Biblio File

March Author @ the Library Programs at Mid-Manhattan

March Author @ the LibraryDrawing as a form of inquiry... groundbreaking graphic designers... The U.S.  a safe haven for Nazis... 1,000 years of visualizing the cosmos... a moment-by-moment account of Hurricane Sandy... the era of great American songwriting... the evolution of the painted nail... the Nazi occupation of Paris... women and romantic obsession... a cartoonist's creative problem-solving... the 20th century's most important architect... smaller museums of Manhattan... the life of Coco Chanel... a guide to Jewish New York... sustainable Indian cooking...  shopping and American architecture...

If any of these topics have piqued your interest, come in out of the cold and warm up your brain at aAuthor @ the Library program this March at the Mid-Manhattan Library Listen to scholars and other experts discuss their recent nonfiction books on a wide variety of subjects and ask them questions. Author talks take place at 6:30 pm on the 6th floor of the Library unless otherwise noted. You can also request the authors' books using the links to the catalog included below.

Drawing and Reinventing Landscape

 

Monday, March 2 at 6:30 pm

Exploring creativity and self-expression, landscape and urban designer Diana Balmori and artist and illustrator Jorge Colombo engage in a conversation around the simple question, "Why Draw?"

Diana Balmori’s recent book Drawing and Reinventing Landscape considers drawing as a form of inquiry and suggests its validity for anyone engaged in the creative process. 

Dorothy and Otis

 

Tuesday, March 3 at 6:30 pm

Dorothy And Otis: Designing The American Dream with Norman Hathaway, an art director and design historian, and Dan Nadel, a writer and editor for art and visual culture publications and art curator.

The authors showcase the designs of Dorothy and Otis Shepard, two groundbreaking giants of early twentieth-century American advertising. They were the first American graphic designers to work in multiple mediums and scales with equal skill and vision, and their work remains brilliant; yet their names are little known today.
 
 
The Nazis Next Door

 

Wednesday, March 4 at 6:30 pm

The Nazis Next Door: How America Became a Safe Haven for Hitler's Men, with Eric Lichtblau, a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter in the Washington bureau of The New York Times.

This illustrated talk unveils the secret history of how America became a safe haven for thousands of Nazi war criminals. Many of them were brought here after World War II by the CIA and got support from the FBI’s director, J. Edgar Hoover.

 

 

Cosmigraphics

 

Thursday, March 5 at 6:30 pm

Cosmigraphics: Picturing Space Through Time with Michael Benson, American photographer, writer, filmmaker, and exhibition producer.

This illustrated lecture chronicles the depiction of humankind's visualization of the cosmos through history. It spans over 1,000 years of human history, charts the expansion of the human imagination, and the understanding of the universe that surrounds us.

 

Superstorm

 

Monday, March 9 at 6:30 pm

Superstorm: Nine Days Inside Hurricane Sandy, with Kathryn Miles of Chatham University and Green Mountain College.

The author delves inside Hurrincane Sandy, the largest Atlantic storm ever recorded, with a diameter of 1000 miles, and details the stories of dedicated professionals at the National Hurricane Center and National Weather Service.

 

 

The B-Side

 

Tuesday, March 10 at 6:30 pm

THE B-SIDE: The Death of Tin Pan Alley and the Rebirth of the Great American Song, with Ben Yagoda, a journalism professor at the University of Delaware and the author, coauthor, or editor of twelve books,

An acclaimed cultural critic offers a narrative and social history of the Great American Songwriting era in this illustrated lecture.

 

 

Nails

 

Wednesday, March 11 at 6:30 pm

Nails: The Story of the Modern Manicure, with Suzanne E. Shapiro, a researcher at The Costume Institute at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

This illustrated lecture explores the evolution of the painted nail. The manicure as we know it has been around for less than a century, but it's become a major presence in the culture of fashion, with its own trends, fads, and fringe aspects. At every turn the manicure has reflected larger style trends as well as changing ideals of femininity.

 

When Paris Went Dark

 

Thursday, March 12 at 6:30pm

When Paris Went Dark: The City of Light Under German Occupation, 1940-1944, with Ronald C. Rosbottom, the Winifred L. Arms Professor in the Arts and Humanities and Professor of French and European Studies at Amherst College.

This illustrated lecture chronicles Nazi-occupied Paris during World War II.and recounts daily life in the city during the four years of occupation, the development of an underground resistance, and the city’s liberation.

