Atlanta Public Library announces 2015-16 Dinner Program Schedule

[December 14, 2015]  The Atlanta Public Library and Museum will host a series of Dinner Programs at the Palms Grill Café from November 2015 through March 2016. The events will feature local speakers who will present after dinner programs at the Palms Grill Café, located 110 SW Arch Street in downtown Atlanta. Dinner begins at 5:30 pm, with the evening’s program starting at 7pm. Reservations are required and limited to approximately 50 people. The Palms Grill Café will feature a set of dinner specials, including homemade desserts for each program. Phone [phone] to make a reservation for any of the scheduled Dinner Programs.

Fri., Nov. 6th – No Crybabies Allowed

We’re kicking off this year’s Dinner Program series with our good friend, Terri Ryburn, who will share childhood stories from her nearly completed memoir, No Crybabies Allowed. Now retired from ISU, Terri is a writer, actor, playwright, and stand-up comedian, who just completed a screenplay based on her family's 1953 trip along Route 66 to California.

NOTE: *Programs identifed as “A Night at the Museum” begin with dinner at The Palms Grill Café, then continue upstairs in the Atlanta Museum’s new, handicapped accessible exhibit & performance space in the Union Hall Building (Teleologic Learning Company).

Fri., Nov. 13th – Lincoln in Atlanta

Guy Fraker, a past president of the McLean County Bar Association, has written and lectured frequently about Abraham Lincoln. Guy will share a program he’s titled, “Lincoln in Atlanta: The Local Story and Its Meaning for the Nation”. He’ll also have copies of his book, "Lincoln's Ladder to the Presidency: the 8th Judicial Circuit" available for sale and signing.

Sat., Nov. 21st – All the Jewels in our Crown – A Night at the Museum Program*

Lambda Chi Mu Music Fraternity, a Lincoln College vocal/instrumental ensemble will present a program of American musical masterpieces from Cole Porter, George Gershwin, Stephen Foster, Rogers & Hammerstein and more. These "jewels" in the American music crown are unforgettable melodies designed to delight and inspire.

Fri., Dec. 4th – Big Stories From a Small Town

Danny Tackett, a former Atlanta resident in the 1970s, worked for four and a half decades in the news department of The Courier in Lincoln. He retired in 2012, and this past winter finished writing, “Big Stories from a Small Town,” a collection of essays about growing up in and around tiny Armington in the 1960s. Danny will talk about his newspaper career, his new book, and perhaps a glimpse into his next, yet to be written one. He's hoping for a very interactive audience with lots of questions.

Fri., Jan. 8th – Social History of the Candy Bar

Dr. William Munro, 2012 winner of the Kemp Foundation Award for Teaching Excellence at Illinois Wesleyan, will talk about the social history of the candy bar, as well as the delicate differences in chocolate and chocolate enjoyment around the world. Join us for this delicious program, featuring some luscious samples!

Sat., Jan. 16th – American Giants

Come meet Joel Baker, an expert on American Giants – i.e. the fiberglass statues like the Bunyon Giant in downtown Atlanta. Joel will share their history, ideas about why people travel well out of their way to visit them, the adventures he’s had in his quest to locate as many giants as possible across the U.S., and the their connections to Route 66.
 
Fri., Jan. 22nd – Remembering The Tropics

Return to The Tropics, Lincoln’s legendary restaurant that operated from 1953-1997, as Tami Goodrich, daughter of Tropics owners Lew and Bev Johnson, shares the love story her family had for serving the public and working with the wonderful employees and customers who comprised the Tropics family. As an added bonus, The Grill is honored to serve the Tropic’s original, housemade French and 1000 Island salad dressing at this Dinner Program, made by Tami and her husband Bob themselves!

Sat., Jan. 30th – Songs, Chocolate & Coffee – A Night at the Museum Program*

Pop songwriters Brian Davis (guitar) and Dyanne Harvey (keyboard) will be on hand to entertain us with their original songs, while we enjoy a selection of coffees and chocolates to celebrate the conclusion of the Atlanta Public Library's "Coffee, Tea & Chocolate" month.

Fri., Feb. 5th – An Evening with the Editor

Mark Pickering, editor of The Pantagraph, has been with the newspaper for more than 30 years. In his program, Mark will share how he got started in Bloomington, some history of the newspaper, the balance between publishing the printed paper and the online version, and overall trends in the newspaper industry.

Sat., Feb. 13th – Piedmont & Country Blues – A Night at the Museum Program*

Guitarist and vocalist Dave Berchtold brings his special brand of music-making to "A Night at the Museum." In honor of the Atlanta Public Library’s February theme of "Our Lincoln Heritage/Black History Month," Dave will perform Piedmont and Country Blues and give us interesting tidbits about the writers of this classic American music.

Fri., Feb. 19th – Duck Decoys of Illinois

Pat Gregory and Dave Ludington will discuss the art of duck decoy carving and demonstrate the painting techniques used to create their life-like working decoys. Ludington began carving just three years ago, & studies with Gregory, who is the great grandson of prolific Illinois River carver George "Home Run" Barto who developed his own well-known style of decoy carving and built a cottage industry around his small river hometown of Tiskilwa. Together they will make Barto's heritage come alive as we celebrate this uniquely Illinois art form.

Sat., Feb. 27 – An Evening with Lucy Smith – A Night at the Museum Program*

Inspired by her mother who exposed her to the '60s sounds of African American singer Miriam Makeba and pop folk star Trini Lopez, Lucy Smith sits comfortably in the place where jazz, folk and soul converge. Lucy, a South Side Chicago native, and her trio will bring us a variety of spirituals, jazz, and folk music. Well known throughout Chicago, Lucy has been praised for "going deep into a ballad with her lustrous tones or swinging through space to lilting effect”.

Sat., Mar. 19th – Sound of IL Barbershop Chorus – A Night at the Museum Program*
The Sound of Illinois Barbershop Chorus, an award-winning group founded in 1942, will be on hand featuring eight singers, who will perform both as two separate quartets and as an 8-member barbershop ensemble. Barbershop music derives from the legend of early rural barbershops, where men gathered on Saturday nights for haircuts and conversation, while their wives shopped for the family. To help pass the time, barbers were reputed to have encouraged improvisational harmonizing as they sang out a melody while cutting hair.

[Bill Thomas]