'So You Love to Write?' Script Writing Sessions

[Enter Stage Left] Two school children get off the bus at the bus interchange at Hurstville. Walking together, the two students manoeuvre through the winding streets of Hurstville.

Jennifer: Hey Mark...

Mark: Yeah, Jenny?

Jennifer: Did you hear about that awesome new program that Hurstville Library, Museum and Gallery is running?

Mark: No, I don't think I did. What's it about?

Jennifer: It's a six week script writing program called 'So You Love to Write?' They even have the award-winning playwright PP (Pat) Cranney as the facilitator!

Mark: No way! When is it?

Jennifer: It's on a Monday night between 4:30 and 6:30pm from the 31st of October to the 5th of December, 2011. Do you want to hear the best part? (Mark nods eagerly.) Some of the 'mini-scripts' will be selected to be produced in the filmmaking workshops that have been planned for the New Year!

Mark: Whoa! So -

Jennifer: And... It's only $5 per session.

Mark: So how do we sign up?

Jennifer: Let's go ask the Librarian about booking.

The two students enter through the front doors into Hurstville City Library, in order to sign up for the script writing sessions. [Exeunt Stage Right].

Got Rugby League Fever?

If you've got rugby league pumping through your veins then you won't want to miss the next exhibition at Hurstville City Museum & Gallery. League of Legends: 100 Years of Rugby League in Australia is a photographic exhibition developed and presented by the National Museum of Australia. Relive the moments, remember the legends and discover the history of the game through a collection of photograph documenting 100 years of rugby league in Australia.

Also on show will be a display looking at the history of the St George Illawarra Dragons.

Rugby League fans of all creed are invited to attend the exhibition opening on Saturday 29 October at 11:00am at 14 MacMahon St, Hurstville. All welcome, light refreshments provided. Please RSVP by Friday 28 October on 9330 6444 or museumgallery@hurstville.nsw.gov.au. Get into the spirit of the day and wear your team colours!

League of Legends: 100 Years of Rugby League in Australia is on display at Hurstville City Museum & Gallery from 29 October - 18 December 2011

Graphic Novel Expo

Come to the Graphic Novel Expo and kick start Hurstville Library's collection for adults.

We'll have a stack of new titles for you to browse; you can catch up with other fans and the guys from Kings Comics will be there to share their insider's knowledge.

Where: Hurstville Library, Cnr Queens Rd & Dora St, Hurstville

When: Wed 2nd November at 6:30 pm

Enquiries: Ring 9330 6142

Julian Barnes 2011 Man Booker prize winner

Julian Barnes was announced as the 2011 winner of the Man Booker prize for fiction for his novel Sense of an Ending
Regarded as the favourite to win since the short list was announced on 6th September, Julian Barnes has long enjoyed critical acclaim for his writing. His books Arthur and George ,England, England and Flaubert's Parrot were shortlisted on previous occasions.

His writing apart from fiction includes memoirs (Nothing to be Frightened Of), essays and short stories (Pulse, The Lemon Table).

The shortlisted listed authors for 2011 were:

Carol Birch Jamrach’s Menagerie

Patrick deWitt The Sisters Brothers

Esi Edugyan Half Blood Blues

Stephen Kelman Pigeon English

A.D. Miller Snowdrops

For more about the authors and the prize go to the official Man Booker website. Borrow one of the books and let others know if you agree with the judges by adding a review and a rating on the library's catalogue.

Free Music Downloads

I have been having so much fun each week deciding which three tracks to download from Freegal. There is a wide variety of artists and tracks to choose from and it is all free. Three free tracks per week! You need to be a current member of Hurstville City Library, have a pin number and no fines or stops on your library card. Go to the library website, click on eLibrary Catalogue, click the link to Freegal and sign in with you library card number and pin. Easy!

