Manga and Anime club are back in business! Please come join on us in the Young Adult Room for our meeting on Tuesday, April 16, 2024 (4/16/2024) from 2 PM – 4 PM.
We will be watching anime, introducing the manga series that we love the most, learning to draw anime, and making buttons of our favorite anime characters!
We may even play some Pokémon cards! The skies the limit. We can’t wait to see you there!
Please register here:
In 2023 Calliope Poetry for Community extended an invitation to the public to immerse themselves in the images and messages carefully preserved within the Falmouth Public Library’s collection of postcards. These postcards, dating back to the early 1900s, offer us glimpses into the town’s history, portraying the various villages of Falmouth in bygone eras.
They serve as our very own time machines, transporting us to the past and allowing us to reconnect with the individuals who penned those messages long ago. With each card comes a unique story, a reflection of a moment frozen in time, complete with the personalities, quirks, and humor of the people who once called Falmouth home.
The heart of this project, Wish You Were Here: Postcards from the Past, lies in the ability of our literary and visual artists to draw inspiration from these postcards, breathing new life into their stories. They have taken on the incredible task of not only reflecting on but also reimagining the images and messages contained within these postcards. In doing so, they have created a bridge between the past and present, enabling us to witness the fascinating contrast between the Falmouth of yesteryears and the Falmouth we know today. Explore our digital version of this exhibit today, or make sure to make an appointment to see it at the Cultural Center at Museums on the Green through May 10, 2024.
Join us on Wednesday Sept. 20 at 11:00 am in the Hermann Room for a conversation and reading with Cape poet Brett Warren. Brett and Falmouth Public Library’s Head of Adult Services Phoebe Acheson will read poems from Brett’s 2023 book The Map of Unseen Things, and have a conversation about the poetry. Audience members will have a period for questions and answers as well. Please register.
A long-time editor, Brett Warren holds a BA in English Literature from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Her poetry has appeared in Canary, Cape Cod Poetry Review, The Comstock Review, Eunoia Review, Green Fuse, Halfway Down the Stairs, Harbor Review, Hole in the Head Review, ONE ART, One Sentence Poems, Pine Row Journal, Right Hand Pointing, Rise Up Review, and many other publications.
Brett Warren’s beautiful collection, The Map of Unseen Things, is steeped in wisdom, honesty, and empathy. I was therefore willing—even eager—even happy—to follow her into the depths of sorrow and loss from which many of her poems arise. I felt as if I were looking into both a window and a mirror as I read, immersed in both compassion and solace. A rewarding, hopeful, expansive experience.
—Lauren Wolk, author of Wolf Hollow, Beyond the Bright Sea, Echo Mountain, and My Own Lightning
Join poet Clarissa Jakobsons as she reads from and discusses her 2023 book, Baltic Amber in a Chest, about her Lithuanian family’s history in World War II. She’ll come to us fresh from a residency in Provincetown, and will have copies of her book available. This event will take place on Thursday June 22, 2023, from 2-3pm, in the Hermann Room.
This event is open to all; please register.
Joy of Poetry Reading Returns! Join poet Joan Michelson as we read and discuss the works of Mark Strand on Thursday April 6, 12pm-1pm.
This meeting is available either by Zoom, or in person in the Hermann Meeting Room.
Please register to receive the Zoom link and be included in preliminary discussions of which poems we will read!
In celebration of National Poetry Month, the library is hosting part of the Wish You Were Here: Postcards From the Past project led by Calliope Poetry for Community. This project is funded, in part, from a grant by the Falmouth Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency. Read on for descriptions of the kickoff event which will include a poetry reading and a presentation of postcards from Falmouth Public Library Historical Postcard Collection, plus two poetry writing workshops, one for adults and one for teens.
A Postcard Presentation & Poetry Reading with Alice Kociemba & Jennifer Rose
Saturday, April 1, 2023, 2:00 – 4:00 p.m., Hermann Foundation Room, Falmouth Public Library Register
Alice Kociemba, the founding director of Calliope Poetry for Community, will present a slide show of a curated selection from the historical postcard collection of the Falmouth Public Library and describe the goals of the project: Wish You Were Here: Postcards from the Past. She will issue an invitation to Falmouth residents to use these postcards to interpret the story of Falmouth’s past and present by creating new literary and visual art that respond to the postcard collection.
Jennifer Rose will read a selection of her postcard poems from Hometown for an Hour, and will describe the process of crafting postcard poems that create through their brevity an immediate connection to a specific place. A discussion with the audience will follow her reading. “Rich in imagery, deftly crafted, and imbued with a lightness of voice, these poems are also postmarked from poetry’s more familiar provinces of love, nature, and loss.” (Hometown for an Hour).
In the Q & A with the audience, Alice and Jennifer will describe ways to use these postcards as inspiration for writing a new prose or narrative poems of 100 words or fewer. In addition to using the postcards as writing prompts, these postcards are an invitation to capture through photographing the “now” of how Falmouth has changed, as well as what remains essential to the unique character of Falmouth.
