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.
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| Daniel Sayner |
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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!
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