"Learning From Home" SPEAKING SCHEDULE
I am currently giving virtual programs for libraries and other oragnizations. Topics and dates are listed below. Please go to these websites for registration information.
- JERICHO PUBLIC LIBRARY (NY): www.jericholibrary.org
- WILSONVILLE PUBLIC LIBRARY (OR): https://www.wilsonvillelibrary.org/lib
- PORT WASHINGTON LIBRARY (NY): www.pwpl.org
- HEWLETT-WOODMERE LIBRARY (NY): https://www.hwpl.org/
- SEAFORD PUBLIC LIBRARY (NY): https://www.seafordlibrary.org/
- SOMERSET COUNTY LIBRARY (NJ): https://sclsnj.org/
- LEVITTOWN PUBLIC LIBRARY (NY): https://levittownpl.org/
- UPPER SADDLE RIVER LIBRARY (NJ): https://uppersaddleriverlibrary.org/
- ROCKVILLE CENTRE PUBLIC LIBRARY: https://www.rvclibrary.org
- ROCHELLE PARK PUBLIC LIBRARY (NJ): https://www.rplibrary.org/
- BAYVILLE PUBLIC LIBRARY (NY): https://www.bayvillefreelibrary.org/
- FRIENDLY HOUSE: PORTLAND COMMUNITY CENTER (Oregon) https://fhpdx.org
- TEWKSBURY PUBLIC LIBRARY (MA): https://www.tewksburypl.org/
- GROTON PUBLIC LIBRARY: https://www.gpl.org/
15. FAIRLAWN PUBLIC LIBRARY (NJ): https://www.fairlawnlibrary.org/
16. SOUTHBURY PUBLIC LIBRARY (CT):
https://www.southburylibrary.org/
17. WARREN COUNTY LIBRARY (NJ)
https://warrenlib.libnet.info/events
18. ABBOT PUBLIC LIBRARY (MA): https://abbotlibrary.org/
19. MID-CONTINENT PUBLIC LIBRARY (MO)
https://www.mymcpl.org/
"Learning from Home" Overview and Fees
- My current fee (depending on library funding) is $250 to $300 for a 90-minute PowerPoint program, which includes time for a "Q & A" session after the main presentation is over.
- There are no reduced rates for a series or multiple bookings with the same organization.
- Programs are presented via ZOOM from my Portland, Oregon office.
- I allow programs to be recorded for library use only.
- Participants should be kept muted during the presentation but may ask questions during the Q & A session at the end. (Chat or Raised Hand)
- The SPEAKING SCHEDULE PAGE on this website lists my current commitments.
Wilsonville Public Library (Oregon)
All presentations @ 11 AM Pacific/2 PM Eastern
JUNE 5 JUNETEENTH! In June of 2021, President Joseph Biden signed a bill making June 19th—known as Juneteenth—a federal holiday. Although Juneteenth has been celebrated in African-American communities since its inception over a century and a half ago, many white Americans only learned about it recently. If you’re among those still learning about the holiday and you’re not sure exactly what it’s about, this program explores the remarkable history behind this remarkable event, an event rooted in slavery but celebrating the triumph of freedom.
JULY 3 ROSWELL & BEYOND Since the beginning of recorded history, humans have been fascinated by the skies above them, especially when "visitors" seemed to descend from the stars. There are numerous accounts of these beings and their miraculous crafts in ancient religious texts (including the Bible), in artwork, and in epic legends of gods, angels, and other strange beings. Then in 1947, a reported crash of a "flying saucer" in Roswell, New Mexico opened up the proverbial floodgates. What was once the arcane fringe interest of a few scholars has become the stuff of popular entertainment and speculation. Today, there are branches of governments around the world that study unidentified aerial phenomena (UAPs) and unidentified flying objects (UFOs). In fact, since 2022, the U.S. Congress has held public hearings about UAPs--and the Pentagon is currently handling its own set of investigations. Even NASA has gotten into the fray and is using, in part, the new James Webb Space Telescope to explore the possibility of extraterrestrial civilizations. This presentation explores the possibilities of life beyond Earth and the possibility that we've been having alien visitations for thousands if not millions of years. The truth is out there!
AUGUST 7 MARK TWAIN Born Samuel Langhorne Clemens, Twain (1835--1910) was a humorist, journalist, lecturer, and novelist who garnered international fame for his travel narratives, including The Innocents Abroad (1869), Roughing It (1872), and Life on the Mississippi (1883), and for his adventure stories of boyhood, most especially The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1885), a book often considered the quintessential “great American novel”. A gifted raconteur and irascible moralist, he transcended the apparent limitations of his humble Missouri origins to become one of America’s best and most beloved writers.
SEPTEMBER 4 JUDY GARLAND: OVER THE RAINBOW Using a baker’s dozen of her all-time hits, Dr. Bill Thierfelder explores the life of Judy Garland, telling a deeply personal saga filled with laughter and tears, triumphs and tragedies. From quintessential numbers like “Over the Rainbow” and “You Made Me Love You” to melting torch songs such as “The Man That Got Away” and “But Not For Me,” Garland knew how to connect with the words, the music, and--above all--the audience. Indeed, watching Garland present a song is attending a master class in artistic expression.
OCTOBER 2 TRUMAN CAPOTE When Truman Capote passed away in August of 1984, he left behind an enduring--and sometimes controversial--legacy of fiction and non-fiction novels, short stories, and journal pieces, including A CHRISTMAS MEMORY and IN COLD BLOOD. This program delves into both the light and shadows of one of America’s greatest writers.
