The Jefferson Parish Library will commemorate the 50th anniversary of Up Stairs Lounge fire with a free screening of Royd Anderson’s documentary on the tragedy at 6:30 p.m. June 22 at the East Bank Regional Library, 4747 W. Napoleon Ave., Metairie.
The New Orleans chapter of Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays is co-sponsoring this event.
Anderson, a Cuban-American filmmaker, teacher and historian who specializes in Louisiana disasters, will discuss the event. Clay Delery, author of the book "The Up Stairs Lounge Arson: Thirty-Two Deaths in a New Orleans Gay Bar, June 24, 1973," also will be present, as will Bobby Fieseler, author of "Tinderbox: The Untold Story of the Up Stairs Lounge Fire and the Rise of Gay Liberation."
No one was charged for starting the fire that claimed 32 lives on June 24, 1973, in a second-floor gay bar at 141 Chartres St. in the French Quarter. The primary suspect, a gay man with a history of psychiatric illness named Roger Dale Nunez, had been ejected from the bar earlier in the day. He killed himself in November 1974.
Many felt the fire was inadequately acknowledged by the New Orleans community — some family members refused to claim the bodies of their relatives out of shame, and local civic and religious leaders largely ignored the tragedy. According to survivors, many avoided talking about the event, as they faced discrimination in the workplace and from landlords.
NEW GENEALOGY SERIES: Gwen Kelley, a librarian who specializes in genealogy and local history, will lead a series of 14 free seminars this summer at the East Bank Regional Library, 4747 W. Napoleon Ave., Metairie. Each begins at 6 p.m.
- June 21 — United States Census
- June 28 — Vital records
- July 5 — Newspapers and obituaries
- July 12 — Cemetery records
- July 19 — Military records
- July 26 — Immigration records
- Aug. 2 — Ancestry.com
- Aug. 9 — FamilySearch.org
- Aug. 16 — Facebook for genealogy
- Aug. 23 — Google for genealogy
- Aug. 30 — Tracing female records
- Sept. 6 — Prison records
- Sept. 13 — Genetic genealogy
- Sept. 20 — Genealogical proof standard
WRITERS' CLINIC: The Saturday Writers’ Clinic will take place at the East Bank Regional Library, 4747 W. Napoleon Ave., Metairie. The first speaker, at 9:30 a.m., is Clay Delery, who will focus on the need for writers to create a sense of place. The second speaker, at 11 a.m., is Matthew Griffin, who will talk about character development.
BIG BAND: The Jerusalem Shrine Big Band performs at 7 p.m. June 20 at the East Bank Regional Library, 4747 W. Napoleon Ave., Metairie.
SPELLING BEE: The Jefferson Parish Library will hold its eighth annual Spelling Bee for adults at 7 p.m. June 14 at the East Bank Regional Library, 4747 W. Napoleon Ave., Metairie.
Adults 18 and older may participate. The bee is one in which individual competitors are eliminated as they fail to spell a given word correctly. The purpose of the bee is to promote good spelling, expand vocabulary and encourage accurate word usage and pronunciation.
TREES PLEASE: The Urban Tree Association hosts a program from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. June 14 at the Old Metairie Library, 2751 Old Metairie Road. The purpose of the meeting is to educate the public on the economic value and flood protection that trees provide homeowners.
PUZZLING: The West Bank Jigsaw Extravaganza will be held from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. June 17 at the Jane O’Brien Chatelain West Bank Regional Library, 2751 Manhattan Blvd., Harvey.
This event has two elements. Patrons may bring their used puzzles (with all the pieces present) to swap with each other.
Then, at 2 p.m., the Jigsaw Puzzle Contest takes place among teams of two people who will complete, or come close to completion, of a 500-piece puzzle by 4 p.m. The contest is limited to adults 18 years of age and older.
GRANDPARENT BOOK CLUB: Staff at the North Kenner Library, 630 W. Esplanade Ave., have created an intergenerational book club for kids and their family members. The first session takes place from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. June 19 with the classic "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day" by Judith Viorst.
Any adult with a child in his life is welcome. Families are encouraged to read the book before attending, though the book will be read during the session.
SUMMER READING PROGRAM: Events coming up as part of the program include:
• Wind in My Feathers — 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. June 13, Rosedale Library, 4036 Jefferson Highway, Jefferson.
• Didgeridoo Down Under — 11 a.m. to noon June 14, East Bank Regional Library, 4747 W. Napoleon Ave., Metairie.
• Didgeridoo Down Under — 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. June 14, Lakeshore Library, 1000 W. Esplanade, Metairie.
• Storytelling with Mama SaBa — 11 a.m. to noon June 14, River Ridge Library, 8825 Jefferson Highway, River Ridge.
• Blacksmith Demonstration — 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. June 14, Jane O’Brien Chatelain West Bank Regional Library, 2751 Manhattan Blvd., Harvey.
• Blacksmith Demonstration — 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. June 19, East Bank Regional Library, 4747 W. Napoleon Ave., Metairie.
• What a Wonderful World in Sign Language — 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. June 19, Wagner Library, 6646 Riverside Drive, Metairie.
• Storytelling with Mama Saba — 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. June 19, Harahan Library, 219 Soniat Ave., Harahan.
• What a Wonderful World in Sign Language — 11 a.m. to noon June 20, Jane O’Brien Chatelain West Bank Regional Library, 2751 Manhattan Blvd., Harvey.
• Storytelling with Mama Saba — 11 a.m. to noon June 20, Belle Terre Library, 5550 Belle Terre Blvd., Marrero.
• What a Wonderful World in Sign Language — 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. June 20, Live Oak Library, 125 Acadia, Waggaman.
• Ms. Vee with Stories for You and Me — 11 a.m. to noon June 21, Rosedale Library, 4036 Jefferson Highway, Jefferson.
• Everybody Hooping — 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. June 22, Gretna Library, 102 Willow Drive, Gretna.
• PortaPuppet Players Present “Tea with the Mad Hatter” — 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. June 22, Lafitte Library, 4917 City Park Drive, Lafitte.
• Spirograph Art for Teens — 11 a.m. to noon June 22, Jane O’Brien Chatelain West Bank Regional Library, 2751 Manhattan Blvd., Harvey.
• The Magic of Winston Helling Jr. — 11 a.m. to noon June 24, East Bank Regional Library, 4747 W. Napoleon Ave., Metairie.
JUNETEENTH: All Jefferson Parish Libraries are closed on June 16 in honor of Juneteenth, a federal holiday that commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African American.
Chris Smith is manager of adult programming at the Jefferson Parish Public Library.