Human Spirit: Adventures and Challenges

As people, we experience adventures and challenges both on larger-than-life and more personal scales. We'll explore this aspect of the human experience with our new programming series: Human Spirit: Adventures and Challenges. We have a very full slate of programs during both January and February. Due to space concerns, registration is Required for all programs.

Mountain Climber Craig John: Everest and More

Tuesday, January 10th 7-8:30 PM 

Kicking off the series is mountain guide and climber, Craig John, who will present on his ascent of Mount Everest's north ridge, as well as his numerous expeditions to Kilimanjaro, Cho Oyu, Mount Rainer,

Craig has been a professional mountain guide since 1987. He has 189 ascents of Mt. Rainier by 12 different routes to his credit and has done over fifty high altitude expeditions worldwide including successful ascents of Everest by the North Ridge in Tibet, and Cho Oyu (the 6th highest in the world), 18 ascents of Kilimanjaro and ten expeditions to Denali. Craig guides for International Mountain Guides based in Ashford, Washington and The International Mountain Climbing School in North Conway, New Hampshire.

Homer's Odysseus

Tuesday, January 17th 7-8:30 PM

Sebastian Lockwood portrays Odysseus in this chatauqua living history program.  We begin at Book V with Odysseus weeping on Calypso's Island.  We then cover the great encounters: Princess Nausika, the Cyclops, Circe, Hades, the Lotus Eaters.  We end on Ithaka, with the recognition scenes, confrontations with the suitors, and resolution with Penelope. 

Sebastian Lockwood is a professional storyteller of epics.  He teaches cultural anthropology and storytelling at New Hampshire Institute of Art and is involved with the storytelling curriculum at Lesley University Creative Arts program and Endicott College.  He holds a M.A. in Social Anthropology, Cambridge University, U.K. and a M.A. in Education and English, Cambridge University, U.K.

What Endures: A discussion Series led by Emily Archer

Three part series: Wednesday, January 18th, Tuesday, January 31, and Wednesday, February 15 7:00 to 8:30 PM

Feats of extreme physical endurance, technical challenge, and athletic skill make the news.  Those who scale the highest mountains, sail uncharted seas, and dive unfathomable depths are the stuff of legend and bestsellers.  But what about those whose marathons are hidden in hospital corridors or ordinary suburban living rooms, who climb their Everests unnoticed?  Perhaps you have known people who swim upstream through impossible illness, or who daily walk some wild unmapped path with their families.  What keeps their spirits alive?  How do they persist against the odds?  This winter you are invited to 'get the news' of extraordinary, ordinary people who meet their unsought human challenges with honesty, humor, and great presence.  Read a rich mix of poems, stories and essays, and come reflect together in this new three-part discussion series, held on Wednesday, January 18, Tuesday, January 31, and Wednesday, February 15, 2012.  This series is led by Emily Archer, long-time facilitator of public humanities programs, in collaboration with Ruslyn Vear, Head of Reference and Adult Programming at the Amherst Town Library.

Denali Delmar's No Knead Miracle Bread Workshop

Tuesday, January 24 6:30 to 8:30 PM

Craisin-pecan bread? Asiago cheese bread? Rosemary onion bread?

You can make ALL these delicious breads and more when you take Denali Delmar's No Knead Miracle Bread Workshop. Her simple method will have you baking like a pro in no time at all!Professional Bread Baker Denali Delmar has taught bread making classes for more than 20 years.  The author of Holiday Breads, Denali completed workshops at the Culinary Institute of America and operated her own bakery for a decade.

Adding Years to Your Life and Life to Your Years: A Roadmap to Enhance Longevity and Wellness
Tuesday February 7 7 to 8:30 PM
This program presents the latest research on the physiology of aging and longevity enhancement by exploring four areas of the world where people live the longest. Learn how specific lifestyle changes can biologically slow down the aging process.  Explore the role of genetics in aging and how lifestyle choices affect the expression of our genes. Discover how to create a plan or 'roadmap' that will incorporate this important research and protect your most important asset: your health and vitality. Presenter Paula Koppel is a registered nurse and geriatric nurse practitioner for over 25 years. Paula is a graduate of Duke University School of Nursing and has a master's degree from Boston University and advanced certificate in counseling and psychology from Lesley University. Paula was the Director of Geriatrics at Winchester Hospital for many years. In 1999, she established her own consulting company and is known for developing innovative approaches to healthcare for middle-aged and older adults. 





