For Black History Month, we present a selection of noteworthy recent arrivals that explore African American history and biography.
Past Events
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Repeats every month on February, March, April, May on the third Tuesday until Wed May 22 2019.Tuesday, February 19, 2019 - 12:00 PM, Tuesday, March 19, 2019 - 12:00 PM, Tuesday, April 16, 2019 - 12:00 PM, Tuesday, May 21, 2019 - 12:00 PM | Reading Group | Whitridge Room | for members only | $60 for the set of four sessions or $20 per session | registration requiredErwin Flaxman, PhD, leads discussion of four seminal novels by the only author to be included in the Library of America during his lifetime.
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Repeats every 2 weeks every Tuesday until Fri Mar 29 2019.Tuesday, February 5, 2019 - 11:00 AM, Tuesday, February 19, 2019 - 11:00 AM, Tuesday, March 5, 2019 - 11:00 AM, Tuesday, March 19, 2019 - 11:00 AM | Special Event | Peluso Family Exhibition Gallery | open to the public | free of charge | no registration requiredEnjoy an intimate look at broadsides, books, and historical materials about the women's suffrage movement and the passage of the 19th Amendment.
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Repeats every 2 weeks every Thursday until Fri Mar 29 2019.Thursday, January 31, 2019 - 2:00 PM, Thursday, February 14, 2019 - 2:00 PM, Thursday, February 28, 2019 - 2:00 PM, Thursday, March 14, 2019 - 2:00 PM, Thursday, March 28, 2019 - 2:00 PM | Special Event | Peluso Family Exhibition Gallery | open to the public | free of charge | no registration requiredEnjoy an intimate look at broadsides, books, and historical materials about the women's suffrage movement and the passage of the 19th Amendment.
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Monday, February 11, 2019 - 6:30 PM | Special Event | Members' Room | open to the public | $20 per person | advance registration requiredPerson Place Thing is an interview show based on this idea: people are particularly engaging when they speak not directly about themselves but about something they care about. Guests talk about one person, one place, and one thing that are important to them. The result? Surprising stories from great talkers. In this live podcast recording, Person Place Thing host Randy Cohen chats with bestselling author and lifelong Library member Susan Cheever.
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Repeats every month on January, February, March, April, May on the second Sunday until Mon May 06 2019 except Sun Apr 14 2019. Also includes Sun Apr 07 2019, Sun May 05 2019.Sunday, January 13, 2019 - 2:30 PM, Sunday, February 10, 2019 - 2:30 PM, Sunday, March 10, 2019 - 2:30 PM, Sunday, April 7, 2019 - 2:30 PM, Sunday, May 5, 2019 - 2:30 PM | Reading Group | Whitridge Room | for members only | by donation; registration requiredEducator Blanche Siegal leads informal discussions of the beloved Victorian author Anthony Trollope and other master writers of the same century. This popular group is now in its eighth season.
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Thursday, February 7, 2019 - 6:30 PM | Special Event | Members' Room | open to the public | $15 per person | registration requiredFrom George M. Cohan to Lin-Manuel Miranda, the rhythm of Broadway is the heartbeat of America. In this special evening, the preeminent producer of Broadway cast albums gives an insightful and hilarious insider’s view of the shows, the people, and the music.
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Wednesday, February 6, 2019 - 5:00 PM | Children | Whitridge Room | for members and guests | grades 3 and up | $20 per child | registration requiredExplore the art of bookmaking with Library Conservator Christina Amato. Participants will make their own unique blank books using traditional materials and techniques.
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Repeats every month on February, March, April, May on the second Wednesday until Wed May 08 2019 except Wed Feb 13 2019.Wednesday, February 6, 2019 - 11:00 AM, Wednesday, March 13, 2019 - 11:00 AM, Wednesday, April 10, 2019 - 11:00 AM, Wednesday, May 8, 2019 - 11:00 AM | Reading Group | Whitridge Room | for members only | $60 for the set of four sessions or $20 per session | registration requiredFor more than a century, the dark, gloomy vision of a “dystopia” has flourished. While such books can sound depressing, the ingenuity and wit of their authors makes them fascinating. Popular seminar leader Jane Mallison guides readers throught the wreckage of four modern-classic dystopias, from 1984 to Parable of the Sower.
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Tuesday, February 5, 2019 - 11:00 AM, Tuesday, February 19, 2019 - 11:00 AM, Tuesday, March 5, 2019 - 11:00 AM, Tuesday, March 19, 2019 - 11:00 AM | Special Event | Peluso Family Exhibition Gallery | open to the public | free of charge | no registration requiredEnjoy an intimate look at broadsides, books, and historical materials about the women's suffrage movement and the passage of the 19th Amendment.
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Saturday, February 2, 2019 - 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM | Children | Members' Room/Children's Library/Whitridge Room | open to the public | for families | free of charge | no registration requiredA special opportunity to introduce your friends to the Library at our Children’s Library Open House: an afternoon of family fun featuring storyteller Bill Gordh with tales from around the globe!
