The Oliver Wolcott Library offers a wide range of programming for adults, from continuing series like Monday
Scholars,
to lectures, book discussions, and author talks. All events are free and open to all.
Continue your journey of lifelong learning with us!
October Events:
Witchy Potion Bottle
October Adult Take & Make - SOLD OUT!
Available beginning October 1*
*while supplies last
Double, double toil and trouble; fire burn, and cauldron bubble…
Every witch’s cupboard is teeming with only the best spooky ingredients for her potions, from moon dust to mandrake root, from siren song to spider venom. With this month’s take and make, create your very own witchy potion bottle that would make any witch cackle with delight!
An Interview with Marc Balet: A Lifetime in Design, Fashion, & Film, from Warhol to Scorsese
Moderated by Nancy Schuler
Live, In-Person:
Thursday, October 24 from 6:30 - 8:00 PM
In-Person Registration: Click here to attend in-person.
Marc Balet is among the most impactful personalities in contemporary American fashion and art. He worked with Andy Warhol as creative director of Warhol's Interview magazine (1976 - 1988) and the MTV show Andy Warhol's Fifteen Minutes (1985 - 1987).
Marc studied fine arts and architecture at the Rhode Island School of Design. In 1975, at the age of 22 he was awarded a Prix de Rome in architecture. He has shown his work at MoMA PS1, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London, and has been featured in Architectural Design, New York magazine, Women's Wear Daily and The New York Times.
He went on to found his own advertising agency whose clients have included Anne Klein, Nike, Yves Saint Laurent, Barney's, and Giorgio Armani. In 2015 Marc launched Ouihours, an "online magazine" devoted entirely to luxury intimates. He is currently art director on a book devoted to his longtime friend, Paul Reubens, Pee-wee Herman.
Marc moved from Manhattan to Connecticut in 2023.
Book Discussion with Mary Dearborn
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers
Live, In-Person & Live on Zoom:
Friday, October 25 from 10:30 - 11:30 AM
Zoom Link: Click here at 10:30 AM on October 25 to Zoom to this event.
In-Person Registration: Click here to attend in-person.
Don’t miss this scholar-led book discussion of one of the Modern Library’s top 20 novels of the 20th century!
In a Georgia Mill town during the 1930s, an enigmatic John Singer, draws out the haunted confessions of an itinerant worker, a doctor, a widowed café owner, and a young girl. Each yearns for escape from small town life, but the young girl, Mick Kelly, the book's heroine (loosely based on McCullers), finds solace in her music.
Wonderfully attuned to the spiritual isolation that underlies the human condition, and with a deft sense for racial tensions in the South, McCullers spins a haunting, unforgettable story that gives voice to the rejected, the forgotten, and the mistreated—and, through Mick, gives voice to the quiet, intensely personal search for beauty.
Mary Dearborn, author of Carson McCullers: A Life will lead this book discussion.
Books are available at OWL to borrow and the title is available as an instant e-book &/or instant e-audio.
Monday Scholars: William Shakespeare - Comedies, Histories & Tragedies
Live on Zoom:
Mondays from 1:00 - 2:30 PM
September 9 - October 28*
*no class on Oct. 14
ZOOM LINK: Click here at 1 PM Mondays beginning Sept. 9 to zoom to this program.
There is no more important author in Western literature than William Shakespeare. And his plays are treasure troves of insight into our very humanity. William Shakespeare: Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies introduces you to his plays and explains the achievement that makes him the leading playwright in Western civilization. During this course, Dartmouth College Professor Peter Saccio will provide the tools necessary to deepen your appreciation for Shakespeare’s world and artistry.
Join us for the full 7-weeks or drop in to explore your favorite plays. Each week, we will watch two lectures together and then engage in lively conversation afterwards. The conversation will be facilitated by OWL's Caroline Ugurlu.
Click here to read more about this series.
