MAY 2007 ADULT PROGRAMS AND ART EXHIBITIONS AT BROOKLYN PUBLIC LIBRARY

This month, our outstanding line-up of educational and cultural programs includes special events in honor of National Jewish Heritage Month. Read on for more information.

The following programs are free and open to the public.

JEWISH HERITAGE MONTH EVENTS

Celebrating Jewish Heritage: André Aciman: Call Me By Your Name
Aciman reads from his first novel.
Sunday, May 6, 2 PM
Central Library, Second Floor Meeting Room, Grand Army Plaza, 718.230.2100

Jewish Gangsters Film Series
Watch crime dramas based on the lives of notorious Jewish mafia men.
The following films will be screened in the Second Floor Meeting Room of Central Library at Grand Army Plaza.

Tuesday, May 8, 7 PM
Lansky (R)
Starring Richard Dreyfuss, this crime drama reveals the life of mafia boss Meyer Lansky.

Tuesday, May 15, 7 PM
Murder Inc. (R)
This 1960 gangster film noir chronicles the rise and fall of the organized crime syndicate known as Murder, Incorporated.

Tuesday, May 22, 7 PM
Billy Bathgate (R)
Starring Dustin Hoffman and Nicole Kidman, this film chronicles a young man's rise from gopher to right hand man in the mafia.

Tuesday, May 29, 7 PM
Miller's Crossing (R)
Directed by Joel and Ethan Coen and starring Gabriel Byrne, Albert Finney and John Turturro, this film depicts a power struggle between two rival gangs.

Rabbi Steven Greenberg: Homosexuality in Jewish Thought and Practice
An openly gay Orthodox rabbi reads from his book Wrestling with God and Men: Homosexuality in the Jewish Tradition.
Sunday, May 13, 2 PM
Central Library, Second Floor Meeting Room, Grand Army Plaza, 718.230.2100

Beth Wenger on the Lower East Side in American Jewish Memory
Early last century, half a million immigrant Jews lived on the Lower East Side. While the area is longer a center of Jewish life, it remains a poignant site of Jewish memory.
Sunday, May 13, 4 PM
Central Library, Second Floor Meeting Room, Grand Army Plaza, 718.230.2100

Kinderszenen
Robin Hirsch performs Scenes from Childhood, a narrative spanning 80 years, in which a boy comes of age and wrestles with his faith.
Sunday, May 20, 2 PM
Central Library, Second Floor Meeting Room, Grand Army Plaza, 718.230.2100

Klezmer Concert: Shlomo Leiderman
Composer Leiderman leads Brooklyn-based sextet Old Red Wine through Dixie-inflected klezmer classics.
Sunday, May 20, 4 PM
Central Library, Second Floor Meeting Room, Grand Army Plaza, 718.230.2100

AUTHOR TALKS, LECTURES, AND BOOK READINGS

Poets Coffee House Series
Thadeus Rutkowski, author of Tetched: A Novel in Fractals and Roughhouse, Rigoberto González, author of So Often the Pitcher Goes to Water Until it Breaks, and Katha Pollitt, author of Antarctic Traveller, share their latest prose.
Tuesday, May, 1, 7 PM
Central Library, 2nd Floor Meeting Room, Grand Army Plaza, 718.230.2100

Russian Poetry Club (in Russian)
Hear humorous poetry by Alexey Berezin, Alexander Dolinov and Irina Aks.
Monday, May 21, 6 PM
Homecrest Library, 2525 Coney Island Avenue, 718.382.5924

CLASSES, SEMINARS & WORKSHOPS

Creative Writing
Attend this workshop to develop your story idea, from the characters to an opening chapter, with published author Donna Hill.
Thursdays, May 3 through May 17, 6:45 PM
Central Library, Education & Job Information Center Conference Room, Grand Army Plaza, 718.230.2100

Importance of Will Preparation (in Chinese & English)
Learn to make a will legally concrete from legal expert Evin Ross.
Saturday, May 5, 2 PM
Central Library, Trustees Room, Grand Army Plaza, 718.230.2100

