Upcoming Programs

We are offering  virtual, in-person, hybrid, and outdoor program opportunities.   See below for our scheduled programs.

 

 

 

 

Thank you to the Friends of the EPL for their continued support of our adult programing.  Some of our talks from bestselling authors and thought leaders are brought to you in partnership with the Friends of the Eldredge Public Library and the Library Speakers Consortium.  You can view these upcoming and past author programs at https://libraryc.org/eldredgelibrary.

 

Tuesday, March 19 @ 7:00 pm - All That Glitters is Gold: Gustav Klimt

Austrian painter Gustav Klimt is associated with a number of artist movements including Art Nouveau and Symbolism, but in the end he developed a distinctive style all his own. This program introduces audiences to the idiosyncratic artist and reviews his famous gold paintings as well as his lesser known works.  Registration is required for this virtual program.                                                      

Jane Oneail curates and delivers art appreciation programs to audiences throughout New England. Jane holds a master’s in Art History from Boston University and a master’s in Education from Harvard University. Born and raised in NH, she has worked at some of the state's most esteemed cultural institutions. For more information visit iamculturallycurious.com  Image: Gustav Klimt, Judith (detail), 1901. Belvedere Gallery, Vienna.

Thursday, March 21 @ 7:00 pm - Author Madeline Miller

You’re invited to a fascinating exploratory conversation with Madeline Miller, bestselling author of The Song of Achilles and Circe, as she chats with us about her body of work and her process in retelling Greek classics into modern epics in fiction.  Registration is required for this virtual program.

Madeline Miller is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of two novels: The Song of Achilles, which won the Orange Women’s Prize for Fiction 2012, and Circe, which was short-listed for the Women’s Prize for Fiction 2019. Her books have been translated into over thirty two languages. Miller holds an MA in Classics from Brown University, studied in the Dramaturgy department at Yale School of Drama, where she focused on the adaptation of classical texts to modern forms, and taught Latin, Greek, and Shakespeare to high school students for over a decade.

Saturday, March 23 @ 11:00 am - Unique Cape Cod Gardening

Tired of the same old garden? Not sure what grows well on Cape Cod? Whether you enjoy growing indoors or outdoors, come check out these unique and easy garden ideas from David Wheeler of Therapy Gardens. We will review several common and uncommon vegetable, herb, and flower plants that you can grow (including what to plant and when), companion planting techniques to increase yield and deter pests, and more. In honor of the Seed Library kickoff, information on seed cultivation and saving will be discussed. Participants are encouraged to stay for the Seed Swap Soirée - whether to participate or observe. Registration is recommended, seating is limited to 60.

Saturday, March 23 from 12:00-2:00 pm - Seed Swap Soiree and Seed Library Reopening

We are excited to announce the reopening of our Seed Library at Eldredge Public Library! This community event is a great opportunity to connect with fellow gardeners, both experienced and new, and share the joy of gardening. We encourage you to bring in any extra vegetable, herb, or flower seeds you may have to trade for something new. Chatham Garden Club volunteers may also be present to assist with seed selection and answer any questions you may have.

If you don't have any seeds to share, don't worry! All are welcome to participate.  If you want to purchase some seeds to donate,  one of our Seed Library sponsors, Agway of Cape Cod, has an excellent selection.

To ensure a smooth and organized event, we kindly ask that all seeds be dropped off by Saturday, March 16, 2024. This will give us enough time to organize and catalog the seeds. Please see the instructions for seed and labeling requirements. If you have any issues with this deadline or general questions regarding the event, reach out to Lauren Shea by email or phone - 508.945.5170

We look forward to seeing you at our Seed Swap Soirée and sharing our love for gardening together. Registration is strongly encouraged. Happy gardening!

