Monthly Archives: February 2011

“The Gods Must Be Crazy II” Screening at the Mercer Island Library Saturday, February 26

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The Gods Must Be Crazy, Part II (Uys, Botswana, 1989)

Date and Time: Saturday, February 26, 1 p.m.

Location: Mercer Island Library, 4400 88th Avenue SE, Mercer Island, Washington

Cost: Free

Kalahari bushman Xi once again encounters an array of eccentric characters in bizarre situations as he attempts to rescue his children accidentally taken away by elephant poachers.

University of Washington film historian Lance Rhoades will introduce the film and lead a discussion afterward.

This screening is sponsored by the Friends of the Mercer Island Library.

Opera Preview of “Don Quixote” Rescheduled to Friday, February 25, 2011 at 2:00 PM

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Bronze statues of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza, at the Plaza de España in Madrid (Source: Wikipedia)

New Date and Time: Friday, February 25, 2 p.m.

Location: Mercer Island Library, 4400 88th Avenue SE, Mercer Island, Washington

Cost: Free

The “Don Quixote” opera preview to be presented by Norm Hollingshead, originally scheduled for tonight, has been postponed due to bad weather. It is now scheduled for Friday, February 25, 2011 at 2:00 p.m.

Get ready for the Seattle Opera‘s upcoming performances of “Don Quixote” with a deeper understanding and appreciation for Jules Massenet‘s work by joining Mr. Hollingshead.

Massenet (1842-1912) had a one act opera performed in 1867 when he was only 25 years old but it was the blockbuster success of his “Manon” in 1884 that made him a famous name in opera-loving households. Further melodious hits in the 1890s, such as “Werther” and “Thais,” cemented his reputation as one of the most successful opera composers of his time. The turn to the new century, though, saw a decline in his popularity as opera audiences came to find Massenet “old-fashioned,” preferring instead the new sounds of Claude Debussy and Richard Strauss or the more realistic dramas of Giacomo Puccini. Massenet kept composing however and in 1910, had his last big “hit,” “Don Quichotte” which utilized only a few scenes from Miguel de Cervantes‘ famous novel but those are brought charmingly to life by Massenet’s wonderfully “Frenchified” Spansh Music. Don Quichotte was originally composed as a vehicle for the greatest singing actor of his time, the fabled Russian basso, Feodor Chaliapin. Don Quichotte was a great success whenever Chaliapin performed it and, since Chaliapin’s retirement in the 1930′s, the opera has been performed successfully whenever a dynamic basso has assumed the title role. Mr. Hollingshead will illustrate his commentary on Don Quichotte with recorded musical excerpts from his own collection, many quite rare.

This event is sponsored by the Friends of the Mercer Island Library.

KCLS “Book Cover Walking Tour” on Mercer Island

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Mercer Island is one of eight King County communities that is participating in the King County Library Systems’ “Book Cover Walking Tour.” Above is a picture of one of the book-cover banners on the island. This one is between Corry’s CO2 Dry Cleaners and Mercer Island Florists on the 3000 block of 78th Avenue SE. There are another six banners on Mercer Island each with different books covers and over 100 different book-cover banners in such nearby communities as Bellevue, Issaquah, and Renton (http://www.kcls.org/about/board/2011/022211/AttachmentF.pdf).

The “Book Cover Walking Tour” is not only active with readers seeking out the banners, but also interactive. If you see a banner, you can call 425-507-0429 on your mobile phone and enter the extension number listed on the banner to hear about the book (“602″ in the banner in the photo). You can also download to your MP3 player an audio tour for the entire “Book Cover Walking Tour” at www.myoncell.com/mp3download?14255070429.

Have fun tracking down all seven book-cover banners on Mercer Island or those in other communities.

The “Book Cover Walking Tour” runs through the end of May 2011.  It is part of KCLS’s “Take Time to Read” program, which aims to increase reading across KCLS’s service area and is sponsored by the KCLS Foundation. For more information about the “Book Cover Walking Tour” and the “Take Time to Read” program, please call 425-369-3275 or go to www.kcls.org/taketimetoread/.

Opera Preview for “Don Quixote” on Wednesday, February 23 at 7 p.m.

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Date and Time: Wednesday, February 23, 7 p.m.

Location: Mercer Island Library, 4400 88th Avenue SE, Mercer Island, Washington

Cost: Free

Join Norm Hollingshead for a preview of Jules Massenet‘s Don Quixote, which will be performed this month and next by the Seattle Opera.

The Friends of the Mercer Island Library are proud to sponsor this event.

“The Cranes Are Flying” Screening at the Mercer Island Library Saturday, February 12

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The Cranes Are Flying (Letyat zhuravli) (Kalatozov, USSR, 1957)

Date and Time: Saturday, February 12, 1 p.m.