Overcoming Psychological Barriers Towards Employment
Join this workshop with Madlena Rozenblyum of the Jewish Board of Family & Children Services.
Tuesday, May 8, 6:30 PM
Central Library, Trustees Room, Grand Army Plaza, 718.230.2100

Yoga Workshop
Relieve tension and relax with deep breathing exercises.
Friday, May 11, 1 PM
Cypress Hills Library, 1197 Sutter Avenue, 718.277.6004

The 10th Annual "You Can Do It Too" Entrepreneur Series
Attend this inspirational lecture for aspiring business owners to hear encouraging stories, learn about business resources and network.
Tuesdays, May 15 & May 29, 6 PM
Business Library, 280 Cadman Plaza West, 718.623.7100

Writers' Circle with Nader Serafy
Attend this workshop where writers of all levels and genres share their work.
Wednesdays, May 23 & 30, 1 PM
Central Library, Trustees Room, Grand Army Plaza, 718.230.2100

How to Balance Your Work and Family Life
Learn how to maintain this balance with Madlena Rozenblyum of the Jewish Board of Family & Children Services.
Tuesday, May 29, 6:30 PM
Central Library, Trustees Room, Grand Army Plaza, 718.230.2100

DANCE AND MUSIC

Folkloric Mexican Dance Workshop
Library users of all ages are invited to participate in this fun dance workshop!
Tuesday, May 1, 3:30 PM
New Utrecht Library, 1743 86th Street, 718.236.4086

Middle Eastern Dance Workshop
Learn the basic steps of Middle Eastern dance. Call the Multilingual Center, 718.230.2417, to register.
Sunday, May 20, 2 PM
Central Library, Trustees Room, Grand Army Plaza, 718.230.2100

Music Performance: Steel Pan Drumming
Caribbean steel drum virtuoso Ricardo Greenaway will have you swaying to the beat at this inspiration performance.
Wednesday, May 30, 1:15 PM
Saratoga Library, 8 Thomas S. Boyland Street, 718.573.5224

Afro-Caribbean Drumming and Dance
Enjoy live percussion and dance to the music!
Thursday, May 31, 4:30 PM
DeKalb Library, 790 Bushwick Avenue, 718.455.3898

Saxophonist Michael Blake
Hear original compositions by a member of the Lounge Lizards jazz group.
Tuesday, May 15, 7 PM
Red Hook Library, 7 Wolcott Street, 718.935.0203

EXHIBITIONS

Superheroes by Dulce Pinzón
This exhibition features photographs of Mexican immigrants dressed as popular superheroes.
Through June 16
Central Library, Grand Lobby, Grand Army Plaza 718.230.2100

People's Democratic Republic of Brooklyn by Youme Landowne
This site-specific installation is created of handmade passports.
Through June 16
Central Library, Lobby Gallery, Grand Army Plaza 718.230.2100

Women's Work by Robbin Ami Silverberg
Women's Work is a series of artist's books that suggest the three stages of a woman’s life, in addition to an installation that highlights the cross-cultural misogyny in proverbs from around the world.
Through June 16
Central Library, 2nd Floor Balcony Cases, Grand Army Plaza 718.230.2100

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Friends Gathering
Discuss ways to support your local library.
Wednesday, May 9, 6:30 PM
Central Library, Education & Job Information Center Conference Room, Grand Army Plaza, 718.230.2100

Tuesday, May 15, 10:30 AM
Brower Park Library, 725 St. Marks Avenue, 718.773.7208

Monday, May 21, 6:30 PM
Windsor Terrace Library, 160 East Fifth Street, 718.686.9707

Contact

Brooklyn Public Library is an independent New York City library system serving the borough of Brooklyn. It is the fifth largest in the United States. Its Central Library, Business Library, and 58 neighborhood libraries offer free information, programs and computer access to people of all ages. You can reach the Library's resources of over 70 reference databases, catalog information and news 24 hours a day at www.brooklynpubliclibrary.org