Twilight Zone - The 50th Anniversary

If you live anywhere near Binghamton, chances are that you already know about the TZ at 50 celebration that's taking place this weekend to mark the 50th anniversary of the airing of the first episode of The Twilight Zone.

There will be plenty of events going on in Binghamton this weekend, and there will be Rod Serling Conferences at Ithaca College and Antioch College. On Saturday evening, WSKG, our local PBS affiliate, will air live performances of two Twilight Zone scripts, along with a short documentary produced by WSKG's Emmy award-winning Brian Frey.

Others have decided to get in on the Serling celebration, too. The Chamber of Commerce has created a special pamphlet, complete with a map of Serling-specific sites to visit in Binghamton. We've got a Rod Serling postage stamp now, and a BC Transit bus with a larger-than-life image of Mr. Serling.

It's appropriate that we should have such an over-the-top celebration because Rod Serling was proud of his Binghamton heritage. In an interview, he's quoted as saying,

"Everyone has to have a hometown. Binghamton's mine. In the strangely
brittle terribly sensitive makeup of a human being, there is need for a place to
hang a hat, or a kind of geographical womb to crawl back into, or maybe just a
place that's familiar because that's where you grew up.

"When I dig back through memory cells, I get one particularly distinctive feeling and that's one of warmth, comfort, and well-being. For whatever else I may have had or lost or will find, I've still got a hometown. This, nobody's gonna take away from me."

And, of course, if you're interested in delving more into The Twilight Zone or into Rod Serling's past, the library has a wealth of resources.

We have:
- books about Rod Serling
- Twilight Zone Radio Dramas on audiocassette and CD
- episodes of The Twilight Zone on videocassette
- graphic novel adaptations of Twilight Zone scripts
- and more!

Also, if you want to read articles about Serling and about past Twilight Zone-related local events, Local History has LOTS of information.

Fall Book Reviews

The Friends of the Broome County Public Library have announced the dates for the Fall 2009 Book Reviews. The Reviews will take place on Wednesdays, 12:00-1:15pm, in the Library's Decker Room. Lunch may be purchased at Porfolio's Cafe, which is located in the rotunda of the library, across from the Decker Room.



Wednesday, September 23, 12:00-1:15pm

The Greatest Story Ever Sold: The Decline and Fall of Truth from 9/11 to Katrina by Frank Rich

Reviewer: David Rossie, Press & Sun Bulletin Writer




Wednesday, September 30, 12:00-1:15pm

As Time Goes By: Boomerang Marriages, Serial Spouses, Throwback Couples, and Other Romantic Adventures in an Age of Longevity by Abigail Trafford

Reviewer: DeWitt Henricks, Binghamton University Adjunct Lecturer in Communications




Wednesday, October 7, 12:00-1:15pm

Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin

Reviewer: Gerald Smith, Broome County Historian





Wednesday, October 14, 12:00-1:15pm

Little Pink House: A True Story of Defiance and Courage by Jeff Benedict

Reviewers: Gerald Loy and Tom Rossi, Professors, Broome Community College




Wednesday, October 21, 12:00-1:15pm

Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life by Marshall B. Rosenberg, PhD

Reviewer: Catherine Stuckart, Binghamton attorney





Wednesday, October 28, 12:00-1:15pm

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz

Reviewer: Rawn Spearman, Retired IBM Employee, GED Teacher





Wednesday, November 4, 12:00-1:15pm

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Reviewer: Cheryl Ebert, Trustee of Broome County Public Library, Retired Teacher in the Johnson City School District





Substitute

Retribution: The Battle for Japan 1944-45 by Max Hastings

Reviewer: Norman J. Sweeney, Chairman of Book Reviews, Friends of the Library, Superintendent Emeritus of the Chenango Forks School District

More Books Made into Movies

Here are a few more upcoming movies that are based on books.

(Click on the pictures for links to the movie websites and the books in our catalog.)

Brief Interviews with Hideous Men (release date September 25) - based on the 1999 book by David Foster Wallace

Coco Before Chanel (release date September 25) - based on L'irreguliere by Edmonde Charles-Roux - English translation (Chanel) by Nancy Amphoux

The Private Lives of Pippa Lee (release date October 23) - based on the 2008 book by Rebecca Miller

The Vampire's Assistant (release date October 23) - based on the Cirque du Freak series by Darren Shan

The Box (release date November 6) - based on the short story "Button, Button" by Richard Matheson

Disney's A Christmas Carol (release date November 6) - based on the book by Charles Dickens

The Men Who Stare at Goats (release date November 6) - based on the 2004 book by Jon Ronson

Fantastic Mr. Fox (release date November 13) - based on the book by Roald Dahl


The Blind Side (release date November 20) - based on the 2006 book by Michael Lewis


The Twilight Saga: New Moon (release date November 20) - based on the 2006 book by Stephenie Meyer


The Road (release date November 25) - based on the 2006 book by Cormac McCarthy


Invictus (release date December 11) - based on Playing the Enemy by John Carlin


The Lovely Bones (release date December 11) - based on the 2002 book by Alice Sebold

Workshop - "Surviving the Money Crunch"

Are you looking for...

- ways to cope with the economic downturn?

- ways to manage your debt?

- strategies to cope with your everyday economic reality?

Then this is the workshop you've been waiting for!

Consumer Credit Counseling Services will be leading this free workshop.

The workshop will take place on Monday, November 9, 4:00-5:00pm, in the Broome County Public Library's Exhibit Room. Registration is required. To register, or for more information, please call 607-778-6451.

BARK-9 - Dogs at the Library!

Did you know that we sometimes have DOGS in the LIBRARY?!?


These are not just any dogs, however. The dogs are therapy dogs, part of the BARK-9 program.

What is BARK-9?
The "Books and Reading Canine" program helps to improve children's reading and communication skills by employing a powerful method--reading to a dog. But not just any dog, a THERAPY dog.

How does it work?
BARK-9 uses registered therapy animals who have been tested for health, safety and temperament. When these special animals come to hear children read, it's fun! And that makes all the difference.

What? Dogs can't read!
Of course they can't. But they can be great listeners, and their presence creates an inviting and motivating environment: relaxed, safe, comfortable, non-judgmental, empowering, and fun!

If you want to participate, the program will be held on the following Saturdays this fall:
October 3, 10am - noon
October 17, 10am - noon
October 31, 10am - noon
November 14, 10am - noon
November 28, 10am - noon

For more information, you can call Youth Services at 607-778-6456.