September 11 Commemoration

Five years have gone by, the pain and the heroism are still with us. This Sept. 11, Avon Lake Public Library will remember the heroes of September 11 and our loss with a day-long screening of films revolving around the events of that day in 2001.

At 9:15 we’ll screen 9/11: The Filmmakers’ Commemorative Edition, a film by Jules and Gedeon Naudet and James Hanlon. This documentary follows a firefighter into the Twin Towers on September 11. Maybe the only footage shot from inside before the Towers fell, this tribute to those who gave their lives to save others won two Emmys.

At 1 p.m. see Twin Towers: The True Story of Two Brothers Whose Courage Will Never be Forgotten. Two brothers - one a firefighter, one a police officer - are remembered for their bravery in New York City on September 11. This documentary won an Academy Award.

And at 2 p.m we’ll screen Eleven Minutes, Nine Seconds, One Image: September 11 (this movie is also known by the title 9′ 11′ 01)by Youssef Chahine and ten other directors from 11 countries. Each director has contribute an 11-minute, 9-second short, reflecting on the events of 11 September 2001. Each short film is another look, from another country, on the events of that day. This last film, or series of films, is very challenging, as well as notably uneven. Some of the films are tributes to those who died or to those who risked all that day. Some of these films ask us to experience the suffering of other people in the world who have endured other atrocities, in some cases at the hands of Americans. Not all of the films work very well. Some maybe work too well.

I hope each of the movies will deepen our reflection on this tragedy, on our experience of being Americans and on our role as Americans in the world. These movies are not for everyone. They contain violent scenes and harsh language. They ask us to remember, to empathize with those in pain (and with our own pain) and to reflect. I hope you will join us for this Commemoration.

We will show these films in the Gallery, making use of our new state-of-the-art audio-visual equipment. Along with the films, we’ll display our September 11 flag with the names of those who died in the Towers and a journal to record any thoughts you’d like to share. You are welcome to come and go quietly to the films that interest you or as your time allows. Between and after the films you may wish to discuss your reactions and your hopes for the future with other viewers.

Web Event with Author Philippa Gregory

Philippa Gregory, popular historical fiction author of The Boleyn Inheritance and many other bestselling novels of Tudor England, will be hosting a free live webcast on Sunday, Sept. 16 at 2 p.m.

Ms. Gregory will be discussing her research and writing, her upcoming book and the new movie version of The Other Boleyn Girl to feature Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson. Registered attendees will view and listen to Ms. Gregory speak to a London audience and be able to ask her questions and interact with other live and web audience members.

All you need to do is register in advance. Reminders and instructions for connecting to the webcast will be sent in advance. Just go to http://www.philippagregorylive.com before the 16th to register.

Knitting Circle at Library

Love to knit? Want to learn to knit? Want to join others in an inviting circle of new friends knitting together? Join knitting maven Susan Sisco and neighbors on two Thursdays each month in the Lakeshore Room of the Library. September 6 & 20, October 4 & 18, November 1 & 15. The Circle will keep turning in 2008 if interest warrants.

Please sign up before coming so Susan will know to expect you (if you can’t make it Sept. 6, you may join anytime). Call us at 440.933.7710, drop us a line at refdeskATavonlake.lib.oh.us or come by to see us at the Reference Desk. This program is open to both adults and teens. It would make a lovely mother - daughter activity.

If you’re just starting out knitting, bring a pair of size 11 knitting needles and 8 oz. bulky yarn in a color you want to see in a scarf. Otherwise, bring whatever you’re working on. Susan will teach at any level or just welcome you to the Circle if you’re already an accomplished knitter.

Medical School for the Rest of Us

Ever wonder what it would be like to attend medical school? Now’s your chance to find out!

 Join NEOUCOM’s Mini Medical School for the Community: Healthy Bones and Joints.The Mini Medical School for the Community meets from 6 to 8:30 p.m. on four consecutive Thursdays, beginning Sept. 20 and is offered free of charge.  The topic for this year’s program is “Healthy Bones and Joints,” focusing on normal and abnormal anatomy and treatment options.

The program will be held in the Meshel Center (R146) at their Rootstown, Ohio, campus. Directions here Light refreshments will be served each evening.

Take this opportunity to learn more about these important health topics. No math or science background is necessary and there is no homework or exams. NEOUCOM’s Mini Medical School for the Community is tailored to the general public.NEOUCOM faculty experts will provide lectures in easily understood language as well as hands-on learning exercises to provide you with a well-rounded experience. You also will have the opportunity to interact with NEOUCOM medical students

.In lieu of a registration fee, participants are invited to make a $40 tax-deductible donation to the NEOUCOM Foundation. Proceeds will benefit their student scholarship programs.

To register, complete the online registration form or contact Susan Feiock by calling 330-325-6335. Note that registration is on a first-come, first-served basis and seating is limited! As the program is designed as a four-session course, participants may not register for a single session and should plan to attend all four sessions. Only those who are 16 years of age or older may attend. 

This! Is! Over The Top!

 A very brief review of 300:

So, here I was prepared for the historic, histronic, bloodthirsty and cartoony swordplay and sacrifice laid on a little thick… but it wasn’t too bad! 

Just remember, this is historical FICTION, based on something happened a long long time ago and has little to do with anything happening today.

It’s mostly for entertainment. It never stops moving.  And it doesn’t seem overlong, either. .. the curse of far too many movies.  Not everyone agrees, however…., but maybe some people are reading too much into it.

For further research:

Here’s the Frank Miller Graphic Novel this was based on.

Here’s another novel based on the Battle Of Thermopylae, and we have enough copies for you to have a Book Discussion!

The Bestiary by Nicholas Christopher

My latest best read, Nicholas Christopher’s The Bestiary, is a coming of age fable featuring a lost young man seeking an ancient illustrated book of animals that didn’t make it onto Noah’s ark and finding himself. Christopher’s writing is luminous, his imagined animals fabulous, his human characters entirely real and his story haunting. As in Louise Erdrich’s stories of the Lakota, such as The Antelope Wife, there is no line between the sensory and the imaginative world and the truths of each world reverberate in the other. Both writers remind us that we are part of a world much larger, more beautiful and more interconnected than we are aware, and they do so not with lecture but with magical story.