When do I apply for Medicare? How do I apply for Medicare? What are my Medicare-based options? If you don’t know the answer to these questions, this educational program is for you!

Sheila O’Donnell is a seasoned local Medicare expert and a member of the team at Health Directions, an agency serving Fairfield County for over two decades. Her specialty is Medicare planning, including: Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplement, and Prescription Drug Plans. Sheila is licensed by the state of CT, certified with Medicare, and appointed with each of the major carriers.

During this 1-hour session, Sheila will:

• Review the basics of Medicare,
• Take the mystery out of Medicare terminology,
• Talk you through the timing of the enrollment process, and
• Answer questions.

Register here today so that Sheila can ensure she has enough informational materials for everyone!

View our Photo Release Policy, effective since February 1, 2019, here.

Take advantage of this complete passport office experience brought to us by the Ferguson Library’s passport team! You will be able to:  

1. Apply for a U.S. passport for the first time.
2. Apply for a passport renewal for children.
3. Get your passport photo taken (we can provide passport photos for all countries).
4. Have your adult application reviewed, receive assistance with packaging, and be provided the address to send it to.
5. Get answers to any questions that you have about U.S. passports.

For information on required documents, click here. If you have any other questions, you can call 203-351-8210.

Appointment availability for this service operates on a first-come, first-served basis.

A fee of $35 is required for each passport application and can be paid for with cash or by credit card. Payment by check or money order is required for passport products, payable to the U.S. Department of State. An additional fee of $15 is required for photos.

Take advantage of this complete passport office experience brought to us by the Ferguson Library’s passport team! You will be able to:  

1. Apply for a U.S. passport for the first time.
2. Apply for a passport renewal for children.
3. Get your passport photo taken (we can provide passport photos for all countries).
4. Have your adult application reviewed, receive assistance with packaging, and be provided the address to send it to.
5. Get answers to any questions that you have about U.S. passports.

For information on required documents, click here. If you have any other questions, you can call 203-351-8210.

Appointment availability for this service operates on a first-come, first-served basis.

A fee of $35 is required for each passport application and can be paid for with cash or by credit card. Payment by check or money order is required for passport products, payable to the U.S. Department of State. An additional fee of $15 is required for photos.

When it comes to the financial and real estate markets, people aren’t always as rational as you would think. Behavioral finance experts have been studying the not-so-smart decisions people make. We will reveal the fears, misperceptions and emotional needs people have that sabotage their investment and home sale returns.

Join us for this monthly roundtable for women on money led by financial professionals Julia Strayer and Liz Maccarone. This series’ discussion will focus on how to make sense of today’s financial markets, is open to women with any level of financial knowledge, and is an ongoing informational gathering to learn and share.

We’ll show you how to avoid the mistakes and make decisions like the pros. We’ll cover the latest market news and how that might affect your decision making. We’ll also give you background and context for understanding why market movement occurs and we’ll share strategies for keeping ahead of what might come. Register here!

Our Roundtable Leaders:

Julia Strayer, CPWA®, CIMA®, CRPC®
Senior Vice President, Wealth Management Advisor

Prior to joining Merrill Lynch Wealth Management in 2000, Julia was a vice president and private banker for BankBoston’s Private Bank for 7 years, responsible for asset management and trust services. Previously, Julia worked in marketing for 9 years with Merrill. Julia has a BA from Ohio State University and an MBA from New York University’s Stern School of Business. Julia has appeared on the CNBC show “Power Lunch,” CBS “This Morning,” WGCH’s “Women in Business,” in addition to featured articles in USA Today.

Liz Maccarone, CRPC®
Senior Financial Advisor

Liz joined Merrill Lynch Wealth Management in 2012. Liz works closely with high-net-worth individuals and their families to create personalized and comprehensive strategies that support their goals, including investment management, retirement planning, liability management, and multigenerational planning. Liz values the importance of establishing and cultivating relationships with families including the next generation. Liz graduated from Fairfield University with a dual bachelor’s degree in Finance and Marketing. She began her career working at a boutique investment firm as a Business Development Associate, specializing in commodities and futures trading.

The roundtable meetings will be conducted via Zoom. Visit their website here to find the appropriate download instructions and download link for your device.

This session of the series is hosted by Darien Library.

When it comes to the financial and real estate markets, people aren’t always as rational as you would think. Behavioral finance experts have been studying the not-so-smart decisions people make. We will reveal the fears, misperceptions and emotional needs people have that sabotage their investment and home sale returns.

Join us for this monthly roundtable for women on money led by financial professionals Julia Strayer and Liz Maccarone. This series’ discussion will focus on how to make sense of today’s financial markets, is open to women with any level of financial knowledge, and is an ongoing informational gathering to learn and share.

We’ll show you how to avoid the mistakes and make decisions like the pros. We’ll cover the latest market news and how that might affect your decision making. We’ll also give you background and context for understanding why market movement occurs and we’ll share strategies for keeping ahead of what might come. Register here!

Our Roundtable Leaders:

Julia Strayer, CPWA®, CIMA®, CRPC®
Senior Vice President, Wealth Management Advisor

Prior to joining Merrill Lynch Wealth Management in 2000, Julia was a vice president and private banker for BankBoston’s Private Bank for 7 years, responsible for asset management and trust services. Previously, Julia worked in marketing for 9 years with Merrill. Julia has a BA from Ohio State University and an MBA from New York University’s Stern School of Business. Julia has appeared on the CNBC show “Power Lunch,” CBS “This Morning,” WGCH’s “Women in Business,” in addition to featured articles in USA Today.

Liz Maccarone, CRPC®
Senior Financial Advisor

Liz joined Merrill Lynch Wealth Management in 2012. Liz works closely with high-net-worth individuals and their families to create personalized and comprehensive strategies that support their goals, including investment management, retirement planning, liability management, and multigenerational planning. Liz values the importance of establishing and cultivating relationships with families including the next generation. Liz graduated from Fairfield University with a dual bachelor’s degree in Finance and Marketing. She began her career working at a boutique investment firm as a Business Development Associate, specializing in commodities and futures trading.

The roundtable meetings will be conducted via Zoom. Visit their website here to find the appropriate download instructions and download link for your device.

This session of the series is hosted by Darien Library.

When it comes to the financial and real estate markets, people aren’t always as rational as you would think. Behavioral finance experts have been studying the not-so-smart decisions people make. We will reveal the fears, misperceptions and emotional needs people have that sabotage their investment and home sale returns.

Join us for this monthly roundtable for women on money led by financial professionals Julia Strayer and Liz Maccarone. This series’ discussion will focus on how to make sense of today’s financial markets, is open to women with any level of financial knowledge, and is an ongoing informational gathering to learn and share.

We’ll show you how to avoid the mistakes and make decisions like the pros. We’ll cover the latest market news and how that might affect your decision making. We’ll also give you background and context for understanding why market movement occurs and we’ll share strategies for keeping ahead of what might come. Register here!

