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!
Grow Your Own Basil Kit!
March Adult Take & Make Activity
Available beginning March 4*
When we plant seeds, we engage in a hopeful and nurturing process. In March, planting a few seeds and watching them grow inside reminds us that winter will end and spring will arrive ushering in its profusion of new life. Stop by Oliver Wolcott Library to pick up your basil growing kit that includes basil seeds, a starter pot, potting soil, instructions and a reading list about spring gardening. Basil can be grown in pots outside or planted in the garden when the soil is warm and fear of frost is over.
"A garden is a grand teacher. It teaches patience and careful watchfulness; it teaches industry and thrift and above all it teaches entire trust." -Gertrude Jekyll
*Supplies are limited. First come first serve.
Move Your Mind; Move Your Body
Live, In-Person & Live on Zoom:
Tuesdays: 10:15 - 11:00 AM
In-Person Space is limited. Registration is required. Register here
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.
Non-Fiction Discussion Group
Thursday, March 14
Non-Fiction Group: 2:00 pm
Meeting will be held in the Library's Jamie Gagarin Community Room.
Susan, Linda, Nina & Cokie: The Extraordinary Story of the Founding Mothers of NPRP by Lisa Napoli
In the years after the Civil Rights Act of 1964, women in the workplace still found themselves relegated
to secretarial positions or locked out of jobs entirely, especially in the news business. But when National
Public Radio came along in the 1970s and the door to serious journalism opened a crack, four remarkable
women came along and blew it off the hinges. Moderated by Margaret
Fiction Discussion Group
Thursday, March 14
Fiction Group: 3:30 pm
Meeting will be held in the Library's Jamie Gagarin Community Room.
The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh
A child alone in the world has a talent that saves her. In the foster-care system, she is unable to get
close to anybody, and her only connection to the world is through flowers and their meanings. Now 18,
she has a gift for helping others through the flowers she chooses for them. But an encounter with a stranger
has her questioning what’s been missing in her life. Moderated by Nancy
Lunch & Chat, AMA - ask me anything
with Jim Fontana & Mike Burr - Moderated by Nancy Schuler
Live, In-Person
Friday, March 15 from 12:00 - 1:00 PM
In-Person Space is limited. Registration is required. Register here
Pack your lunch and join us at the OWL for Lunch and Chat, AMA!
How do you become an Air Traffic Controller and what’s it like to fly commercial jets?
Did you ever wonder what a day in the life or an Air Traffic Controller or Pilot for commercial jets is like? Well, we have and we’ve asked Jim Fontana, Air Traffic Controller at Bradley International Airport and the Waterbury/Oxford Airport, and Mike Burr, a former US Navy pilot of F-18 Fighter jets and Pilot for American Airlines flying B-27, B-37, B-57, B-67 and B-77, to speak about their exciting jobs.
Join us on Friday, March 15 at noon to meet Jim and Mike. Have your questions ready to ask away!
Poetry Critique Club
Moderated by Olivia DeFiore
Live, In-Person:
Tuesday, March 19 from 7:00 - 8:00 PM
In-Person Space is limited. Registration is required. Register here
Calling all poets!
Have you been in search of constructive feedback to help further your poetry endeavors? Then OWL’s new Poetry Critique Club is for you.
Each month we will focus on poetry surrounding a specific prompt, so write your poetry ahead of time and come prepared to share! Each attendee should limit themselves to one poem per meeting. Bring 10 hard copies of your work to share with other members. If you are unable to print copies at home, we can help you make copies at the library.
3/19 Prompt - The Moon
Note: This is a critique group focused on providing constructive feedback, so come prepared to hear a variety of comments about your work.
Connecticut's Changing Coastal Habitats in the Era of Climate Change
Live, In-Person & Live on Zoom:
Wednesday, March 27: 2:00 - 3:00 PM
In-Person Space is limited. Registration is required. Register here
Zoom Participants: Zoom Link - click here on March 27 at 2 PM to Zoom to this talk.
