@Blue Hill Library

In this issue:

•  Events This Week....
•  Reader Dog Cancelled 
•  School Break "Boredom Busters" 
•  Great Decisions Discussion Group 
•  Play Reading: Wakefield Mystery Plays 
• "Demystifying Clay" With Mark Bell 

• The Friends of the Library Film Series continues THIS THURSDAY! February 13 at 7:00 PM with Ordinary People (1980), starring Donald Sutherland, Mary Tyler Moore, Timothy Hutton and Judd Hirsch.  Robert Redford's debut as a director, the film is about an upper middle class family trying to return to normal life after the death of one son and the attempted suicide of another.

      Youth Services Librarian Pat Horton is sorry to report that due to illness, reader dog Gracie is unable do the program this spring.  In the meantime, get well Gracie!

    The has three "Boredom Buster" events for kids scheduled for February school vacation week! All of the events are free, thanks to the Friends of the Library.   On Tuesday, February 18 from 1:00 to 4:00 PM kids ages 8 to 13 can get their creative juices flowing at "Drop-in Craft-ernoon, with many projects to choose from including t-shirt bags, "paracord" jewelry, duct tape wallets, doodle art and more!

   On Thursday, February 20, from 2:00 to 4:30 PM, the Library will be offering a PG-rated movie: Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2. Before the movie starts, kids will be invited to create their own snacks based on the food in the movie. Of course, popcorn will be served, too!

    Lastly, on Friday, February 21, from 1:00 to 2:30 PM, John Brooks returns to the Library to instruct kids ages 8 to 13 on how to fold world class paper airplanes that really fly. Registration is required only for this last event by calling the Library at 374-5515 or using the online events calendar.

    The Great Decisions foreign policy discussions series returns to the Library on eight Wednesdays from 7:00 to 9:00 PM, February 19 through April 9. Each meeting begins with a short topical documentary featuring international experts, followed by a lively group discussion. Participants receive a briefing book with background information and thought-provoking topical questions. Participation is free.

    Sponsored by Friends of the Blue Hill Library Great Decisions is a nation-wide series created by the Foreign Policy Association.  This year's topics are: Defense Technology, Israel and the U.S., Turkey's Challenges, Islamic Awakening, Energy Independence, Food and Climate, China's Foreign Policy and U.S. Trade Policy. The discussions will be led by Ann Humphrey and Aaron Glazer.

    Enrollment is limited to the first 20 participants.  Participants may register using the Library's interactive calendar, or by calling the Library at 374-5515.

     The public is invited to participate in the Library's Play Reading Group on Wednesday, February 19 from 6:30 to 9:00 PM at the Library, and every 3rd Wednesday of the month until next summer. This month the group will read selections from the Wakefield Mystery Plays.

    The Wakefield Mystery Plays date from the late-14th to the mid-15th centuries and are a collection of thirty two dramatic works translated from the famous manuscript of Biblical enactments found near the English town of Wakefield. The cycle is notable for the "The Second Shepherd's Play," one of the great treasures of medieval literature. The plays were performed as part of the summertime Corpus Christi religious festival in the 15th century in England.

   The group welcomes inexperienced and experienced readers alike. The only criteria are the love of plays and the joy of reading them aloud among like-minded theater fans. For further information, contact the Library at 374-5515 or Michael Donahue at 374-5248 (or Donahue.mg@gmail.com).

    The Library's monthly series of free Art Adventures for adults and interested teens continues on Thursday, February 20 at 7:00 PM with a program by local potter Mark Bell," Demystifying Clay."

    In the workshop Mark will talk about the material of clay from a potter's perspective. What is it? Where does it come from? What kind of clay do we have here in Maine? How do we use it to make pots?  Topics of discussion will also include a brief history of Maine pottery, from the pre-Columbian civilization known as the "Red Paint People" to local contemporary work.
 
    Participants will have an opportunity to make a pinch pot at the end of the workshop.

    Mark Bell specializes in fine porcelain. He has a Master of Fine Arts from Arizona State University and participates in shows all over the country.  He has taught workshops for Haystack Mountain School of Craft and the University of Maine among others.

    The event is free and everyone is welcome.  For more information, call the Library at 374-5515.

Don't hesitate to call us for more information at 207-374-5515.