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Princeton Public Library's Martha shares "One Bright Scarf Waiting for the Wind To Blow."
Lyrics:
One bright scarf waiting for the wind to blow
Wiggle it high and wiggle it low
Shake it fast and shake it slow
Where did it go? [hide scarf behind your back]

Co-presented with The Historical Society of Princeton.

The authors discuss “Einstein: The Man and His Mind,” their visual biography of Albert Einstein, as part of the observance of Pi Day.

From the publisher:

With no technical jargon, and in a way both scientists and general readers can appreciate, this one-of-a-kind visual biography tells the story of Albert Einstein’s life and work.

With 150 high-resolution images, 'Einstein. The Man and His Mind' features rarely-seen photos of Albert Einstein, his private letters, ground-breaking manuscripts, journals, and equations written in his hand. General readers will be fascinated. Scientists, historians, and scholars will be, too. 'Einstein. The Man and His Mind' is a book that captures the imagination and that anyone can gaze at intently time and time again.

Written by a world-class rare book dealer in concert with the owner of what is likely the world’s largest private collection of Einstein photos and memorabilia, the brief annotations and commentary help make historical sense of a life fully lived. The book’s Foreword is by eminent physicist Hanoch Gutfreund, the Einstein Archives academic director at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

'Einstein. The Man and His Mind' belongs in family rooms as well as in public and academic libraries. The book’s astonishing images will prove enthralling for anyone interested in Einstein as an approachable human or as the genius who explored time, space, light, gravity, quantum theory, and cosmology in ways no other scientist had before.

About the Authors:

A retired physician, Gary S. Berger's introduction to relativity theory was in 1962 during a college course on the history of science. Several decades later, after reading a book about Albert Einstein, Berger developed a deeper desire to understand Einstein's theory. Overtime he began to collect original writings and photographs of Einstein. His co-author on this book, Michael DiRuggiero, owner of Manhattan Rare Book Company, helped him with this endeavor and helped to organize his expanding collections. In time, he began to get the feeling of familiarity with Albert Einstein as a real person (largely through the photos), while gaining a basic understanding of his contributions. It is his hope that "Einstein: The Man and His Mind" will give readers a similar sense of familiarity with this amazing man and his creative mind.

Michael DiRuggiero owns The Manhattan Rare Book Company. He specializes in the history of science with an emphasis on original material relating to Albert Einstein. DiRuggiero was instrumental in the development of Dr. Berger’s collection.

This event was recorded on March 14, 2024

Presented in partnership with the Phyllis Marchand Leadership Lecture Fund and Labyrinth.

The author discusses “Over the Influence” with Jane Greenway Carr and examines how social media affects women.

From the Publisher:

This book is a rallying cry for women to recognize and reject the ways social media is being weaponized against us — and instead wield it to empower ourselves.

In "Over the Influence: Why Social Media is Toxic for Women and Girls — And How We Can Take it Back," Kara Alaimo demonstrates how social media affects of the lives of women, girls and nonbinary people, from our relationships and our parenting to our physical and mental wellbeing. It is a book about what it means to live in the world social media has wrought and shows why you’re likely to get fewer followers if you’re a woman. Alaimo explains how fake news is crafted to prey on women’s vulnerabilities. And she reveals why so much of the content we find in our feeds is specifically designed to hold us back.

But we can change this. Alaimo offers up brilliant advice for how to get over the influence — how to handle our daughters’ use of social media, use apps to find the romantic partners we’re looking for and bolster our careers, and protect ourselves from sextortionists, catfishers and trolls. "Over the Influence" calls on women to recognize and call out the subtle (and not-so-subtle) sexism, misogyny and misinformation we find online and use our platforms to empower ourselves and other women.

About the speakers:

Kara Alaimo is associate professor of communication at Fairleigh Dickinson University, where she created the university’s programs in social media. She has written for CNN Opinion about the social impact of social media and issues affecting women and girls since 2016. She’s also a former communicator in the Obama administration and United Nations. For more information, visit www.karaalaimo.com and follow her on Instagram, Facebook and X.

Jane Greenway Carr is a senior editor with CNN Opinion whose work has also appeared in The Atlantic, Slate and Vox among other publications. She was previously a contributing editor and fellow at the think tank New America and a lecturer in the English Department at New York University. She is the co-editor of the forthcoming book, “The Case of Lizzie Borden and Other Writings: Tales of a Newspaper Woman” which will be published in June.

From the organizers of the Phyllis Marchand Leadership Lecture at the Princeton Public Library:

The Marchand Lecture, dedicated to “inspiring excellence in community based leadership,” is an annual library event held in honor of Phyllis Marchand, Princeton Township’s longest serving mayor and a leader and leadership mentor in the community for five decades.

Phyllis Marchand, former Princeton Township mayor and Township Committee member, died in the spring of 2021, after serving in Princeton’s local government for 22 years, 14 of them as mayor. In addition to her government service, she had leadership roles in several community non-profits including: the D&R Greenway (she was chair of Board of Trustees at the time of her death); Princeton YWCA; McCarter Theatre; HomeFront; Planned Parenthood; the Coalition for Peace Action; the D&R Canal Commission; Princeton-Pettoranello Sister City Foundation; the New Jersey League of Municipalities; the Mercer Council for Alcohol and Drug Addiction; Corner House; the Jewish Center of Princeton; Cancer Care; the Princeton Garden Theatre; and the Lymphoma Research Foundation.