Location: Mercer Island Library, 4400 88th Avenue SE, Mercer Island, Washington

Cost: Free

The Friends of the Mercer Island Library are proud to sponsor the free screening of “The Cranes Are Flying,” a stunning visual poem set in Moscow during World War II about a woman clinging to the idea of love after her boyfriend does away to fight.

University of Washington film historian Lance Rhoades will introduce the film and lead a discussion afterward.

The Friends of the Mercer Island Library Announce 2011 Book Sales Dates

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Table of Books at the Friends of the Mercer Island Library Fall Book Sale, 2009. Photo by Joel Wachs.

At our annual meeting last month, the membership of the Friends of the Mercer Island Library approved the dates for their three book sales this year. All sales are held at the Mercer Island Public Library, 4400 88th Avenue SE, Mercer Island, WA 98040.

Spring Book Sale

Thursday, April 14th to Sunday, April 17th in the lobby during Library open hours.

Great fiction paperbacks and hardbacks along with a nice selection of children’s and nonfiction for sale.

Fall Book Sale

Friday, September 9th, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday, September 10th, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, September 11th, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

This is our biggest sale of the year.  We will have over 10,000 books in all genres, plus media. Most items are priced between $0.50 and $2.00 with new items added daily. Paperbacks will be sold in the lobby as early as Wednesday the 7th.

Our usual Members-Only Presale at the Fall Book Sale will be Thursday, September 8th, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. (non-members can join the Friends of the Mercer Island Library at the door.)

The Silent Auction for the Fall Book Sale will be held from August 15th through September 6th. Roughly 100 special books will be showcased in the lobby display case.  Last year’s items included a signed cookbook by Julia Child.

Winter Book Sale

Thursday, December 1st- Sunday, December 4th in lobby during Library open hours.

Mini but mighty.  We will have great books for sale suitable for gifting or just for your reading pleasure including holiday-themed books for children.

Proceeds from the book sales fund, in whole or in part, over 75% of the programs at the Mercer Island Library so please donate your quality used books and support our sales!

Anyone interested in donating books can leave them at the Library’s circulation desk.  And anyone interested in volunteering at the books sales is welcome.  Please call us at 206-250-5909 or 206-236-3537, or email us at info “at” milibraryfriends.org for more information.

Saturday Matinee Film Series at the Mercer Island Library

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The Friends of the Mercer Island Library are sponsoring another free Saturday Matinee Film series. All films will be shown in the large meeting room at the Mercer Island Public Library, 4400 88th Avenue SE, Mercer Island WA 98040.

Bicycle Thieves (Ladri di biciclette) (De Sica, Italy, 1948)

Saturday, January 29, 1 p.m.

A father and his young son search post-war Rome for the family’s stolen bicycle. Without it, the father will lose his job. A classic of Italian neorealism.

The Cranes Are Flying (Letyat zhuravli) (Kalatozov, USSR, 1957)

Saturday, February 12, 1 p.m.

A stunning visual poem set in Moscow during World War II about a woman clinging to the idea of love after her boyfriend does away to fight.

The Gods Must Be Crazy, Part II (Uys, Botswana, 1989)

Saturday, February 26, 1 p.m.

Kalahari bushman Xi once again encounters an array of eccentric characters in bizarre situations as he attempts to rescue his children accidentally taken away by elephant poachers.

Smoke Signals (Eyre, USA, 1998)

Saturday, March 12, 1 p.m.

Victor, an ill-tempered jock, and Thomas, a storytelling nerd learn how much they really have in common while traveling from the Coeur d’Alene Reservation home to Arizona. An odd couple road movie based on Sherman Alexie‘s short story “The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven.”

Central Station (Salles, Brazil, 1998)

Saturday, March 26, 1 p.m.

A cynical retired school teacher (Fernanda Montenegro, who was nominated for an Oscar for her performance) who pretends to write and mail letters for illiterate clients has a change of heart after she befriends a young boy determined to find his absent father. Winner of several international prizes for best foreign picture including the BAFTA and Golden Globe and nominated for a best foreign language Oscar.

Munnabhai Meets Mahatma Gandhi (Lage Raho Munna Bhai) (Hirani, India, 2006)

Saturday, April 9, 1 p.m.

A crime boss learns the ways of Mahatma Gandhi in order to win the heart of a radio talk show host. An entertaining Bollywood musical romantic-comedy.

Treeless Mountain (Namueopneun San) (Kim, South Korea, 2008)

Saturday, April 23, 1 p.m.

Two sisters aged six and three, must fend for themselves when their mother leaves them with a neglectful aunt.