Ronald Gordon to give book arts lecture Oct. 16

The Wells College Book Arts Center has announced that Ronald Gordon of the Oliphant Press will present the 28th Susan Garretson Swartzburg ‘60 Memorial Book Arts Lecture. The talk, entitled “The Oliphant Press: Tradition & Transformation” will be given at 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 16, in the Stratton Hall Auditorium, Room 209. The event is free and open to the public; a reception for the speaker will follow in the Stratton Atrium.

Gordon is a leading printer and typographic designer who founded the Oliphant Press in New York. He studied printing and book design with Leonard Baskin as an undergraduate, and began the Oliphant Press shortly after graduating from Amherst in 1965.

In the four decades since its founding, the Oliphant Press has carried on a tradition of fine printing and typographic design. Beginning as a letterpress printer and designer, Gordon has adapted his style and his design skills as the craft shifted to computer typesetting, offset printing and now, digital printing. He will discuss the significance of these changes in his lecture.

Gordon is also a generous philanthropist—in June 2007, he gifted to the Wells College Book Arts Center a Vandercook Universal I printing press, a guillotine paper cutter, a lead cutter, and over 300 antique advertising cuts in addition to assorted supplies and complete runs of type. The Center is currently using the antique cuts in a series of blank greeting cards it is designing and printing. The cards will be available for purchase following the talk.

Writers Rebecca Wolff and Katy Lederer to read their work Oct. 18

Writers Rebecca Wolff and Katy Lederer will read from their work at 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 18, at No Radio Records, 312 E. Seneca St. The reading is free and open to the public.

Wolff is the founding editor and publisher of Fence Magazine and Fence Books, and of The Constant Critic, a poetry review site. Her first two books of poems are “Manderley” (U. of Illinois Press, 2001) and “Figment” (W. W. Norton, 2004); her collection The King is forthcoming from Norton in 2009. Wolff is a fellow of the New York State Writers Institute, with which Fence is affiliated, and lives with her family in Athens.

Lederer is the author of the poetry collections “Winter Sex” (Verse, 2002) and “The Heaven-Sent Leaf” (BOA, 2008) and the memoir “Poker Face: A Girlhood Among Gamblers” (Crown, 2003). Her writing has appeared in The American Poetry Review, The Harvard Review, Boston Review, The Paris Review, GQ, and elsewhere. She is a Poetry Editor of Fence Magazine.

This event has been made possible in part with public funds from the Community Arts Partnership of Tompkins County/NYS Council on the Arts Decentralization Program.

Poet Alicia Suskin Ostriker to hold workshop Oct. 22

Acclaimed poet and critic Alicia Suskin Ostriker will hold a workshop and public lecture at Cornell University Wednesday, Oct. 22. A professor emerita, English, from Rutgers University, Ostriker will hold a midrash workshop from 12:20-2:15 p.m. in Room 124 of the Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts and then later that afternoon, at 4:30 p.m., she will lecture on “For the Love of God: The Bible as an Open Book” in Room 236 of Goldwin Smith.

Twice nominated for a National Book Award, Ostriker is the author of 11 volumes of poetry, most recently “No Heaven” (2005). Ostriker has penned two path-breaking academic studies of women's poetry: “Writing Like a Woman and Stealing the Language: The Emergence of Women's Poetry in America”. She has published three books on the Bible: “For the Love of God: The Bible As an Open Book”, “Feminist Revision and the Bible”, and the controversial “The Nakedness of the Fathers: Biblical Visions and Revisions”, a combination of prose and poetry that re-imagines the Bible from the perspective of a contemporary Jewish woman.

Ostriker conducts midrash writing workshops in the USA, Israel, England and Australia. Midrash refers to ways of reading or interpreting a biblical verse.

“New York Curiosities” author to host book signing event Oct. 24

Visiting from New York City, Cindy Perman, author of newly released “New York Curiosities” will be in Owego at a Book Signing event from 6:30-8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 24, at the Riverow Bookshop, Front Street, and at 8 p.m. at the Jail House Restaurant, Court and Main Streets. Both of these venues are featured stories included in her wild, wacky, and outrageous book about the most unusual people, places and things the Empire State has to offer.