This event was recorded on March 21, 2024

The author is joined by Maria DiBattista to discuss her book “Betty Friedan: Magnificent Disrupter.”

From Yale University Press' Jewish Lives series, “Betty Friedan: Magnificent Disrupter” is a new portrait of the author and activist who is considered to be the mother of second-wave feminism.

From the publisher:

The feminist writer and activist Betty Friedan (1921–2006), pathbreaking author of "The Feminine Mystique," was powerful and polarizing. In this biography, the first in more than 20 years, Rachel Shteir draws on Friedan’s papers and on interviews with family, colleagues and friends to create a nuanced portrait.

Friedan, born Bettye Naomi Goldstein, chafed at society’s restrictions from a young age. As a journalist she covered racism, sexism, labor, class inequality and anti-Semitism. As a wife and mother, she struggled to balance her work and homemaking. Her malaise as a housewife and her research into the feelings of other women resulted in "The Feminine Mystique" (1963), which made her a celebrity.

Using her influence, Friedan cofounded the National Organization for Women, the National Women’s Political Caucus, and the National Association to Repeal Abortion Laws. She fought for the Equal Rights Amendment, universal childcare, and workplace protections for mothers, but she disagreed with the women’s liberation movement over “sexual politics.” Her volatility and public conflicts fractured key relationships. In her later life, Friedan was increasingly worried about the links between anti-Semitism and misogyny and acknowledged how essential her Judaism was to her strength and feminism

About the author:

Rachel Shteir is an award-winning writer whose work has appeared in national magazines and newspapers including the "New York Times" and the "Wall Street Journal." She is the author of three previous books: “Striptease: The Untold History of the Girlie Show,” “Gypsy: The Art of the Tease” and “The Steal: A Cultural History of Shoplifting.” She is also the founder and current head of the dramaturgy and dramatic criticism program at the Theatre School at DePaul University. She holds a DFA in dramaturgy and dramatic criticism from Yale School of Drama and a BA in Near Eastern languages and literatures from the University of Chicago.

About the Moderator:

Maria DiBattista is professor of English and comparative literature at Princeton University. She specializes in 20th century literature and film, the European novel and narrative theory. Her books include “Virginia Woolf: The Fables of Anon,” “First Love: The Affections of Modern Fiction” and “Fast Talking Dames.”

This event was recorded on March 24, 2024.

This panel will explore the experiences of zine makers and curators and how zine collections have become valuable for historical research and as a teaching tool.

The zine movement gained momentum in the 1970s and 1980s, particularly within punk and underground subcultures. Since then, zines have not only evolved from a subcultural phenomenon to recognized, valuable cultural artifacts. Zines are now experiencing a resurgence in popularity and importance in today's DIY culture. Libraries and archives play a crucial role in preserving and showcasing these unique expressions of creativity and political, social and artistic perspectives.

Presenters:

Megan Lotts is the art librarian at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, where she embraces creativity and play when teaching, building collections, engaging with colleagues, and facilitating programming and events across the New Brunswick campuses. In 2021 the American Libraries Association published her first book, "Advancing a Culture of Creativity in Libraries: Programming and Engagement," and her second book “The Playful Library: Building Environments for Learning & Creativity” is forthcoming in June. Lotts earned an MFA and MLIS from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and continues to explore and create site-specific art installations and happenings.


Mike Lupica is a former zine editor who was deeply involved in New York City's indie press scene of the 1990s. Initially published with supplies "liberated" from Kinko's Copies, Green Means Go! fanzine eventually enjoyed a run of 3000 professionally-printed copies per issue, with multi-city distribution. He is the advisor for Princeton community radio station WPRB, and hosts a weekly freeform program on Jersey City's WFMU.


Laura Poll created zines in the 1980s and '90s, and is now the default zine librarian at the Trenton Free Public Library. There she has gathered both an archival collection of "Jer-Zines" and set up a circulating zine library. In her spare time, her real job is being the archivist of the Trentoniana Local History Department where she oversees nearly 300 years of Trenton City history.

This event was recorded on March 16, 2024.

Zines blend words and images to create a medium for self-expression not bound by rules. This session will explore the ways in which the form is pushed from the viewpoint of an artist and a writer.

In this panel presentation, Christina Freeman will examine how visual artists incorporate self publishing into their practice and also speak about her interest in the book form as an artwork. Jennifer Hayden, with a background in fiction writing and picture book illustration, found that combining images and words helped her find her voice. Jennifer will speak to her interest in the incredible versatility of comix as a storytelling medium.

About the speakers:


Jennifer Hayden is a comix maker and graphic novelist based in Central NJ. She is the creator of the Eisner-nominated graphic breast cancer memoir The Story of My Tits, which has been translated into Italian, Spanish and French. She is currently finishing her first work in color, a graphic anti-cookbook called Where There’s Smoke There’s Dinner. Find her online at https://www.jenniferhayden.com, IG: jenhaygoddess, FB: jenniferhaydenauthor, and Substack: goddess memos.


Christina Freeman (she/her) is a conceptual artist and curator whose projects have been featured in Artforum, Vulture, and Hyperallergic. She is currently an Artist in Residence at NARS Foundation’s International Residency Program in Brooklyn and in Spring 2024 she will participate in Bronx Calling: The Sixth AIM Biennial at The Bronx Museum of the Arts. She teaches at Hunter College, CUNY for the Department of Art & Art History and the Department of Film & Media. (Photo credit: Jessica Miller)

This event was recorded on March 16, 2024.