Category: Teens

Taylor Swift: Celebrating The Life of a Showgirl

Posted on by Jessica O'Connor

Taylor Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl album is dropping this Friday and we are celebrating with three virtual Taylor Swift programs in October!  From appreciating the artist that is Taylor Swift through her fashion eras and insightful literary lyrics, these programs are sure to delight Taylor Swift fans. 

Scroll down for more information on our Taylor Swift programs and to register!

 

 

VIRTUAL: The Poetic & Musical Genius of Taylor Swift: Thursday, October 16th (7pm) REGISTER HERE

Harvard professor Stephanie Burt will deliver a fascinating presentation based on her brand new book, Taylor’s Version: The Poetic and Musical Genius of Taylor Swift. 

Burt, who is a poet and literary scholar, will offer an insightful and heartfelt critical appreciation of Taylor Swift, her body of work, and the community that her art has fostered. Drawing from her 2024 Harvard course, Taylor Swift and Her World, as well as from her years as a Swiftie, Burt will examine Swift’s particular form of genius – not the destructive genius of tortured poets, but the collaborative and joyful genius of an artist who has mastered her craft. 

Burt is the Donald P. and Katherine B. Loker Professor of English at Harvard University. Her work appears in the New York Times Book Review, the New Yorker, and the London Review of Books, among others. Her other books of poetry and literary criticism — fourteen in all — include We Are Mermaids, Advice from the Lights, and Don’t Read Poetry: A Book About How to Read Poems. 

VIRTUAL: Taylor Swift Style – Fashion Through The Eras: Monday, October 20th (7pm) REGISTER HERE

Author Sarah Chapelle will deliver a fascinating presentation based on her recent bestselling book, Taylor Swift Style: Fashion Through the Eras. 

For Taylor Swift, fashion and music go hand-in-hand — each playing a powerful role in shaping the narrative of this generation’s most prolific storyteller. From cowboy boots to teetering heels, fairytale dresses to bleach-tinged tresses, and the many memorable moments in between, learn the fashion story behind every single Taylor Swift album, tracing Swift’s musical evolution along with her ever-changing personal style. 

Chapelle, creator of the successful Instagram and blog Taylor Swift Style, has spent more than a decade documenting Swift’s fashion choices and the intention behind each ensemble. 

VIRTUAL: Taylor Swift By The Book – The Literature Behind The Lyrics: Thursday, October 30th (7pm) REGISTER HERE

Authors Rachel Feder and Tiffany Tatreau will deliver a fascinating presentation based on their recent book, Taylor Swift by the Book: The Literature Behind the Lyrics, from Fairy Tales to Tortured Poets. 

Taylor Swift’s lyrics are filled with literary connections. Learn about the novels, poems, and plays that influence her songwriting. Let a literature professor and a musical theater artist guide you through the Taylor Swift canon—from Shakespeare to the Brontë sisters to Daphne du Maurier! 

Feder, the author of five books, is an associate professor of English and literary arts at the University of Denver. Tatreau is an actor, singer, and teaching artist who has starred in various musicals across the country and is best known for her portrayal of Ocean O’Connell Rosenberg in the musical and original cast album Ride the Cyclone.

Please note that these programs are online via Zoom only and may take place after library hours. These virtual programs will be recorded and all registrants will receive the recordings via email within 48 hours of the programs. These programs are sponsored by and are in collaboration with Tewksbury Public Library.

Amazin’ Gamin’ Video Game Truck!

Posted on by Clint Johnson

Kick off the first school year’s early release day by visiting the Falmouth Public Library’s Main Branch for a HUGE truck filled with video games for all ages. On Tuesday, September 23, from 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM,  get ready for a full blown multi-player experience, the game truck’s theater has 5 gaming stations on the inside that support up to 20 players with space available for 10 additional friends to watch the fun on our stadium seating. In addition, when weather permits, there are 2 more gaming stations on the outside that will support up to 8 additional players.

