At The Jefferson Market Library

By Corinne Neary

September was a busy month at Jefferson Market Library. We welcomed back all of those families of school children who spent their summer traveling, and a new class of college students arrived in town, eager to get their first New York Public Library cards. September can feel like a shock to the system, after the sleepy dog days of summer, but it’s a month that gets us energized for the fall and winter ahead. 

This year, we got to thinking about how to keep bringing new people into the library, using the Sunday opening hours we are so lucky to have. If you didn’t know, we are open every Sunday from 1-5 p.m. and we’ve made a commitment to offer a public program during each of those days. 

First, let’s get into what we’re doing for the pre-school set! Regular weekday visitors will know that we offer back-to-back story times on Mondays and Tuesdays, and that these programs draw hundreds. Since many of those attending with tots in tow are the nannies and babysitters of our young patrons, we want to offer some Sunday story times to give the working parents a chance to enjoy this experience too. So, Sundays October 5, November 2, 23, and 30 at 2:30 p.m., you can bring your kids for a fun story time in the children’s room. 

For the adults, we’ve got a broad range of offerings, starting Sunday, October 12 at 2 p.m. with Charlie Bethel’s one-man-show, Beowulf: an Epic Tale, performed by John Heimbuch. This fierce one-person telling modernizes the wit, vigor, and meaty language of the original Anglo-Saxon epic, making the oldest tale in the English language into a relatable high fantasy adventure.  It’s sixty minutes with no intermission. 

Leaning into the spooky season, on October 19 at 2 p.m., we’ll be screening Jordan Peele’s 2019 horror film, Us, starring Lupita Nyong’o. Not for the faint of heart, this movie follows a family starting off on a beach vacation, where they are terrorized by a family of doppelgangers with murderous motivations. 

Sunday October 26 at 1:30 p.m., it’s time for the literary madness of Three Rooms Press, with a new issue launch of the internationally-renowned MAINTENANT: Journal of Contemporary Dada Writing. With a long list of readers, art, and performers, you can only expect the unexpected here. These artists are assembled by the founders of Three Rooms Press, Kat Georges and Peter Carlaftes. 

October may be over, but on November 9 we’re still hanging on to those Halloween vibes, with a reading of a new horror novel, The Brood, by author Rebecca Baum. A fascinating blend of horror and magical realism, this spine-tingling thriller explores the complex relationship between women, their bodies, and the natural world. This reading takes place at 2 p.m. 

Sunday, November 16 at 1:30 p.m., we have a play reading: Outside by Elana Gartner from Julia’s Reading Room.  JRR is a program of The League Of Professional Theatre Women. In this play, nine year old Mel has been enjoying her carefree life outdoors on the streets of NYC in 1985. But, as fall begins, her brother is suddenly moved to another school, she’s getting teased and she doesn’t know why. And then she finds out a big secret about herself. If time allows there will be a brief talk back with the playwright after the reading. 

All of these programs for adults will be held in our first floor Willa Cather Room. We promise more Sunday programs to come over the winter. So when the days are cold and bleak, you can always find some afternoon solace here at the library. As always, please check our website for the most up to date listings.