No Program in NOVEMBER
DECEMBER 4 A CHARLES DICKENS CHRISTMAS Charles Dickens has famously been called “The Man Who Invented Christmas.” Inspired by the writings of Washington Irving earlier in the 19th century, Dickens wrote five Christmas novellas between 1843 and 1848 and over a dozen short stories between 1852 and 1866. Each of these--including the perennial favorite A CHRISTMAS CAROL--helped to shape how the holiday season is celebrated in Britain and America. This program explores these wonderful flights of holiday fantasy and their lasting influence.
JUNE 5 JUNETEENTH! In June of 2021, President Joseph Biden signed a bill making June 19th—known as Juneteenth—a federal holiday. Although Juneteenth has been celebrated in African-American communities since its inception over a century and a half ago, many white Americans only learned about it recently. If you’re among those still learning about the holiday and you’re not sure exactly what it’s about, this program explores the remarkable history behind this remarkable event, an event rooted in slavery but celebrating the triumph of freedom.
JULY 3 ROSWELL & BEYOND Since the beginning of recorded history, humans have been fascinated by the skies above them, especially when "visitors" seemed to descend from the stars. There are numerous accounts of these beings and their miraculous crafts in ancient religious texts (including the Bible), in artwork, and in epic legends of gods, angels, and other strange beings. Then in 1947, a reported crash of a "flying saucer" in Roswell, New Mexico opened up the proverbial floodgates. What was once the arcane fringe interest of a few scholars has become the stuff of popular entertainment and speculation. Today, there are branches of governments around the world that study unidentified aerial phenomena (UAPs) and unidentified flying objects (UFOs). In fact, since 2022, the U.S. Congress has held public hearings about UAPs--and the Pentagon is currently handling its own set of investigations. Even NASA has gotten into the fray and is using, in part, the new James Webb Space Telescope to explore the possibility of extraterrestrial civilizations. This presentation explores the possibilities of life beyond Earth and the possibility that we've been having alien visitations for thousands if not millions of years. The truth is out there!
AUGUST 7 MARK TWAIN Born Samuel Langhorne Clemens, Twain (1835--1910) was a humorist, journalist, lecturer, and novelist who garnered international fame for his travel narratives, including The Innocents Abroad (1869), Roughing It (1872), and Life on the Mississippi (1883), and for his adventure stories of boyhood, most especially The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1885), a book often considered the quintessential “great American novel”. A gifted raconteur and irascible moralist, he transcended the apparent limitations of his humble Missouri origins to become one of America’s best and most beloved writers.
SEPTEMBER 4 JUDY GARLAND: OVER THE RAINBOW Using a baker’s dozen of her all-time hits, Dr. Bill Thierfelder explores the life of Judy Garland, telling a deeply personal saga filled with laughter and tears, triumphs and tragedies. From quintessential numbers like “Over the Rainbow” and “You Made Me Love You” to melting torch songs such as “The Man That Got Away” and “But Not For Me,” Garland knew how to connect with the words, the music, and--above all--the audience. Indeed, watching Garland present a song is attending a master class in artistic expression.
OCTOBER 2 TRUMAN CAPOTE When Truman Capote passed away in August of 1984, he left behind an enduring--and sometimes controversial--legacy of fiction and non-fiction novels, short stories, and journal pieces, including A CHRISTMAS MEMORY and IN COLD BLOOD. This program delves into both the light and shadows of one of America’s greatest writers.
No Program in NOVEMBER
DECEMBER 4 A CHARLES DICKENS CHRISTMAS Charles Dickens has famously been called “The Man Who Invented Christmas.” Inspired by the writings of Washington Irving earlier in the 19th century, Dickens wrote five Christmas novellas between 1843 and 1848 and over a dozen short stories between 1852 and 1866. Each of these--including the perennial favorite A CHRISTMAS CAROL--helped to shape how the holiday season is celebrated in Britain and America. This program explores these wonderful flights of holiday fantasy and their lasting influence.
Jericho Public Library (New York)
All presentations @ 11 AM Pacific/2 PM Eastern
MAY 6 TENNESSEE WILLIAMS Tennessee Williams--along with his contemporaries Eugene O'Neill and Arthur Miller--is considered among the three foremost playwrights of 20th-century American drama. After years of obscurity, at age 33 he became suddenly famous with the success of The Glass Menagerie (1944), a play that closely reflected his own unhappy family background. It was the first of a string of successes, including A Streetcar Named Desire (1947), Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1955), Sweet Bird of Youth (1959), and The Night of the Iguana (1961). With his later work, he attempted a new style that didn’t appeal as widely to audiences--though these plays are now recognized as the output of a masterful playwright. A Streetcar Named Desire is often numbered on short lists of the finest American plays of the 20th century alongside Eugene O'Neill's Long Day's Journey into Night and Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman. Much of Williams' most acclaimed work has been adapted for the cinema. He also wrote short stories, poetry, essays, and a volume of memoirs.
