Join White Plains Librarian Barbara Wenglin via Zoom to explore compelling selections from the rich anthology, Stories of Fatherhood, edited by Diana Secker Tesdell (Everyman’s Pocket Classics, c2014), along with discussion of a related film. If you haven’t registered yet for fall series, use Zoom Registration Link for January sessions. Program is supported by the Friends of the Library. All are welcome, including newcomers

Stories of Fatherhood

A copy of the book is on hold at the Hub Desk for reading in the Library
along with circulating copies available to borrow through the catalog.

Thursdays from 2:00 – 4:15 p.m. on Zoom

January 19, 2023
RESCHEDULED from 12/22/22
“The H Street Sledding Record” by Ron Carlson (1987 – p.81)
“Christmas” by Vladimir Nabokov (1925 – p.143)
Two very different holiday stories: one celebrating a loving family’s annual rituals,
including a sledding adventure, the other mourning the loss of a child.

Use Zoom Registration Link here or through website whiteplainslibrary.org. Meeting ID for all sessions: 847 9680 2146 or phone in: 1-929-205-6099; no password needed. You can also register at Hub/Ref. Desk in person or by phone – 914-422-1480. Program made possible with support of the
Friends of the Library. Questions? Contact Barbara – bwenglin@whiteplainslibrary.org

Past Sessions:

September 22
“The Writer in the Family” by E. L. Doctorow (1984 – p.125)
Also collected in Lives of the Poets, available for loan through the catalog.
When his father dies suddenly, teenager Jonathan is enlisted by the family
to keep the secret from his elderly grandmother in a nursing home.

October 13
“His Father’s Son” by Edith Wharton (1909 – p.287)
A prosperous widower has given everything – money, love & support – to his successful, but ungrateful, son.

November 3
“Simon’s Father” by Guy de Maupassant (1879 – p.181)
“Gabor” by Graham Swift (1992 – p.67)
Both stories deal with fatherless boys who seek acceptance, validation, and possible adoption.

November 17
“The Mortality of Parents” by Jim Shepard (2004 – p.311)
The narrator recalls his fears as a young teen of losing his father after his heart attack, vowing to mend his wild ways.

December 8
“Her Firstborn” by Ann Packer (2011 – p.153)
A touching portrait of a husband preparing for the wonder and terror of his first child’s birth.

January 5, 2023
“A Father’s Story” by Andre Dubus (1983 – p.95)
The devoted father of two boys and a girl treats his daughter differently with heartfelt, dramatic and lifelong consequences.

January 12 – Film Discussion – Leave No Trace (2018, 1hr 50m)
Based on the true story of a veteran suffering from PTSD, a father and his young daughter go off
the grid, living in a forest near Portland, Oregon, constantly moving to avoid detection.
Directed and written by Oscar nominee and Female Focus Award winner Debra Granik.
Grand Jury Prize – Independent Film Festival; NY Film Critics Top Films of the Year.
Starring Ben Foster and Thomasin McKenzie in her breakthrough performance.
To view before meeting via Library Streaming Services Kanopy & hoopla,
also in catalog to borrow as DVD & BluRay, and on Netflix.