Milton Public Library offers fun adult programs throughout November

Events held at the library are free and open to the public

During November, the Milton Public Library is offering lots of enjoyable programs for adults and families. Our ongoing “Library Knitting Group” continues this month in the Conference Room, hosted by expert Nina Zonnevylle on Thursday, November 1st from 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. and on Saturday, November 17th from 10:00 a.m.- 11:30 a.m. Drop by, bring your project, meet new friends and share tips and tricks with others. Also Tech. Librarian Chris Callaghan will hold his “Drop in Device Help with Chris” sessions also in the Conference Room on Wednesday, November 14th from 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. and on Tuesday, November 27th from 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Come by and see him for advice about downloading media (books, movies, audiobooks, or music) onto your electronic device as Chris has all the answers for you. There is no signup for this program so just stop by.

On November 5th, from 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m., Sara Truog and Connie Spiros will hold the next session of our popular “Cookbook Club.” Each club meeting will feature a selected cookbook, and members will prepare a tasty treat from the book to bring and share. The cookbook chosen for November is Cooking with Mary Berry (DK Publishing, c2016). In order to participate, please take these simple steps: register through the library events calendar at www.miltonlibrary.org as only registered cooks will be able to attend; borrow a copy of the book from the library and choose a dish. Books will be available at the Borrower Services Dept. desk one month ahead; and once you’ve chosen your recipe, contact Sara by Email ([email protected]) or phone 617-898-4951 to let her know what recipe you’ll be trying. Bon Appetit!

Our “Tuesday Night at the Movies” pick is “Chappaquidick” (c2018) which will be shown in a free screening on November 6th starting promptly at 6:30 p.m. The film stars Jason Clarke, Kate Mara, Ed Helms, Jim Gaffigan and Bruce Dern, and is based on historical events. This suspenseful thriller examines the infamous 1969 death of Mary Jo Kopechne, who drowned after Senator Ted Kennedy drove off a bridge on Chappaquiddick Island, and the moral and legal complexities that play out over the following week. This is an important movie for us all to see, and it’s rated PG-13 for “thematic material, disturbing images, some strong language and historical smoking.” The running time is 106 minutes.

On Thursday, November 8th starting at 7:00 p.m. there will be an annual event called “Fall into Reading: Meet Local Authors” which will highlight several local writers and their works. More details about this program are available at our website so check there for the complete list of participants. Please stop by, get to know the writing talent that is all around us and perhaps pick up some gift ideas as well. Books on many topics will be available for sale at this program.

In honor of Native American Month, our second Fall musical event will be on Saturday, November 10th at 2:00 p.m., with entertainment by musician Larry Spotted Crow Mann, as he will perform Native American songs with traditional drumming, and he will tell entertaining stories from his culture. Mr. Mann is an award-winning writer/poet, performer, Nipmuc cultural educator, storyteller and citizen of the Nipmuc Tribe. He travels from his home in Western MA throughout the U.S., Canada and Europe to schools, colleges, Pow Wows, and more, sharing the music, culture, and history of the Nipmuc people. In 2013, his poetry was nominated for the Pushcart Prize. He has also written several books and his ground-breaking novel, The Mourning Road to Thanksgiving, won the 2015 WordCraft Circle of Native American Writers Award. Please join us to meet the incredible “Spotted Crow” and bring your children, as this will be a very fun interactive experience for all.

On Tuesday, November 13th at 7:00 p.m., artist Rob Franco will give a talk called: “Let’s Talk about Art: The Wild Ponies of Assateague Island.” In this introduction to his December Wotiz Gallery exhibit, Rob will give a one-hour presentation about the wild ponies living in a remote place in the State of Maryland. He and his wife have visited this area for the past 15 years, they are dedicated to the preservation of these beautiful horses, and he has photographed and painted these unique animals many times. The program includes a 20-minute video by the U.S. Parks Dept. and then a discussion about the area. There will also be some objects shown from this historical part of the country, and the artist will tell us about the creation of his paintings as it relates to the topic. Please also come check out Rob’s lovely paintings in our gallery during the month of December.

On Wednesday, November 14th at 7:00 p.m., Milton resident David Smith brings his book: Be A Teacher: A Memoir in Ten Ideas (Outskirts Press, c2017) to the Library. David began teaching 50 years ago and has worked in five different schools ranging from the shoestring variety to the well-established. He spent 34 years at Milton Academy, 11 of them as Chair of the English Department. His book combines story and reflection, recounting his experience as student and teacher while exploring the ideas about education that have shaped that experience – ideas such as knowledge, rigor, humanity, authority, and love. Please come hear some wise words from an excellent teacher at this reading.

On Monday, November 26th at 7:00 p.m., Darius Coombs, Director of Wampanoag Interpretation and Research at the Plimoth Plantation, will give a one-hour presentation about the life and culture of the Wampanoag and Eastern Woodlands tribes. This may include 17-century daily life, the environment, foodways, music and clothing. Images and artifacts may also be used to illustrate this fascinating talk. Native speakers wear modern dress and speak about Native life today as well as in the past. This is an all ages program and we encourage you to bring your family! It’s a wonderful chance to learn more about this important topic. The event will be hosted by Librarian Chris Callaghan.

And finally on Tuesday, November 27th at 7:00 p.m., world traveler and photojournalist Barry Pell will give a presentation called “Antarctica – Travels at the End of the World.” Antarctica is the coldest, windiest, driest place on earth. Two-thirds of all our planet’s fresh water is locked up there in the form of ice in a continent twice the size of Australia. The last continent to be understood, it is a harsh and unforgiving environment that challenged and took the lives of many early explorers. Although an ice sheet covers 99 percent of the land, the exposed areas along the coast nourish a wealth of tiny plants and sea creatures which in turn support the world’s greatest concentrations of wildlife in the sea, on land, and in the air. The lecturer, Barry Pell, traveled by ship to Antarctica for 2 weeks in January 2017. Based on his travels on the sea and excursions onto the land, he will discuss and show his photography of this most magnificent and unique continent.

About these events:

All of these events are kindly sponsored by the Friends of the Milton Public Library and are free and open to the public. They will be held in the Keys Community Room unless otherwise noted and for more information, check our website at www.miltonlibrary.org or call Jean Hlady, Head of Reference, at 617-698-5757, x 3.