Adult Services

*Postponed until Spring*

Thursday, February 13, 2020

7:00pm

Lewis Hall

Free and open to the public

Come join Portland’s favorite Shakespeare ensemble for an evening of musings from poets past and present (including the Bard) speaking on romance, love of nature and country, feelings filial and familial, and the wide variety of perspectives that make up this Love thing that we humans do.

 

 

And you are in every blessed shape we know,
In all external grace you have some part,
But you like none, none you, for constant heart.
-from Sonnet 53

Looking for activities over February Break? Come to the Library! We will have a different, fun event each day of break.

Full schedule:
Tuesday, February 18:

•  LEGO Free-Build, 10:30AM-12PM – come build with our large LEGO collection
• Minecraft, 3-4PM – bring your own device or use one of ours to play Minecraft

Wednesday, February 19:
Pokemon Tournament – arrive between 12:30 & 1PM to check-in, then play in our face-to-face tournament, collecting points for wins. Participants must bring their own deck; damage counters and a coin are prefered though we will have some to use. Every player will go home with a new Pokemon card and top point-earners will win prizes. Minimum of 8 players to run tournament and suggested age of 2nd grade and up. Registration is required.

Thursday, February 20:

• Maker Morning, 10:30AM-12PM – come play with our DASH robots, Little Bits, Snap Circuits, and Makey-Makeys.
• Minecraft, 3-4PM – bring your own device or use one of ours to play Minecraft

Friday, February 21 & Saturday, February 22: BOARD GAME DAYS! Come play new board games from Island Treasure Toys, 10:30AM-3PM

The Monthly Monday Matinee February 24, 2020, will be JoJo Rabbit. It starts at 1pm in Lewis Hall on the third floor of the library.

Free and open to the public.

Women Poets Series

Thursday, February 27, 2020

7:00pm

Lewis Hall

Free and open to all

 

 

 

Marcia F. Brown is the author of five books of poetry including In the Afternoon (Moon Pie Press, 2019), and the essay collection Well Read, Well Fed ~ A Year of Great Reads and Simple Dishes for Book Groups.

Gretchen Berg is a poet and performance artist/educator who works in public schools to integrate theater, dance and classroom curriculum.

Marita O’Neill lives in Portland and teaches English at Yarmouth High School. She has a Masters degree in education and received her  poetry MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts.

Rebecca Irene holds an MFA in Writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Her work is published or forthcoming in Carve Magazine, Juked,  Atlanta Review, Typehouse Literary Magazine, and elsewhere.

Rosselini’s War Trilogy

February 26 : Rome, Open City (1945)
March 11: Paisan (1946)
March 25: Germany, Year Zero (1948)

Though not intended to be a trilogy, the critical success of Roberto Rossellini’s three films from the mid- to late-40s led people to think of them as such, sometimes called the War Trilogy, sometimes referred to as the Neorealist Trilogy. As is often the case with art movements, Neorealism was borne out of scarcity and strife. The use of non-professional actors and on-location scenery was a result of post-WWII setbacks in Italian studios; the prevalence of themes like poverty and oppression reflect everyday social conditions.

The title of Rome, Open City (Roma città aperta) refers to a wartime declaration of city to abandon its defense, let the opposing military peacefully occupy the city, and thereby spare civilians and cultural landmarks. The film begins in Nazi occupied Rome in 1944 and concerns the lives of people in the anti-fascist resistance. Critic Kenneth Turan of the LA Times says this film breaks its own rules: it’s realist but melodramatic; its cast is largely non-professional but its main characters
are played by stars.

There was more money behind the next film in the trilogy is Paisan (Paisà), which comprises six episodes in six different parts of Italy during the campaign of 1943-1945, and which pulls between the overarching theme of brotherhood and separation due to language barriers. Martin Scorsese, a big Rossellini fan, has cited Paisan as his favorite.

Germany, Year Zero (Germania anno zero) is about a boy growing up in Allied occupied Berlin. Until the Criterion release in 2010, this film was hard to find. In the words of New Yorker critic David Denby: “The theme is the abuse of innocence, but the movie’s eloquence goes beyond indignation: the colossal rubble of Berlin is not just an analogue to the collapse of the social order but an amazing sight, and the movie makes you feel the weight of every smashed façade and fallen stone.”

Merrill Film Society is an informal gathering of community members to view great works of cinema with one another. Everyone is invited. The films are free and popcorn is served! Showtime is 7 pm.

 

 

 

 

Thursday, February 27, 2019. 7:00 p.m.

Join us for a discussion of Girl in Hyacinth Blue by Susan Vreeland.

Readers Circle meets the fourth Thursday of the month, eight months out of the year.

This event is free and open to the public.

On Saturday, March 7 from 10:30-11:30AM, bring your uke (or use one of the ukes on loan from the wonderful 317 Main) and come jam with us to some tunes. Cider and cookies will be provided.