What's Happening at the Library in February?

Here is a list of some of the many events scheduled for February at the Sachem Public Library:

Meet the Author: Tama Ryder: Where's The Watch?! and Other Tales: A Memoir from Seinfeld's Uncle Leo by Len Lesser and Tama Ryder, with a forward by Ed Asner: Friday, Feb. 3, 7:00pm: Actor Len Lesser was an ordinary man with an extraordinary career. Told in his own distinctive voice, Where’s The Watch?! will introduce readers to a different side of Seinfeld’s Uncle Leo. Called “required reading” by the New York Post, this is a poignant, inspiring romp through Hollywood. Author Tama Ryder, born and raised in Patchogue, was hired by Len Lesser to write his memoir before his untimely death in February 2011.

New York's Civil and Uncivil War: From the Slave Trade and Monuments to the Gangs of New York: Monday, Feb. 6, 2012, 7:00 pm: A lecture by Dr. Robert Spiegelman … This vivid lecture-presentation examines the immense impact of the Civil War and New York State on one other. Downstate, New York City was a major economic link in the nexus of cotton and slavery. Upstate, New York gave vast numbers of its citizen-soldiers to the Union cause, playing a leading part in America’s postwar “Republic of Suffering.” And Manhattan Island “hosted” the infamous Draft Riot of 1863, most recently featured as the stunning climax of Martin Scorsese’s Gangs of New York. Ranging from Phil Sheridan and Samuel Wadsworth through William “Tecumseh” Sherman and Ulysses S. Grant, New York is the birthplace, training grounds (West Point), and final resting place for the War’s principal generals. Hidden in plain sight, New York is also a world-class Civil War museum; its "exhibits” range from Brooklyn’s Grand Army Plaza, Manhattan’s Sheridan and Sherman Squares and Grant’s Tomb, to the countless road signs, town squares, monuments, and gravestones that continue to adorn our cities and villages. 

Free and open to the public, this event is made possible through Speakers in the Humanities, a program of the New York Council for the Humanities.  Speakers in the Humanities lectures are made possible with the support of the National Endowment for the Humanities, the New York State Legislature, and through funds from the Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation.

Dance Lesson: Swing: Friday, February 10, 7:30pm: Join Victor Goldman and Carolyn Schwartz for a fun evening of swing dancing. Enjoy classic music from the 1940s to the present day as you learn this great American couple's dance.

Garden Thyme: Dynamic Dracaena: Monday, February 13, 7:00pm: Add some color and drama to your home this winter with this versatile and easy-to-care-for plant. Carolyn Zambraski will present a look at old standards and new varieties. 

Northport VAMC Mobile Health Unit: Thursday, February 16, 10:00am-1:00pm: The Northport VA Medical Center Mobile Unit will be on site to provide veterans with individualized sessions to explain and review eligibility and healthcare enrollment, offer hypertension screening, take pictures for identification cards, and provide first-time physical exams for new enrollees. Please note: Identification cards are issued for those Veterans enrolling in VA healthcare. This card is not the same as the one issued by the Suffolk County Veterans Services Agency. Please bring a copy of your DD214 or Separation Papers.

Around the World for the Armchair Traveler: Tuesday, February 21, 7:00pm: Professional photographer Michael Fairchild has wandered the globe for the past 40 years searching for compelling images and stories. His latest multimedia production, a compilation of his many experiences, will present views of the mountains of western China, the ruins of Machu Picchu, ancient castles of France, the volcanic archipelago of the Galapagos, mysterious India, and enchanting Ireland. Over 17 countries are included in this program, with each location's beauty captured in words and images that promise to hold you spellbound.

Accepting Life's Changes: Saturday, February 25, 10:00am: Explore your feelings and develop closure. Whether you have lost a loved one, been forced out of a job, experienced a failed relationship, are facing an empty nest, or managing aging parents, learn to put on the NEW you in this monthly sharing of experiences with Richard Murdocco, PhD, Stony Brook University Medical Center.

