Concert on March 13th, the Modernistics!

We are excited to welcome the Modernistics Trio (Ted Powers, vocals, tap-dance, and guitar, Peter H. Bloom, flute; and Dave Zox on double bass) back  to the Falmouth Public Library on Thursday, March 13th at 2 pm!  Please register on the calendar to reserve your spot! Click here to register. We thank the Board of Library Trustees for sponsoring this concert.

The Modernistics Trio will perform a festive show called “Gems by George and Ira Gershwin”! All of the arrangements are by The Modernistics Trio, treating the audience to unusual and captivating renditions of well-known tunes and seldom-heard treasures. Lots of variety! The Trio will celebrate George and Ira Gershwin with swinging songs, tap-dance numbers, and exuberant instrumentals. Among the many audience favorites are Nice Work If You Can Get It, I Got Rhythm, Love is Here to Stay, Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off, Slap That Bass, and other great music by the Gershwin brothers.

Ted Powers, vocals, tap-dance, guitar, ukulele, and harmonica, has been entertaining audiences in the U.S. and abroad for over 30 years. His career in jazz, blues and pop includes several years as a solo performer in the south of France and tap dancing in the U.S. with Jimmy “Sir Slyde” Mitchell. Ted has performed with Billy Novick, Ray Santisi, and other notables. Acclaimed for his wide-ranging artistry and his mastery of the Great American Songbook, he performs extensively as a soloist, and with large and small ensembles across the Northeast.

Flutist Peter H. Bloom, praised for “exquisite melody” (JazzImprov) and “infectious brio” (The New York City Jazz Record), has performed in North America, Europe, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand, and is featured on 48 CDs. He has shared the stage with Sheila Jordan, Charles Neville, Jimmy Giuffre, Ricky Ford, Geri Allen, Jaki Byard, and other jazz legends, and is a veteran of the famed Aardvark Jazz Orchestra (51st season). Bloom’s latest CD, Exuberant Ellingtonia, has been hailed as “a treasure trove” (Textura Magazine, Ontario). His playing has been called “wonderfully smoky and mysterious” (EarRelevant), “brightly gorgeous” (Gapplegate Music Review), and “a revelation for unforced sweetness and strength” (The Boston Globe).

Bassist Dave Zox has performed with the Glenn Miller Orchestra, the Artie Shaw Band, Herb Reed and the Platters, Phil Woods, John Abercrombie, Kenny Werner, Garrison Fewell, and other illustrious artists. Dave played for many years with Boston’s legendary Al Vega Trio and with pianist Harvey Diamond. He serves on the faculties of Northeastern University, Phillips Academy in Andover, and the Ipswich Public Schools.

Zoom talks offered in March and April!

We have some great Zoom author talks coming up! Click the links after the title to register and get more details, and you will receive the Zoom link! Please note that these events are virtual only, and do not take place in the library. 

Monday, March 3rd at 7 pm, authors Karen Thompson Walker, click here for registration and details.

Tuesday, March 4th at 6 pm, Zoom talk and musical performance: Jazz and the Civil Rights Movement with Galen, click here for registration and details.

Tuesday, March 4th at 7 pm, author Kelley Armstrong, click here for registration and details.

Monday, April 7th at 7 pm, “Local Farms, MA-Produce, Meats, Dairy, Oh My! Click here for registration and details.

Monday, April 14th at 7 pm, “The Two Nerdy History Girls Ride Again!” Click here for registration and details.

Monday, April 28th at 7 pm, “No More Curse! A History of the Red Sox” with author and historian David Kruh. Click here for registration and details.

 

 

 

Healthy Hearts, Healthy Lives: Tips for Men and Women

Neighborhood Falmouth and the Falmouth Public Library are jointly offering this program on Wednesday, February 26 at 1:30 pm, which is open to the public. Please register by clicking here if you would like to attend, or call the library at 508-457-2555 x 7.

February is Heart Awareness Month. Today’s topic is Healthy Hearts, Healthy Lives: Tips for Men and Women. Tom Sbarra, cardiologist and the founder of the Cardiac Exercise Rehab Program at Falmouth Hospital will be the speaker. How do you recognize heart attack warning signs? It is often subtler than the dramatic chest clutch seen in movies, varies between men and women, and knowing the signs can save your life.

Neighborhood Falmouth is part of a growing national movement to promote continuing community residence for older Americans.  Neighborhood Falmouth members, staff, and volunteers work together to help older Falmouth residents continue to enjoy our multi-generational community from the comfort of their own homes .They partner with other organizations in Falmouth that provide services for seniors. Learn more about them at neighborhoodfalmouth.org or call 508-564-7543.

2025 Oscar-Nominated Short Films!

The Falmouth Library is excited to present ShortsTV’s release of the 2025 Oscar-Nominated Short Films! Although the films are unrated, they target an adult audience. Enjoy complimentary popcorn during the screening.

