branch programs

Our visual world is made up of many bits and pieces. It is the fragments merging together to make up a whole that really make a difference in what we see. Taken alone, these individual parts tend to go unnoticed by most people. For example in architecture, it is the color of the stone, the decoration, the lettering on the sign above the door or the carved letters on a gravestone that help define the structure and create a feeling.

Lettering is a small part of the ornamentation of an architectural structure. It is generally the colossus of the structure itself that grabs the eye first, but if you look carefully and take in the entirety of a structure, a visual reward is there waiting and it is often in the letters of the words that adorn it.

Words are as much a part of our visual landscape as the buildings, streets and trees or the people we see every day. A vibrant visual world indeed. Many of us are inured to the most vulgar visual sights, as well as the sublime. Some of us don’t even notice the first spring flowers or the glowering flashing lights of a neon sign, advertising a dingy car service business. We may take a second glance but we easily move on, letting our eyes wonder aimlessly, registering nothing. But really there is much to admire in the letters of the words that plaster our visual landscape. It is the design of the letters that make words noticeable. Most us recognize what we like in structures all over the city without really even knowing why. Buildings are adorned with incised or raised letters above entryways, signs are brightly lit and splashes of paint in cryptic words jump off building walls on dimly lit streets. These visual displays are designed as a feast for our eyes and it is impressive and purposeful.

On Sept 2. at 6:30 PM, on the 6th floor, Mid-Manhattan will host a FREE slide lecture program From Gravestones to Graffiti: 250 Years of Lettering in New York, with guest speaker Paul Shaw. Paul Shaw is a designer and design historian. His specialty is lettering, whether written, drawn, carved or typographic. He teaches at Parsons School of Design and at the School of Visual Arts. He is also the author of Looking for Letters in New York: A Tale of Surprise and Dismay. Paul Shaw is the recipient of many prestigious grants and lectures widely. Mr. Shaw is an expert on the subject of letters and can speak eloquently on the design, complexity and craftsmanship of letters that are everywhere from subway signs, to grave markers, to graffiti. Please join us for a wonderful evening.

Books on letter design and graffiti can be found at the library in both the circulating and non-circulating catalogs. Also at the Picture Collection at the Mid-Manhattan Library, there are an abundance of images on letters/alphabets/graffiti that can be viewed.

More upcoming programs at Mid-Manhattan.

An article on Paul Shaw by New York Times' Streetscapes columnist Christopher Gray.

Here is a listing of Monday night films at Jefferson Market through November. I’ll post detailed descriptions as the screening dates approach, but for now take a look and mark your calendars.

Of particular interest: On November 3rd, Werner Herzog’s Stroszek. This has to be one of my favorite movie endings of all time. America’s endless pursuit of entertainment! Herzog has called the final minute one of the best things he’s ever filmed. Bonus points for you if you happen to know the reported connection between this film and Ian Cutis of Joy Division. On November 11th, Errol Morris’ Gates of Heaven appropriately paired with Werner Herzog Eats His Shoe.

Click through for the full schedule...

My grandparents were both born and raised in Newry, County Down , Ireland and remarkably never met until they both arrived in America . My grandmother was the first to come over in 1929 on a very small tugboat that took 10 days and she was apparently seasick for the entire ride and broke one of her favorite teacups. When she arrived in New Jersey , her uncle had told her that she had just missed supper and would have to wait until morning to eat. The next day, he threw a newspaper at her and told her to get a job. In 1930, my grandfather left from Belfast on a larger boat, which he would describe as if he had traveled on a luxury liner, and “danced” his way to America . When he came over, his first task was to deliver a teacup to a woman that had just moved from Newry. And as luck would have it, my grandparents met and fell in love right away.

This abridged version of my grandparent’s story has been repeated to me since I was a little girl. I was reminded constantly about how hard life was for them in Ireland , and the struggles they again faced in America . They were very poor and employers turned my grandmother away because of her Irish background. But I’m not the only one who has a story of when my ancestors emigrated to America. In fact if you are also familiar with stories such as these, you should join us tomorrow night at the Mulberry Street Branch to meet our neighbors, The Lower East Side Tenement Museum . You’ll be able to gain a better understanding of what life was like for immigrants during the 19th and early 20th centuries and reflect on your own family stories.

This program will take place tomorrow night at 6:30 p.m. Contact the Mulberry Street Branch library to RSVP.

10. It is hot outside. It is cool inside. Very cool!

9. It’s FREE!

8. I’m thinking about unveiling the world premiere of my new composition 4:34, a tribute of sorts, based on Cage’s own 4:33. So show up early! My composition is one second longer, and therefore, one second better!

7. See number 4.

6. The first film on the first night features Rahsaan Roland Kirk.
You might not know his name but you probably know his music. When you think of the Austin Powers flicks what song do you think of? Soul Bossa Nova by Quincy Jones? That catchy melody played on flute, that’s Kirk. Imagine a large African American male in a top hat playing three saxophones at the same time. He is also playing a flute with his nose. By using the circular breathing technique he plays continuously without stopping to take a breath. He is also blind. Sound like something out of a dream? Described as a “supernatural one-man vaudevillian freak show,” Ronald Kirk was born on August 7, 1936. Sickness at the age of two left him blind. A dream compelled him to change his name from Ronald to Roland. Years later he heard the name Rahsaan (also in a dream) and he added that one too. He never really received the credit or attention his contemporaries received, in part due to being labeled a gimmicky multi-instrumentalist. But he was no gimmick. He was the real deal.

5. The Jefferson Market Branch is easy to get to, in the heart of Greenwich Village.

4. See number 9.

3. John Cage was born on Sept 5, 1912 so you can come and celebrate (one month early) what would have been his 96th birthday.

2. John Cage once asked, “Which is more musical, a truck passing by a factory or a truck passing by a music school?” Come to our Monday night film screenings in August and you might find out.

1. Did I mention, like all the great events and programs at NYPL, that it is free? That is very cool. Very cool indeed.

See here for a complete listing of our August film schedule.

John Cage
Nine Films
Every Monday in August at 6PM
Jefferson Market Library
425 Avenue of the Americas at 10th Street
NY, NY 10011
1-212-243-4334

The schedule:

The next Mulberry Street Branch Library Book Discussion Group will meet on Monday, June 30th, at 6:30 PM. This month's title is Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides. For more information on future meeting dates and book titles, click here. The Mulberry Street Branch is located at 10 Jersey Street, between Mulberry and Lafayette.