It's Not About the Hike
Tuesday, February 21 7:00 to 8:30 PM

Meet two fifty-plus year old non-hikers who started walking the sidewalks of Keene and ended up climbing the 67 4,000-footers in New England.  They have now reached the summits of over 190 mountains since 2006, hiking through all seasons. This presentation is for hikers and non-hikers, people who are sedentary or active, outdoor enthusiasts and indoor homebodies, and everyone in between; it is the story of their journey. 

Exploring America's Tackiest Tourist Photos with humorist Darren Garnick
Tuesday, February  28 7:00 to 8:30 PM

When you go on vacation, are you camera shy or do you aggressively pursue every amusement park mascot, funny road sign and goofy statue for a photo-op? If you fit into the latter category, come participate in Amherst's Tacky Tourist Photo Night as humorist Darren Garnick guides you through the Do's and Don'ts of silly travel photography.  As curator of TackyTouristPhotos.com, Garnick seeks contributions from your childhood vacation albums and your latest creative cell phone pics for possible inclusion in an offbeat coffee table book. Darren is an Emmy-nominated filmmaker, business journalist and certified sucker for kitschy roadside attractions and tourist traps.  His favorite travel moments include helping rescue a lost tree sloth in Costa Rica, giving PEZ dispenser gifts to tribal leaders in the South Pacific, and sprinting up the 'Rocky Steps' in Philadelphia without collapsing.  He is also the Boston Herald's 'Working Stiff' columnist and a contriburor to Slate.com and New Hampshire Magazine.

Fun at the Zentangle Workshop!

Just had two great Zentangle workshops with local artist Suzanne Binnie. Just wanted to share this neat picture Suzanne sent us from the second workshop of everyone's Zentangle pieces:

November Programs

Hi Everyone, we have some great November Programs coming up:

Aine Greaney Memoir Writing Workshops
Tuesday November 8th and 15th* 6:30 to 8:30 PM

We are very grateful and delighted that Irish-born author, Aine Greaney, (now living on the North Shore of Boston) is coming to our library to lead a two-part memoir writing workshop series

*Participants must attend both sessions.


Mixed Media Art Journaling Workshop
Saturday, November 12th 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM

Rediscover your inner creativity and document that journey in a mixed media art journaling workshop led by artist Emily Martina. We will be having fun with all kinds of materials--paints, old book pages, stamps, tissue paper, stencils, magazine pages, wall paper, collage materials, photos, AND letting words find a place on the page, too. This workshop is limited to 15 participants and registration is required. Participants are requested to bring their own sketchbook or journal, as well as several photographs of yourself either photocopied from the original or printed from your computer onto standard printer paper. All other materials will be provided.

Emily Martina is a BFA candidate at the Maine College of Art in Portland, Maine. She has a background in printmaking, and enjoys combining this with her love of mixed media art and paper crafting to create unique works of art.

Upcoming programs

Thanks to everyone for coming out to our Summer Programming! We're taking a few weeks off, but don't fret, we have some upcoming programming in September and October that you'll enjoy!

Super Savvy Shopping Secrets
Tuesday, September 20 6:30 to 8:30
Come to the library and learn ways to $AVE on everything from groceries to home appliances from savvy shopper and Amherst resident Julie Koitzsch. Things you'll learn: the WHERE and WHEN to shop, understanding sales flyers and cycles, coupon shopping, store rewards and MORE!

"Soup-erb" Soups with Elizabeth Skipper
Tuesday, September 27th 7:00 to 8:30
Soup making is an art that should not be lost. In an era where canned, dried and prepared foods abound, still nothing tastes like home made. Soup is versatile, nutritious, delicious, and easy on the budget. Local chef Elizabeth Skipper of the Everyday Epicure will present this mini-tutorial on making soups from scratch, beginning with stocks and broths. She will also make a chicken broth and a French carrot soup for sampling.