Our Roundtable Leaders:

Julia Strayer, CPWA®, CIMA®, CRPC®
Senior Vice President, Wealth Management Advisor

Prior to joining Merrill Lynch Wealth Management in 2000, Julia was a vice president and private banker for BankBoston’s Private Bank for 7 years, responsible for asset management and trust services. Previously, Julia worked in marketing for 9 years with Merrill. Julia has a BA from Ohio State University and an MBA from New York University’s Stern School of Business. Julia has appeared on the CNBC show “Power Lunch,” CBS “This Morning,” WGCH’s “Women in Business,” in addition to featured articles in USA Today.

Liz Maccarone, CRPC®
Senior Financial Advisor

Liz joined Merrill Lynch Wealth Management in 2012. Liz works closely with high-net-worth individuals and their families to create personalized and comprehensive strategies that support their goals, including investment management, retirement planning, liability management, and multigenerational planning. Liz values the importance of establishing and cultivating relationships with families including the next generation. Liz graduated from Fairfield University with a dual bachelor’s degree in Finance and Marketing. She began her career working at a boutique investment firm as a Business Development Associate, specializing in commodities and futures trading.

The roundtable meetings will be conducted via Zoom. Visit their website here to find the appropriate download instructions and download link for your device.

This session of the series is hosted by Darien Library.

When it comes to the financial and real estate markets, people aren’t always as rational as you would think. Behavioral finance experts have been studying the not-so-smart decisions people make. We will reveal the fears, misperceptions and emotional needs people have that sabotage their investment and home sale returns.

Join us for this monthly roundtable for women on money led by financial professionals Julia Strayer and Liz Maccarone. This series’ discussion will focus on how to make sense of today’s financial markets, is open to women with any level of financial knowledge, and is an ongoing informational gathering to learn and share.

We’ll show you how to avoid the mistakes and make decisions like the pros. We’ll cover the latest market news and how that might affect your decision making. We’ll also give you background and context for understanding why market movement occurs and we’ll share strategies for keeping ahead of what might come. Register here!

Our Roundtable Leaders:

Julia Strayer, CPWA®, CIMA®, CRPC®
Senior Vice President, Wealth Management Advisor

Prior to joining Merrill Lynch Wealth Management in 2000, Julia was a vice president and private banker for BankBoston’s Private Bank for 7 years, responsible for asset management and trust services. Previously, Julia worked in marketing for 9 years with Merrill. Julia has a BA from Ohio State University and an MBA from New York University’s Stern School of Business. Julia has appeared on the CNBC show “Power Lunch,” CBS “This Morning,” WGCH’s “Women in Business,” in addition to featured articles in USA Today.

Liz Maccarone, CRPC®
Senior Financial Advisor

Liz joined Merrill Lynch Wealth Management in 2012. Liz works closely with high-net-worth individuals and their families to create personalized and comprehensive strategies that support their goals, including investment management, retirement planning, liability management, and multigenerational planning. Liz values the importance of establishing and cultivating relationships with families including the next generation. Liz graduated from Fairfield University with a dual bachelor’s degree in Finance and Marketing. She began her career working at a boutique investment firm as a Business Development Associate, specializing in commodities and futures trading.

The roundtable meetings will be conducted via Zoom. Visit their website here to find the appropriate download instructions and download link for your device.

This session of the series is hosted by Darien Library.

When it comes to the financial and real estate markets, people aren’t always as rational as you would think. Behavioral finance experts have been studying the not-so-smart decisions people make. We will reveal the fears, misperceptions and emotional needs people have that sabotage their investment and home sale returns.

Join us for this monthly roundtable for women on money led by financial professionals Julia Strayer and Liz Maccarone. This series’ discussion will focus on how to make sense of today’s financial markets, is open to women with any level of financial knowledge, and is an ongoing informational gathering to learn and share.

We’ll show you how to avoid the mistakes and make decisions like the pros. We’ll cover the latest market news and how that might affect your decision making. We’ll also give you background and context for understanding why market movement occurs and we’ll share strategies for keeping ahead of what might come. Register here!

Our Roundtable Leaders:

Julia Strayer, CPWA®, CIMA®, CRPC®
Senior Vice President, Wealth Management Advisor

Prior to joining Merrill Lynch Wealth Management in 2000, Julia was a vice president and private banker for BankBoston’s Private Bank for 7 years, responsible for asset management and trust services. Previously, Julia worked in marketing for 9 years with Merrill. Julia has a BA from Ohio State University and an MBA from New York University’s Stern School of Business. Julia has appeared on the CNBC show “Power Lunch,” CBS “This Morning,” WGCH’s “Women in Business,” in addition to featured articles in USA Today.

Liz Maccarone, CRPC®
Senior Financial Advisor

Liz joined Merrill Lynch Wealth Management in 2012. Liz works closely with high-net-worth individuals and their families to create personalized and comprehensive strategies that support their goals, including investment management, retirement planning, liability management, and multigenerational planning. Liz values the importance of establishing and cultivating relationships with families including the next generation. Liz graduated from Fairfield University with a dual bachelor’s degree in Finance and Marketing. She began her career working at a boutique investment firm as a Business Development Associate, specializing in commodities and futures trading.

The roundtable meetings will be conducted via Zoom. Visit their website here to find the appropriate download instructions and download link for your device.

This session of the series is hosted by Darien Library.

When it comes to the financial and real estate markets, people aren’t always as rational as you would think. Behavioral finance experts have been studying the not-so-smart decisions people make. We will reveal the fears, misperceptions and emotional needs people have that sabotage their investment and home sale returns.

Join us for this monthly roundtable for women on money led by financial professionals Julia Strayer and Liz Maccarone. This series’ discussion will focus on how to make sense of today’s financial markets, is open to women with any level of financial knowledge, and is an ongoing informational gathering to learn and share.

We’ll show you how to avoid the mistakes and make decisions like the pros. We’ll cover the latest market news and how that might affect your decision making. We’ll also give you background and context for understanding why market movement occurs and we’ll share strategies for keeping ahead of what might come. Register here!

Our Roundtable Leaders:

Julia Strayer, CPWA®, CIMA®, CRPC®
Senior Vice President, Wealth Management Advisor

Prior to joining Merrill Lynch Wealth Management in 2000, Julia was a vice president and private banker for BankBoston’s Private Bank for 7 years, responsible for asset management and trust services. Previously, Julia worked in marketing for 9 years with Merrill. Julia has a BA from Ohio State University and an MBA from New York University’s Stern School of Business. Julia has appeared on the CNBC show “Power Lunch,” CBS “This Morning,” WGCH’s “Women in Business,” in addition to featured articles in USA Today.

