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Please visit: www.ohiocountylibrary.org/calendar
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
March 4 A Life in Television News (moved from Jan. 21)
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
Fraenkel to Discuss Indian Epic at Lunch With Books
On Tuesday, February 25 at noon,
storyteller and author Andy Fraenkel will be at Lunch With Books at the Ohio
County Public Library in Wheeling to discuss his book, Mahabharata: The
Eternal Quest, based on the great
Indian epic. Creating the book has been a lifelong journey for Fraenkel.
While attending the City University of New
York, Fraenkel spent a lot of time in the college library, where he discovered
an old book, The Indian Story
Book (1914) by Richard Wilson, about India’s ancient stories, which
included some from the epic, Mahabharata. The book jumped out at
him–an old collectable that started him on a journey that he continues to
this day. Fraenkel, majoring in Theater, turned one of the Mahabharata stories into a one-act play.
His theater class decided to use his piece as one of four plays they performed
for elementary schools on Staten Island.
After graduating in 1970, Fraenkel
left New York and over the years was involved with several regional theater
groups, including the long-lived Broom Street Theater in Madison, WI. In
the early 1980s, he formed his own group, the Theater of Understanding,
and staged stories from world cultures. Eventually, Fraenkel made several trips
to India, which helped shape a full-length, two-man Mahabharata drama that appeared Off Broadway in
1987 at the American Theater of Actors in Manhattan.
After suffering a heart attack, Fraenkel
transitioned to dramatic storytelling, became a member of the National
Storytelling Network, and began offering multicultural storytelling programs
and workshops in schools, colleges, libraries, museums, and special events. He
was to receive a West Virginia Artist Fellowship Award for his work.
Information about his professional programs is available online.
Now, with the recent publication of his
book, Mahabharata: The
Eternal Quest, Andy Fraenkel has come full circle since the time he first
discovered The Indian Story
Book. He had started working on his Mahabharata manuscript in 2000. He explains the
intent of his rendition was threefold, “to deliver the story as good
literature, to give it a cinematic slant, as potentially the basis for a film,
and to keep it at a length that could easily be studied in college classrooms.”
Since he doesn’t read Sanskrit, his
primary source was Kisari Mohan Ganguli’s monumental, first-ever, complete
English translation, completed in 1896 in 12 volumes. “Writing Mahabharata was like going on a journey,” says
Fraenkel. “Sometimes it was exhilarating. Sometimes it was discouraging. I
wondered if I could really pull it off successfully. I would stop writing for
months at a time and go on to other projects. Ever so gradually, the manuscript
came together. I tried to find the unique elements of each part of the story.
Over the years, writing Mahabharata has been a wonderful meditation
for me. An old Hindu monk in India told me, ‘Once you let the story into your
heart, it will never leave you’.”
To learn more about his book, visit the Mahabharata Project Website
at mahabharata-project.com. Lunch With Books programs are free and open to the
public. Patrons are invited to bring a bag lunch and complimentary beverages
are served. Call the library for more information at 304-232-0244 or visit
ohiocountylibrary.org.
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
Next: A Program Change
Unfortunately, Greg Kenney, who was scheduled to portray Willie Stargell for us at Lunch With Books on Tuesday February 18, had to cancel due to illness. Dave Parsons of the St. Baldrick's organization graciously offered to do a last minute replacement program, as follows.
"For the past 10 years, Wheeling has hosted a St Baldricks day. The 11th annual event is coming up on March 15. http://www.stbaldricks.org/events/mypage/105/2014
46 children a day in the United States, (1 every 3 minutes worldwide) are diagnosed with childhood cancer. Of the 46 diagnosed today, 7 will not survive. I started the St Baldricks events in Wheeling as a way for the community to rally to combat the number one killer of youth in this country. At the time, there was little social media, and few cases were really highlighted in the community. There are several a year that get a lot of attention, and more that are never given publicity.
Other than the Federal Government, the St Baldricks Foundation gives the most money directly to research for CHILDHOOD Cancer. They do not use the money for other means. For example of the enormity, for every dollar the US Government gives for cancer research, 1 cent goes specifically for childhood cancer.
In the presentation, I will include encouraging, fun and upbeat stories of past events here in Wheeling, I'll have pictures and videos on hand, as well as perform the song we wrote and recorded that will be used in the St Baldricks national campaign in 2014-2015. I look forward to making an informative, entertaining and enjoyable presentation." Dave Parsons
"Lunch With Books” is the library’s flagship program for adult patrons. Bring a bag lunch and enjoy presentations by authors, poets, historians, musicians and a variety of other people. Complimentary beverages are provided. These free programs usually start at noon on Tuesdays in the auditorium on the lower level of the library.
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