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September Art Exhibit
Susan Crofut: Recent Paintings
During the month of September, the Norfolk Library will feature the art of Susan Crofut. According to a review in the Berkshire Eagle, "Crofut uses color thinly, often layered, in a way that breaks down the solidity of the very objects she describes.. . Shining areas of light are Crofut’s specialty. The whiteness grabs the viewer’s attention, adding to an appreciation of the more painterly qualities of color and form around them." Susan prefers watercolours: "Their wonderful luminous and transparent properties are an unending challenge and joy for me." This exhibit includes flowers, trees, animals and "familiar bits of my daily environment." Small wash drawings are book illustrations; photos of Susan’s latest project, an egg-mobile caravan will be part of the show.
In mid-life, with no formal training, Crofut plunged into the discovery of painting and developed a passion for watercolors. Before this, Susan had experience with graphic design and illustration; her book published by Atheneum won a Notable Book Award from the American Library Association. While watching her eldest daughter’s experience in art school and delighting in her creative expressions she was inspired to pursue her own artistic gifts. "My paintings are an expression of the pleasure I take in the visual world and the delight I find in observing the simple and often ordinary objects of everyday life. This observation has expanded over the years into a love for painting animals and landscapes." The opening reception for the artist is Sunday, September 7, from 4:00 to 6:00 pm.
The opening reception is on Sunday September 7th, from 4:00pm – 6:30pm.
Watch! Read! Learn!
Scholastic BookFlix
Scholastic BookFlix is a new online literacy resource that pairs classic video storybooks from Weston Woods with related nonfiction eBooks from Scholastic to build a love of reading and learning. The engaging way to link fact and fiction, BookFlix reinforces early reading skills and introduces children to a world of knowledge and exploration.
To use Scholastic BookFlixlick, locate your 14 digit library card number on the backside of the card and click here to begin: Scholastic BookFlix
September Calendar
A listing of library events with links to their details
| Date | Time | Event |
|---|---|---|
| Monday 1st | Library Closed – Labor Day | |
| Tuesday 2nd | 12:00pm | Library Associates Meeting |
| Sunday 7th | 4:00pm | Art Reception – Susan Crofut |
| Saturday 13th | 4:00pm | Garden Club Lecture |
| Saturday 20th | 5:00pm | Owen Oxley – If at First You Don't Succeed… |
Reservations: Please call the library (860-542-5075) to make reservations for programs or to request additional information.
Summer 2008 Photos
A few snapshots of the Library Booksale and the anniversary parade
Photography courtesy of Katherine Griswold.
If at First You Don't Succeed…
Hints, Hope (and Humor) for WRiters of Memoirs, by Owen Oxley
For the many mortals who have long cherished the idea of writing the family memoir, revealing all the grandeur of your family, or finally bringing to light the dastardly doings of its wayward members, plan ahead, says Eileen Fitzgibbons, special events coordinator at Norfolk Library.
On Saturday, September 20, at 5 p.m., the Library is sponsoring a program entitled "If At First You Don’t Succeed, Try, Try Again," which features an author who wrote a funny memoir about a six-year-old American boy growing up in England before and during World War Two.
It got ignored, lambasted, and dismissed outright by critics on both sides of the Atlantic . One said it lacked 'drama', another that it didn’t have enough 'conflict.' But others said 'the recall of events was first rate' or the 'wealth of detail was exceptional.' The book: Growing Up British.
The author, Owen Oxley, shelved the manuscript and began a memoir covering another slice of life. Five years later, the book, Saudia Arabia: The Great Adventure, was published (2006) to good reviews.
By this time, with the passing of various relatives and the discovery of documents that death so often reveals, Oxley was convinced that there might still be life in that old memoir, although under a different flag. He dug it out, struck out lies that had become truths, and put a new title on it: Journeys and Destinations: A Generation of Deceit. A recent grant from Norfolk 's Artists and Writers Education and Development Foundation, will allow him to devote full time to completing it.
It is a vastly different book, now one that isolates a single tragic event that influences the lives of family members before and during two wars and the Great Depression, and initiates — and perpetuates — a path of deception up to the present day. Oxley thinks there is enough 'challenge' and 'drama' to meet the needs of agents, publishers, and readers.
And the humor is still there. He has extracted the best of it from the past for his presentation, "If At First … along with some of the grimmer aspects of that generation on Saturday, September 20, at 5 p.m. Wine and cheese will be served.