Planning meeting in Thornton’s office
September 25, 2009
by Christine Yeres
When the Chappaqua Library’s pitch to the National Endowment for the Arts for funds for a “community read” met with rejection, the staff reacted in a most upbeat fashion. Undeterred, they decided to make it happen anyway, all through October. Their chosen author, Edgar Allen Poe, fits the bill in a number of ways. Adults remember Poe from their own school days, kids seek out his stories and poems to scare themselves, and Halloween is approaching. In addition, recalled library director Pam Thornton, having experienced Poe in high school through The Tell-Tale Heart, “He was the first dead author that really grabbed me!”
While some community reads have focused on a single book, this Poe fest promotes the prolific author’s entire oeuvre, and the library staff has scheduled a month full of readings, discussions, music, food and wine.
With a view to putting on the Poe and getting in the mood, when Thornton spotted $1 ravens in a dollar store last summer, she ordered up a gross of them. “The Raven” is probably the best-known of Poe’s poems. Like the birds in Hitchcock’s film “The Birds,” Thornton’s ravens have appeared silently and slowly over the last month. Most are perched here and there in the library, au natural; others sport a tiny hat or scarf.
The month-long Poe fest begins on Sunday, October 4, with a Poe party in the library theater that includes readings of Poe works by Poe-liticians, local luminaries and Thornton herself, reading something shorter than her favorite Tell-Tale Heart, perhaps one of the poems, she mused. Katonah Art Museum judges will announce the winner of the Poe-inspired Art Competition for high school student works [deadline for submissions is this Sunday, September 27, 5:00 p.m.].
The Crabtree Kittle House will provide refreshments, a selection of ap-Poe-izers and libations.
Chappaqua Orchestra conductor Michael Shapiro will perform two short works during the afternoon, a taste of the orchestra’s upcoming concert on October 17, Poe-lish composer Chopin’s Funeral March and a prelude to an unfinished work by Debussy based on “The Fall of the House of Usher.” Soprano Elizabeth Farnum will perform with Shapiro.
On Sunday, October 17, the Chappaqua Orchestra will perform in the library theatre an entire concert of “Music Inspired By Poe.” Debussy, Rachmaninoff, Philip Glass, Joan Baez, the Beatles, and many others created works inspired by Poe’s writings. Join the orchestra for a spooky journey with stories and music that will make your spine tingle. This concert is free and all are welcome. Enjoy a reception with the artists following the concert.
At each of the Poe events in October, participants will receive a raffle ticket to drop into a basket at the library. At the end of the month, prizes picked out by library staff members will be distributed to the winners.
Click here to see the month’s Poe happenings.
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