This presentation will explore the dynamic Connecticut coast, its habitats and how the impacts of climate change are altering these habitats. We will discuss current and projected climate change impacts for coastal habitats and Long Island Sound over the next 50 years. The impacts of climate change in Connecticut is likely to result in more intense rainfall events, higher air and water temperatures, sea level rise leading to more vulnerable beaches and dunes, and increases in the land and infrastructure that could be inundated by rising sea levels and riverine (inland) flooding.
Juliana Barrett is with the University of Connecticut Sea Grant College Program. Her work focuses on climate change adaptation and coastal habitat management working with Connecticut’s municipalities, NGO’s, state and federal partners and most recently, UConn undergrads through the Climate Corps program. Prior to coming to Sea Grant in 2006 she worked with CT DEP on management plans for state natural areas and for The Nature Conservancy as the Director of the Connecticut River Tidelands Last Great Places Program. She has a doctorate in plant ecology from the University of Connecticut and is a co-author of the Vegetation of Connecticut and several guides describing coastal habitats of Long Island Sound. She likes nothing better than getting wet and muddy in Connecticut’s wetlands or hiking and kayaking through new places.
The Last Hill with Author Tom Clavin
A Writers & Readers Book Club Presentation
Live, In-Person & Live on Zoom:
Thursday, March 28: 7:00 - 8:00 PM
Zoom Link: Click here at 7 PM on March 28 to Zoom to this event.
In-Person Registration: Click here to attend in-person.
Join us for a special evening as national bestselling author Tom Clavin leads the discussion of his book The Last Hill: The Epic Story of a Ranger Battalion and the Battle that Defined WWII.
About The Last Hill:
The Last Hill is the incredible untold story of one Ranger battalion’s heroism and courage in WWII. Castle Hill, the imposing 1320-foot mini-mountain the American Rangers simply called Hill 400, was the gateway to a desperate Nazi Germany. Several entire American divisions had already been repulsed by the last hill's dug-in defenders.
Click here to read more about this talk.
Books are available at OWL to borrow and the title is available as an instant e-book.
Monday Scholars: Shakespeare's Tragedies
Mondays: 1:00 - 2:30 PM
January 8 - April 1*
* No meeting Feb. 19
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.
About the course:
Shakespeare's contributions to stage and language are unequaled. But beyond his astonishing feats of language and dramatic impact, Shakespeare also left us a legacy, crafted from his experiences and explorations, of suffering and transgression in his six great mature tragedies: Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth, Antony and Cleopatra, and Coriolanus.
Click here to read more about this series.
Paper Quilling: Daisies
April Adult Take & Make Activity
Available beginning April 1
Welcome spring with Oliver Wolcott Library’s latest adult take-and-make craft! This April, OWL patrons are encouraged to stop by and pick up their own daisy paper quilling craft kit. Each box comes equipped with the materials needed to construct flowers from thin strips of paper and glue them to a sturdy display board. Once your daisies are completed, they may be propped up anywhere you think needs a little flower power to brighten up your living space!
Supplies are limited so spring into action and grab your kit before they’re gone!
A William Faulkner Seminar - with Mark Scarbrough
Live, In-Person & Live on Zoom:
Fridays: 10:30 AM - 12:30 PM - April 5 - May 10
In-Person Space is limited. Registration is required. Register here
Zoom Participants: Zoom Link - click here on Fridays at 10:30 AM beginning April 5 to Zoom to this seminar.
There’s nothing like a Faulkner novel: breath-taking yet suffocating, untamed yet structured. The prose is haunting; the diction, erudite yet home-spun. And the plots strike at the heart of the tragedy and comedy that is our U. S. project. Then there’s the man: an uneducated alcoholic, ill-prepared to be a Nobel laureate. The mere mention of Faulkner strikes fear into undergrads! But skip the jitters and join us to explore one of the greatest American authors. In six weeks, we’ll cover three masterworks written within a ten-year span. We’ll discuss the art, history, and culture surrounding the novels. We’ll also get a too-close-for-comfort glimpse at U. S. rancor, Southern defeat, and the happy ending Faulkner believed was the sum of human existence. (Note that the first novel should be read in its entirety for the first session.)