Specific Tioga County stories included in this book are:

“Getting to the Point” about Thunderbird Atlatl, Candor; “Oh, One More Thing Before I R.I.P.” about one of the longest epitaphs in Evergreen Cemetery, Owego; “The Whole Family is Going to Jail” about the Jail House Restaurant, Owego; “Sleeping in the Self-Help Section” about the owner of Riverow Bookshop on Front Street, Owego; “Chewie the Dancing Camel” about Heaven Llama Farm in Spencer; “GR8 PL8Z” about the Merrill Collection in Waverly.

Part zany New York guidebook and part Who's Who of odd and unsung heroes, this compendium of the state's quirks and characters will amuse New York residents and visitors alike.

Spanish Storytime returns to The Tompkins County Library

The Tompkins County Library announces the return of Spanish Storytime to its lineup of fall children's programs. La Hora del Cuento will be held from 3:30-4:30 p.m. Sundays, Oct. 5, Nov. 23 and Dec. 14 in the Thaler/Howell Programming Room.

Co-sponsored by Iota Chapter, Cornell University & Ithaca College Sigma Lambda Upsilon/Señoritas Latinas Unidas Sorority, Inc., this all Spanish storytime will feature stories and songs for our youngest guests and more advanced stories for children 6 and up.

For more information about this or other children's programs at the Library, contact Bonnie Wojnowski at 272-4557 ext. 275or bwojnowski@tcpl.org.

Baby Storytime begins again at the The Tompkins County Library

The Tompkins County Public Library is pleased to announce the return of Baby Storytime. Caregivers and newborns up to 15 months old are invited from 10:30-11 a.m. Mondays beginning Oct. 6, in the Thaler/Howell Programming Room for stories, songs, and togetherness.

Don't miss this opportunity to develop a lifelong love of reading with your child. For more information about this or other children's programs at the library, contact the Youth Services Department at 272-4557 extension 275.

Friends of the Tompkins County Public Library Fall Sale begins Oct. 11

The Friends of the Tompkins County Public Library Fall Sale will be held on three long weekends, Saturday through Monday, Oct. 11-13, October 18-20 and Saturday through Tuesday, Oct. 25-28 at 509 Esty St. Hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. the first day, noon to 8 p.m. the last day (bag day) and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. all other days. On Wednesday, Oct. 22, the sale will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for seniors 60 and over and people with disabilities only.

Browse over 250,000 books, audio books, CDs, records, DVDs, videos, games, puzzles, comics, software, maps, sheet music and more for all ages and interests. Everything is sorted, easy to find by subject and inexpensively priced. Prices decrease daily. For more information or to volunteer, visit www.booksale.orgor call 272-2223.Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Stephen Dunn and award-winning essayist Barbara Hurd will each give a free public reading during their joint appearance at Ithaca College as part of the Distinguished Visiting Writers Series, sponsored by the Department of Writing.

Dunn will read from his work at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 7, in Emerson Suite A; while Hurd's presentation will take place at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 9, in Klingentein Lounge. Both venues are located in the Campus Center.

Dunn is the author of 14 collections of poetry, including “Different Hours,” which won the 2001 Pulitzer Prize. “Loosestrife” was a National Book Critics Circle Award finalist in 1996, and “Local Time” was selected for the National Poetry Series in 1986. His many honors include an Academy Award for Literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and fellowships from the Guggenheim and Rockefeller Foundations and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Hurd has published five books of poetry and creative nonfiction, including “Walking the Wrack Line: On Tidal Shifts and What Remains” (2008); “Entering the Stone: On Caves and Feeling Through the Dark” (2003), which was named a Library Journal Best Natural History Book of the Year; and “Stirring the Mud: On Swamps, Bogs, and Human Imagination,” a Los Angeles Times Best Book of 2001. Her essays have appeared in numerous journals and were included in the “Best American Essays” anthologies in 1999 and 2001.

For more information on the Distinguished Visiting Writers Series, visit www.ithaca.edu/hs/depts/writing/dvw/

Join a Mother-Daughter Book Club

The Tompkins County Public Library invites girls ages 10-13 and the special women in their lives to join the Library's Mother-Daughter Book Club.

In addition to reading and discussing wonderful books each month, participants will have the benefit of being led by acclaimed children's author Emily Rhoads Johnson. Rhoads Johnson is the author of “Spring and the Shadow Man”, “A House Full of Strangers” and “Write Me If You Dare”.

The Mother-Daughter Book Club provides a wonderful opportunity for participants to learn about themselves and others by discussing literature. There are no right or wrong answers during Club meetings, simply open discussions where all input is valued.

The group will meet once a month for eight months in the Thaler/Howell Programming Room. The first meeting will be held from 1:30-2:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 28.

