Pequot Library Under the Arches | Summer 2023

PEQUOT LIBRARY

UNDER THE ARCHES

LIBRARY HOURS

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday 10am – 6pm

Thursday 10am – 8pm

Saturday 10am – 4pm (June) 10am – 2pm (July & August)

Sunday Closed

PEQUOT LIBRARY

HOLIDAY CLOSINGS

Independence Day

Tuesday, July 4

FRONT COVER

Geoffrey Chaucer, The Works of Geoffrey Chaucer (London: Kelmscott Press, 1896); Pequot Library Special Collections, gift of Elizabeth Flack in memory of Robert Flack.

Photographic reproduction by Jennifer Prat.

DESIGN: Victoria Konopka

CONTENT: Grace Calderon, Christine Catallo, Stephanie J. Coakley, Cecily Dyer, John Kofron, Owen Lockwood, Jane Manners, Natalie Martino, Jessica McEntee, Charlie McMahon, Jennifer Prat ‘Under

720 Pequot Avenue, Southport, CT 06890 | pequotlibrary.org | (203) 259-0346

LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR

Dear Friends,

Thanks to the tireless efforts of the staff and volunteers, you should notice a few new programs and events happening this summer. The Board and staff have been hard at work writing the library’s next chapter in a long-range plan, and through that process we’ve taken a renewed interest in the lives of our founders and those early years. By redirecting our attention to our founders, we are at once focused on the years ahead in a way that is rooted in philanthropy, the Special Collections, and the values and programming that make us truly unique in the world of public libraries and arts and culture organizations.

In this summer 2023 issue you will no doubt see program offerings for everyone. From the Southport Garden Stroll events and Meet the Author talks to Show and Tell Storytime and Teen Advisory Board meetings, there’s programming developed for all ages. I hope you will join us on June 2 for the Southport Garden Stroll, an important fundraiser for the library, and attend one or more of the many programs and events happening this summer. Bring friends and family! Be sure to visit the library to check out a book, attend a lecture or author talk, or simply to visit the exhibition The Book Beautiful: Selections from the Private Press Movement, which is on view June 22–September 23, 2023.

As a nonprofit public association library, we rely on your kind generosity. Thank you for making your summertime donation to the library by June 30, the end of our 2023 fiscal year. Thank you for helping to support the library.

With gratitude for your support,

Stephanie J. Coakley Executive Director

UNDER THE ARCHES: SUMMER CHAMBER MUSIC SERIES

Pequot Library is proud to announce Under the Arches: Summer Chamber Music Series. On three evenings throughout the summer season, the library will host a collection of the most dynamic and acclaimed classical musicians in the region for a variety of free, outdoor concerts on the Great Lawn. Enjoy the warm weather while listening to the dulcet tones of our area’s finest performers. Please bring your own refreshments and seating to best enjoy these concerts. Plan on arriving early to select your seating location.

HORSZOWSKI TRIO

Friday, June 30

6:00 p.m. | In person

ONLINE REGISTRATION RECOMMENDED

The Horszowski Trio, performing in the first concert of Pequot Library’s new series, has toured the globe extensively, including a sold-out London debut at Wigmore Hall. Described as “the most compelling American group to come on the scene” by The New Yorker, this will be a musical event you don’t want to miss.

EMANOUIL MANOLOV

Thursday, July 20 6:00 p.m. | In person

ONLINE REGISTRATION RECOMMENDED

Join us for a performance with Norwalk Symphony’s Assistant Concertmaster Emanouil Manolov. Manolov has appeared in symphonies across the globe, including the Berlin Philharmonic and the Chamber Music Society at Lincoln Center. He will be joined by a collective of musicians from Norwalk Symphony, highlighting the plethora of classical talent in Fairfield County.

ORCHESTRA LUMOS

Thursday, July 27

6:00 p.m. | In person

ONLINE REGISTRATION RECOMMENDED

For the final concert of the series, enjoy a performance by Orchestra Lumos Brass Trio. Orchestra Lumos’ roster of talented musicians routinely graces the stages of New York City’s most celebrated concert halls. From the Metropolitan Opera and New York City Ballet to the American Symphony Orchestra, these artists will be performing for Pequot Library for the first time.

Thank you to our generous sponsors: Jane K. Dean, Roberta Hodgson, Peg and Nelson North, and Anonymous (as of April 30, 2023).

If you would like to support the chamber music series as a sponsor, please contact Grace Calderon at (203) 259-0346 ext. 125 or calderon@pequotlibrary.org.

LIBRARY SPEAKERS CONSORTIUM | AUTHOR TALKS

As a member of the Library Speakers Consortium, Pequot Library is proud to present an expanded roster of author events. Thanks to our partnership with libraries across the country, we offer online events each month with authors like Hernan Diaz, Geraldine Brooks, Namina Forna, and Lana Harper, supplemented with in-person author events and in-person book clubs. These online author talks are available by visiting pequotlibrary.org/calendar.

JUNE

MIKE RUCKER, Ph.D.

The Fun Habit

Wednesday, June 7 4:00 p.m.

CHARLES SOULE

The Endless Vessel

Saturday, July 15 2:00 p.m.

The Prophets

Tuesday, August 15 4:00 p.m.

JAMIE BECK

An American in Provence

Thursday, June 15 2:00 p.m.

TANANARIVE DUE

The Wishing Pool

Wednesday, June 28 8:00 p.m.