First-Quarter Moon Skywatch
Tuesday, October 4th - Talk starts at 7:00, Skywatch at 7:30
If you missed our first skywatch in February (brr!), come in learn the basics of astronomy with Ed Ting, amateur astronomer and resident of Amherst. After his talk, members of the New Hampshire Astronomical Society will have telescopes set up so everyone can check out the First-Quarter moon and other objects in the sky. Also don't forget we have a telescope, generously donated by NHAS available for checkout.

If the weather does not cooperate, our Rain Date will be Thursday, October 6th

Summer Reading Wrap up

Happy Summer, everyone!

Glad to report that our summer programming has been a success! We had great attendance for some awesome programs, thank you everyone for coming! We'd love to hear your feedback on the programs we had. Feel free to pass along any comments to cpearman@amherst.lib.nh.us.

Local news website, Amherst Patch has some great write ups on our Drum Circle with Julie Corey, which was a blast! Also featured was the great Petting Zoo our children's department put on last week!

Don't forget our end-of-summer-reading BBQ out on the Town Green on Thursday, August 18 5:00 PM. We'll have some great food, and some games for the kids. We'll also have Tom "T-Bone" Stankus, a great kids musician perform at 6 PM. Head on down and bring the whole family!


Also, just so you know, we now have a Facebook site. Check out our page and add us as a friend!

Adult Summer Reading Program

Summer is approaching, and that means it's time for Summer Reading 2011! This year, our adult summer reading program theme is entitled Novel Destinations. We will, of course, have a number of travel or destination themed events going in the library to celebrate. Here's what we have lined up for adults:

A four part programming series (click the links to sign up and for more information) :

• Life in Paris : Pictures and Stories with Professor Henry Smith on Tuesday, June 28th at 7:00 PM
  
• An evening of adventure with international motorcycle traveler Ben Slavin on Tuesday, July 12th at 7:00 PM
• Community African Drum Circle Workshop with musician and drum circle facilitator Julie Corey on Wednesday July 27th at 1:00 PM
• Decor from the Ground Up with certified interior designer Kelly Murphy on Wednesday, August 10th at 1:00 PM
  

International Movie Nights on Thursdays at 6:30 , Featuring:

• July 7th - An acclaimed modern French Drama
  
• July 21st - A classic romantic comedy set in Rome
  
• August 4th- An award winning Japanese slice-of-life
  

Popcorn and Lemonade will be served for each movie.

Last but not least, a raffle featuring prizes from local businesses! Just read a book or attend a program and enter for a chance to win every week! You'll also be entered for a grand prize drawing at our End of Summer reading program BBQ

Spring!

Hi Everyone!

While I've been slow on the updates due to time constraints, we've had a wonderful Spring of programming here at the Amherst Town Library.

In February we had some great Maritime Adventures and were treated to presentations on the Boston Harbor Islands, and the submarine USS O-9. We also cooked some delicious seafood with Oonagh Williams, a local favorite.

In March we traveled through time and were amazed by Mentalist Rory Raven, discussed the future of film with Boston Globe Film Critic Ty Burr, debunked the Mayan doomsday prophecy of 2012 with R. P. Hale, and even had visit from Shakespeare!

In April we went to France and learned how to paint impressionist paintings with Greg Maichack, learned to cook delicious crepes with Elizabeth Skipper.

Along the way we had our Sundays at Four concert series, funded by the Friends of the Amherst Town Library. We were treated to some great guitar music from the Back Bay Guitar Trio, enjoyed the Celtic stylings of Long Time Courting, and listened to the classic Brazilian and American sounds of Sonny and Perley.

Lest you think otherwise, we are currently planning a number of events for our Summer Reading program, starting on June 28th with a wonderful presentation by Professor Henry Smith entitled Life in Paris - Pictures and Stories. Professor Smith travels to France every year, and is happy to share his insider's knowledge of the City of Light.