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Author Readings
Meet the Winners
The Friends and the St. Paul Public Library present a series of readings with winners from the 21st Annual Minnesota Book Awards.
Celebrate the 2009 Minnesota Book Awards winners with a full calendar of free readings and discussions for all ages this fall. Step into the pages of Minnesota history with the Civilian Conservation Corps; discover the debut of an exciting new mystery series; immerse yourself in a ground-breaking Hmong family memoir; ruminate over a manifesto on eating meat responsibly; witness the coming of age of two Midwestern teens in New York; ponder a poetry collection questioning personal and national identities; and be charmed by a picture book about nighttime things...
Final "Meet the Winners" program: Kao Kalia Yang
Wednesday, November 18, 7 p.m.
Rondo Community Outreach Library, 961 N. Dale St., St. Paul
The author of The Latehomecomer: A Hmong Family Memoir makes another library appearance.
A Winter's Evening of Poetry
Thursday, December 10, 7 p.m.
St. Anthony Park Branch Library, 2245 Como Ave., St. Paul
Join The Friends and Nodin Press as we present a winter’s evening of readings from four acclaimed poets: Jill Breckenridge, Carol Connolly, Beverly Rollwagen and Morgan Grayce Willow.
Jill Breckenridge’s new collection, The Gravity of Flesh, is a collection of funny, formally inventive, clear-eyed poems deals with intertwining lives, human and animal, close and far, with a special section depicting the experience of attending the Minnesota State Fair.
Carol Connolly, the Poet Laureate of Saint Paul, offers an unforgettable collection of new poems and selected favorites that are sure to inspire the artist in all of us in her book All This and More.
Award-winning author Beverly Rollwagen served for almost twenty years as a flight attendant during a time when women were 'girls' and passengers were treated like guests. In Flying, she has woven her rich memories of that bygone era into an insightful mix of poetry and prose.
Morgan Grayce Willow’s first full-length poetry collection, Between, is a quiet, layered map of shapes and spaces, love and not-love, sound and silence.
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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FRONTRUNNER
Wednesday, December 2, 7 p.m.
Arlington Hills Branch Library, 1105 Greenbrier St.
“Frontrunner” tells the heroic story of Massouda Jalal, a medical doctor and mother of three, who defied the Taliban regime and ran for President of Afghanistan in that country’s first democratic election – ever – in the aftermath of 9/11. 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.
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:
| 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. |
Music
Each one-hour solo concert is free and open to the public. Sponsored by the Minnesota Guitar Society, Saint Paul Public Library, and The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library.
November 8, 2 p.m.
Central Library, 90 W 4th St., St. Paul
651-266-7000
The Music of Russia
Daniel Volovets performs Russian classical guitar music, including arrangements of works by Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff.
Volovets, a rising star in our region’s classical guitar community, is only 17, but he has been studying classical, Brazilian and flamenco guitar for almost 10 years. His love affair with music began at the age of 7, when he began studying with classical guitarist Anatoly Shapiro. He has also studied with Tony Hauser, concentrating heavily on Brazilian and flamenco music. Daniel performs regularly throughout the Twin Cities.
November 15, 2 p.m.
Rondo Library, 461 Dale St. N., St. Paul
651-266-7400
American Jazz
Paul Hintz performs jazz from the Great American Songbook on the 7-string guitar.
Hintz’s repertoire is drawn from the likes of Gershwin, Ellington, Kern, Miles Davis, and Fats Waller. For over 30 years, he has worked at his craft. He moved from his hometown of Milwaukee to St. Paul in 1984, after four years in the jazz program at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music. He’s played everything from folk music with a mime troupe to dance music in wedding bands, but found his real calling when he began performing solo fingerstyle guitar instrumentals in 1990.
December 6, 2 p.m.
Central Library, 90 W 4th St., St. Paul
651-266-7000
Baroque and Beyond
Todd Tipton performs music from the Baroque era and beyond.
Tipton has studied under Ricardo Cobo, Julian Gray, Rodney Stucky, and Jeffrey Van. He has performed in master classes for Eliot Fisk, Eduardo Fernandez, Sharon Isbin, and others. He recently completed his Doctorate of Musical Arts at the University of Minnesota. Todd’s performances feature contemporary composers such as Anthony Glise and Elliot Sharp, balanced by including period instruments such as the vihuela and 5- and 4-coursed guitars.
December 13, 2 p.m.
Rondo Library, 461 Dale St. N., St. Paul
651-266-7400
Music of Brazil
Tony Hauser performs Brazilian guitar music.
Guitarist Tony Hauser defies categorization. His love for the guitar was born at the age of ten when he began studying with his brother, flamenco guitarist Michael Hauser, with whom he has performed extensively. As a youth he established solid foundations as both a classical and flamenco guitarist studying in Minnesota with Albert Bellson and Jeffrey Van, and in Spain with legendary flamenco guitarists Nino Ricardo and Luis Maravilla. Under the tutelage of Andres Segovia’s protégé Jesus Silva, he received his Bachelor of Music degree from North Carolina School of the Arts. Lessons and master classes with Maestro Segovia, John Williams, Abel Carlevaro, and Cuban composer-guitarist Leo Brouwer followed. Currently, he serves on the faculty of the University of St. Thomas. Hauser’s concert career spans over 30 years with hundreds of performances throughout North America. He toured with legendary jazz guitarist Charlie Byrd and now leads a band called The Brasilnutz, which specializes in authentic performances of a variety of Brazilian musical styles not often heard in the US. His music has been broadcast on National Public Radio and A Prairie Home Companion. He has won the Minnesota Music Award for Guitarists and is the founder of the Minnesota Guitar Society.
Workshops and Discussions
A Literary Celebration of Saint Paul
Thursday, December 3, 7 p.m.
Merriam Park Branch Library, 1831 Marshall Ave.
The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library and The Saint Paul Almanac present a literary celebration of Saint Paul with contributors to the 2010 Saint Paul Almanac.
Now in its fourth year, the Saint Paul Almanac captures the spirit and history of our city through stories, essays, poems, photos, maps, and listings of local events, restaurants, theaters, and other cultural venues. The 110 contributing writers to the 2010 Almanac include literary giants such as Garrison Keillor, Diane Wilson and David Mura, alongside everyday residents, students, journalists, and new Americans. The Saint Paul Almanac is the only guidebook to Minnesota's capital city, as well as an experiment in democratic publishing. It has been called "a literary campfire around which the diverse Saint Paul community gathers to share its stories."
Tonight’s program features a panel discussion with Saint Paul Almanac publisher, Kimberly Nightingale, and three of the 2010 Almanac contributors: Carol Connolly, Saint Paul’s poet laureate, Deborah Torraine, award-winning short story author and playwright, and Steve Trimble, Saint Paul historian. This conversation with some of our city’s finest writers will focus on stories and traditions that make Saint Paul unique. Come celebrate Saint Paul and learn how anyone can participate in the 2011 Almanac by submitting writing or applying to be a community editor.
Check back for the return of the Park Square Theatre discussion series this winter!
Meet the director and cast of Park Square Theatre's latest productions and receive discounts on tickets for performances.
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.