PRESS 2020
NOVEL NIGHT 2020 RESCHEDULED
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - MAY 15, 2021
The Friends of the Town of Pelham Public Library have announced that Novel Night 2020, originally scheduled for October 2, 2020, will be rescheduled to October 2, 2021. The schedule change is due to COVID-19.
Novel Night, considered one of Pelham’s premiere parties, is a biennial fundraising event in support of the Town of the Pelham Public Library. Through Novel Night ticket sales, the Friends raise substantial funds for the town’s library and its community programming.
Town-wide events like Novel Night and institutions like the Town of Pelham Public Library are what make Pelham’s community so special. Supporters of the Library may consider donating to the Friends of the Town of Pelham Public Library, Inc. in 2020. Online donations are accepted here: https://www.pelhamlibrary.org/friends-library/give-library/. Donations will help to support a wide range of library programs and vital services, including current virtual programming like Online Story Time with Mr.Oz, the NuWave legal documents portal, and free notary services now available via videoconference. The Town of Pelham Public Library and its staff are committed to helping the community of Pelham during this time.
The Friends are currently working on plans for a new festive fundraising moment in Fall 2021. Stay tuned for more information over the summer. For Novel Night 2021, Pelham residents are encouraged to mark their calendars now. The party will be worth the wait!
Press Contact: Elizabeth Bewley, [email protected], 917-655-6036
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - MAY 15, 2021
The Friends of the Town of Pelham Public Library have announced that Novel Night 2020, originally scheduled for October 2, 2020, will be rescheduled to October 2, 2021. The schedule change is due to COVID-19.
Novel Night, considered one of Pelham’s premiere parties, is a biennial fundraising event in support of the Town of the Pelham Public Library. Through Novel Night ticket sales, the Friends raise substantial funds for the town’s library and its community programming.
Town-wide events like Novel Night and institutions like the Town of Pelham Public Library are what make Pelham’s community so special. Supporters of the Library may consider donating to the Friends of the Town of Pelham Public Library, Inc. in 2020. Online donations are accepted here: https://www.pelhamlibrary.org/friends-library/give-library/. Donations will help to support a wide range of library programs and vital services, including current virtual programming like Online Story Time with Mr.Oz, the NuWave legal documents portal, and free notary services now available via videoconference. The Town of Pelham Public Library and its staff are committed to helping the community of Pelham during this time.
The Friends are currently working on plans for a new festive fundraising moment in Fall 2021. Stay tuned for more information over the summer. For Novel Night 2021, Pelham residents are encouraged to mark their calendars now. The party will be worth the wait!
Press Contact: Elizabeth Bewley, [email protected], 917-655-6036
PRESS 2018
Photo by Liz Farrell
Tom and Sera Reycraft: Deep-Rooted Ties to Pelham and the Library
Tom and Sera Reycraft’s ties to Pelham—and the Pelham Public Library—go way back. So it’s only fitting that their homegrown educational publishing powerhouse, Benchmark Education https://benchmarkeducation.com/
should be the sponsor of Novel Night 2018’s After Party.
The Reycrafts live in the Pelham Manor house Tom grew up in. It’s also where the Reycrafts raised their four children, two of whom still reside in Pelham with their own kids and work in the family business.
It was in the basement of that house the Reycrafts founded their company in 1998. The focus: nonfiction materials for reading and language arts, combining reading skills with social studies, and selling directly to schools. “There was a dearth of nonfiction for younger kids at that time,” says Tom. “We created our own niche.”
Shortly after, the Reycrafts decamped to an office in the Sanborn Map building. There they stayed, working in an ever-increasing amount of space, until 2014, when they moved the company to New Rochelle. Designed by Sera, who is an architect, the 30,000-square-foot office takes up the whole top floor, with breathtaking views of the Long Island Sound. There also are warehouse, teacher trainers and sales employees elsewhere.
The Reycrafts have another deep connection to Pelham and the library, too. Sera was part of the original committee that raised the money and formed the plan to purchase, renovate, and equip the facility, which opened for business in 1995. And, as an architect, she played a crucial role in that effort. The first Novel Night, held in 1994, the Reycrafts even hosted a dinner, with Jack Kerouac’s On the Road as the theme.
“We’ve been supporters of the library going back to the beginning,” says Tom. “And we’re very excited to continue supporting it in any way we can.”
Tom and Sera Reycraft’s ties to Pelham—and the Pelham Public Library—go way back. So it’s only fitting that their homegrown educational publishing powerhouse, Benchmark Education https://benchmarkeducation.com/
should be the sponsor of Novel Night 2018’s After Party.
The Reycrafts live in the Pelham Manor house Tom grew up in. It’s also where the Reycrafts raised their four children, two of whom still reside in Pelham with their own kids and work in the family business.
It was in the basement of that house the Reycrafts founded their company in 1998. The focus: nonfiction materials for reading and language arts, combining reading skills with social studies, and selling directly to schools. “There was a dearth of nonfiction for younger kids at that time,” says Tom. “We created our own niche.”
Shortly after, the Reycrafts decamped to an office in the Sanborn Map building. There they stayed, working in an ever-increasing amount of space, until 2014, when they moved the company to New Rochelle. Designed by Sera, who is an architect, the 30,000-square-foot office takes up the whole top floor, with breathtaking views of the Long Island Sound. There also are warehouse, teacher trainers and sales employees elsewhere.
The Reycrafts have another deep connection to Pelham and the library, too. Sera was part of the original committee that raised the money and formed the plan to purchase, renovate, and equip the facility, which opened for business in 1995. And, as an architect, she played a crucial role in that effort. The first Novel Night, held in 1994, the Reycrafts even hosted a dinner, with Jack Kerouac’s On the Road as the theme.
“We’ve been supporters of the library going back to the beginning,” says Tom. “And we’re very excited to continue supporting it in any way we can.”
The Pelhams-PLUS Posted November 6, 2018
Novel Night 2018 Safe Rides Program Sponsored by
Meridian Risk and Joan Solimine Real Estate
Novel Night 2018 Safe Rides Program Sponsored by
Meridian Risk and Joan Solimine Real Estate
Meridian Risk and Joan Solimine Real Estate are sponsoring the first-ever Safe Rides program during Novel Night 2018. Two SUVs driven by Transporter Limousine will provide free group rides from the New York Athletic Club from 10:30 pm - 1 am.
Photo by Liz Farrell
Photo by Liz Farrell
The Pelhams-PLUS Posted September 27, 2018
Benchmark Sponsoring Novel Night After Party on Nov. 17
Benchmark Sponsoring Novel Night After Party on Nov. 17
|
Benchmark Education, founded by long-time Pelham residents Tom and Sera Reycraft, will be the first-ever sponsor of the Novel Night After Party at the November 17 event.
