Library Blog

New Events! Past Events!

Thursday, September 5, 2019

We're excited about our rich lineup of fall events - take a look at current listings here, and make sure to watch our monthly newsletter for new announcements.

Due to the wonders of technology, we can look forward to upcoming events and also back at prior ones. Here are just a few of the dozens of presentations you can stream from our website. (The complete list is here, or you can head straight to our YouTube channel.)

Celebration

The New York City Book Awards Ceremony 2018-2019 (May 1)

The New York City Book Awards, founded in 1996, honor each year’s best books about the city. This annual ceremony honors the winning authors and publishers. Speakers include Library trustee Ellen M. Iseman, award presenters Bianca Calabresi, Alex Gilvarry, Karl E. Meyer, Janice P. Nimura, Geeta Tewari, Warren Wechsler, and awardees Ezra Bookman, Leah Carter, Philip Ashforth Coppola, Karina Yan Glaser, Victoria Johnson, Albert Samaha, and Jeremy Workman. 

Classics

Madeline Miller, Circe (February 21)

Circe, daughter of the mightiest Titan and possessor of the power of witchcraft, crosses paths with many of the most famous figures in all mythology. When she finds herself pitted against one of the most terrifying and vengeful of the Olympians, she must summon all her strength to protect what she loves most.

History

Andrew S. Curran, Diderot and the Art of Thinking Freely (January 15)

A spirited biography of the prophetic and sympathetic philosopher who helped build the foundations of the modern world, by the William Armstrong Professor of the Humanities at Wesleyan University.

Sally Roesch Wagner, The Women's Suffrage Movement (March 11)

In connection to the Library’s exhibition Women Get the Vote, the founding director of the Matilda Joslyn Gage Foundation tells the stories of those who made women’s suffrage happen, based on her new anthology.

Albert Einstein: Rock Star with Stephen Rosen (March 13)

In honor of Einstein's 140th birthday, a lightheartedly scientific look at his life, legacy, and ongoing popularity with physicist and playwright Stephen Rosen.

John Burnham Schwartz, The Red Daughter: A Novel (May 16)

Running from her father’s brutal legacy, Joseph Stalin’s daughter defects to the United States during the turbulence of the 1960s. This sweeping historical novel and unexpected love story is inspired by the remarkable life of Svetlana Alliluyeva.

Laughs

Uptown at Night: An Evening of Humorous Storytelling and Comedy (April 16)

Uptown at Night returns to the Members’ Room with a vibrant new lineup of humorous storytellers and comedians including Jim Shepard, Emmy Blotnick, James Harvey, Jocelyn Chia, and Dr. George Lombardi.

Life

Sarah Ruhl, Letters from Max: A Book of Friendship (January 23)

The author, playwright, and Yale Drama professor shares a shimmering exploration of love, art, mortality, and the afterlife. Letters from Max is co-authored with Max Ritvo.

Elaine Pagels, Why Religion? A Personal Story (March 7)

Why is religion still around in the twenty-first century? Why do so many still believe? And how do various traditions still shape the way people experience everything from sexuality to politics, whether they are religious or not? In Why Religion? one of today’s most compelling thinkers on the subject looks to her own life to help address these questions.

Magic

Gail Carson Levine, Writing Magic (January 27)

Meet the award-winning, New York Times-bestselling author of the children's books Ella Enchanted and Ogre Enchanted! Gail Carson Levine offers a glimpse into the magic behind her numerous books and her writing process.

Place

Suzannah Lessard, The Absent Hand: Reimagining Our American Landscape, with Elizabeth Barlow Rogers (April 2)

Bestselling author Lessard takes a deep dive into our surroundings—cities, countryside, and sprawl—to explore change in the meaning of place and reimagine our American landscape. Ms. Lessard discusses The Absent Hand with the president of the Foundation for Landscape Studies, author Elizabeth Barlow Rogers.

Publishing

Meet the Publishing Pros: Literary Agents Brenda Bowen, John Silbersack, and Emma Sweeney (January 10)

In this occasional series, writers and patrons interested in the publishing world are invited to insightful discussion with its stars. Brenda Bowen represents books for young readers and for adults at Greenburger Associates. John Silbersack of The Bent Agency is a publishing professional with a deep experience as editor, publisher, and agent. Emma Sweeney is president and owner of Emma Sweeney Agency LLC.

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