Off the Shelf Fall 2011 - Free Library of Philadelphia

FA LL 2 01 1
VOLUME 1 • ISSUE 1
OFF the SHELF
A PUBLICATION OF the Free Library of Philadelphia
One Book, One Philadelphia celebrates 10 years
inside
The Free Library’s Year of Dickens, 100th Anniversary of the Oak Lane
branch, a Q&A with bestselling author Jennifer Weiner, and more!
The Free Library’s extensive Map Collection contains
more than 130,000 cartographic creations, from detailed
world atlases to historic maps of the Delaware Valley,
that illuminate how our region has developed over TIME.
OFF the SHELF
Free Library of
Philadelphia
President and Director
FREE LIBRARY OF PHILADELPHIA
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Siobhan A. Reardon
Chair
Associate Director
Dr. Joseph McPeak
Vice President
of Development
Melissa Greenberg
Vice President of
External Affairs
Sandra Horrocks
Director of
Communications
and Brand Marketing
Alix Gerz
Writer/Editor
Michelle Saraceni Sheffer
Robert C. Heim
Members
Steven M. Altschuler
Christopher Arlene
Jacqueline Barnett
Darwin Beauvais
Peter A. Benoliel
Girard S. Clothier
Patricia A. Coulter
Stephen M. Curtis
Pamela Dembe
W. Wilson Goode, Sr.
Melissa Grimm
Nancy D. Kolb
Noel Mayo
Stephanie W. Naidoff
William R. Sasso
John J. Soroko
Sherry A. Swirsky
Nicholas D. Torres
Ignatius C. Wang
Shelly Yanoff
Emeritus
Gloria Twine Chisum
Armand Della Porta
Ex-Officio
Deputy Mayor for the Environment
and Community Resources
Irv Ackelsberg
Friends of the Free Library
Eileen Owens
1901 Vine Street, Suite 111
Philadelphia, PA 19103
215-567-7710
freelibrary.org/support
offtheshelf@freelibrary.org
Off the Shelf is published
twice annually for supporters
of the Free Library of
Philadelphia Foundation and
showcases the Library’s
educational, economic,
and cultural contributions
to the region.
FREE LIBRARY OF PHILADELPHIA FOUNDATION
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Chair
William R. Sasso
Members
Paul D. Addis
Cynthia Affleck
Renee Amoore
James H. Averill
Phyllis W. Beck
Peter A. Benoliel
Sheldon Bonovitz
George Day
Andrea Ehrlich
Marie Field
Daniel K. Fitzpatrick
Elizabeth Gemmill
W. Wilson Goode, Sr.
Daniel Gordon
Richard A. Greenawalt
Andrew T. Greenberg
Elizabeth Grenald
Robert C. Heim
Welcome to the inaugural issue
of Off the Shelf, a beautiful new
magazine devoted to highlighting
the renowned programs,
rich collections, and essential
services that—together with our
hardworking staff—make up the
Free Library of Philadelphia.
In these pages you will find news from our 54-branch system, profiles
of our many special collections, and thoughtful, compelling features.
You will also find ways that, as a supporter, you can help our Library
continue to grow and flourish.
Michael DiBerardinis
PRODUCTION ASSISTANT
Free Library of
Philadelphia Foundation
From the President and Director
John Imbesi
Linda E. Johnson
Alexander Kerr
Gerald Maginnis
Marciene S. Mattleman
Leslie Anne Miller
Stephanie W. Naidoff
Patrick M. Oates
Derek N. Pew
Susan G. Smith
Miriam Spector
Jennifer Weiner
Jay Weinstein
William L. Wilson
HONORARY BOARD
Tobey Dichter
A. Morris Williams, Jr.
Our first feature story focuses on the 10th anniversary of one of the Free
Library’s most recognized programs: One Book, One Philadelphia.
For the past decade, One Book has inspired a love of literacy
and of community in the hundreds of thousands of Philadelphians
who participate. Here you’ll read about the history of the program
as well as the vision for its future; you’ll get perspective from the
authors and individuals who bring it to life; and you’ll be reminded
of the joys of reading and the power of community.
I hope you enjoy reading the first issue of our magazine as much as
I enjoyed working with our team to bring it to fruition. We invite
you to send us your comments in response to the stories you read in
Off the Shelf. And remember, you can always check us out online at
freelibrary.org/publications.