ETHAN KROSS Chatter

Thursday, July 20 1:00 p.m.

ERIKA SÁNCHEZ

Crying in the Bathroom

Tuesday, July 25 4:00 p.m.

CASSANDRA CLARE

Chain of Thorns

Wednesday, August 23 8:00 p.m.

JEFFREY SELINGO

Who Gets In and Why

Wednesday, August 30 2:00 p.m.

ROBERT JONES JR .

ADULT PROGRAMS

MEET THE AUTHOR: ERIC JAY DOLIN

Thursday, June 8 6:00 p.m. | In person

ONLINE REGISTRATION RECOMMENDED

Eric Jay Dolin is the author of 15 books, including Leviathan: The History of Whaling in America, which was chosen as one of the best nonfiction books of 2007 by the Los Angeles Times and The Boston Globe, and also won the 2007 John Lyman Award for U.S. Maritime History. His most recent book, Rebels at Sea: Privateering in the American Revolution , abounding with tales of bold maneuvers and deadly encounters, tells the history of the daring freelance sailors who proved essential to the winning of the Revolutionary War.

HISTORIC SOUTHPORT WALKING TOUR

Saturdays: June 10; July 15; August 19 10:00 a.m. | In person

ONLINE REGISTRATION REQUIRED | $10 PER PERSON

Enjoy a docent-led walking tour of historic Southport and step back in time to a bygone era. Learn about the harbor, onion fields, taverns, and the many families who once lived here. Experience Southport then and now. Meet on Pequot Library’s Great Lawn. Limited to 12 attendees per tour.

PEQUOT LIBRARY PRESENTS: REVOLUTIONARY WAR LEARNING SERIES

Tuesdays: June 13; July 11; August 8

1:00 p.m. | In person

ONLINE REGISTRATION REQUIRED ON EVENT PAGE

MEMBER PRICE: $20 PER SESSION; $60 FOR ALL THREE SESSIONS

NON-MEMBER PRICE: $25 PER SESSION; $75 FOR ALL THREE SESSIONS

Educator and speaker Eric Chandler will lead three lunchtime educational talks about Connecticut’s role in the Revolutionary War. Chandler has spoken at libraries and museums across New England, paying particular attention to the minutiae of Connecticut’s military contributions and participation. Limited to 10 participants per session.

BLOOMSDAY CELEBRATION

Friday, June 16

2:00 p.m. | In person

ONLINE REGISTRATION RECOMMENDED

Across the globe, Bloomsday has become a day of celebrating renowned Irish writer and poet James Joyce. In his brilliant 1922 novel Ulysses, June 16 is the day Leopold Bloom meets his eventual wife, Nora Barnacle. This event will be marked by customary reverie and celebration. Enjoy a conversation with Fordham University Chair of Irish Studies and Joyce scholar Keri Walsh. Her edition of Joyce’s only play, Exiles, published in 1918, is forthcoming from Oxford World’s Classics. Walsh will be joined by renowned Irish artist and playwright Brian Whelan. Beverages and refreshments will be provided.

PROSPECTIVE DOCENT OPEN HOUSE

Tuesday, June 20

10:30 a.m. | In person

ONLINE REGISTRATION RECOMMENDED

Interested in becoming a volunteer docent at Pequot Library? Join staff members and current volunteers to learn more about the variety of options available. Docents will be trained in how to lead tours of the history of the library building, gain skills in how to lead interactive tours for K-12 school group students, as well as learn about the history of Southport village. Contact Adult Programs Manager Charlie McMahon via email at mcmahon@pequotlibrary.org for more information. 7

BOOKS FOR TEACHERS

In 2003, the Renée B. Fisher Foundation had a simple idea: to provide books of all types to children whose access to reading materials might be limited. To achieve this mission, the foundation and Pequot Library have partnered for 20 years through Books for Teachers, a grant program that provides public school teachers with $100 vouchers for free books and media at Pequot Library’s Summer Book Sale. Teachers can use these materials in their classrooms or for professional development. Originally available only to teachers in Bridgeport and New Haven, the program expanded in 2022 to include select schools in Ansonia, Derby, Stratford, and Norwalk.

LIBRARY NEWS

YOUNG PATRONS GROUP KICKOFF

On Tuesday, April 4, Pequot Library celebrated the launch of the Young Patrons Group with a kickoff event showcasing the library and educating young (or young at heart) friends and neighbors about all that the Library offers to the community. Courtney White, the president of Butternut, a lifestyle and entertainment media company, returned as the featured speaker to talk about her time as the president of the Food Network with Ina Garten, Bobby Flay, and Guy Fieri. We are pleased to report that we have 24 founding members of the Young Patrons Group. This group will receive special invitations to great programming and access to behind-the-scenes opportunities at Pequot Library. See more photos of the event on page 25.

The Young Patrons Group is a dynamic group of friends, neighbors, and supporters in their 20s, 30s and 40s looking to engage with their community through the lens of arts and culture at this landmark Fairfield institution. As Young Patrons, members enjoy exclusive access to the library, its Special Collections and speakers through a series of private receptions and programs. With their loyal support, this group will help Pequot Library thrive and evolve to meet the needs of our ever-expanding community. Please consider joining us today!

For more information, contact Grace Calderon: calderon@pequotlibrary.org or (203) 259-0346 ext. 125.