Benchmark provides literacy resources: books, digital curriculum, teacher workshops and more. Its headquarters is located in New Rochelle. Pictured are Tom and Sera Reycraft. Photo by Liz Farrell |
|
The Pelham Examiner Posted Tuesday, July 17, 2018
Benchmark Education Is Novel Night After Party Sponsor
Benchmark Education Is Novel Night After Party Sponsor
|
Editor’s note: This announcement was provided by the Friends of the Town of Pelham Public Library.
Benchmark Education, founded by long-time Pelham residents Tom and Sera Reycraft, became the first-ever sponsor of the Novel Night After Party. Pictured are Tom and Sera Reycraft. Photo: Liz Farrell. |
The Pelhams-PLUS Posted August 29, 2018
Novel Night Raffle Tickets for Trip to Dominican Republic Available Online Now
Novel Night Raffle Tickets for Trip to Dominican Republic Available Online Now
|
In a first for Novel Night, raffle tickets are available online early—before invitations hit the mail. The winner of the raffle will get a three-night trip for two at Caso de Campo, a luxurious resort in the Dominican Republic, plus airfare. Also included: a spa treatment or round of golf at the resort.
Tickets, which are $50, are available at https://www.pelhamnovelnight.com/Novel-Night-Raffle.html. You don’t have to attend Novel Night to buy a ticket. |
Held every other year, Novel Night is Pelham’s premier fundraiser, with book-themed dinners held at private homes and other locations, followed by dancing, drinks and dessert at the New York Athletic Club. This year’s event will take place November 17. Proceeds will benefit the Town of Pelham Public Library.
The Pelham Examiner Posted Tuesday, July 17, 2018
Sherry Webster & Anthony Angelini win raffle to benefit Pelham Public Library
Sherry Webster & Anthony Angelini win raffle to benefit Pelham Public Library
Editor’s note: This announcement was provided by friends of the Pelham Public Library
Sherry Webster and Anthony Angelini recently won a two-hour cocktail party for 25 to be catered by Standing Room Only, a Scarsdale-based service. The winners also won a case of assorted wine. Proceeds from the raffle will benefit the Town of Pelham Public Library.
Sherry Webster and Anthony Angelini recently won a two-hour cocktail party for 25 to be catered by Standing Room Only, a Scarsdale-based service. The winners also won a case of assorted wine. Proceeds from the raffle will benefit the Town of Pelham Public Library.
The Pelhams-PLUS Posted Monday, July 16, 2018
Sherry Webster & Anthony Angelini Win Cocktail Party Catering Raffle
to Benefit Library
Sherry Webster & Anthony Angelini Win Cocktail Party Catering Raffle
to Benefit Library
Sherry Webster of Pelham, along with Anthony Angelini, recently won a two-hour cocktail party for 25 to be catered by Standing Room Only in a raffle with proceeds to benefit the Town of Pelham Public Library. The Scarsdale-based caterer is donating its services. The winner also received a case of assorted wine.
The Pelhams-PLUS Posted Friday, June 1, 2018
Tickets for Standing Room Only Cocktail Party Raffle Go on Sale This Weekend
Tickets for Standing Room Only Cocktail Party Raffle Go on Sale This Weekend
This weekend and every weekend in June, the Friends of the Town of Pelham Public Library is selling raffle tickets for a two-hour cocktail party for 25, plus a case of top-of-the-line wines, catered by Standing Room Only (service not included). Winners hosting a Novel Night 2018 dinner can use the cocktail party at their event.
Tickets will be on sale 11 am-3 pm outside DeCicco and The Bakery at Four Corners. The drawing will take place June 29, and proceeds will benefit the Town of Pelham Public Library.
Tickets will be on sale 11 am-3 pm outside DeCicco and The Bakery at Four Corners. The drawing will take place June 29, and proceeds will benefit the Town of Pelham Public Library.
The Pelhams-PLUS Posted Wednesday, May 16, 2018
McClellan Sotheby’s International Realty Sponsoring Novel Night Invitation
McClellan Sotheby’s International Realty Sponsoring Novel Night Invitation
McClellan Sotheby’s International Realty, a Nobel-level sponsor of Novel Night 2018, is funding the invitations for the event. The extravaganza, which raises money for the Town of Pelham Public Library, is held every other year and will take place Nov. 17, 2018. Photo of many of the firm's Realtors by Liz Farrell.
News of Pelham, February 28 - March 8, 2018
|
|
The Pelhams - PLUS
Posted Wednesday, February 14, 2018
NEW - A Novel Night first: Dinner choices and payment for Novel Night 2018 will be made completely online. As usual, invitations with descriptions of Novel Night 2018 dinners, ticket price information, and details about the raffle will be mailed to Pelham homes. That mailing will be at the end of August, and dinner assignments will be made in October. The event to benefit the Town Library will be held November 17.
Posted Wednesday, February 14, 2018
NEW - A Novel Night first: Dinner choices and payment for Novel Night 2018 will be made completely online. As usual, invitations with descriptions of Novel Night 2018 dinners, ticket price information, and details about the raffle will be mailed to Pelham homes. That mailing will be at the end of August, and dinner assignments will be made in October. The event to benefit the Town Library will be held November 17.
The Pelhams - PLUS
Posted Wednesday, February 14, 2018
Posted Wednesday, February 14, 2018
Novel Night 2018 Open House for Hosts Held on February 11
Pelhamites interested in hosting Novel Night 2018 dinners attended an open house on February 11 held by the Friends of the Town of Pelham Public Library. Former hosts and caterers discussed everything from choosing a menu to creating the decor and selecting the right costumes, with examples ranging from the elaborate (one guest came dressed as the Brooklyn Bridge) to the casual (i.e., a bathing suit and shorts). This year's event will be held on November 17. For more information about hosting, contact [email protected].
News of Pelham, February 8-28, 2018
How to Host a Novel Night 2018 Dinner
Open House on Feb. 11
The Pelhams - PLUS
Posted Thursday, January 25, 2018
Novel Night 2018 planning is in full swing—and that means it’s time to start thinking about hosting a dinner. For Pelhamites interested in learning about what’s involved, the Friends of the Town of Pelham Public Library are holding an open house on Sunday, Feb. 11. Former hosts will give presentations about how they did it, from picking a book to choosing the décor.
Held every other year, Novel Night is Pelham’s premier fundraising extravaganza. Hosts hold book-themed dinners in their homes or other locations, followed by an After Party at the New York Athletic Club with dancing, drinks, and dessert. This year's Novel Night will be held Nov. 17.
Open house time: 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Place: 316 Loring Avenue. For more information, contact Judy Shampanier at [email protected].
Open House on Feb. 11
The Pelhams - PLUS
Posted Thursday, January 25, 2018
Novel Night 2018 planning is in full swing—and that means it’s time to start thinking about hosting a dinner. For Pelhamites interested in learning about what’s involved, the Friends of the Town of Pelham Public Library are holding an open house on Sunday, Feb. 11. Former hosts will give presentations about how they did it, from picking a book to choosing the décor.
