Category: Book and Film Blog

Summer 2014

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Hi QASBRF Friends!
What have you read lately? This summer I enjoyed a variety of books which included “Messy Spirituality” by John Yaconelli, “Physics of the Impossible” by Michio Kaku, and “Under the Kapok Tree” by Alma Gottlieb. I am presently reading “Letter and Spirit” by Scott Hahn.
Please note the highlights provided below.
  • La Caasa Azul offers bi-lingual readings.
  • Sunday, September 21 is the Brooklyn Book Festival at Borough Hall on Joralemon Street.
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Book Reading and Signing: The Clairvoyant of Calle Ocho, a novel by Anjanette Delgado
Friday, September 5th, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Puerto Rican novelist Anjanette Delgado will read from her new novel, The Clairvoyant of Calle Ocho, about a psychic who refuses to see beyond the tip of her nose and must recover her gift in a hurry when her married lover turns up dead steps from her front door!
Join Anjanette, Siempre Mujereditor Maria Marrero, and psychic Candi Fantacci for a Q&A session, signing, and a reading of the book… and of your future.
Bilingual Book Reading by Kianny N. Antigua ofMía, Esteban and the New Words / Mía, Esteban y las nuevas palabras

Saturday, September 6, 11:00 am – 12:30 pm
 
About the book: Mía is a little girl who is learning to talk. Since she is curious and friendly, she notices Esteban, her neighbor, a special kid. Mía offers him her friendship and, in exchange, Esteban will return Mía’s new words. This is a story of friendship, solidarity, compassion and hope.

Free event, perfect for children ages 4-7!

Literacy for Incarcerated Teens Librería Project!

Saturday, September 6, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm

Join us as Literacy for Incarcerated Teens (LIT) partners with La Casa Azul Bookstore to create a bilingual library at the Children’s Home of Kingston where a number of children are being detained as they await immigration proceedings. LIT, a volunteer-run non-profit organization, funds the creation of libraries and literacy programs in children’s detention facilities throughout New York State.

The Librería will be LIT’s first fully bilingual library collection. Books have been carefully curated by La Casa Azul Bookstore and feature an amazing array of works in Spanish and English, from moving young adult novels to colorful children’s books intended to assist in English-language learning.

Join us for food, music and good company as authors who work closely with LIT and volunteers alike discuss the wonder and power detained youth derive from books.

Book Release Party for Martina and the Wondrous Waterfall  by Yadhira Gonzalez-Taylor
Saturday, September 6, 2014, 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Get ready for a musical adventure, when La Cucarachita Martina, El Raton Miguel, and a band of new characters challenge each other to see which one plays the best instrument in the world. Let this team of quirky animals and insects take you around the world as you learn about the international flavor in Puerto Rican folkloric music, like bomba y plena. Yadhira’s first book, Martina Finds a Shiny Coin, an adaptation to the folktale of Martina and Perez, is currently available at La Casa Azul Bookstore.
Both books will be available for purchase and signing at the book party.
Music, food and drinks — reading at 4:30pm followed by author signing. Free event, Perfect for children ages 4-7!

Like to plan ahead?  

The event calendar for September is now online!
La Casa Azul Bookstore
143 E. 103 rd St
El Barrio, NY 10029
(212) 426-2626
6 Train to 103 rd StreetSUMMER HOURS:
We will be closed August 25 – 28, normal business hours resume on
Friday August 29.

Regular store hours:
Tuesday – Saturday
12:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Sunday 12:00pm – 6:00 pm
Closed Mondays
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Calling all educators!

Did you know you can schedule a school trip to our store?
We have a variety of programs for school trips to choose from!Schedule your school trip by emailing:schools.lacasaazul@gmail.com
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Thank you for your support of La Casa Azul Bookstore! 
Here is a great way to keep sharing the love, this year and beyond!
Use cash or checks.  
We happily accept credit cards at our shop, but paying us in cash or check means that we actually retain more money!
Not having to pay those sometimes-hefty credit card fees means we have more money to spend on more books, on excellent booksellers’ salaries, and more.
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Please RSVP for events – it helps us to know how many people to expect per event. Register for all events via email:
Please note, the entry to La Casa Azul Bookstore requires walking down two steps. The event spaces (gallery and back patio) are both in lower levels. If you will need accommodations during an event, please include that information in your rsvp email.
Save the date:
Brooklyn Book Festival
Sunday, September 21, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm, Rain or shine!  