Liz Maccarone, CRPC®
Senior Financial Advisor

Liz joined Merrill Lynch Wealth Management in 2012. Liz works closely with high-net-worth individuals and their families to create personalized and comprehensive strategies that support their goals, including investment management, retirement planning, liability management, and multigenerational planning. Liz values the importance of establishing and cultivating relationships with families including the next generation. Liz graduated from Fairfield University with a dual bachelor’s degree in Finance and Marketing. She began her career working at a boutique investment firm as a Business Development Associate, specializing in commodities and futures trading.

The roundtable meetings will be conducted via Zoom. Visit their website here to find the appropriate download instructions and download link for your device.

This session of the series is hosted by Darien Library.

We invite you to join us as we chat with the amazing New York Times bestselling author Shelby Van Pelt about her beloved novel Remarkably Bright Creatures. You don’t want to miss this deep-dive exploration of friendship, reckoning, hope, and so much more!

Remarkably Bright Creatures is a luminous debut novel about a widow’s unlikely friendship with a giant Pacific octopus reluctantly residing at the local aquarium—and the truths she finally uncovers about her son’s disappearance 30 years ago.

After Tova Sullivan’s husband died, she began working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, mopping floors and tidying up. Keeping busy has always helped her cope, which she’s been doing since her eighteen-year-old son, Erik, mysteriously vanished on a boat in the Puget Sound over 30 years ago.

As she works, Tova becomes acquainted with curmudgeonly Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living at the aquarium. Marcellus knows more than anyone can imagine, but wouldn’t dream of lifting one of his eight tentacles for his human captors—until he forms an unlikely friendship with Tova.

Ever the detective, Marcellus deduces what happened the night Tova’s son disappeared. As his affection for Tova grows, Marcellus must use every trick his old, invertebrate body can muster to unearth the truth for her before it’s too late.

Charming, compulsively readable, and full of wit, Shelby Van Pelt’s debut novel is a beautiful exploration of friendship, reckoning, and hope–a reminder that sometimes taking a hard look at the past can help uncover a future that once felt impossible. Register now for a conversation you just don’t want to miss!

Register here! Aren’t able to attend? Visit us here to view recordings of past events and the list others that are coming up!

About the Author: Shelby Van Pelt’s debut novel, REMARKABLY BRIGHT CREATURES, was published by Ecco/HarperCollins (US) and Bloomsbury (UK) in Spring 2022 and was an Instant New York Times bestseller and has sold a million and a half copies. Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, she’s now missing the mountains in the Chicago area with her husband and two children.

Brought to you in partnership with the Library Speakers Consortium.

You’re invited to virtually step inside one of the greatest international achievements with a behind-the-scenes guide to space exploration with the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum curator Dr. Jennifer Levasseur.

Revealing a new perspective into the world of space exploration and the daring astronauts who make it possible, Dr. Levasseur will guide you through the Smithsonian’s Behind the Scenes at the Space Station and take you on a once-in-a-lifetime virtual tour of the International Space Station.

You will learn what the astronauts do once they make it to the space station, from experiments to repairs and so much more! Have you ever wondered if plants could grow in outer space? Or how the space station doesn’t break down in outer space? Or how astronauts go to the toilet in microgravity?

Behind the Scenes at the Space Station is a treasure trove of information. Did you know that during a 24-hour period, the space station completes 16 orbits of Earth and the astronauts on board see 16 sunrises and sunsets every day? Or that the International Space Station is so enormous that it was launched in pieces and constructed in orbit?

Brimming with astonishing visuals, step-by-step explanations of everyday space work in action, and job profiles of the adventurous people who make it happen, Dr. Levasseur’s tour Behind the Scenes at the Space Station is the perfect way to spend an hour and experience life in space.

Register here for your all-access pass to a spectacular home in space! Aren’t able to attend? Visit us here to view recordings of past events and the list others that are coming up!

Have an issue with one of your devices? Technology proving to be more of a challenge than you thought? We can help! Register for a 30-minute help session just for you.

To register for the 11:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. session, click here.
To register for the 11:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. session, click here.
To register for the 12:00 p.m. to 12:30 p.m. session, click here.

View our Photo Release Policy, effective since February 1, 2019, here.

Have an issue with one of your devices? Technology proving to be more of a challenge than you thought? We can help! Register for a 30-minute help session just for you.

To register for the 11:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. session, click here.
To register for the 11:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. session, click here.
To register for the 12:00 p.m. to 12:30 p.m. session, click here.

View our Photo Release Policy, effective since February 1, 2019, here.

Have an issue with one of your devices? Technology proving to be more of a challenge than you thought? We can help! Register for a 30-minute help session just for you.

To register for the 11:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. session, click here.
To register for the 11:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. session, click here.
To register for the 12:00 p.m. to 12:30 p.m. session, click here.

View our Photo Release Policy, effective since February 1, 2019, here.

Have an issue with one of your devices? Technology proving to be more of a challenge than you thought? We can help! Register for a 30-minute help session just for you.

To register for the 6:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. session, click here.
To register for the 6:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. session, click here.
To register for the 7:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. session, click here.

View our Photo Release Policy, effective since February 1, 2019, here.

Have an issue with one of your devices? Technology proving to be more of a challenge than you thought? We can help! Register for a 30-minute help session just for you.

To register for the 6:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. session, click here.
To register for the 6:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. session, click here.
To register for the 7:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. session, click here.

View our Photo Release Policy, effective since February 1, 2019, here.

Have an issue with one of your devices? Technology proving to be more of a challenge than you thought? We can help! Register for a 30-minute help session just for you.

To register for the 6:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. session, click here.
To register for the 6:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. session, click here.
To register for the 7:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. session, click here.

View our Photo Release Policy, effective since February 1, 2019, here.

Join us as #1 New York Times bestselling author Tiffany Jewell highlights the inequities Black and Brown students face from preschool through college as she presents lessons and knowledge from her new book Everything I Learned About Racism I Learned in School.

From preschool to higher education and everything in between, Everything I Learned About Racism I Learned in School focuses on the experiences Black and Brown students face as a direct result of the racism built into schools across the United States.

The overarching nonfiction narrative follows author Tiffany Jewell from early elementary school through her time at college, unpacking the history of systemic racism in the American educational system along the way. Throughout the book, other writers of the global majority share a wide variety of personal narratives and stories based on their own school experiences.

Everything I Learned About Racism I Learned in School provides young folks with the context to think critically about and chart their own course through their current schooling—and any future schooling they may pursue. A true “don’t want to miss” event–so register now!

Register here! Aren’t able to attend? Visit us here to view recordings of past events and the list others that are coming up!

About the Author: Tiffany Jewell is a Black biracial writer, twin sister, first-generation American, cisgender mama, anti-bias antiracist (ABAR) educator, and consultant. She is the author of the #1 New York Times and #1 Indie Bestseller, This Book Is Anti-Racist, a book for young folks and everyone to wake up, take action, and do the work of becoming antiracist as well as The Antiracist Kid: A Book About Identity, Justice, and Activism the recently released Everything I Learned About Racism I Learned in School (2024).

