Milton Public Library adult programs announced for January 2022

In the month of January, the Milton Public Library has some fun and interesting events for adults and families.to consider attending.  Some are only virtual via Zoom but several are also now being held in person or as a hybrid event as well so that participants can decide how they would like to attend – in person or online.   If you check the events list at www.miltonlibrary.org, you can see all the details about each program when you go there to sign up. 

The first presentation will be via Zoom on Tuesday, 1/4, starting at 7:00 p.m. and it is called “Armchair Travel: A Year in Morocco” with world traveller Barry Pell.  The speaker lived one year teaching English in Casablanca and traveling throughout Morocco.  In this online presentation he will take you on a journey through the country’s walled cities and their ancient markets, across the rugged Atlas Mountains with traditional Berber villages, and into the desolate and dune-covered Sahara Desert. Join us to see his beautiful photos of the country and its people.  Advance registration is required at www.miltonlibrary.org to attend and to receive the Zoom link. 

The Library Knitting Group will meet on Thursday, 1/6, at 7:00 p.m. and on Saturday, 1/20, at 10:00 p.m., both in the lower level Conference Room.  If you would like to get on the organizer’s list to receive Email updates about this enjoyable get together where fiber artists are invited to share their work and get advice, Email librarian Jean Hlady at [email protected]    If you love to knit, we encourage you to join us as this drop-in will continue through the Spring twice a month.  Also starting on Thursday, 1/6, the MPL Walking Club will meet at 12 noon in the parking lot – weather permitting – and this fun activity will continue each Thursday through the month if possible (additional dates are: 1/13, 1/20 and 1/27).  Advance registration is required at our website to participate, and this program is part of “Milton Moves” which promotes fitness, wellness and healthy eating.  Please come join us for some winter exercise!

The Celebrity Book Club with Sally Lawler and Sara Truog will meet again on Thursday, 1/13, starting at 7:00 p.m. live and in person in the Keys Community Room.  Read what the celebrities are reading!  This is a fun, relaxed discussion of books recommended by popular celebrities.  The book to be read in advance is: French Exit by Patrick DeWitt, recommended by Michelle Pfeiffer.  Registration will open on December 30th and is required to attend.    Call the Reference Dept. at (617) 898-4964 to place a reserve on the book.

On Saturday, 1/15, at 2:00 p.m., registered dietician and nutrition counselor Jessica Roy of the Waverly Oaks Athletic Club will speak via Zoom about nutrition facts and fiction in a talk called “Nutrition Myths: Separating the Headlines from the Science.”  Have you heard that coconut oil is a superfood?  Are eggs good or bad for you these days?  And what’s the deal with the detox diets?  Please join Ms. Roy online as she breaks down some of the most common clickbait nutrition myths.  She’ll explain the facts behind the headlines and in doing so, will help you make well informed decisions.  Advance registration is required at our website and this event is part of our initiative called “Milton Moves” which promotes healthy eating, fitness and wellness. 

On Wednesday, 1/19, at 7:00 p.m., author Dr. Regine Michelle Jean-Charles will speak in person in the Keys Community Room about her new book called:    Martin Luther King & the Trumpet of Conscience Today (Orbis Books, c2021).  You may attend this program in person or as an alternative, you may sign up to attend remotely via Zoom.  The details for registration options will be at our events list at www.miltonlibrary.org  This book examines 3 social justice movements: Black Lives Matter, Me Too, and prison abolition through the lens of King’s 1967 “A Call to Conscience.”  Dr. Jean-Charles is Dean’s Professor of Culture and Social Justice and Director of Africana Studies for the Dept. of Cultures, Societies and Global Studies at Northeastern University.  Librarian Chris Callaghan will host this event and registration opens for it on December 29th. 

The MPL Writer-in-Residence Joan F. Smith will give an open mic program with a literary chat on Wednesday, 1/26, from 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m..  Join Joan in person in the Keys Community Room (or alternatively via Zoom) as attendees will be given a writing prompt, the option to read their work (either the in-class exercise or something they have brought with them), and conclude with a Q&A.  Those interested in reading aloud can sign up for a 3-minute slot on a first-come first-served basis, but for more information please go to our events list at www.miltonlibrary.org   We hope you will join us to meet this great local author and to gain some writing advice.  The event will also be offered via Zoom for those who would like a hybrid option and will be hosted by staff member Sara Truog.

Courageous Conversations Towards Racial Justice Milton-Mattapan launches Race Reels with Milton’s award winning screenwriter and filmmaker Thato Mwosa on Thursday, 1/27, from 6:15 p.m. – 8:30 p.m., to view and discuss her film called “Memoir of a Black Girl.”  Come to the Keys Community Room in person to see this incredible movie which won the 2021 Best Feature Film at the Roxbury International Film Festival as it is a coming-of-age story of a Black high school student confronting the challenges of race, urban education and social/racial tensions that bring impact.  Join us early for an introduction and then the screening will start at 6:30 p.m. A panel discussion will follow with Q&A at 7:45 p.m. with the filmmaker and some of the actors.  This will be a hybrid program, with a maximum of 40 in-person attendees, but with unlimited Zoom participants.  Registration is required, and you will need to indicate which preference you have for attendance. Please join us for an enlightening film program!

On Saturday, 1/29, from 2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m., Milton Artist Annie LaVigne will teach a craft in person in our Keys Community Room in a program called: “Adult Felting Workshop: Make a Bird on a Wire.”  The materials to create this colorful and fun sculpture will be provided free of charge, but you must register in advance at our website to participate.  This talented artist is great to work with, and she teaches at the Rhode Island School of Design.  Annie has shown her own whimsical work in our Wotiz Gallery in the past and not only paints, but also creates beautiful soft sculpture.  Her art depicts animals, people, objects, and more delightful subjects.  She also works with animation and felt pieces, 2D artwork, and framed digital illustrations as well as some mixed media ones.  She is the founder of Harriet and Mickey, Inc, a creative studio focused on storytelling through illustration, writing, and animation.  For all the details about this very enjoyable craft workshop suitable for adults and teens, please go to our website where you can also register.  Please come and make a lovely sculpture with us in January!

All of these events are kindly sponsored by the Friends of the Milton Public Library and are free and open to all.  For more information about any of them, Email Jean Hlady at [email protected] or call her at the Reference desk at (617) 898-4964.  The Milton Public Library is located at 476 Canton Avenue and to access our events list for registration, use this link: https://miltonlibrary.org/events/upcoming-events/