Move Your Mind; Move Your Body
Live, In-Person & Live on Zoom:
Tuesdays: 10:15 - 11:00 AM*
In-Person Space is limited. Registration is required. Register here
Zoom Participants: Zoom Link - click here on Tuesdays at 10:15 am to Zoom to the Event.
* No class Oct. 15
Note: This Class is designed for senior women.
The United Nations General Assembly has declared 2021 to 2030 The Decade For Healthy Ageing. The OWL has always been committed to expanding minds and now we would like to help our community expand their physical strength.
Join Nancy Schuler in this exercise class for senior women. You can attend the class in person, here at the OWL, or online in the privacy of your home. The class features stretching and exercises that can be done in a chair or standing, and lifting of 1 or 2 lb. weights. All exercises are gentle and easy to understand. Exercise has been proven to help one's cognitive abilities, blood pressure, insomnia, digestive issues, depression, strength and independence. The Alzheimer's, Diabetes and Heart Associations all recommend exercise for healthy ageing.
No prior experience is necessary. Bring in a set of light weights for this class - 1 to 2 lbs.
November Events:
Watercolor Hydrangea Centerpiece
November Adult Take & Make
Available beginning November 1*
*while supplies last
Garnish your dinner table with a beautiful, handmade centerpiece! For the month of November, the Oliver Wolcott Library will be handing out kits with the materials needed to make watercolor hydrangeas out of simple coffee filters! Each kit has a variety of gorgeous colors, which one will you get?
Creating Hope & Nurturing Girls' Potential Through Education
A Discussion with Priscilla Jeffrey - Founder of REAP
Live, In-Person:
Friday, November 8 from 1:00 - 2:00 PM
Registration Required. In-Person Registration: Click here
Join Nancy Schuler as she moderates this discussion with Priscilla Jeffery, the founder of the Rural Education Advocacy Project-REAP.
REAP is a Girls’ Education Advocacy Program developed to sponsor girls’ education in Ghana. Priscilla has created and sells beautiful bags (totes and purses) made in Ghana to fund her foundation and purchase books, supplies and uniforms so that girls can attend school.
Priscilla will share her story and will also bring her beautiful bags to show.
Non-Fiction Discussion Group
Thursday, November 14
Non-Fiction Group: 2:00 pm
Meeting will be held in the Library's Jamie Gagarin Community Room.
Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
In this story of family, food, grief, and endurance, Michelle Zauner proves herself far more than a singer, songwriter, and guitarist. She tells of growing up as an Asian-American kid at her school; of struggling with her mother's expectations of her; of a painful adolescence. As an adult her Korean-ness began to feel more distant until her mother’s illness forced a reckoning with her identity. Moderated by Nancy
Fiction Discussion Group
Thursday, November 14
Fiction Group: 3:30 pm
Meeting will be held in the Library's Jamie Gagarin Community Room.
The Arsonists' City by Hala Alyan
One family’s tale becomes the story of a nation. A Syrian mother, a Lebanese father, and three American children: all have lived a life of migration. They’ve always had their ancestral home in Beirut as a constant touchstone, but a family patriarch decides to sell. That man’s decision brings the family to Beirut in a fight to save the house. Their own secrets ignite in a city smoldering with the legacy of war, refugees, religious tension, and political protest. Moderated by Corinne
1908 Tea: Historical Theatre with Rita Parisi
Live, In-Person & Live on Zoom:
Thursday, November 14 from 6:30 - 7:30 PM
Zoom Link: Click here at 6:30 PM on November 14 to Zoom to this event.
In-Person Registration: Click here to attend in-person.
"Charming and animated, (Rita) Parisi brings her audience into the quaint and often humorous world of 1908."
-Sally Applegate, N. Andover MA Citizen
Join us for a trip back to the turn of the 20th century, seen through the eyes of a middle-class housewife. In 1908, the world was on the cusp of change. The traditions of the Victorians were giving way to a more modern way of thinking and living. Mrs. Gordon, a woman having lived in both the 19th and 20th century, has a lot to say about all these new changes. Her stories will highlight technology, sports, fashion, beauty and more.
