Talk by Anissa Bouziane: “Dune Song: Literature as a Map between East and West”

Come to another wonderful talk in the speaker series  “Dune Song: Literature as a Map between East and West” on October 4th from 10-11am.

Anissa Bouziane was born in the United States to a Moroccan father and French mother. She is a writer, filmmaker, and teacher who has been working on issues of the divide between the East and West for more than twenty years. She will be talking about her first novel, Dune Song which is in competition for the Edinburgh International Book Festival’s First Book Award. The book, rooted in the personal experience of witnessing the collapse of the Twin Towers, centers around the events of 9/11 as seen from the perspective of an Arab-American woman. “Constructed like a puzzle which assembles itself before our eyes, Anissa Bouziane’s book is lifted, feather-like, by a prose both precise and delicate. An epic tale made of strong images where style breathes with force into the immensity of the story’s spaces.” E. Thiboud — Le Monde

Bouziane has a Master of Fine Arts from Columbia University, a bachelor’s degree in political sciences from Wellesley College, a certificate in film from New York University, and she is completing a PhD in Creative Writing at the University of Warwick. Her award-winning experimental films and installation art, produced in collaboration with photographer Yasmina Bouziane, was at the forefront of discussion about Arab identity in the West in the decade before September 11th. She lived and worked in New York City for more than ten years, until 2002 when she moved back to Morocco and then France.

Today, Bouziane lives and writes in Paris. She is an educational consultant and teaches English and American literature. She specializes in using creative writing to teach English to non-native speakers.  Always busy, Bouziane is hard at work on her next novel.

This talk is free and open to the public. No reservations necessary, but seating is limited. The Speaker Series has been made possible with the support of the Embassy of the United States of America, France. / Avec le soutien de l’Ambassade des États-Unis d’Amérique.

Speaker series invites Heather Nathans for a talk on Jewish Identity on the American stage

 

Come to Heather’s Nathan’s talk in English “Hideous Characters and Beautiful Pagans: Performing Jewish Identity on the Antebellum American Stage” on Friday, September 27th at 10am.

The talk explores the ways in which representations of Jewish characters in American theaters mirrored the treatment of Jewish Americans outside the playhouse. She will talk about how stereotypes as well as the characters intended to soften the image of the ‘stage Jew’. These diverse types reflect the struggle of Jewish Americans to establish themselves in the new nation, while still adhering to the cultural traditions and religious doctrines of their ancestors. Delving into a wide array of sources from diaries to tax records to political cartoons, Nathans illuminates the history of revolutionary artists who insisted that they belonged on the stage and who ultimately paved the way for the generations that followed. Heather Nathans is the Chair of the Department of Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies at Tufts University.

This talk is free and open to the public. No reservations necessary, but seating is limited. The Speaker Series has been made possible with the support of the Embassy of the United States of America, France. / Avec le soutien de l’Ambassade des États-Unis d’Amérique.

Peter Bolos’ Photography Exhibit – Thursday, September 12th at 6 PM

The art exhibition “Regards du hasard / Chance Looks” featuring photography by Peter Bolos opens on Thursday, September 12th at 6 PM and continues until Saturday, November 2nd during opening hours. The exhibition is free and open to the public. Join us at the opening for refreshments and to meet the artist!

“To see takes time.” Georgia O’Keefe once said and since my teens, with my camera, I’ve found my way of seeing. A sense of place, a small event, a short story captured in a frame. – Peter Bolos

Stop by the library from September 12th to November 2nd during opening hours to view his work.

Books at Heart!

When you come into the library, you may be faced with the question, “What should I read next?” The library has a huge collection (about 30,000 books!)… but which books will promise you hours of good reading?

“Books at Heart” will help you with your question.  It’s a new initiative for book lovers, to promote sharing and feedback about books. Now you can tell everyone about the books you love!

Firstly, you’ll find a new noticeboard in the library, called “Our Books of the Year”. There’s already a small selection of truly excellent recommendations. It’s open to everyone… feel free to add YOUR book of the year. Spread the news!

Secondly, we invite people to “curate” their favorite books. A curator will promote a selection of books. It could be a genre (crime, historical, classics…), it could be linked to a country (Sweden, Canada, China…), or a non-fiction range (politics, history, cooking, etc.).

And, we need volunteers! As a curator, you will put an information card on the shelves every month or so, to promote a book or an author. And you will organize a front-of-library display once a year. If you want to become a curator contact Peter Bolos, library staff member, at collections@ellia.org.

The Library Celebrates 25 Years

Curious about what makes the library so unique? Enjoy this mini-film which commemorates the library’s 25th anniversary and the wonderful community who made it all possible!

A big thank you to our members and volunteers. Happy Anniversary to the library!