The title to be discussed for September is “Penny From Heaven”, by Jennifer L. Holm. A complete list of the titles selected for the group can be found online at: www.tcpl.org/youth/programs/motherdaughter2008.html.

Registration for the Club is appreciated but not required. For more information, contact Adelle Leise at 272-4557 extension 277.

Writers sought for regional listing

The Community Arts Partnership is seeking out the needs and wants of the writers and readers of the Finger Lakes Region. Made possible with funding from the New York State Council on the Arts and the assistance of the Tompkins County Public Library, a Literary Needs Assessment Survey is currently online at www.artspartner.org.

The intent of the survey is to find out what literary services are needed and desired by writers and literary performers, literary presenters, and, of course, audiences in the region, but it will also result in the creation of a Directory of Finger Lakes Literary Artists and Presenters. Among other things, the directory will be used as a resource by presenters and potential grant makers within the region and the state.

The survey will collect the opinions of artists, avid readers, and presenters of events in the following counties: Cayuga, Chemung, Cortland, Onondaga, Schuyler, Seneca, Steuben, Tioga, Tompkins, and Yates. Respondents have until Sept. 5 to complete the survey.

The Finger Lakes Literary Needs Assessment Survey is available on the Community Arts Partnership's homepage at www.artspartner.org. Hard copies are also available at the CAP offices in the Clinton House, 116 North Cayuga Street in Downtown Ithaca. For more information about the Community Arts Partnership's programs and services, contact Program Director Robin Schwartz at 273-5072, e-mail programs@artspartner.org, or visit www.artspartner.org.

Pick up your copy of “March”

Free copies of the Tompkins County Public Library's Community Read, “March,” by Geraldine Brooks, are available for local book discussion groups. The book tells the story of March, the absent father from Louisa May Alcott's classic novel “Little Women,” while addressing 19th Century issues such as slavery, the suffrage movement and the Underground Railroad. Book groups interested in receiving copies of March should contact Sarah Glogowski, community read coordinator, at 272-4557 ext. 255 or sglogowski@tcpl.org.

Tompkins County Public Library welcomes Diesel to its Youth Service area

The Tompkins County Public Library is offering the addition of Diesel, a certified therapy dog, to its Youth Service offerings. Diesel is a member of the Tail Waggin' Tutors Team to help students with difficulty reading or self confidence. He will be available to listen attentively as students read from their favorite books. Diesel will be available at 6 p.m. in the Library's Thaler/Howell Programming Room, 101 E. Green St. on Wednesday, Sept. 24.

Finger Lakes Library System expands services

The Finger Lakes Library System has expanded their services with the addition of downloadable audio books and eBooks. All library card holders within Cayuga, Cortland, Seneca, Tioga and Tompkins Counties are able to check out and download digital audio books and eBooks anywhere, any time by visiting http://flls.lib.overdrive.com. There are no worries about late fees or overdue notices; the downloaded titles automatically expire.

To check out a downloadable audio book, go to www.flls.org and click on the “Download Audio Books” icon or go to your library catalog and choose the Digital Downloads tab. Install the free OverDrive Media Console software and begin browsing the collection of titles. Once downloaded, the audio book files can be transferred to a portable MP3 player and some audio books can even be burned to CD.

The OverDrive Media Console free software will operate on computers running Windows 98SE and above, including Microsoft Vista. At this time, OverDrive's downloadable audio books service is not compatible with Apple computers and iPods due to Apple's rights management restrictions. To read eBook titles, patrons will download the free reader software for Adobe eBooks and Mobipocket eBooks.

BOOK CLUBS Cayuga Museum's History Book Club

The Cayuga Museum's History Book Club meets at 7 p.m. on the first Thursday of the month, at the Museum, 203 Genesee St., Auburn. Members discuss non-fiction works of history on local, national and global themes. Participation is free and readers can choose to attend any or all of the monthly meetings.

Book club will focus on caregiving, aging

The Powerful Caregivers Marching Band Book Club invites caregivers to discuss areas of caregiving from 6:30-7:30 p.m. on the second Thursdays of every month at the Beechtree Care Center, second floor conference room, 318 S. Albany St.

Fore more information call Adrienne McNair at 266-0708.

Do you know of an author coming to town to do a reading? Do you have a literary event coming up? Send information for the Local readings briefs to Life Editor Richetta Coelho at life@ithacajournal.com.