THE COMMUNITY ART SHOW RETURNS!

Pequot Library is delighted to announce the return of the Community Art Show, a beloved community celebration of art and artists from the Fairfield County region and beyond. Save the date and visit pequotlibrary.org/artshow throughout the summer for updates and details.

CALL TO ARTISTS

Details coming soon

PREVIEW PARTY GALA

Thursday, October 12

COMMUNITY ART SHOW FUNDRAISER

Through Thursday, October 26

DONATE TODAY!

As intended by the library’s founder, Virginia Marquand Monroe, Pequot Library is “free as air to all.” Anyone may check out items from the circulating book collection; have access, by appointment, to our Special Collections of rare books, manuscripts, and archives; visit an exhibition; and attend programs for all ages. All of this and more is available to our community without charging fees or requiring membership dues.

Pequot Library is a public association library, open to all, which relies on private donations from supporters like you to help us raise nearly 80% of our annual funding. Can we count on you to help us meet our annual fund goal of $85,000 by June 30? Your support makes a difference.

Just scan the QR code below to make your tax-deductible donation. Thank you for supporting Pequot Library!

SPECIAL COLLECTIONS

THE PRIVATE PRESS MOVEMENT

BEAUTIFUL BOOKS AND RADICAL IDEAS

BY CECILY DYER, SPECIAL COLLECTIONS LIBRARIAN

Image detail from: William Morris, News from Nowhere: Or, An Epoch of Rest... (London: Kelmscott Press, 1892); Pequot Library Special Collections, gift of Elizabeth Flack in memory of Robert Flack.

Photographic reproduction by Jennifer Prat.

n an autumn evening in 1888, William Morris arrived at the New Gallery in London to hear his friend, neighbor, and fellow socialist, Emery Walker, deliver a lecture on letterpress printing for the Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society. Walker was uneasy as a presenter, but the examples of beautifully-designed 15thcentury typefaces that his lantern slides projected on the wall mesmerized the audience, Morris in particular. At 54, the restless Morris had already made significant accomplishments as a designer, poet, reformer, environmentalist, architectural conservationist, and more—all while his political activism led to him being surveilled and twice arrested—but he had never designed a typeface or had his own press. As he departed that evening, he said to Walker, “Let’s make a new fount of type,” a suggestion that would lead to Morris’ last creative endeavor: the Kelmscott Press.

Privately-printed books were an ideal vehicle for Morris and others to promote and realize the ideas of the Arts and Crafts movement, which held that traditional craftsmanship had produced beautiful objects and brought joy to the workers who created them, while the low-quality substitutes of the Industrial Revolution emphasized profit over craftsmanship and were made in factories ruinous to the environment and society. Like other movements of the 19th century, including Romanticism, the Nazarene movement, and the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, the Arts and Crafts movement rejected the Industrial Age, turning instead to the past—especially the medieval period— for inspiration, advocating for a medieval-style system of manufacturing based on small-scale workshops and guilds in order to achieve social and economic reform.

Morris designed and ornamented each of the Kelmscott Press’s 53 books, in defiance of the Industrial Revolution’s common practice of division of labor. The Works of Geoffrey Chaucer was Kelmscott’s crowning achievement—a 17-pound tome with Morris’ intricate borders, his “Chaucer” typeface, and seamlessly integrated woodcuts by his lifelong friend, artist Edward Burne-Jones. Most

copies, including Pequot Library’s example, were bound simply in paper-covered boards and a linen spine, while a small number were spectacularly bound in white pigskin at T.J. Cobden-Sanderson’s Doves Bindery.

The Kelmscott Press offered Morris control not just over every aesthetic element, but also over the content of the books, so that nearly half of the Kelmscott publications were Morris’ own writings—a mixture of utopian, radical, and fantastic compositions. His novel News from Nowhere tells the story of William Guest, who falls asleep after returning from a meeting of the Socialist League (a real-life organization founded by Morris, Eleanor Marx, and others) and awakes to find himself in a future society where there is no private property, no authority, no monetary system, no marriage or divorce, no prisons, and no class systems. In this agrarian society based on common ownership, men and women work simply because they find pleasure in doing so–a response to the argument that without private property, there would be no motivation to work.

Although Morris died just five years after the Kelmscott Press issued its first book, his efforts launched the Private Press movement, where design, exceptional craftsmanship, and fair working conditions were emphasized over profit. One of the first to follow was C.R. Ashbee’s Essex House Press, which provided jobs to many of Kelmscott’s displaced workers after Morris’ death. In 1902, Ashbee moved the Essex House Press and his Guild and School of Handicraft to the town of Chipping Campden, where it would become one of the foremost workshops of the Arts and Crafts movement and a pioneering social experiment based on the movement’s principles.

Even without the Kelmscott Press, the Hammersmith neighborhood remained a hive of Arts and Crafts activity. Emery Walker and T.J. Cobden-Sanderson founded the Doves Press there, which, along with Kelmscott, is considered one of the greatest private presses. Hammersmith was also home to calligrapher Edward Johnston and his student Eric Gill, as well as printer Hilary Douglas Pepler, who founded the neighborhood’s Hampshire House Workshops.