Tuesday, March 26 @ 5:00 pm - Whaling in New England

Many different forms of whaling have been used in Cape Cod. Drift, shore, herding, deep sea and artic whaling have all been practiced at one time or another. Each specific form of whaling has a small history connected with it. In the early 1800’s, whaling was among the most profitable enterprises in United States, second only textiles. It remained strong for four decades. The reason why whale products are so valuable as well as the historic rationales as to why the whaling center moved from first from Nantucket, to Wellfleet, then to New Bedford and eventually to Provincetown will be told. Retelling the storied lives of several extremely successful Cape Cod whaling captains make the session come alive. Registration is recommended, seating is limited to 60.

Dr. Pregot has spent over a half of a century in the field of education. He has served as a high school principal, a district-wide school superintendent, a professor of education and as a University Director of an Educational Leadership Department. He is currently an on-line professor and author with an interest in maritime history of Cape Cod. He is currently studying the contributions that each Cape Cod town has made to the overall richness of maritime life.

Tuesday, April 2 @ 2:00 pm - Smithsonian American Table

Virtually step into the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History with Curator Paula Johnson as she discusses the book Smithsonian American Table: The Foods, People, and Innovations That Feed Us.  American Table is a sweeping history of food and culture that summons everyone to the table for a fresh look at some of the people, ingredients, events, and movements that have shaped how and what we eat. Johnson, curator and project director of the American Food History Project, will discuss several stories featured in the volume, with an emphasis on those that intersect most directly with the Smithsonian’s research, collecting, and programming around food history.  Registration is required for this virtual program.

Monday, April 8 @ 1:30 pm - Coastal Resilience on Cape

Coastal Resilience on the Cape: How to Prepare your Home, Assets, and Yourself for a Changing Climate.  Coastal Massachusetts faces many weather-related challenges, especially in the floodplain.  It's important to know what hazards you might face and how to best prepare for them.  In her presentation, Shelly McComb will introduce you to the Massachusetts Homeowners Handbook to Prepare for Coast Hazards and provide an overview of what it means to live on Cape Cod in an ever-changing environment.  Registration is recommended, seating is limited to 60.

Shelly McComb is the Coastal Resilience Specialist for Cape Cod Cooperative Extension and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute's Sea Grant.  She holds a M.S. in Environmental and Sustainability Studies and has worked in coastal and climate resilience planning for the last several years.  

Tuesday, April 9 @ 2:00 pm - Author Column McCann with Diane Foley

Join us for a one-of-a-kind conversation with National Book Award-winner Colum McCann as he is joined by Diane Foley, the inspiration behind the heartrending book American Mother.

American Mother is the story of a mother who, in the course of confronting her son’s killer, gets to the elemental heart of violence and forgiveness. Diane Foley is the mother of Jim, a freelance journalist captured and beheaded by ISIS in 2014, an image that became one of the most iconic of the 21st century. Seven years later, Diane gets the chance to spend three days with the murderer of her son in a Virginia courthouse, inspiring her to tell her life story. What unfolds is one of the most compelling narratives in recent literary history, channeled into searing reality by New York Times bestselling author Colum McCann, who brings us on a journey of strength, resilience, and radical empathy. You are sure to be moved by McCann's writing and Foley’s uncompromising love.  Registration is required for this virtual program.

Thursday, April 11 @ 2:00 pm - Native Planting - Restorations and Invasives

Julie Baca, Land Stewardship Director at Chatham Conservation Foundation, will discuss native Cape Cod planting, including how to manage invasive species, and will speak to the various restorations in the community.  

 

Thursday, April 11 @ 5:00pm - Reclaiming Folk: A Celebration of People of Color in Folk Music

Reclaiming Folk: A Celebration of People of Color in Folk Music is a celebration of people of color in Folk Music. Folk Music is traditional music, folk music is storytelling, folk music is music of the people, folk music is a voice for what’s happening in the world today. This program was created by Naomi Westwater and made available through several grants. The series is on tour throughout Massachusetts to bring awareness and celebration to the origin of Folk. This event is funded by the Chatham Cultural Council.

