Ragtime Kid author LARRY KARP

Thursday, April 28th, 7:00 p.m. AUTHOR -- LARRY KARP -- IN PERSON. A mystery set in 1899 in Sedalia, Missouri, The Ragtime Kid weaves the story of a white teenage pianist who implicates his idol, Scott Joplin, in a crime. The Friends of the Crowell Public Library are honored to have the author, LARRY KARP, in person on Thursday evening, April 28th at 7:00 p.m. in the Library’s Barth Community Room. Larry Karp grew up in Paterson, New Jersey and New York City. In 1995, he left medical work to write mysteries full time. Larry's books have been finalists for the Daphne and Spotted Owl Awards, and have appeared on the Los Angeles Times (The Ragtime Kid, December 2006) and Seattle Times (The King of Ragtime, November 2008) Fiction Best-Seller Lists. Larry lives in Seattle with his wife, Myra. The Ragtime Kid blends fiction and history, examining social attitudes and racial relations at the birth, death, and revival of ragtime music in America. The story begins when white music store owner John Stark is made the extraordinary and unexplained offer of a royalties contract for a tune, "Maple Leaf Rag," by a young, little-known black composer named Scott Joplin. Other upcoming ONE BOOK, ONE CITY festivities celebrating The Ragtime Kid are: Thursday, March 31, 7:00 p.m. Pianist DOUG HAISE Tuesday, April 12th, Musical Tour of Los Angeles Call the Rec Dept for details & reservations: (626) 403-2200 Thursday, April 14, 7:00 p.m. CROWN CITY DIXELAND BAND Thursday, April 21, 7:00 p.m. PHIL CANNON, ragtime aficionado & guitarist The more the merrier! Share this event on Facebook & Twitter. 1890 Huntington Drive, San Marino, CA 91108-2595 ● Phone: (626) 300-0777

LA Opera Talks Dance

All about… L'Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato. SUNDAY, April 17th 2:00 p.m. What is L'Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato? The first-ever artistic collaboration with the Music Center, LA Opera and the Mark Morris Dance Group, for starters. Celebrating its 30th anniversary, the Mark Morris Dance Group performance of L'Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato at LA Opera will feature 24 dancers. Conductor Grant Gershon will lead the LA Opera Orchestra and Chorus as well as a quartet of world-class singers: sopranos Hei-Kyung Hong and Sarah Coburn, tenor Barry Banks and bass-baritone John Relyea. With George Frideric Handel's pastoral ode as the musical landscape, and set to the poetry of John Milton, along with sets inspired by William Blake's later watercolors, L'Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato is a true artistic feat sure to captivate. “A work of genius…it fills the soul with wonder." - The New York Times "As waves of running, leaping dancers breast the stage, arms wide in a flying embrace, they gather you up into the simple exhilarating joy of the moment. You never want it to stop." - Guardian.co.uk At Crowell Public Library, community educator BOYD COOK will discuss Milton’s poetry, Handel’s score, and especially the choreography. Coming from a family of dancers, Mr. Cook should bring significant insight to this aspect of the production. Whether a fine arts aficionado or a curious novice, attendees will be delightfully entertained and encouraged to ask questions and offer comments.

CERT Training for San Marino

(Community Emergency Response Team) Four Tuesdays: May 3, 10, 17, 24 6:00-9:00 p.m. As we’ve all seen recently, disasters strike anywhere, anytime and one can never been too prepared. Crowell Library is pleased to partner with the San Marino Fire Department for CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) Training. The four evening sessions will be offered from 6-9 p.m. in the Barth Community Room at the library. The program is free, without obligation, and vital for anyone who is interested in wanting to do more than “duck, cover and hold” during ANY kind of emergency. CERT graduates receive a CERT emergency backpack kit upon training completion. The CERT Program educates people about disaster preparedness for hazards that may impact their area and trains them in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations. Using the training learned in the classroom and during exercises, CERT members can assist others in their neighborhood or workplace following an event when professional responders are not immediately available to help. CERT members also are encouraged to support emergency response agencies by taking a more active role in emergency preparedness projects in their community. Contact Jim Frawley at (626) 300-0735 or jfrawley@sanmarinofire.org for further information and to register. Also check out CERT info at: https://www.citizencorps.gov/cert/about.shtm. Share this important info on Facebook & Twitter. 1890 Huntington Drive, San Marino, CA 91108-2595 ● Phone: (626) 300-0777 For more information, visit our website www.CrowellPublicLibrary.org

