Darien Library Writers Group

image courtesy Flickr user J. Paxon Reyes
image courtesy Flickr user J. Paxon Reyes

Thursday, February 21 at 7 p.m. in the Harris Room

If you have a poem, short story, novel or screenplay in your drawer or just in your head please join this friendly, supportive "no judgment" zone to work on your project. Everyone will get a chance to share their struggles and their work. Bring your ideas and any work you wish to contribute.

The moderator for our workshop is Bob Kernen. Bob is a writer -- always has been. The demands of commerce may have changed his mode of expression, but he has always begun with the word. An Emmy award-winning writer and published author, Bob is seeking others for whom the word holds sway to join him for a fun, relaxed writing experience.

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

Spring Cleaning Series: Storage Solutions

Make the most of your storage space.
Make the most of your storage space.

Wednesday, March 27 at 7 p.m.

Garages, basements, and attics offer a lot of back-up storage space, but what do you do when that space fills up? Experts will discuss innovative yet simple ways to get those spaces under control and how to keep them that way.

Presented by Matt Baier of Matt Baier Organizing, LLC and Janet Barnes of Connecticut Closet and Shelf.

Check out our "Get Organized" LibGuide and join us for the rest of our Spring Cleaning Series:

- Organizing with Kids in Mind, Thursday, March 28 at 10 a.m.

- Organizing the Entry and Exit Points of Our Home, Tuesday, April 9 at 7 p.m.

- Organizing Others, Monday, April 22 at 7 p.m.

- Shop and Get Organized, Tuesday May 7 at 7 p.m.

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

A Guide to Creating Your Own Oral History

On Tuesday, April 2, 2013, Kristen La Follette from the Columbia Center for Oral History, led a workshop on oral history. Her presentation title was, "Remember, Record, & Celebrate: A Guide to Creating Your Own Oral History."

Resources

For more information, please visit the event page.

The New Yorker Discussion Group

image courtesy flickr user memsphere
image courtesy flickr user memsphere

Thursday, March 14th, 1 - 3 p.m.

Register Online

Join us for the last installment of our New Yorker Magazine discussion group. Attendees are invited to discuss recent articles and cartoons in the magazine. Stop by our Welcome Desk where we have multiple copies of The New Yorker Magazine for you to take home in preparation.

This week's readings:

The discussions will be led by Diana Loevy, author of The Book Club Companion.

 

Spring Cleaning Series: Organizing with Kids in Mind

How do you stay organized with a bunch of kids?
How do you stay organized with a bunch of kids?

Thursday, March 28 at 10 a.m.

Do you ever feel as though you’re a human vacuum cleaner just following your kids around cleaning up after them? In this presentation, we’ll learn ways to stay organized even with a bunch of small children running around.

Presented by Seana Turner, President and Founder of The Seana Method.

Check out our "Get Organized" LibGuide and join us for the rest of our Spring Cleaning Series:

- Organizing the Entry and Exit Points of Our Home, Tuesday, April 9 at 7 p.m.

- Organizing Others, Monday, April 22 at 7 p.m.

- Shop and Get Organized, Tuesday May 7 at 7 p.m.

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

Friday Night Feature - "Argo"

Screening in our Community Room February 22
Screening in our Community Room February 22

Friday, February 22 at 6:30 p.m. and 8:45 p.m. – Argo (2012) Starring Ben Affleck, Alan Arkin, and Bryan Cranston; Rated R; 120 minutes; Closed captioned for the hearing impaired.

When militants seize control of the U.S. embassy in Tehran during the height of the Iranian Revolution, CIA agent Tony Mendez creates a fake Hollywood film production in order to rescue a group of American diplomats who have sought refuge at the home of a Canadian ambassador. Inspired by actual events.

"Argo is one of the best movies of the year." -- Richard Roeper, RichardRoper.com

"It's serious and substantive, an ingeniously written and executed drama fashioned from a fascinating, little-known chapter of recent history." -- Ann Hornaday, Washington Post

For more information please watch the film's trailer. Check out the rest of our Friday Night Features in February.

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

First Look Darien - Charles Dubow

Charles Dubow [photo credit Tanya Malott]
Charles Dubow [photo credit Tanya Malott]

Thursday, March 7 at 7 p.m.

Charles Dubow, author of Indiscretion will be in conversation with his editor Henry Ferris.

