Ten Local Libraries Offer Community Reading Event
Through programs scheduled at all ten participating libraries, The Big Read invites you to explore many of the themes in Kathryn Stockett’s novel, The Help. Register for programs and movies by calling or stopping by the host library. Registration starts February 1. Some programs may have limited space. Patrons are welcome to attend any program, some of which may be offered at more than one library. Please note that some programs may have space limits.
Nostalgia and Social Change: A Mad Men Discussion
Many of the themes from The Help relate to the popular AMC show Mad Men. Librarians Nancy Bent and Noël Zethmayr of the La Grange Public Library host this special program at Palmer Place to compare some of the themes of racism and other issues during the early 1960s. Limit: 20.
Mondays, March 1, May 3, 8 p.m.
Palmer Place Restaurant and Biergarten, 56 South La Grange Road, La Grange
Register at the La Grange Public Library, (708) 352-0576
Instant Karma Trio: Early Beatles Tribute
Instant Karma features lead singer Jay Goeppner, who has been singing as John Lennon for over 25 years. Goeppner has performed at the opening ceremonies at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio. Instant Karma has also traveled to Liverpool, England to perform at The International Beatle Week Festival.
Thursday, March 4, 7 p.m.
Indian Prairie Public Library
401 Plainfield Road, Darien
(630) 887-8760
Household Cleaning 101
Beth Randall of Joe Organizer offers simple solutions to clean just about anything in your household. Some of the cleaning products suggested are common household staples. She discusses cleaning routines, motivation, de-cluttering, and other great tips for getting your house clean.
Monday, March 8, 7 p.m.
Woodridge Public Library
3 Plaza Drive, Woodridge
(630) 964-7899
The History Singers Present Mr. Tambourine Man
The 1960s were a time of rapid changes and contradictions. There was one unifying factor, however: the music, which reflected the times. This program includes three sections. “It’s Only Love” covers the theme of love and its ups and downs. “Dear Prudence” addresses life, self, and experience. “The Times They Are a-Changin’” includes songs about political conscience, with its frustrations as well as inspirations.
Tuesday, March 9, 7 p.m.
Clarendon Hills Public Library
7 N. Prospect Avenue, Clarendon Hills
(630) 323-8188
Sunday, March 21, 2 p.m.
Woodridge Public Library
3 Plaza Drive, Woodridge
(630) 964-7899
Rolling in Dough
Have fun exploring basic pie-making techniques with Liz Osgood, relentless baker and owner of The Average Gourmet. Osgood shows how to make a pie crust, including using a pastry cutter and a food processor. Learn how to top your pie with either a crumb crust, double crust, or, for the most patient, a lattice crust. Three different types of pie will be demonstrated, including a traditional pie, a classic peach and cranberry tart, and a free-form bistro apple tart.
Sunday, March 14, 2 p.m.
Westmont Public Library
428 N. Cass, Westmont
(630) 969-5625
The 1960s: Reform and Rebellion
Dr. Walter Burdick, professor at Elmhurst College, discusses how the twin forces of reform and rebellion shaped the decade. Burdick has studied American social and intellectual history and the role of elitism in America as well as political issues and personalities, with a primary focus on political and foreign policy issues in the 20th century.
Monday, March 15, 7 p.m.
Thomas Ford Memorial Library (Co-sponsored by Hinsdale Public Library)
800 Chestnut Street, Western Springs
(708) 246-0520
Monday, April 12, 7 p.m.
Westmont Public Library
428 N. Cass, Westmont
(630) 969-5625
Art of the 1960s: Pop, Funk, and the Hairy Who
The 1960s brought many changes to the American art scene. Art Historian Jeff Mishur examines art of the period in New York City, Chicago, and Los Angeles. Artists featured in this slide lecture include Roger Brown, Jim Nutt, Ed Paschke, Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns, Bridget Reilly, Claes Oldenburg, and Ed and Nancy Kienholz.
Tuesday, March 16, 7 p.m.
La Grange Public Library
10 W. Cossitt Avenue, La Grange
(708) 352-0576
Monday, March 22, 7 p.m.
Hinsdale Public Library
20 E. Maple Street, Hinsdale
(630) 986-1976
Wednesday, April 28, 7 p.m.
Indian Prairie Public Library
401 Plainfield Road, Darien
(630) 887-8760
Songs of the Civil Rights Movement
Artists/educators Kim and Reggie Harris share music and history from the Civil Rights Movement. Their CD, Get on Board! Underground Railroad and Civil Rights Freedom Songs, has been described as “a very persuasive case for the power of song in activism.”
Wednesday, March 17, 7 p.m.
Lisle Library District
777 Front Street, Lisle
(630) 971-1675
Leslie Goddard as Jacqueline Kennedy
Leslie Goddard portrays former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, speaking in 1964 and sharing the story of her life in the White House, including her struggle to retain her family’s privacy in the face of media onslaughts, her restoration work, and her attempts to showcase the arts. In a climactic revelation, she recounts her husband’s death and her decision to begin a new life for herself and her children.
