At Books and Bites on Monday, April 10th at 11:00 AM in the Assembly Room of the Belmont Public Library, librarian Miriam MacNair will speak on the life and work of poet Denise Levertov, focusing on The Collected Poems of Denise Levertov and on two biographies–Denise Levertov:  A Poet‘s Life by Dana Greene and A Poet‘s Revolution:  The Life of Denise Levertov by Donna Krolik Hollenberg.

All are welcome to attend this free program, sponsored by the Friends of the Belmont Public Library.  Refreshments will be provided.  The Assembly Room is handicapped accessible.

Part lecture, part discussion, part musical demonstration, join Marc Mandel, BSO Director of Program Publication, and Thomas Siders, BSO Associate Principal Trumpet, for a sneak peek at some of the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s March programming.

Now in its sixth year, BSO Community 101 programs are designed to enhance your listening abilities and appreciation of music by focusing on upcoming BSO repertoire. No prior musical knowledge necessary, tickets are FREE, but please reserve ahead of time at bso.org.

Due the inclement weather, screening of the film, After Spring, has been rescheduled for Wednesday, February 15th at the West Newton Cinema.

The series, “A Community Responds: Three Films on the Global Refugee Crisis,” presents the following films:

• February 2 Sonita.  Winner of the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award at the 2016 Sundance  Film Festival, Sonita tells the story of an Afghan teenager living in a refugee camp in Iran, who dreams of becoming a rapper despite overwhelming odds. Women are prohibited from singing in public in Iran, and her family believes she is worth $9,000 as a bride. Speaker: Nano Raies, a second year voice student at the Berklee College of Music and originally from Homs, Syria.

• February 15 After Spring.  Former Daily Show host Jon Stewart executive produced After Spring, directed by Ellen Martinez, which follows two Syrian refugee families living in the Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan, the largest refugee camp for Syrians, waiting to find out where and when, if ever, they can find a permanent home. Speaker: Omar Salem, chairman of the board of the Karam  Foundation.

• February 16 All of Me. First-time Mexican filmmaker Arturo Gonzalez Villaseñor captures the voices of the women of the town of La Patrona. Despite their limited means, they stand at the railroad tracks every day, tossing water bottles and food they have prepared to the immigrants riding the rails through Mexico in hopes of a better life. Speakers: representatives from the International Institute of New England (IINE) and Refugee and Immigrant Assistance Center (RIAC).

Tickets for screenings  February 2 and 9 at the Studio Cinema are $11 general admission and $9 students and seniors and can be purchased in advance at www.ticketor.com/belmontworldfilm or at the door beginning at 6:30 PM. Proceeds IINE and RIAC, two nonprofits that provide information and support for Massachusetts refugees and immigrants and their communities.

Admission to the February 16th screening at the Belmont Public Library is free, thanks to support from the Friends of the Library.

Other community partners supporting the film series include Belmont Against Racism, Belmont Religious Council, and the Mossesian Center for the Arts. For more information about the event call Belmont World Film at 617-484-3980 or the Library reference desk, 617-993-2870.

Susan Rubin Suleiman to speak on The Nemirovsky Question

Author and Belmont resident Susan Rubin Suleiman will speak on her new book The Nemirovsky Question:  The Life, Death, and Legacy of a Jewish Writer in Twentieth-Century France at “Books and Bites” on Monday, January 9th at 11:00 AM in the Assembly Room of the Belmont Public Library.  This wide-ranging biography is a fascinating look into the life and work of French novelist Irene Nemirovsky.  Nemirovsky was born in 1903 to a Ukrainian Jewish family and emigrated with them to France in 1919.  She became a widely read and critically acclaimed author.  Nemirovsky was deported in 1942 and died in Auschwitz.  In 2004, Suite Francaise, Nemirovsky’s posthumous novel, became an international bestseller.

Susan Rubin Suleiman was born in Budapest and came to the United States with her parents as a child.  She is the C. Douglas Dillon Professor of the Civilization of France and professor of comparative literature at Harvard University.  Her many books include Crises of Memory and the Second World War, Risking Who One Is:  Encounters with Contemporary Art and Literature, and the memoir Budapest Diary:  In Search of the Motherbook.

Music on Saturday

Saturday, February 11th, 3PM Library Assembly Room

David Polanksy’s Rockwell Museum commissioned program, Music through the Decades, gets a Valentine’s Day twist at the Belmont     Library. Come hear David tickle the ivories and blow that horn as he sings pop classics, including favorites from the Roaring 20s, the Great Depression, through the Swingin’ ‘60s. In between, David will discuss the history that inspired so many of the songs we love.

Click here for our flyer.

Part of our Music on Saturday Series, which is generously sponsored by the Friends of the Belmont Public Library.