Author Talk: Becoming Gandhi with author Perry Garfinkel

At 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, August 20th, the Vineyard Haven Library will host bestselling author and New York Times contributor Perry Garfinkel, who will introduce his latest book, Becoming Gandhi: My Experiment Living the Mahatma’s 6 Moral Truths in Immoral Times.

Perry Garfinkel is a veteran “journalist, author, speaker, NYT contributor, teacher, editor, media strategist, spiritual expeditionary, occasional drummer, and frequent bon vivant.” He is also a former island resident and MV Times Calendar editor, who wrote his national bestseller Buddha or Bust, along with dozens of NY Times stories and a major National Geographic Magazine feature, while living on Martha’s Vineyard. He now lives in Berkeley, California, but finds any excuse to come back to Martha's Vineyard. 

Becoming Gandhi is his fascinating quest to follow Mahatma Gandhi’s code of ethics in modern times―and to discover what it actually takes to “Be the change you want to see in the world.” Mahatma Gandhi championed truth and nonviolence, led the struggle for India’s independence, and staunchly stood up for the marginalized. “When I despair,” he said, “I remember that all through history the way of truth and love has always won.”

In the book, Garfinkel sets out on a three-year quest to examine how Gandhi’s ideals have held up in a world beset by troubling trends. “As I saw myself and society moving further away from a moral point of view,” Garfinkel states, “I wanted to see if an ordinary person living in the 21st century could, like Gandhi, follow a morally driven game plan.”

While tracing Gandhi’s legacy through India, England, South Africa, and even American communities where his spirit endures, Garfinkel attempts to follow six of the key principles that guided the Mahatma’s life: Truth, Nonviolence, Vegetarianism, Simplicity, Faith, and Celibacy. 

To many, Gandhi was a beacon of hope; to others, a lightning rod for controversy. As Perry Garfinkel found, walking (and even stumbling) in Gandhi’s footsteps can reveal how we each have a role to play in creating a more compassionate, peaceful world. “Being Gandhi is unattainable,” Garfinkel observes. “But becoming more Gandhi-like will continue to engage me as long as I live.” 

This author talk will be held on the main floor of the library, with a book signing to follow the talk. Refreshments provided by the Friends of the Vineyard Haven Library. For more information, please contact the library.

 

Author Talk--Black Homeownership on Martha's Vineyard: A History

On Tuesday, July 23rd at 6:00 p.m., the Vineyard Haven Library will host authors Thomas Dresser and Richard Taylor for a presentation on their newly published book, Black Homeownership on Martha's Vineyard: A History (Arcadia Publishing, 2024).

Martha’s Vineyard has always been a unique island and vacation destination, made even more diverse with the arrival of Black homeowners in the 19th century.

Early landowners included the formerly enslaved Charles Shearer, who along with his wife Henrietta, founded Shearer Cottage. However, the fall of the first Black community on the island came in the 1890s when forty Black and Indigenous people were required to remove their cottages from the Martha’s Vineyard Camp Meeting Association. 

Despite this painful blow, other families, including the Wests, Jones, and Huberts bought island homes, challenging restrictive and racist covenants that encumbered the properties. They then passed their homes on to subsequent generations, leading to a legacy of Black homeownership that continues to thrive to this day. 

Black Homeownership on Martha’s Vineyard: A History is co-authored by Thomas Dresser and Richard Taylor, with a Foreword by Jocelyn Coleman Walton. The book explores the backstory of home purchasing in the Highlands and across the Vineyard, along with national events that impacted home buying for Blacks. Through interviews, the book explains how generational property ownership helped to expand home ownership for Blacks, while at the same time providing a sense of belonging and community.

Book signing to follow the talk, with refreshments provided by the Friends of the Library.

Bat Biology and Conservation Talk

On Tuesday, August 13th at 7:00 PM, the Vineyard Haven Library presents “Bat Biology and Conservation,” a presentation and live bat survey with wildlife biologists Luanne Johnson and Liz Olson of BiodiversityWorks.

We share our island home with six species of bats that provide significant insect pest control services each year. Like humans, some bat species are year-round residents while others are only here seasonally. BiodiversityWorks Biologists Luanne Johnson and Liz Olson will introduce you to these fascinating flying mammals, including efforts aimed at preserving species impacted by white-nose syndrome, their winter housing crisis, and actions we can take to help these small mammals survive and thrive. After the presentation, we'll step outside for a live bat survey with an acoustic detector!