There are so many artists available including: Pink, Michael Jackson, John Farnham, Jack Vidgen, The Cast of Glee, Cage The Elephant, Franz Ferdinand, Pitbul, Ke$ha, Pete Murray, Hugh Sheridan, Pearl Jam, Paul Pots, Meat Loaf, Alice Cooper, Tony Bennett, Cold Chisel, AC/DC, INXS, Hoodoo Guru's, Men At Work, Midnight Oil, Oasis, Easy Beats, Elvis, Frank Sinatra, Glenn Miller, Dolly Parton, Placido Domingo and all you idol favourtes such as Kelly Clarkson, Guy Sebastian and Jessica Mauboy.

But that's not all...genres to choose from are: R&B, Pop, Latin Pop, Jazz, Country, Classical and Rock.

Trip on the Ghan to Darwin - Travelogue

If the romance of trains and a trip to the red centre spark your imagination, join us for a travelogue to Darwin on the Ghan. Sue Rooney, avid reader, traveller, and library member, recently returned from her travels and will share her photos & stories with us.

Wednesday 30 November 2011 10am-11am Miles Franklin Room

Hurstville City Library crn Queens Rd & Dora Streets Hurstville

Free event

Bookings Call 9330 6142

Robert Ludlum's The Bourne Dominion now in Large Print

Bourne again! Jason Bourne, the best rogue spy in the business, is back in his new book, The Bourne Dominion. Author Eric Van Lustbader is now writing the series that Robert Ludlum started with this the 9th Bourne. If you love fast-paced thrillers with intricate plots, this one is for you.

Steve Jobs - I love my ipad but....

I was in San Francisco when Steve Jobs' death was announced. There was saturation coverage by the media, the windows of the Apple Store were covered in personal tributes and people had congregated on the street in seeming pilgrimage. It brought to mind the public reaction to the death of Diana, Princess of Wales.

I love my ipad but ...what has this man done to engender such an emotional response on such a scale?

I'm looking forward to reading the new biography by Walter Isaacson, it might give me some insight into an obviously charismatic individual.

Rob Lowe At Hurstville City Library

I have recently read Rob Lowe's autobiography "Stories I Only Tell My Friends". Great stories, great photo's and very well written. Not only is Rob Lowe a wonderful actor he writes a really good book. He has been in some fantastic movies and the following is a list of some of his movies that are in the library DVD collection.
West Wing - seasons 1 to 7
View From The Top
The Invention of Lying
Too Late Too Say Goodbye
Wayne's World
Salem's Lot
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me
The Outsiders

Do you have a suggestion for a movie, music CD or audio book that you would like to see in our collection? All you have to do is post your suggestion here.

Say it with Feeling

Gerald Stone has a long and distinguished career in Australian journalism. Amongst other things he was of the founding reporters on This Day Tonight, which shook up current affairs reporting in this country (not to mention the ABC itself), and also established 60 Minutes for the Nine Network in this country.

Say It With Feeling covers that period and more. Starting with Stone's arrival in Australia from the U.S., it covers his rise from a journalist with the Daily Mirror to one of the most senior executives in Australian television. It also covers his views on the difference between Australian and American culture.

A most interesting read.

Rockdale Musical Society’s production of Avenue Q

Rockdale Musical Society's Avenue Q program
Image courtesy Emma Williams

Having spent a good deal of time researching the history of Rockdale Musical Society for our current exhibition, Let Me Entertain You, staff from the Museum & Gallery decided to check out one of their productions.

Avenue Q is a musical with a difference! An all singing, all dancing spectacular, it tells the story of a group of outer suburban New Yorkers as they struggle to find their place in the world. The story is told by both human performers and puppets, and is definitely not for children!

Rockdale Musical Society's production of the show was excellent, and despite being put under pressue by a last minute change in venue, both cast and crew did a great job. A good time was had by all who attended and we can highly recommend this performance group.

Have you seen Avenue Q? Or any other Rockdale Musical Society productions? What did you think? Post your thoughts here.

Learn more about Rockdale Musical Society and other famous performances groups and spaces in the St George Region at Let Me Entertain You, an exhibition at Hurstville City Museum & Gallery. On display at 14 MacMahon St Hurstville until Sunday 23rd October. Open Tuesday - Saturday 10am - 4pm, Sunday 2pm-5pm, all welcome!