The Paris Wife, E-Reader Help and Live Painting

Monday, May 14 

The Paris Wife To Be Discussed 

Monday Night Book Club at Canton Public Library takes us back to Paris in the 1920s with a discussion of The Paris Wife  by Paula McLain on Monday, May 14.  The discussion begins at 7:00 PM.

 The Paris Wife is a fictionalized account of the courtship and marriage of Ernest Hemingway and his first wife, Hadley Richardson.  Although fiction, the story was carefully researched by McLain, who tells the story through the eyes of Hadley.  In Chicago in 1920, Hemingway met and courted Hadley, eight years his senior.  Following their marriage, they became part of the expatriate scene in Paris, part of a lively, hard-drinking, free-living set that included Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound, the Fitzgeralds, and James Joyce.  Hadley tried very hard to be the wife, friend and muse of Hemingway, at a time when open marriage, mistresses, and erratic lifestyles severely threatened any monogamous relationship.  Not surprisingly, the marriage of this “golden couple” fell apart.

Copies of the book are available at the library.  Readers may also want to read A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway, his memoir of his years in Paris.  New members are always welcome to join Monday Night Book Club. 

Tuesday, May 15

More E-reader Help 

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, May 15, 3 p.m. 
• Wednesday, May 30, 10:30 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.

“Painting Demonstration by Art Chouinard”

Over the past few years, Canton Public Library patrons have enjoyed the opportunity to watch a very talented artist at work.  Painter Art Chouinard has spent one day per month in the library demonstrating how he puts together an oil painting. He will be at the library on Tuesday, May 15, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and will be working on one of his signature marine scenes. 

Art Chouinard’s paintings were on display throughout the summer in the Gallery at Canton Public Library.  Mr. Chouinard, a Farmington Valley painter, is known for his realistic and detailed paintings.  He works in the media of oil, pastel, and mixed media, and has produced limited edition prints of some of his original paintings.

Friends of the Canton Public Library

The Friends of the Canton Public Library will meet at 7 p.m. 

Wednesday, May 16

“Tech Topics for Seniors:  Deconstructing Computers”

If you’re a senior who is determined not to be left behind by the technology advances of the last decade or so, you’re in luck.  Canton Public Library has  launched  a monthly series of workshops titled “Tech Topics for Seniors.”  The series, which began in September, continues on Wednesday, May 16 at 1:00 PM, with “Deconstructing Computers.”

Sarah McCusker, head of Technology Services at Canton Public Library will take some of the mystery out of the technical vocabulary swirling around computers.  As Sarah says,  “You know how you go to buy a computer and you read the description, and it all might as well be written in Lithuanian?” 

She will talk about computer-related vocabulary such as, “What's RAM? What's a hard drive?  What's a gigabyte?”   She will also address the “PC vs. Mac” debate.  She will  “deconstruct” a couple of computers ahead of time so that when she is talking about a “hard drive” or “memory,” she can actually hold up the item itself.

Following the lecture/demonstration, seniors may have a chance to try their hand using the new mobile computer lab.  The lab was purchased and set up using a technology grant from The Hartford Foundation for Public Giving.

REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED, and space is limited.

Friday, May 18

“Friday Morning Nature Drop-in Story Times”

For the month of May at Canton Public Library, youngsters will be treated to a series of Friday morning drop-in story times with a focus on nature.  The story times are for youngsters age 2 and up with a parent/caregiver.  Participants are asked to stop at the children’s desk for a name tag before entering the story time.

On Friday, May 18, there will be a guest storyteller from the Connecticut Audubon Society of Glastonbury, reading Turtle Splash  by Cathryn Falwell.  It's a peaceful day at the pond with ten turtles basking in the sun.  Along comes an animal and splash, a turtle goes in for the turtle countdown.  Participants will have a chance to visit with a live turtle and a rabbit from the center and see a variety of animal puppets.   Children will also be able to make a turtle craft to take home. 

All the Friday morning drop-in story times are free; no registration is necessary. 

Saturday, May 19

Drop-in Knitting at Canton Public Library

Join other knitters in the month of May at Canton Public Library’s Drop-in Knitting sessions. 

The Saturday group will meet on the third Saturday of each month from 1 to 3 p.m., so the group will gather on Saturday, May 19. The Monday night group, which meets on the third Monday, will meet on May 21 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. 

Join fellow knitters for a leisurely hour or two and share some peaceful camaraderie.  Crocheters and spinners are also welcome.  Participants should bring a project to work on.  The Drop-in Knitting sessions are for both beginners and advanced knitters, and although no doubt knitters will share tips with one another, there will be no instruction provided.