Hybrid Event: Gogyohka Flash with Peter Fiore

 

3:00 pm Thursday May 19th
Hybrid: Gogyohka Flash As A Literary Form with Peter Fiore

This event will be streamed via Zoom, and in-person at the library for a limited number of participants -- please RSVP to amcdonough@clamsnet.org!  

The first thing you might ask is, “why use the word Gogyohka?”  Gogyohka is a five line poem, based on the tanka and pioneered by the Japanese poet Enta Kusakabe.  Instead of determining the line breaks by syllable count, Gogyohka determines the length of the line by the breath, the natural pause a speaker takes in expressing ideas, images, and thoughts.  Readers like M.Kei have suggested that Gogyohka and Tanka are different in Japanese, but in English all Tanka are basically Gogyohka. It is truly an international form which can be written by anyone in any language.  Everyone breaths.

Enta’s original intention was spread the Gogyohka word all over the world.  Unfortunately, Enta has patented the term Gogyohka in Japan so that only he can use it.   Rather than further his cause this has actually slowed it down,  at least in America, where Gogyohka activity has all but disappeared.  There are journals that publish Gogyohka, like Atlas Poetica, Skylark, and 100 Gourds, but they all use the work Tanka, perhaps out of deference to Enta.  As a form of protest against anyone trying to privatize a literary form, Peter uses the word Gogyohka as much as he can.

Peter Fiore is the author of four books: text messages, tanka poetry published by Mushroom Press; flowers to the torch, tanka prose published by Keibooks; when angels speak of love, a novella published by Loose Moose Press; and Dissolving Boundaries, American miniatures published by Mushroom Press.

Peter started painting in the winter of 2018/19 as an antidote to the news—as Sun Ra has suggested, art as medicine for a nightmare. His work is on display at Ona, a gift shop on Main Street in Tarrytown, NY and he is an artist in residence at Pam Nelson’s Pilates Works in Carmel, NY. Peter lives in Mahopac, NY where he paints, writes and plays tennis, in order to meet creative and exotic fellow travelers.

In-person attendees will meet in the Vineyard History Room on the main floor of the library, and bring your own writing materials—paper, pens, notebook.

MV Climate Action Week May 8th-14th

 

Climate change impacts are affecting our health and well-being, the natural world, the built environment, and the Island economy. What can you do to make a difference? Take part in MV Climate Action Week! Climate Action Week is a community engagement project organized under the MV Climate Action Plan, developed by the Martha’s Vineyard Commission to create a resilient community in the face of climate change. Join us May 8-14th for a week of climate related events, to acquire the awareness and resources to make informed decisions and take positive action.

A Finale Event will be held at the Grange on May 14th from 10am-2pm, featuring an assortment of climate action information, giveaways, art & children’s activities, aquaculture & raw bar, an electric vehicle fleet, food, and a short presentation on the MV Climate Action Plan. Programming will include music with Tristan Israel & Company, featuring a performance by Molly Conole and Mark Lovewell with songs created just for the occasion at 11am, and an MVFF Film Screening of the documentary YOUTH v GOV at 12pm.

Click HERE for the complete schedule of Climate Action Week events, including the following in-person events taking place in Vineyard Haven:

Retreating From the Shore: Time to Start the Conversation
5:30 pm  Monday May 9th, in-person at the Martha's Vineyard Film Center
Sea levels are rising. Soon, they’ll rise faster. Is it time to retreat from the shore? How do we decide where to adapt and where to retreat? What’s going to happen to Beach Road, or the hospital? In this moderated conversation, climate planners and scientists will discuss beach and salt marsh loss, projects that have successfully mitigated for coastal change (Squibnocket and the Gay Head Lighthouse), explore ideas, and take audience questions.
https://www.thevineyardway.org/event/84-retreating-from-the-shore:-time-to-start-the-conversation

FILM: The Need to Grow
6 pm  Monday May 9th, in-person at the Martha's Vineyard Playhouse
In a race against the end of farmable soil, three individuals fight for change in the industry of agricultural food production, calling for a revolution.  "The Need to GROW" delivers alarming evidence on the importance of healthy soil — revealing not only the potential of localized food production working with nature, but our opportunity as individuals to help regenerate our planet’s dying soils and participate in the restoration of the Earth.Island Grown Initiative's Noli Taylor and their regenerative farming consultant, Andrew Woodruff, will speak after the film.
https://www.thevineyardway.org/event/83-film:-the-need-to-grow