 

 

Unrequited

 

 

Monday, March 16 at 6:30 pm

Unrequited: Women and Romantic Obsession with Lisa A. Phillips, assistant professor of journalism at SUNY New Paltz and former award-winning radio reporter.

Phillips explores the tremendous force of obsessive love in women's lives. She argues that it needs to be understood, respected, and channeled for personal growth - yet it also has the potential to go terribly awry.

 

 

The Wild and Twisted World of Rubes

 

Tuesday, March 17 at 6:30 pm

A Twisted Mind is a Terrible Thing to Waste, with Leigh Rubin, syndicated cartoonist of Rubes®, a sit down comedian and the author of The Wild and Twisted World of Rubes: A Rubes Cartoon Collection.

In this illustrated lecture, the innovative and entertaining speaker explores fresh perspectives and creative problem-solving and inspires ways to look at any situation from different viewpoints.

 

Modern Man

 

Wednesday, March 18 at 6:30 pm

Modern Man: The Life of Le Corbusier, Architect of Tomorrow with journalist Anthony Flint, a fellow and director of public affairs at the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy.

A riveting biography of the most important architect of the twentieth centuryLe Corbusier—a man who invented new ways of building and thinking. Modern Man is a penetrating psychological portrait of a true genius and constant self-inventor, as well as a sweeping tale filled with exotic locales, sex and celebrity (he was a lover of Josephine Baker), and high-stakes projects.

 

Not the Met

 

Thursday, March 19 at 6:30 pm  

Not the Met: Exploring the Smaller Museums of Manhattan with  museum lovers Janel Halpern and Harvey Appelbaum.

Join author Janel Halpern and photographer Harvey Appelbaum on a tour of museums in New York City through their illustrated presentation. Peek into some of New York City's other museums. Travel to museums and experience exhibits through the authors' eyes with these informative vignettes. 

 

 

Mademoiselle

 

Monday, March 23 at 6:30 pm

Mademoiselle: Coco Chanel and the Pulse of History, with Rhonda K. Garelick, Professor of Fine and Performing Arts and English at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Visiting Scholar at the Graduate Center CUNY.

The author depicts Coco Chanel's life in an illustrated lecture and offers one of the most fascinating tales of the twentieth century—throwing into dramatic relief an era of war, fashion, ardent nationalism, and earth-shaking change.

 

 

Jewish New York

 

Tuesday, March 24 at 6:30 pm

Jewish New York: A History and Guide to Neighborhoods, Synagogues, and Eateries, with Paul M. Kaplan, a prolific writer, who serves on the board of directors for the Lower East Side Jewish Conservancy.

This illustrated lecture provides an historical introduction and framework for locals and visitors of every religion and nationality to delve into the rich history and contribution of Jewish immigrants in New York. With a focus on the communities of Manhattan, it includes museums, places of historic interest, restaurants, synagogues, and entertainment venues of the present and past.

 

Spices and Seasons

 

Thursday, March 26 at 6:30 pm

Spices and Seasons, Simple, Sustainable Indian Flavors, with Rinku Bhattacharya, a New York-based food writer, cookbook author and cooking teacher.

This illustrated lecture explores the essential Indian spices and their health benefits and explains how to incorporate the Indian flavors in a practical and accessible manner, with an emphasis on seasonal eating and green living.

 

Pedestrian Modern

 

Tuesday, March 31 at 6:30 pm 

Pedestrian Modern: Shopping and American Architecture, 1925–1956 with David Smiley, an architect and an architectural historian, who teaches at the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation at Columbia University

The author reveals how the design for places of consumption informed emerging modernist tenets. His talk traces the history of architecture’s relationship with retail environments during a time of significant transformation in urban centers and in open suburban landscapes.

If you'd like to read any of the books presented at our past author talks, you can find book lists from our January 2013 - March 2015 Author @ the Library programs in the BiblioCommons catalog.

The Author @ the Library posts include mainly nonfiction authors discussing their recent works at the Mid-Manhattan Library. Don't miss the many other interesting classesfilms, readings and talks on our program calendar. Enjoy art lectures and artist conversations and virtual tours of New York and other places, discuss contemporary classics in our book discussion group,  hear short story readings at Story Time for Grown-ups, and share your favorite books at Open Book Nights. Did I mention that all of our programs and classes are free? We hope to see you soon at the library!