JUNE 10 THE SUMMER OF ‘69 In 1969, America experienced one of its most extraordinary summers. In addition to the ongoing unrest revolving around the Viet Nam War and Civil Rights, three pivotal milestones occurred: The Stonewall Riots, which marked the beginning of the modern LGBTQ era; the Apollo moon landing, which became the crowning achievement of a decade-long “Space Race”; and Woodstock, probably the single most important cultural event of the era. Join us as we relive the season that changed the face of America forever. #71
JULY 8 MARK TWAIN Born Samuel Langhorne Clemens, Twain (1835--1910) was a humorist, journalist, lecturer, and novelist who garnered international fame for his travel narratives, including The Innocents Abroad (1869), Roughing It (1872), and Life on the Mississippi (1883), and for his adventure stories of boyhood, most especially The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1885), a book often considered the quintessential “great American novel”. A gifted raconteur and irascible moralist, he transcended the apparent limitations of his humble Missouri origins to become one of America’s best and most beloved writers. #83
AUGUST 12 SUSAN B. ANTHONY To celebrate the passage of the 19th Amendment in August of 1920, this program dives into the life of Susan Brownell Anthony, (1820--1906) who was an American activist like few others. She became a pioneer crusader for the women’s suffrage movement in the United States and was president (1892–1900) of the National Woman Suffrage Association. Her friendship with Elizabeth Cady Stanton and others helped to pave the way for the Nineteenth Amendment (1920) to the Constitution, giving women the right to vote. She was a fierce and exceptional woman who helped change America. #82
SEPTEMBER 9 QUEEN BOUDICA OF THE CELTS Ask any English child about Boudica and he or she will tell you tales of one of Britain’s greatest heroines. But to many on this side of The Pond, Boudica’s story is still unknown. This program attempts to correct that. Boudica remains one of the most remarkable leaders in Western History. She slaughtered a Roman army. She torched Londinium, leaving a charred layer almost half a meter thick that can still be traced under modern London. According to the Roman historian Cornelius Tacitus, her army killed as many as 70,000 civilians in Londinium (London), Verulamium (St. Albans) and Camulodunum (Colchester), rushing “to cut throats, hang, burn, and crucify.” Who was she? Why was she so angry? How could a “mere woman” command such an enormous army? Her story is guaranteed to inspire. #68
OCTOBER 14 THE SALEM WITCHES When we think of witches and demons, we usually think of horror movies or Halloween. But for America’s 17th-century Puritan settlers, such beings were believed to be a reality, not superstition, and their new home in Massachusetts a place filled with fear and uncertainty. The early colonies were an experiment that—coupled with a backdrop of religious extremism—bred an anxiety so intense it ultimately turned deadly. As a result of religious/civic trials held between February 1692 and May 1693, 19 men and women were put to death following the unsustainable testimony of several young girls. In the end, the tale of the Salem witches is a frightening cautionary tale about the effects of mob psychology. # 47
NOVEMBER 25 THE REAL THANKSGIVING On the fourth Thursday of November every year, countless millions of Americans gather around the table--and the television--to enjoy a banquet, football, and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. It’s a tradition that goes back decades. But it wasn’t always so--and that’s what this program examines. We’ll look at that first sport-famished, non-Santa, un-apple-pie Thanksgiving in the early 17th century and see how that straight-forward, rather modest feast among early colonials and indigenous peoples transformed into the most widely celebrated event in our country, a day on which more Americans travel than any other holiday. We’ll explore regional traditions, folklore, music, and even a few recipes--and try to discover the “thanks” in Thanksgiving. #29
DECEMBER 16 SANTA CLAUS: THE BIOGRAPHY For untold millions of children of all ages, December not only means the Holiday Season but a talk with Santa at the local mall, a midnight visitation from him on December 24th, or watching countless movies about him on TV. What’s equally remarkable is how Santa came to be such a global presence; there’s no corner of the planet where Santa isn’t known and loved. Explore the humble origins of the real-life Saint Nicholas over seventeen hundred years ago and trace the development of his legend across the centuries, sampling treasured stories from Europe, Asia, and the Americas. #26
MAY 6 TENNESSEE WILLIAMS Tennessee Williams--along with his contemporaries Eugene O'Neill and Arthur Miller--is considered among the three foremost playwrights of 20th-century American drama. After years of obscurity, at age 33 he became suddenly famous with the success of The Glass Menagerie (1944), a play that closely reflected his own unhappy family background. It was the first of a string of successes, including A Streetcar Named Desire (1947), Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1955), Sweet Bird of Youth (1959), and The Night of the Iguana (1961). With his later work, he attempted a new style that didn’t appeal as widely to audiences--though these plays are now recognized as the output of a masterful playwright. A Streetcar Named Desire is often numbered on short lists of the finest American plays of the 20th century alongside Eugene O'Neill's Long Day's Journey into Night and Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman. Much of Williams' most acclaimed work has been adapted for the cinema. He also wrote short stories, poetry, essays, and a volume of memoirs.