Tiffany has been working with children and families for nearly two decades and has worked as a Montessori educator for fifteen years. She enjoys exploring social justice with young folks, especially the history of racism and resistance, economic justice, and socially and personally constructed identities. Tiffany enjoys working with educators and supporting them building strong, authentic communities in which every child can be seen and valued. She is the co-founder, alongside Britt Hawthorne, of ABARatSchool, an organization that strives to support educators and caregivers in their anti-bias anti-racist journeys. She also served as the president of the founding board of the national organization Montessori for Social Justice- seeing it through to completing nonprofit status and creating a strong mission to support and amplify Montessorian of the Global Majority across the country. Tiffany lives on the homeland of the Pocumtuc and the Nipmuck with her two young storytellers, husband, and a turtle she’s had since she was nine years old.

Brought to you in partnership with the Library Speakers Consortium.

Get your popcorn and take a seat as we pick the brain of the queen of twists herself, Freida McFadden! McFadden will join us to chat about writing psychological thrillers, her mega-bestselling hit The Housemaid series, in particular her forthcoming (June 11, 2024) third installment, The Housemaid Is Watching.

The next installment is full of unbelievable twists and tension as it continues to follow Millie Calloway. She used to clean other people’s houses—now, she can’t believe this new home is actually hers. The charming kitchen, the quiet cul-de-sac, the huge yard where her kids can play. She and her husband saved for years to give their children the life they deserve.

Even though she’s wary of their new neighbor, Mrs. Lowell when she invites them over for dinner, it’s their chance to make friends, so they accept the invitation. Mrs. Lowell’s maid opens the door wearing a white apron, her hair in a tight bun. Millie knows exactly what it’s like to be in her shoes. But the maid’s cold stare gives her chills…

The Lowells’ maid isn’t the only strange thing on their street. Millie’s sure she sees a shadowy figure watching them. Her husband leaves the house late at night. And when she meets a woman who lives across the way, her words chill to the bone: Be careful of your neighbors.

Millie wonders: Did they make a terrible mistake moving their family here?

Register here! Aren’t able to attend? Visit us here to view recordings of past events and the list others that are coming up!

About the Author: #1 New York Times, Amazon Charts, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Sunday Times, and Publisher’s Weekly bestselling author Freida McFadden is a practicing physician specializing in brain injury who has penned multiple bestselling psychological thrillers and medical humor novels. Freida’s work has been selected as one of Amazon Editors’ best books of the year, she is the winner of the International Thriller Writers Award for best paperback, and she is a Goodreads Choice Award winner. Her novels have been translated into over 30 languages.

Freida lives with her family and black cat in a centuries-old three-story home overlooking the ocean, with staircases that creak and moan with each step, and nobody could hear you if you scream. Unless you scream really loudly, maybe.

Brought to you in partnership with the Library Speakers Consortium.

Mars and its secrets have fascinated and mystified humans since ancient times. Due to its vivid color and visibility, geologic kinship with Earth, and potential as our best hope for settlement, Mars embodies everything that inspires us about space and exploration. For the Love of Mars surveys the red planet’s place in the human imagination, beginning with ancient astrologers and skywatchers and ending in our present moment of exploration and virtual engagement.

You’re invited to come learn alongside Matt Shindell, National Air and Space Museum curator, as he introduces viewers to historical figures across eras and around the world who have made sense of this mysterious planet. Shindell will highlight historical figures such as:

• Mayan astrologer priests who incorporated Mars into seasonal calendars and religious ceremonies;
• Babylonian astrologers who discerned bad omens;
• figures of the Scientific Revolution who struggled to comprehend it as a world;
• Victorian astronomers who sought signs of intelligent life; and
• 20th- and 21st-century scientists who have established a technological presence on its surface.

Along the way, we will encounter writers and artists from each period who take readers and viewers on imagined journeys to Mars.

By focusing on the diverse human stories behind the telescopes and behind the robots we know and love, Shindell will show how Mars exploration has evolved in ways that have also expanded knowledge about other facets of the universe. Register now for this captivating voyage through time!

Register here! Aren’t able to attend? Visit us here to view recordings of past events and the list others that are coming up!

About the Author: Matthew Shindell, Ph.D., is a historian of science with a background in science studies. He is Curator of Earth and Planetary Science at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum. He is responsible for the Museum’s collection of spacecraft, instruments, and other artifacts related to the exploration and study of our Earth and solar system. He co-hosts the Museum’s podcast, AirSpace. He curated the Museum’s permanent exhibition, Exploring the Planets, and is leading a curatorial team developing the exhibition Futures in Space. Shindell is the author of For the Love of Mars: A Human History of the Red Planet (2023) and The Life and Science of Harold C. Urey (2019), coauthor of Spaceships (2023), Our Future in Space (2023), and Discerning Experts (2019), and co-editor of Smithsonian American Women (2019).

Brought to you in partnership with the Library Speakers Consortium.

Using many different styles of music, Claudia’s motivating, high energy dance class includes a classic dance movement warm-up using a chair, light weight strengthening exercises, and a full body stretch, using the mind-body connection to make this class both inspirational and fun.

Sing a little, dance a lot, move to your fullest potential, while getting a light aerobic workout, as well as gaining strength, flexibility, and energy. Posture awareness is the focus of this combination of standing, dance and chair stretch. Work out at your own pace while gaining benefits of the group energy.

Register here for this 45 minute workout that is guaranteed to make you feel great!

View our Photo Release Policy, effective since February 1, 2019, here.

Using many different styles of music, Claudia’s motivating, high energy dance class includes a classic dance movement warm-up using a chair, light weight strengthening exercises, and a full body stretch, using the mind-body connection to make this class both inspirational and fun.

Sing a little, dance a lot, move to your fullest potential, while getting a light aerobic workout, as well as gaining strength, flexibility, and energy. Posture awareness is the focus of this combination of standing, dance and chair stretch. Work out at your own pace while gaining benefits of the group energy.

Register here for this 45 minute workout that is guaranteed to make you feel great!

View our Photo Release Policy, effective since February 1, 2019, here.

Using many different styles of music, Claudia’s motivating, high energy dance class includes a classic dance movement warm-up using a chair, light weight strengthening exercises, and a full body stretch, using the mind-body connection to make this class both inspirational and fun.

Sing a little, dance a lot, move to your fullest potential, while getting a light aerobic workout, as well as gaining strength, flexibility, and energy. Posture awareness is the focus of this combination of standing, dance and chair stretch. Work out at your own pace while gaining benefits of the group energy.

Register here for this 45 minute workout that is guaranteed to make you feel great!

View our Photo Release Policy, effective since February 1, 2019, here.