Tuesday, March 23, 7 p.m.
Indian Prairie Public Library
401 Plainfield Road, Darien
(630) 887-8760
Decades of Dresses: Princess Grace to Twiggy (1950–1969)
Ruth Thomas and Chloe Berg share their fascination with clothing from the past. The presentation includes information about women’s history, fashion trends, and contemporary events from that time period.
Thursday, March 25, 7 p.m.
Thomas Ford Memorial Library
800 Chestnut Street, Western Springs
(708) 246-0520
Sassy Southern Cooking with Andrew Comens
Learn how to make mustard-fried catfish and Hoppin’ John (black-eyed peas and rice). Samples and recipes will be provided. Limit: 35.
Monday, March 29, 7 p.m.
La Grange Public Library
10 W. Cossitt Avenue, La Grange
(708) 352-0576
Champion Pies
Chef Matt Zagorski, a Food Network Pie Challenge competitor and a National Pie Champion, demonstrates pie- and crust-making tips and will provide samples. Limit: 50.
Wednesday, March 31, 6:30 p.m.
Hinsdale Public Library
20 E. Maple Street, Hinsdale
(630) 986-1976
Vintage Southern Treats
Travel back in time and sample traditional Southern treats. Amy Alessio shares recipes and samples reflecting the era of her vintage cookbook collection as favored—and flavored—especially in the South.
Thursday, April 1, 7 p.m.
Clarendon Hills Public Library
7 N. Prospect Avenue, Clarendon Hills
(630) 323-8188
The Healing Properties of Tea
Marcy Raleigh discusses the difference between black tea and herbal teas as well as what herbs make good tea, how to formulate your own teas, and the various medicinal properties discovered throughout time of various native plants.
Monday, April 5, 7 p.m.
La Grange Park Public Library
555 N. La Grange Road, La Grange Park
(708) 352-0100
Southern Comfort Cooking with Dave Esau
Chef Dave Esau prepares buttermilk biscuits, chicken pot pie, and New Orleans crème brûlée. Esau, owner of Dave’s Specialty Foods, studied in France with Michelin-starred chef Michel Chabran. Esau has also worked at the American Club in Wisconsin, Le Titi de Paris in Arlington Heights, and Charlie Trotter’s in Chicago. Limit: 75.
Tuesday, April 6, 7 p.m.
Lisle Library District
777 Front Street, Lisle
(630) 971-1675
Growing Up Jim Crow: The South in the 1960s
Charles R. Branham, Senior Historian at the DuSable Museum of African American History, discusses the laws that impacted the lives of the characters in The Help. Dr. Branham was the writer, co-producer, and host of the Emmy Award-winning The Black Experience, a series of programs for Chicago’s WTTW and PBS. An authority on the history of racial and ethnic politics in Chicago, he has taught at Northwestern University, Indiana University, and the University of Chicago.
Wednesday, April 7, 7 p.m.
Westmont Public Library
428 N. Cass, Westmont
(630) 969-5625
Southern Gardens
Claire Copping Cross shows images from her travels, including historic Charleston at the peak of azalea season; Middleton Place, the oldest landscape garden in America; Magnolia Plantation and Gardens; and Brookgreen, featuring American traditional sculpture and indigenous plant gardens. View the pre-Civil War mansions in Natchez, Mississippi, famous for their annual house and garden tours. Cross also offers images from Vizcaya Museum and Gardens in Miami and the newly expanded Naples Botanical Garden.
Thursday, April 8, 7 p.m.
Downers Grove Public Library
1050 Curtiss Street, Downers Grove
(630) 960-1200
Music and Commercials from the 1960s
Steve Cooper presents rare videos and films from 1962 to 1964, including performances by Nat “King” Cole, Henry Mancini, Al Hirt, and the Beatles. Cooper shares opening scenes and theme songs from hit television shows: The Steve Allen Show, 77 Sunset Strip, The Ed Sullivan Show, Shindig, and more, as well as rare commercials.
Tuesday, April 13, 7 p.m.
Indian Prairie Public Library
401 Plainfield Road, Darien
(630) 887-8760
To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
Atticus Finch defends a young black man who is accused of raping a white woman in this tale of prejudice and injustice. Stay for a discussion with Debbie Wordinger of Indian Prairie Public Library. Tickets are $4 and can be purchased one week in advance at the theatre box office.
Wednesday, April 14 at 1:30 and 7 p.m.
Tivoli Theatre
5021 Highland Avenue, Downers Grove
(630) 968–0219
Film and Race in the 1960s
Using clips from key films, John Kula presents a history of the portrayal of African Americans in the movies, concentrating on the 1960s.
Thursday, April 15, 7 p.m.
Clarendon Hills Public Library
7 N. Prospect Avenue, Clarendon Hills
(630) 323-8188
The Time Machine: World Events and Me
Rosanne Gulisano guides the writing of a vignette-based memoir of your life juxtaposed against the background of world events.
Monday, April 19, 7 p.m.