Images, opposite page: LEFT – Geoffrey Chaucer, Troilus and Criseyde (Waltham St. Lawrence: Golden Cockerel Press, 1927); Pequot Library Special Collections, bequest of William Fletcher. CENTER – T.J. Cobden-Sanderson, The Ideal Book or Book Beautiful: A Tract on Calligraphy Printing and Illustration & on the Book Beautiful as a Whole (London: The Doves Press, 1900); Pequot Library Special Collections, bequest of William Fletcher. RIGHT – Leaf from illuminated book of hours, France c. 1500; Pequot Library Special Collections, bequest of William Fletcher. Photographic reproductions by Jennifer Prat.

Pepler and Gill soon moved south to the village of Ditchling and converted to Catholicism, creating a medieval-style artist community and founding the Guild of St. Joseph and St. Dominic. The Guild included St. Dominic’s Press, which printed books and broadsides that promoted community events and socialist ideals. Both the Kelmscott Press and St. Dominic’s Press carried influence in America as well–Kelmscott in upstate New York’s Roycroft reformist community of craft workers, for example, and St. Dominic’s in several presses intricately tied to Catholic social activists and the Catholic Worker Movement.

The Arts and Crafts and Private Press movements died down as Modernism emerged, yet its inherent ideas have experienced periodic resurgences in the years since. One such moment occurred in the late 1960s and early 70s,

which saw interest in returning to the land, communal living, promoting peace and a more equal distribution of wealth, as well as medieval-inspired fashions and folk songs like Scarborough Fair. William Fletcher, an assistant professor of sociology at Sacred Heart University and a lecturer on the art of the book, saw these ideas firsthand in his students and took the opportunity to introduce them to the works of St. Dominic’s Press, believing that seeing what the Catholic community at Ditchling had produced a half century earlier would provide historical context for his students and help them channel their energy into action. The collection he built and shared with his students, one he would later leave to Pequot Library, carried a message: making books can be a radical act, disseminating disruptive ideas in beautiful design.

“The Arts and Crafts movement rejected the Industrial Age, turning instead to the past — especially the medieval period — for inspiration.”

SPECIAL COLLECTIONS

CURRENT EXHIBITION | ON VIEW JUNE 22 – SEPTEMBER 23, 2023

THE BOOK BEAUTIFUL: SELECTIONS FROM THE PRIVATE PRESS MOVEMENT

The Private Press movement was an offshoot of the Arts and Crafts movement and flourished around the turn of the 19th century. Led by William Morris, its adherents rejected modern, mechanized book production in favor of exquisitely crafted texts and bindings produced using traditional techniques. The Book Beautiful: Selections from the Private Press Movement explores this rich period in book design, highlighting fine examples from Pequot Library’s Special Collections. This exhibition and its related programming are supported by the Jennifer Crosby Cargill ‘Lipstick & Pearls’ Art Fund and the Constance C. Baker Rare Book Fund.

Image detail from: The American Primer: or Young Child’s Instructor, Newfield [Bridgeport]: Beach and Jones, 1795; Pequot Library Special Collections.

Photographic reproduction by Jennifer Prat.

OPENING RECEPTION

Thursday, June 22 6:00 p.m. | In person

ONLINE REGISTRATION RECOMMENDED

Explore the exhibition and enjoy a gallery tour at 6:30 p.m. led by Special Collections Librarian Cecily Dyer.

For guided exhibition tours, please contact Charlie McMahon at (203) 259-0346 ext. 120 or mcmahon@pequotlibrary.org.

RELATED EXHIBITION PROGRAMS | FOR ADULTS

Photographic reproduction by Jennifer Prat.

THE BOOK BEAUTIFUL TODAY: THE RESILIENCE OF TRADITIONAL BOOK AND LETTER ARTS

Saturday, June 24 2:00 p.m. | In person

ONLINE REGISTRATION RECOMMENDED

Join a conversation with book designer Jerry Kelly and letterpress printer Jesse Marsolais to hear them talk about their work, why traditional bookmaking practices continue to flourish, and the historic works that inspire them. The event will include a printing demonstration and a keepsake for attendees.

Image, above: Geoffrey Chaucer, The Works of Geoffrey Chaucer (London: Kelmscott Press, 1896); Pequot Library Special Collections, gift of Elizabeth Flack in memory of Robert Flack.

RELATED EXHIBITION PROGRAMS | FOR ADULTS

WILLIAM MORRIS: EARTHLY PARADISE

Thursday, June 29

6:00 p.m. | In person

ONLINE REGISTRATION RECOMMENDED

Learn more about the impact of foundational artist and thinker William Morris at a lecture by Victoria Hepburn, a Yale University instructor and researcher at the Yale Center for British Art. An expert on 19th-century British art, Hepburn has written and taught widely on William Morris and the book arts.

WILLIAM MORRIS: HIS TEXTILES AND DESIGNS

Thursday, July 6

6:00 p.m. | In person

ONLINE REGISTRATION RECOMMENDED

Join Yale University art historian Sarah Leonard for an engaging presentation on the textiles and wallpaper of William Morris. Leonard serves as vice president of the William Morris Society in the United States, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting interest in and the study of William Morris and his circle.

RELATED EXHIBITION PROGRAMS | FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES

MAKE A ZINE WORKSHOP

Thursday, June 22

3:30 p.m. | In person | For grades 3-5

ONLINE REGISTRATION REQUIRED

Wednesday, July 19

p.m. | In person | For grades 6-12

ONLINE REGISTRATION REQUIRED

Want to make your own “book beautiful” to publish your art, poems, thoughts, recipes, recommendations, or collages in a shareable form that’s easy (and cheap) to reproduce? You can put your voice out there by publishing your own zines: short, DIY magazines that you can make with a photocopier or printer. This zine-making workshop will teach you how to plan, craft, and write your own zines for people to read!