JUNE 10 THE SUMMER OF ‘69 In 1969, America experienced one of its most extraordinary summers. In addition to the ongoing unrest revolving around the Viet Nam War and Civil Rights, three pivotal milestones occurred: The Stonewall Riots, which marked the beginning of the modern LGBTQ era; the Apollo moon landing, which became the crowning achievement of a decade-long “Space Race”; and Woodstock, probably the single most important cultural event of the era. Join us as we relive the season that changed the face of America forever. #71
JULY 8 MARK TWAIN Born Samuel Langhorne Clemens, Twain (1835--1910) was a humorist, journalist, lecturer, and novelist who garnered international fame for his travel narratives, including The Innocents Abroad (1869), Roughing It (1872), and Life on the Mississippi (1883), and for his adventure stories of boyhood, most especially The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1885), a book often considered the quintessential “great American novel”. A gifted raconteur and irascible moralist, he transcended the apparent limitations of his humble Missouri origins to become one of America’s best and most beloved writers. #83
AUGUST 12 SUSAN B. ANTHONY To celebrate the passage of the 19th Amendment in August of 1920, this program dives into the life of Susan Brownell Anthony, (1820--1906) who was an American activist like few others. She became a pioneer crusader for the women’s suffrage movement in the United States and was president (1892–1900) of the National Woman Suffrage Association. Her friendship with Elizabeth Cady Stanton and others helped to pave the way for the Nineteenth Amendment (1920) to the Constitution, giving women the right to vote. She was a fierce and exceptional woman who helped change America. #82
SEPTEMBER 9 QUEEN BOUDICA OF THE CELTS Ask any English child about Boudica and he or she will tell you tales of one of Britain’s greatest heroines. But to many on this side of The Pond, Boudica’s story is still unknown. This program attempts to correct that. Boudica remains one of the most remarkable leaders in Western History. She slaughtered a Roman army. She torched Londinium, leaving a charred layer almost half a meter thick that can still be traced under modern London. According to the Roman historian Cornelius Tacitus, her army killed as many as 70,000 civilians in Londinium (London), Verulamium (St. Albans) and Camulodunum (Colchester), rushing “to cut throats, hang, burn, and crucify.” Who was she? Why was she so angry? How could a “mere woman” command such an enormous army? Her story is guaranteed to inspire. #68
OCTOBER 14 THE SALEM WITCHES When we think of witches and demons, we usually think of horror movies or Halloween. But for America’s 17th-century Puritan settlers, such beings were believed to be a reality, not superstition, and their new home in Massachusetts a place filled with fear and uncertainty. The early colonies were an experiment that—coupled with a backdrop of religious extremism—bred an anxiety so intense it ultimately turned deadly. As a result of religious/civic trials held between February 1692 and May 1693, 19 men and women were put to death following the unsustainable testimony of several young girls. In the end, the tale of the Salem witches is a frightening cautionary tale about the effects of mob psychology. # 47
NOVEMBER 25 THE REAL THANKSGIVING On the fourth Thursday of November every year, countless millions of Americans gather around the table--and the television--to enjoy a banquet, football, and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. It’s a tradition that goes back decades. But it wasn’t always so--and that’s what this program examines. We’ll look at that first sport-famished, non-Santa, un-apple-pie Thanksgiving in the early 17th century and see how that straight-forward, rather modest feast among early colonials and indigenous peoples transformed into the most widely celebrated event in our country, a day on which more Americans travel than any other holiday. We’ll explore regional traditions, folklore, music, and even a few recipes--and try to discover the “thanks” in Thanksgiving. #29
DECEMBER 16 SANTA CLAUS: THE BIOGRAPHY For untold millions of children of all ages, December not only means the Holiday Season but a talk with Santa at the local mall, a midnight visitation from him on December 24th, or watching countless movies about him on TV. What’s equally remarkable is how Santa came to be such a global presence; there’s no corner of the planet where Santa isn’t known and loved. Explore the humble origins of the real-life Saint Nicholas over seventeen hundred years ago and trace the development of his legend across the centuries, sampling treasured stories from Europe, Asia, and the Americas. #26
Hewlett-Woodmere Public Library (New York)
All presentations @ 9:00 AM Pacific/12 Noon Eastern
MAY 22 SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE: MORE THAN SHERLOCK Conan Doyle was not only a superb writer but also a prominent physician as well. He created the character Sherlock Holmes in 1887 for A Study in Scarlet, the first of four novels and fifty-six short stories about Holmes and Dr. Watson, all considered milestones in crime fiction. But Doyle was a prolific writer and created many other wonderful characters; his works include fantasy and science fiction stories about Professor Challenger and humorous stories about the Napoleonic soldier Brigadier Gerard, as well as plays, romances, poetry, non-fiction, and historical novels. This program goes beyond Sherlock and introduces you to equally striking works of fiction.
JUNE 19 JUNETEENTH! In June of 2021, President Joseph Biden signed a bill making June 19th—known as Juneteenth—a federal holiday. Although Juneteenth has been celebrated in African-American communities since its inception over a century and a half ago, many white Americans only learned about it recently. If you’re among those still learning about the holiday and you’re not sure exactly what it’s about, this program explores the remarkable history behind this remarkable event, an event rooted in slavery but celebrating the triumph of freedom.
JULY 17 ROSWELL & BEYOND Since the beginning of recorded history, humans have been fascinated by the skies above them, especially when "visitors" seemed to descend from the stars. There are numerous accounts of these beings and their miraculous crafts in ancient religious texts (including the Bible), in artwork, and in epic legends of gods, angels, and other strange beings. Then in 1947, a reported crash of a "flying saucer" in Roswell, New Mexico opened up the proverbial floodgates. What was once the arcane fringe interest of a few scholars has become the stuff of popular entertainment and speculation. Today, there are branches of governments around the world that study unidentified aerial phenomena (UAPs) and unidentified flying objects (UFOs). In fact, since 2022, the U.S. Congress has held public hearings about UAPs--and the Pentagon is currently handling its own set of investigations. Even NASA has gotten into the fray and is using, in part, the new James Webb Space Telescope to explore the possibility of extraterrestrial civilizations. This presentation explores the possibilities of life beyond Earth and the possibilities that we've been having alien visitations for thousands if not millions of years. The truth is out there!
