Gallery Exhibit: Joanne Shapiro

Come join in celebrating the joys of everyday life with photographer Joanne Shapiro, who’s photography exhibit, “Extraordinary Ordinary: The Magic of Everyday Life” will be on display in the gallery throughout the month of October. You are invited to attend the opening reception for this exhibit on Sunday, October 5th, 2 pm – 4 pm.

Joanne first discovered photography while in grade school when she acquired her first camera, a turquoise blue 620-film box camera. Many years and cameras later, her love for photography continues to grow. Working many years with a 4 x 5 view camera and a traditional black and white darkroom, Joanne currently photographs with a DSLR camera and she prints her own photographs using a digital darkroom.

The Namesake movie showing this Sunday

On October 5th at 1 PM, we’ll be showing the movie version of The Namesake, starring Kal Penn.

Here are some reviews of the film to whet your appetite:

Roger Ebert: “The Namesake tells a story that is the story of all immigrant groups in America: Parents of great daring arriving with dreams, children growing up in a way that makes them almost strangers, the old culture merging with the new. It has been said that all modern Russian literature came out of Gogol’s “Overcoat.” In the same way, all of us came out of the overcoat of this same immigrant experience.”

Claudia Puig from USA Today: “Nair has taken a fascinating piece of literature and woven a rich cultural tapestry for the screen. The Namesake elicits laughter and tears in its profound and emotionally resonant family portrait.”

Ty Burr from The Boston Globe: “The Namesake has a deep, alluvial poetry to it, like a mighty river reaching the sea. It’s mysterious and ordinary, insightful and banal, rambling and precise, and it is altogether unexpected.”

Faire on the Square

This Saturday is Watertown’s Annual Faire on the Square. This year, we’re participating with several events based on our community reading program, One Book, One Watertown.

Because we’ve been reading Jhumpa Lahiri’s novel, The Namesake, all three events we have planned celebrate Indian culture:

Taal Tales Dancing: Learn about traditional Indian dancing with Tara Ahmed.
Saturday, September 27 at 11: 30 AM

This 45-minute lecture/demonstration presents a history of classical South Indian dance and performances of dance pieces celebrating various deities. You will see analogies between art from India and America, and learn to understanding parallels between art forms and cultures. In this highly interactive program, the participants are engaged by asking and answering questions throughout the entire program. A small group is invited to get up to learn some movement, and there is a Question & Answer period at the end of the program.

Henna Tattoos: Get your own henna tattoo with Sue Murad.
Saturday, September 27 starting at 2 PM

Express your appreciation for Indian culture on your skin. Visual artist Sue Murad specializes in hand drawing these gorgeous henna tattoos that will last about two weeks. The Watertown Free Public Library has invited “Henna Sue” to help us celebrated Faire on the Square and One Book, One Watertown.

Drop In Crafts: Learn how to make Indian Block Prints in an event hosted by our Children’s Department.
Saturday, September 27 from 2-4 PM.

The Children’s Department will host Open Craft from 2-4 pm in the Watertown Savings Bank Room. Stop by to learn about Indian Block Printing and make your own print!

One Book, One Watertown Report!

We kicked off our first ever One Book One Watertown Community Read with a talk by Professor Bakirathi Mani, who teaches at Swarthmore College.  About 70 people attended the event, nearly filling up the room.  After Professor Mani spoke about the Namesake and Jhumpa Lahiri, people asked questions, and told their own family stories of immigration and relocation.

It was a great event, and we’d like to thank everyone for attending.  Hopefully we’ll see you all again next Saturday, September 27th for the events we have planned for Faire on the Square.

Bakirathi Mani Kicks Off One Book, One Watertown

Next week will finally see the official start to the events for our community reading program, One Book, One Watertown.

Swarthmore College Professor, Bakirathi Mani, will visit the library to give an engaging lecture on The Namesake and Jhumpa Lahiri.

Bakirathi Mani is a professor at Swarthmore College, and the Chair of their Women’s Studies Department. She has Pd.D.s in Modern Thought and Literature and Cultural and Social Anthropology, and specializes in studying the South Asian diaspora in the United States. As such, she is a scholarly authority on Jhumpa Lahiri and her works.

Refreshments will be provided for guests by our own cafe.  No registration required.