Siobhan A. Reardon
PRESIDENT AND DIRECTOR
WHAT’S INSIDE
6A Decade of One Book, One Philadelphia
In memoriam
The Free Library is sad to report the passing of two members
of its Board of Trustees: Leslie Esdaile Banks and
Jerome Shestack. They will be sorely missed.
Examining the legacy of the Free Library’s flagship cultural program
4 News & Notes
5 Focus On: Dickens 2012
9 From the Neighborhoods
10 The Final Word
11 Wish List
FOCUS
ON
1
DICKENS 2012
H A P P Y B I R T H D AY, M R . D I C K E N S
2
Move over London:
Philadelphia has one
of the best Dickens
collections around
4
A SIZZLING SUMMER AT
THE FREE LIBRARY
The Free Library kept things hopping during the summer
months, hosting two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning historian
David McCullough in June. He’s shown here at a pre-lecture
reception with (1) Chair of the Board of Trustees Bob Heim,
former Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter and his wife, Joan.
Later in the evening, McCullough joined (2) Pennsylvania
First Lady Susan Corbett, who introduced the author before a
packed house, and Chair of the Foundation Board of Directors
William R. Sass0. This summer the Library also opened a new
Hot Spot at Mercy Neighborhood Ministries in NicetownTioga. On hand to celebrate its grand opening were (3)
Joe McPeak, Associate Director of the Free Library; Sister
Ann Provost of Mercy Ministries; a student in the summer
program at Mercy; and Lindsey Keck of the City’s Division
of Technology. And in September, the Free Library welcomed
humorist Calvin Trillin, (4) shown here with Miriam S.
Spector, George S. Pepper Council Chair and Member of the
Board of Directors, for the Pepper Society Season Opener.
SHAKESPEARE PARK
REOPENS AMID FANFARE
The Parkway Central Library got a new “front lawn” this
summer when the renovated Shakespeare Park reopened on
August 9. The upgrades, part of the Library’s efforts to renovate
and restore the Parkway Central Library, include new
walkways, landscaping, and lighting. The project was funded
by a generous grant from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,
Department of Community and Economic Development.
On hand for the festive occasion was an Elizabethan orator, played
by Librarian Kile Smith, who celebrated the opening with Free
Library President and Director Siobhan A. Reardon.
PHOTO CREDIT: KELLY & MASSA PHOTOGRAPHY
Free Library Opens Smart
Technology Centers
Deputy Mayor Michael
DiBerardinis, Library
President Siobhan
A. Reardon, and
Verizon Pennsylvania
President Gale Given
cutting the ribbon
to open Parkway
Central’s Smart
Technology Center.
The Free Library of Philadelphia has opened Smart Technology Centers in six Library
locations throughout the city, funded by a generous grant from the Verizon Foundation.
These Smart Technology Centers will allow the Free Library to train customers of all ages
to use and enjoy the state-of-the-art equipment.
We envision customers using this technology to learn, communicate, and create in new
ways. Teens can engage in interactive and educational after-school programs, like creating
movies or animating a favorite book, while new Americans can build their mastery of the
English language with interactive vocabulary lessons. And with Skype capabilities at every
Smart Technology Center, connecting online to webinars and other distance learning
opportunities will further enhance customers’ experiences at the Centers.
The branches that have Smart Technology Centers are West Oak Lane; Roxborough;
Widener; Tacony; Ramonita de Rodriguez; and the Parkway Central Library.
PHOTO CREDIT: KELLY & MASSA PHOTOGRAPHY
PHOTO CREDIT: KELLY & MASSA PHOTOGRAPHY
3
Philadelphia is no stranger to big birthday bashes; after all, every
July it pulls out all the stops to celebrate the founding of our
nation. This winter, however, the Free Library of Philadelphia
will kick off a birthday celebration the likes of which this city
has never seen—a year-long extravaganza dedicated to “The
Inimitable” Charles Dickens.
Born 200 years ago this February 7, Dickens gave the world classics
such as A Tale of Two Cities, Oliver Twist, and A Christmas Carol.
