Things to do, June 15-19

Jazz royalty

Cornell Cinema has reopened for the summer and is premiering "Anita O'Day: The Life of a Jazz Singer" in Willard Straight Theatre. The 2008 documentary gives O'Day her due as one of the "Three Queens" of jazz alongside singers Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald. The film will be shown with the Oscar-nominated 1944 short "Jammin' the Blues" June 16 and 19.

Other Ithaca premieres this week -- also about music and musicians -- include "Throw Down Your Heart" (June 15-19), following banjo master Béla Fleck's journey to trace his instrument's African roots while playing with gifted musicians in several countries; and "Fados" (June 18-23), director Carlos Saura's homage to a bluesy Portuguese music form. For more information, visit http://cinema.cornell.edu.

Animal magnetism

Findings by Charles Darwin and their lasting impact on the scientific observation of animal behavior are the subject of the Mann Library exhibition "Written on Our Faces: Darwin's 'The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals,'" through Sept. 15.

The display presents some of the major influences shaping the reasoning and methodology behind Darwin's treatise, and includes an enlargement of an original handwritten letter by Darwin to a colleague, recently discovered in the Cornell University Library archives.

The Mann exhibition and "Charles Darwin: After the Origin," in Kroch Library's Hirshland Gallery through Sept. 8, are part of the Cornell Library celebration of the 150th anniversary of the publication of Darwin's "The Origin of Species."

Twitter away

Politicians, celebrities and many of your friends are using Twitter to exchange news on the fly. Wondering what it is and how to tweet? Cornell Library will host a hands-on workshop June 18 from noon to 1 p.m. in Uris Library's Electronic Classroom. You'll learn how to use this fast and easy messaging tool, whether you're interested in networking, keeping in touch with friends and colleagues or following breaking news. Registration and information: http://olinurisworkshops.library.cornell.edu/#html.

Media Contact

Joe Schwartz