- Reading Schedule:
4/05/2024 - The Wild Palms (If I Forget Thee, Jerusalem 1939)
4/12/2024 - The Wild Palms (If I Forget Thee, Jerusalem 1939)
4/19/2024 - Light in August (1932), chapters 1 – 11
4/26/2024 - Light in August (1932), chapters 12 – 21
5/03/2024 - The Sound and the Fury (1929), first two chapters
5/10/2024 - The Sound and the Fury (1929), completed
Mark Scarbrough is a former English Professor and author who teaches seminars on Virginia Woolf, William Faulkner and Toni Morrison. He also hosts three literary podcasts. To learn more about Mark, visit his website at
markscarbrough.com.
Books are available at OWL to borrow plus instant e-book and e-audio copies are available as well.
Note on Texts:
Look for the texts available through Vintage/Vintage International. Faulkner’s novels are prone to typos, editorial errors, and prose misalignments. Scholars have recently taken on the daunting task of bringing the works into sync with Faulkner’s typescripts and hand-written corrections. The library should have copies of the three novels. If you’re purchasing them, please support a local bookstore.
Mastering Contacts on iOS: Your Essential Guide to iPhone Connectivity
with Jay Trevorrow
Live, In-Person
Wednesday, April 10 from 2:00 - 3:00 PM
In-Person Space is limited. Registration is required. Register here
In this tutorial participants will learn about the varied possibilities embodied in the iOS Contacts application. We will start with a brief review of routine uses of this app including: deleting contacts, adding contacts, and setting up My Card. With this we will explore creating and managing lists, dealing with duplicate entries, syncing with iCloud, sharing contacts, customizing entries, creating contact posters, using Quick Actions, and more. Our approach will involve brief visuals followed up by extensive “hands on” interaction in order to address individual needs. This application is truly the key to making connectivity uniquely your own. This session will focus on managing contacts on iOS devices only (iPhone, not Android).
Jay Trevorrow spent his four decade career engaged with the convergence of digital technologies and learning. During this time, he was involved in developing and implementing innovative technologies to improve the learning experience for students of all ages. Since his retirement he has been an active volunteer working with adults to assist them in applying technologies that address their own unique interests and goals.
Non-Fiction Discussion Group
Thursday, April 11
Non-Fiction Group: 2:00 pm
Meeting will be held in the Library's Jamie Gagarin Community Room.
The Bad-ass Librarians of Timbuktu: And Their Race to Save the World’s Most Precious Manuscripts by Joshua Hammer
In 2012, thousands of Al Qaeda militants seized control of most of Mali, including Timbuktu. A mild mannered
archivist and historian became one of the world's greatest and most brazen smugglers. As the militants
tightened their control over Timbuktu, he organized a dangerous operation to sneak 350,000 volumes out of the city to the safety of southern Mali. Moderated by Christine
Fiction Discussion Group
Thursday, April 11
Fiction Group: 3:30 pm
Meeting will be held in the Library's Jamie Gagarin Community Room.
10 Minutes 38 Seconds in this Strange World by Elif Shafak
In the pulsating moments after she has been murdered, a woman remembers her life – and
the lives of others, outcasts like her. Her memories bring us back to her childhood in the provinces
and to a dark world in a big city. In her death, the secrets and wonders of modern Istanbul come to
life, painted vividly by the captivating tales of how she came to know and be loved by her friends.
Moderated by Corinne
Armchair Travel - Destination Thailand!
with Nancy & Ed Schuler
Live, In-Person
Wednesday, April 17 from 1:00 - 2:00 PM
In-Person Space is limited. Registration is required. Register here
Thailand, one of the most visited countries in the world! Join Nancy and Ed Schuler for a magical presentation of this beautiful country. Visit some its 40,717 temples and marvel at the many gold and jeweled Buddhas and buildings. Shop at a floating market and a market on a working railway. Visit the Bridge at the River Kwai and the Hellfire Pass Railroad and learn about the POW’s who built them.