La Grange Park Public Library
555 N. La Grange Road, La Grange Park
(708) 352-0100
Hub Caps, Hood Ornaments, and Fins
The Cadillac and LaSalle Chapter of the Antique Automobile Club of America displays cars from the 1960s.
Saturday, April 24, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (Rain date: Saturday, May 1)
Westmont Public Library
428 N. Cass, Westmont
(630) 969-5625
Jacqueline Kennedy: The Aesthetics of Style
Dr. Michelle Paluch-Mishur examines First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy’s impact on culture, illumi-nating the relationship between her style, grace, and poise, and her interests in fashion and art.
Tuesday, April 20, 7 p.m.
Woodridge Public Library
3 Plaza Drive, Woodridge
(630) 964-7899
Sunday, April 25, 2 p.m.
La Grange Park Public Library
555 N. La Grange Road, La Grange Park
(708) 352-0100
Sewing 101
Eve Kovacs shows you what’s involved in making a garment, a quilt, and a home decorating item, and will bring samples of her work.
Monday, April 26, 7 p.m.
Woodridge Public Library
3 Plaza Drive, Woodridge
(630) 964-7899
Instant Karma Trio: A 1960s Musical Tribute
Enjoy cosmic tunes from Buddy Holly, Elvis, the Beatles, the Monkees, and much more.
Tuesday, April 27, 7 p.m.
La Grange Public Library
10 W. Cossitt Avenue, La Grange
(708) 352-0576
The Southern Pie Kitchen
The South is home to comfort food, including lots of pies! Ellen Swirsky invites you to have yourself a glass of sweet tea, try a piece of Minny’s chocolate custard pie, and get some tips on making pies. Sample pecan, chocolate, and sweet potato pies, to name a few. Limit: 50.
Thursday, April 29, 7 p.m.
Downers Grove Public Library
1050 Curtiss Street, Downers Grove
(630) 960-1200
The Natchez Trace
Bicycle through time on the Natchez Trace Parkway with John Lynn. This linear national park meanders 444 scenic miles from Natchez, Mississippi to Nashville, Tennessee.
Tuesday, May 4, 7 p.m.
Downers Grove Public Library
1050 Curtiss Street, Downers Grove
(630) 960-1200
Movies
Indian Prairie Public Library
401 Plainfield Road, Darien
(630) 887-8760
Friday, March 5, 7:15 p.m.
Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (1967)
A couple’s comfortable existence is shaken by their daughter’s black fiancé. With Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn, and Sidney Poitier.
Friday, April 16, 7:15 p.m.
In the Heat of the Night (1967)
A black cop traveling through the South is at first accused of a murder and then helps solve the crime. With Sidney Poitier and Rod Steiger.
Friday, May 7, 7 p.m.
Lilies of the Field (1963)
German-speaking nuns hire an itinerant laborer to build their chapel and teach them English. With Sidney Poitier.
Thomas Ford Memorial Library
800 Chestnut Street, Western Springs
(708) 246-0520
Friday, March 19, 7 p.m.
Cora Unashamed (2000)
Based on a short story by Langston Hughes about an African-American maid and the relationships she forms with her affluent employers. With Regina Taylor and Cherry Jones.
Friday, April 30. 7 p.m.
The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman (1973)
In 1962, 110-year-old Jane Pittman reveals her earliest memories and talks of her involvement in contemporary issues. With Cicely Tyson.
Clarendon Hills Public Library
7 N. Prospect Avenue, Clarendon Hills
(630) 323-8188
Tuesday, March 16, 6:30 p.m.
Mississippi Burning (1988)
In 1964, two FBI agents investigate the disappearance of three civil rights activists from the outskirts of a small Mississippi town. With Gene Hackman, Willem Dafoe, and Frances McDormand.
Monday, May 3, 6:30 p.m.
The Long Walk Home (1990)
When her black maid takes a stand in Martin Luther King, Jr.’s bus boycott, an affluent white woman does what she can to help, despite the disapproval of her husband. With Sissy Spacek, Whoopi Goldberg, and Dwight Schultz.
La Grange Public Library
10 W. Cossitt Avenue, La Grange
(708) 352-0576
Friday, April 16, 1 – 4 p.m.
The Birth of a Nation (1915, silent)
D.W. Griffith’s film takes place during and after the Civil War, and is recognized by critics for its innovative camera techniques and narrative achievements. It also provoked controversy by portraying the Ku Klux Klan as heroes. The showing includes a discussion led by Art Howells.
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The Big Read is a cooperative project of the Clarendon Hills, Downers Grove, Hinsdale, Indian Prairie, La Grange, La Grange Park, Lisle, Thomas Ford, Westmont, and Woodridge public libraries that seeks to connect communities through literature. The Big Read encourages patrons at all libraries to read the same book with the goal of promoting reading, sparking discussion, and building community.
Sign up for The Big Read updates at twitter.com/bigread2010 or become a Facebook “friend” of the event. Be sure to pick up The Big Read resource guide in early February. The guide will include information about all programs and book discussions as well as reading resources.