Held every other year, Novel Night is Pelham’s premier fundraising extravaganza. Hosts hold book-themed dinners in their homes or other locations, followed by an After Party at the New York Athletic Club with dancing, drinks, and dessert. This year's Novel Night will be held Nov. 17.
Open house time: 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Place: 316 Loring Avenue. For more information, contact Judy Shampanier at [email protected].
News of Pelham, January 2018
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Novel Night 2016
Featured After Party Following Dinners with Book Themes The Pelhams - PLUS Posted Wednesday, November 23, 2016 Photos by Deborah Karson It was the biggest Novel Night ever. More than 750 guests attended 29 Novel Night 2016 dinners and over 800 revelers enjoyed the After Party at the New York Athletic Club on Nov. 19. |
|
|
The fundraiser for the Town of Pelham Public Library, which is held every other year by the Friends of the Town of Pelham Public Library, featured book-themed dinners in private homes and other locations, with decorations, cuisine and, sometimes, entertainment designed to fit that particular work.
Guests at a dinner tied to the novel "Brooklyn" took part in traditional Irish dancing, for example, while diners at "The Tequila Worm" listened to a guitarist play Mexican music. At "The Official Preppy Handbook," cocktails were served out of the back of a Volvo, by the side of a faux tennis court specially constructed for the occasion.
After the dinners, guests gathered at the NY Athletic Club for drinks, dessert and dancing, dressed in an array of costumes, from disco dancers in glittery body suits to Revolutionary War officers and preppies with popped up collars.
“This was the most successful Novel Night in the more than 20 years we've held this fundraiser,” said Judy Shampanier, co-chair of the Novel Night committee with Sharene Jones. Both are members of the Friends board. "Now we have to figure out how to top it in 2018."
Guests at a dinner tied to the novel "Brooklyn" took part in traditional Irish dancing, for example, while diners at "The Tequila Worm" listened to a guitarist play Mexican music. At "The Official Preppy Handbook," cocktails were served out of the back of a Volvo, by the side of a faux tennis court specially constructed for the occasion.
After the dinners, guests gathered at the NY Athletic Club for drinks, dessert and dancing, dressed in an array of costumes, from disco dancers in glittery body suits to Revolutionary War officers and preppies with popped up collars.
“This was the most successful Novel Night in the more than 20 years we've held this fundraiser,” said Judy Shampanier, co-chair of the Novel Night committee with Sharene Jones. Both are members of the Friends board. "Now we have to figure out how to top it in 2018."
Novel Night 2014.
Photo by Deborah Karson
The Pelhams - PLUS
Posted Tuesday, November 15, 2016
Novel Night on Saturday Set to Make Pelham History on Attendance and Funds Raised
Pelham history will be made this Saturday night (Nov. 19), when the biggest Novel Night event ever—and probably the town's largest fundraiser—will take place.
More than 800 Pelhamites are scheduled to attend 29 dinners hosted at venues all over town, as well as in New Rochelle. Those dinner guests and an additional 50 people-plus are expected at the After Party, to be held at the New York Athletic Club. (Tickets to the After Party can also be purchased at the door.)
In addition, close to 40 businesses and organizations have donated to the event.
The proceeds will benefit the Town of Pelham Public Library, contributing to the collection, as well as programs, repairs and other needs.
"We're overwhelmed by the generous support from the community, both residents and businesses," said Judy Shampanier, who with Sharene Jones is co-chair of the Novel Night committee. They are members of the Friends of the Town of Pelham Public Library, which organizes the event.
Posted Tuesday, November 15, 2016
Novel Night on Saturday Set to Make Pelham History on Attendance and Funds Raised
Pelham history will be made this Saturday night (Nov. 19), when the biggest Novel Night event ever—and probably the town's largest fundraiser—will take place.
More than 800 Pelhamites are scheduled to attend 29 dinners hosted at venues all over town, as well as in New Rochelle. Those dinner guests and an additional 50 people-plus are expected at the After Party, to be held at the New York Athletic Club. (Tickets to the After Party can also be purchased at the door.)
In addition, close to 40 businesses and organizations have donated to the event.
The proceeds will benefit the Town of Pelham Public Library, contributing to the collection, as well as programs, repairs and other needs.
"We're overwhelmed by the generous support from the community, both residents and businesses," said Judy Shampanier, who with Sharene Jones is co-chair of the Novel Night committee. They are members of the Friends of the Town of Pelham Public Library, which organizes the event.
Photo by Deborah Karson
|
The Pelhams - PLUS Posted Monday, October 31, 2016 Stiefvater Real Estate Supports Novel Night 2016 Stievfater Real Estate has become a Newbery Level sponsor of Novel Night 2016. Pictured: Scott Stiefvater. |
|
The Pelhams - PLUS
Posted Monday, October 24, 2016 Garb-O-Liner Is Newbery Level Sponsor of Novel Night 2016 Garb-O-Liner recently became a Newbery Level sponsor of Novel Night 2016. Pictured are Maryann Pfeiffer and Richard Ellenbogen. |
Photo by Deborah Karson
|
|
The Pelhams - PLUS
Posted Thursday, October 20, 2016 Newbery Level Supporter of Novel Night: Ball Chain Manufacturing Ball Chain Manufacturing recently became a Newbery Level supporter of Novel Night 2016. Pictured are Ball Chain’s Val Taubner Jr. (left) and Bill Taubner (right). |
Photo by Deborah Karson
|
At the 2014 After Party: Christa, Josh & Paula; photo by Deborah Karson
The Pelhams - PLUS
Posted Tuesday, October 18, 2016
Novel Night After Party Tickets Available
A conversation lounge, a picture-taking room and The Giving Tree will be part of Novel Night’s After Party at the New York Athletic Club on Nov. 19 along with dancing, drinks and dessert. Pelhamites who didn't get the chance to attend the sold-out dinner this year are especially welcome to hang out with the hundreds dressed in a panoply of costumes at the After Party.
For a ticket to the After Party ($100), go to www.pelhamnovelnight.com/rsvp.html, where you can print out the form. Please mail it and payment to PO Box 8557, Pelham, NY 10803.
New to the After Party this year will be a conversation lounge that will serve as a real destination. People who want to get away from the music and dancing can meet in the lounge and can chat while listening to a special playlist. The tunes will be toe-tapping, but also lower-key—and more conversation-friendly —than the songs guests will hear in the big hall.
In another room will be green screen backdrops related to books chosen by dinner hosts, where guests can have their pictures taken.
The Giving Tree will return, but, this year, there will be surprise gifts for donations. Meant to resemble the cover of the beloved children’s classic "The Giving Tree," it was created by Pelham Middle School art students in 2014. Guests can make donations of at least $25 for a leaf from the tree.