There is no registration required to come play and access is 100% free. The Gaming Truck will be parked in the library’s side parking lot on Shore Street Extension. The truck will be open from 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM. If you can’t find the truck, just come in to the library and ask! We’ll point you in the right direction.

All ages welcome! We kindly ask that if the patron is under 10, an adult accompany them.

The truck will be here rain or shine! So don’t let a few drops of water stop you!

This is the Gamin’ Truck’s 2nd appearance at FPL! If you missed it on CapeCon, here’s your chance to join in on the fun! Also, the Gamin’ Truck is a local Cape Cod business, so let’s bring the community together!

This program and all Early Release Day programming is generously funded by the Falmouth Public Library Support Fund.  

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to cjohnson@falmouthpubliclibrary.org or by phone at 508-457-2555.

Thank you to the Falmouth Public Library Support Fund for making our Early Release Programming possible!

CAPECON 2025

Posted on by Clint Johnson

Falmouth Public Library’s very own CapeCon on 6/21/2025 (June 21st, 2025) from 10:00 AM to 4:30 PM.

The event will take place throughout Falmouth Public Library! AND in the parking lot…

The Library is located on Falmouth Main Street!

300 Main St, Falmouth, MA 02540

Some folks may have heard of a ComicCon (short for Comic Convention). They are often held in big cities with hefty entrance fees. We’re doing the same thing here at Falmouth Public Library Main Branch on 6/21/2025 from 10:00am – 4:30pm…but at NO COST to attendees. CAPECON is all about bringing the community together with their shared interests. Let comics, manga, anime, animation and pop-culture break down differences such as age, language barriers, race, economic situation, and/or neurodiversity. Join us!

Except it’s… 

FREE!!!!!!!! AND ALL AGES!!!!!!!!

–Voice Acting Panels

-Video Game TRUCK

–Cosplay Contest

–Comic strip creation

–Polaroid Photoshoots

-Comics and Mental Health Presentation

–Origami

-Crafts and Geeky Cookie Making

-Dungeons and Dragons Drop-Ins

–Table Top Gaming

-All day Nintendo Switch in YA Room

-A Super Smash Bros. Tournament

No registration is required!

 

 

 

Henry Herbert Smythe Scholarship

Posted on by Clint Johnson

FALMOUTH HIGH SCHOOL
NEWS RELEASE

Apply Using Form

 

SCHOLARSHIP DEADLINE REQUIREMENTS: May 23, 2025 by 12 P.M.

Applications are now available for scholarship aid from the Henry Herbert Smythe Trust. The total
amount of each scholarship award is $800. The committee awards multiple scholarships each year.
The application deadline is FRIDAY, May 23, 2025 by 12:00 P.M. All supporting documents must be
submitted by that date in order for the application to be considered. INCOMPLETE APPLICATIONS will not
be CONSIDERED. Decisions will be announced by June 30, 2025. Applications for the Henry Herbert
Smythe Trust Scholarships are available by visiting the Falmouth Public Library website or emailing
jcarrara@falmouth.k12.ma.us . All applications must be received by May 23, 2025 and returned to the
Falmouth High School Guidance Office, 874 Gifford Street, Falmouth, MA 02540 or by emailing your
completed application to jcarrara@falmouth.k12.ma.us.
The Rev. Henry Herbert Smythe was the second rector for the Parish of St. Barnabas and served from
1890-1923. Rev. Smythe’s will stipulates that the money may be used for “boys or girls in Falmouth,
Massachusetts.” A maximum age of 24 years as of January 1, 2025 will apply. Only applicants who are
themselves voting residents of Falmouth (or whose parents are) are eligible for the grants.
Applications cannot be considered from families who have second homes in Falmouth.
Scholarship recipients do not have to be graduates of Falmouth High School; they may have attended a
private or parochial school in another town. Recipients may be pursuing a variety of post-high school
educational plans at any accredited college or technical school.
Scholarship money is available both to students currently graduating from high school and to those
already started in a post-secondary degree or training program. However, work beyond a bachelor’s
degree cannot be considered for scholarship aid. Post secondary applicants must submit evidence of
current educational progress (most recently completed college transcript as of May 2025). A copy of
your personal grade report for the spring semester can be accepted but an OFFICIAL transcript for the
fall must be submitted. All decisions are made by annual applications; no renewals are automatic.
INCOMPLETE APPLICATIONS will not be CONSIDERED
The trust agreement states that “character be given equal consideration with scholarship,” and
evidence of both personal characteristics and school success is asked for on the application forms.
Financial need is a secondary factor in determining recipients.
The rector of St. Barnabas Memorial Church, Rev. Will Mebane; Superintendent of Schools in
Falmouth, Ms. Lori Duerr; and the Principal of Falmouth High School, Dr. Alan Harris are established by
the conditions of the trust as the committee which governs the granting of scholarships and which
makes the final selections. Bank of America administers the trust fund left by Henry Herbert Smythe.