Louise Glück: Poetry Discussion
Led by Richard Deming
Live, In-Person & Live on Zoom:
Tuesday, April 23: 7:00 - 8:00 PM
Zoom Link: Click here at 7 PM on April 23 to Zoom to this event.
In-Person Registration: Click here to attend in-person.
We celebrate Poetry Month and Louise Gluck’s birthday with this special poetry discussion.
Richard Deming, poet and friend of Louise Gluck, will lead an exploratory discussion of a selection of Gluck poems. Poems will be available beginning April 1.
Considered by many to be one of America’s most talented contemporary poets, Glück is known for her poetry’s technical precision, sensitivity, and insight into loneliness, family relationships, divorce, and death. The poet Robert Hass has called her “one of the purest and most accomplished lyric poets now writing.” In 2020 she was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature "for her unmistakable poetic voice that with austere beauty makes individual existence universal."
She was the author of two collections of essays and thirteen books of poems. In addition to the Nobel Prize in Literature, she was also awarded the National Humanities Medal, the Pulitzer Prize for The Wild Iris, the National Book Award for Faithful and Virtuous Night, the National Book Critics Circle Award for The Triumph of Achilles, the Bollingen Prize for Poetry, the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Poems 1962–2012, and the Wallace Stevens Award from the Academy of American Poets.
Preserving The Future Of Litchfield: All About The Litchfield Land Trust
Live, In-Person & Live on Zoom:
Thursday, April 25: 7:00 - 8:00 PM
In-Person Space is limited. Registration is required. Register here
Zoom Participants: Zoom Link - click here on April 25 at 7 PM to Zoom to this talk.
We, all of us together, are the Litchfield Land Trust. Find out what the Land Trust does and how we collaborate locally and regionally. Learn why our work and our partnerships with private landowners is essential for a vibrant future.
We will identify currently protected lands as well as regions of strategic importance for future considerations. We will also discuss different approaches to land protections. Finally, we will learn how to work more effectively as individuals and as a community of people that appreciate the wonderful natural resources in northwestern Connecticut.
Dean Birdsall is the Litchfield Land Trust Executive Director. Previously, he served on the Land Trust's Board including serving as the Stewardship Chairperson. He is a passionate outdoor enthusiast, environmental advocate, and committed community volunteer. He lives in Litchfield and is the proud father of two daughters.
Richard Deming Discusses This Exquisite Loneliness
A Writers & Readers Book Club Presentation
Live, In-Person & Live on Zoom:
Thursday, May 16: 7:00 - 8:00 PM
Zoom Link: Click here at 7 PM on May 16 to Zoom to this event.
In-Person Registration: Click here to attend in-person.
“. . . inspired meditations . . . The lucid prose is matched by the depth of insight . . . Profound and often achingly beautiful, this makes for great company.” —Publishers Weekly
About This Exquisite Loneliness:
In This Exquisite Loneliness: What Loners, Outcasts, and the Misunderstood Can Teach Us About Creativity Richard Deming turns an eye toward that unwelcome feeling, both in his own experiences and the lives of six groundbreaking figures, to find the context of loneliness and to see what some people have done to navigate this profound sense of discomfort. Deming explores how loneliness has served as fuel for an intense creative desire that has forged some of the most original and innovative art and writing of the twentieth century.
Click here to read more about this talk.
Books are available at OWL to borrow and the title is available as an instant e-book and e-audio.
Exploring Smith & Welty - Led by Mark Schenker
Live, In-Person & Live on Zoom:
Wednesdays: 2:00 - 3:30 PM - May 22 & June 19
In-Person Space is limited. Registration is required. Register here
Zoom Participants: Zoom Link - click here on Wednesdays at 2 PM May 22 & June 19 to Zoom to these discussions.