As with everything at Novel Night, which is run by the Friends of the Town of Pelham Public Library, proceeds will benefit the Town of Pelham Public Library.
Posted Tuesday, October 18, 2016
Novel Night After Party Tickets Available
A conversation lounge, a picture-taking room and The Giving Tree will be part of Novel Night’s After Party at the New York Athletic Club on Nov. 19 along with dancing, drinks and dessert. Pelhamites who didn't get the chance to attend the sold-out dinner this year are especially welcome to hang out with the hundreds dressed in a panoply of costumes at the After Party.
For a ticket to the After Party ($100), go to www.pelhamnovelnight.com/rsvp.html, where you can print out the form. Please mail it and payment to PO Box 8557, Pelham, NY 10803.
New to the After Party this year will be a conversation lounge that will serve as a real destination. People who want to get away from the music and dancing can meet in the lounge and can chat while listening to a special playlist. The tunes will be toe-tapping, but also lower-key—and more conversation-friendly —than the songs guests will hear in the big hall.
In another room will be green screen backdrops related to books chosen by dinner hosts, where guests can have their pictures taken.
The Giving Tree will return, but, this year, there will be surprise gifts for donations. Meant to resemble the cover of the beloved children’s classic "The Giving Tree," it was created by Pelham Middle School art students in 2014. Guests can make donations of at least $25 for a leaf from the tree.
As with everything at Novel Night, which is run by the Friends of the Town of Pelham Public Library, proceeds will benefit the Town of Pelham Public Library.
The Pelhams - PLUS
Posted Thursday, October 6, 2016
Novel Night Raffle for Paris & Vence (France) Vacation
As part of Novel Night 2016, Pelhamites can buy raffle tickets to win a four day vacation in Paris and Vence (France), including lunch and dinner at two deluxe Parisian restaurants, donated by Bayside Travel. Tickets are $50.
Although airfare is not included, the trip includes two nights in Paris, with accommodations at Esprit Saint-Germain, a luxury boutique hotel on the Left Bank, http://www.hotel-esprit-saintgermain.com/en ; lunch at Le Dalí, located at the Le Meurice Hotel, including a welcome glass of champagne; dinner at Le Relais Plaza at the Plaza Athénée Hotel; two museum passes and a private half-day walking tour.
That will be followed by two nights in Vence, in the South of France, staying at the romantic Château Saint-Martin, http://www.chateau-st-martin.com/fr/accueil/. Accommodations are in a junior suite, with breakfast included.
You don’t even have to attend Novel Night to buy a raffle ticket. Tickets were included with invitations to Novel Night, and also are available on the Novel Night site www.pelhamnovelnight.com and at the After Party.
Novel Night, the biggest fundraiser in Pelham, is held every other year by the Friends of the Town of Pelham Public Library to benefit the library. Pelhamites host dinners in their homes or other locations, each tied to a particular book. Food and decorations match the theme and guests are invited to come in costume. The evening ends with dancing, drinks and dessert at an After Party held at the New York Athletic Club. This year’s event will take place on Saturday, November 19.
Posted Thursday, October 6, 2016
Novel Night Raffle for Paris & Vence (France) Vacation
As part of Novel Night 2016, Pelhamites can buy raffle tickets to win a four day vacation in Paris and Vence (France), including lunch and dinner at two deluxe Parisian restaurants, donated by Bayside Travel. Tickets are $50.
Although airfare is not included, the trip includes two nights in Paris, with accommodations at Esprit Saint-Germain, a luxury boutique hotel on the Left Bank, http://www.hotel-esprit-saintgermain.com/en ; lunch at Le Dalí, located at the Le Meurice Hotel, including a welcome glass of champagne; dinner at Le Relais Plaza at the Plaza Athénée Hotel; two museum passes and a private half-day walking tour.
That will be followed by two nights in Vence, in the South of France, staying at the romantic Château Saint-Martin, http://www.chateau-st-martin.com/fr/accueil/. Accommodations are in a junior suite, with breakfast included.
You don’t even have to attend Novel Night to buy a raffle ticket. Tickets were included with invitations to Novel Night, and also are available on the Novel Night site www.pelhamnovelnight.com and at the After Party.
Novel Night, the biggest fundraiser in Pelham, is held every other year by the Friends of the Town of Pelham Public Library to benefit the library. Pelhamites host dinners in their homes or other locations, each tied to a particular book. Food and decorations match the theme and guests are invited to come in costume. The evening ends with dancing, drinks and dessert at an After Party held at the New York Athletic Club. This year’s event will take place on Saturday, November 19.
Photo by Deborah Karson
The Pelhams - PLUS
Posted Thursday, September 29, 2016
Bookmark: As Novel Night Approaches, A Look at How Past Dinner Hosts Have Brought Books to Life; RSVP to 2016 Dinners by This Saturday
By Catharine P. Taylor
Every two years in the fall, Pelham is blanketed with something in addition to falling leaves: invitations to Novel Night, the biennial fundraiser by the Friends of the Town of Pelham Public Library. This year, Novel Night will be held on Saturday, November 19.
It’s unusual among benefit events because its centerpiece is more than two dozen separate dinners around Pelham, each themed around a different book. This year’s menu of 28 dinners includes: "Alexander Hamilton," "Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania," "Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk" and "Ragtime."
For those thinking of going, the invitation sets the mind racing. How does one host a dinner around the theme of a sinking ocean liner? Will the dinner centered on Alexander Hamilton more resemble the book or the Broadway musical? Will the people hosting the Please Kill Me dinner have a vinyl copy of "Never Mind the Bollocks"—or should I bring mine?
The creativity poured into Novel Night dinners is the stuff of local lore, so for this Bookmark, we talked to past hosts of Novel Night dinners about why they selected the books they did—and how they brought those books to life.
(By the way, if you’re planning on attending a dinner, you must RSVP by Saturday, October 1, though tickets to the raffle and after-party at the New York Athletic Club will remain on sale, even on-site. Visit pelhamnovelnight.com for details.)
Where Practicality Meets Creativity
At the very least, one would think that hosting a dinner would require furniture, but that’s not necessarily the case. In fact, for Maryann Pfeiffer and Richard Ellenbogen, who have hosted Novel Night dinners at their home four times, it became the driving force behind their first dinner, "Phantom of the Opera" in 2006, which they hosted with Catherine and Bill Taubner. Having recently moved into their home, they didn’t have a lot of living room furniture, which made it the perfect space to turn into a large banquet hall with rented tables and chairs. The room also had just the right accoutrements: a motorized chandelier, and a balcony where a hired phantom of the opera roamed about.
Once they had the official guest list from the Novel Night committee (attendees name three choices and are assigned dinners on a first-come, first-serve basis), Pfeiffer and Ellenbogen sent each guest “tickets” to the opera.