Arnie's Poetry Cafe presents the Cleaveland House Poets: Poems for the Earth
6 pm Tuesday May 10th, In-Person at the Martha's Vineyard Playhouse
A night of poetry for the earth, by the Cleaveland House Poets. Cleaveland House Poets are based in the 1740 Cleaveland House in West Tisbury on the Island of Martha's Vineyard. Founded in 1963 by Dionis Coffin Riggs in her family home. It is considered the oldest continuous poetry group in the northeast and possibly further.

Vineyard Haven Library is Hiring!

VINEYARD HAVEN PUBLIC LIBRARY is hiring!

Full-time Library Associate to provide comprehensive library services to adults and children. Bachelor’s degree plus experience in libraries, education, or related fields, and strong computer and communication skills required. Ideal candidate will be detail oriented, with knowledge and enjoyment of books and literature, excellent customer service skills, and enthusiasm for new technologies. 40 hrs/week schedule includes regular evening and weekend hours. Work involves standing, stooping, carrying and lifting to 30 lbs. This is a year round union position Grade 4 step 1 $24.10 Starting salary $50,320.80 with full benefits.  

Part-time Substitute Library Aide. Energetic individual needed to work Saturdays and other variable daytime and evening hours, to provide computer support and customer service to children and adult library patrons. High school diploma or equivalent required, with 2 or more years of college and library or retail work experience strongly preferred. Ideal candidate will have knowledge of books and literature and strong computer skills. Seasonal or year-round, $22.35 per hour.

Applicants should submit resume, cover letter and online application through the Town of Tisbury website: https://towntisbury.seamlessdocs.com/f/Employment_Application_Revised_3_19

The Town of Tisbury is an EOE.

Consumer Training Classes for Seniors in May

The Community Engagement Division at the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) is commemorating the month of May as Older American Month, and recognizing the many ways older adults enrich our lives through their experience, skills, and wisdom. As part of the celebration, the AGO will be offering a series of trainings focused on how seniors can protect and empower themselves, and helping them learn what kind of resources and support are available to them on scams, ID theft, and their rights as consumers. Classes include the following:

AGO Spring Consumer Rights
Thursday, May 5th at 10:30AM

Savvy Senior: How to protect yourself from ID Theft, Scams and Robocalls
Tuesday, May 10th at 10:30AM

And more... Register by following this link:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ag-healeys-spring-rights-and-resources-series-tickets-302918877517 

Dining With Diabetes Four-Part Series in May

 

1 pm Tuesdays May 3rd - May 24th (four week series)

Online: Dining With Diabetes

As of 2018, over 33 million adults (I in 5) have diabetes.  Which is about 9% of the US population. Over 88 Million people over the age of 18 (or 1 in 3) have pre-diabetes.  84% of them do not know they have it.    

Some of you may be newly diagnosed with prediabetes, or  type 2 diabetes or maybe you have a relative or close friend who has been diagnosed and you are trying to help them make adjustments.  Some of you may  have a grandparent who had diabetes and you are trying to avoid developing it.  We hope that everyone in this class will find something interesting in class each week!

Register for the series:

https://cornell.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0udu-trT4sHNfQ3QzEo-cou-iHvAB1BcXd  

Blind Man's Bluff Book Talk with Author James Tate Hill

Join us for a virtual discussion with James Tate Hill, author of the memoir Blind Man's Bluff, 6 pm Tuesday May 3rd

At age sixteen, James Tate Hill was diagnosed with Leber’s hereditary optic neuropathy, a condition that left him legally blind. For fifteen years, Hill hid his blindness from friends, colleagues, and lovers, even convincing himself that if he stared long enough, his blurry peripheral vision would bring the world into focus. 

James Tate Hill is the author of a memoir, Blind Man’s Bluff, released August 3, 2021 from W. W. Norton. His fiction debut, Academy Gothic, won the Nilsen Literary Prize for a First Novel. His essays were Notable in the 2019 and 2020 editions of Best American Essays. He serves as fiction editor for Monkeybicycle and contributing editor for Literary Hub, where he writes a monthly audiobooks column.