Mad for Mah Jongg or crazy for Canasta? Here’s your chance to meet other players, benefit from consistent play, and build your confidence. If playing Mah Jongg, we have four cards for people to use, but if you are considering becoming a frequent player, please bring your own 2024 NMJL card (Available for purchase at nationalmahjonggleague.org). The Canasta card sets are on us and available for use. Register online for a spot in each individual session as we can only accommodate 16 people per afternoon.

Register for the August 26 session here.

New Photo Release Policy effective February 1, 2019. See here for details.

Mad for Mah Jongg or crazy for Canasta? Here’s your chance to meet other players, benefit from consistent play, and build your confidence. If playing Mah Jongg, we have four cards for people to use, but if you are considering becoming a frequent player, please bring your own 2024 NMJL card (Available for purchase at nationalmahjonggleague.org). The Canasta card sets are on us and available for use. Register online for a spot in each individual session as we can only accommodate 16 people per afternoon.

Register for each individual August session below:

• August 19
• August 26

New Photo Release Policy effective February 1, 2019. See here for details.

Mad for Mah Jongg or crazy for Canasta? Here’s your chance to meet other players, benefit from consistent play, and build your confidence. If playing Mah Jongg, we have four cards for people to use, but if you are considering becoming a frequent player, please bring your own 2024 NMJL card (Available for purchase at nationalmahjonggleague.org). The Canasta card sets are on us and available for use. Register online for a spot in each individual session as we can only accommodate 16 people per afternoon.

Register for each individual August session below:

• August 12
• August 19
• August 26

New Photo Release Policy effective February 1, 2019. See here for details.

Mad for Mah Jongg or crazy for Canasta? Here’s your chance to meet other players, benefit from consistent play, and build your confidence. If playing Mah Jongg, we have four cards for people to use, but if you are considering becoming a frequent player, please bring your own 2024 NMJL card (Available for purchase at nationalmahjonggleague.org). The Canasta card sets are on us and available for use. Register online for a spot in each individual session as we can only accommodate 16 people per afternoon.

Register for each individual August session below:

• August 5
• August 12
• August 19
• August 26

New Photo Release Policy effective February 1, 2019. See here for details.

Mad for Mah Jongg or crazy for Canasta? Here’s your chance to meet other players, benefit from consistent play, and build your confidence. If playing Mah Jongg, we have four cards for people to use, but if you are considering becoming a frequent player, please bring your own 2024 NMJL card (Available for purchase at nationalmahjonggleague.org). The Canasta card sets are on us and available for use. Register online for a spot in each individual session as we can only accommodate 16 people per afternoon.

Register for the July 29 session here.

New Photo Release Policy effective February 1, 2019. See here for details.

Mad for Mah Jongg or crazy for Canasta? Here’s your chance to meet other players, benefit from consistent play, and build your confidence. If playing Mah Jongg, we have four cards for people to use, but if you are considering becoming a frequent player, please bring your own 2024 NMJL card (Available for purchase at nationalmahjonggleague.org). The Canasta card sets are on us and available for use. Register online for a spot in each individual session as we can only accommodate 16 people per afternoon.

Register for each individual July session below:

• July 22
• July 29

New Photo Release Policy effective February 1, 2019. See here for details.

Have an issue with one of your devices? Technology proving to be more of a challenge than you thought? We can help! Register for a 30-minute help session just for you.

To register for the 11:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. session, click here.
To register for the 11:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. session, click here.
To register for the 12:00 p.m. to 12:30 p.m. session, click here.

View our Photo Release Policy, effective since February 1, 2019, here.

May 16th through June 27th

Maybe you already have a subscription but only consistently glance at the cartoons? Or perhaps you yearn for in-depth reporting, written well without the prefab soundbites of TV news? Or you might just like to meet up with interesting individuals to talk about current events, the latest big hit on Broadway, upcoming museum exhibits worth a look all while enjoying a sip of wine and savory bites on a warm summer evening.

The magazine issue is on us. Selected articles from the June 17th issue for the June 20th meeting:

• Page 12 – Trophy Room: A last-minute safari in Kenya by David Sedaris
• Page 22 – His Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy: What Ye did to a Tadao Ando beach house by Ian Parker
• Page 36 – A Semblance of Peace: Life in a Palestinian-Jewish community by Masha Gessen
• Page 46 – Fiction: “Chicago on the Seine” by Camille Bordas
• Page 66 – Theatre: “Home”, “What Became of Us” by Vinson Cunningham

Register here!

Hybrid programs hosted by the library will be provided via Zoom. Visit their website here to find the appropriate download instructions and download link for your device. Registration for all programs is required. Participants who register for any program will receive an email with the link to join.

View our Photo Release Policy, effective since February 1, 2019, here.

May 16th through June 27th

Maybe you already have a subscription but only consistently glance at the cartoons? Or perhaps you yearn for in-depth reporting, written well without the prefab soundbites of TV news? Or you might just like to meet up with interesting individuals to talk about current events, the latest big hit on Broadway, upcoming museum exhibits worth a look all while enjoying a sip of wine and savory bites on a warm summer evening.

The magazine issue is on us. Selected articles from the June 24th issue for the June 27th meeting:

• Page 9 – Adam Gopnik on Europe’s rightward shift
• Page 14 – In Search of Lost Time: The strange journey of John Lennon’s stolen watch by Jay Fielden
• Page 20 – Small Wonder: How will nanomachines change our lives? by Dhruv Khullar
• Page 43 – Poem: “Suite for Voices” by Joyce Carol Oates
• Page 86 – Ghosts on the Water: Inside Maine’s glass eel gold rush by Paige Williams
• Page 50 – Books: Anthony Fauci diagnoses America by Jerome Groopman
• Page 60 – The era of the line cook by Hannah Goldfield

Register here!

Hybrid programs hosted by the library will be provided via Zoom. Visit their website here to find the appropriate download instructions and download link for your device. Registration for all programs is required. Participants who register for any program will receive an email with the link to join.

View our Photo Release Policy, effective since February 1, 2019, here.

May 16th through June 27th

Maybe you already have a subscription but only consistently glance at the cartoons? Or perhaps you yearn for in-depth reporting, written well without the prefab soundbites of TV news? Or you might just like to meet up with interesting individuals to talk about current events, the latest big hit on Broadway, upcoming museum exhibits worth a look all while enjoying a sip of wine and savory bites on a warm summer evening.

The magazine issue is on us.

Selected articles from the June 10th issue for the June 13th meeting

• Page 9 – David Remnick on the Trump trial verdict
• Page 14 – Red Line: The U.S. and Mexico wrangle over the border by Stephania Taladrid
• Page 22 – Are We Doomed? The field of existential risk by Rivka Galchen
• Page 28 – The Long Ride: A surf legend’s unlikely life by William Finnegan
• Page 52 – The reinvention of the cat by Rebecca Mead
• Page 64 – The Current Cinema: “Hit Man” by Richard Brody

Register here!

