February Author @ the Library Programs at Mid-Manhattan

It's that time of the month again! Come  join us for an Author @ the Library talk this February at Mid-Manhattan Library to hear distinguished non-fiction authors discuss their work and answer your questions. Author talks take place at 6:30 pm on the 6th floor of the Library, unless otherwise noted. You can also request the authors' books by clicking on the book cover images below.

The Phantom of Fifth Avenue

Monday
February 2, 2015
6:30 pm

The Phantom of Fifth Avenue: The Mysterious Life and Scandalous Death of Heiress Huguette Clark

Meryl Gordon tells the story of Huguette Clark, who grew up rich and famous in her family’s 121-room Beaux-Arts mansion in New York.

Grand Opera

 

Tuesday
February 3, 2015
6:30 pm

Grand Opera: The Story of the Met

Charles Affron and Mirella Jona Affron tell how the Metropolitan became and remains a powerful actor on the global cultural scene, and traces the offstage/onstage workings of this famed New York institution.

Hope

 

Wednesday
February 4, 2015
6:30 pm

Hope: Entertainer of the Century

Richard Zoglin follows Bob Hope through vaudeville days, Hollywood films, and the Oscars.

Rice

 

Thursday
February 5, 2015
6:30 pm

Rice: A Global History

Renee Marten explores the role rice has played in society and the food economy through the centuries, from its beginnings in Asia and West Africa to global prominence.

Why We Love Serial Killers

 

Monday
February 9, 2015
6:30 pm

Why We Love Serial Killers: The Curious Appeal of the World’s Most Savage Murderers

Scott Bonn looks at our powerful appetite for the macabre, while also providing new and unique insights into the world of the serial killer.

 

Tuesday
February 10, 2015
6:30 pm

Mystery in All Its Variety

From the darkest sevrets to the frothiest moments writers tell the stories behind the stories.

Law and the Gay Rights Story

 

Wednesday
February 11, 2015
6:30 pm

Law and the Gay Rights Story: The Long Search for Equal Justice in a Divided Democracy

Walter Frank offers an in-depth look at the court cases that were pivotal in establishing gay rights, and tells the story of those individuals who were willing to make waves by fighting for those rights, taking enormous personal risks at a time when the tide of public opinion was against them. 

The Robe of Love

 

Thursday
February 12,  2015
6:30 pm

The Robe of Love: Secret Instructions for the Heart

Acclaimed storyteller Laura Simms shares tales that unveil the secrets of love in all of its forms.

Meatpacking District

 

Tuesday
February 17,  2015
6:30 pm

Metamorphosis: Meatpacking District 1985 + 2013

Photographer Brian Rose shows photographs of the ever-evolving New York City neighborhood taken in the winter of 1985 coupled with images of the same streets from the summer and fall of 2013.

A History of New York in 101 Objects

 

Wednesday
February 18,  2015
6:30 pm

A History of New York in 101 Objects

Sam Roberts, the urban affairs correspondent at the New York Times, has taken on the ambitious task of excavating the meaning of some of NYC’s most noteworthy artifacts.

Double Agent

 

Thursday
February 19,  2015
6:30 pm

Double Agent: The First Hero of World War II and How the FBI Outwitted and Destroyed a Nazi Spy Ring


Peter Duffy presents the never-before-told tale of the German-American who spearheaded a covert mission to infiltrate New York’s Nazi underground in the days leading up to World War II—the most successful counter-espionage operation in US history.

The Monopolists

 

Monday
February 23, 2015
6:30 PM

The Monopolists: Obsession, Fury, and the Scandal Behind America’s Favorite Board Game

Mary Pilon reveals the unknown story of how Monopoly came into existence, the reinvention of its history by Parker Brothers and multiple media outlets, the lost female originator of the game, and one man’s lifelong obsession to tell the true story about the game’s questionable origins.

Milt Gross' New York

 

Tuesday
February 24, 2015
6:30 pm
 

Milt Gross’ New York: A Lost Graphic Novel

Cartoonist Craig Yoe speaks on Milt Gross’ ‘lost graphic novel, “New York.” In the story, Pop and his sidekick son travel all through the city from the East Side to the West Side with stops in Chinatown, Harlem, and even Yankee Stadium and Coney Island.

Slow Dancing With A Stranger

 

Tuesday
February 25, 2015
6:30 pm
 

Slow Dancing with a Stranger: Lost and Found in the Age of Alzheimer’s

Journalist and Alzheimer’s advocate Meryl Comer gives a personal account of her husband’s battle with Alzheimer’s disease that serves as a much-needed wake-up call to better understand and address a progressive and deadly affliction.

Rebel Souls

 

Thursday
February 26, 2015
6:30 pm

Rebel Souls: Walt Whitman and America’s First Bohemians!

Justin Martin a Civil War era circle of radicals in a rowdy saloon that changed American society and helped set Walt Whitman on the path to poetic immortality.


If you'd like to read any of the books presented at our past author talks, you can find book lists from our January 2013–February 2015 Author @ the Library programs in the BiblioCommons catalog.

The Author @ the Library posts include authors discussing their recent non-fiction works at the Mid-Manhattan Library. Don't miss the many other interesting classesfilms, readings and talks on our program calendar. Enjoy art lectures and artist conversationsmusical tributesvirtual tours of the city, and short story readings at Story Time for Grown-ups.

Download Mid-Manhattan Library's February 2015 Author Talks & More flyer.

And don't forget that all of our programs are free of charge!