information, please watch the film's trailer.
Friday, January 25 at 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. – The Words (2012) Starring Bradley Cooper, Zoe Zaldana, Dennis Quaid; Rated PG-13; 97 minutes; Closed captioned for the hearing impaired.
This layered romantic drama follows young writer Rory Jansen who finally achieves long sought after literary success after publishing the next great American novel. There’s only one catch – he didn’t write it. As the past comes back to haunt him and his literary star continues to rise, Jansen is forced to confront the steep price that must be paid for stealing another man’s work and for placing ambition and success above life’s most fundamental three words.
For more information, please watch the film's trailer.
All films are free and open to the public.
Additional parking for evening and weekend Library programs on Thorndal Circle (behind Nielsen's).
Meet the Author - Deb Perelman
Written by Erin S on 09/23/2012
Thursday, November 29 at 7 p.m.
Deb Perelman, author of The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook, will be our featured speaker.
Deb Perelman founded her award-winning blog, smittenkitchen.com, on the premise that cooking should be a pleasure, and that the results of your labor can be delicious every time. Deb is a firm believer that there are no bad cooks, just bad recipes. She has dedicated herself to finding the best of the best and adapting them for the everyday cook—the ones with little time to spare, little money to burn on unpronounceable ingredients, and little help in the kitchen. And now, Deb presents her first cookbook—more than 100 new recipes, plus a few favorites from her site, all gorgeously illustrated with hundreds of Deb’s beautiful color photographs.
About the Author
Deb Perelman is a self-taught home cook and photographer; and the creator of SmittenKitchen.com, an award-winning blog with a focus on stepped-up home cooking through unfussy ingredients. In previous iterations of her so-called career, she’s been a record store shift supervisor, a scrawler of “happy birthday” on bakery cakes, an art therapist, and a technology reporter. She likes her current gig—the one where she wakes up and cooks whatever she feels 
like that day—the best. The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook is her first book. Deb lives in New York City with her husband and delicious baby son.
Deb Perelman's appearance is made possible by Barrett Bookstore.
Books will be available for purchase at this event. Refreshments will be served. Doors will open at 6 p.m. We cannot accomodate reservations for this event. Seating is limited on a first-come, first served basis.
Additional parking for evening and weekend Library programs available on Thorndal Circle (behind Nielsen's).
iPad Boot Camp
Written by Erin S on 09/22/2012
Thursday, January 3 at 6:30 p.m.
Did you receive a brand new iPad during the Holidays? Want to learn some basic tips and tricks like locking the screen orientation, creating folders for your apps, and changing the background image? This is the class for you! We’ll even go over downloading eBooks from the Library’s collection.
Please remember to bring your Apple ID and password to class.
Additional parking for evening and weekend Library programs available on Thorndal Circle (behind Nielsen's).
In the Gallery - Art on View
Written by Erin S on 09/22/2012
Steve Fritsch
Artist's Reception Friday, November 30 at 6 p.m.
A Festival of Fairfield County Lighthouses
The show features the lighthouses at Sheffield Island, Peck’s Ledge, Green Ledge and Stamford, as well as seascapes, still lifes and other subjects.
About the Artist
Steve Fritsch studied at Paier School of Art in New Haven, CT for five years and went on to art direct and illustrate for a large New York City advertising agency. He left the agency after ten years and opened his own studio in the City, specializing in humorous illustrations. Fifteen years later, he moved his studio to his home in Darien, CT doing illustrations and fine art. He currently exhibits locally.
Thsi exhibit runs through December 6.
Friday Night Feature - "Trouble with the Curve"
Written by Erin S on 09/21/2012
Friday, January 4 at 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. – Trouble with the Curve (2012) Starring Clint Eastwood, Amy Adams, and Justin Timberlake; Rated PG-13; 111 minutes; Closed captioned for the hearing impaired.
Gus Lobel has been one of the best scouts in baseball for decades, but, despite his efforts to hide it, age is starting to catch up with him. The one person who might be able to help is also the one person Gus would never ask: his daughter, Mickey an associate at a high-powered Atlanta law firm whose drive and ambition has put her on the fast track to becoming partner. Against her better judgment, and over Gus's objections, Mickey joins him on his latest scouting trip to North Carolina, jeopardizing her own career to save his. Forced to spend time together for the first time in years, each makes new discoveries—revealing long-held truths about their past and present that could change their future.
"Trouble with the Curve enthusiastically showcases the sparkling Adams while making its case - tersely, of course - for tradition, experience and intuition." -- Mark Jenkins, NPR
For more information, please watch the film's trailer. Check out the rest of our Friday Night Features in January.
Additional parking for evening and weekend Library programs available on Thorndal Circle (behind Nielsen's).
Practice 26 Acts of Kindness in Honor of Newtown Victims
Written by Erin S on 09/20/2012
Victor Cruz, receiver for the New York Giants, played with 6-year-old Jack Pinto's name on his gloves and cleats on Sunday. This small gesture inspired journalist Ann Curry to ask her 1 million+ twitter followers to practice 26 acts of kindness in honor of each Newtown victim. We invite members of the town of Darien to participate. Let's come together as a community to spread empathy and kindness locally and beyond.
Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Make a Memorial Donation to Sandy Hook victims
- Sign up to volunteer at Person-to-Person
- Grocery shop for a senior as a volunteer for Aging in Place + Gallivant
- Make a donation to Domus House
- Donate non-perishable, unopened food to the Food Bank of Lower Fairfield County
- Pick out a toy and donate it to Toys for Tots
- Buy that person behind you in line a cup of coffee.
- Cook dinner for a friend.
Feel free to mention your act of kindness on Twitter using the hashtag #26Acts or share with us in the comments.
Acabella Concert
Written by Erin S on 09/20/2012
Sunday, December 2 at 5 p.m.
The word Acabella combines the musical term, a cappella, which means unaccompanied by musical instruments, and bella, the Italian word for beautiful. Acabella comprises 12 women from the Lower Fairfield County area. Their performance will include a program of seasonal and popular songs.
The concert's opening act will feature Darien students Christopher Jessup and Teresa Du, the top winners of Darien Arts Center's Darien's Got Talent Show. Acabella will lead a brief sing-along of carols as the capstone to their program.
Special thanks to Amy Allen at the Darien Arts Center and Juanita Bosee, the music director, who generously donated their time, talent, and practice spaces to assist the pianists.
Additional parking for evening and weekend Library programs available on Thorndal Circle (behind Nielsen's).
Friday Night Feature - "First Position"
Written by Erin S on 09/18/2012
Friday, December 21 at 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. – First Position (2012) Documentary Feature; Not Rated; 95 minutes. Closed captioned for the hearing impaired.
Every year, thousands of aspiring dancers enter one of the world’s most prestigious ballet competitions, the Youth America Grand Prix, where lifelong dreams are at stake. In the final round, with hundreds competing for only a handful of elite scholarships and contracts, nothing short of perfection is acceptable. This award-winning documentary follows six extraordinary dancers as they prepare for the chance to enter the world of professional ballet, struggling through bloodied feet, near exhaustion and debilitating injuries, all while navigating the drama of adolescence.
"These performers are so young, so serious, so full of dreams and so hard on themselves that it is difficult not to be moved by their striving." -- Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times
For more information, please watch the film's trailer. Check out the rest of our Friday Night Features in December.
Additional parking for evening and weekend Library programs available on Thorndal Circle (behind Nielsen's).
Darien Library, 1441 Post Road, Darien, Connecticut, 06820-5419 · 203-655-1234Directions and Contact Information. Twitter: darienlibrary. AIM & Y!M: deweydarien.