Mark Schenker returns to the Oliver Wolcott Library to lead discussions on two 20th c. American novels by women: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1943) by Betty Smith (1896-1972) and The Optimist’s Daughter (1972) by Eudora Welty (1909-2001). Despite their differences in setting—Brooklyn in the early decades of the 20th century and rural Mississippi in the mid-20th century—these two prize-winning novels use autobiographical material to engage issues of family life, the complex nature of the past, and the transcendence of grief.
The result: an old-fashioned coming-of-age tale of young Francie Nolan and a more complex belated coming-of-age story of 40-something Laura McKelva Hand.
Dr. Mark Schenker is a retired dean from Yale College. Born and raised in New York City, he received his PhD in English Literature from Columbia University and has taught at Columbia, New York University, Trinity College (Hartford), and Yale University. He was the recipient of the 2001 Wilbur Cross Award for Outstanding Humanities Scholar, presented by the Connecticut Humanities Council.
Books will be available at OWL to borrow at least one month prior to the event plus instant e-book and e-audio copies will be available as well.
Roving Reporter Series With Nancy Schuler
In our Roving Reporter Video Series, our Senior Services Specialist, Nancy Schuler, will be asking seniors one question a month for a video collage. Don’t worry, it won’t be “what’s the meaning of life?”
Her first question for January is: “On what car did you learn to drive?"
Click here to watch a video of the responses. We hope you enjoy hearing what our seniors have to say.
February’s question is: “What was your first job?”
Click here to watch a video of the responses.
March’s question is: “What was your favorite age or era?”
Writers & Readers: An OWL Book Club
Connecting YOU with CELEBRATED AUTHORS!
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!
FUTURE EVENTS:
Check back as we continue to add programs! Registration is required, but not yet open for these events:
An Evening with John Adams on his Friendship with Thomas Jefferson
Live Theatrical Performance with George Baker
Live, In-Person & Live on Zoom:
Thursday, July 18 from 7:00 - 8:00 PM
Registration and zoom link will follow.
Join us for this unforgettable evening!
Adams and Jefferson shared a close 50 year relationship: first as Revolutionary War comrades, then fellow ambassadors to England and France, then competitive candidates for the Presidency, and finally prolific correspondents to one another until their deaths on the same day, July 4, 1826, the fiftieth anniversary of American independence.
In this theatrical performance, George Baker as John Adams will discuss this enduring and complex friendship of two of our most prominent founding fathers.
For more than fifteen years, George Baker has portrayed the character of President John Adams in a one-man show throughout the country at national conventions and venues like Mystic Seaport in Connecticut, the Presidential Libraries of Dwight D. Eisenhower, George H. W. Bush, and Harry S. Truman, the New-York Historical Society and was featured as John Adams on National Public Radio’s weekend program, Studio 360. A graduate of Columbia College and Columbia Law School, George practices law in Connecticut when not on the road as John Adams.
An Evening With Edgar Allan Poe
Live Theatrical Performance with Campbell Harmon
Live, In-Person & Live on Zoom:
Thursday, October 17 from 7:00 - 8:00 PM
Registration and zoom link will follow.
Immerse yourself in the captivating experience of Poe’s life and works, as Harmon breathes new life into the mystique and brilliance of this literary icon!
Enter the enigmatic realm of Edgar Allan Poe, an iconic figure whose literary genius has left an indelible mark on American literature and culture. From pioneering the detective genre to shaping modern science fiction and horror, Poe’s contributions are immeasurable. His tormented love for his wife, Virginia, fueled the haunting verses of “The Raven,” while his enigmatic death in 1849 continues to ignite speculation to this day. Over a century and a half later, his works remain a global sensation, inspiring countless adaptations on stage and screen.
See the resurrection of this legendary author through the talents of Campbell Harmon. Be transported into Poe’s world as Harmon delivered a spellbinding one-man show, intertwining dramatic reenactments, historical biography, and dynamic interactions with the audience.
Campbell Harmon has portrayed Edgar Allan Poe since 2009 and is the preeminent Poe impersonator with a focus on historic accuracy and dramatic entertainment.
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 learn more about our e-newsletter offerings.