Adult Events

The Oliver Wolcott Library offers a wide range of programming for adults, from continuing series like Monday Scholars,

to lectures, book discussions, and author talks. All events are free and open to all.

Continue your journey of lifelong learning with us!

 

 

Weave Your Own Miniature Pumpkin Basket

Autumn is upon us, and what better way to prepare than with a miniature pumpkin basket to hold all your upcoming Halloween & Thanksgiving goodies? Stop by Oliver Wolcott Library for October’s adult take-and-make kit. Each bag is supplied with twine, toothpicks, and a pumpkin stencil so you can weave your own autumnal candy bowl at home! 

Generously funded by Ephraim Kirby Chapter #75 OES

*While supplies last.

 

 

 

HORRORS!

This October, celebrate Halloween with OWL by creating your own original scary story! There’s only one condition…it can only be two sentences long.

Two-sentence horror stories first became popular on Reddit, a social media forum where users can share text posts, images, videos, links, and more. After gaining popularity, the site’s two-sentence scary story thread went on to inspire the Netflix anthology show Two Sentence Horror Stories. 

When writing your own story, it might be helpful to work backwards. Think of a creepy ending, then decide how you can use the first sentence to work up to it. 

Submit your two-sentence scary story for a chance to win one of three prizes: 

1st Place Prize: $25 Hickory Stick Bookshop gift card

2nd Place Prize: $10 Meraki gift card

3rd Place Prize: $5 Toast & Co. gift card

Submit your scary story to [email protected] no later than Tuesday, October 31st to be considered. Stories will be judged by former publishing professionals and winners will be announced in December. We will share the stories with everyone as a virtual book. Good luck to you all! 

 

 

Positive Discipline: A Talk

Registration is required. Register here 

Positive Discipline is a method of child guidance developed by Jane Nelson, that is based on the psychology of behavior principles and the idea that every human seeks dignity and respect. It is designed to teach young people to become responsible, respectful, and resourceful members of their communities. Positive Discipline teaches important social and life skills that are deeply respectful and encouraging for children and adults (including parents, teachers, childcare providers, youth workers, and others).

Melissa Hay, Director of Education at Washington Montessori School and certified Positive Discipline Teacher, will guide participants through the key aspects of the Positive Discipline method. By engaging challenges with a positive approach, you will help children learn how to handle situations more effectively and gain lifelong problem-solving and critical-thinking skills in the process. Everyone will leave with a few new tools for your toolbox. 

This program is co-sponsored with the Washington Montessori School.

 

Lunch & Chat, AMA - ask me anything

Registration is required - Register here 

Pack your lunch and join us at the OWL for Lunch and Chat, AMA! 

We are so excited to announce our next presenter for Lunch and Chat. Grab your brown bag and join us for lunch and the chance to ask an interesting person anything.
 
October 3: Paul Marcarelli joins us. You probably already know Paul from his commercial for Verizon as the “Can You Hear Me Now Guy.” Besides Paul being in hundreds of commercials, he is a writer/producer of award nominated feature films. When you join us to ask Paul anything, we will make sure you have his full bio on hand. Paul lives in Litchfield with his husband, Ryan and their pug, Stanley.

 

 

Non-Fiction Discussion Group

---

 

Thursday, October 12

Meeting will be held in the Library's Jamie Gagarin Community Room.

Bellevue: Three Centuries of Medicine and Mayhem at America’s Most Storied Hospital by David Oshinsky

Bellevue Hospital, on New York City's East Side, occupies a colorful and horrifying place in the public
imagination. The author chronicles the history of America's oldest hospital and in so doing also charts the
rise of New York to the nation's preeminent city and the path of American medicine from butchery and
quackery to a professional and scientific endeavor. Moderated by Jill 

 

 

 

Fiction Discussion Group

---

 

Thursday, October 12

Fiction Group: 3:30 pm 

Meeting will be held in the Library's Jamie Gagarin Community Room.

The Nurse's Secret by Amanda Skenandore 

Based on Florence Nightingale’s nursing principles, Bellevue prizes discipline, intellect, and moral
character. A young female grifter in 1880s New York evades the police by conning her way into Bellevue
Hospital’s training school for nurses, America’s first nursing school. A spate of murders continues to
follow her as she tries to leave the gritty streets of the city behind. Moderated by Linda

 

 

 

Two Great American Solar Eclipses

Zoom Participants:  Zoom Link - click here at 7 PM on October 12 to Zoom to the Event.

Viewing a Solar Eclipse is one of the most awe-inspiring sights in Astronomy. Two of these will track across the U.S. in the next nine months if you're fortunate enough to be located within the path of the Moon's shadow. The first is on October 14th, and the second occurs on April 8th of next year. While totality doesn't cross through Connecticut for these two, we can only observe partial eclipses unless we travel. 

Join Pete Kandefer from the Litchfield Hills Amateur Astronomy Club as he discusses these upcoming eclipses and learn about safely viewing them and where to go for the best views.

Pete Kandefer has trekked to several eclipses and is a longtime member of the Litchfield Hills Amateur Astronomy Club. The LHAAC was founded in 1956 and has been looking up ever since. The club is a member of the Astronomical League (a nationwide umbrella organization of astronomy clubs) and of NASA's Night Sky Network. Beginning in 2009 they have run a popular series of star parties at their observatory at White Memorial Conservation Center in Litchfield with the goal of bringing opportunities to enjoy the sky to the local community.