Application Form

“What Happened Here: The Untold Story of Addiction on Cape Cod”

Posted on by Peter Cook

Screening and Panel

Directed by Sam Tarplin and Nate Robertson

At the Falmouth Public Library Main Branch on March 15th at 5:00 PM in the Hermann room, the library is hosting a screening of the independent documentary “What Happened Here: The Untold Story of Addiction on Cape Cod” followed by a guest panel including both directors of the documentary and others who help those with substance abuse problems on the front lines. Please register using our online calendar!

Cape Cod in the summer is filled with tourists, parties, and recreational drug use. Then it begins to get cold and everyone disappears. The party is over for the tourists and they return to their lives off Cape. What about those who do not leave? For year round residents of Cape Cod, the winter is a different story. Once the summer parties end, the locals and “washashores” face a cold reality.

Though it is often overlooked and pushed aside, many of the community members turn to drugs to sooth the sense of cold and loneliness. Opioids including prescription pills, heroin and fentanyl run rampant. Death after death of family, friends, and other community members are mourned daily. Treatment centers face challenges in delivering effective care due to the stigma surrounding addiction and the growing demand that exceeds available resources. That does not mean there is no way out…

The documentary addresses, informs and shows a light in the darkness of addiction. It is not a dramatization, but a symbol for hope and understanding that addiction is a disease and there is a way out. Asking for help. A community of recovering addicts can move mountains. “What Happened Here” brings the disease to light and there can be a light at the end of the tunnel.

Registration for the screening and panel is required. You can access the sign-up page on our Falmouth Public Library events page or give us a call at 508-457-2555 x 7. Please reach out if you have any questions or problems with registering!

Grilled Cheese Social

Posted on by Peter Cook

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!

Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol

Posted on by Clint Johnson

Falmouth Public Library, Saturday, December 14th at 2:00 PM

The Original Radio performance revamped by the WatermelonAlligator Theatre Company

We cannot wait to welcome the WatermelonAlligator Theatre Company back for a live radio performance of Charles’ Dickens A Christmas Carol. The event will be held on Saturday, December 14th 2024 at 2:00 PM in the Hermann Room at the Falmouth Public Library.

The event is appropriate for all ages and will last 75 – 90 minutes. Please register on our main Falmouth Public Library Events page or call 508-457-2555 x 7. If you run into any trouble, please reach out and we’ll fix it right up!

Dickens’ iconic story of greed, compassion, magic, and redemption will come to life through acting, music, and live sound effects in this original radio play adaptation. Miserly Ebenezer Scrooge makes life miserable for everyone around him, especially his long suffering clerk, Bob Cratchit. One fateful Christmas Eve, Scrooge is visited by the ghost of his former business associate, Jacob Marley. A man who was as greedy and cold as Scrooge. Marley’s spirit warns Scrooge that if he continues to live so selfishly, he will spend eternity wearing the chains that his greed has built. Three more spirits visit Scrooge that night: The Ghosts of Christmas Past, Christmas Present, and Christmas Yet to Come, who show Scrooge his error in valuing money over people. Scrooge, frightened by the bleak picture of his life, awakes on Christmas morning a new man, promising to change his ways.

