For all event times and venues please see our Events Calendar.
1.Training for Book Discussion Leaders with Karen vanMeenen, Coordinator of “If All of Rochester Read the Same Book…” and “The Big Read” and Adjunct Instructor, Rochester Institute of Technology, and Nancy David, English Instructor, East High School.
2. Mystery for Teens: Writing Killer Fiction,a course for writers in grades 7–12. September 22, 10am–1pm. Instructor: Charles Benoit. Crime and suspense have long been favorite elements in fiction. This one-day writing workshop for teens will explore the key elements of the exciting and always popular mystery genre, from creating believable characters, realistic dialogue and compelling settings, to mapping out your mystery, playing fair with the reader and getting the technical details right. Registration fee: $3 W&B members / $5 general public. To register visit www.wab.org or call (585) 473-2590, x107.
3.Creative Approaches to Teaching The Maltese Falconwith Karen vanMeenen, Coordinator of “If All of Rochester Read the Same Book…” and “The Big Read” and Wendy Low, Director of Youth Education and outreach at W&B. Geared toward high school educators but open to all.
4. The Maltese Falcon & the Tough Guy Tradition, a course for readers in grades 8–12. Three Wednesdays, Oct. 3-17, 6–7:30pm. Discussion Leaders: Wendy Low and guests. A discussion of the origins, nature and tenacity of the American “tough guy” tradition will be built around a close examination of The Maltese Falcon. In the first meeting we will look at the roots of this tradition in American pioneer “Self-Reliance,” the alienation inherent in the American immigrant experience and the displacements of the Civil War and World War One. We will look at what is admirable and what is troubling in the model for living that the “tough guy” represents. For the next meeting you will be expected to have read The Maltese Falcon, in order to discuss it in detail. The final class will round off with a look at where the type of the “tough guy” persists, is challenged, or is parodied in current literature, film, music and life. A bibliography for further reading will be provided. Registration fee: $3 W&B members / $5 general public. To register visit www.wab.org or call (585) 473-2590, x107.
5.The Big Read Kickoff: Lecture by George Thompson: “Dashiell Hammett’s Moral Vision.” Dr. George J. Thompson is the President & Founder of the Verbal Judo Institute, a tactical training and management firm based in Auburn, NY. Thompson has an eclectic background, having taught English at the High School level, English Literature on the university level and served as a police officer. His book Hammett’s Moral Vision was published in 2006. First 50 attendees receive a free copy of The Maltese Falcon!
6.Art theft on Film video series iscurated and hosted by Elizabeth McDade, MFA, Adjunct Instructor at Rochester Institute of Technology. Hammett on Film video series is curated and hosted by Gannett film critic Jack Garner.
7.Film Noir: The Story of Hard-Boiled Cinema,a presentationbyGannett film critic Jack Garner.This presentation will include an initial lecture and a screening of the short documentary Film Noir: Bringing Darkness to Light, followed by a discussion.
8. Mystery Workshop: Writing Killer Fiction. 4 Thursdays, Oct. 11-Nov. 8 (no class Oct. 26), 7-9pm. Instructor: Charles Benoit. Who says crime doesn’t pay? With so many types of mysteries to choose from––police procedurals, cozies, hard-boiled, amateur detectives, classic who-done-its, historicals, capers, comic crime—you’ve got every chance to prove the experts wrong. This four-week writing workshop will explore the key elements of this exciting and always popular genre, from creating believable characters, realistic dialog and compelling settings, to mapping out your mystery, playing fair with the reader and getting the technical details right. You’ll have the opportunity to share your writing—whether it’s short pieces from a work in progress, or things you’ve written specifically for this class—and you’ll hear what publishers and editors are looking for in today’s mystery market. Who knows, to a publisher, your manuscript might just be the stuff that dreams are made of. Workshop fee: $79 W&B members / $52 general public. To register visit www.wab.org or call (585) 473-2590, x107.
9.TheMaltese Falcon Read-a-Thon. Join us to listen to local political and media personalities read from the book, start to finish. Copies of The Maltese Falcon and other prizes will be given away between each chapter!
10. “’When a Man’s Partner is Killed He’s Supposed to Do Something About It’: The Existential Philosophy Behind The Maltese Falcon.” Just what code of ethics motivated Sam Spade, Brigid O’Shaughnessy, Joel Cairo and Casper “The Fatman” Gutman? What relationship is there between existentialism and film noir? And what would Jean-Paul Sartre and Albert Camus have to say about the hunt for the mysterious bird? Panelists: Nick DiChario, novelist, short story writer and author of the article “Existentialism Goes to the Movies” (Philosophy Now, July/August 2008); Tim Madigan, Philosophy Instructor at St. John Fisher College; and Michael Rockler, Professor Emeritus of Education at National-Lewis University.
11. The Hard-Boiled Detective Story: As American as Jazz.Six Tuesdays, Oct. 23-Nov. 27, 7–9 p.m. Instructor: Joe Flaherty. Beginning after World War I, the hard-boiled writers created the private eye and the American detective hero who isolated himself from normal human relationships and formed his own moral code, one that was stricter and more unbending than that of the rest of the population. In this class we’ll read and discuss the genesis and role of these hard-boiled detectives, including Hammett’s Sam Spade, Chandler’s Philip Marlowe, Ross Macdonald’s Lew Archer and Robert Parker’s Spenser. We’ll also see how this genre has spread around the world and how it has adapted to fit into a wide range of societies and cultures. Workshop fee: $100 W&B members / $110 general public. To register visit www.wab.org or call (585) 473-2590, x107.
12. The exhibition “The Maltese Falcon: From Book to Bogart” is on view Nov. 12-Dec. 22 at Monroe Community College. There will be a reception on Dec. 7 at 7pm. This two-part exhibition includes a display of Maltese Falcon book covers through the decades (including current MCC student interpretations) and a display of film stills from all three cinematic versions of the story, curated by Nancy Kauffman, Archivist at the George Eastman House. Book covers are from the Writers & Books collection; film stills are courtesy of the George Eastman House, Motion Picture Department.
13. “Bird Hunting: Mystery Authors Stalk The Maltese Falcon” panelists: When he’s not searching the world for exotic settings for his mysteries, Edgar® and Barry® award nominee Charles Benoit spends his days writing irresistible ad copy for Dixon Schwabl in Rochester. Ruthe Furie, author of the three-book Fran Kirk series, was nominated for Shamus Awards for two of them.Robert Knightly is an ex-cop, ex-defense lawyer and editor of Queens Noir, an anthology of original crime stories set in nineteen neighborhoods in Queens, New York. Miriam Grace Monfredo’s first novel, Seneca Falls Inheritance, was nominated for the Agatha Award for Best First Mystery Novel in 1992. She has since written eight more novels that focus on the history of America and the evolution of women and minority rights. Gary Earl Ross won the 2006 Edgar Award for his play Matter of Intent.
