Friends of the Library: News
Shades of Brown Newsletter
The Shades Of Brown newsletter is a bimonthly newsletter and is available in physical and digital formats. You can find the most recent issues here.
Friends Facebook Page
Be sure to check out and “Like” the Friends’ Facebook page!
Friends Book Reviews
Book Review events will resume in October. Please check back for more information.
Recent Reviews
- The Six Wives of Henry the VIII by Alison Weir
- I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys
- The Lady in Gold: The Extraordinary Tale of Gustav Klimt’s Masterpiece ‘Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer‘ by Anne Marie O’Connor
- The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row by Anthony Hinton
- The Man Who Saved the Whooping Crane by Kathleen Kaska
- Wanderlust by Rebecca Solnit
- Up to Heaven and Down to Hell by Colin Jerolmack
October Book Review
On Friday, October 4, Gerardo Edelstein, music director/conductor of the Williamsport Symphony Orchestra, will review Famous Father Girl: A Memoir of Growing Up Bernstein by Jamie Bernstein.
The memoir written by Bernstein’s oldest daughter Jamie offers insight into her father Leonard Bernstein’s life as a revered composer and conductor. He composed On the Town and West Side Story and was chief conductor of the New York Philharmonic, as well as a friend of the powerful and influential, and the life of every party. Bernstein’s beautifully written memoir is a great American story about one of the greatest Americans of the modern age.
Bernstein explores the emotional depths of her childhood and shares her family’s private world, including glimpses into her father’s relationships with influential and powerful friends, such as the Kennedys, John Lennon, Stephen Sondheim, Jerome Robbins, and Lauren Bacall. One Vanity Fair reviewer states that the book is, “…an intimate look at the famous, and famously private, musician, whose 7 Emmys only begin to scratch the surface of his musical achievements.” This memoir helped inspire the movie Maestro, starring Bradley Cooper.
Edelstein, a native of Argentina, is beginning his 14th year as music director/conductor of the Williamsport Symphony Orchestra. He is also director of orchestral studies, music director of the Philharmonic and Chamber Orchestras and artistic director of the Penn’s Wood Music Festival at Pennsylvania State University. In addition, Edelstein has extensive experience conducting symphony orchestras, choirs, ballet and opera productions in Europe, Asia, South America and the United States. Audiences, musicians and press alike continuously praise him for his sensitive, charismatic and energetic performances.
The review begins at 12:15PM in the Lowry Room of the Welch Family Wing of the James V. Brown Library with a Q&A from 12:45-1:00PM. Complimentary snacks and bottled water will be available. Attendees are also welcome to bring their own lunch. Reservations are required due to space considerations.
Please call the library at 570-326-0536 or use the library’s online reservation calendar (calendar.jvbrown.edu) before 3:00PM on Wednesday, October 2. Parking is available in the public lot off Market Street, adjacent to the Welch Wing.
