Free Concert by String of Pearls @ Bernardsville Library

Bernardsville Public Library is pleased to announce a free concert on Sunday, December 11 at 3:00 pm by “String of Pearls,” a female jazz vocal trio that performs vintage "girl group" music and modern vocal jazz with swing, style, and superb musicality. The concert is the last of this year’s Sundays at Three concerts, funded by the Friends of the Bernardsville Public Library. Doors open at 2:45 pm. No sign-up is needed to attend.

The performers are Sue Halloran, Jeanne O'Connor and Holli Ross who were all working as professional solo singers in New York in the 1980s when they were brought together to perform at a nostalgia-oriented concert. Since then, the group has created a sophisticated repertoire that ranges from authentic re-creations of Boswell Sisters songs from the 1930s to adventurous original jazz vocal arrangements. Their charming show can move from Andrews Sisters to Sinatra, Basie, Brazilian, bebop, and pop.

The three singers have brought their harmonies to festivals, concerts, and clubs in the U.S. and abroad. The group has performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. as part of the Mary Lou Williams Women in Jazz Festival. In its New York home region, the group has appeared in the JVC Jazz Festival, Alice Tully Hall, Town Hall, The Manhattan Center, and the Battleship Intrepid. The "Pearls" have recently been on the bill at Sweet Rhythm, Shanghai Jazz, and the Blue Note. They have taken part in the well-known "Lyrics and Lyricists" program at the 92nd Street Y, the annual Jazz Nativity, the New York Cabaret Convention, and the Millbrook and Mohonk Jazz Festivals. Recently the group appeared at the Cape Cod Jazz Festival and the Provincetown Cabaret Festival.

There is no charge to attend the concert and advance sign-up is not necessary. For further information, call the Library at 908-766-0118.

New Jersey Noir Authors Will Appear at Bernardsville Library

Meet authors S.J. Rozan and Hirsh Sawhney, contributors to the new anthology New Jersey Noir, at Bernardsville Public Library on Saturday, December 10 at 2:00 pm. The authors will read from their work and discuss the book, which is edited by Joyce Carol Oates. It continues the series of groundbreaking noir anthologies launched by Akashic Books in 2004 with Brooklyn Noir which became a best-seller.

The newly released New Jersey Noir is comprised of all-new stories and poems, each one set in a distinct neighborhood or location in the state. The book has an introduction as well as a new story by Joyce Carol Oates. Other contributing authors, besides Ms. Rozan and Mr. Sawhney, are Jonathan Safran Foer, Robert Pinsky, Paul Muldoon, C.K. Williams, Gerald Stern, among many others.

The wide range of stories and styles is described in a review in Shelf Awareness as "A lovingly collected assortment of tales and poems that range from the disturbing to the darkly humorous." Said Publishers Weekly, "Oates's introduction to Akashic's noir volume dedicated to the Garden State, with its evocative definition of the genre, is alone worth the price of the book."

Booklist describes the book as “worth the wait” and writes "... More than most of the entries in the series, this volume is about mood and atmosphere more than it is about plot and character . . . [and] also serves as a very good introduction to what is a popular but often misunderstood term and style of writing."

Books will be available for purchase and signing at the reading. There is no charge to attend, but advance sign-up is requested. Register online at http://www.bernardsvillelibrary.org/ and follow the link under Adult Programs, or call the library at 908-766-0118 to sign up.

Architecture: New Jersey’s Best

Local architect Philip S. Kennedy-Grant, FAIA, will discuss examples from the AIA New Jersey’s list of the 150 best building and places in our state at Bernardsville Public Library on Wednesday, December 7 at 7:00 pm. He will talk about the sites that make the architects’ list and what these buildings reveal about our culture and ourselves.

AIA New Jersey Guidebook: 150 Best Buildings and Places reveals the state’s rich architectural legacy and the eclectic mix of periods and styles that make it unique. Only in New Jersey can you find the cradle of America's industrial revolution, stately Victorian inns, and distinctive “Doo Wop style” motels. The volume includes both justly renowned buildings and hidden architectural gems with color photographs that capture the beauty of New Jersey’s architectural heritage. Compact and organized by region, the AIA New Jersey Guidebook is a wonderful traveling companion for road trips across the state or sightseeing day trips.

Mr. Kennedy-Grant is the editor and co-author of AIA New Jersey Guidebook: 150 Best Buildings and Places, published by Rutgers University Press in October. In 2007, the national organization of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) celebrated 150 years. The New Jersey Chapter decided to honor this milestone by creating a list of the 150 best examples of architecture in this state. A committee was established to oversee the project, and the nearly 2,000 members of AIA New Jersey were asked to submit their suggestions for the list. Once this list was compiled, the leadership determined it should be published in book form. Mr. Kennedy-Grant, who served as chairman of the editorial board for nine years at Architecture New Jersey, a former publication of AIA New Jersey, was tapped to undertake the book project.

Mr. Kennedy-Grant in turn asked two distinguished architects/architectural historians, Mark Alan Hewitt, FAIA of Bernardsville and Michael J. Mills, FAIA of Princeton, to assist with writing informative text about the 150 locations. Sandy Noble, also from Bernardsville, was selected as the photographer, responsible for new images of all 150 sites. Internationally renowned New Jersey architect Michael Graves, FAIA, wrote the foreword, with Karen Nichols, FAIA.

There is no charge to attend the program, but advance sign-up is requested. Register online at http://www.bernardsvillelibrary.org/ and follow the link under Adult Programs, or call the library at 908-766-0118 to sign up.

Saturday Samplers Book Group to Meet

Bernardsville Library’s book discussion group, Saturday Samplers, will meet on Saturday, December 3 at 3:30 pm to discuss The Complete Stories of Truman Capote.