Sponsored by Vineyard Haven Library with the libraries of Centerville, Eastham, Edgartown, Provincetown, and Whelden Memorial Library in Barnstable. 

Register:

https://brewsterladieslibrary.assabetinteractive.com/calendar/blind-mans-bluff-book-talk-with-author-james-tate-hill/

In-Person Crafts Return in May, in the Garden!

 

Adult Crafts in the Garden - Cyanotypes
Sunday May 1st at 2pm

Join Jennifer in the courtyard behind the library to make beautiful cyanotypes. Cyanotypes are prints made by exposing treated paper or fabric to the sun. (Weather permitting, rain date will be Sunday May 8th)

Kids Crafts in the Garden

Thursday May 5th at 3:30 pm

Join Jennifer in the library courtyard to make sun prints and a Mother's Day gift, weather permitting. 

For both events, materials are provided and registration is not required, but attendance will be limited to first arrivals, while supplies last. 

Virtual Event with Storyteller Terry Wolfisch Cole

 

7 pm Tuesday May 3rd
Online: My Jeopardy Story by Terry Cole

On January 6, after decades of watching from home, professional storyteller Terry Wolfisch Cole finally had a chance to compete on her favorite game show…only to learn that she would face superchamp Amy Schneider. Hear more about Terry’s experience from audition through game day and find out what the experience taught her. There will be plenty of time for questions and answers (or will it be answers and questions?) at the end of the session.

Terry Wolfisch Cole is the founder and host of Tell Me Another, a live storytelling show in the Hartford area. She is a Moth GrandSLAM champion whose story of running away from home was featured on the Moth Radio Hour and in Readers Digest. Terry has told stories onstage in New York, Boston, Miami, Burlington, Washington DC, and at numerous local shows throughout New England. She regularly teaches storytelling workshops and offers one-on-one coaching for a wide range of purposes including fundraising and professional development.

This program is brought to you by the West Tisbury, Oak Bluffs and Vineyard Haven public libraries.

Please register at:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwode6prjoqHtMER9Ofc5nsPornmBWnjBcX 

Universal Class Online Learning On-Demand

 

Vineyard Haven Library cardholders have unlimited free access to the online resource Universal Class, the place to continue your education online and fulfill lifelong learning goals. All courses are designed and led by professional instructors and include videos, assignments, quizzes, tests, and options for social media interaction with other learners. Users can take as many classes as they would like and complete classes at their own pace.​

Features:

• 500+ online lifelong learning and continuing education courses in over 30 subject areas for adults.
• Topics include computer training, accounting & bookkeeping, basic math and writing, do-it-yourself
• Accredited CEUs for professional development on select courses
• Self-paced, easy-to-use, 24/7 access – learn anything, anytime and anywhere
• Supports assessments for the serious student or a view only version for the casual learner

Virtual Event: Phil Weinstein's "Soul-Error" Book Launch!

 

The Vineyard Haven Library Building Fund is pleased to sponsor an evening with Phil Weinstein, the Alexander Griswold Cummins Professor of English Emeritus at Swarthmore College. Professor Weinstein will read from his newest book, Soul-Error, published May 2022. Soul-Error explores the ways in which, stubbornly yet creatively, we go through life misreading ourselves and our world. A Q&A session will follow the reading. This virtual event will be held on Zoom at 6pm Wednesday May 4th.

PHILIP WEINSTEIN grew up in the South, taught at Harvard and then at Swarthmore, and has written nine books of literary criticism. Much of his work focuses on William Faulkner, and his Becoming Faulkner received the Hugh Holman Award as the best book published on Southern literature in 2010.

Since then, his writing has turned from a professional audience to a more inclusive one. His essay "Soul-Error" was chosen for Best American Essays 2020.

That essay has blossomed into his new book of essays, entitled Soul-Error, that explore our gift and our curse: how we stubbornly misread--and creatively reread--ourselves and others as we move through our lives. Author website: https://www.philipweinsteinauthor.com/

Register for this free event:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/phil-weinstein-soul-error-registration-311962406957