And while he made only a fleeting visit to Philadelphia in 1842, his
legacy here remains strong, thanks to the Free Library’s Rare Book
Department, which houses one of the most unique, and extensive,
Dickens collections in the world.
TOP: George Cruikshank. Watercolor drawing
illustrating Oliver Twist: Oliver asking
for more. [1838]. Gift of William M. Elkins.
Courtesy of the Rare Book Department.
Composed largely of the gifts of two generous collectors—William M.
Elkins and D. Jacques Benoliel—the Rare Book Department’s Dickens
collection is home to first editions, manuscripts, personal letters and
papers, original book illustrations, and even the author’s pet raven,
Grip, who inspired Edgar Allan Poe’s most famous poem!
The Free Library’s year-long celebration will include several fantastic
exhibitions dedicated to these unique holdings, and there will be a
wide variety of interactive programming in store for everyone from
Dickens newcomers to the most avid of fans. The Free Library will be
celebrating with monthly literary salons; happy hours
Thanks to
our Tween
Philanthropists!
Abbie Kopf and
Lena Popkin, both avid
readers and residents of the
Santore Community, sold
$65 worth of crafts and
donated the money to the
Free Library’s Charles Santore
branch to be used to purchase
more books.
Right: Autograph note from Charles Dickens to
John Leech, July 30, 1859, noting that he can’t
come out: “The Inimitable B must write!”
(B for “Boz”, the pseudonym Dickens adopted
early in his career). Benoliel Bequest.
dedicated to potent British punches; festive screenings of film
adaptations of Dickens’s work; a Dickens in Philadelphia tour;
and much more!
While the celebration will officially get underway on February
7th—with cake, of course—the Library will be gearing up with a few
special events earlier this winter to set the stage. Parkway Central
Library will welcome Claire Tomalin, author of Charles Dickens:
A Life, for an author event on November 15 and will also feature a
Dickens impersonator contest that month. (Let the beard-growing
begin!) On December 3, the Free Library will host an elegant Victorian
dinner gala honoring Peter Benoliel, one of the Free Library’s—
and Philadelphia’s—most treasured benefactors and a Dickens
aficionado. And later that month, the Rare Book Department will
open its first exhibition, “From the Desk of Charles Dickens.”
So dust off your copy of David Copperfield and get ready to celebrate
Dickens with the Free Library of Philadelphia!
The Rare Book Department welcomes visitors for tours weekday mornings
at 11:00 a.m., where guests will learn not only about Dickens but about the
many other fantastic holdings of that department. To find out more about
the Rare Book Department and the Dickens bicentenary celebration, visit
freelibrary.org in the coming months.
Original drawing for the Household Edition of Dickens’s Pickwick Papers, 1873,
“The Goblin and the Sexton.” Gift of William M. Elkins.
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• • • BY ALIX GERZ
{5}
• • • BY Michelle Saraceni Sheffer
A Decade of
One Book, One Philadelphia
The young woman strode up to the Q&A microphone at the end of the aisle
and asked Sherman Alexie to sing. She wanted to hear a Native American
song, a song he perhaps learned as a child growing up on the Spokane
Indian Reservation on the other side of the country, nearly as far away from
Philadelphia as one could be without leaving the mainland United States.
Alexie—author of the 2011 One Book, One Philadelphia selections, War
Dances and The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian—playfully
warned of his lukewarm vocal talents before breaking into a traditional
stick game song. He made it just a few notes into the tune before the
audience of more than 400 Philadelphia high school students, who all
had read The Absolutely True Diary in class and received a free personal
copy thanks to One Book and the Field Family Teen Author Series,
joined in with a double-dutch rhythm, marrying the urban and the
rural, the African American and the Native American, uniting cultures
through the common language of music and the shared themes of a
single book.
For building community across culture and class, gender and
generation, through the act of reading is what lies at the heart of the
Free Library of Philadelphia’s acclaimed One Book, One Philadelphia
program. Each year for the past decade, One Book has united tens
of thousands of Philadelphians around a shared reading experience
centered on a common work of thought-provoking literature. A joint
project of the Free Library and the Mayor’s Office, One Book, One
Philadelphia has grown from a modest Library program into a valued
mainstay of the city’s educational and cultural life.