The House Rules
For other Novel Night hosts, it’s the venue that leads to the book selection. That was the case with 2014’s "Right Ho, Jeeves" dinner, held in the home of Friends’ treasurer Anthea Perkinson and her husband, Shaun Gurl, and co-hosted with two other couples: Mary Callahan and Phil Corbett, and Anne Field and Geoff Lewis. Ms. Field, a co-president of the Friends, explained, “We knew we were holding the dinner at Anthea's, which is a big house that feels very British country-style. So, 'Right Ho, Jeeves,' about a British upper-class twit and his brilliant butler, seemed to be a good fit for the house.”
The residence was built in the early 1900s, and the book, by P. G. Wodehouse, was published in 1934.
The hosts infused the house with subtle British and period touches. A Union Jack flew over the front door, and Cole Porter music seemed to come from a 1930s radio (though the player was actually hidden behind it). A top hat and walking stick were perched by the door, and portraits of members of the royal family were also placed about the house. The food, featuring British staples, was mostly cooked by Perkinson, though a few British specialties, such as meat pies, were “imported” from Manhattan.
Bridging Two Locales—in One House
Just as books often shift location, the dinners sometimes do, too. The hurdle for hosts is portraying a change in scene all under the same roof. Ms. Pfeiffer and Mr. Ellenbogen, who hosted "The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe" with the Taubners in 2008, transported their guests to Narnia (actually their dining room) by having them enter and exit a wardrobe. The wintertime Narnia was created in part with a machine—built by Mr. Ellenbogen, a one-time president of the Library’s board—that spouted fake snow. “My husband goes a little bit crazy, to say the least,” said Ms. Pfeiffer, herself a former Board Member of the Friends.
The hosts of 2014’s "Orange Is the New Black"—Indrani Franchini and her friend Stacey Gaine— faced the same challenge. The book tells the true story of a Smith College alum’s prison term, but they didn’t want the dinner to take place entirely behind bars. Appetizers were served in an elegant “pre-arrest” area, and the entrance hall was “admissions,” where guests were fingerprinted and had mug shots taken. After going behind bars—built by a handyman—guests entered the family room, now a “prison” with no rug, a cafeteria-style table and folding chairs. They also served prison food, of a sort: macaroni and cheese—with lobster.
Ms. Franchini and Ms. Gaine chose the book after both read it one summer and liking it better than the Netflix series. They also loved that the theme provided a chance to dress down. “It was anti-fancy,” recalls Ms. Gaine. “I thought people would really like it, and they did.”
The shift from fab to drab—though in reverse—also took place at the 2012 "Hunger Games" dinner hosted by Sharene Jones (the co-chair of Novel Night this year and in 2014) and Kristin van Ogtrop. “We chose 'The Hunger Games' in part because we both had kids in high school and Hunger Games fever had certainly captured them,” Ms. van Ogtrop explains. The teens ended up being servers at the dinner.
“We wanted to pick a book that was exciting and wonderful at that time,” adds Ms. Jones.
Appetizers and drinks, offered in tin cups and mason jars, were served in “District 12,” an Appalachian-like region in the book. To create a hardscrabble look, Ms. van Ogtrop’s living room walls were covered in burlap.
Then, after Jones handed out lottery tickets—in a spoof on picking Hunger Games “tributes”—guests were ushered into a banquet worthy of the book’s over-the-top Capitol (yes, Capitol), a place where everything is amplified. Among the flourishes were massive, fake bouquets of flowers. Ms. Van Ogtrop had seen them in the window display of an Anthropologie store she passed every day in Manhattan and found a way to borrow them.
A Night for Everyone
Recounting the details of a few Novel Night dinners can never portray their full range. By design, the dinners are big and small, elegant and down-to-earth, home-cooked and catered, buffet and sit-down. Some people love to dress to the theme; others don’t. And some simply come to the after-party, which is a great opportunity to see friends and neighbors and be a part of the event.
As always, the Library thanks the Friends for putting on Novel Night – particularly co-chairs Sharene Jones and Judy Shampanier, and Deborah Winstead, who has been in charge of business outreach. Proceeds from Novel Night fund many programs at the Library.
Posted Thursday, September 29, 2016
Bookmark: As Novel Night Approaches, A Look at How Past Dinner Hosts Have Brought Books to Life; RSVP to 2016 Dinners by This Saturday
By Catharine P. Taylor
Every two years in the fall, Pelham is blanketed with something in addition to falling leaves: invitations to Novel Night, the biennial fundraiser by the Friends of the Town of Pelham Public Library. This year, Novel Night will be held on Saturday, November 19.
It’s unusual among benefit events because its centerpiece is more than two dozen separate dinners around Pelham, each themed around a different book. This year’s menu of 28 dinners includes: "Alexander Hamilton," "Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania," "Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk" and "Ragtime."
For those thinking of going, the invitation sets the mind racing. How does one host a dinner around the theme of a sinking ocean liner? Will the dinner centered on Alexander Hamilton more resemble the book or the Broadway musical? Will the people hosting the Please Kill Me dinner have a vinyl copy of "Never Mind the Bollocks"—or should I bring mine?
The creativity poured into Novel Night dinners is the stuff of local lore, so for this Bookmark, we talked to past hosts of Novel Night dinners about why they selected the books they did—and how they brought those books to life.
(By the way, if you’re planning on attending a dinner, you must RSVP by Saturday, October 1, though tickets to the raffle and after-party at the New York Athletic Club will remain on sale, even on-site. Visit pelhamnovelnight.com for details.)
Where Practicality Meets Creativity
At the very least, one would think that hosting a dinner would require furniture, but that’s not necessarily the case. In fact, for Maryann Pfeiffer and Richard Ellenbogen, who have hosted Novel Night dinners at their home four times, it became the driving force behind their first dinner, "Phantom of the Opera" in 2006, which they hosted with Catherine and Bill Taubner. Having recently moved into their home, they didn’t have a lot of living room furniture, which made it the perfect space to turn into a large banquet hall with rented tables and chairs. The room also had just the right accoutrements: a motorized chandelier, and a balcony where a hired phantom of the opera roamed about.
Once they had the official guest list from the Novel Night committee (attendees name three choices and are assigned dinners on a first-come, first-serve basis), Pfeiffer and Ellenbogen sent each guest “tickets” to the opera.
The House Rules
For other Novel Night hosts, it’s the venue that leads to the book selection. That was the case with 2014’s "Right Ho, Jeeves" dinner, held in the home of Friends’ treasurer Anthea Perkinson and her husband, Shaun Gurl, and co-hosted with two other couples: Mary Callahan and Phil Corbett, and Anne Field and Geoff Lewis. Ms. Field, a co-president of the Friends, explained, “We knew we were holding the dinner at Anthea's, which is a big house that feels very British country-style. So, 'Right Ho, Jeeves,' about a British upper-class twit and his brilliant butler, seemed to be a good fit for the house.”
