"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).

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).

"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!

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!