Rita Parisi began performing historical theatre back in 2005. Her original theatrical presentations, created by Rita, entertain and inspire her audiences. Her unique shows highlight her passion for storytelling, theatre, history, costuming, and literature.
Monday Scholars: The History of the U.S. Navy from its Origins through the Korean War
Live on Zoom:
Mondays from 1:00 - 2:30 PM
November 18 - January 20*
*no class on Dec. 2
ZOOM LINK: Click here at 1 PM Mondays beginning Nov. 18 to zoom to this program.
Monday Scholars combines the best of online learning and engaging discussion!
Join us for the full 9-weeks or drop in to explore your favorite topics. Each week, we will watch two lectures together and then engage in lively conversation afterwards. The conversation will be facilitated by OWL's Caroline Ugurlu.
The story of the United States Navy offers essential perspectives on how the United States came to be, the unfolding of its history, the experiment of American democracy, and the nation’s transformation into a global superpower. Beyond all of this, the history of the US Navy is a spellbinding and deeply poignant human story—a chronicle of extraordinary commitment, ingenuity, valor, sacrifice, and patriotism, spanning the 250 years of its existence.
Your guide is Professor Craig L. Symonds of the US Naval Academy, a celebrated maritime historian who brings to the table astonishingly detailed and far-reaching knowledge of US naval history, coupled with a flair for engrossing storytelling.
Click here to read more about this series.
Normandy Now and Then
Live, In-Person & Live on Zoom:
Tuesday, November 19 from 6:30 - 7:30 PM
Zoom Link: Click here at 6:30 PM on November 19 to Zoom to this event.
In-Person Registration: Click here to attend in-person.
Finn Outwater, a junior at Lakeview High School, was selected as one of fifteen student/teacher pairs to be part of the Albert H. Small Normandy Institute. He will discuss his experiences in both Washington D.C. and Normandy, France as he learned about D-Day, researched the airborne assault and wrote a detailed biography about a local hero from Watertown who is buried in the American Cemetery in Normandy.
Finn will share plenty of images from his trip and stories about his visit to Brecourt Manor, Marie Louise Osmont’s chateau, the Azeville Battery, and Pointe du Hoc, amongst others. Finn will also reveal what he learned at the National Archives and how Southbury had a surprising role in World War II. Come learn from a young historian why it is so important to remember the events of D-Day after eight decades and how history can play an important role in all of our lives.
A Conversation with Artist Danielle Mailer
Moderated by Nancy Schuler
Live, In-Person:
Thursday, November 21 from 6:30 - 7:30:00 PM
Registration Required. In-Person Registration: Click here
Join Nancy Schuler in this conversation with reknown artist Danielle Mailer - a two-time recipient of the 50 most important people of Litchfield County and Litchfield Magazine’s “Readers’ Choice” favorite Artist of 2023.
Danielle will discuss how her art is created and what motivates her to produce such colorful, unique pieces and murals.
For more information about Danielle and her exhibit in the Jamie Gagarin Gallery, click here.
About Our Zoom Events:
All of our Virtual Zoom Events are live. They are not recorded. To participate/join the event, you need to use the exact link connected to the event. Once you click on the link at the specified date and time, you will be prompted to open Zoom, the virtual meeting program we are using. All you need is an internet connection and a device or computer with a webcam and audio. Most computers have built-in webcams. No passwords or confirmation codes, just click the link and follow the prompts.
More security, more privacy: In response to concerns about privacy in a virtual meeting space, we have enabled additional security features in Zoom and updated our meeting links to be protected, private, and secure. These new, unique links can also be accessed through our e-newsletters. To receive secure information regarding these events, please subscribe to our e-newsletter! Click here to learn more about our e-newsletter offerings.