Milton Public Library announces adult programs for September 2023

During the month of September, the Milton Public Library has organized some fun and educational programming for adults and families.

For our ongoing events, the MA Library Collaborative’s Online 50+ Job Seekers Group continues this month. This is a wonderful opportunity for people over 50 to network with others as they search for a new job or career, and it is all free. Each career topic is repeated twice per month, once in the morning and once in the evening. This month’s Wednesday dates and times are: Sept. 6 at 9:30 a.m. and Sept. 13 at 6:00 p.m. for “Artificial Intelligence, Applications & Cover Letters” and Sept. 20 at 9:30 a.m. and Sept. 27 at 6:00 p.m. for “Create a LinkedIn Profile: Personal Branding.” These Zoom sessions are facilitated by Deborah Hope who is an experienced executive career coach, who has worked with Harvard Business School’s Executive Education Programs, the Mass. Conference for Women, and more.

The Milton Public Library is partnering with 60 public libraries in MA for this series. Please visit our website to sign up in advance for each date, which is required. Questions: Email [email protected]

The Library Knitting Group starts back up this month on Thursday, Sept. 14, at 7:00 p.m. and again on Saturday, Sept. 23, at 10 a.m., both held in the Conference Room. If you love to knit, please join us for this fun program that meets twice a month, as drop-ins are welcome. Come get tips and tricks about your knitting project and meet new friends. Also, if you would like to get on the organizer’s list to receive email reminders, send a message to [email protected] and she will make sure you are added.

The ongoing Celebrity Book Club with Sally Lawler and Sara Truog will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 13, at 7:00 p.m. in the Keys Community Room. Read what the celebrities are reading! This month we will be discussing The Many Daughters of Afong May by Jamie Ford, which was recommended by Jenna Bush Hager. Advance registration is required on our website, and a hybrid format will also be available, so please indicate whether you would like to attend in person or via Zoom when you register.

Also the Milton Public Library Walking Club resumes this month on Thursdays, Sept. 7 and Sept. 21, meeting in the parking lot at noon. Come join others for exercise, conversation and friendship in this energetic program! You must sign up in advance on our website to attend.

On Saturday, Sept. 9, from 2-3:30 p.m., Fashion Expert Karen Antonowicz will visit the Milton Public Library for a program called: “Styling with Vintage Finds.” Karen has taught fashion at the college level and spoke about the history of chic styles for about 2 years for us here at the Milton Public Library via Zoom. This presenter owned an antiques and collectibles business in Rhode Island with her husband for 5 years, and has an incredible array of cool clothing and accessories to show us! She will be bringing them to our Keys Community Room to do a “show and tell” for participants to see and try on if they wish. However, if you would just like to come watch and see these unique one-of-a-kind items, that is fine too. We ask that you sign up in advance to attend on our website, although everyone is welcome to join us for this unique fashion opportunity!

There will be 3 programs held in September as part of our initiative called “Milton Grows.” On Tuesday, Sept. 12, at 7:00 p.m., speaker Todd Breitenstein will give a talk called “Goodbye Lawn” in the Keys Community Room. Known by some, loved by many, as “The Grateful Gardener,” Todd has been gardening in all fashions since he was a toddler in the family garden. He is a founding member of “Our Wild Ones” chapter, and has studied ecology, conservation, permaculture, and is a NOFA organic land care professional. Join us for an in person evening of lawn reduction, soil science, and creative approaches to your front lawn! Come learn how to lighten your load by reducing or transitioning from a traditional grass. Please sign up in advance to attend.

The second MG event will be “Tree Planting with Wakefield Arboretum” scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 26, at 6:30 p.m. Trees are an extremely important part of combatting climate change. They also play a key role in supporting our ecosystems. Come to the library for a presentation by staff from the Wakefield Arboretum on choosing the right tree to plant in your yard, how to plant it, and how to maintain it. Registration for this program is required in advance.

