Film prof to discuss social commentary in horror films during Asheboro library talk

ASHEBORO – The history of disability and deformity as represented in horror films is the topic of a talk by UNC School of the Arts film professor Kara Andersen at 4 p.m. Monday, October 28, at the Asheboro library.

The talk is designed for teens and their families, but is open to the public.

Andersen will use stills or clips from classic movies such as James Whale’s Frankenstein (1931) and William Castle’s The Tingler (1959), as well as more recent films, to reflect on how monsters in film often are a reaction to or social commentary on questions of personhood and belonging, disability and fear of physical deformity.

Andersen is Associate Professor and Chair of the Cinema Studies Department at UNC School of the Arts. Her research interests include film theory, American animation, stop motion animation, and materiality, or how physical characteristics of the film itself impacts viewer’s experience watching a movie.

The library is located at 201 Worth Street. For further information, call 3336-318-603.

Franklinville library to celebrate 100th anniversary

FRANKLINVILLE --  The tiny, but mighty, Franklinville Public Library will celebrate 100 years of service at 2 p.m. Sunday, October 13. 

The birthday party will include comments from dignitaries, a display of historical photographs and refreshments from the Franklinville Diner.

Music will be provided by Bad Penny, made up of Gwen Auman and Ron Baughman. Library staff member Lois Warren and her husband Terry also will provide tunes.

The library was established in 1924, making it the first public library in Randolph County. John W. Clark, owner of Randolph Mills, promoted the idea of a library for the education and recreation of mill employees.

The company provided space for the library and set aside a fund to support it. Books were loaned by the State Library Commission, while Clark solicited donations and contributed some his of own books. The library became part of the Randolph County Public Library system in 1940, and the county took over direct operation in 2018.

The library is located at 111 Sumner Place. For further information, call 336-685-3100.

History prof to explore ‘Jack the Ripper’ case in Asheboro library talk

ASHEBORO --In the fall of 1888, the East End of London was terrorized by a string of brutal murders. The murders were attributed to “Jack the Ripper,” a serial killer who was never identified.

Join UNC-Greensboro history professor Dr. Jill C. Bender to explore “‘Jack the Ripper’ and Late-Victorian Crime,” 6:30 p.m. Thursday, October 17, at the Asheboro Public Library.

Jack’s victims were all impoverished women who lived on the margins of accepted society. The murders occurred at night, and there were no witnesses, no clues and no perceivable motive.

The police were at a loss and the murderer never caught.

Bender will place the crimes and the proposed suspects into historical context and consider what the unsolved case of “Jack the Ripper” tells us about late-Victorian society.

Bender is an associate professor of History  at UNCG, and author of the book The 1857 Indian Uprising and the British Empire, among numerous article and book chapters. She is currently working on a second book project in which she examines the famine era migration of women from Ireland’s workhouses to colonies in Australia, Canada and southern Africa.

The library is located at 201 Worth Street. For further information, call 336-318-6803.