Artist to visit Glencoe Public Libraryfrom author Hélène Stelian, who founded the blog “Next Act...
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glencoeanchor.com THE GLENCOE ANCHOR | March 10, 2016 | 3 NEWS WLC hosts first meeting at new Writers eatre ELEANOR BLACK Freelance Reporter The Woman’s Library Club of Glencoe welcomed members and non-members alike to its new home at the recently opened Writ- ers Theatre for its monthly meeting March 2. Attendees enjoyed a raf- fle, lunch and a presentation from author Hélène Stelian, who founded the blog “Next Act for Women,” where she interviews women who reinvented themselves at midlife. Before Stelian’s presen- tation, the crowd of about 100 women heard a series of short speeches from rep- resentatives of the Woman’s Library Club, the Writers Theatre and the North Shore Exchange. Michael Halberstam, ar- tistic director, and Kathryn Lipuma, executive direc- tor, both of Writers Theatre, thanked club members for their support on the shared new building. “We have a wonderful partnership with the Wom- an’s Library Club and we hope to make that deeper and richer over the coming years,” Halberstam told the group. Wendy Serrino, board president of the North Shore Exchange, and Missy Brownson, store manager, spoke about the shop’s suc- cess during its first three years. The high-end resale shop serves as the philanthropic arm of the Woman’s Library Club, Serrino said, and is “pretty much 100 percent staffed” by club volunteers. The store’s purpose is to raise funds for charitable purposes. Serrino said they have given $425,000 to charity so far, and have a goal of giving $1 million within five years. Woman’s Library Club President Maxine Retsky also spoke about the club’s philanthropic efforts, in- cluding its 10,000 volunteer hours per year and raising money for local scholarships and organizations. Retsky also noted recent “21st century” changes for the club: it now has an email address, wlcGlencoe@ gmail.com, and will soon have a new website. Finally, the crowd heard from the main speaker, Ste- lian, an author and blogger. “I suspected that some of you might be in the same place I was — feeling a little lost in midlife, wondering what was next,” Stelian said. Her goal was to share what she’s learned from in- terviewing about 120 wom- en over the past year “who have successfully reinvent- ed in midlife and beyond,” as well as her own journey “from suburban mom to city writer.” In her experience, women reinvent in midlife due to either a dramatic event — positive or negative — or a more gradual realization “that something needs to change.” For Stelian, the catalyst for her own reinvention was her family’s move from Glen- coe to Chicago three and a half years ago, as well as the “growing independence” of her two daughters. “As the time approached when our girls would be leaving home, I knew I’d need to find a new challenge, a new way to feel productive — beyond being a home- maker and a volunteer,” Ste- lian said. Eventually, she landed on the idea of creating her blog, “Next Act for Wom- en,” where she could tell the stories of women who had made midlife reinventions. Stelian shared seven “con- sistent pieces of advice” she heard from her interviews: tune in to your talent; be brave enough to ask for help; go out and network; find a way to try out your idea first; don’t get stuck in the plan- ning phase; surround your- self with cheerleaders, and finally, to realize that “it is better to have tried and failed than to wonder what if.” Stelian ended her talk by sharing her plans for her own “next next act”: to be- come a life coach. She said she hopes to focus on help- ing women in transition find a life of purpose and meaning. “My greatest wish for you, who may be searching for your next act in midlife or beyond, is that you’ll persevere through the ‘fer- tile void,’ find your gift and make your dreams a reality,” Stelian said. “Because re- member, it’s never too late.” Artist to visit Glencoe Public Library Decline of New York’s ‘Borscht Belt’ resorts highlighted STAFF REPORT Artist Marisa Scheinfeld will be dropping into the Glen- coe Public Li- brary from 7-8 p.m. on Thurs- day, March 10, to talk about the decline of the famous Catskill resorts. Scheinfeld’s photography, documenting that decline, are on exhibit at the Madron Gal- lery in Chicago, titled “The Borscht Belt: Revisiting the Remains of America’s Jew- ish Vacationland.” The Catskill Mountains in New York State played host to many iconic moments in American popular culture, from the routines of famous 1950s comedians to the yearnings of Herman Wouk’s Marjorie Morningstar; from getting Baby out of the cor- ner in Dirty Dancing to the fabled rocking in the rain dur- ing the Woodstock Festival. In the Catskills’ mid-century heyday, the region was dotted with vibrant resorts and ho- tels, many of which regularly hosted famous entertainers and became highlighted in literature and cinema. Those resorts all closed long ago, and the exhibition assembles images shot by Scheinfeld (who grew up in the region) inside and outside structures that once buzzed with life. Comprising 27 large-scale works and a selection of orig- inal Borscht Belt objects and ephemera, the exhibit, which documents the dramatic de- cline of the resorts of New York’s Catskills region, will be at Madron until March 31. Author Helene Stelian was the featured speaker of the Woman’s Library Club’s first meeting at the new Writers Theatre facility on March 2. ELEANOR BLACK/22ND CENTURY MEDIA Scheinfeld
Artist to visit Glencoe Public Libraryfrom author Hélène Stelian, who founded the blog “Next Act for Women,” where she interviews women who reinvented themselves at midlife
