For more information, contact: Deanna Larson
Nashville Public Library
615-862-5755
deanna.larson@nashville.gov

 October @ Nashville Public Library

Halloween @ NPL
Join us for creepy free literary Halloween fun, all month at the library!

The Ordeal of Dr. Trifulgas
Wishing Chair Productions adapted this dark tale by Jules Verne (20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Journey to the Center of the Earth—about a bitter old doctor who ignores a knock on his door one dark and stormy night and learns a difficult lesson about compassion—using “object theater” techniques that put everyone on the edge of their seats (For children 7 and up; running time: 30 minutes). Fridays and Saturdays, October 9, 10, 16 & 17 at 3:00 p.m. in the Children’s Division at Main Library, 615 Church St.

Night Chillers: Spooky Tales With Roberta Simpson Brown
Known as “Queen of the Cold-Blooded Tales,” retired teacher and storyteller Roberta Simpson Brown is an award-winning writer (Creaking Porch Stories, The Scariest Stories Ever, Walking Trees and Other Scary Stories) who has spun her tales at the National Storytelling Festival, the Southern Festival of Books and on National Public Radio. She also does paranormal investigations with the Louisville Ghost Hunters and The American Ghost Society. Her chilling stories are set in familiar, contemporary settings—family rooms, farms, campgrounds—with an undercurrent of scary pulling the reader into the undertow of terror. She will spin a variety of her spooky stories that encourage people to talk about things that frighten them at this special Halloween story hour. Tuesday, October 13 at 6:30 p.m. at Goodlettsville Branch Library, 106 Old Brick Church Pike, 862-5762.

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
The bone-chilling story by Washington Irving told with shadow puppetry—and some creepy surprises! (Note: for children 8 and up; running time: 35 minutes). Fridays and Saturdays, October 23, 24, 30 & 31 at 4:00 p.m. in the Children’s Division at Main Library, 615 Church St.

Trick-or-Treat Twilight Time
This special nighttime storytime features silly, spooky (but not-so-scary) monster stories for the whole family. Make your own nifty craft to take home and “trick-or-treat” at the library! (Costumes are optional, but encouraged.) Thursday, October 29 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. at Goodlettsville Branch Library, 106 Old Brick Church Pike, 862-5762.

Ghost Stories!
Renowned Southern storytellers Finn Bille and Vincent Phipps will visit from Chattanooga to share spooky ghost stories on the creepiest day of the year! Ages 12 and up. Saturday, October 31 from 2:30-3:30 p.m. at Main Library, 615 Church St.

Classes/Workshops

Social Security Pre-Retirement Seminar
Join Derrell Payne, Public Affairs Specialist with the Social Security Administration, for an overview of Social Security benefits. Topics covered include navigating the Social Security website and online services, eligibility requirements, effects of retiring at various ages, earned income while receiving a retirement benefit, Medicare coverage, widows benefits, divorced spouse benefits, and benefits to children of disabled parents. Thursday, October 8 at 10:30 a.m. at Green Hills Branch Library, 3701 Benham Ave., 862-5863.

Green Interior Design with Beth Haley Design
Remodeling your kitchen or bath? Want to be “green” but feel confused about what that means? Beth Haley ASID, a licensed interior designer and owner of Beth Haley Design, leads this hands-on workshop that helps demystify “green” products and materials and teaches what to look for when selecting green products, with samples of products available in the industry. Thursday, October 22 at 6:30 p.m. at Green Hills Branch Library, 3701 Benham Ave., 862-5863.

Art/Exhibits

The Plan of Nashville: Celebrating Five Years
This exhibit chronicles the creation of “The Plan of Nashville,” a community-based, 50-year vision of how the urban core of the city should look and work in the future. Created with the help of more than 800 Nashvillians and completed in 2004, the plan was conceived and orchestrated by the Nashville Civic Design Center, a non-profit organization committed to urban design and fostering public participation in the design process. The Plan of Nashville: Avenues to a Great City book was published by Vanderbilt University Press in 2005. The exhibit features more than 100 original drawings chronicling the city’s historic development and the plan’s vision for the future, as well as the work the NCDC has done in the past five years since the plan’s release. This is the first time these drawings have collectively appeared on display in Nashville. October 8, 2009-January 10, 2010 at Main Library, 615 Church St.

Art Makes Place
Encouraging partnership between artists and the public, Art Makes Place is a year-long project featuring 7 artists who made 7 temporary community and performance-based artworks for public spaces in Nashville. Each project began with a lecture/workshop with Metro Nashville Public School students, continued with participation from Vanderbilt University, Frist Center for the Visual Arts, and the larger Nashville community, and resulted in a temporary artwork presented in public spaces throughout Nashville. The project culminates with this exhibition of artwork from the project. October 17, 2009-March 14, 2010 in the Art Gallery at Main Library, 615 Church St.

