Folger Book Club:
The Personal Librarian
The story of Belle da Costa Greene, the extraordinary woman who established the Morgan Library’s collection of rare materials.
Booking and details
Dates Thu, Sep 7, 2023, 6:30pm (ET)
Tickets Free, Registration required
Duration 6:30pm - 8:00pm (ET)
Our September 2023 Pick
The Personal Librarian
by Marie Benedict
and Victoria Christopher Murray
The remarkable, little-known story of Belle da Costa Greene, J. P. Morgan’s personal librarian—who became one of the most powerful women in New York despite the dangerous secret she kept in order to make her dreams come true, from New York Times bestselling author Marie Benedict and acclaimed author Victoria Christopher Murray.
In her twenties, Belle da Costa Greene is hired by J. P. Morgan to curate a collection of rare manuscripts, books, and artwork for his newly built Pierpont Morgan Library. Belle becomes a fixture on the New York society scene and one of the most powerful people in the art and book world, known for her impeccable taste and shrewd negotiating for critical works as she helps build a world-class collection.
But Belle has a secret, one she must protect at all costs. She was born not Belle da Costa Greene but Belle Marion Greener. She is the daughter of Richard Greener, the first Black graduate of Harvard and a well-known advocate for equality. Belle’s complexion isn’t dark because of her alleged Portuguese heritage that lets her pass as white—her complexion is dark because she is African American.
The Personal Librarian tells the story of an extraordinary woman, famous for her intellect, style, and wit, and shares the lengths to which she must go—for the protection of her family and her legacy—to preserve her carefully crafted white identity in the racist world in which she lives.
Why did we choose this?
The Folger Shakespeare Library’s collection explores not only Shakespeare’s life and works, but also the plays’ historical context, source material, critical and performance histories, and the ways in which they inspire and are adapted by contemporary novelists.
Belle da Costa Greene is an important historical figure whose work in establishing the Morgan Library’s collection offers another perspective on the world in which the Folgers were operating.
About the Book Club
Our informal Book Club is free and open to all. Our picks range from historical fiction to adaptations of Shakespeare’s plays, encompassing a wide variety of genres—all sourced from a different local, independent bookstore partner each month.
Each session begins with a guest speaker exploring that month’s pick and highlighting items from the Folger collection related to the plot and themes of the novel. After the presentation, participants will be broken into smaller groups for breakout discussions, moderated by a team of staff and volunteers.
Content transparency
The Personal Librarian includes references to potentially sensitive subjects. Expand below for a full list of content.
- Abortion
- Alcohol
- Alcoholism
- Antisemitism
- Emotional abuse
- Lesbophobia
- Racism
- Sexism
- Death of parent (mentioned)
- Incest (mentioned)
Guest Speakers
Erica Ciallela
Erica Ciallela is an Exhibition Project Curator for Belle da Costa Greene, A Librarian’s Legacy at The Morgan Library. Erica comes from the Prudence Crandall Museum in Canterbury, Connecticut where she worked on reinterpreting the National Historic Site, bringing to light the stories of its African American students in the 1830s. Erica joined the Morgan as a Belle da Costa Greene Curatorial Fellow and processed the early Director’s Office files of the Morgan to create a better understanding of Belle da Costa Greene’s time as Director. Erica is invested in seeing institutions tell more inclusive histories, especially those of African American women. She also believes that looking at archival collections in non-traditional ways will help contribute to the multiple narratives that are waiting to be told.
Sara Schliep
Sara Schliep is an Archivist and Cataloger at the Folger. She is responsible for the Folger’s Institutional Archives, catalogs manuscript material, is involved with the Folger’s transcription projects, and has given a number of talks and trainings about the Folger’s history.
This month, we are excited to again partner with MahoganyBooks, located in DC’s historic Anacostia neighborhood. MahoganyBooks believes in social entrepreneurship and is dedicated to meeting the literary needs of readers in search of books written for, by, or about people of the African Diaspora.
Order online, or by calling 202.844.2062. Visit the FAQ page for additional questions.
To learn more, visit mahoganybooks.com.
We would like to thank the following organizations for their generous support of this program