Hybrid programs hosted by the library will be provided via Zoom. Visit their website here to find the appropriate download instructions and download link for your device. Registration for all programs is required. Participants who register for any program will receive an email with the link to join.

View our Photo Release Policy, effective since February 1, 2019, here.

May 16th through June 27th

Maybe you already have a subscription but only consistently glance at the cartoons? Or perhaps you yearn for in-depth reporting, written well without the prefab soundbites of TV news? Or you might just like to meet up with interesting individuals to talk about current events, the latest big hit on Broadway, upcoming museum exhibits worth a look all while enjoying a sip of wine and savory bites on a warm summer evening.

The magazine issue is on us. Selected articles from the June 3rd issue for the June 6th meeting:

• Page 9 – Talk of the Town: Joshua Yaffa on a critical moment in Ukraine; Columbia’s counter-commencement
• Page 26 – Land of Make- Believe: How a Hollywood aspirant became a fraudster by Evan Osnos
• Page 46 – Fiction: “Woman, Frog, Devil” by Olga Tokarczuk
• Page 57 – Books: What is growth good for? by Idrees Kahloon
• Page 64 – The Art World: A Brancusi retrospective, at the Centre Pompidou

Register here!

Hybrid programs hosted by the library will be provided via Zoom. Visit their website here to find the appropriate download instructions and download link for your device. Registration for all programs is required. Participants who register for any program will receive an email with the link to join.

View our Photo Release Policy, effective since February 1, 2019, here.

Wednesdays from September 4th through October 30th
**No session on September 18th**

Maybe you already have a subscription but only consistently glance at the cartoons? Or perhaps you yearn for in-depth reporting, written well without the prefab soundbites of TV news? Or you might just like to meet up with interesting individuals to talk about current events, the latest big hit on Broadway, upcoming museum exhibits worth a look all while enjoying a sip of wine and savory bites on a crisp fall evening.

The magazine issue is on us.

Selected articles from the September 2nd issue for the September 4th meeting:

• Page 12 – The Last Day: As public-school enrollments drop, schools are closing by Alec MacGillis
• Page 18 – Bunker Mentality: Are you in the market for a bomb shelter? by Patricia Marx
• Page 24 – Life of the Party: A shift from calamity to promise for the Democrats by Andrew Marantz
• Page 36 – Early Scenes: Life as a boy in the Bronx and an actor in Manhattan by Al Pacino
• Page 40 – Poem: “Poem Never to Be Read Aloud” by Dobby Gibson
• Page 58 – “Fierce Desires” by Rebecca Mead

Register here!

View our Photo Release Policy, effective since February 1, 2019, here.

Wednesdays from September 4th through October 30th
**No session on September 18th**

Maybe you already have a subscription but only consistently glance at the cartoons? Or perhaps you yearn for in-depth reporting, written well without the prefab soundbites of TV news? Or you might just like to meet up with interesting individuals to talk about current events, the latest big hit on Broadway, upcoming museum exhibits worth a look all while enjoying a sip of wine and savory bites on a crisp fall evening.

Selected articles from the September 9th issue for the September 11th meeting:

• Page 14 – The Hem of His Garment: Meeting the Pope, and his tailor by David Sedaris
• Page 18 – Spreading the Wealth: An heiress’s experiment in redistribution
• Page 26 – Be Her Guest: Ina Garten’s age of abundance
• Page 54 – Books: “On the Edge” by Nate Silver
• Page 63 – Books: “The Letters of Seamus Heaney” by Maggie Doherty

Register here!

View our Photo Release Policy, effective since February 1, 2019, here.

Wednesdays from September 4th through October 30th
**No session on September 18th**

Maybe you already have a subscription but only consistently glance at the cartoons? Or perhaps you yearn for in-depth reporting, written well without the prefab soundbites of TV news? Or you might just like to meet up with interesting individuals to talk about current events, the latest big hit on Broadway, upcoming museum exhibits worth a look all while enjoying a sip of wine and savory bites on a crisp fall evening.

From the September 16th issue for the September 25th meeting:

• Page 22 – The Post-Moral Age: Has evolutionary science debunked virtue? by Manvir Singh
• Page 28 – The Dark Time: Inside Russia’s Arctic spy war by Ben Taub
• Page 44 – Land of the Flea: What America is buying and selling by Paige Williams
• Page 68 – Poem: “I Have No Word in English For” by Sandra Cisneros
• Page 73 – Books: What if Reagan’s presidency never really ended? by Daniel Immerwahr

Register here!

View our Photo Release Policy, effective since February 1, 2019, here.

Fun Facts About Romeo And Juliet:

• Romeo and Juliet first meet on a Sunday evening. Four days later—on Wednesday evening—Romeo drinks poison and Juliet stabs herself. “Worst week ever,” as one Shakespearean scholar has put it.
• Juliet is 13 years old. We don’t know Romeo’s age.
• Dante first mentions the feud between the families in the early 1300’s.
• In 1662 Mary Saunderson made stage history as the first woman to play Juliet, 150 years after London audiences first saw Shakespeare’s play with a boy playing Juliet.

Shakespeare on the Sound Education Director and Macbeth/Christmas Carol actor Nick Urda and board member/Shakespeare teacher John Love will guide you through Romeo and Juliet and, in an interactive presentation, hope to show you why Juliet and Romeo might be a more fitting title for the play. They’ll also have you asking: were they really in love?

This program comes to the library just in time for Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare on the Sound’s 28th annual summer production, in Rowayton’s Pinkney Park (June 12th through the 30th).

Register here!

New Photo Release Policy effective February 1, 2019. See here for details.

Friday, October 4, 11, 18, and 25

Learn to play American Mah Jongg, a fun and fascinating tile game. Over these three sessions, new players will be taught the basics of understanding the tiles and the Mah Jongg card. You’ll soon be throwing out phrases like 6Bam! 2Crak! Green Dragon! and Mah Jongg! Rules and strategies of play as well as game etiquette will be covered.

**THIS IS AN INTRODUCTORY SERIES FOR BEGINNERS ONLY**

Space is very limited for this program so please only register here you can commit to all 4 weeks.

View our Photo Release Policy, effective since February 1, 2019, here.

Friday, October 4, 11, 18, and 25

Learn to play American Mah Jongg, a fun and fascinating tile game. Over these three sessions, new players will be taught the basics of understanding the tiles and the Mah Jongg card. You’ll soon be throwing out phrases like 6Bam! 2Crak! Green Dragon! and Mah Jongg! Rules and strategies of play as well as game etiquette will be covered.

**THIS IS AN INTRODUCTORY SERIES FOR BEGINNERS ONLY**

Space is very limited for this program so please only register here you can commit to all 4 weeks.

View our Photo Release Policy, effective since February 1, 2019, here.

