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!

Tuesday Scholars: The Great Tours - Ireland & Northern Ireland

Tuesday 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. 

 

About the course:
The Great Tours: Ireland and Northern Ireland gives you the chance to traverse this amazing land with a leading scholar in the field of Irish history, culture, and literature. Taught by Professor Marc Conner, president of Skidmore College and a scholar of modern Irish literature, you'll go on a sweeping tour of the Emerald Isle, from the Guinness Brewery in Dublin to the ancient ruins of Newgrange to the battle-scarred village of Derry in Northern Ireland.

For more information on this series, click here

 

 

Friday Scholars: History Of Russia - From Peter The Great To Gorbachev

Friday 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.

 

About the course:

This course focuses on 300 years of Russian history from Peter the Great to Gorbachev by examining the lives of the men and women who, in fact, were Russia. This is history told through biography. Discover historical themes made clear not by discussing treaties, war declarations, or economic statistics —but by examining the lives and ideas of the men and women who were Russia: tsars, emperors, Communist Party leaders, writers, artists, peasants, and factory workers.

For more information on this series, click here

 

 

Move Your Mind; Move Your Body with Nancy Schuler

While supplies last, participants will receive a welcome bag with a pair of 1 lb weights along with a notebook & pencil to chart your progress. You must register in order to receive the welcome bag.

In-Person Space is limited. Registration is required to attend class and to receive a welcome bag. Register here

 

Zoom Participants:  Zoom Link - click here at 10:15 AM on Tuesdays starting April 19 to Zoom to the Event. 

Zoom Participants: Register to reserve a welcome bag - Register here 

You may pick-up your welcome bag beginning April 13.

 

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. 

Nancy Schuler will be conducting an introductory exercise class for senior women. You will have the option of joining the class in person, here at the OWL, or online in the privacy of your home. The class will feature stretching and exercises that can be done in a chair or standing and lifting 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. Don't worry if you don't have weights; sign up and stop in to the library to pick up your own personal set of 1 lb. weights and a notebook to measure your progress.

 

On Exhibit - Jennifer Abbott-Tillou & Richard Heys

On Exhibit - April 25 - May 19

 

Click here to read about their joint exhibit

 

 

 

 

 

New England Modernism & Mid-Century Modern Architecture
with Documentary Filmmaker Jake Gorst

In-Person Space is limited. Registration is Required. Register here

Zoom Participants:  Zoom Link - click here at 7:00 PM on May 26 to Zoom to this event.

Please join us for another fabulous evening with local Film director/producer Jake Gorst as he recounts twenty years of documenting U.S. mid-century modern architecture and design. His most recent project, “New England Modernism: Revolutionary Architecture in the 20th century,” is currently in production for release in theaters and through Amazon Prime.

Jake’s documentaries include the Frey (2018-20) as well as The Nature of Modernism: E. Stewart Williams, Architect (2014); Modern Tide: Midcentury Architecture on Long Island (2012); William Krisel, Architect (2010); Journeyman Architect: The Life and Work of Donald Wexler (2009); and Desert Utopia: Midcentury Architecture in Palm Springs (2006). His films Farmboy (2006) and Leisurama (2005), have been in national US public television distribution.

Jake is the author of the book Andrew Geller: Deconstructed, an Emmy award winning producer, and the director of Mainspring Narrative Films. He is also a contributing writer to The Architect’s Newspaper, VOX Hamptons, HOME Miami, Modern and Modernism magazines.

 

To Join by Phone:
Dial: +1 646 876 9923 | Meeting ID: 863 3282 0192 | Passcode: 269740

 

 

Non-Fiction Discussion Group

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Thursday, June 9

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

Growing Up by Russell Baker

Russell Baker traces his youth from the mountains of Virginia to a New Jersey town to Baltimore. He
writes of adversity and courage, the poignancy of love and the awkwardness of sex, of family bonds and
family tensions. Here, too, are the everyday heroes and heroines of the Depression who faced disaster
with good cheer as they tried to muddle through. Moderated by Diane

 

 

 

 

Fiction Discussion Group

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Thursday, June 9

Fiction Group: 3:30 pm 

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

Asymmetry by Lisa Halliday

Asymmetry explores the imbalances in human relations: inequities in age, power, talent, wealth, fame,
geography, and justice. The first section tells the story of a young American editor’s relationship with a
much older writer. In the second section, an Iraqi-American man is detained by immigration officers in
Heathrow. These two seemingly disparate stories gain resonance in the final section. Moderated by Kathy

 

 

 

 

An Introduction to Mindfulness Meditation with Sheila Klapper

In-Person Space is limited. Registration is Required. Register here

Zoom Participants:  Zoom Link - click here at 7:00 PM on June 9 to Zoom to this event.