Paintings and Pottery by Susan Hudgens
Susan Hudgens grew up in Bangkok and has lived in ten different states in the U.S. since marrying an Air Force serviceman more than twenty years ago. Her two decades of traversing this country, along with her Thailander roots, has had a deep influence on her art. This exhibit features works done in batik, clay, oil and watercolor. Oct. 1-31 at Green Hills Branch Library, 3701 Benham Ave., 862-5863. Exhibit open during library opening hours: M-Tr 9:30-8, Sat. 9-5, Sun. 2-5. An artist reception will be held Tuesday, Oct. 6 at 6:30 p.m. at the library.

Puppet Theater in Two Political Systems
This exhibit of pictures and photographs, coinciding with the visit of the Magdeburg Puppentheater of Magdeburg, Germany, explores the experiences of performing artists under two forms of government. The exhibit was developed by the puppet theater, which will be performing Oct. 8-10 in the Children’s Theater at the downtown library (see listing below). Exhibit runs Sunday, October 11-Saturday, Oct. 24 at Main Library, 615 Church St. Open during library hours: T-F 9-6, Sat. 9-5, Sun. 2-5.

Freedom Without Walls: The Fall of the Berlin Wall 1989-2009
This photographic exhibit coincides with other Sister Cities of Nashville programming including the “Puppet Theater in Two Political Systems” exhibit and performances by the Magdeburg Puppentheater at the downtown library, as well as Germantown’s Oktoberfest. The exhibit depicts the peaceful “Monday” demonstrations on the cathedral square in Magdeburg, Germany along with similar demonstrations throughout the former East Germany, brought about the downfall of the Communist regime and the fall of the Berlin Wall. The exhibit will be presented in tandem with the library’s permanent display that showcases the Civil Rights Movement in Nashville. Research indicates that the peaceful demonstrations initiated by Dr. King and other civil rights leaders greatly influenced the tenor of the demonstrations in Germany decades later. Exhibit runs Sunday, October 11-Saturday, Oct. 24 in the Banner Room at Main Library, 615 Church St. Open during Banner Room hours: T-F 9-5.

Film

That Evening Sun
That Evening Sun (2009) is an award-winning film based on the short story “I Hate to See That Evening Sun Go Down” by Tennessee-based writer William Gay, who has been hailed as a successor to William Faulkner, Thomas Wolfe and Cormac McCarthy. Hal Holbrook stars as an elderly farmer who leaves his nursing home to take back his homestead, and is surprised to find that his land has been sold by his son. Join Gay and screenwriter/director Scott Teems for a Q&A after the screening. Presented by Nashville Public Library and the Southern Festival of Books. Saturday, October 10 at 1 p.m. in the auditorium at Main Library, 615 Church St. 

ITVS Community Cinema: Copyright Criminals
ITVS Community Cinema is a series of monthly screening previews from PBS’ Independent Lens documentary series, presented in partnership with Nashville Public Television (NPT) and Hands on Nashville. This month: Music sampling, made popular by DJs and hip-hop artists in the 1980s and 1990s, has moved from a tribute from one musician to another to wrangling over ownership. Copyright Criminals examines the commercial value of music and the struggle over artistic expression, copyright law and money. Sunday, October 18: 2:30 p.m. light reception, screening at 3 p.m. at Main Library, 615 Church St. For more information, visit www.communitycinema.org or call 862-5800.

Books/Discussion

Got Books?
Fall is the perfect time to curl up in an armchair with a good book – then find other readers to discuss what you loved or didn’t about the story or topic! Nashville Public Library offers many book clubs, from friendly, informal neighborhood discussion groups at local branches and the do-it-yourself “Book Club in a Bag” to the weekly Great Books Club at the downtown library and the online Early Bird Book Club. Check out the options at www.library.nashville.org and click on “Books, Movies & Music.”

Shakespeare Allowed!
The best way to enjoy Shakespeare is out loud and with friends! Join the Nashville Shakespeare Festival on the first Saturday of each month to read one of the works of William Shakespeare, beginning with the first play he wrote and ending with his last. No need to commit to the whole canon, and all voices, ages and dialects are welcome. Listeners are also encouraged, along with a sense of humor! This month, A Midsummer Night's Dream. Saturday, October 3from 1-4 p.m. at Main Library, 615 Church St.

Current Events Discussion Group
Want to explore health care reform? Or the decline of civility in modern society? Join this lively informal group for a bi-monthly discussion of current events on the first and third Tuesday of each month at Green Hills Branch Library, 3701 Benham Ave., 862-5863. Discussions this month: Oct. 6 and 20.

