Book Club To Discuss The Lotus Eaters

Submitted release 

Monday, April 9

Monday Night Book Club To Discuss The Lotus Eaters

The Monday Night Book Club at Canton Public Library has selected The Lotus Eaters: A Novel by Tatjana Soli as its April selection.  The discussion begins at 7 p.m. on Monday, April 9.

The Lotus Eaters is both a war story and a love story. Set during the Vietnam War, the story captures the chaos of war and the devastation wrought upon Vietnam.  Helen Adams is an American combat photographer who is introduced to the war by Sam Darrow, a seasoned and cynical war correspondent who becomes both her lover and her competition. Linh, a former Vietnamese soldier, is Darrow’s assistant and later becomes Adams’s lover. The complex relationships among the three play out against the backdrop of the war and of Vietnam in the 1960s and 70s.

Copies of the The Lotus Eaters are available at the library.  New members are always welcome to join the discussion. 

Tuesday, April 10

More E-reader Help at Canton Public Library

Are you one of the lucky new owners of a Kindle or other e-reader? Are you eager to learn how to download e-books to your new device? Help is available at Canton Public Library. You’ll soon be up and running and ready to join the surging population of folks who can carry hundreds or even thousands of books with them.

Sarah McCusker, Head of Technical Services at Canton Public Library, has been offering  one-on-one or small group tutorials since mid-January to help library patrons transition into the use of electronic reading devices. She will help with the downloading of books, including the use of the library’s Overdrive system for downloading library books. Whether you have a Kindle, Barnes & Noble Nook, Sony Reader, or other e-reader device, she’ll walk you through the process.

Sarah has added the following dates for e-reader help. She will be available in the library’s program room on the following days and times:

• Tuesday, April 10 at 3 p.m. 
• Tuesday, April 24 at 6:30 p.m. 

Use of the library’s Overdrive system is available to patrons with a Canton library card (or whose hometown libraries subscribe to Overdrive.)

Help will also be available for downloading audiobooks to iPods or mp3 players.

Library hours are Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 1 to 4 p.m.  

Tuesday, April 10

Night of the Hunter 

As part of the month-long exhibit “Real Toys,” adults will have a chance to view Night of the Hunter on Tuesday, April 10. The film, with an introduction by Ron Todd, will be screened at 6 p.m. in the library’s Program Room. 

The 1955 film stars Shelley Winters, Robert Mitchum, and Lillian Gish.  It was written by James Agee and Davis Grubb, and directed by Charles Laughton.  Mitchum plays a fanatic preacher who marries a gullible widow (Winters) whose young children are reluctant to tell him where their real daddy hid a stolen $10,000.  One critic has called the film a “vibrant, primal experience” with images that will haunt the viewer for years.  (It is not a film for children, despite the fact that a toy figures prominently in the story line.)

Ron Todd is a Professor of Art at Central Connecticut State University teaching photography, video, and media. He often works in a collaborative environment producing installation art.

The screening of Night of the Hunter is free; registration is requested.

Wednesday, April 11

Meeting of the Canton Public Library Board of Trustees at 7:15 PM.  

Thursday, April 12

'PJ Story Time: Favorite Authors—Rosemary Wells' 

Canton Public Library’s first PJ Story Time for April features one of our favorite children’s authors — Rosemary Wells, creator of Max and Ruby and other loveable characters. Don your cozy PJ’s and join us on Thursday, April 12. The story time will be led by Ms. Betsy.

Few children’s authors are as well-known and well-loved as Rosemary Wells, who has been writing and illustrating children’s books for 30 years and has over 60 books to her credit.  Ms. Betsy may include these favorites in her story time:  Carry Me, three poems from a bunny’s point of view; Max Cleans Up, Max must clean up his room, with help from his big, know-it-all sister Ruby; and McDuff Moves In, a story about a dog destined for the pound who finds a new home.

PJ Story Time runs from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Youngsters will enjoy stories, songs, a snack, a craft, and a short movie. PJ Story Times, which are for children 3 and up, are free, but REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. 

Saturday, April 14

Spring Book Sale

There’s no need to wait until September to load up on all of those great books you’ve been wanting to add to your collection. The Friends of the Canton Public Library are launching a one-day Spring Book Sale on Saturday, April 14. Hours for the sale are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., but plan to come early for the best selection.

The sale will be smaller than the fall sale and will be held in two rooms on the main floor of the community center. The quality of the items will be just as high as for the September sale, however, and items will be as well organized.  The proceeds will be specifically targeted towards improvements in the children’s room.

The Spring Book Sale includes a great many children’s books, which are always very popular with shoppers. The sale will include hardcover fiction and non-fiction, most of which will sell for $2; trade paperbacks for $1.50; and mass market paperbacks for $1. Music CD’s will sell for $2, and DVD’s and books on CD will sell for $3. There will not be a bag sale.

Saturday, April 14

'Photographing the Farmington River'

For the months of January and February, Canton Library patrons enjoyed the photography of Tom Cameron, whose show, “The Farmington River Collection,” graced the Gallery walls. On Saturday, April 14, patrons will have a chance to learn how Cameron creates his photographs. The program starts at 1:30 p.m. and will include a chance for questions.

Tom Cameron is an avid amateur photographer who lives along the Farmington River in Avon. His presentation, “Photographing the Farmington River,” will be something of a virtual tour and feature river images from Riverton to Simsbury. The presentation will show Tom’s methods and will provide an overview of the “why” and the “how” of his image-processing and printing. He will also touch upon the elements that make a good picture, such as composition, lighting, pattern, and color. The primary objective throughout the presentation is to highlight the river’s inherent beauty.

For the last eight years, Cameron has focused on photographing the outdoors.   Many of his photographs are of water subjects with reflections, captured motion, and an occasional sunrise. 

Cameron is general manager at Ultimate NiTi Technologies in Bristol. His education includes mechanical engineering and materials science.  His photography education includes college level course work and multiple seminars including an extended course from master printer George DeWolfe.

The presentation is free; registration is requested.