MAKE YOUR OWN PRINT

Wednesday, July 19

1:00 p.m. | In person | For ages 7+

ONLINE REGISTRATION REQUIRED

Learn to make your own prints with styrofoam, pencil, and ink.

COMMUNITY CELEBRATION

FAIRFIELD’S COMMUNITY CORNER

MAKE MUSIC FAIRFIELD

Wednesday, June 21

6:00-9:00 p.m. | In person

For all ages

Pequot Library is excited to take part in this year’s Make Music Fairfield music performed by anyone, enjoyed by everyone. A free celebration open to anyone of any age, skill level, and musical persuasion. The objective of this event is to gather as many musicians throughout as many town locations as possible. Featured musicians include Brian Dolzani and Lackluster Brother, among others.

Celebrate the summer solstice with your friends and family on the library’s Great Lawn. Please bring chairs and blankets. Bring your own food and refreshments.

SOUTHPORT NONPROFIT ROUNDTABLE OPEN HOUSE

Saturday, June 17

8:30-10:30 a.m. | In person

Southport School | 214 Main Street, Southport

Want to learn more about the vast array of nonprofit organizations in Southport? Stop by the Southport Nonprofit Roundtable Open House at the Southport School’s annual Pancake Breakfast before the Blessing of the Fleet. Discover the incredible work of the Sasquanaug Association, as well as the great work ongoing at the Wakeman Boys and Girls Club.

SOUTHPORT BLESSING OF THE FLEET PARADE

Saturday, June 17

11:00 a.m. | In person

Perry’s Green | Harbor Road, Southport

After the Southport Nonprofit Roundtable Open House, join Pequot Library and other area friends and neighbors for the annual Blessing of the Fleet parade. Welcome summer back to Southport with festive music and community celebration.

SPECIAL EVENTS

SOUTHPORT GARDEN STROLL

A Fundraiser for Pequot Library

Thursday, June 1 and Friday, June 2

In person

PURCHASE TICKETS ONLINE

Join us for the fourth Southport Garden Stroll, sponsored by On the Harbor! Featuring several of Southport’s finest private gardens, this self-guided walking tour starts in the heart of the village at Pequot Library. Browse local vendors on the Great Lawn, then wind your way through a floral adventure in an idyllic seaside New England neighborhood.

June 1 | 6:00 p.m.

Champagne and Canapé Kickoff

Sponsored by Mar Jennings, TV Host/ Author/Designer/Realtor

Guest speaker Marisa Marcantonio, creator of the Stylebeat design blog

June 2 | 8:30 a.m.

Coffee and Conversation

Featuring Jill Hogan, president of Connecticut’s Historic Gardens

June 2 | 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Southport Garden Stroll

Explore the community’s most picturesque gardens, including a garden recognized by the Archives of American Gardens at the Smithsonian Institution. Take your experience to the next level with a ticket to the Rosé All Day tent, sponsored by Sturges Ridge of Fairfield, for Fleurs de Prairie rosé or enjoy a lunch box from Gruel Britannia.

SUMMER BOOK SALE

Friday, July 21 – Tuesday, July 25 Visit pequotlibrary.org for hours In person | For all ages

One of the largest used book sales in New England, our Summer Book Sale draws book lovers from near and far with a selection of over 100,000 books, DVDs, CDs, and records in over 60 categories, plus unique special items. The five-day sale is held in large tents on the Great Lawn and parking lot and in the auditorium and Reading Room of the Library. Admission is free. Join area authors, including Timothy Cole and Amanda Parrish Morgan, for signings throughout the sale.

SUMMER PROGRAMS ATTENDEE CARDS

FIND YOUR VOICE

June 9 – July 31

For children and teens

The summer program theme for 2023 is FIND YOUR VOICE! Our voices have power. We use our voices to share stories, express ourselves, and spark change. Our voices include not only the sounds we make, but the words we write, the art we create, the movements we perform, and the actions we take each day to impact our world.

This year Pequot Library is offering attendee cards for children and teens to earn stamps by participating in summer events and activities. Participants who collect four stamps will receive a $5 Book Sale voucher. Participants who collect eight stamps will receive a $25 Book Sale voucher and an entry into our prize raffles. Signups begin at Miss Susan’s Summer Supper and Campout and continue through the Summer Book Sale.

COMMUNITY EVENTS FOR ALL AGES

MISS SUSAN’S SUMMER SUPPER AND CAMPOUT

Friday, June 9

6:30 p.m. | In person

For families and kids of all ages

ONLINE REGISTRATION APPRECIATED

Join in a favorite community event in memory of longtime Children’s Librarian Susan Ei on Pequot Library’s one-of-a-kind Great Lawn. Enjoy burgers or bring your own picnic, play lawn games, roast s’mores, and join the Big Pillow Fight. Sign up for Pequot Library’s Find Your Voice summer programs and get your own attendee card. Come for any part of the evening or pitch a tent and camp all night!