Meet the Filmmaker: Peter Miller, A Class Apart: Wednesday, February 29, 7:00pm: This dramatic documentary by award-winning filmmakers Carlos Sandoval (Farmingville) and Peter Miller (Sacco and Vanzetti, Passin' It On), is the first major film to bring to life the heroic post-World War II struggles of Mexican-Americans against Jim Crow-style discrimination. A Class Apart focuses on the landmark 1951 legal case Hernandez v. Texas, in which an underdog band of Mexican-Americans from Texas brought a case all the way to the Supreme Court - and won! A Q&A with the director will follow the film.

Who's that Bird in My Backyard? Wednesday, February 15, 7:00pm: Sweetbriar Nature Center Educator Susan Krause will provide a look at the variety of colorful winter birds, both migratory and year-round residents, that call Long Island home.

February Films at Sachem Public Library

Thursday Movies

• Midnight in Paris: February 2, 1:30pm and 6:30pm: While vacationing with his fiancée in Paris, an American writer travels back in time each night at midnight to the 1920s Paris of his dreams to hobnob with his literary heroes.
• Crazy Stupid Love: February 9, 1:30 and 6:30pm: A middle-aged husband's life changes dramatically when his wife asks him for a divorce, and he seeks to rediscover his manhood with the help of a new young, single friend. 
• Water for Elephants: February 16, 1:30 and 6:30pm: Against all odds, a veterinary student and a beautiful circus performer meet and fall in love through their shared compassion for a special elephant.
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II: February 23, 1:30 and 6:30pm: Harry, Ron, and Hermione search for Voldemort's remaining Horcruxes in their effort to destroy the Dark Lord.

Special Film Presentation: Italian Movie Night: Friday, February 24, 6:30pm: Three directors tell interconnected stories of love, chance, and sacrifice, all set on a Rome-bound train. Directed by Abbas Kiarostami, Ken Loach, and Ermanno Olmi. Starring Carlo Delle Piane and Valeria Bruni Tedeschi.

Reel Rebels: Film Discussion: Tabloid: Tuesday, February 7, 6:00pm: This latest documentary by Errol Morris explores the comical, strange, and disturbing story of a beauty queen with an IQ of 168, whose romantic obsession sends her across the globe, into jail, and onto the front pages of the tabloids. Intriguing, informative, sometimes controversial, but always thought provoking, this monthly series combines the best in film and discussion. 

Foreign Film: Departures: Saturday, February 11, 2:00pm: Daigo Kobayashi, an out-of-work cellist, takes a position in a funeral home preparing bodies for burial. While his wife and others despise the job, Daigo takes a certain pride in his work and begins to perfect the art, acting as a gentle gatekeeper between life and death. Japanese with English subtitles. 

Sunday Performances at Sachem Public Library

• Smooth 'n Saxxy: The Curtis Haywood Band: Sunday, February 5, 2:00pm: Soprano sax artist Curtis Haywood studied at New York's High School for the Performing Arts and Boston's Berklee College of Music, and went on to perform with New York jazz fusion group Joshua. Curtis and his band perform from the heart and draw their audience into soulful interpretations of R&B favorites and contemporary jazz originals.
• FLAMENCO: inside/out: Sunday, February 12, 2:00pm: Immerse yourself in the elegant and exciting world of live flamenco dance and music with four of New York's finest artists. With their extensive repertoire of different styles, FLAMENCO: inside/out will delve deep into the traditional canon and enrich your experience with fascinating historical details.
• Celebrate Black History Month. Black Orfeu: Sunday, February 26, 2:00pm: Don't miss this spellbinding love story based on the Orpheus myth, set in Brazil and featuring Afro-Samba music and dancing. Black Orfeu will be presented by Women of Color Productions, a New York City troupe that performs outstanding plays dealing with alternative cultural perspectives.