The residence was built in the early 1900s, and the book, by P. G. Wodehouse, was published in 1934.
The hosts infused the house with subtle British and period touches. A Union Jack flew over the front door, and Cole Porter music seemed to come from a 1930s radio (though the player was actually hidden behind it). A top hat and walking stick were perched by the door, and portraits of members of the royal family were also placed about the house. The food, featuring British staples, was mostly cooked by Perkinson, though a few British specialties, such as meat pies, were “imported” from Manhattan.
Bridging Two Locales—in One House
Just as books often shift location, the dinners sometimes do, too. The hurdle for hosts is portraying a change in scene all under the same roof. Ms. Pfeiffer and Mr. Ellenbogen, who hosted "The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe" with the Taubners in 2008, transported their guests to Narnia (actually their dining room) by having them enter and exit a wardrobe. The wintertime Narnia was created in part with a machine—built by Mr. Ellenbogen, a one-time president of the Library’s board—that spouted fake snow. “My husband goes a little bit crazy, to say the least,” said Ms. Pfeiffer, herself a former Board Member of the Friends.
The hosts of 2014’s "Orange Is the New Black"—Indrani Franchini and her friend Stacey Gaine— faced the same challenge. The book tells the true story of a Smith College alum’s prison term, but they didn’t want the dinner to take place entirely behind bars. Appetizers were served in an elegant “pre-arrest” area, and the entrance hall was “admissions,” where guests were fingerprinted and had mug shots taken. After going behind bars—built by a handyman—guests entered the family room, now a “prison” with no rug, a cafeteria-style table and folding chairs. They also served prison food, of a sort: macaroni and cheese—with lobster.
Ms. Franchini and Ms. Gaine chose the book after both read it one summer and liking it better than the Netflix series. They also loved that the theme provided a chance to dress down. “It was anti-fancy,” recalls Ms. Gaine. “I thought people would really like it, and they did.”
The shift from fab to drab—though in reverse—also took place at the 2012 "Hunger Games" dinner hosted by Sharene Jones (the co-chair of Novel Night this year and in 2014) and Kristin van Ogtrop. “We chose 'The Hunger Games' in part because we both had kids in high school and Hunger Games fever had certainly captured them,” Ms. van Ogtrop explains. The teens ended up being servers at the dinner.
“We wanted to pick a book that was exciting and wonderful at that time,” adds Ms. Jones.
Appetizers and drinks, offered in tin cups and mason jars, were served in “District 12,” an Appalachian-like region in the book. To create a hardscrabble look, Ms. van Ogtrop’s living room walls were covered in burlap.
Then, after Jones handed out lottery tickets—in a spoof on picking Hunger Games “tributes”—guests were ushered into a banquet worthy of the book’s over-the-top Capitol (yes, Capitol), a place where everything is amplified. Among the flourishes were massive, fake bouquets of flowers. Ms. Van Ogtrop had seen them in the window display of an Anthropologie store she passed every day in Manhattan and found a way to borrow them.
A Night for Everyone
Recounting the details of a few Novel Night dinners can never portray their full range. By design, the dinners are big and small, elegant and down-to-earth, home-cooked and catered, buffet and sit-down. Some people love to dress to the theme; others don’t. And some simply come to the after-party, which is a great opportunity to see friends and neighbors and be a part of the event.
As always, the Library thanks the Friends for putting on Novel Night – particularly co-chairs Sharene Jones and Judy Shampanier, and Deborah Winstead, who has been in charge of business outreach. Proceeds from Novel Night fund many programs at the Library.
News of Pelham, September 2016
The Pelhams - PLUS
Posted September 15, 2016
Benchmark Education Donates to Novel Night 2016
Benchmark Education, owned by Pelham's Tom and Sera Reycraft, recently became a Newbery-level sponsor of Novel Night 2016, the Town of Pelham Public Library’s major fundraiser.
The event, run by the Friends of the Town of Pelham Public Library, will be held on Saturday, November 19. Invitations were recently mailed to Pelhamites’ homes. They are also available online to print at www.pelhamnovelnight.com. In either case, you need to send your RSVP, with payment, via regular mail. Raffle tickets, however, can be purchased online.
Sera and Tom Reycraft. Photo by Stephanie Margiotta
Posted September 15, 2016
Benchmark Education Donates to Novel Night 2016
Benchmark Education, owned by Pelham's Tom and Sera Reycraft, recently became a Newbery-level sponsor of Novel Night 2016, the Town of Pelham Public Library’s major fundraiser.
The event, run by the Friends of the Town of Pelham Public Library, will be held on Saturday, November 19. Invitations were recently mailed to Pelhamites’ homes. They are also available online to print at www.pelhamnovelnight.com. In either case, you need to send your RSVP, with payment, via regular mail. Raffle tickets, however, can be purchased online.
Sera and Tom Reycraft. Photo by Stephanie Margiotta
The Pelhams - PLUS
Posted September 14, 2016
2016 Novel Night Invitations in the Mail and Available to Print Online
With Novel Night 2016 only two months away, invitations were recently mailed to Pelhamites’ homes. They are also available online to print at www.pelhamnovelnight.com. In either case, you need to send your RSVP, with payment, via regular mail. Raffle tickets, however, can be purchased online.
Novel Night 2016, which will take place Nov. 19, is held every other year. Organized by the Friends of the Town of Pelham Public Library, the proceeds benefit important programs and other vital resources at the Town of Pelham Public Library.
On Novel Night, book-themed dinners are held in private homes or other locations in Pelham. Cuisine and decorations at each soiree match the particular novel and guests are invited to come in costume. Then, there’s an After Party at the New York Athletic Club, where hundreds of Pelhamites dressed in a riot of period attire gather for drinks, dancing and dessert.
There also will be a lounge where guests can chat while listening to more low-key music. And guests can have their pictures taken before a variety of green screen backdrops customized to fit the books chosen by dinner hosts .
“We’re sure Novel Night 2016 will be the best Novel Night ever,” said Sharene Jones, who is co-chair with Judy Shampanier of the Novel Night committee. “It’s probably the most fun event in town—and it all goes to benefit the Library.”
Guests return their RSVPs with their top choices for dinners they would like to attend. Then dinners are assigned on a first-come-first-served basis. This year, there’s a new option called the Golden Ticket for people who want to be guaranteed four spots at their favorite choice. Golden Ticket purchasers will be recognized in all online media and at Novel Night. They also may choose to honor someone with their ticket.
Raffle tickets for a four-day, four-night trip to Paris and Vence, France will be included with the invitations.
The RSVPs are due Oct. 1, but getting replies in as soon as possible is recommended. Over 700 people attended the previous Novel Night.