Screenings will take place in the Hermann Room on three dates:

  • Live Action shorts will be screened on Friday, February 14th at 7:30 PM (120 minutes run time) (Registration for the Live Action shorts has closed, as the list and waitlist are full)
  • Animated shorts will be screened on Friday, February 21st at 7:30 PM (90 minutes run time)
  • Documentary shorts will be screened on Saturday, March 1st at 2:00 PM (150 minutes run time)

Please register via the library’s online event calendar.

Contact Information:
Adult Services
Falmouth Public Library
508-457-2555 x7
info@falmouthpubliclibrary.org

About the Oscar® Nominated Short Films:

Since 2006, ShortsTV has proudly brought the Oscar® Nominated Short Films to audiences across the globe.

This special release features the year’s most spectacular short films and is available to watch on the big screen for a limited time shortly after nominations are announced.

Each nominee is released in one of three distinct feature-length compilations according to their category of nomination: Live Action, Animation, or Documentary.

The theatrical release of the nominated short films is the world’s largest commercial release of short films, delighting audiences and giving filmmakers an unprecedented opportunity to entertain short film fans.

In recent years, the Oscar® Nominated Short Films have been released in over 700 theaters across the US and Canada, garnering reviews in every major news outlet, from The Hollywood Reporter, Variety, and Deadline to The New York Times. The films have also been released annually in a growing number of theaters around the world, including the UK, France, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, India, South Africa, Mexico, Chile, China, and Australia, among others, making it a truly international release.

For more information: https://shorts.tv/theoscarshorts/




 

 

 

The Big Read Cape Cod

Tuesday, February 25 at 6:30—7:30 PM
Hermann Foundation Meeting Room

From October 2024 to May 2025, The Arts & Justice Collective will hold various literary, art and social justice events and programs centering around Claudia Rankine’s “Citizen: An American Lyric.” The Big Read Cape Cod is in collaboration with a wide range of community partners, including libraries, cultural centers, social/racial justice organizations, theaters, literary and art organizations and local artists.  This program is possible because of funding and management from the National Endowment for the Arts, Arts Midwest and the Falmouth Cultural Council. 

Join us for an in-person book discussion of Citizen by Claudia Rankine, a powerful exploration of race, identity, and belonging at the Falmouth Public Library.  Let us come together across Cape Cod to reflect, connect and spark conversations that matter. 

Facilitated by local poets, Ocean Eversley and Alice Kociemba.  Ocean Eversley is an African American and Native American Aspie woman whose ideals bend towards social justice, self-love and treating people and the environment with dignity and respect.  Alice Kociemba is the current chairperson of the Falmouth Cultural Council; Alice is a long-time advocate for community engagement through the arts.  A published poet and part-time potter, she curated a long-running series, Calliope Poetry that brought local, regional and national prize-winning poets to Falmouth.


Free books upon registration.  

Please register via the library’s online event calendar

Contact: Kristin Nelson 508 457 2555 knelson@falmouthpubliclibrary.org

Grilled Cheese Social

Grilled Cheese Social

Saturday, February 8th, 2025!

Falmouth Public Library from 12:30 PM – 3:00 PM in the

Hermann Foundation Room

A grilled cheese may seem like a simple meal! Butter on the griddle, two pieces of bread and some cheese. It is certainly a delicious choice, but that can get boring after a while! Many have found their own special remedy for the “normal” grilled cheese…but bringing it up in conversation can bring out the fire in the eye. Some folks don’t use butter at all! Why not some mayonnaise! I hear it gives an extra crunch. Or maybe an obscure mustard, bacon, or even bananas. It’s sort of like your parent’s meatloaf. That meatloaf is the only meatloaf you’ll eat!

At the Falmouth Public Library – Main Branch on February 8, 2025 at 12:30 PM we will be making the grilled cheese sandwiches on our Charlie Cart– the library’s functional mini-kitchen on wheels! We will be providing a variety of bread and cheeses. Don’t forget to bring your secret ingredient(s) and share it with your friends and other library patrons! There will be a friendly competition with judges to answer the age-old question of “what makes the best grilled cheese”.

One suggestion that we can make is use different cheeses! We will have all the basics ready for your mystery …Gouda? Cheddar? Swiss? Alternatively, just plain old American cheese? Do not be scared to try something new! The beautiful aroma will fill the library.

The event is appropriate for patrons ages 8-13. There will be library staff enjoying and overseeing the event (maybe even some celebrity judges). Parents are more than welcome to join in on the fun! We will be having games and activities all about the Hermann Room while we cook up our glorious melted cheese and bread. The games may be a little “cheesy” (without the mess). The event is from 12:30 – 3:00. We hope to see you there!

Registration is required. Click here to do so! Or feel free to give us a call at 508-457-2555 x 7. Please reach out if you have any questions or problems with registering!

Winter Reading Bingo

During January and February, when the most sensible thing to do is curl up with a good book, we invite you to play Winter Reading Bingo with us at the Library!

It’s easy:

Pick up a Bingo Card at the North, East, or Main Branches of the Falmouth Public Library.