Friday, October 4, 11, 18, and 25

Learn to play American Mah Jongg, a fun and fascinating tile game. Over these three sessions, new players will be taught the basics of understanding the tiles and the Mah Jongg card. You’ll soon be throwing out phrases like 6Bam! 2Crak! Green Dragon! and Mah Jongg! Rules and strategies of play as well as game etiquette will be covered.

**THIS IS AN INTRODUCTORY SERIES FOR BEGINNERS ONLY**

Space is very limited for this program so please only register here you can commit to all 4 weeks.

View our Photo Release Policy, effective since February 1, 2019, here.

Friday, October 4, 11, 18, and 25

Learn to play American Mah Jongg, a fun and fascinating tile game. Over these three sessions, new players will be taught the basics of understanding the tiles and the Mah Jongg card. You’ll soon be throwing out phrases like 6Bam! 2Crak! Green Dragon! and Mah Jongg! Rules and strategies of play as well as game etiquette will be covered.

**THIS IS AN INTRODUCTORY SERIES FOR BEGINNERS ONLY**

Space is very limited for this program so please only register here you can commit to all 4 weeks.

View our Photo Release Policy, effective since February 1, 2019, here.

With the installation of our new seed library, it’s important to appreciate the value of seeds—what they are, what they can do, and what would happen to our planet without them.  Advanced Master Gardener Jackie Algon will show us how, as gardeners, we can make a difference by growing plant species that have been growing in our region for millennia, and then collecting, drying, cleaning, and saving seeds from those plants after they have bloomed for future use. It’s a formula for continuing the diversity and ecology of not only those plants, but of the insects, birds, and other wildlife that depend upon the seeds for completion of their life cycles.

Jackie Algon is an Advanced Master Gardener who focuses her attention on conservation issues in our area. A founding member of the Pollinator Pathway, she serves on the Board, and enjoys providing education to the public on the importance of native plants, the impact of invasive species and related topics. Jackie served on and chaired the Wilton Conservation Commission, the Wilton Tree Committee and the Wilton Garden Club Conservation Committee, and continues learning about New Best Practices to help our environment both in public locations and at home.

Register here!

View our Photo Release Policy, effective since February 1, 2019, here.

We welcome you to register for a thrilling conversation with Rebecca F. Kuang (R.F. Kuang) as she chats with us about her New York Times bestselling novel, Yellowface. Yellowface grapples with questions of diversity, racism, and cultural appropriation, as well as the terrifying alienation of social media.

In Yellowface, Authors June Hayward and Athena Liu were supposed to be twin rising stars. But Athena’s a literary darling. June Hayward is literally nobody. Who wants stories about basic white girls, June thinks.

So when June witnesses Athena’s death in a freak accident, she acts on impulse: she steals Athena’s just-finished masterpiece, an experimental novel about the unsung contributions of Chinese laborers during World War I.

So what if June edits Athena’s novel and sends it to her agent as her own work? So what if she lets her new publisher rebrand her as Juniper Song—complete with an ambiguously ethnic author photo? Doesn’t this piece of history deserve to be told, whoever the teller? That’s what June claims, and the New York Times bestseller list seems to agree.

But June can’t get away from Athena’s shadow, and emerging evidence threatens to bring June’s (stolen) success down around her. As June races to protect her secret, she discovers exactly how far she will go to keep what she thinks she deserves.

White lies, dark humor, and deadly consequences await within the pages of Yellowface. With its totally immersive first-person voice, Kuang’s novel is timely, razor-sharp, and eminently readable.

Register here! Aren’t able to attend? Visit us here to view recordings of past events and the list others that are coming up!

About the Author: Rebecca F. Kuang is the award-winning, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Poppy War trilogy, Babel: An Arcane History, and Yellowface. A Marshall Scholar, she has an MPhil in Chinese Studies from Cambridge and an MSc in Contemporary Chinese Studies from Oxford; she is now pursuing a PhD in East Asian Languages and Literatures at Yale, where she studies diaspora, contemporary Chinese literature, and Asian American literature.

Brought to you in partnership with the Library Speakers Consortium. 

Nothing brings a family together like a murder next door.

You’re invited to join Nina Simon online as she chats about her lighthearted whodunnit about a grandmother-mother-daughter trio of amateur sleuths, Mother-Daughter Murder Night.

Mother-Daughter Murder Night follows high-powered business woman Lana Rubicon. She has a lot to be proud of with her keen intelligence, impeccable taste, and the L.A. real estate empire she’s built. But when she finds herself trapped 300 miles north of the city, convalescing in a sleepy coastal town with her adult daughter Beth and teenage granddaughter Jack, Lana is stuck counting otters instead of square footage—and hoping that boredom won’t kill her before the cancer does.

In a turn of events, when Jack happens upon a dead body while kayaking she quickly becomes a suspect in the homicide investigation, and the Rubicon women are thrown into chaos. Beth thinks Lana should focus on recovery, but Lana has a better idea. She’ll pull on her wig, find the true murderer, protect her family, and prove she still has power. With Jack and Beth’s help, Lana uncovers a web of lies, family vendettas, and land disputes lurking beneath the surface of a community populated by folksy conservationists and wealthy ranchers. But as their amateur snooping advances into ever-more dangerous territory, the headstrong Rubicon women must learn to do the one thing they’ve always resisted: depend on each other.

Harness your inner detective and sign up for the investigation.

Register here! Aren’t able to attend? Visit us here to view recordings of past events and the list others that are coming up!

Join us as we chat with New York Times bestselling author, Douglas Brunt, about instant bestselling debut non-fiction work The Mysterious Case of Rudolph Diesel: Genius, Power, and Deception on the Eve of World War I. This book reveals the hidden history of Rudolf Diesel, one of the world’s greatest inventors, and his mysterious disappearance on the eve of World War I.

September 29, 1913: the steamship Dresden is halfway between Belgium and England. On board is one of the most famous men in the world, Rudolf Diesel, whose new internal combustion engine is on the verge of revolutionizing global industry forever. But Diesel never arrives at his destination. He vanishes during the night and headlines around the world wonder if it was an accident, suicide, or murder.

After rising from an impoverished European childhood, Diesel had become a multi-millionaire with his powerful engine that does not require expensive petroleum-based fuel. In doing so, he became not only an international celebrity but also the enemy of two extremely powerful men -– Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany and John D. Rockefeller, the founder of Standard Oil and the richest man in the world. The Kaiser wanted the engine to power a fleet of submarines that would finally allow him to challenge Great Britain’s Royal Navy. But Diesel had intended for his engine to be used for the betterment of the world.

Brunt reopens the case and provides a compelling new conclusion about Diesel’s fate. Register here to see how the mystery unfolds! Aren’t able to attend? Visit us here to view recordings of past events and the list others that are coming up!