AUGUST 21 THE SUMMER OF ‘69 In 1969, America experienced one of its most extraordinary summers. In addition to the ongoing unrest revolving around the Viet Nam War and Civil Rights, three pivotal milestones occurred: The Stonewall Riots, which marked the beginning of the modern LGBTQ era; the Apollo moon landing, which became the crowning achievement of a decade-long “Space Race”; and Woodstock, probably the single most important cultural event of the era. Join us as we relive the season that changed the face of America forever.
SEPTEMBER 18 TRUMAN CAPOTE When Truman Capote passed away in August of 1984, he left behind an enduring--and sometimes controversial--legacy of fiction and non-fiction novels, short stories, and journal pieces, including A CHRISTMAS MEMORY and IN COLD BLOOD. This program delves into both the light and shadows of one of America’s greatest writers.
OCTOBER 16 TENNESSEE WILLIAMS Tennessee Williams--along with his contemporaries Eugene O'Neill and Arthur Miller--is considered among the three foremost playwrights of 20th-century American drama. After years of obscurity, at age 33 he became suddenly famous with the success of The Glass Menagerie (1944), a play that closely reflected his own unhappy family background. It was the first of a string of successes, including A Streetcar Named Desire (1947), Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1955), Sweet Bird of Youth (1959), and The Night of the Iguana (1961). With his later work, he attempted a new style that didn’t appeal as widely to audiences--though these plays are now recognized as the output of a masterful playwright. A Streetcar Named Desire is often numbered on short lists of the finest American plays of the 20th century alongside Eugene O'Neill's Long Day's Journey into Night and Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman. Much of Williams' most acclaimed work has been adapted for the cinema. He also wrote short stories, poetry, essays, and a volume of memoirs.
NOVEMBER 20 RUTH BADER GINSBURG: PROFILE IN COURAGE Born and raised in Brooklyn, Ginsburg was a brilliant jurist who spent much of her legal career as an advocate for gender equality and women's rights, winning many arguments before the Supreme Court. As a member of the Court, Ginsburg received attention in American popular culture for her passionate dissents in numerous cases, widely seen as reflecting liberal views of the law. She was dubbed "The Notorious R.B.G.", and she later embraced the moniker. By the time she died in September of 2020, she was truly a household name. This program reflects on her life and on several of the landmark cases she was involved with and is meant to be an homage to one of the great judges of the past century.
DECEMBER 18 MICHELANGELO: CHISLED WITH WORDS Although Michelangelo’s poetry is not nearly as well known to the public as his sculpture, painting, and architecture, it was an important facet of his creative life and appears to have been a passionate and somewhat private secondary form of expression for the artist (he was unpublished during his lifetime, and many of the poems were gifts to friends). Michelangelo worked in the tradition of Italian lyric poetry as defined by Petrarch and Dante, writing over three hundred poems, many of which utilized imagery or metaphors from his primary medium of marble sculpture. Fragments of verse can be found in Michelangelo’s sketchbooks, scribbled on the same pages as studies for his masterpieces, showing that these two disparate art forms were complementary or intimately related in his mind.
MAY 22 SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE: MORE THAN SHERLOCK Conan Doyle was not only a superb writer but also a prominent physician as well. He created the character Sherlock Holmes in 1887 for A Study in Scarlet, the first of four novels and fifty-six short stories about Holmes and Dr. Watson, all considered milestones in crime fiction. But Doyle was a prolific writer and created many other wonderful characters; his works include fantasy and science fiction stories about Professor Challenger and humorous stories about the Napoleonic soldier Brigadier Gerard, as well as plays, romances, poetry, non-fiction, and historical novels. This program goes beyond Sherlock and introduces you to equally striking works of fiction.
JUNE 19 JUNETEENTH! In June of 2021, President Joseph Biden signed a bill making June 19th—known as Juneteenth—a federal holiday. Although Juneteenth has been celebrated in African-American communities since its inception over a century and a half ago, many white Americans only learned about it recently. If you’re among those still learning about the holiday and you’re not sure exactly what it’s about, this program explores the remarkable history behind this remarkable event, an event rooted in slavery but celebrating the triumph of freedom.
JULY 17 ROSWELL & BEYOND Since the beginning of recorded history, humans have been fascinated by the skies above them, especially when "visitors" seemed to descend from the stars. There are numerous accounts of these beings and their miraculous crafts in ancient religious texts (including the Bible), in artwork, and in epic legends of gods, angels, and other strange beings. Then in 1947, a reported crash of a "flying saucer" in Roswell, New Mexico opened up the proverbial floodgates. What was once the arcane fringe interest of a few scholars has become the stuff of popular entertainment and speculation. Today, there are branches of governments around the world that study unidentified aerial phenomena (UAPs) and unidentified flying objects (UFOs). In fact, since 2022, the U.S. Congress has held public hearings about UAPs--and the Pentagon is currently handling its own set of investigations. Even NASA has gotten into the fray and is using, in part, the new James Webb Space Telescope to explore the possibility of extraterrestrial civilizations. This presentation explores the possibilities of life beyond Earth and the possibilities that we've been having alien visitations for thousands if not millions of years. The truth is out there!