OR

Download and print out your own BINGO card.

Turn the card in to receive a small gift AND be entered into a random drawing to win a prize – a $50 gift card to Eight Cousins!

Falmouth Reads Together 2025:Solito: A Memoir by Javier Zamora

 

Trip. My parents started using that word about a year ago—“one day, you’ll
take a trip to be with us. Like an adventure.”


Javier Zamora’s adventure is a 3,000-mile journey from his small town in
El Salvador, through Guatemala and Mexico, and across the U.S. border.
He will leave behind his beloved aunt and grandparents to reunite with a
mother who left four years ago and a father he barely remembers. Traveling
alone amid a group of strangers and a “coyote” hired to lead them to safety, Javier expects his trip to last two short weeks.

A memoir as gripping as it is moving, Solito provides an immediate and
intimate account not only of a treacherous and near-impossible journey,
but also of the miraculous kindness and love delivered at the most
unexpected moments. Solito is Javier Zamora’s story, but it’s also the story
of millions of others who had no choice but to leave home.

I read Solito with my heart in my throat and did not burst into tears until the last sentence. What a person, what a writer, what a book.—Emma Straub

Request a copy of Solito today via CLAMS 

Events related to this year’s Town Read!

February 7 at 2:00 PM: On Childhood Migration from Central America–In Conversation with
Javier Zamora 

The library will screen an author interview with Javier Zamora that was previously recorded by the Library Speakers Consortium.  Tune in for a special conversation with New York Times bestselling author Javier Zamora as he chats with us about his riveting tale of survival and perseverance as told in his award-winning memoir Solito.

Register here.

February 12 at 4:00 PM: Solito Book Discussion at the library

Join us at the library for a book discussion about Solito.  We will explore key themes like, the immigrant experience, identity and belonging, resilience and hope, and family and community.  

We encourage participants to reflect on how Solito resonates with your own experiences, perspectives, and understanding of the world today. Whether you’ve read the book or just started, we invite you to come with your thoughts, questions, and personal reflections.

More book discussions are being planned for different venues around town. 

Register here.

March 8 at 2:00 PM: Documentary Screening (Details to follow) 

Register here. 

March 15 at 2:00 PM: What’s Next for the Border? – A presentation by Miriam Davidson 

Miriam Davidson is a Tucson-based writer whose work focuses on border issues.  Her most recent book, The Beloved Border: Humanity and Hope in a Contested Land, tells powerful stories of atrocities and compassion at the southern border.  Davidson’s presentation will focus on the history of migration at the border, placing the Falmouth Reads Together selection, Solito, in both historical and contemporary context.  She will also share accounts of what life is like south of the border, crossing the Darién Gap and cartel violence in Mexico.  As well as discussing the environmental and cultural damage from the border wall and mine construction.  

Her award-winning journalism has appeared in the New York Times, the AARP Bulletin, the Arizona Republic, the Nation, the Progressive, and many other outlets. She attended Yale College and the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.  

Register here. 

Neighborhood Falmouth, Robert Reece, author of About Ben

Neighborhood Falmouth and the Falmouth Public Library are jointly offering this program on Wednesday, January 29th at 1:30 pm. Robert Reece will be discussing his novel, About Ben, which tells the story of Ben Levinson, a 23-year old medical student in 1952 who questions his future after this legs become paralyzed from poliomyelitis. Please register by clicking here

Dr. Reece is retired from his work as a clinical professor of pediatrics at Tufts University School of Medicine and director of child protection at Tufts Medical Center in Boston. He also directed the pediatric emergency room at Boston City Hospital and practiced pediatrics in Falmouth. He has published many textbooks and articles, and four other novels.

Neighborhood Falmouth is part of a growing national movement to promote continuing community residence for older Americans.  Neighborhood Falmouth members, staff, and volunteers work together to help older Falmouth residents continue to enjoy our multi-generational community from the comfort of their own homes .They partner with other organizations in Falmouth that provide services for seniors. Learn more about them by clicking here or call 508-564-7543.

Great Zoom talks this month!

We have some great Zoom author talks this month! Click the links after the title to register and get more details, and you will receive the Zoom link, and the recording later! Please note that these events are virtual only, and do not take place in the library. This month’s talks have been shared with us by the Tewksbury Public Library.

Tuesday, January 14th 2-3 PM Armchair Tour of Mexico City, click here

Wednesday, January 15th 7-8 PM Prize-winning author Adam Haslett, click here

Tuesday, January 21st 7-8 PM Bestselling author James Grippando, click here

Thursday, January 23rd 7-8 pm Bestselling authors Scott Turow and Alafair Burke, click here

Friday, January 24th 7-8 pm Mystery author Vicki Delaney, click here

Monday, January 27 2-3PM Six Pillars of Brain Health with AARP, click here

Monday, January 27 7-8 pm, Historical Fiction author Fiona Davis 7-8 PM, click here

Wednesday, January 29th 7-8 pm Bestselling mystery writer Thomas Perry, click here