 

Armchair Travel - Destination Jordan

Registration is required. Register here 

Let's armchair travel to Jordan this month!

Join Nancy and Ed Schuler as they recount their exciting trip to Jordan. Visit the spectacular Petra, the remains of a 1st Century City, ride a camel through Wadi Ramm in the footsteps of T.S. Lawrence (author of Lawrence of Arabia), visit the spot where Jesus was baptized in the River Jordan by John the Baptist and float in the Dead Sea (the lowest place on earth).

 

 

Halloween Hauntings: Two Victorian Tales of Suspense

Zoom Participants:  Zoom Link - click here at 6:30 PM on October 19 to Zoom to the Event.

Join us for an enchanting evening! In HALLOWEEN HAUNTINGS: Two American Tales of Suspense from the Victorian Age, The Shadows on the Wall and The House That Was Not will be performed in this unique one-woman show. Professional actress Michèle LaRue portrays eight characters. 
 
In the wake of a sudden mysterious death, The Shadows on the Wall draws four siblings to a familiar but menacing New England parlor. The House That Was Not lures an unsuspecting new bride across the bleak Nebraska prairie. Authored by Mary E. Wilkins Freeman (1903) and Elia Wilkinson Peattie (1898), respectively, these tales evoke the America of a century ago, enthralling audiences today.
  
Michèle LaRue has delighted in performing literature from America’s Gilded Age for nearly 30 years. Her 500 presentations have included Washington’s Smithsonian Institution, Chicago’s Newberry Library, and New York’s Mohonk Mountain House.  
 
For more about Michèle LaRue’s TALES WELL TOLD, visit michelelarue.com

 

 

Martha Hall Kelly Discusses The Golden Doves

Zoom Participants:  Zoom Link - click here at 7 PM on October 26 to Zoom to the Event.

Sensational...a must-read for all readers who love history - Adriana Trigiani

Click here to read more about this program!

 

 

* No meeting Oct. 9 or Nov. 27

About Monday Scholars:
Monday Scholars combines the best of online learning with live virtual discussion! All you need to do in advance is be eager to learn and discuss. Each week, you will log in and together, via Zoom, all of us will watch approximately one hour of this lecture series, then, via Zoom, OWL's Caroline Ugurlu will lead everyone in a discussion of what we just watched.

Click here to read more about this exciting program!

 

 

 

 

Move Your Mind; Move Your Body

Zoom Participants:  Zoom Link - click here on Tuesdays at 10:15 am to Zoom to the Event.

Note: This Class is designed for senior women.

The United Nations General Assembly has declared 2021 to 2030 The Decade For Healthy Ageing. The OWL has always been committed to expanding minds and now we would like to help our community expand their physical strength. 

Join Nancy Schuler in this exercise class for senior women. You can attend the class in person, here at the OWL, or online in the privacy of your home. The class features stretching and exercises that can be done in a chair or standing, and lifting of 1 or 2 lb. weights. All exercises are gentle and easy to understand. Exercise has been proven to help one's cognitive abilities, blood pressure, insomnia, digestive issues, depression, strength and independence. The Alzheimer's, Diabetes and Heart Associations all recommend exercise for healthy ageing.

No prior experience is necessary. Bring in a set of light weights for this class - 1 to 2 lbs.

* No class Nov. 21 & 28

 

 

Fair Weather Walkers

Registration is required. Register here

Walking is one of the best exercises that you can do to gain physical and mental fitness. It's free, convenient, right outside your door and the benefits are hard to beat.

It's easy to get started. Put on your sneakers, have a glass of water and join the OWL new walking class every Friday at 9:00 AM here at the Oliver Wolcott Library.

This is a 6 week program to get you started on a walking program and to introduce you to a lifetime fitness sport. Restrooms will be available before and after our walk. For more information, email [email protected]

 

 

Writers & Readers: An OWL Book Club

New, fresh, and engaging, OWL's Writers & Readers Book Club promises to connect you with celebrated authors who will lead us in a discussion of a selected book title. 

Throughout the year, a high-profile author will engage and explore their work with us...LIVE and IN PERSON!

We will have extra copies of the book available for you to borrow from OWL at least one month prior to the event. Read the book--then discuss it with the author! 

We hope you will share our excitement about this new initiative to connect writers with readers!

Click here to see our upcoming authors!

 

 

About Our Zoom Events:

All of our Virtual Zoom Events are live. They are not recorded. To participate/join the event, you need to use the exact link connected to the event. Once you click on the link at the specified date and time, you will be prompted to open Zoom, the virtual meeting program we are using. All you need is an internet connection and a device or computer with a webcam and audio. Most computers have built-in webcams. No passwords or confirmation codes, just click the link and follow the prompts.

 

More security, more privacy: In response to concerns about privacy in a virtual meeting space, we have enabled additional security features in Zoom and updated our meeting links to be protected, private, and secure. These new, unique links can also be accessed through our e-newsletters.To receive secure information regarding these events, please subscribe to our e-newsletter! Click here to subscribe