Naomi Westwater (they/she) is a queer, Black-multiracial singer-songwriter from Massachusetts. Their work combines folk music, poetry, and spirituality. Naomi holds a Master of Music in Contemporary Performance and Production from Berklee College of Music and she is a part of The Club Passim Folk Collective, where she produces Re-Imagining Lilith Fair: a tribute to the feminist music scene of the 1990s with an intersection lens for today. Naomi was nominated for a 2021 and 2022 Boston Music Award for best singer-songwriter, and has been featured in The Boston Globe, Under The Radar, WBUR, WGBH, and The Bluegrass Situation.

Wednesday, April 17 @ 8:00 pm - Author Xochitl Gonzalez

We cannot wait for you to join us as we chat with award-winning and bestselling author Xochitl Gonzalez about her newest novel Anita de Monte Laughs Last.   Anita de Monte Laughs Last is a propulsive, witty examination of power, love, and art, daring to ask who gets to be remembered and who is left behind in the rarefied world of the elite. In 1985. Anita de Monte, a rising star in the art world, is found dead in New York City; her tragic death is the talk of the town. Until it isn’t. By 1998 Anita’s name had been all but forgotten―certainly by the time Raquel, a third-year art history student was preparing her final thesis.  As Raquel also starts to become  a rising start in the art world,  she stumbles upon Anita’s story, raising questions about the dynamics of her own relationship, which eerily mirrors that of the forgotten artist.  Moving back and forth through time and told from the perspectives of both Anita and Raquel, this is sure a novel (and a conversation) that you don’t want to miss. Registration is required for this virtual program.

Xochitl Gonzalez is the New York Times bestselling author of Olga Dies Dreaming. Named Best of 2022 by The New York Times, TIME, Kirkus, Washington Post, and NPR, Olga Dies Dreaming was the winner of the Brooklyn Public Library Book Prize in Fiction and the New York City Book Award.

Saturday, April 20 @ 2:00 pm - Chatham Reads Poetry

The Peter Saunders Memorial Chatham Reads Poetry event is back!  Join us for a Saturday afternoon as participants read their favorite published poems.  If you are interested in reading a poem, please contact Amy Andreasson (amyandreasson@clamsnet.org or 508-945-5170) for details and to register.  Pre-registration is required by April 10. This program is sponsored by the Friends of the EPL.  Refreshments will be served at 1:30.

 

Saturday, April 27 @ 10:30-12:30 - Poetry Workshop: The Ekphrastic Poem

Join John Bonanni for a poetry workshop that will focus on the ekphrastic poem.  An ekphrastic poem is any poem that draws its inspiration from a work of visual art. While the Greek root of "ekphrastic" means a description of the scene in vivid detail, we'll look at poets who both abide by and challenge this conception, drawing their inspirations from painting, sculpture, installation, and performance. We'll then find a work of art that speaks to each of us and begin drafting our own ekphrastic poems. Registration is required.  This program is limited to 15 participants.

A Best New Poets, Pushcart, and Best of the Net nominee, John Bonanni is a Cape Cod based writer who founded the Cape Cod Poetry Review in 2011. His own poems have appeared in Foglifter, North American Review, Prairie Schooner, Michigan Quarterly Review, and Gulf Coast, among others. His book reviews have appeared in DIAGRAM, Tupelo Quarterly, and the Kenyon Review. His research on poetry as an intervention for writing attitudes among learners with severe disabilities can be found in The Graduate Review (Bridgewater State University).

Ebook Classes

Ready to download eBooks and Audiobooks?

Next virtual class:   March 7 @ 11:00 am and March 21 @ 11:00 am.  Registration is required.  

Getting Started with Libby - Learn how to download ebooks and audiobooks from the CLAMS digital library through the Libby app by Overdrive.   Join Mike McCartney through a Zoom program as she will show you how to download items and answer your Libby questions.  Registration is required so we can get you connected through Zoom. *Libby app is currently compatible with smart phones and tablets.   EBooks can be download on another device (phone, ipad, etc) and transferred to Kindle devices.