Join us for a feast of national and international literary stars and emerging authors. La Casa Azul Bookstore and Las Comadres para las Americas will be bringing over 20 authors to the fair! Look for our tent.
Festival location: Brooklyn Borough Hall and Plaza, 209 Joralemon Street, Brooklyn NY 11201

Pura Belpré

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Pura Belpré was a wonderful storyteller. She shared the oral tradition of folk-telling from her grandmother. Pura was the first Puerto Rican and Latina librarian in the New York Public Library system.
Her documentary was shared the upper grades last Friday. The documentary was fifty minutes long. It described her life, her family, her colleagues, her goals, and her storytelling. She was especially fond of the folktale “Perez and Martina” which is known in several parts of the world.
  
The American Library Association pays tribute to her legacy by honoring an illustrator or writer of Latin decent with an award named in her memory.
Pura realized that folktales from her native land were missing from the library shelves and decided to make a difference.  She wanted everyone to enjoy these stories. What will be your legacy?  
Happy Easter everyone.
 

Coming Up

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LCAB
Events in April

Film screening: Outlawing Dolores Huerta

Thursday, April 10, 6:00 pm to 8:00

Join us as we celebrate a legendary activist, Dolores Huerta, on her 84th birthday by screening the documentary

Outlawing Dolores Huerta: The Tuscan Diaries

In 2006, Presidential Medal of Freedom Winner and United Farm Workers Co-Founder Dolores Huerta visited Tucson High School in Arizona and delivered a speech.
As part of her speech, she stated “Republicans Hate Latinos.” The statement was used in 2010 by Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne and other Arizona Politicians to justify the passage of House Bill 2281-The Ethnic Studies Ban. Outlawing Doloreshas been produced with the intent to give a greater context to some of the cultural battles currently occurring in the United States, as of 2013. This is the first extended interview where Dolores Huerta addresses the 2006 comment directly.$5/ticket
Book reading by Renato Rosaldo, The Day of Shelly’s Death
Friday, April 11, 6:00pm – 8:00pm
In these poems Renato Rosaldo focuses on the shock of his wife Shelly’s sudden death on October 11, 1981 in the Philippines. Shelly died after losing her footing and falling some sixty feet from a cliff into a swollen river. Rosaldo maintains a tight focus on the events of the day of her death. He explores his own experience as well as the imagined perspectives of many others. Free event.

Book Launch Party for Larry and Friends

Saturday, April 12, 2:00pm – 4:00pm

Larry and Friends is a heartening story about immigration, diversity, friendship, and acceptance, envisioned by Ecuadorian-born, New-York-based illustrator Carla Torres, who partnered with Belgian-born, Venezuelan-raised, New-York-based writer Nat Jaspar to bring the project, funded on Kickstarter, to life.The protagonist is Larry the Dog who is a juggler from Brooklyn.The story recounts why the characters end up relocating to New York City and how they become friends with Larry. The tale is truly inspiring as the characters and illustrative style bring forth the brightest possibilities of the human spirit.

Free event, perfect for families with children ages 3-8!
Live music with MV Caldera
Saturday, April 12, 6:00pm – 7:30pm
Venezuelan world music singer, MV Caldera and her group will be singing to us from pop music to baladas! $10/ticket
The Peace Poet’s Listening Party
Friday, April 18, 6:00pm – 9:00pm

Celebrate, dance and share with a few songs from State of the Art, the upcoming album by The Peace Poets.
Doors open at 6pm, performance begins at 7:30pm.
Free event!

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Events are free, unless otherwise noted.
Please RSVP for events via email.
Email us, it helps us know how many people to expect per event, gracias!
La Casa Azul Bookstore
143 E. 103rd St
El Barrio, NY 10029
(212) 426-2626
6 Train to 103rd Street
Store hours:
Tuesday – Saturday
12:00pm – 8:00pm
Sunday 12:00pm – 6:00pm
Closed Mondays
http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001Bw6E5No64Zk6_RzABq_FPUc674Ovfx3X2HMhMLFqZwXGzBgsxPszJDnmOZZtdWuVl3XA32LIVQzCIPEc1cQHgmbMCpykjHw9uddkhHfc821hvzXZrBYhtvKfW3qiKez2LmyjPCrTD0s=

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Meet Esmeralda Santiago!
Monday, April 21st
6:00pm – 7:30pm
(book signing line begins at5:30pm).Copies of all of Esmeralda’s books will be available for sale. 