TOP: Sherman Alexie,
right, discusses his
film The Business of Fancydancing with
Temple University’s
Gary Kramer at Moore
College of Art and
Design as part of the
2011 One Book, One Philadelphia Grand
Finale.
Regional media outlets are abuzz each fall with the highly anticipated
selection announcement. People pack the Parkway Central Library each
spring for the special Grand Finale event with the featured author. And
in just 10 years, the program has extended its reach deep into the region,
growing its list of community partners from a small handful of 45 in
2003 to more than 650 in 2011. Built upon the solid foundation laid by
the first One Book Chair, Stephanie Naidoff, none of these achievements
would have been possible without the passionate leadership of current,
longtime One Book Chair, Marie Field.
BOTTOM: Free Library
President and Director
Siobhan A. Reardon,
left, joins One Book
Chair Marie Field and
Mayor Michael A. Nutter
to announce the 2011 One Book, One Philadelphia
Featured Selections.
“In my view, One Book, One Philadelphia taps
into the fundamental desire of people to belong
to an interconnected, caring, positively engaged
community,” says Field. “I sometimes think of
One Book as a wonderful classroom in which we
are all reading, learning, and growing together.”
by the numbers
“Marie Field’s tireless work as the Chair of One Book, One Philadelphia
has really made the program what it is today—a powerful source
of unity in an age when so much seems to divide us,” says Mayor
Michael A. Nutter. “By joining together through reading and discussion,
Philadelphia becomes a stronger, more vibrant city.”
SINCE ITS INCEPTION, ONE BOOK HAS PROVIDED
EACH YEAR, THE ONE BOOK, ONE PHILADELPHIA
FEATURED SELECTION IS CHECKED OUT OF THE
LIBRARY AN AVERAGE OF
Throughout the course of eight inspired weeks each year, people from
across the city meet up in neighborhood libraries, churches, and cafés
to discuss the featured selection and enjoy a wide range of programs
and events related to its themes. Nuanced and sensitive exchanges
about homelessness and mental illness arose from Steve Lopez’s The
Soloist; Dave Eggers’s What is the What and Carlos Eire’s Waiting for
Snow in Havana shed light on the plight of refugees struggling for
identity in the land of the free. One Book participants have been treated
to Lenni Lenape dance performances and bountiful Persian feasts. They
have explored the atrocities of war, the indignities of slavery, and the
ever-present power of hope—all through a shared reading experience.
FREE BOOKS TO MORE THAN
{7}
44,000 students
IN PHILADELPHIA.
IN 2010, AREA SALES OF THE COMPLETE PERSEPOLIS
outpaced all other markets IN
THE COUNTRY.
More than 650 COMMUNITY PARTNERS
PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM EACH YEAR.
79% of participating teachers HAVE
USED THE PROGRAM AS A TEACHING TOOL FOR
MORE THAN ONE YEAR.
IN 2011, ONE BOOK HOSTED more than
115 programs IN AND OUTSIDE OF LIBRARY
LOCATIONS.
{6}
3,000 times.
“I cannot think of another program that inspires so many people,
touches lives so profoundly, and brings diverse peoples together in
countless ways that help fulfill the promise of Philadelphia as the City
of Brotherly and Sisterly Love,” says Field. “I love seeing how people
participate with such enthusiasm and hearing how they open up and
talk to each other about things that matter.”
“One Book, One Philadelphia is a shining
example of the immense power of literacy and
community,” said Siobhan A. Reardon, President
and Director of the Free Library. “By uniting
diverse audiences around real-world issues
through the shared act of reading, One Book has
remained a steadfast cultural and educational
beacon in the City of Philadelphia for the past 10
years. I am so proud of One Book, One Philadelphia,
and I cannot wait to see what the next 10 years
have in store!”
TOP: Marjane Satrapi,
author of the 2010
featured selection, The Complete Persepolis, speaks
to a packed audience at
Parkway Central Library
about growing up in Iran
during the tumultuous 1979
Iranian Revolution.
BOTTOM: The 2010 One Book Kick-Off Event
featured a performance
of traditional Persian
music by Philadelphia Orchestra cellist and Intercultural Journeys Director Udi Bar-David, right,
Iranian composer Kazem
Davoudian, left, and musician Kave Mazhari.
