HARDWICK – Our shortest month of the year will be a busy one at the Jeudevine. The event calendar features a variety of presentations, ranging from author discussions to income tax seminars. As I have noted before, a library serves its community in so many different ways.
This week, on Thursday night at 6:30 p.m., in the Parker Ladd Community Room, local novelist Jodi Lew-Smith will host a discussion about her recently released novel “Asa James.” All are welcome, even those who have yet to read the book. Last month Lew-Smith held a presentation that focused on her writing process: the highs and lows of creating a story, and the strategies that ultimately have proven most helpful to her. This week she will explore the actual story, one that covers about three years in the life of a mid nineteenth-century foundling from northern Vermont.
Skein and Sketch, a recurring monthly event during the winter, will take place next Monday, February 9, from 6 to 8 p.m. The evening is built around handcrafts, from fabric arts, to drawing, to wood. The expansive new children’s space will have both chairs and tables where attendees can tackle their projects. If you have time, consider bringing a snack to share.
An event centered around this year’s Vermont Reads selection, “The Light Pirate,” will be held on Thursday, Feb. 12, at 6 p.m. Shawna Trader, an organizer from Barre, will present “Facing a Flooded World; Why Relationship is the Sweetest Way.” The novel, which depicts a young woman dealing with rising seas in Florida, serves as a mirror to our Vermont experiences with flooding in the last few years. As I know many of our neighbors would attest, the strength of our community and our relationships has been central to our recovery efforts. Copies of “The Light Pirate” are available at the Jeudevine.
On the following evening, Friday, Feb. 13, Rick Winston, who co-owned the Savoy Theater in Montpelier and has served as programming director of the Green Mountain Film Festival, will host “Whodunits and Whydunits.” This will be the perfect event for lovers of the crime and mystery genres. Winston will explore the use of murder mysteries by authors and screenwriters as they seek to comment on wider social issues. Among the films he will discuss are “In the Heat of the Night,” “Lone Star” and “Gosford Park”. “In the Heat of the Night,” starring Rod Steiger and Sidney Poitier, is one of my all-time favorites (including the classic line “They call me Mr. Tibbs”).
Beginning on February 14, the Jeudevine will host Zarina Castro on several Saturdays between now and April 15. She is an authorized tax e-file provider and is offering free tax clinics which will run from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. It is important that you sign up at the library. You will be given an appointment time and a list of items to bring with you at your appointment. The four Saturdays are February 14, March 14 and 28 and April 11.
On Saturday, Feb. 21, from 4:30 to 6 p.m., the Jeudevine will host an opportunity for Hardwick Select Board candidates to introduce themselves to and answer questions from voters. You can
submit questions in advance at [email protected]. For those unable to attend in person the event will be broadcast later on HCTV.
Later in this very busy month, the Jeudevine will present a short documentary, “From Earth to Earth: the Lost Art of Dying in America.” It provides information on natural burial, through the eyes of both those who worked to legalize the process, and those who see it as a path to healing from the loss of a loved one. Jim Hogle, the communications and outreach coordinator of the Vermont Forest Cemetery, will moderate a discussion session following the documentary.
Numerous events are on tap for children in February. For the youngest, ages 5 and under, story time is held on Thursdays at 10:30. The Jeudevine Players (for ages 6 and up), preparing an original play, will meet on two Mondays, the February 9 and Feburary 23, at 3 p.m. A teen Minecraft competition will be offered on Thursday, Feb. 12, at 3 p.m., those aged 12-18. You can use a library desktop computer or bring your own device. The Cooking Club, for ages 10 and up, will meet on Wednesday, February 18, at 3 p.m., to prepare hot chocolate from scratch, perfect for a Vermont winter day. Lastly, for those aged 7-10 who are itching to sing their favorite tunes, Kids’ Karaoke will be held on Tuesday, February 24, at 1 p.m.
Wow! What a fabulous menu of offerings, aimed to hit everyone’s sweet spot, whether that be a great read, a murder mystery on the silver screen, a forum of candidates running for local office, the answer to a gnarly tax question or information on natural burial. Yes, our Jeudevine Memorial Library is about books and so much more.
