What's On at the Library

Be a Culture Days Activity Organizer!

 Culture Days @ The Library is Back for Second Year! 

Are you an artist of almost any kind, in pretty much any medium? If so, this is for you. Keep reading.

Once again, Toronto Public Library, the Neighbourhood Arts Network and Culture Days are working together to help artists and arts groups share their creative work with the public in the free and accessible spaces of the library. Last year, more than 2,000 people took part in Culture Days @ the Library. They got the inside story on weaving, origami, bookbinding, violin improv, toy pianos, stone carving, French folk music, storytelling, writing and dozens of other activities. Our 2011 Culture Days blog postings will give you a sense of some of these activities.

We want to replicate that incredible range of artistic talent again this year, and so we are again inviting artists and cultural creators of all kinds to get involved.

It's easy to apply ... and the April 30 deadling is coming up soon so don't delay. The main thing is that your activity should be interactive. This could mean that your audience tries their hand at a craft or musical activity or that you simply explain how you do your work. You might conduct a mini-lesson in your craft or give a demonstration. The application is online--just fill it out and click submit. For the Culture Days big picture, go to the Culture Days website, www.culturedays.ca.

 

 

Jamaica 50 Literary Series

Fifty years ago, in August 1962, the Caribbean country of Jamaica became independent from Britain. Toronto Public Library and the Jamaica 50 Art and Literature Committee mark this anniversary with an exciting series of literary and cultural events showcasing the creative excellence and contributions of Jamaican-Canadian writers.

On Saturday, April 14, at 2 pm, Peta-Gaye Nash will be speaking at Maria Shchuka Branch. Peta-Gaye Nash is a Jamaican-born short story writer. I Too Hear the Drums is her 2010 collection. Her work has appeared in Canadian Voices, Volume 2, the Bearing Witness Anthologies and Bookends: the Jamaica Observer Literary Magazine. She has also recently published three children’s books: Don’t Take Raja to School, Liam and the Lizard and Where Are Meadow’s Manners? A graduate of McMaster University she teaches English as a second language and currently lives in Mississauga with her family.

Two days later, on April 16, 7-8 pm, Malvern Branch hosts three authors: Mary Lou Soutar-Hynes, Jennifer Walcott, Quentin “Vercetty” Lindsay.

Mary Lou Soutar-Hynes has lived in Toronto since immigrating here in 1969. Her poetry and non-fiction have been published widely in Canadian poetry anthologies, and she is the co-author, with Trina Wood, of The Writer Within: Dialogue and Discovery. She is a member of the Writers’ Union of Canada and the League of Canadian Poets.

Jennifer Walcott grew up in Jamaica and in Canada, where she has lived for many years. She has worked in community development and education and is currently a secondary school teacher of English. She is published in the collection, Calling Cards: an Anthology of Caribbean and Canadian Writers, and has had poems in journals and websites.

Quentin “Vercetty” Lindsay is a self-proclaimed Artvist who and knows no boundaries when it comes to his artistic expression. Feeling obligated to spread a message of social change through the innovation of different art forms, he uses his art to empower others. There are four more Jamaica 50 programs in May and June featuring Valery Wint, Yvonne Blackwood, Martin Mordecai, Afua Cooper and Fred Kennedy. Click here for the full list. Plus, bestselling author Malcolm Gladwell will be at the Appel Salon on May 23, and will discuss his work and his Jamaican heritage with CBC's Eleanor Wachtel.

Courage: a National Film Board of Canada Documentary

A documentary about the “working poor”

Five TPL branches will be screening the non-theatrical premiere of a new documentary, Courage, by filmmaker Geoff Bowie. Courage is a sympathetic look at the growing number of people in the Toronto area who work long hours at jobs that pay so badly that they cannot feed, house and clothe themselves and their families. Meet the so-called "working poor."   Filmmaker Geoff Bowie (toncoc.com)

In Courage, Geoff Bowie (The Universal Clock, Walk Naked Singing) delves into the social impacts, looks at possible ways out and explores solidarity. During meetings organized by Bowie, six Ontarians spoke courageously about having to work multiple jobs to get by and explained their strategies for escaping financial vulnerability. Courage is a participatory social-issues film that emphasizes the importance of mutual aid and succeeds in condemning the taboo of poverty. This film is an opportunity for Canadians directly affected by the economic crisis to have their voices heard.

You will also have the opportunity to meet this important filmmaker. Geoff Bowie will be attending each screening to answer questions and facilitate discussion. The discussions will be in English, except at North York Central (2 pm, April 28), where the Bowie will lead the discussion in French at Un après-midi au cinéma.

The film is in French, with English subtitles. 52 min.

Thu Apr 12, 6:30 - 8:30 pm Yorkville

Thu Apr 19, 6:30 - 8:30 pm Lillian H. Smith

Wed Apr 25, 2:00 - 4:00 pm Beaches

Sat Apr 28, 2:00 - 4:00 pm North York Central

 

Shakespeare: His Plays, Our Times

Brush up your Shakespeare (with apologies to Cole Porter) and get ready for Stratford.

Shakespearean expert Dr. John Hartley presents talks on three of Shakespeare's most popular and intriguing plays: Henry V,  All's Well that Ends Well and A Midsummer Night's Dream (all fully deconstructed in Porter's song). The series kicks off with Henry V, first at Runnymede Branch, Wed., April 11, 6:30  pm, and again at Deer Park, Fri., April 13, 2 pm.

Was Henry V a hero or a criminal? The debate still rages among supporters and critics alike. Dr. Hartley will look at Henry as the king who caught the imagination of the Elizabethans. He will also explore Henry V as a leader whose qualities have drawn both praise and jeers. Whatever your opinion of Henry V, this is a play that cannot be ignored.

Branagh in Oscar-nominated Henry V. Photo: ALAMY (from the Telegraph, 27 Nov 2011).

Dr. Hartley has led countless seminars and trips to the Stratford Festival. His PhD focused on Shakespeare, but his love of theatre and Shakespeare was sealed when as a high school student, he spent a week at the Stratford Festival. It’s been his passion ever since.

The series continues at with All's Well That Ends Well at Locke, Tues., April 17, 2 pm and wraps up with A Midsummer Night's Dream at Mount Pleasant on Tues., April 26, 2 pm .Plan to attend the whole series. All of these branches are easy to get to by TTC in areas with all kinds of amenities (think lunch or dinner and theatre).

Hugh Brewster on the Titanic

Around the world there are commemorations, scientific talks, exhibitions and author readings marking the 100th anniversary of this oceanic disaster--you can check out events in Canada and around the world on the CBC's website. Among these, TPL is featuring award-winning writer Hugh Brewster.

Brewster talked about the Titanic and his new book (RMS Titanic: Gilded Lives on a Fatal Voyage) to a crowded Beeton Auditorium yesterday. CBC interviewed Brewster and the clip will air tonight (CBC Newsworld/(Rogers 26) on the National (9-10 pm and 11-12 pm) and CBC (Rogers 6) at 10 pm.

Brewster will be reprising his talk at four other TPL branches (see below). And don't miss Toronto Reference Library's fascinating display of Titanic books and old postcards from TPL's collection (on the second floor). Librarians in any branch can help you locate books and articles, so don't hesitate to ask.

Tue Apr 10, 7:00 - 8:00 pm Albert Campbell Tue Apr 17, 7:00 - 8:15 pm Port Union Wed May 02, 7:00 - 8:00 pm Danforth/Coxwell Tue May 08, 7:00 - 8:00 pm Annette Street

For more Thought Exhange Programs, visit: http://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/programs-and-classes/featured/thought-exchange.jsp