Invitations are sponsored by McClellan Sotheby’s International Realty. The open bars and dessert buffets at the After Party are sponsored by Meridian Risk Management and Joan Solimine Real Estate.
Posted September 14, 2016
2016 Novel Night Invitations in the Mail and Available to Print Online
With Novel Night 2016 only two months away, invitations were recently mailed to Pelhamites’ homes. They are also available online to print at www.pelhamnovelnight.com. In either case, you need to send your RSVP, with payment, via regular mail. Raffle tickets, however, can be purchased online.
Novel Night 2016, which will take place Nov. 19, is held every other year. Organized by the Friends of the Town of Pelham Public Library, the proceeds benefit important programs and other vital resources at the Town of Pelham Public Library.
On Novel Night, book-themed dinners are held in private homes or other locations in Pelham. Cuisine and decorations at each soiree match the particular novel and guests are invited to come in costume. Then, there’s an After Party at the New York Athletic Club, where hundreds of Pelhamites dressed in a riot of period attire gather for drinks, dancing and dessert.
There also will be a lounge where guests can chat while listening to more low-key music. And guests can have their pictures taken before a variety of green screen backdrops customized to fit the books chosen by dinner hosts .
“We’re sure Novel Night 2016 will be the best Novel Night ever,” said Sharene Jones, who is co-chair with Judy Shampanier of the Novel Night committee. “It’s probably the most fun event in town—and it all goes to benefit the Library.”
Guests return their RSVPs with their top choices for dinners they would like to attend. Then dinners are assigned on a first-come-first-served basis. This year, there’s a new option called the Golden Ticket for people who want to be guaranteed four spots at their favorite choice. Golden Ticket purchasers will be recognized in all online media and at Novel Night. They also may choose to honor someone with their ticket.
Raffle tickets for a four-day, four-night trip to Paris and Vence, France will be included with the invitations.
The RSVPs are due Oct. 1, but getting replies in as soon as possible is recommended. Over 700 people attended the previous Novel Night.
Invitations are sponsored by McClellan Sotheby’s International Realty. The open bars and dessert buffets at the After Party are sponsored by Meridian Risk Management and Joan Solimine Real Estate.
The Pelhams - PLUS
Posted August 2016
Raffle for Catered Dinner for 12: Only $20—To Benefit Town Library
Raffle tickets are on sale for a catered dinner for 12 from Standing Room Only, with proceeds benefiting the Town of Pelham Public Library. The winner of a $20 ticket gets: Hors d’oeuvres, salad, entrée, dessert, plus manager/waiter, chef and bartender, from set-up to cleanup, for 6.5 hours. Value: $3,000.00. It’s valid for one year from October 15, 2016, to November 19, 2017, so the winner can use it for hosting a Novel Night 2016 dinner if he or she so chooses.
Tickets will be available outside DeCicco, Mondays and Thursdays, 6 pm-8 pm, at the library and at www.pelhamnovelnight.com. The raffle drawing will be October 15.
Posted August 2016
Raffle for Catered Dinner for 12: Only $20—To Benefit Town Library
Raffle tickets are on sale for a catered dinner for 12 from Standing Room Only, with proceeds benefiting the Town of Pelham Public Library. The winner of a $20 ticket gets: Hors d’oeuvres, salad, entrée, dessert, plus manager/waiter, chef and bartender, from set-up to cleanup, for 6.5 hours. Value: $3,000.00. It’s valid for one year from October 15, 2016, to November 19, 2017, so the winner can use it for hosting a Novel Night 2016 dinner if he or she so chooses.
Tickets will be available outside DeCicco, Mondays and Thursdays, 6 pm-8 pm, at the library and at www.pelhamnovelnight.com. The raffle drawing will be October 15.
The Pelhams - PLUS
Posted Monday, August 1, 2016
Greener By Design recently became a Newbery level sponsor of Novel Night, the Town of Pelham Public Library’s major fundraiser. Held every other year, the event will take place Nov. 19, 2016. Pictured: Greener by Design staff
Photo by Deborah Karson
Posted Monday, August 1, 2016
Greener By Design recently became a Newbery level sponsor of Novel Night, the Town of Pelham Public Library’s major fundraiser. Held every other year, the event will take place Nov. 19, 2016. Pictured: Greener by Design staff
Photo by Deborah Karson
The Pelhams - PLUS
Posted Monday, July 25, 2016
Meridian Risk Management and Joan Solimine Real Estate Make Major Donation to Novel Night 2016
Meridian Risk Management and Joan Solimine Real Estate have donated $6,000 to fund the dessert buffet and After Party open bar for Novel Night 2016. Novel Night is the major fundraiser for the Town of Pelham Public Library. The 2016 festivities will take place on Saturday, Nov. 19.
Pictured left to right: Joe Solimine Jr., Joan Solimine, Jeannine Foxx, and Joe Solimine Sr. Photo by Deborah Karson
Posted Monday, July 25, 2016
Meridian Risk Management and Joan Solimine Real Estate Make Major Donation to Novel Night 2016
Meridian Risk Management and Joan Solimine Real Estate have donated $6,000 to fund the dessert buffet and After Party open bar for Novel Night 2016. Novel Night is the major fundraiser for the Town of Pelham Public Library. The 2016 festivities will take place on Saturday, Nov. 19.
Pictured left to right: Joe Solimine Jr., Joan Solimine, Jeannine Foxx, and Joe Solimine Sr. Photo by Deborah Karson
The Pelhams - PLUS
Posted Tuesday, July 5, 2016
Link Insurance Donates $1,500 to Novel Night Library Fundraiser
Link Insurance Agency recently donated $1,500 to support Novel Night, the Town of Pelham Public Library’s biennial fundraiser, which will be held Nov. 19, 2016. Pictured: Mark Link of Link Insurance Agency. Photo by Deborah Karson
Posted Tuesday, July 5, 2016
Link Insurance Donates $1,500 to Novel Night Library Fundraiser
Link Insurance Agency recently donated $1,500 to support Novel Night, the Town of Pelham Public Library’s biennial fundraiser, which will be held Nov. 19, 2016. Pictured: Mark Link of Link Insurance Agency. Photo by Deborah Karson
The Pelhams - PLUS
Posted Wednesday, May 4, 2016
It Is Time to Sign On As a Dinner Host for Novel Night 2016
Attention, Novel Night Dinner Hosts:
Sign on to be a dinner host—for a group of six or eight guests; or join with two or three other couples and host a larger group! The minimum number of guests is 10 guests per one host.
Scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 19, this year's town-wide, biennial fundraiser, run by the Friends of the Town of Pelham Public Library, will once again be the biggest in Pelham. Central to the evening are book-themed dinners held in private homes, restaurants or other venues around town to which guests can come in costume or cocktail attire. The meals will be followed by a party with dessert, drinks and dancing — plus other surprises — at the New York Athletic Club. More than 700 people attended the last Novel Night, held in 2014.