Rare Twain Book Club
This special book club, part of Nashville’s Citywide Celebration of Mark Twain (www.twainandtwang.org), features lively discussion about Twain’s less famous but equally deserving works. Club meets the second Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at Bellevue Branch Library, 650 Colice Jeanne Road, 862-5854. October 8: A Murder, a Mystery, and a Marriage.

Spackled and Spooked: Author Talk with Jennie Bentley
Spackled and Spooked, the second book in the Do-It-Yourself Mystery trilogy by local author Jennie Bentley, mixes renovation tips and intriguing historical facts with a dab of romantic comedy. Join Bentley as she reads from her book, the latest selection of the Goodlettsville Branch Library Mystery and Miscellany Book Discussion Group. Tuesday, October 27 at 6:30 p.m. at Goodlettsville Branch Library, 106 Old Brick Church Pike, 862-5762.

Summer Concert Series
This hit concert series, sponsored by the Nashville Public Library Foundation, concludes with the big-band sounds of Radio Daze. October 6 at 11:45 a.m. in the courtyard at Main Library, 615 Church St., 862-5800.

Children/Family

Kid Flix: Coraline
Coraline is a curious young girl who unlocks a mysterious door in her family's old house and enters a parallel reality that seems like a hyper-happy version of her somewhat lonely life. Quickly addicted to its charms, Coraline discovers that her alternate life has a dark side, too, and she must rely on her resourcefulness, determination and bravery to get back to her real home. Bring a picnic lunch and enjoy this extraordinary animated film based on the novel by award-winning writer Neil Gaiman (rated PG, 100 minutes; school age & up). Saturday, October 3 at 12:30 p.m. in the Conference Center at Main Library, 615 Church St.

Magdeburg Puppentheater: Oscar and the Lady in Pink
Don’t miss this chance to see world-class puppetry by Magdeburg Puppentheater, visiting from Nashville’s sister city, Magdeburg Germany! Oscar is a 10-year-old boy confined to the children’s ward of a hospital who writes letters to God found by “Mamie Rose” – a Lady in Pink who helps out at the hospital. The letters describe twelve days in Oscar’s life, filled with funny, moving characters. These twelve days may be his last, but thanks to Mamie Rose, who forms a close and affectionate bond with Oscar, they become legendary. (Note: due to its serious themes, this show is for ages 9 and up. Children under 9 will not be allowed in the theater.) Thursday, Friday & Saturday, October 8, 9 & 10 at 4:00 p.m. with an extra performance on Saturday October 10 at 2:00 p.m. in the Children’s Theater at Main Library, 615 Church St.

Ellingtown!
Get a rollicking introduction to jazz through songs written by 20th century musical legend Duke Ellington in this new original all-ages show produced with the Nashville Jazz Workshop! “Ellington” himself plays his way through his hits including “Take the A Train” on sets that transport kids to old New York (running time: 30 minutes).
Fridays and Saturdays. October 9-31 at 10:30 & 11:30 a.m. & 4:00 p.m. in the Children’s Theater at Main Library, 615 Church St.

Gallacon: Animanga Festival
Calling all manga fans, anime aficionados, and budding graphic artists--join us for the library’s inaugural animanga festival, Gallacon! All events are free and open to the public.

Graphic Art Workshop with Illustrator James L. Barry
Illustrator James L. Barry, whose work includes the Warriors manga adaptations, will lead this workshop on comic book design. Learn the basics of character drawing and creating a comic or manga and get some last-minute tips for your entry in the Graphic Art Contest! All supplies will be provided. Register by Saturday, October 17 by calling 862-5860. Tuesday, October 20 at 2:00 p.m. at East Branch Library, 206 Gallatin Road, 862-5860.

Cosplay Contest & Anime Trivia
Dress as your favorite anime, manga, video game or comic book character (or just as yourself) for our “cosplay contest.” Registration begins at 4:30 p.m. and judging will begin promptly at 5:30 pm. (prizes will be awarded immediately following judging). Test your knowledge during the registration period with anime trivia, too! Thursday, October 22 from 4:30-6:30 p.m. at Inglewood Branch Library, 4312 Gallatin Road, 862-5866.

Gallacon Finale
Join us for the Gallacon Animanga Festival finale! Watch anime on the big screen, play video games in the new teen room, make candy sushi, and attend an origami workshop, and browse the Graphic Art Contest entries on display—and don’t miss the winner announcement at 3:30 p.m.! Saturday, October 24 from 1:00-4:00 p.m. at Madison Branch Library, 610 Gallatin Pike S., 862-5868