SHAKESPEARE ON THE SOUND

Tuesday, June 20

7:00 p.m. | Pinkney Park, Rowayton

For all ages

ONLINE REGISTRATION REQUIRED

Enjoy an evening of theater with Shakespeare on the Sound’s performance of As You Like It. Reserved lawn seating will be available for Pequot Library patrons along with a pre-performance for children at 6:30 p.m.

PEQUOT LIBRARY’S 4TH OF JULY BIKE PARADE

Tuesday, July 4

10:00 a.m. | In person

Look for this book to find all of the programs that are part of Pequot Library’s Find Your Voice Summer Programming!

For all ages

Bring your festively decorated bike, scooter, or wagon to the Five Corners in Southport Village and parade to the Great Lawn for face painting, hula hoop contest, hot dogs, and more!

WEEKLY CHALLENGE

June 12 – July 31

In person

For children and teens

IN PERSON REGISTRATION REQUIRED

Find your voice! Participants will leave their (recorded) voices at Pequot Library and spend the rest of the summer trying to find them. Each week a word will be hidden on the Great Lawn. Collect all seven words and unscramble them for the clue to a location inside Pequot Library where you will find instructions on how to find your voice. Literally.

TEEN PROGRAMS

TEEN ADVISORY BOARD

Wednesdays: June 7; July 12; August 2

4:00 p.m. | In person

For grades 6-12

ONLINE REGISTRATION REQUIRED

Teen Advisory Board (TAB) is a group for teens who are interested in volunteering and taking an active role in teen services and programs at Pequot Library. TAB will meet monthly to help plan programs, give input on the Young Adult collection, and influence how the library serves teens. TAB members can help at events and with library tasks as needed. They’ll earn community service hours for attending meetings, staffing events, and helping out around the library. Snacks included!

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS:

Mondays: June 26; July 10, 17, 24, 31; August 7, 14

3:30 p.m. | In person

For grades 6-12

ONLINE REGISTRATION REQUIRED

Calling all adventurers! Whether you have played before or have always wanted to try, grab your dice and pencils and join us for a summer Dungeons & Dragons campaign at Pequot Library.

CHILDREN & FAMILY PROGRAMS

EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS

SHAKESPEARE FOR KIDS

Wednesday, June 7

4:30 p.m. | In person | For ages 5+

ONLINE REGISTRATION REQUIRED

Need an introduction to Shakespeare’s As You Like It before seeing the full performance in Pinkney Park in Rowayton? Enjoy a 30-minute version by the Apprentice Company of Shakespeare on the Sound.

SPEAK UP WITH COCO

June 13 – August 4

In person | For all ages

Children of any age can practice reading with our reading ambassador rabbit, Coco. Email childrens@pequotlibrary.org to schedule your appointment. Add “Speak Up with Coco” in your email’s subject line.

THE EXCITEMENT OF OPERA: MUSIC, STORY, AND VOICE

Saturday, June 17

2:00 p.m. | In person | For all ages

ONLINE REGISTRATION REQUIRED

Join professional operatic soprano Jamie Ratcliffe for an educational concert experience. Learn about opera music, stories, and motifs as Ratcliffe explains and performs selections from famous operas.

CHESS FOR BEGINNERS

Thursdays: July 13, 20, 27; August 3

4:00 p.m. | In person | For grades 2-5

ONLINE REGISTRATION REQUIRED

In this beginner program, children who are new to the game will learn how the pieces move and practice basic chess strategies by playing chess variant minigames and full games of chess.

HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES

MAKE AND PLAY YOUR OWN MUSICAL INSTRUMENT

Wednesday, June 21

4:00 p.m. | In person | For ages 6-10

ONLINE REGISTRATION REQUIRED

To celebrate Make Music Day, children in this homemade instrument workshop will use recycled materials to create and decorate simple musical instruments, and then bring them out to the Great Lawn to make a musical masterpiece—or at least some musical mayhem!

ICE CUBE PAINTING

Wednesday, July 12

1:00 p.m. | In person | For ages 3-6

ONLINE REGISTRATION REQUIRED

Stay cool and try painting with ice. Express yourself artistically under the summer sun, and then enjoy some Italian ice. This program takes place on our Great Lawn and is weather permitting. This program is inspired by The Book Beautiful: Selections from the Private Press Movement (see pages 14-15).

PUDDLE PAINTING

Wednesday, July 26

1:00 p.m. | In person | For ages 7+

ONLINE REGISTRATION REQUIRED

Explore different designs using just paint, paper, and a straw. This program is inspired by The Book Beautiful: Selections from the Private Press Movement (see pages 14-15).

LET’S GET SEWING!

Monday, July 31 – Friday, August 4

9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. | In person | For grades 3-6

ONLINE REGISTRATION REQUIRED; FEE: $225

Kids will learn all about how a machine works, threading, operating and troubleshooting. Begin machine sewing by tracing simple lines on thick fabric, learning how to sew forward and backwards. They’ll also learn hand stitching utilizing embroidery thread and soft felt to create cute, embellished animals. Projects will include pin cushions, small pillows, LOTS of stuffed animals, bags, and more. Bring a nut-free snack. This week-long program is led by Christine Jewel who has designed and led numerous summer camps, workshops and family activities at Westport Continuing Education, the Fairfield Museum, and the Mattatuck Museum.

CHILDREN & FAMILY PROGRAMS

MEET THE AUTHOR JR.