With community-based programs similar to One Book popular
throughout the country, featured authors too recognize the value and
the uniqueness of One Book, One Philadelphia. “No other city does it
like this and reaches into so many segments of the population,” says
Sherman Alexie, whose books are frequently chosen for One Book-like
programs nationwide.
Philadelphia native Lorene Cary, author of the inaugural One Book
selection, The Price of a Child, cites the diverse audiences she spoke
with throughout
the city as having a
profound effect on
her writing. “That
experience has made
me so conscious of
craft and form,” says
Cary. “And it has made
it very clear to me that
Some of the youngest
One Book fans get a hands-on ballet lesson from
there is no excuse for
former Pennsylvania Ballet Principal Dancer William
DeGregory after they enjoyed a special performance
anything less than the
inspired by Maria Tallchief, the famed Native American
prima ballerina, during the 2011 One Book season.
greatest accessibility
with the most sophistication that I can figure out how to do as an artist.”
If uniting people through literature is the goal of One Book, One
Philadelphia, the program couldn’t have been more successful than
in its 2010 season. Megan Young and Siamac Yamin-Afshar were
introduced by a mutual friend and quickly discovered a shared love of
Marjane Satrapi’s The Complete Persepolis—which happened to be the
One Book, One Philadelphia selection that year.
“The first night we went out together—as friends—was to the [One
Book] kickoff event,” says Young. “The following week, we were
back in the same seats to see Steven Kinzer speak about his book,
All the Shah’s Men. By the time Persepolis Quizzo at the Wynnefield
Branch rolled around, we were much more than friends, and
things had gotten serious enough that I met his parents for the
first time at a panel discussion on the freedom of the press in
Iran at the Constitution Center!” Young and Yamin-Afshar cite One
Book as having made the early stages of their relationship even
more special by fueling endless hours of conversation. They were
married at the Free Library in April 2011.
Similar stories of making connections and building community
are common across every year of One Book, One Philadelphia. In
celebration of the program’s 10th anniversary in 2012, the Free Library
is planning an array of retrospective special events, incorporating the
stories of past authors and participants, in addition to a robust variety
of programming surrounding the recently announced 2012 featured
selection, Create Dangerously: The Immigrant Artist at Work by Haitian
American author Edwidge Danticat. A powerfully moving collection
of essays and memoir, Create Dangerously makes an impassioned case
for immigrant writers to bear witness against oppression, sometimes
imperiling their own and their readers’ lives. Danticat’s focus on
the crucial importance of books and reading and the courage often
required for both makes Create Dangerously an especially fitting
selection for One Book, One Philadelphia’s 10th anniversary year.
Amid the fervent planning of the 2012 season, Field takes a
moment to reflect on the legacy of One Book, One Philadelphia.
“The most rewarding part about One Book is knowing that it
has become a Philadelphia tradition that touches the lives of
individuals and the community as a whole,” she says. “What we
observe is the tip of the iceberg. There is a great ripple effect
beneath the surface. I hope it goes on and on.”
One Book, One Philadelphia kicks off its 10th anniversary season on January 25.
Eight inspired weeks of programming—including craft workshops, panel
discussions, film screenings, and book clubs—run through March 17. To learn
more, visit freelibrary.org/onebook.
{8}
LEFT AND RIGHT: The interior
and exterior of the Oak
Lane neighborhood
library in 1911. Courtesy
of the Print and
Pictures Department.
from the
NEIGHBORHOODS
MIDDLE: A logo from the Oak Lane
Library used in 1911.
Oak Lane Library Remains Cornerstone of Tight-Knit Community
Branch celebrates 100th Anniversary in December
Drop in to the Oak Lane Branch of the Free Library on any given
afternoon, and you’re immediately struck by what a thoroughly
modern place it is. Kids crowd around the children’s librarian buzzing
about the latest social networking tools; adults use the library’s online
databases to search for new jobs; and shelves feature materials that
didn’t exist a decade or two ago—they’re packed with graphic novels,
audiobooks, and DVDs.
Yet the Oak Lane neighborhood library is nearly a century old, poised
to celebrate its 100th anniversary this December. Opened in 1911—a
result of the efforts of the Ladies Review Club of Oak Lane, the Library
Association, and funding from Andrew Carnegie—the library was
nestled among large single-family homes in a sprawling, shady
neighborhood that got its name in honor of a beloved oak tree that
blew down during a storm in 1860.