We cannot wait for you to join us as we chat with award-winning and bestselling author Xochitl Gonzalez about her newest novel Anita de Monte Laughs Last. 

Anita de Monte Laughs Last is a propulsive, witty examination of power, love, and art, daring to ask who gets to be remembered and who is left behind in the rarefied world of the elite. In 1985. Anita de Monte, a rising star in the art world, is found dead in New York City; her tragic death is the talk of the town. Until it isn’t. By 1998 Anita’s name had been all but forgotten―certainly by the time Raquel, a third-year art history student was preparing her final thesis. On College Hill, surrounded by privileged students whose futures are already paved out for them, Raquel feels like an outsider. Students of color, like her, are the minority there, and the pressure to work twice as hard for the same opportunities is no secret. But when Raquel becomes romantically involved with a well-connected older art student, she finds herself unexpectedly rising up the social ranks. As she attempts to straddle both worlds, she stumbles upon Anita’s story, raising questions about the dynamics of her own relationship, which eerily mirrors that of the forgotten artist.

Moving back and forth through time and told from the perspectives of both Anita and Raquel, this is sure a novel (and a conversation) that you don’t want to miss.

Register here! Aren’t able to attend? Visit us here to view recordings of past events and the list others that are coming up!

About the Author: Xochitl Gonzalez is the New York Times bestselling author of Olga Dies Dreaming. Named Best of 2022 by The New York Times, TIME, Kirkus, Washington Post, and NPR, Olga Dies Dreaming was the winner of the Brooklyn Public Library Book Prize in Fiction and the New York City Book Award. Gonzalez is a 2021 MFA graduate from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. Her nonfiction work has been published in Elle Decor, Allure, Vogue, Real Simple, and The Cut. Her commentary writing for The Atlantic was recognized as a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. A native Brooklynite and proud public school graduate, Gonzalez holds a BA from Brown University and lives in her hometown of Brooklyn with her dog, Hectah Lavoe.

Brought to you in partnership with the Library Speakers Consortium. 

Join us for a one-of-a-kind conversation with National Book Award-winner Colum McCann as he is joined by Diane Foley, the inspiration behind the heartrending book American Mother.

American Mother is the story of a mother who, in the course of confronting her son’s killer, gets to the elemental heart of violence and forgiveness. Diane Foley is the mother of Jim, a freelance journalist captured and beheaded by ISIS in 2014, an image that became one of the most iconic of the 21st century. Seven years later, Diane gets the chance to spend three days with the murderer of her son in a Virginia courthouse, inspiring her to tell her life story. What unfolds is one of the most compelling narratives in recent literary history, channeled into searing reality by New York Times bestselling author Colum McCann, who brings us on a journey of strength, resilience, and radical empathy. You are sure to be moved by McCann’s writing and Foley’s uncompromising love.

Register here! Aren’t able to attend? Visit us here to view recordings of past events and the list others that are coming up!

About the Authors:

Colum McCann is the author of seven novels, three collections of stories and two works of non-fiction. Born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, he has been the recipient of many international honors, including the U.S National Book Award, the International Dublin Literary Prize, a Chevalier des Arts et Lettres from the French government, election to the Irish Arts Academy, several European awards, the 2010 Best Foreign Novel Award in China, and an Oscar nomination. In 2017 he was elected to the American Academy of Arts.  His work has been published in over 40 languages.  He is the President and co-founder of the non-profit global story exchange organization, Narrative 4. He is the Thomas Hunter Writer in Residence in Hunter College, in New York, where he lives with his wife Allison and their family.  His most recent novel, Apeirogon, became an immediate New York Times best-seller and won several major international awards.  His first major non-fiction book, American Mother, will be published in March 2024.

Diane M. Foley is the mother of five children, including American freelance conflict journalist James W. Foley. She founded the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation in September 2014, less than a month after his public execution. Diane is currently serving as the President and Executive Director of JWFLF. Since 2014, she has led JWFLF efforts to fund the start of Hostage US and the International Alliance for a Culture of Safety, ACOS. In 2015, she actively participated in the National Counterterrorism Center hostage review which culminated in the Presidential Policy Directive-30. This directive re-organized US efforts on behalf of Americans taken hostage abroad into an interagency Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell, Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs and a Hostage Recovery Group at the White House. Previously, Diane worked first as a community health nurse and then as a family nurse practitioner for 18 years. She received both her undergraduate and master’s degrees from the University of New Hampshire in Durham, NH.

Brought to you in partnership with the Library Speakers Consortium. 

Virtually step into the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History with Curator Paula Johnson as she discusses the book Smithsonian American Table: The Foods, People, and Innovations That Feed Us.

American Table is a sweeping history of food and culture that summons everyone to the table for a fresh look at some of the people, ingredients, events, and movements that have shaped how and what we eat.

Johnson, curator and project director of the American Food History Project, will discuss several stories featured in the volume, with an emphasis on those that intersect most directly with the Smithsonian’s research, collecting, and programming around food history.

During this event, Johnson will engage viewers in discovering the connections between food and American history:

• How immigration and migration has shaped (and continues to shape) American tables.
• How food companies have influenced home cooks through advertising, from Jell-O salads to Crock-pots.
• How individuals from Brownie Wise to James Beard and Julia Child inspired generations of cooks and eaters across the United States.
• And show viewers how uniting in the kitchen can change the shape of our collective futures, specifically highlighting growers and chefs who are reclaiming and reinventing regional and cultural traditions, including Indigenous ingredients and cooking techniques.

After this enlightening, enriching, and entertaining webinar, you can cook your way through the recipes that are featured in the volume that reflect American history and culture. Hungry for more? Register here now! Aren’t able to attend? Visit us here to view recordings of past events and the list others that are coming up!

About the Speaker: Paula Johnson is a Curator in the Division of Work and Industry at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History and is responsible for strengthening and maintaining the food history and marine resources collections. She is also the Project Director for the Smithsonian’s multi-faceted American Food History Project and director and co-curator for the exhibition, FOOD: Transforming the American Table, which opened in 2012; a refresh of the exhibition was completed in 2019. As one of the curators who collected Julia Child’s home kitchen in 2001, she was also on the team that developed the exhibition Bon Appetit! Julia Child’s Kitchen at the Smithsonian, on view from 2002 to 2012. Over more than three decades at the Smithsonian, Johnson has collected a wide range of artifacts and archives reflecting the work and experiences of diverse Americans and communities.

Johnson has published books and articles on the Chesapeake Bay, maritime communities, and material culture, and has lectured widely on these and topics related to American food and wine history, field research, oral history recording, and community-based documentation. She is an inaugural member of the editorial collective for Gastronomica: The Journal for Food History and received the 2020 Smithsonian Distinguished Scholar in the Humanities Award. Johnson is working on a book about Julia Child’s home kitchen for publication in Fall 2024.

Brought to you in partnership with the Library Speakers Consortium.