Every love story has its time, place, and narrator—someone who puts together all the pieces and recounts the sequence of events. Indiscretion starts during an idyllic summer in the Hamptons where the parties are abuzz with an endless supply of flowing spirits, intellectual conversation, and warm hospitality, as only the glow of society could provide. It’s at one such party that the young, vibrant Claire is introduced to the hosts Harry and Madeleine Winslow—an intoxicatingly glamorous couple who quickly welcome Claire into their inner sanctum. Harry and Madeleine’s oldest friend Walter Gervais remembers the day Claire walked into all three of their lives, but could never have predicted all that was about to unfold. Indiscretion is a deeply layered, addictive novel that explores the consequences of decisions made and promises broken.

Advance Praise for Indiscretion

Indiscretion richly delves into the complex permutations of love. Charles Dubow writes with nuanced precision, and his characters are captivatingly real. This is a fine, supple, riveting first novel.”—Kate Christenson, author of The Great Man and The Astral

About the Author

Charles Dubow was born in New York City and spent his summers at his family’s house on Georgica Pond in East Hampton. He was educated at Wesleyan University and New York University. He has worked as a roustabout, a lumberjack, a sheepherder in New Zealand, and a congressional aide, and was a founding editor of Forbes.com and later an editor at Businessweek.com. He lives in New York City with his wife, and two children.

Books will be available for purchase at this event. Refreshments will be served.

First Look Darien is our debut author series designed to spotlight first novels handpicked by our staff.

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

Science Cafe: Introduction to Microcontrollers

Image courtesy flickr user Andrew Watson
Image courtesy flickr user Andrew Watson

Friday, March 29 at 7 p.m. in our Conference Room

Registration has closed since the workshop is full.

Everybody wants to rule the world - or at least control it. The purpose of this course is to give you the knowledge and hands-on experience with a tiny yet powerful microcontroller that will let you do just that. You will learn enough about microcontroller programming and electronics to let you sense real world properties such as temperature, illumination, and magnetism, make decisions based on what was sensed, and then take some action as a result – light up a light with different colors, make some sound, or operate another electronic device. Bring a laptop computer (either Windows, Mac, or Linux) that you will use to write programs. You will go home with your own microcontroller development board, equipped with a new understanding of how to use it to control the world.

Presented by Ed Kalin, a graduate of MIT and a long-time electronics enthusiast. His background includes working for the IBM Research Division and co-founding Xanboo, Inc., an Internet home automation and monitoring company. Ed is currently acting CEO of Stor Networks, Inc., creators of the LykeBox service that connects consumers with their favorite brands.

Kalin will be assisted by Vladimir Mariano, a graduate of West Virginia University with a B.S in Geology. He developed a love for mechatronics during his time at college.

Join us for our next Science Cafe Friday, April 5 at 7 p.m. with Jacob Meisel, weather enthusiast.

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

Reducing Stress in the College Admission Process

Presented by Leslie K Rogers and Debra Koenig
Presented by Leslie K Rogers and Debra Koenig

Thursday, February 7 at 7 p.m.

The college process often becomes a "rite of passage" about gaining admission to the "right" school. Despite our best intentions, this process can create stress for the entire family and affect our child's self esteem. Colleges are telling us that we are sending them students who are academically but not emotionally prepared for their college experience.

This presentation offers parents the opportunity and tools to identify and effectively manage the anxiety associated with the college process. We CAN help our children develop the independence and confidence necessary to be resilient young adults, who can successfully make the transition to college and beyond, while maintaining strong bonds with their family. The college application process is ripe with opportunities that help our children hone these life skills.

This presentation will be led by facilitators who have "been there" numerous times and who can help bring a perspective that can help us while we are in the "thick of it."

Leslie K Rogers, LCSW is a psychotherapist with a specialty that includes couples and families. She has been teaching parenting skills for the past 13 years and has been through the college process five times.

Debra Koenig has over 12 years experience developing curriculum and facilitating parenting classes in Fairfield County. She is a JD currently studying for her Masters in Family Therapy at Fairfield University.

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

Friday Night Feature - "Flight"

We will screen FLIGHT March 29
We will screen FLIGHT March 29

Friday, March 29 at 6:30 p.m. and 8:45 p.m.Flight (2012) Starring Denzel Washington, John Goodman, and Don Cheadle; Rated R; 138 minutes; Closed captioned for the hearing impaired.

Whip Whitaker is a seasoned airline pilot who miraculously crash lands his plane after a mid-air catastrophe, saving nearly every soul on board. After the crash, Whip is hailed as a hero, but as more is learned, more questions than answers arise as to who or what was really at fault and what really happened on that plane.

"Denzel Washington gives one of his most nuanced and impressive performances." -- Richard Roeper, RichardRoeper.com

"At a certain point, great actors want to show us the truth of something that may be far from their lives but that somehow they understand, intimately, all too well." -- David Denby, New Yorker

For more information, please watch the film's trailer. Check out the rest of our Friday Night Features in March.

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

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