Alice Kociemba is a co-editor of From the Farther Shore: Discovering Cape Cod and the Islands Through Poetry (Bass River Press, 2021). She is the author of the poetry collection, Bourne Bridge (Turning Point, 2016). For eleven years, Alice facilitated a monthly poetry discussion group at the Falmouth Public Library and she was guest editor of Common Threads, the poetry discussion project of Mass Poetry (2015 & 2016). Alice lives in North Falmouth, with her husband, Rich Youmans.
Jennifer Rose is the author of two poetry collections, The Old Direction of Heaven (Truman State University Press, 2000) and Hometown for an Hour (Ohio University Press, 2006). A Chicago-area native, Jennifer first visited the Outer Cape in 1970, at age 11. Its landscape— especially the bay—has inspired her ever since. She lives in Waltham, Massachusetts.
Bringing the Past to Life: A Poetry Writing Workshop with Robin Smith-Johnson
Thursday, April 13, 2023, 2:00 – 4:00 p.m., Bay Room, Falmouth Public Library Register
Robin Smith-Johnson will lead a poetry workshop on elements of writing brief poems (100 words or fewer) that respond to a selection of the Falmouth Public Library’s historical postcard collection. In addition to presenting aspects of crafting ekphrastic poems, i.e., poems that respond to another art form, Robin will also describe how to bring history to life through poetry.
Robin Smith-Johnson is a co-editor of From the Farther Shore: Discovering Cape Cod and the Islands Through Poetry (Bass River Press, 2021) and has published two collections of poetry: Dream of the Antique Dealer’s Daughter (Word Poetry, 2013) and Gale Warnings (Finishing Line Press, 2015). Robin is also the author of two books on Cape Cod history: Cape Cod Curiosities (The History Press, 2019) and Legends and Lore of Cape Cod (The History Press, 2016). She is a co-founder of the Steeple Street Poets of Cape Cod and currently teaches writing at Cape Cod Community College.
Through Our Own Eyes: A Poetry Writing Workshop for Teens, with David R. Surette
Thursday, April 20, 2023, 2:00 – 4:00 p.m., Teen Room, Falmouth Public Library Register
Poet David Surette, a high school English teacher and educator for more than 30 years, will lead a workshop on how to write brief, descriptive narrative poems that capture a specific sense of place and time in a writer’s life. Many of David’s own poems are set in his hometown and distill the poignancy of growing up in a tight-knit community. Using prompts and providing examples of successful poems that capture a young person’s perspective, David knows how to make the writing of poetry an enjoyable experience. All teens interested in expressing what they uniquely understand about Falmouth would benefit from this workshop.
David R. Surette, a recently retired public-school teacher and hockey couch, is the author of seven collections of poetry, the most recent of which is Tonic (forthcoming from Moon Pie Press, Spring 2023). His previous books include Malden (Moon Pie Press, 2018) and Stable (Moon Pie Press, 2015), the latter of which was named an Honor Book at the 2015 Massachusetts Book Awards. He lives on Cape Cod.
We so enjoyed our three sessions reading poetry under the guidance of Joan Michelson that we are continuing the series! We’ll meet Thursday March 2 at 11:00 am to read and discuss the poetry of Charles Simic, who died in January.
This meeting is available either by Zoom, or in person in the Hermann Meeting Room.
Please register to receive the Zoom link and be included in preliminary discussions of which poems we will read!
Still looking for new practices to begin 2023? Why not join us at the library to read poetry with visiting poet Joan Michelson.
This will be a hybrid group, available in person or by Zoom. We will meet on three Tuesdays: Jan. 17, 24, and 31, at 11am, to read and discuss poetry. For the first session, January 17, we will read the poetry of William Carlos Williams; for the second, Joan suggests Theodore Roethke; the third poet remains to be chosen!
Please register for each session; you’ll receive the Zoom link if you prefer to attend virtually:
Tuesday January 17, 11am. William Carlos Williams. Register.
Tuesday January 24, 11am. Theodore Roethke. Register.
Tuesday January 31, 11am. Tess Gallagher. Register.
If there is enough interest, the library would love to begin hosting a regular poetry session – so even if you can’t make it to these sessions, be in touch with us and we can reach out to you! Email info@falmouthpubliclibrary.org or call the Reference Desk at 508-457-2555 X7.
We are delighted to welcome Andrea Brandeis on Wednesday afternoon, May 5th at 2 pm, for a Zoom presentation on Mary Oliver’s poetry, by the Falmouth Public Library!
Mary Oliver was one of America’s greatest, most beloved, and often quoted poets. She was a prolific and decorated poet whose honors include the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award. Her poetry explored the link between nature and the spiritual world-her love of the natural world is the soul of her writing. She lived in Provincetown from 1964-2014.
In this introductory presentation, we will read and discuss some of the best poems from her book, Devotions (no book copy needed), and learn about her life. Participants’ spirits will be soothed and they will be reminded of the world’s beauty through this connection and exploration of Mary Oliver’s natural world and poetry.
Andrea specializes in programs that excite, delight and keep people engaged. Andrea has co-facilitated this program as a Lifelong Learning course and used the poetry and teachings of Mary Oliver in many programs including Aspirations, an Aging Mastery Program, yoga programs and series.
This event is free and appropriate for adults and teens. Registration is required before the event. You can register by going to falmouthpubliclibrary.org/events, or by calling the reference department at 508-457-2555 x 7.