As the city’s population grew, the neighborhood became more compact
and families of immigrants from Germany and Ireland, many of whom
worked in factories nearby, moved in. Each passing decade brought
new demographic changes; today, many of Oak Lane’s 15,000 residents
are African American, and the factories that dotted the area early on
have disappeared. In their stead, busy neighborhood groceries, small
businesses, and daycare centers pepper the tight-knit community.
“This is such a wonderful, diverse community,” notes Deb Ahrens,
head of the branch. “The residents of Oak Lane take such great pride
in their neighborhood—such as the Tree Tenders, Friends of the Oak
Lane Library, and Oak Lane Community Action Association. I’m really
enjoying being here.”
But, as they say, the more things change, the more they stay the same.
While the neighborhood demographics have changed and the Oak Lane
branch has grown into a dynamic and digitally savvy organization, its
role as a true cornerstone in community has remained unchanged.
Take those lively kids, for instance. Ellwood Elementary School is right
across the street from the library, and—Ahrens says cheerfully—“it
gets a little happy in here every afternoon.” Many of the students
are eager to spend time with children’s librarian Kate BowmanJohnston, discussing their favorite books and getting her expert
recommendations for what to read next. And when school lets out
for the year, the students often spend even more time at the library
to participate in Summer Reading and enjoy a multitude of creative
literary activities, from drawing their own comic after reading a
graphic novel to using a reference resource to identify some of the
many international flags displayed around the room.
Current Oak Lane resident Patricia Smith brings her grandsons to the
library to participate in Summer Reading and develop their interest
in books. “[My grandsons] are involved in two other reading projects
during the summer, but we especially look forward to the Oak Lane
Library,” she says. “[Oak Lane] consistently provides a great program
that will encourage their academic efforts.”
Thirty or 40 years ago, the relationship between kids and librarians
wasn’t quite as informal as it is today, but elementary students still
filled the branch to learn and interact with friends. “The library was
a very important part of my development when I was in elementary
school,” says Lee Davidson, who grew up in the neighborhood. “I spent
many hours there, reading everything I could get my hands on.”
Residents of Oak Lane today continue to rely on the Free Library as
those who came 100 years ago did. While customers who walked
through the doors in 1911 were likely seeking print-based materials,
today’s customers rely on the branch not only for these types of items
but also for free Wi-Fi, computer access, tips on digital media, and, of
course, those popular Tai Chi classes that have been a staple at Oak Lane
for three years.
Through all the years and all the changes, the Free Library has remained
a celebrated keystone of the Oak Lane community and stayed true to its
mission: to advance literacy, guide learning, and inspire curiosity.
The Oak Lane branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia will celebrate its 100th
anniversary on December 7. To learn more about the history of the Oak Lane
neighborhood, check out Oak Lane, Olney, and Logan by Marita Krivda Poxon,
Rachel Hildebrandt, and the Old York Road Historical Society.
{9}
• • • BY DAVID LIGHT
FOR $25,000
Wish List
The Free Library is one of the most important educational and cultural institutions in Philadelphia. The City of Philadelphia
provides funds for the operations of the Free Library system, including staffing at our 54 locations. Through the generosity
of individual gifts, the Free Library Foundation supports many of the Library’s incredible programs, which advances
literacy, guides learning, and inspires curiosity by enriching the cultural fabric of our region. The Wish List below details
just a few of the many ways your support of the Foundation can enhance and improve the Free Library of Philadelphia:
FOR $25,000 a branch can provide after-school
programming for thousands of children four days a
week throughout an entire school year.
Jennifer Weiner is a member of the Free Library
Foundation Board of Directors—and a bestselling
author. In her novels, she plumbs life’s messiness
with witty, honest characters who face real issues like
relationships, careers, family dynamics, and more. She
is the author of eight no. 1 New York Times bestsellers,
including Good in Bed and In Her Shoes, which was
adapted into a critically acclaimed film starring
Cameron Diaz, Shirley MacLaine, and the city of
Philadelphia. Weiner is now forging a path in television
as the creator and executive producer of State of
Georgia, a new ABC Family comedy starring RavenSymoné. Weiner found a brief moment during her
busy schedule to chat with us:
OTS What role have libraries played in your life?
