March 2013 

 

Port Townsend Public Library

Community Read 2013

Pam Houston - Contents May Have Shifted

Contents May Have Shifted: A Novel is told by a narrator named Pam in 144 short vignettes. Pam travels to fifteen countries and twenty-one states in the book. The author explains that she has: "144 chapters. 132 of them are titled with a place name, divided into groups of 12 by 12 single stories that take place no place-on an airplane."


In the course of the book the narrator travels to numerous locales partly because of her lifelong wanderlust and partly because she is looking for "something." In the course
of the novel, Houston deals with life's universal issues as she describes a "spiritual journey toward a life rich in love and freedom." Houston has described this novel as "trying to live, as it does-as I believe many books do-between fiction and memoir."

2013 Community Read
Pam Houston
Related Special Events
Discussion Groups
How it Works
Find Us
Related Special Events

Venture: To Take a Risk! - A Juried Art Show All Month - Opening Reception - March 2 (Sat) 5:30 pm Northwind Arts Center Juror: Robin Anderson, Director of the Port Angeles Art Center. The show will feature the work of regional artists. Refreshments will be served at the opening.

PT Shorts

March 2 (Sat) Pope Marine Building 7:30 pm
Readings from Contents May Have Shifted presented by local actors.

Venture: To Take a Risk!

March 3 (Sun) Northwind Arts Center 1:00 pm
Art show talk by Robin Anderson, Director of the Port Angeles Art Center and Juror of the exhibit.

Hiking the Camino de Santiago

March 6 (Wed) Cotton Building 6:30 pm
Martha Crites and Jim Limardi share the adventure of journeying on this pilgrims' pathway across Spain.

Film: Shirley Valentine

March 10 (Sun) Rose Theatre Noon
The story of a middle-aged Liverpool housewife on a journey of self-discovery in Greece. An audience discussion of the film, moderated by Janette Force, Director of the Port Townsend Film Institute, will follow the showing.

A Sm�rg�sbord of Alternative Treatment Options March 11 (Mon) Madrona MindBody Institute (Fort Worden) 7:00-9:00 pm
Julia Rouse, Piper Dunlap, Allison Dey, and Marcia Perlstein-a panel of therapists-will
offer an opportunity to sample the therapies of Chinese medicine, movement, collage in psychotherapy, and guided visualization-followed by a group discussion.

Collaborative Creativity and Play
March 16 (Sat) Cotton Building 10:00 am to Noon
Leif Hansen leads a morning of fun activities for all ages.

Contents May Have Shifted from a Writer's Perspective
March 25 (Mon) Library Learning Center 6:30 pm
Award winning author Judith Kitchen will discuss the book from her own experience as an author and literary critic.

Meet the Author : Pam Houston in Port Townsend
March 28 (Thurs) Port Townsend High School Auditorium 7:00 pm
Pam Houston will discuss Contents May Have Shifted and her experiences as an author. An audience question session will follow her talk. Copies of her books will be available for sale to be autographed by the author at the end of the presentation.

Throughout the month KPTZ (FM 91.9) will air an interview with Pam Houston.

Discussion Groups

March 4 (Monday) Book Lovers' Caf� 2:30 pm, Library Learning Center (Pink House)
March 13 (Wednesday) The Writers' Workshoppe 5:00 pm, 234 Taylor Street
March 14 (Thursday) Hilltop Tavern 7:00 pm, 2510 W. Sims Way
March 19 (Tuesday) Pippa's Real Tea 5:00 pm, 636 Water Street
March 20 (Wednesday) Northwind Arts Center 3:00 pm, 2409 Jefferson Street

The Community Read Program & How It Works

The City of Port Townsend has proclaimed March as the official "Reading Month."
Community Read is designed to promote closer ties among community members
through the shared experience of reading, sharing and discussing the same book and
ideas related to topics raised by the book.
* A limited number of free copies of the book will be available at the Port Townsend
Public Library on a first-come first-served basis. Additional copies will be available
at the Library on two-week loans; or you may purchase a copy at the Library
circulation desk for the cost of the book to the Library. This book is also available
through local bookstores and online booksellers.
* Read the book; then pass it on to others.
* Prepare for a discussion about the book with your own book group or join in the
groups listed below. A brochure with discussion issues and questions is available at
the Library.
* Promote the program by wearing a button (available at the Library) that says:
"I'm Reading It!"
* Attend the many related events in the community during the month of March.