How do the dinners work? Hosts usually create a menu and decorate their home, the dining room of a restaurant or another site, based on their choice of novel. Décor ranges from no-frills to lavish—and everything in between.
Take, for example, a Novel Night 2014 dinner based on The Night Circus, a novel set in Victorian England when a mysterious black-and-white circus suddenly appears only at night. The three couples hosting the meal threw themselves into the planning, covering the dining room floor with white and the hallway with black-and-white vinyl adhesive tiles. They also made a ticket booth out of a refrigerator box from Tiso’s that guests encountered as soon as they entered the house, and decorated each room with inexpensive gauze fabrics to represent different circus tents. A caterer cooked and served the meal.
“We had a lot of fun planning that event,” says co-host Louise Price Kelly, whose sons took the tickets and au pair played the part of a fortune teller.
Carleen Murdock, who hosted a dinner with her husband Dan based on Water for Elephants, a novel about a circus in the 1930’s, took a different approach. She hired a local Pelhamite dressed in a trapeze outfit to tend the bar and serve hors d’oeuvres, festooned the dining room with yellow and red streamers, and decorated the house with nine toy elephants she gathered via MOPs, as well as two of her own large ceramic pachyderms. She also cooked the dinner herself, basing it on a meal described in the novel.
To sign up to be a dinner host, contact Elaine Chang at [email protected]
For more information about Novel Night and hosting, visit http://www.pelhamnovelnight.com or https://www.facebook.com/Pelhamnovelnight.
Posted Wednesday, May 4, 2016
It Is Time to Sign On As a Dinner Host for Novel Night 2016
Attention, Novel Night Dinner Hosts:
Sign on to be a dinner host—for a group of six or eight guests; or join with two or three other couples and host a larger group! The minimum number of guests is 10 guests per one host.
Scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 19, this year's town-wide, biennial fundraiser, run by the Friends of the Town of Pelham Public Library, will once again be the biggest in Pelham. Central to the evening are book-themed dinners held in private homes, restaurants or other venues around town to which guests can come in costume or cocktail attire. The meals will be followed by a party with dessert, drinks and dancing — plus other surprises — at the New York Athletic Club. More than 700 people attended the last Novel Night, held in 2014.
How do the dinners work? Hosts usually create a menu and decorate their home, the dining room of a restaurant or another site, based on their choice of novel. Décor ranges from no-frills to lavish—and everything in between.
Take, for example, a Novel Night 2014 dinner based on The Night Circus, a novel set in Victorian England when a mysterious black-and-white circus suddenly appears only at night. The three couples hosting the meal threw themselves into the planning, covering the dining room floor with white and the hallway with black-and-white vinyl adhesive tiles. They also made a ticket booth out of a refrigerator box from Tiso’s that guests encountered as soon as they entered the house, and decorated each room with inexpensive gauze fabrics to represent different circus tents. A caterer cooked and served the meal.
“We had a lot of fun planning that event,” says co-host Louise Price Kelly, whose sons took the tickets and au pair played the part of a fortune teller.
Carleen Murdock, who hosted a dinner with her husband Dan based on Water for Elephants, a novel about a circus in the 1930’s, took a different approach. She hired a local Pelhamite dressed in a trapeze outfit to tend the bar and serve hors d’oeuvres, festooned the dining room with yellow and red streamers, and decorated the house with nine toy elephants she gathered via MOPs, as well as two of her own large ceramic pachyderms. She also cooked the dinner herself, basing it on a meal described in the novel.
To sign up to be a dinner host, contact Elaine Chang at [email protected]
For more information about Novel Night and hosting, visit http://www.pelhamnovelnight.com or https://www.facebook.com/Pelhamnovelnight.
News of Pelham
March 31-April 13, 2016
March 31-April 13, 2016
Pelham Post
April 20-May 3, 2016
Novel Night Dinner Hosts: It’s That Time of Year Again
http://thepelhampost.com/town3.html
The next Novel Night celebration, scheduled for Nov. 19, is just around the corner. So it’s time for Pelhamites interested in hosting a dinner to volunteer!
Novel Night is a town-wide, biennial fundraiser -- the biggest in Pelham -- run by the Friends of the Town of Pelham Public Library. Hosts hold book-themed dinners in private homes, restaurants or other venues around town to which guests can come in costume or cocktail attire. Those meals are followed by a party with dessert, drinks and dancing at the New York Athletic Club. Over 700 people attended the last Novel Night, held in 2014.
How do the dinners work? Hosts usually create a menu and decorate their home, dining room of a restaurant or other site, based on their choice of novel. Décor ranges from no-frills to lavish—and everything in between. Some past examples: LA Confidential, featuring furniture covered with garbage bags, crime scene tape and a police booth made from a refrigerator box; The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, where guests entered the house through a wardrobe; and Brokeback Mountain, which included the Naked Cowboy (yes, from Times Square).
Whatever novel you choose, past hosts agree that it’s always a lot of fun -- and a memorable experience.
April 20-May 3, 2016
Novel Night Dinner Hosts: It’s That Time of Year Again
http://thepelhampost.com/town3.html
The next Novel Night celebration, scheduled for Nov. 19, is just around the corner. So it’s time for Pelhamites interested in hosting a dinner to volunteer!
Novel Night is a town-wide, biennial fundraiser -- the biggest in Pelham -- run by the Friends of the Town of Pelham Public Library. Hosts hold book-themed dinners in private homes, restaurants or other venues around town to which guests can come in costume or cocktail attire. Those meals are followed by a party with dessert, drinks and dancing at the New York Athletic Club. Over 700 people attended the last Novel Night, held in 2014.
How do the dinners work? Hosts usually create a menu and decorate their home, dining room of a restaurant or other site, based on their choice of novel. Décor ranges from no-frills to lavish—and everything in between. Some past examples: LA Confidential, featuring furniture covered with garbage bags, crime scene tape and a police booth made from a refrigerator box; The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, where guests entered the house through a wardrobe; and Brokeback Mountain, which included the Naked Cowboy (yes, from Times Square).
Whatever novel you choose, past hosts agree that it’s always a lot of fun -- and a memorable experience.
The Pelhams-PLUS
McClellan Sotheby’s International Realty Donates Funds for Novel Night Invitations
Posted Thursday, March 31, 2016
McClellan Sotheby’s International Realty Donates Funds for Novel Night Invitations
Posted Thursday, March 31, 2016
McClellan Sotheby’s International Realty donated $5,000 to fund the invitations for Novel Night, the Town of Pelham Public Library’s biennial fundraiser, which will be held Nov. 19, 2016. In the photo is Sona Davidian, Broker/Owner of McClellan Sotheby’s.
Photo by Deborah Karson
Photo by Deborah Karson