Thomaston Library News

Library to Participate in 6th Annual MLK Jr. Food Drive

The Thomaston Public Library is pleased to be a collection point for the 6th annual Martin Luther King, Jr., Food Drive for Local Food Pantries. Two large receptacles have been placed in the main room of the library for your nonperishable food items. We will continue to collect for the food drive through the end of February.

Anyone preferring to make a monetary donation can drop off checks at the library's Circulation Desk. Please make out your checks to Thomaston Food Pantry.

Intergenerational Book Club to Discuss Cutting for Stone

On Tuesday, February 18th, at 2:30 PM, the Intergenerational Book Club will discuss Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese.

Cutting for Stone is the story of initially-conjoined twin brothers, Marion and Shiva Stone. The twins are born illegitimately in the heart of Ethiopia to an Indian nun and a British surgeon. The story is told from the perspective of Marion, who becomes very close to his brother after their mother's death in childbirth and their father's abandonment. Upon entering puberty, however, the two brothers fall for the same girl, and it tears them apart.

The girl, Genet, undergoes a painful and unnecessary surgery at the behest of her mother and later joins the Eritrean liberation movement. When the movement hijacks an airplane, Marion is on Genet's list of connections. Marion flees to America where he becomes a surgeon in the Bronx. He is reunited with his father in the hospital, which leads to a painful reunion with his brother.

Interspersed with incredibly detailed descriptions of medical procedures, the twins' love of the world of medicine reflects the author's involvement in the world's medical community. This book was selected by President Barack Obama as one of his summer-vacation reads in 2011.

On the third Tuesday of every month, the Intergenerational Book Club, a group of men and women of all ages, comes together to share their opinions and ideas about the book selection. Extra copies of the books are purchased by the Friends of the Thomaston Public Library from the Annual Appeal funds. We thank you for your donations. All are welcome at the Thomaston Library on February 18th at 2:30  p.m.

If you live in Thomaston and would like to attend but need a ride, please call the library at 354-2453 a week before the discussion date.

Valentine Book Sale

This February get into the romantic spirit with a book! All pink-covered, red-covered, and love-related books in the Thomaston Public Library's Hallway Bookshop will be two-for-one, starting February 1. The sale will run through the month of February.

 Qi Gong Returns

The Thomaston Public Library is pleased to announce that the Saturday Qi Gong sessions led by Tim English will resume, with a Grand Re-opening, on Saturday, February 8, at 11 AM in the Thomaston Academy building gym.

According to the National Qi Gong Association, "The word Qigong (Chi Kung) is made up of two Chinese words. Qi is pronounced chee and is usually translated to mean the life force or vital-energy that flows through all things in the universe. The second word, Gong, pronounced gung, means accomplishment, or skill that is cultivated through steady practice. Together, Qigong (Chi Kung) means cultivating energy. It is a system practiced for health maintenance, healing, and increasing vitality."

The Qi Gong sessions are open to people of any age and skill level. No experience is necessary. Non-restricting, comfortable clothes are advisable for the gentle, graceful exercises of Qi Gong. For more information, call the Thomaston Public Library, 354-2453.

Bernard Langlais Art Reception a Success

The Bernard Langlais art reception held at the Thomaston Public Library on Friday, January 24th, was a huge success, attended by approximately 50 people. The reception celebrated the library's acquisition of five pieces of art by the renowned Maine artist Bernard Langlais, who was born in Old Town and lived for many years on the Cushing peninsula, where he died in 1977.

Head Librarian Ann Harris addressed attendees, relating the manner in which the artworks were acquired. In 2010, Helen Langlais, Bernard Langlais's wife, bequeathed a large number of Langlais's artworks and ninety acres of their Cushing property to Colby College, a gift that has allowed Colby College Museum of Art to become the largest holder of Langlais's art. After making their own selections, Colby made a gift of nearly 3,000 Langlais artworks to the Kohler Foundation, an organization committed to the preservation of art environments and important collections, who preserved and then gifted these works to non-profit institutions throughout Maine and the United States. Thomaston Public Library is one of those lucky recipients.

Annette Naegel of the Georges River Land Trust, who had initially contacted the library about the possibility of acquiring a piece of Langlais art, addressed the reception audience as well, giving an update on the preservation of the Langlais's Cushing property and its outdoor sculptures. A portion of the estate will be preserved as a sculpture park for public access and will be named in honor of Bernard and Helen Langlais. The Georges River Land Trust of Rockland, Maine, now owns the property and will collaborate with the Colby Museum of Art on programming at the site.

The library's artwork acquisition includes five pieces, all wood-relief wall hangings, two of them abstract and three figurative. The five pieces will be on permanent display at the library and available for viewing during all open hours.

Daniel Sayner

Elizabeth Macalaster

Elizabeth Macalaster, Author of Debut Thriller, to Speak

Wednesday, February 19, 7 PM

Photos courtesy of Elizabeth Macalaster

What could be worse than facing bears, blisters, and raging waters in the wilderness of the Pacific Crest Trail? A lot. Set out on a journey of intrigue and insight with Elizabeth Macalaster, author of the debut thriller Reckoning at Harts Pass, and retired FBI agent and Pacific Crest thru-hiker Daniel Sayner, technical consultant on Ms. Macalaster's book.

Reckoning at Harts Pass introduces us to retired FBI agent Luke Chamberlin, who, in the course of hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, becomes embroiled in a renegade team-effort to stop a group of extremists from destroying a target on the west coast.

The author, Elizabeth Macalaster, hails from New England. She studied marine biology and began her writing career as a science journalist. Married to an FBI agent, Elizabeth and her family lived all over the U.S. as her husband transferred from post to post working in counterintelligence and counter-terrorism programs. Elizabeth's writing experience and inside knowledge of the FBI, as well as her passion for hiking, inspired her to write Reckoning at Harts Pass. She now divides her time between Vermont and Maine, where she is an avid rower and hiker.

Mr. Sayner spent 21 years as an FBI agent. He worked on a number of espionage and terrorism cases including the 1986 Gennady Zakharov spy case, which nearly derailed the Reagan/Gorbachev summit in Reykjavik; the 1993 World Trade Center bombing; the 1994 Unabomber case; the 1998 Peter Lee spy case; and the 2003 Katrina Leung double agent case. Mr. Sayner retired in 2004 and that year hiked the entire Pacific Crest Trail.

Ms. Macalaster will read from her novel and she and Mr. Sayner will speak about how the book came to be. Their talk will set your heart pounding – and not just from the high altitudes. They'll tell you about hiking the Pacific Crest Trail and take you behind the scenes at the FBI. Don't miss this exciting event and bring your questions!