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Author Readings
16th Annual Fireside Reading Series
Get cozy by the fire with six weeks of readings by acclaimed Minnesota writers at the Hamline Midway Branch Library. Warm up the winter nights with a little mystery, a little verse, a lot of fiction and some armchair traveling. All programs begin at 7 p.m. and are accompanied by coffee, cider, cookies and book signings. Click here to download a PDF of the full schedule.
January 14: Brian Freeman reads from his latest thriller, In the Dark, the fourth outing for police lieutenant Jonathan Stride. A starred review in Publisher's Weekly says this "harrowing and heartrending novel will leave readers guessing until the very last pages."
January 21: Poet Dobby Gibson (Polar) shares work from his new collection, Skirmish, which uses wit and keen observation to put into conflict the public and private selves, civil disobedience and civic engagement, and fortunes told and made.
February 4: Eric Dregni brings readers along on three food-obsessed years of living in Italy in Never Trust a Thin Cook and Other Lessons from Italy's Culinary Capital, where he discovered the world of the balsamic vinegar elite, parmesan thieves and adventures both expected and unexpected.
February 11: Sarah Stonich, the bestselling author of These Granite Islands, reads from The Ice Chorus - newly issued in paperback - a novel about love, memory and what we discover when facing the truth about ourselves.
February 18: J. C. Hallman's quirky collection of short stories, The Hospital for Bad Poets, is full of twists and fabulist turns which shine an intuitive light on the human condition.
February 25: Internationally known screenwriter and playwright Marisha Chamberlain closes the series with a reading from The Rose Variations, her debut novel, which centers on a young cellist who takes a temporary professorship in Saint Paul, circa 1975.
The Fireside Reading Series is co-sponsored by Micawber's Books, 2238 Carter Avenue, Saint Paul
Films
The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library and The Advocates for Human Rights present an ongoing series of films and discussions focusing on the global issue of women’s human rights.
 Again this year, The Advocates and The Friends are partnering to present the Women's Human Rights Film Series. Six films focusing on global issues in women's human rights will be screened from September 2009 through April 2010 at various Saint Paul Public Library branches. Each will be followed by a discussion led by an Advocates staff member. Free and open to the public. All films begin at 7 p.m. and take place in St. Paul.
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SENTENCING THE VICTIM
Wednesday, February 10, 6:30 p.m.
Highland Park Branch Library, 1974 Ford Parkway
"Sentencing the Victim" is a mesmerizing documentary that explores one
woman's journey to heal after a violent assault, opening our eyes to the
inequities of our judicial system-a system which often imposes scars upon
the same victims of violent crime it is designed to protect. Most of all, it is
a story about survival.
MRS. GOUNDO'S DAUGHTER
Tuesday, March 2, 7 p.m.
Rondo Community Outreach Library, 961 North Dale St.
Mrs. Goundo is fighting to remain in the United States, and not only because of the ethnic conflict and drought that has plagued her native Mali. Threatened with deportation, her two-year-old daughter could be forced to undergo female genital mutilation (FGM), like 85 percent of women and girls in Mali. Using rarely cited grounds for political asylum, Goundo must convince an immigration judge that her daughter is in danger.
WOMEN OF TIBET: A QUIET REVOLUTION
Wednesday, April 21, 7 p.m.
Rondo Community Outreach Library, 961 North Dale St.
“A Quiet Revolution” is a celebration of the human spirit. This is the account of women who have lost everything and then survived the perilous escape from Tibet across the high Himalayas. From their principal refuge in Dharamsala, India, to small settlements scattered across the globe, these women have become the architects and builders of the new Tibet. Their goal is singular – to impart to Tibetan children the strength and knowledge of their cultural heritage and spiritual wisdom.
Watch our website for information about other upcoming films in the Women's Human Rights Film Series, or sign up for periodic email updates here. For a list of films shown in previous years (some of which may now be available from the Saint Paul Public Library), please see our Annual Events page.
Missed it!
Previous films in the 2009-2010 Women's Human Rights Film Series have included:
January: Rough Aunties Fearless, feisty and resolute, the "Rough Aunties" are a remarkable group of women unwavering in their stand to protect and care for the abused, neglected and forgotten children of Durban, South Africa. This latest documentary by internationally acclaimed director Kim Longinotto follows the outspoken, multiracial cadre of Thuli, Mildred, Sdudla, Eureka and Jackie, as they wage a daily battle against systemic apathy, corruption, and greed to help the most vulnerable and disenfranchised of their communities. |
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“Frontrunner” tells the heroic story of Massouda Jalal, a medical doctor and mother of three, who defied the Taliban and ran for President of Afghanistan in that country’s first democratic election–ever. Amidst death threats and bomb attacks, Jalal doggedly campaigns from the back of a taxi, in mosques, in homes, in busy markets and in the streets. Her courage shows that it’s the dangerous work done by ordinary Afghans that will determine the fate of a newly born democracy. |
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| November: La Americana A Film by Nicholas Bruckman "La Americana" is an intimate documentary following an undocumented immigrant's journey from Bolivia to New York City and back, as she struggles to save the life of her ailing daughter. Her unforgettable story is woven into the current immigration crisis in the United States, putting a human face on this timely and controversial issue. Read more about the film here. |
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October: A Walk to Beautiful "A Walk to Beautiful" is a multiple award-winning documentary telling the stories of five Ethiopian women who suffer from devastating childbirth injuries and embark on a journey to reclaim their lost dignity. |
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September: Dishonored "Dishonored" tells the story of Mukhtar Mai, whose demands for justice after being raped as honor-revenge punishment, led to an historic series of legal proceedings in Pakistan, and media coverage worldwide. Read more about this emotionally powerful film at Icarus Films or more on Mai at Wikipedia. |
Untold Stories
In celebration of labor history month each May, the Untold Stories series presents programs and talks on both local and national labor history topics. Coordinated by The Friends in association with a community committee, plans are currently being made for the 2009 Untold Stories Labor History Series. Click here for the complete schedule of our most recent series.
Find out more about these and other annual events:
Central
Library Noon Book Chats
Fireside
Reading Series
Untold
Stories: Labor History
Women's
Human Rights Film Series
Is There a Doctor in the Book?
Explore a UniVERSE of Poetry in Saint Paul!
For more detailed information on upcoming events at the Saint Paul Public Library, check out our program calendar, Events & Classes, jointly produced by The Friends and the Library. Events & Classes includes articles on upcoming programs and activities, highlights new services, and provides a complete monthly calendar of free programs for children and adults sponsored by the Library and The Friends. Copies of Events & Classes are available free at all Saint Paul Public Library branches, and are mailed to all Friends members. For a complimentary copy, please send a note with your address to friends@thefriends.org.