Posts by Jean Harripersaud

You can say it started in 1678 with the publication of John Bunyan's Pilgrim Progress. Then along came Hall Caine's The Christian (1897) and C.S Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia in the 1950s. Fast forward to the 21st century, major news magazines such as Time were talking about the Left Behind series. Yes, my interest was piqued when I read a 2002 Time magazine cover article titled "Apocalypse Now" about the popularity of the series. I checked them out of the library and read each one in order. I was intrigued and fascinated.

Hispanic Heritage Month is observed in the U.S. each year from September 15 to October 15. This year's national theme is "Diversity United, Building America's Future Today." At the Bronx Library Center - NYPL's premier Latino/Puerto Rican Heritage Center, we have a variety of programs and events to learn and celebrate the Hispanic experience. Listed below are just a few of them:

It's Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 through October 15), the time of year to celebrate and recognize the contributions made by people of Hispanic descent to this great nation. This year's national theme is Many Backgrounds, Many Stories... One American Spirit.

Black History Month was first observed as Negro History Week by Historian Carter G. Woodson in 1926. Dr. Woodson chose the month of February because it was the birthday of two important figures who contributed to the abolition of slavery: Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. Dr. Woodson, whose parents were slaves, was self-taught and went on to Harvard where he obtained his PhD. In 1976, President Ford officially declared February as Black History Month in the USA. The goal of Black History Month is to recognize nationally the contributions of Blacks.

The New York Public Library’s premier Puerto Rican/Latino Cultural Center—The Bronx Library Center—kicks off Hispanic Heritage Month with Pioneros II: Puerto Ricans in New York City 1948–1998, an exhibit from the Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College. The exhibit is based on the book by the same title by Virginia Sánchez Korrol (Professor emerita at Brooklyn College) and Pedro Juan Hernández (Archivist at the Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College).

Primary documents, personal accounts, commentary and video covering the events of nine years ago today.

They were all made in the Bronx. The New York Public Library Lions (1911) and the Abraham Lincoln statue (1923) at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington were carved by the Piccirilli Brothers in their studio on 142nd Street near St. Ann Avenue. The cast iron dome (1858) crowning the Capitol Building in Washington was cast by the James & Kirtland Foundry located in the vicinity of St. Mary's Park.

Hey, Adults, looking for that great summer read for the beach or something lengthier than Poetry in Motion while commuting through dark subway tunnels – look no further than the Bronx Library Center. This summer the Bronx Library Center is looking to reward four readers who read and post the most book reviews online at www.summerreading.org.

On May 26 from 10 am – 3 pm the Bronx Library Center will be having its 3rd Annual Employment Expo.  All will receive critical job skills.  However, especially unique about this year’s expo is the first 100 women job seekers who attend will receive free business appropriate attire provided by the non-profit Dress for Success.

THEN

The year was 1910 and there was a huge influx of immigrants into New York so much so that the foreign-born population rose to 41 percent. Meanwhile, the New York Public Library, a free public library of New York was being birthed into existence. In 1895, an agreement was signed to consolidate the Tilden Fund and the Lenox and Astor Libraries, two private libraries in New York. The Tilden Fund financed the construction of The Research Library located on the corner of 42nd Street and Fifth Avenue. Construction was completed and the New York Public Library opened its door to the public in 1911.

About 20 yards from the Bronx Library Center is the Edgar Allan Poe Cottage. Nestled quietly in a corner of the Poe Park, this small wooden farmhouse built in 1812 shows no sign of the great legacy of its occupant. It was here that Edgar Allan Poe spent the last 3 years of his life. Poe penned some of his famous poems in this cottage ( "Annabel Lee,” “The Bells” and “Eureka”). And it was in this cottage he experienced his greatest heartbreak - when Virginia died in 1847. Preserved by the Bronx Historical Society, the bed she died in can still be viewed by visitors as well as the armchair Poe sat in.

Looking for just the right music to get you into the holiday mood? This holiday season the Bronx Library Center will be featuring holiday music as part of its regular Saturday afternoon cultural performances. The following free performances are scheduled in the 150-seat auditorium located on the Concourse Level of this fabulous library.

Saturday, December 19 @ 2:30 p.m.

Members of the Bronx Symphony Orchestra will perform “Music Inspired by Christmas”
George Frederick Handel: Overture and Pastorale from Messiah
Arcangelo Corelli: Christmas Concerto Grosso op. 6 no.8
Four Traditional Christmas Carols (arr. by Bruce 

Economy has you down? Can’t afford to go away this summer? Cheer up! Plan a vacation right at home in New York City. Go library hopping and enjoy a plethora of high quality cultural performances at the New York Public Library - for FREE!

Last Saturday, I visited the Bronx Library Center (where a free performance is offered every Saturday at 2:30 pm), and was treated to the finest quality of Latin Jazz performed by an ensemble led by one of the masters of Latin Jazz – Edy Martinez. Edy Martinez is one of the developers of Latin jazz and an honoree of the National Jazz Museum in Harlem.
He has won much acclaim for his cds Midnight Jazz Affair and 

Please join us this month as we discuss Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird.

The Bronx is currently having its first ever NEA Big Read hosted by the Bronx Council on the Arts and the New York Public Library’s Bronx Library Center. The title – To Kill A Mockingbird.

To Kill a Mockingbird was first published in 1960. Since then it has won a Pulitzer and has been translated into more than 40 languages.

"That rare literary phenomenon, a Southern novel with no mildew on its magnolia leaves. Funny, happy and written with unspectacular precision, To Kill a Mockingbird is about conscience—how it is instilled in two