This event is in partnership with World Book Night, an annual celebration dedicated to spreading the love of reading, person to person.  Each year tens of thousands of people go out into their communities and give half a million free paperbacks to light and non-readers.This year, copies of When I was Puerto Rican will be given away via a World Book Night publication!

More information:www.us.worldbooknight.org/

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Sonia Manzano
4th annual East Harlem Children’s Book Festival     

Saturday, April 26, 2014

11:00am – 4:00pm 
Meet your favorite local authors and illustrators at this free event featuring storybooks, storytellers, book signings, music, art and dance! Produced by La Casa Azul Bookstore, the East Harlem’s Children Book Festival is a celebration of children, families, community, and literacy.
This is a free, rain-or-shine event that offers many additional fun activities throughout the day!
Guest readers include:
  • Sonia Manzano, author of The Revolution of Evelyn Serrano, A box full of kittens, No Dogs Allowed
  • Carla Torres, illustrator of Larry and Friends
  • John Parra, Illustrator of Waiting for the Biblioburro, Round is a Tortilla, Green is a Chile Pepper and many more award winning titles!
  • Yadhira Gonzalez-Taylor, author of Martina finds a shiny coin
  • Music by Acopladitos and a dance performance by Pasion Boliviana 

December 2013 and January 2104

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QASFF
Both December 2013 and January 2104 classes were well received. The children are energetically receptive to all of the types of films (both silent and language captioned).  They are becoming “critics with substance” while viewing global materials.  It’s quite exciting to witness how they can evaluate and determine sub-plots and themes without coaxing!
While more films are planned, this semester will include an opportunity for invited actors and directors to engage the children in dialogue. Children can prepare questions of these artists who can provide their motivations and experiences in the theatrical business.  
 

January 18, 2014

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QAS Book Reading Fellowship

January 18, 2014

Diane’s Choices: 

I recently read Jane Goodall’s latest book “Seeds of Hope”. It’s wonderful! She has written an inspiring “time–to act now” piece. This book requires that each of us take responsibility for our world, and act in environmentally sound and intelligent ways.    

I’m now reading “The Quark and the Jaguar” by Murray Gell-Mann. If you like quantum physics, discussions on complex adaptive systems and nature, you’ll enjoy this book.  A very good read. Don’t be intimidated by the speed of his discussions; use his definitions to move you along if you weren’t a science major. It’s well worth the effort.  

What are you reading? 

Coming Up!

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Akashic Books
Edwidge Danticat @ the Brooklyn Public Library! January 2014

Dear NYC Friends,

I’m excited to announce this Thursday (Jan 16th) acclaimed Haitian author EDWIDGE DANTICAT will appear at the Brooklyn Public Library (Dweck Center, 10 Grand Army Plaza) to celebrate the release of Haiti Noir 2: The Classics!

Haiti Noir 2 is a follow-up to Haiti Noir, which received glowing reviews in the New York Times, Time Out, Daily Beast, L Magazine, LA Times, and others. Unlike the first volume, which was composed of all-new stories, Haiti Noir 2 represents Danticat’s handpicked selection from the canon of Haitian literature—an “amazing literary party” she writes, that “thrills me to no end.”

We very much hope you will join us on Thursday! Event details:

Thurs., Jan. 16 @ 7:00pm
Brooklyn Public Library, Dweck Center
10 Grand Army Plaza
BROOKLYN

Featuring Edwidge Danticat and contributor Michèle Voltaire Marcelin. Cosponsored by Haiti Cultural Exchange and MoCADA

I hope you will also consider joining us next week for the launch of our Kaylie Jones Books imprint andUnmentionables by Laurie Loewenstein on Wednesday, January 22 at 7 PM at Bluestockings Bookstore (172 Allen Street, Manhattan). Wine and cheese will be served.

I hope to see you soon!