STORYTIMES

BABES ON A BLANKET

Thursdays: June 1, 15, 29

11:15 a.m. | In person

For ages 0-12 months

ONLINE REGISTRATION REQUIRED

Engage your little one in 20 minutes of stories, rhymes, and songs and 25 minutes of free play and socializing. Infants and their caregivers are welcome.

SAY SOMETHING! STORYTIME

VICTORIA KANN

Saturday, July 8 1:00 p.m. | In person

ONLINE REGISTRATION REQUIRED

Meet Victoria Kann, the awardwinning illustrator and author of the Pinkalicious series, when she comes to read one of her books at Pequot Library! We will have crowns and fun activities, and Kann will take questions and sign her books. Kann’s books include Pinkalicious, Purplicious, Peterrific, and many more. She is also the co-executive producer of Pinkalicious & Peterrific on PBS Kids.

Tuesday, June 13

10:30 a.m. | In person

For ages 3-6

ONLINE REGISTRATION REQUIRED

Join us for a few stories about speaking up, and then let’s make a fun wooden spoon microphone for all those times when we need to be heard.

SHOW AND TELL STORYTIME

Tuesday, June 20

10:30 a.m. | In person

For ages 3-6

ONLINE REGISTRATION REQUIRED

Hear a few of Miss Jane’s favorite stories, and then it’s your turn! Bring in something that you would like to talk about: a special book, a stuffed animal, a toy train, or anything that you love!

MUSIC AND MOVEMENT FOR WIGGLERS

Thursdays: June 22; July 6

10:30 a.m. | In person

For ages 0-5

ONLINE REGISTRATION REQUIRED

Can’t sit still? This is the program for you! Jump, hop, dance, and wiggle to the music.

SPONSORED BY

STORYTIMES

SPEAK UP! STORYTIME

Tuesday, June 27

10:30 a.m. | In person

For ages 3-6

ONLINE REGISTRATION REQUIRED

Let’s hear a few stories and then talk about them. Which ones were your favorites? There will be plenty of time to speak up during this storytime!

SINGSONG STORYTIME

Tuesday, July 11

10:30 a.m. | In person

For ages 3-6

ONLINE REGISTRATION REQUIRED

Sometimes a story is so stupendous, it needs to be sung! So, let’s sing some stories together. The more voices, the better.

LITTLE MERMAID STORYTIME

Tuesday, July 18

10:30 a.m. | In person

For ages 3-6

ONLINE REGISTRATION REQUIRED

Life on land can be so much fun. Join us for a “little mermaid’ storytime, where everyone is welcome to dress up like a mermaid and hear a few tales.

SUPERHERO STORYTIME

Tuesday, July 25

10:30 a.m. | In person

For ages 3-6

ONLINE REGISTRATION REQUIRED

Superheroes have voices, too! During this storytime we’ll listen to a few stories and find out what heroes have to say.

BABY BOOK KITS

Ongoing | For ages 0-3

Sign up for Baby Book Kits to check out two board books and two picture books based on a theme such as zoo animals, colors, shapes, or dinosaurs, plus one book for you. Scan the QR code to fill out our online form.

LIBRARY BOOK BUDDIES

Ongoing | For all ages

Children of any age can practice reading in person or on Zoom with our Children’s Librarian. Email childrens@pequotlibrary.org to schedule your appointment.

YA BOOK BUNDLES

Ongoing | For grades 7-12

Sign up for YA Book Bundles to receive a special box with snacks, goodies, and two library books curated especially for you! Scan the QR code to fill out our online request form.

FEATURED BOOKS

FOR ADULTS | Reviewed by Natalie Martino, Library Services

Circe

Madeline Miller

Originally published: April 2018

Circe is a magnetic and engrossing novel that paints mythical beings as we have never seen them before. Madeline Miller’s prose is lyrical, vibrant, and will have you enchanted from the moment you

open this book. Getting Circe’s perspective on the events of Greek mythos was fascinating and refreshing. So often in Greek epics and mythology, women are painted as villains. This reimagination of a classic gives a new voice to the story of a woman standing alone in a world of gods and heroes. This book is one of the best reads in the last few years for me!

FOR CHILDREN | Reviewed by Jane Manners, Children’s Librarian

My Voice Is a Trumpet

Jimmie Allen

Originally published: July 2021

Jimmie Allen, an American country music singer and songwriter, has written a lyrical picture book with lively illustrations by Cathy Ann Johnson called My Voice Is a Trumpet. Young listeners will be pulled

in by the rhythm and rhyme of the text and equally inspired to use their voices as seen by a diverse group of children in the story. It’s also a picture book that perfectly exemplifies the theme of our summer programs: find your voice. “Voices are powerful, and together they’re strong, like the musical notes of a beautiful song.”

FOR YOUNG ADULTS | Reviewed by John Kofron, Youth and Teen Library Services Manager

Starlite

Jonathan Latt

Originally published: December 2022

In Jonathan Latt’s Starlite, a space exploring teen named Bevil Cyrex tries to steal supplies from an uninhabited Earth Alliance outpost, which sets off an actionpacked sequence of events that includes

space pirates, abandoned space stations, military intrigue, and an AI nano swarm trying to learn how to be human. This is high-energy spaceship sci-fi, filled with enough danger and humor to keep you entertained from beginning to end, and Latt is working on a sequel!