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Thursday, January 31, 2019 - 2:00 PM, Thursday, February 14, 2019 - 2:00 PM, Thursday, February 28, 2019 - 2:00 PM, Thursday, March 14, 2019 - 2:00 PM, Thursday, March 28, 2019 - 2:00 PM | Special Event | Peluso Family Exhibition Gallery | open to the public | free of charge | no registration requiredEnjoy an intimate look at broadsides, books, and historical materials about the women's suffrage movement and the passage of the 19th Amendment.
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Tuesday, January 29, 2019 - 6:00 PM | Reception | Members' Room | for members and guests | free of charge | registration requiredLibrary members and guests are cordially invited to a celebration of this new exhibition about the women’s suffrage movement, with remarks by author Brooke Kroeger.
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Wednesday, January 23, 2019 - 6:30 PM | The Writing Life | Members' Room | open to the public | $15 per person | registration requiredThe 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.
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Thursday, January 17, 2019 - 5:00 PM | Children | Members' Room | open to the public | for grades 3-8 | $10 per person | registration requiredMeet the award-winning, New York Times-bestselling author of Ella Enchanted and Ogre Enchanted! Gail Carson Levine offers a glimpse into the magic behind her numerous books and her writing process.
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Tuesday, January 15, 2019 - 6:30 PM | Lecture | Members' Room | open to the public | $15 per person | advance registration requiredA 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.
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Sunday, January 13, 2019 - 2:30 PM, Sunday, February 10, 2019 - 2:30 PM, Sunday, March 10, 2019 - 2:30 PM, Sunday, April 7, 2019 - 2:30 PM, Sunday, May 5, 2019 - 2:30 PM | Reading Group | Whitridge Room | for members only | by donation; registration requiredEducator Blanche Siegal leads informal discussions of the beloved Victorian author Anthony Trollope and other master writers of the same century. This popular group is now in its eighth season.
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Thursday, January 10, 2019 - 6:30 PM | Special Event | Members' Room | open to the public | $15 per person | advance registration requiredIn 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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Friday, December 14, 2018 - 2:00 PM | Special Event | Whitridge Room | for members only | for adults and teens in grade 9 and older | free of charge | registration requiredIlluminated manuscripts are handwritten manuscripts decorated with brilliant colors and gold. In this workshop with Library Conservator Christina Amato, participants will decorate an initial or simple illustration with gouache paint and real gold leaf.
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Thursday, December 13, 2018 - 6:30 PM | Special Event | Members' Room | open to the public | free of charge | advance registration requiredGlobal warming is no longer a mere prediction. It’s here, now, and having catastrophic effects on our planet. So why aren’t more people talking about it? Writers and critics Jeremy Deaton, Omar El Akkad, Roy Scranton, Ashley Shelby, and Michael Svoboda, with moderator Amy Brady from Guernica Magazine, explore how climate change is fundamentally framed in popular culture—and how, in turn, popular culture helps shape our national conversations about the issue.
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Tuesday, December 11, 2018 - 10:00 AM | The Writing Life | Whitridge Room | for members only | free of charge | registration required for each session separatelyJoin certified genealogists and repository personnel for three sessions of insights into methods to navigate the vast, complex, and exciting path to your family history. This workshop takes place over three Tuesdays: October 9, November 13, and December 11. Attend any or all sessions.
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Saturday, December 1, 2018 - 3:00 PM | Performance | Members' Room | open to the public | $25 per person | registration requiredIn the aftermath of the Napoleonic wars, a shy English spinster seeks to win back the love of the man she jilted eight years before. Jane Austen’s last and most romantic novel, a brilliant meditation on love and loss and what is constant in a changing world, is brought to sparkling new life by playwright Sarah Rose Kearns.
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Friday, November 30, 2018 - 9:00 AM to Saturday, December 1, 2018 - 5:00 PM | Special Event | Reference Room | open to the public | free of charge | no registration requiredHidden treasures, beautiful display volumes, fun reads, and gifts can be found at the Library’s holiday book sale.
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Thursday, November 29, 2018 - 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM | Reading Group | Whitridge Room | for members only | free of charge | no registration requiredAttend a lecture, read the book, then join other event-going members for informal discussion, book-club style.
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Wednesday, November 28, 2018 - 5:00 PM | Children | Members' Room | open to the public | for grades 3 and up | $10 per person, payable at the door | registration requiredKarina Yan Glaser reads from her newest book, a sequel to her New York Times notable book The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street, and shares the secrets of how authors are inspired to write about what matters most to them.
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Saturday, November 17, 2018 - 3:00 PM | Children | Members' Room | open to the public | for children of all ages | $10 per child, payable at the door | registration requiredDon your frilliest, silliest frock and join us for stories, songs, and crafts…with a drag queen!