Kate
MORE ON HAITI NOIR 2 
Haiti Noir 2
The Classics
edited by Edwidge Danticat

Haiti Noir 2: The Classics is the best anthology of classic Haitian fiction ever assembled, unparalleled in scope.

Classic stories by: Danielle Legros Georges, Jacques Roumain, Ida Faubert, Jacques-Stephen Alexis, Jan J. Dominique, Paulette Poujol Oriol, Lyonel Trouillot, Emmelie Prophète, Ben Fountain, Dany Laferrière, Georges Anglade, Edwidge Danticat, Michèle Voltaire Marcelin, Èzili Dantò, Marie-Hélène Laforest, Nick Stone, Marilène Phipps-Kettlewell, Myriam J.A. Chancy, and Roxane Gay.

A portion of the profits from this book will be donated to FotoKonbit, a nonprofit organization created to empower Haitians to tell their own stories through photography.

RSVP on Facebook (encouraged but not required).
MORE ON UNMENTIONABLES 
Unmentionables 
by Laurie Loewenstein

A powerful debut historical novel, Unmentionables launches a new imprint, Kaylie Jones Books, curated by acclaimed author Kaylie Jones!

What people are saying:

“Immensely entertaining and illuminating . . . Exceptionally readable and highly recommended.”
—Library Journal, Starred Review

“Engaging first work from a writer of evident ability.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“Marian Elliot Adams’ . . . tale is contagiously enthusiastic.”
—Publishers Weekly

RSVP on Facebook (encouraged but not required).

Queen of All Saints Church Book Reading Fellowship (BRF) Format Change

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The QAS Author’s Forum / October, 2013 

Author: Debbie Boswell  

Biography and Works: Debbie was born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y. and has a B.S. in Accounting and an Enrolled Agent license. She is the owner/manager of Crafts by Grace, a cottage industry craft business. Ms. Boswell co-wrote and co-produced the first screenplay OPEN/CLOSE through the Brooklyn Young Filmmakers Center. She has authored two books Miriam’s Journey and House of Mirrors.

You can contact Debbie Boswell at  craftsbygrace@msn.com

QAS Film Forum / June/2013

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Earlier this month, QAS school children (Kindergarten through 5th grade) were introduced to the QASFF.

In April eighty-five, children (Grades 6- 8) completed Film Forum evaluation forms.  Here are a few of their comments. The questions appear underlined.

What do you think of the QASFF? “We learn about cultures, and what people go through in life”, “Cool”, “Makes you think, very interesting, a fun way for students to become more diverse when it comes to film choices, good, funny” “I liked this program a lot. “I got to watch movies in not only other language but with no sound as well, funny and sad short plays”, ”Fun for students and good for the school, “An amazing program that provides great entertainment and knowledge “Heart touching”, “Broadened my knowledge of film”, “Creative”.

How can we improve the QASFF?  “Ask us about our culture”, “Maybe should be in after-school”,” Let’s write a script and act it out ourselves”, “More frequent”, longer films”, “Include foreign music.”

Do you watch foreign language films/television at home? If you answered yes, what do you watch?

“Spanish, Italian, French, Haitian Creole, Chinese, Russian, African and Japanese. “

Are you multilingual? If you answered yes, what languages do you speak?

“Spanish, French, Tagalong, Haitian Creole, Italian, Japanese, Guyanese, Dutch, Portuguese, and African”.

Can you recommend any films? “Action Films, Fantasy films, “The Boy in the Stripped Pajama”, “Doodlebug”, Hermano”, Finding Nemo”, Jungle Book”, “Life is Beautiful”, Military films that show our troops at work, More silent films, “The Benjamin Carson Story”, “Oz the Great and Powerful”

Would you encourage your family and friends to view a foreign language film? _

Three responded affirmatively. One child commented that she would like to learn a language together with her family and they would converse together.

Now the entire school has participated in the QASFF!  In addition to continuing to highlight foreign language and silent movies, we have drafted projects in response to the children’s suggestions (and some surprise additions) for next semester.

Thank you QAS School staff for your patience and encouragement every time the QASFF is scheduled. Thank you children for your honesty, and enthusiasm.

Enjoy the summer everyone.

Looking forward to our continuing work / joy together Ms. Attianese.   Peace, Diane.