And finally there will be a “Milton Grows Harvest Party” held on Saturday, Sept. 30, from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. This final event is appropriate for all ages as we will meet on the Canton Ave. patios to see our container gardens, sample snacks made with fresh produce, and check out the storywalk. Then we will move the party inside with a performance by Science Heroes called “Saving Earth Together” which is geared to ages K-5. For more details about this program, go to miltonlibrary.org/events/upcoming-events. No registration is required to attend – please come! Milton Grows is a year-long initiative focused on gardening and sustainability, which is funded by the federal Library Services and Technology Act, administered by the MBLC, and supported by our partners Sustainable Milton and the Friends of the Milton Public Library.

Two local authors will read from their books at a joint writers program on Tuesday, Sept. 19, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Keys Community Room. Author Iman Solomon will speak first about his work, A Visual Memoir for My Three Sons. This memoir represents 5 decades of his work, capturing stories of compassion, community, family life, hope and loss. The book was written with the goal of being able to be more transparent with his sons on how he has transformed into being a more productive human being, and he hopes that it serves as a guide for all those looking for answers or a guiding perspective within their life. The second presentation will be by writer Sam Farmer about his book, A Long Walk Down A Winding Road: Small Steps, Challenges & Triumphs through an Autistic Lens.

From the unique perspective of someone on the autism spectrum comes a book about working to carve out a better life in the face of challenge and adversity. Interwoven with true stories of personal hardships and triumphs, Sam’s work offers ideas and insights aimed at inspiring and empowering the reader to enhance quality of life. It also exposes what it can feel like to be autistic, as told by somebody who actually walks in these shoes. Advance registration is required to attend this event, and signed books will be available for sale. We hope you might join us for some literary inspiration!

The free movie to be shown on Wednesday, Sept. 20, at 6:30 p.m. as part of our Monthly Film Series for adults is “Dog” which stars Channing Tatum (c2022). In this road-trip comedy, two hard-charging former Army Rangers paired against their will – Brigg (Channing Tatum) and a Belgian Malinois named Lulu – race down the Pacific Coast in hopes of making it to a fellow soldier’s funeral on time. This movie was scored at 89% by the audience at the website Rotten Tomatoes, and it is rated PG-13. This is NOT a film for kids, as there is language, drug use and some sexually suggestive content. It is a sensitive story about the long road to healing after experiencing the horrors of war and it is based on a story by Carolin and Brett Rodriguez, directed by both Tatum and Reid Carolin. No signup is required so please come and bring a snack to join us in the Keys Community Room for a very good movie.

Come meet our new 2023-24 Herb Voigt Writer-in-Residence Hallie Ephron on Wednesday, Sept. 27, at 7:00 p.m. in the Keys Community Room. We will welcome Hallie and hear a little about her background her plans for what she will be writing in this role, and also get a preview of some of the programs she will be presenting for the community. This event is free and you do not need to register in advance. For more info, go to HallieEphron.com and visit miltonlibrary.org/about/writer-in-residence. We hope to see you there.

And last but not least, there will be a fab concert on Saturday, Sept. 23, from 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. with the band called “Sunsteel” directed by Ron Reid of Berklee College of Music. This is the first musical program as part of the Fall series. Mr. Reid’s Caribbean background is celebrated in his eclectic style of music, which is a proud mix of Caribbean folk music, jazz harmony, and Afro-Latin rhythm. As a bassist, steel drummer, composer, and educator, he has performed with numerous groups (including his own) and is also available as a bassist-for-hire.

To learn more about Ron, please visit miltonlibrary.org/events/upcoming-events. The group that will be performing at this concert –“Sunsteel” – is an infused sextet which performs an eclectic mix of Trinidadian folk, Afro-Caribean, and jazz compositions and includes some of Boston’s finest musicians. This is a free event and is appropriate for all ages and you do not have to sign up – please just come and join host Jean Hlady for a fun afternoon in our Keys Community Room!

All of these programs are kindly sponsored by the Friends of the Milton Public Library and the “Milton Grows” events are also supported by the MBLC and by Sustainable Milton. For questions, visit www.miltonlibrary.org or email [email protected]. We hope you will consider visiting the Milton Public Library this September to be entertained, educated and inspired by our programs!

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