This collection was published on the occasion of what would have been Capote’s eightieth birthday, and the volume confirms his status of one of the masters of the short fiction form. His stories range from the gothic South to the chic East Coast, from rural children to aging urban sophisticates—encompassing all the unforgettable places and people of Capote’s oeuvre.

Truman Capote was born in New Orleans in 1924. In 1948, his first novel, “Other Voices, Other Rooms,” was published to international critical acclaim, assuring his place among the prominent postwar American writers. He was the recipient of the O. Henry Memorial Short Story Prize twice and was a member of the National Institute of Arts and Letters.

Led by Readers’ Services Assistant, Evelyn Fischel, Saturday Samplers is a book discussion group dedicated to sampling various kinds of literature, including short stories, nonfiction, new and old novels, and even teen fiction. Its goal is to search out interesting, noteworthy, and sometimes overlooked books. Readers can find information about the group and about the books and authors on the reading list at http://saturdaysamplers.blogspot.com/. No sign-up is needed to join the discussion. Call the library at 766-0118 for more information.

“Protecting Our Waters and Our Land”
Celebrating the 30th Anniversary of the Great Swamp Watershed Association

Bernardsville Library is pleased to present “Protecting Our Waters and our Lands,” a new exhibition of fine art featuring artists’ visions of one of New Jersey’s last wildernesses: the Great Swamp. The exhibition will run for two months, from December 1, 2011 through January 27, 2012, with half of the show in the library and half across the street at Studio 7 Fine Art Gallery. The opening reception will be during BernArtsville Art Walk on Friday, December 2 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm at the library (6:00 to 9:00 pm at Studio 7). Participating artists, as well as representatives from the Great Swamp Watershed Association will be in attendance. There is no charge to attend and no sign-up is needed.

Located less than a stone’s throw from some of the state’s most densely populated urban and suburban centers, the Great Swamp’s large, undeveloped tracts of forest and wetlands provide a safe haven for a wide variety of plants and animals that have been pushed out of other areas by human activity. The intrinsic natural beauty of the Great Swamp and the ten towns it touches have inspired 25 well-established artists—many of them local—to create a multitude of stunning works in oil, pastels, watercolors, photography, and other media. The exhibit honors the Great Swamp Watershed Association’s ongoing commitment to the protection of the Great Swamp’s environmentally sensitive waters and land.

Founded in 1981, the Great Swamp Watershed Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting the water and land of the 36,000-acre watershed region in Morris and Somerset counties. It works to maintain the beauty and health of the open space, and to monitor and protect five streams: Loantaka Brook, Great Brook, Primrose Brook, Black Brook, and the Upper Passaic—which feed into the Passaic River and provide drinking water to more than a million people.

Participating artists include: Stephanie Amato, Albert L. Ross, Jr., Charlie Churchill, Mark de Mos, Susan Donnell, Tim Gaydos, Gerry Heydt, Rae Hoffman, Lee W. Hughes, Ari Kaufman, Carol Livingston, James McGunley, Douglas Merritt, Danielle Mick, Neil Nappe, Nancy Ori, Anthony Panzera, Robert W. Pillsbury, Linda Quinn, John Reilly, Charles Robinson, Elliott Ruga, Deborah Seymour, Alana Van Rensselear and Ray Yaros.

For further information, call the library at 908-766-0118 to sign up.

Painting: "Fallen Giants" by Mark de Mos

Free Antique Appraisals

Did you ever wonder what a family treasure might be worth? Find out from an expert at Bernardsville Public Library on Tuesday, November 29 at 7:00 pm when Alan Snyder of A.G. Snyder & Associates will be at the library to offer free appraisals for the first 35 people who sign up.

Mr. Snyder is a certified antiques and estate appraiser. He has been in business since 1979 and has been doing appraisal programs since the early 1990’s—before the popular Antiques Roadshow debuted on PBS television. Having worked all over the country, he is familiar with regional markets. “As changes occur in collector interests, it’s more important to have items appraised before selling them or throwing them away,” he says, “It’s always a good idea to get an expert opinion.”

There is no charge to attend the program, but advance sign-up is required to bring in an item for appraisal. After 35 sign-ups, others are welcome to come to listen and learn! Register online at www.bernardsvillelibrary.org and follow the link under Adult Programs, or call the library at 908-766-0118 to sign up.

Got Leadership Talent?

Today’s Effective Organizational Leader

Today’s business leaders face daunting challenges. Declining profits, increased speed in decision-making, multi-generational workers, less staff and budget, and increased government regulations are just a few issues. Are you a leader feeling overwhelmed? Are you frustrated because you believe you are a leader, but your organization has not noticed? Were you recently given an expanded role with little support to assure you are successful? For the some tips on how to deal with such concerns, Tiffany Elliot, owner of E5 Executive Coaching LLC, will offer a free program at Bernardsville Library on Thursday, December 1 at 7:00 pm.

Ms. Elliott will outline how many organizations identify, develop and manage leadership talent today and discuss the increasing use of assessment tools in today’s selection of organizational leaders. The program is designed for organizational leaders in every career stage who are curious about how to improve their capacity and competencies as leaders.

E5 Executive Coaching focuses on collaborating with senior leaders to enrich, empower, engage, expand and energize themselves, their teams and the organizations they lead. Many leaders want to expand their competencies and capacities. Together, using the latest research, tools and frameworks in organizational, leadership and human development, Ms. Elliott works with them to increase their effectiveness. Her clients are currently employed, interested in growing to the next level and working in organizations across industries.


There is no charge to attend the program, but advance sign-up is requested. Register online at www.bernardsvillelibrary.org and follow the link under Adult Programs, or call the library at 908-766-0118 to sign up.