PEQUOT LIBRARY SPOTLIGHT

*Photo: Brian A. Pounds/Hearst Connecticut Media

CALENDAR

AT A GLANCE

JUNE

1 2 2 7 7 7 8 9 10 13

Garden Stroll Kickoff

6pm | In person (p. 17)

Garden Stroll Coffee and Conversation

8:30am | In person (p. 17)

Garden Stroll Walking Tour

10am – 4pm | In person (p. 17)

Teen Advisory Board

4pm | In person (p. 19)

Author talk: Mike Rucker Ph.D.

4pm | Online (p. 5)

Shakespeare for Kids

4:30pm | In person (p. 20)

Meet the Author: Eric Jay Dolin

6pm | In person (p. 6)

Miss Susan’s Summer Supper and Campout

6:30pm | In person (p. 18)

Historic Southport Walking Tour 10am | In person (p. 6)

Say Something! Storytime

10:30am | In person (p. 22)

13

Revolutionary War Series

1pm | In person (p. 7)

15

16

17 17 17 20 20 20 21 21

Author talk: Jamie Beck

2pm | Online (p. 5)

Bloomsday Celebration 2pm | In person (p. 7)

Southport Nonprofit Roundtable Open House

8:30-10:30am | In person (p. 16)

Southport Blessing of the Fleet Parade

11am | In person (p. 16)

The Excitement of Opera

2pm | In person (p. 20)

Prospective Docent Open House

10:30am | In person (p. 7)

Show and Tell Storytime

10:30am | In person (p. 22)

Shakespeare on the Sound

7pm | In person (p. 18)

Make and Play Your Own Musical Instrument

4pm | In person (p. 21)

Make Music Fairfield

6-9pm | In person (p. 16)

22

22

24

27

28

29 30

Exhibition Opening Reception 6pm | In person (p. 14)

Make a Zine Workshop

3:30pm | In person (p. 15)

The Book Beautiful Today 2pm | In person (p. 14)

Speak Up! Storytime

10:30am | In person (p. 23)

Author talk: Tananarive Due 8pm | Online (p. 5)

William Morris: Earthly Paradise 6pm | In person (p. 15)

Chamber Music Series: Horszowski Trio 6pm | In person (p. 4)

JULY

4 6

Pequot Library’s 4th of July Bike Parade

10am | In person (p. 18)

William Morris: His Textiles and Designs

6pm | In person (p. 15)

8 11 11 12 12 15 15 18 19 19 20 20 21-25 25 25

Meet the Author Jr: Victoria Kann

1pm | In person (p. 22)

Singsong Storytime

10:30am | In person (p. 23)

Revolutionary War Series

1pm | In person (p. 7)

Ice Cube Painting

1pm | In person (p. 21)

Teen Advisory Board

4pm | In person (p. 19)

Historic Southport Walking Tour

10am | In person (p. 6)

Author talk: Charles Soule 2pm | Online (p. 5)

Little Mermaid Storytime

10:30am | In person (p. 23)

Make Your Own Print

1pm | In person (p. 15)

Make a Zine Workshop for Teens

3:30pm | In person (p. 15)

Author talk: Ethan Kross 1pm | Online (p. 5)

Chamber Music Series: Emanouil Manolov 6pm | In person (p. 4)

Summer Book Sale

Hours vary | In person (p. 17)

Superhero Storytime 10:30am | In person (p. 23)

Author talk: Erika Sánchez 4pm | Online (p. 5)

26 27

Puddle Painting

1pm | In person (p. 21)

Chamber Music Series: Orchestra Lumos

6pm | In person (p. 4)

AUGUST

2 8 15 19 23 30

Teen Advisory Board 4pm | In person (p. 19)

Revolutionary War Series 1pm | In person (p. 7)

Author talk: Robert Jones Jr. 4pm | Online (p. 5)

Historic Southport Walking Tour 10am | In person (p. 6)

Author talk: Cassandra Clare 8pm | Online (p. 5)

Author talk: Jeffrey Selingo 2pm | Online (p. 5)

EXHIBITIONS

The Book Beautiful: Selections from the Private Press Movement

On view June 22 – September 23 (p. 14)

How William Became Shakespeare: Four Hundred Years of the First Folio

On view October 5, 2023 –February 10, 2024 (back cover)

SERIES & ONGOING PROGRAMS

Find Your Voice Summer Programs

Attendee Cards

June 9 – July 31 (p. 18)

Find Your Voice Weekly Challenge

June 12 – July 31

In person (p. 19)

Babes on a Blanket

Thursdays: June 1, 15, 29

11:15am | In person (p. 22)

Chess for Beginners

Thursdays: July 13 – August 3

4pm | In person (p. 20)

Dungeons & Dragons

Mondays: June 26 – August 14 (no session July 3) 3:30pm | In person (p. 19)

Let’s Get Sewing!

Monday, July 31 – Friday, August 4 9am – 12pm | In person (p. 21)

Music and Movement for Wigglers

Thursdays: June 22; July 6

10:30am | In person (p. 22)

Speak Up with Coco

June 13 – August 4 In person (p. 20)

SAVE THE DATE

Community Art Show Preview Party Gala

Thursday, October 12 (p. 9)

Community Art Show Fundraiser

Friday, October 13 – Thursday, October 26 (p. 9)

Visit pequotlibrary.org for more information and the full calendar of programs and events. All programs are free and open to the public unless otherwise specified.