Monthly Book Discussion Group  

The book group meets the third Tuesday of the month at 1:10 p.m. New members are always welcome. You can email Antonia at sturgisreference@comcast.net to be added to the group email list (which means books will be ordered for you in advance). The group will be discussing "Nine Parts of Desire," by Geraldine Brooks, and March's book, "The Hare with Amber Eyes," by Edmund de Waal, will be available for pick up at the circ desk at the February meeting.

Reading and Discussion Series 2014

Odd Couples: Literary Feuds, Friendships and Falling-outs 

4th Tuesday of the month, January through April 2014 @6:30 p.m. 

The relationships between authors and their opinions of each others' work can make for fascinating study, especially if there are elements of conflict involved. As Anthony Arthur notes in his book, Literary Feuds: A Century of Celebrated Quarrels--From Mark Twain to Tom Wolfe, "it is an appreciation of the degree to which writers, in their art, overcome their limitations as people."  

In this series, sponsored in part by Mass Humanities, we will explore the works of four pairs of authors who were known or rumored to have a complicated relationship with one another, either in their personal lives or in regard to their literary output (which often became personal). The discussions will be as follows:

• 28 January: The poetry of Edgar Allan Poe and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, with Dr. Elaine Craghead.
• 25 February: "Of Love and Other Demons," by Gabriel Garcia Marquez and "The Storyteller," by Mario Vargas Llosa, with South Dennis Library Director Anne Speyer.
• 25 March: "Ethan Brand," by Nathaniel Hawthorne and "Billy Budd," by Herman Melville, with Dr. Sam Coale.
• 22 April: "The Alchemist," by Ben Jonson and "Twelfth Night," by William Shakespeare, with Dr. James Crowley.  

Just send an email to Antonia at sturgisreference@comcast.net with your name, email and phone number. The texts for the first discussion on 28 January @6:30 p.m. are available now behind the circ desk. Alternatively, you can access them for free at the following web sites:

• Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (Paul Revere's Ride, The Village Blacksmith, A Nameless Grave, The Angler's Song, The Indian Hunter and The Slave in the Dismal Swamp): http://www.hwlongfellow.org/poems_front.php 
• Edgar Allan Poe (The Raven, Annabel Lee and The Valley of Unrest):  http://www.poetryfoundation.org/search/?q=Edgar+Allan+Poe 

February's texts will be available at the circ desk at the January meeting, but in order for us to have enough, it's important that you are registered well in advance for the lecture.  

Lower jaw of a sperm whale (New Bedford Whaling Museum, photo by J. McGuane)

The Hunted Whale - Author James McGuane

Saturday, 15 February @2:00 p.m.  

When the international ban on whaling was instituted in 1986, the practice of hunting the great marine mammals was relegated mostly to the annals of history. These days, whale hunting is widely considered a destructive and inhumane practice of a bygone era; long forgotten are the days when whaling was a perilous adventure on the high seas. Join author James McGuane as he invites us to look back at that time of nautical adventure and witness the awesome achievements of American whaling at its 19th century peak in his discussion of his new book, The Hunted Whale.  

The talk will be accompanied by an exhibit of items from the collections of the Sturgis Library and local artist/historian Ryan Cooper; books will be available for purchase and signing. Free; registration required. 

To register for these programs, all the Library at 508-362-6636 or send an email to Ms. Megan at sturgiskids@comcast.net. 

Come join us for Drop-In Preschool Storytime every Thursday morning at 11:00!

Exhibits and Displays 

The following artists will be featured in the coming months:

Simpkins Room Gallery Exhibit              

• February 2014:  Nilton Coutinho Sodre -- Kaleidoscope Art
• March 2014:  Loesje Creeden -- Quilted Fabric Paintings
• April 2014:  Sammie Lydon -- Illustrations and drawings 
• May 2014:  Tracy Lindholm Nee oil paintings
• June 2014:  Senior Center Artists -- various media
• July 2014:  Taylor Sijan -- Drawings, jewelry, etc.   
• August 2014:  Just Jill Today -- photographs
• Open September, October, November 2014 
• December 2014:  KrisMarie Photography 

• February 2014:  The Art and Implements of Whaling -- from the collections of Sturgis Library and Ryan Cooper 
• March 2014:  Woodworking tools by Dan Santos
• April 2014:  Kate Walls illustrated prints fundraiser 
• May 2014:  Soutache Bead Embroidery & Jewelry by Patty Lange & artifacts from the Coast Guard Heritage Museum  
• June 2014:  Senior Center artists -- various media
• Open July-December 2014 

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A portion of the proceeds from the sale of exhibited art, photography, and crafts benefits the Sturgis Library.  Proceeds are used to enhance library services and programs. 

• Antonia:"Bloodstone," by Gillian Philip (speculative fiction, Sithe) and "The Funeral Owl," by Jim Kelly (fiction, mystery).   
• Lucy: "Mr. and Mrs. Prince:  How an Extraordinary 18th Century Family Moved Out of Poverty and into Legend" by Gretchen Holbrook Gerzina (nonfiction history/biography) and "The Last First Day" by Carrie Brown (fiction).    
• Lisa: "The World Peace Diet: Eating for Spiritual Health and Social Harmony," by Will Tuttle (non-fiction, culinary) and "Martha Stewart's Favorite Crafts for Kids: 175 Projects for Kids of All Ages to Create, Build, Design, Explore, and Share," by the editors of Martha Stewart Living (non-fiction, children's crafts).  
• Katherine: "The Signature of All Things," by Elizabeth Gilbert (historical fiction, botany).  
• Magda: "Breathing Room," by Marsha Hayles (YA historical fiction, tuberculosis).  
• Megan: "A Mango-Shaped Space," by Wendy Mass (YA fiction, synethesia).    
• Cathy: "The Painter," by Lois Swann (fiction) and "Dog Songs," by Mary Oliver (poetry)--both Cathy's reads are by local authors!  
• Karen: "Keeping the Moon," by Sarah Dessen (YA fiction, coming-of-age) and "Survival Lessons," by Alice Hoffman (non-fiction, handling cancer).  

Library Hours & Holidays 

Sturgis Library will be closed on Monday, February 17th  

for the President's Day holiday.

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