JW Before I was a writer, I was a reader, and I spent many happy
afternoons at the Simsbury Public Library, where I’d fill shopping
bags with enough books to last me through the week. The idea that
you could pick out and take home any book you wanted for free was
mind-blowing when I was a six-year-old. It kind of blows my mind now.
OTS How did you become involved in supporting and
advocating for the Free Library of Philadelphia?
JW I was very lucky to get a very generous advance for my first two
books. After a wild shopping spree at Target where I finally was able
to purchase name-brand dog food, I decided that what I wanted to
do with the money was support causes that were important to me,
and the Library was first on the list. I became a member of the Pepper
Society, and, eventually, a member of the Free Library Foundation
Board of Directors. I believe that great stories serve an important
function in the world—they take us out of our own heads; they show
us other experiences, other ways of living; they tell us that we’re not
alone. I also think that basic literacy—the ability to read and fill out a
job application—is essential, yet we know that many Philadelphians
can’t. For those two reasons, libraries are essential, and I can’t imagine
a writer who wouldn’t want to support them.
OTS As a bestselling author, you’ve written eight hit
novels and a short story collection over the past decade.
How has the publishing industry changed over the course
of your career? How have these changes impacted you both
as a writer and as a reader?
JW I remember, years ago, telling my publisher that I wanted to
start a weblog, and having my publisher ask, very sincerely, “What’s
a weblog?” I had my own website before that became standard
operating procedure, and was using social media because I liked it,
not because it was required. These days, the internet has changed
everything. In some ways, it’s leveled the playing field—even writers
whose books don’t get widely reviewed can build an audience
through the smart and judicious use of mediums like Facebook and
Twitter. In other ways, it’s made an author’s job harder—we have to
be our own marketing and promotional team, and we have to work
at building our brands (an awful term, but there it is) on a daily basis,
because readers have come to see us not just as authors but as
personalities and content providers, good for a joke or a blog post or
a recap of The Bachelor on a daily basis. I’m lucky in that I’ve always
liked social media, and having a newspaper background means that
the idea of writing for an audience every day doesn’t bother me, but
I know writers who find the whole thing agonizing, and wish we were
still in the days of Salinger, where you could drop off a book at your
publisher’s office, then vanish off the map.
OTS Your new television show, State of Georgia, is now
airing on ABC Family. How does writing for TV differ from
writing a novel? Do you prefer one medium over the other?
JW Writing novels is very interior, very quiet work. It can be fantastic,
when the work’s going well, but it can also be a little bit lonely: It’s
just you, and the characters in your head, with your agent and your
editor waiting patiently (and not so patiently!) on the sidelines.
Television’s much more collaborative: You work in a writers’ room,
pitching jokes, riffing on ideas, telling stories. It’s social, and it’s fun, but
there’s necessarily an element of compromise. Your co-writers have
ideas; the network has input; the actors might say things in ways you
never imagined. I feel very lucky that I have the balance of solitary,
independent, introspective fiction and the raucous, collaborative team
effort of TV.
OTS You’re a prodigious and prolific user of Twitter
(@jenniferweiner), and Time magazine recently named you
among its top 140 Twitterers. How has social media enabled
you to build strong relationships with your readers?
JW Twitter functions as a virtual water cooler, a place to talk to other
writers and readers who you may never get to meet face to face. It’s
also the perfect medium for the busy working mom. You can dash
off a 140-character joke or observation waiting to pick up your kid
from nursery school, or standing in line at the coffee shop, and a
dozen people will tweet back at you. You can have debates about
important topics (Why isn’t Obama reading more women’s fiction?
Why doesn’t the New York Times review Jodi Picoult as frequently
as John Grisham?) or just talk about the antics on The Bachelor. For
me, Twitter’s invaluable because it gives readers access to my voice
while they’re waiting for the next book. It’s a way to stay current
and relevant and contribute to the conversation in a timely fashion,
instead of thinking something and saying, “Oh, I guess I can put that
in my novel, which will be published next year.”
OTS Fill in the blank: “To me, the Free Library of
Philadelphia is the Free Library of ________.” Why?