An Evening of Poets & Poems

THURSDAY, APRIL7th 7:00 P.M. Patrons from all over the greater San Gabriel Valley will read their original works at a special presentation celebrating Poetry Month at Crowell Public Library, Thursday, April 7th at 7:00 p.m. Inaugurated by the Academy of American Poets in 1996, National Poetry Month is now held every April, when publishers, booksellers, literary organizations, libraries, schools and poets around the country band together to celebrate poetry and its vital place in American culture. In that vein, Crowell Library takes this opportunity to promote public support of the literary arts while broadening the recognition of local poets and their work. Come listen to the inspired works of published poets and amateurs alike and let your imagination be swept up in the auditory imagery of it all. If you’ve never been to a live poetry reading, this is your chance to experience it in your own neighborhood, with your neighbors next to you and at the podium. Be prepared to be surprised or emotionally challenged or to laugh in fits. "For poems are not, as people think, simply emotions (one has emotions early enough)—they are experiences." —Rainer Maria Rilke Java will be served with light refreshments. Berets and bongos are optional. A poem a day will not keep the budget deficit away, but reading one is always a good investment. The more the merrier! Share this event on Facebook & Twitter. 1890 Huntington Drive, San Marino, CA 91108-2595 ● Phone: (626) 300-0777

More Music and a Musical Tour

This just in: the Friends of the Crowell Public Library have added a very special musical act to their One Book, One City events for 2011. The fabulous jazz trumpeter NOLAN SHAHEED will bring his five piece combo to Crowell’s Barth Community Room on Thursday, March 24, 2011 at 7:00 p.m. Mr. Shaheed hails from Pasadena and was lead trumpet with the Count Basie Orchestra for three years, and has toured with Eddie Harris, Teddy Edwards, and the Duke Ellington and Lionel Hampton Orchestras. He has performed with Natalie Cole, Anita Baker, Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross, Marvin Gaye and Phil Collins, just to name a few. Nolan Shaheed is also one of LA's top studio musicians and is in great demand on the jazz scene. His latest CD, entitled “Lamentation from the Middle Passage,” is on West Coast Sound. Thursday, March 17, 7:00 p.m. Jazz & ragtime pianist BRAD KAY Thursday, March 24, 7:00 p.m. Jazz trumpeter NOLAN SHAHEED and his combo Thursday, March 31, 7:00 p.m. Pianist DOUG HAISE Thursday, April 14, 7:00 p.m. CROWN CITY DIXELAND BAND All performances are free and take place in the Library’s Barth Community Room, which has great acoustics, but only seats 80, so patrons are encouraged to arrive early. Also coming up in celebration of One Book, One City will be a MUSICAL TOUR OF LOS ANGELES on Tuesday April 12, 2011 beginning at 9:30 a.m. Starting at the Music Center, the tour will stop at the Charles Mingus Hugard Center, the Barbara Morrison Performing Arts Center and the new Grammy Museum at LA Live. The cost is $50 and reservations can be made through the San Marino Recreation Department (626) 403-2200. The deadline is March 28, 2011. A mystery set in the late 1800s in Sedalia, Missouri, The Ragtime Kid by Larry Karp weaves the story of a white teenage pianist who implicates his idol, Scott Joplin, in a crime. Every year the Friends of Crowell Public Library present a series of One Book, One City events that bring the community together in celebration of the joy of reading. How fun can reading be? Come see!

Magic @ Crowell Library!

“The 8th & ½ Wonder of the World” MAGICIAN BRUCE PEROVICH: Tuesday, April 5th, 7:00 p.m. Attention all adults: get ready for a big night of abracadabra! Come experience magician BRUCE PEROVICH at Crowell Public Library with all the supernatural chills, thrills and comedy that comes with truly amazing feats of thaumaturgy, conjuring and sorcery to boot. There might be a rabbit, there might be a dove, but there will definitely be awe and hilarity. And, there will be audience participation, so be prepared for hack saws and wands. No animals or humans will be harmed! Since 1981 Bruce's magic has been enjoyed by thousands of people throughout the country. His wit and charm have pleased audiences at countless corporate parties, festivals and schools -- a plethora of fascinating venues including Sears, Hilton Hotels, and Disney Studios. Bruce has performed for some amazing celebrities as well, including Paul McCartney, Tom Petty, Norman Lear and Harrison Ford. For many years Bruce has been a member of the famous and exclusive Magic Castle in Hollywood where he has performed for his peers countless times. Don’t miss this magical evening of entertainment at Crowell Library – where you don’t have to buy an expensive dinner to get in!

LA Opera: Behind the Scenes!

The LA Opera Talk series continues @ Crowell Public Library SUNDAY, March 20th 2:00 p.m. Mezzo-soprano SARA CAMPBELL will give the inside scoop on exactly what goes on backstage at LA Opera before a performance when she comes to Crowell Public Library Sunday, March 20th at 2:00 p.m. in the Barth Community Room. She has firsthand knowledge on how featured performers prepare, as well as what goes on with the crew and chorus. A bustling hive of activity will come alive with her presentation. A native of Pacific Palisades, Sara received a B.A. in Latin American Studies from Smith College, taught bilingual elementary school, and then earned a second Bachelor's degree in Vocal Performance/Opera at Cal State Long Beach. An exciting actress and singer, she has sung Hansel in Hansel and Gretel, Bastien in Mozart's Bastien and Bastienna, Prince Orlovsky in Strauss' Die Fledermaus and Dorabella in Mozart's Cosi fan Tutte. Besides LA Opera, she has also sung with Opera Pacific and Opera Santa Barbara. This will be the first LA Opera Talk from a performer’s perspective, so you won’t want to miss this event.