AUGUST 21 THE SUMMER OF ‘69 In 1969, America experienced one of its most extraordinary summers. In addition to the ongoing unrest revolving around the Viet Nam War and Civil Rights, three pivotal milestones occurred: The Stonewall Riots, which marked the beginning of the modern LGBTQ era; the Apollo moon landing, which became the crowning achievement of a decade-long “Space Race”; and Woodstock, probably the single most important cultural event of the era. Join us as we relive the season that changed the face of America forever.
SEPTEMBER 18 TRUMAN CAPOTE When Truman Capote passed away in August of 1984, he left behind an enduring--and sometimes controversial--legacy of fiction and non-fiction novels, short stories, and journal pieces, including A CHRISTMAS MEMORY and IN COLD BLOOD. This program delves into both the light and shadows of one of America’s greatest writers.
OCTOBER 16 TENNESSEE WILLIAMS Tennessee Williams--along with his contemporaries Eugene O'Neill and Arthur Miller--is considered among the three foremost playwrights of 20th-century American drama. After years of obscurity, at age 33 he became suddenly famous with the success of The Glass Menagerie (1944), a play that closely reflected his own unhappy family background. It was the first of a string of successes, including A Streetcar Named Desire (1947), Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1955), Sweet Bird of Youth (1959), and The Night of the Iguana (1961). With his later work, he attempted a new style that didn’t appeal as widely to audiences--though these plays are now recognized as the output of a masterful playwright. A Streetcar Named Desire is often numbered on short lists of the finest American plays of the 20th century alongside Eugene O'Neill's Long Day's Journey into Night and Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman. Much of Williams' most acclaimed work has been adapted for the cinema. He also wrote short stories, poetry, essays, and a volume of memoirs.
NOVEMBER 20 RUTH BADER GINSBURG: PROFILE IN COURAGE Born and raised in Brooklyn, Ginsburg was a brilliant jurist who spent much of her legal career as an advocate for gender equality and women's rights, winning many arguments before the Supreme Court. As a member of the Court, Ginsburg received attention in American popular culture for her passionate dissents in numerous cases, widely seen as reflecting liberal views of the law. She was dubbed "The Notorious R.B.G.", and she later embraced the moniker. By the time she died in September of 2020, she was truly a household name. This program reflects on her life and on several of the landmark cases she was involved with and is meant to be an homage to one of the great judges of the past century.
DECEMBER 18 MICHELANGELO: CHISLED WITH WORDS Although Michelangelo’s poetry is not nearly as well known to the public as his sculpture, painting, and architecture, it was an important facet of his creative life and appears to have been a passionate and somewhat private secondary form of expression for the artist (he was unpublished during his lifetime, and many of the poems were gifts to friends). Michelangelo worked in the tradition of Italian lyric poetry as defined by Petrarch and Dante, writing over three hundred poems, many of which utilized imagery or metaphors from his primary medium of marble sculpture. Fragments of verse can be found in Michelangelo’s sketchbooks, scribbled on the same pages as studies for his masterpieces, showing that these two disparate art forms were complementary or intimately related in his mind.
Friendly House Community Center (Oregon)
3 PM Pacific/6 PM Eastern
MAY 28 MARY ANNING: FOSSIL HUNTER Born in England in 1799, Mary Anning became a fossil hunter in her youth, discovering several important fossils off the cliffs of her native Dorset that would change the course of paleontology and would lay the foundation for Darwin's theory of evolution. Many scientists throughout Europe and America sought her consultation about prehistoric anatomy, but because she was female, she was neither allowed to pursue a career in science nor eligible to join the Geological Society of London. After more than a century of obscurity, Anning is finally being recognized for her amazing contributions.
JUNE 25 JUNETEENTH! In June of 2021, President Joseph Biden signed a bill making June 19th—known as Juneteenth—a federal holiday. Although Juneteenth has been celebrated in African-American communities since its inception over a century and a half ago, many white Americans only learned about it recently. If you’re among those still learning about the holiday and you’re not sure exactly what it’s about, this program explores the history behind this remarkable event, an event rooted in slavery but celebrating the triumph of freedom.
JULY 30 ROSWELL & BEYOND Since the beginning of recorded history, humans have been fascinated by the skies above them, especially when "visitors" seemed to descend from the stars. There are numerous accounts of these beings and their miraculous crafts in ancient religious texts (including the Bible), in artwork, and in epic legends of gods, angels, and other strange beings. Then in 1947, a reported crash of a "flying saucer" in Roswell, New Mexico opened up the proverbial floodgates. What was once the arcane fringe interest of a few scholars became the stuff of popular entertainment and speculation. Today, there are branches of governments around the world that study unidentified aerial phenomena (UAPs) and unidentified flying objects (UFOs). In fact, on May 17 of 2022, the U.S. Congress held its first public hearing about UAPs in decades--and the Pentagon is currently handling its own set of investigations. Even NASA has gotten into the fray and is using, in part, the new James Webb Space Telescope to explore the possibility of extraterrestrial civilizations. This presentation explores the possibilities of life beyond Earth and the possibility that we've been having alien visitations for thousands if not millions of years. The truth is out there!
AUGUST 27 JUDY GARLAND: OVER THE RAINBOW Using a baker’s dozen of her all-time hits, Dr. Bill Thierfelder explores the life of Judy Garland, telling a deeply personal saga filled with laughter and tears, triumphs and tragedies. From quintessential numbers like “Over the Rainbow” and “You Made Me Love You” to melting torch songs such as “The Man That Got Away” and “But Not For Me,” Garland knew how to connect with the words, the music, and--above all--the audience. Indeed, watching Garland present a song is attending a master class in artistic expression.