Join Sheila Klapper in exploring the ways in which Mindfulness Meditation can help us cultivate resilience in everyday life. Please bring questions if you’ve had a meditation practice that you’d like to refresh. If you have just begun exploring meditation, bring your curiosity about the benefits of regular and focused periods of stillness. We will learn simple techniques for seated meditation and ways to incorporate mindfulness practices into daily routines. We will talk about the impact of “thoughts,” and experience a short “guided meditation” together.

Sheila has been meditating since the mid-70’s using varied techniques within different traditions of practice. She has completed Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training with Jack Kornfield & Tara Brach and has maintained a dedicated practice in the Insight tradition for over a decade. Her objective in teaching is to inspire an interest and ability to practice, to offer a path with potential for greater ease in daily life.

 

To Join by Phone:
Dial: +1 646 876 9923 | Meeting ID: 834 7263 6815 | Passcode: 948323

 

 

Reenactor George Baker Introduces us to John Adams

In-Person Space is limited. Registration is Required. Register here

Zoom Participants:  Zoom Link - click here at 7:00 PM on June 14 to Zoom to this event.

John Adams will talk about his life and times in a humorous and inspiring performance! He discusses, among many incidents in Adams' life, the Boston Massacre Trial of 1770 where Adams defended 14 British soldiers charged with murder for firing into a mob of 500 Bostonians, killing six of them.  This case was the first time in a Colonial court where the judge instructed the jury that you cannot convict unless you are convinced of the defendant's guilt "beyond a reasonable doubt." This talk includes a few musical performances that are certain to entertain and educate.

George Baker is a graduate of Columbia College and Columbia Law School. He practices law in New Canaan, Connecticut. In 2008, George created a one-man show to represent the humor and patriotism of President John Adams. Since then, his performances have taken place across the United States at venues large and small.

 

To Join by Phone:
Dial: +1 646 876 9923 | Meeting ID: 884 6719 6782 | Passcode: 687822

 

 

Angels of the pacific: A Novel of World War II

Zoom Participants:  Zoom Link - click here at 7:00 PM on June 16 to Zoom to this event.

 

Please welcome back author and captivating storyteller Elise Hooper!  We are so delighted for the opportunity to spend (virtual) time with her to learn how she constructed her latest novel, Angels of the Pacific: A Novel of World War II. Inspired by the extraordinary true stories of World War II’s American Army nurses famously known as the Angels of Bataan and the unsung contributions of Filipinas of the resistance, this novel transports us to a remarkable era of hope, bravery, perseverance, and ultimately—victory.

A native New Englander, Elise spent several years writing for television and online news outlets before getting a MA and teaching high-school literature and history. She now lives in Seattle with her husband and two daughters. Her other novels include:

The Other Alcott - an historical fiction about art, ambition, and the real women behind the March sisters in Louisa May Alcott's beloved classic Little Women. 
Learning to See - biographical fiction about Dorothea Lange, the pioneering documentary photographer who captured iconic images of the Great Depression and the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II.
Fast Girls - a novel that explores the gripping, real-life history of female athletes, members of the first integrated women’s Olympic team, and their journeys to the 1936 summer games in Berlin, Nazi Germany.

 

To Join by Phone:
Dial: +1 646 876 9923 | Meeting ID: 899 6818 5119 | Passcode: 743544

 

 

A Musical Performance with Thomasina Levy

In-Person Space is limited. Registration is Required. Register here

Zoom Participants:  Zoom Link - click here at 7:00 PM on June 23 to Zoom to this event.

Gather with us for this enchanting musical performance with Litchfield resident, Thomasina Levy, CT State Troubadour.

Thomasina is an award-winning songwriter, poet, and internationally recognized mountain dulcimer player whose performances weave together the best of traditional and contemporary folk music. Her music has been aired in over twenty countries across the globe. Described as a charismatic performer, she touches audiences with a simplicity, humanity, and strength drawn from the deep roots of the folk tradition. 

Parallel Universe, her latest full-length album, was co-produced with Grammy winning cellist David Darling and is on the Hearts of Space Records label. This instrumental album received a Silver Medal from the Global Music Awards in December 2018, as well as the 2019 NAMA Award for Best Song of the Year.  Her 2020 single, We are Thunder, We are Lightning, is a song/video that is a call to action to address the climate crisis looming over us all.

 

To Join by Phone:
Dial: +1 646 876 9923 | Meeting ID: 896 7939 3663 | Passcode: 859698

 

 

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.

Still having difficulty understanding how to access Zoom? Email OWL's Technology Coordinator Ted Moy at [email protected] to set-up a virtual Book-a-Tech session and he will go over it with you.

 

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