JW Inspiration. You can walk through those doors and find a great
story, or figure out how to tell one. You can get help with a small
business loan, or get a hundred ideas for what your business should
be. You can hear an incredible novelist or poet read from her work,
and have a discussion about a novel you might never have found on
your own. You can watch your children discover the world of fiction.
Libraries are amazing places, where so much can happen, and so
much can change.
{ 10 }
FOR $2,500 a series of 10 English-as-a-Second-Language
classes can be offered in a branch.
FOR $20,000 Behind the Screens, a film literacy
program for teens, can be presented in six branches
for two months. Filmmaking equipment is includeD.
FOR $1,000 One is recognized as part of the George S.
Pepper Society, the most generous group of LIBRARY
supporters, and enjoys exclusive opportunities to meet
with renowned authors.
FOR $10,000 the Free Library can purchase—at a great
discount—more than 1,500 books, including picture
books and audiobooks for children.
FOR $500 the Free Library can add 75 ebooks to its
collection to be downloaded and read by hundreds of
individuals.
FOR $5,000 The Free Library can provide 20 programs
for job seekers on writing a résumé, conducting an
online job search, and preparing for an interview.
To learn how you can make a gift to the Foundation,
visit freelibrary.org/support or call 215-567-7710.
UPCOMING
AUTHOR
EVENTS
FOR MORE Info:
215-567-4341
freelibrary.org/
authorevents
NOV 1 • 7:30 PM
NOV 5 • 2:00 PM
NOV 8 • 7:30 PM
NOV 10 • 7:30 PM
TICKET REQUIRED
FREE
FREE
TICKET REQUIRED
Norton Juster
Anthony Horowitz
The Phantom Tollbooth
50th Anniversary
The House of Silk:
A Sherlock Holmes Novel
Jeffrey Eugenides
The Marriage Plot: A Novel
Umberto Eco
The Prague Cemetery
Horace W. Goldsmith
Endowed Lecture
NOV 15 • 7:30 PM
NOV 17 • 12:00 PM
NOV 17 • 7:30 PM
NOV 22 • 7:30 PM
NOV 29 • 7:30 PM
FREE
FREE
TICKET REQUIRED
FREE
FREE
George McGovern
Adam Gopnik
Charles Dickens: A Life
What it Means to
Be a Democrat
The Table Comes First:
Family, France, and the
Meaning of Food
Rustic Italian Food
The Limit: Life and Death
on the 1961 Grand Prix Circuit
DEC 1 • 7:30 PM
DEC 6 • 7:30 PM
DEC 7 • 7:30 PM
DEC 13 • 7:30 PM
DEC 15 • 7:30 PM
FREE
FREE
TICKET REQUIRED
FREE
FREE
Claire Tomalin
Randall Kennedy
The Persistence of the
Color Line: Racial Politics and
the Obama Presidency
Paul Farmer
Haiti After the Earthquake
Anita Hill
IUM
Reimagining Equality:
ITOR e
l
Stories U
ofTGender,
AUD ilaRace,
b
a
D OFinding
t AvHome
and
SOL
lcas
imu
S
Meelya Gordon Memorial Lecture
{ 11 }
Marc Vetri
Edward J. Larson
An Empire of Ice: Scott,
Shackleton, and the Heroic
Age of Antarctic Science
Michael Cannell
Luis Alberto Urrea
Queen of America
The Free Library is one of the most
important educational and cultural
institutions in Philadelphia. The
City of Philadelphia provides
funds for the operations of the Free
Library system, including staffing
at our 54 locations. Through the
generosity of individual gifts, the
Free Library Foundation supports
many of the Library’s incredible
programs, which promote literacy
and enrich the cultural fabric of
our city.
To learn how you can make a
gift to the Foundation, visit
freelibrary.org/support or call
215-567-7710.
One Book 2012
Kick off Celebration
January 25, 2012 • 7:30 p.m.
Parkway Central Library, Montgomery Auditorium
freelibrary.org/onebook
Join us for a festive celebration to officially kick off the
10th annual One Book, One Philadelphia season, featuring
Edwidge Danticat’s Create Dangerously. The evening will be
dedicated to exploring Haiti’s cultural heritage through music,
nd dance, featuring Kuumba
Drum and Dance Ensemble.
The kick-off celebration is free
and open to the public. Find
out more details online at
freelibrary.org/onebook.