SEPTEMBER 24 TENNESSEE WILLIAMS Tennessee Williams--along with his contemporaries Eugene O'Neill and Arthur Miller--is considered among the three foremost playwrights of 20th-century American drama. After years of obscurity, at age 33 he became suddenly famous with the success of The Glass Menagerie (1944), a play that closely reflected his own unhappy family background. It was the first of a string of successes, including A Streetcar Named Desire (1947), Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1955), Sweet Bird of Youth (1959), and The Night of the Iguana (1961). With his later work, he attempted a new style that didn’t appeal as widely to audiences--though these plays are now recognized as the output of a masterful playwright. A Streetcar Named Desire is often numbered on short lists of the finest American plays of the 20th century alongside Eugene O'Neill's Long Day's Journey into Night and Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman. Much of Williams' most acclaimed work has been adapted for the cinema. He also wrote short stories, poetry, essays, and a volume of memoirs.
OCTOBER 29 AND THE WINNER IS (MAYBE?)... We’ve all been witness to the highly partisan and nation-dividing election of 2020, which culminated with an attack on our nation’s Capital on January 6th of 2021. But there have been other equally contentious, problematic, and violent presidential elections in America’s history. This program gives an overview of eight others, including Thomas Jefferson’s contentious win over Aaron Burr and John Adams in 1800, the 1860 election that culminated in the Civil War, the 1876 Tilden-Hayes election that effectively ended the Reconstruction era, Teddy Roosevelt’s ill-fated 1912 bid for the White House, and Truman’s narrow defeat of Thomas Dewey in 1948. https://www.history.com/news/most-contentious-u-s-presidential-elections
NOVEMBER 26 TONI MORRISON Explore the life and legacy of Toni Morrison, whose best-selling work examined racial and gender identity in America — particularly the often-crushing experience of black women — through incandescent prose resembling that of no other writer in English. She was the first African-American woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature and the author of 11 novels as well as 5 children’s books (written with her son Slade) and several essay collections. In these turbulent times, her work is essential reading. DECEMBER 17 A CHARLES DICKENS CHRISTMAS Charles Dickens has famously been called “The Man Who Invented Christmas.” Inspired by the writings of Washington Irving earlier in the 19th century, Dickens wrote five Christmas novellas between 1843 and 1848 and over a dozen short stories between 1852 and 1866. Each of these--including the perennial favorite A CHRISTMAS CAROL--helped to shape how the holiday season is celebrated in Britain and America. This program explores these wonderful flights of holiday fantasy and their lasting influence.
NOVEMBER 26 TONI MORRISON Explore the life and legacy of Toni Morrison, whose best-selling work examined racial and gender identity in America — particularly the often-crushing experience of black women — through incandescent prose resembling that of no other writer in English. She was the first African-American woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature and the author of 11 novels as well as 5 children’s books (written with her son Slade) and several essay collections. In these turbulent times, her work is essential reading. DECEMBER 17 A CHARLES DICKENS CHRISTMAS Charles Dickens has famously been called “The Man Who Invented Christmas.” Inspired by the writings of Washington Irving earlier in the 19th century, Dickens wrote five Christmas novellas between 1843 and 1848 and over a dozen short stories between 1852 and 1866. Each of these--including the perennial favorite A CHRISTMAS CAROL--helped to shape how the holiday season is celebrated in Britain and America. This program explores these wonderful flights of holiday fantasy and their lasting influence.
Somerset County Library System (New Jersey)
All presentations @ 4:00 PM Pacific/7:00 PM Eastern
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Southbury Public Library (Connecticut)
2 PM Eastern/ 11 AM Pacific
JUNE 11 QUAKES, VOLCANOES, TSUNAMIS: THE BIG ONE Nearly every day, there are public service announcements on Pacific Northwest television stations regarding earthquake preparedness--and a drive down any stretch of the 101 reveals signs every few miles showing tsunami evacuation routes. In other words, we’re reminded regularly that citizens of Washington and Oregon live in an active earthquake, volcano, and tsunami zone. This program looks at some of the major seismic and volcanic events of the last few thousand years--not only in the Northwest but around the world--and helps separate fear-filled hype from science-based facts. We’ll look at the causes of earthquakes, volcanoes, and tsunamis and how tectonic movement changes our globe across time and explore cutting-edge technology that’s being used to predict when and where the next event might occur.
JULY 11 ROSWELL & BEYOND Since the beginning of recorded history, humans have been fascinated by the skies above them, especially when "visitors" seemed to descend from the stars. There are numerous accounts of these beings and their miraculous crafts in ancient religious texts (including the Bible), in artwork, and in epic legends of gods, angels, and other strange beings. Then in 1947, a reported crash of a "flying saucer" in Roswell, New Mexico opened up the proverbial flood gates. What was once the arcane fringe interest of a few scholars became the stuff of popular entertainment and speculation. Today, there are branches of governments around the world that study unidentified aerial phenomenon (UAPs) and unidentified flying objects (UFOs). In fact, on May 17 of 2022, the U.S. Congress held its first public hearing about UAPs in decades--and the Pentagon is currently handling its own set of investigations. Even NASA has gotten into the fray and is using, in part, the new James Webb Space Telescope to explore the possibility of extraterrestrial civilizations. This presentation explores the possibilities of life beyond Earth and the possibilities that we've been having alien visitations for thousands if not millions of years. The truth is out there!