Get into the holiday spirit with a performance by professional working actors from the WatermelonAlligator Theatre Company!

There will be a discussion regarding Christianity and how the tale of Scrooge is truly a story of redemption. A light of hope in the darkness of the winter.

Edward Gorey “Sinister Cozy”

Posted on by Clint Johnson

A Talk with the Director of the Edward Gorey House, Gregory Hischak

On Tuesday, October 22nd, we welcome Gregory Hischak, the Director of the Edward Gorey House and Museum to speak on Gorey’s achievements and his wonderfully amusing oddities. The presentation will run from 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM in the reading room in front of the fireplace. He will be giving a presentation of Gorey’s natural creepy and hilarious artwork in his books, theater sets, and many other mediums.

Terrible things unfold in an Edward Gorey Book—children are swept out to sea, abducted by murderous insects, fall into unsavory company, or get carried off by giant birds. Sometimes they die of boredom. Edward writes, and draws, about everyday life and, for reasons that will likely come up in this presentation, his books are a delight and extremely funny. Mostly. Gorey’s work as a book artist, an illustrator, and designer is frequently categorized as Whimsically Macabre, though we prefer the term “Sinister Cozy”. His work looks a hundred and thirty years older than it is yet he consistently remains thirty years ahead of us at all times.

Please come join us on this spooky evening with “Sinister Cozy”. Registration is required.

Register here!

Hope to see you soon!

Creative Writing Workshop with Dominic Cappuccino

Posted on by Clint Johnson

Dominic Cappuccino is partnering with the FPL Young Adult Services to offer a creative writing workshop over the summer! Participants will have the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of writing a short – story and their components like setting, character and plot. It will be a great opportunity to practice your creative writing skills over 4 sessions.

No pressure! Judgment free! Just writing with other writers and sharing their creations.

The program is intended to serve students entering grades 7 – 10. Registration is required.

Keep your creativity flowing during the summer!

You can certainly dive deeper into your own identity by writing about a fictional character that is really a reflection of you! Not only does the workshop allow you to grow creatively, it also opens doors to your own self. Like writing in a journal, mashes of words on paper are a great starting point.

Each session will hold a different part of writing your own story. Write in whatever genre and in whatever format you would like:

  • Writing about what you feel in the moment with your five senses
  • The creation of dialogue between two characters
  • The inclusion of our own experiences and emotions within our writing
  • Individual and group revision in the form of PQP (praise, question, proposal)

Writing is often thought of as a solitary activity but at FPL in the Young Adult room, we pride ourselves in trying new things. So, we can write together! We can look for examples in the literature held in the YA room, or anywhere else.

Each session is very important to the progression of your own story so don’t miss out! The sessions will be held from 10:30 – 12:30 on the dates listed below (all Wednesdays):

  • July 24th
  • July 31st
  • August 7th
  • August 14

You only need to register for the July 24th session and attend the following.

We look forward to seeing you and learning more about where your individual creativity brings you! When all is said and done, we can keep the stories in the YA room or you can take them home. Hey! We may even be able to bind them… 

Tales and Origami for Teens with Motoko

Posted on by Clint Johnson

Wednesday, July 10th from 1:00 PM – 12:30 PM at Falmouth Public Library

Discover Japan, the birthplace of Anime, through magical tales and origami! Award-winning storyteller Motoko will discuss how Japanese folklore has inspired games and anime in the U.S. and around the world. Under her step-by-step guidance, participants will make exciting origami figures, and design their own original anime characters. Come ready to have fun!

Register Here!

This program is funded by a grant from the Falmouth Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.