AUGUST 15 A WORLD OF DINOSAURS Who doesn’t like a dinosaur? Unless, of course, you’re a visitor to a certain theme park off the coast of Costa Rica. Thanks to the six films in the Jurassic Park franchise, not to mention the millions of visitors who crowd Museums around the world, dinosaurs remain a constant source of wonder, awe, and fear-filled imagination. What were these creatures like and what brought about the end of their dominance? This program looks at the lives of a dozen of these extraordinary animals, including one of the great living dinosaurs: The Eagle.
Groton Public Library (Massachusetts)
7 PM Eastern/4 PM Pacific
MAY 21 THE AUDACIOUS ADVENTURES OF NELLIE BLY In late 1889, a young reporter named Nelly Bly set out to accomplish what others had only dreamed of, to make the fantasy of Jules Verne’s novel Around the World in Eighty Days a reality. Seventy-two days after departing Hoboken, she arrived back in New Jersey on January 25th, 1890--the first person--man or woman--to circle the globe with such speed. But Bly’s story is even more remarkable: As one of Joseph Pulitzer’s prize reporters, she spent years documenting the lives of America’s underclass. The first story to put her in the forefront was a remarkable account of her experience in a “madhouse.” Posing as a mentally unstable woman, Bly spent ten harrowing days in the most infamous asylum in New York City. Her expose of the horrors she witnessed and experienced shook the city and America to the core. This would be the first of many stories Bly would write as a covert reporter, single-handedly creating a whole new genre of journalism: Underground investigative reporting. What really made Bly a household name was that she spent a lifetime doing things a “reserved” Victorian woman just wasn’t supposed to do.
Seaford Public Library (New York)
All programs @ 1 PM Eastern/10 AM Pacific
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Warren County Library (New Jersey)
All presentations @ 3 PM Pacific/6 PM Eastern
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Fair Lawn Public Library (New Jersey)
All presentations @ 4 PM Pacific/ 7 PM Eastern
OCTOBER 23 HEDY LAMARR: THE BEAUTY AND THE INVENTOR Hedy Lamarr: “Bombshell” actress who starred in such hit films as Algiers (1938), Lady of the Tropics (1939), Boom Town (1940), and Samson and Delilah (1949). Inventor who created technology that is still used today in Bluetooth and Wi-Fi systems. Eccentric shoplifter. Famous recluse who spent much of her last thirty years communicating with the outside world for six or seven hours a day via telephone. Lamarr was all of these things and so much more. Come discover one of the more fascinating life stories of the 20th century.
Mid-Continent Public Library (Missouri)
6:30 PM Central/4:30 PM Pacific
June 20 THE SUMMER OF ‘69 In 1969, America experienced one of its most extraordinary summers. In addition to the ongoing unrest revolving around the Viet Nam War and Civil Rights, three pivotal milestones occurred: The Stonewall Riots, which marked the beginning of the modern LGBTQ era; the Apollo moon landing, which became the crowning achievement of a decade-long “Space Race”; and Woodstock, probably the single most important cultural event of the era. Join us as we relive the season that changed the face of America forever.
August 22 AGATHA CHRISTIE: THE QUEEN OF MYSTERY Born on September 15th, 1890, Agatha Christie became over her 85 years the most famous mystery writer in the world. Indeed, the Guinness Book of World Records goes further and lists Christie as the best-selling novelist of all time. Her novels have sold roughly 2 billion copies, and her estate claims that her works come third in the rankings of the world's most-widely published books, behind only Shakespeare's works and the Bible. Who was this remarkable woman? How did she come to write her indelible works? Why is she still such a popular literary figure? These and other questions will be explored along with a real life mystery about Christie’s dramatic disappearance in 1926 that remains substantially unsolved to this day. As the chill of autumn arrives, let’s settle in with a few good thrillers.
September 19 SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE: MORE THAN SHERLOCK Conan Doyle was not only a superb writer but also a prominent physician as well. He created the character Sherlock Holmes in 1887 for A Study in Scarlet, the first of four novels and fifty-six short stories about Holmes and Dr. Watson, all considered milestones in crime fiction. But Doyle was a prolific writer and created many other wonderful characters; his works include fantasy and science fiction stories about Professor Challenger and humorous stories about the Napoleonic soldier Brigadier Gerard, as well as plays, romances, poetry, non-fiction, and historical novels. This program goes beyond Sherlock and introduces you to equally striking works of fiction.
Bayville Public Library (New York)
4:00 PM Pacific/7:00 PM Eastern
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Tewksbury Public Library (Massachusetts)
12 Noon Eastern/9 AM Pacific
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Upper Saddle River Library (New Jersey)
4:00 PM Pacific/7:00 PM Eastern
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Rockville Centre Public Library
11:00 AM Pacific/2:00 PM Eastern
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Levittown Public Library (New York)
All presentations @ 11 AM Pacific/2 PM Eastern
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Rochelle Park Public Library (New Jersey)
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Abbot Public Library (Massachusetts)
All presentations @ 6 PM Eastern/ 3 PM Pacific
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Port Washington Public Library (New York)
All presentations @ 9 AM Pacific/ 12 Noon Eastern
NOVEMBER 8 A LIVE PRESENTATION AT PORT WASHINGTON AT 12:00 NOON. TOPIC TO BE ANNOUNCED.