Founded in 2011, BiodiversityWorks is dedicated to promoting the conservation of biodiversity on Martha’s Vineyard through a combination of wildlife research and monitoring, while at the same time providing opportunities for people to engage in hands-on nature study. The organization researches and protects dozens of species, from endangered shorebirds to native snakes to the Northern Long Eared Bat.

BiodiversityWorks director and founder Luanne Johnson is a wildlife biologist with a Ph.D. in Environmental Studies/Conservation Biology from Antioch University New England, a B.S. in Zoology from Butler University, and 30 years of experience as a conservation biologist. Assistant director Liz Olson is also a wildlife biologist. She holds a B.S. in Wildlife Management from the University of New Hampshire and an M.S. in Conservation Biology from Antioch University New England. 

Bat Biology and Conservation will be held in-person at the library. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, please contact the library at (508) 696-4211 or vhpl_programs@clamsnet.org, or consult the library website: https://www.vhlibrary.org.

Art in the Stacks exhibit featuring Mabelle “Bella” Felipe

The Friends of the Vineyard Haven Library are pleased to present an exhibit of floral paintings and other works by local artist, Mabelle “Bella” Felipe, on display in the lower level of the library during regular library hours from July 8th - July 31st, 2024.

Bella is an independent artist who moved to Martha’s Vineyard from her native Brazil over 20 years ago. Inspired by the natural beauty of the island, her artwork focuses on flora, fauna, and other natural elements. Bella is the host and producer of the MVTV program, “Bella Bilingual podcast.” She is also a puppeteer, a songwriter, and a chef.

In her artist statement for the Art in the Stacks exhibit, she writes:

“Art has a universal language. Through it, we express ourselves and connect. When a person identifies with my work, this is very special. This is purpose without purpose. The light in the darkness filling the void. We live in an absolutely comparative world, where we feel trapped by its conventions and concepts. Art gives us a sense of freedom, the powerful force of feeling free, in time and space. As we know by now, humans have lived this artistic concept since the time of the caves. We artists are continuing this cycle as long as we are able to use our own thoughts and ideas. That’s good! Isto é bom! Ça c’est bon!” Art in the Stacks is an initiative of the Friends of the Library to provide artists an opportunity to show their work, and for library patrons to enjoy art throughout the year. Artists interested in showing their work through “Art in the Stacks” may contact the Vineyard Haven Public Library at 508-696-4210 or send an email to vhpl_programs@clamsnet.org. 

JAWS 50th–an evening with Wendy Benchley

On Tuesday, August 6th at 6:00 PM, the Vineyard Haven Library celebrates the 50th anniversary of JAWS with a presentation by Wendy Benchley, at the historic Katharine Cornell Theater located at 51 Spring Street in Vineyard Haven. 

The publication of the novel JAWS and the film that followed forever transformed the lives of Wendy Benchley and her late husband Peter Benchley, tapping into our collective fascination with sharks and sparking a pop-culture phenomenon. After JAWS was released, Peter and Wendy dedicated their lives to learning about sharks and becoming a global voice for their protection. Over four decades, they saw firsthand the challenges facing our seas, and came to understand that the biggest threat to sharks is us.

The ultimate JAWS insider, Wendy Benchley is a renowned global public speaker and ocean conservation advocate, who has won multiple awards for her advocacy work. She is actively engaged in the marine policy community and supports many of the world’s leading ocean and environmental organizations. 

In her talk, Wendy will relay tales about Peter Benchley’s literary family and personal stories about his work as a speechwriter for President Lyndon Johnson and his dedication to writing. She will share firsthand details about the filming of JAWS on Martha's Vineyard in 1974 and her global adventures with Peter on ocean research expeditions with National Geographic. 

She will also discuss her work collaborating with internationally recognized environmental nonprofits, policymakers, and global leaders to help champion policies that protect our oceans and recognize their critical role as a natural solution for climate change. Fifty years after the release of JAWS, Wendy’s passion for sharks and hopeful optimism about our progress to protect these magnificent creatures continues to inspire those around her.

For more information, please email the library at vhpl_programs@clamsnet.org or call (508) 696-4211.

Register for the 27th Annual Run to the Chop 5k & Fun Run!

 Register for the 27th Annual 5k Run/Walk to The Chop!

All registered participants will be entered into a raffle drawing for gift certificates or Friends merchandise



This year, the Friends of Vineyard Haven Public Library's 27th Annual 5k Run/Walk to benefit the library will be a "hybrid" event, with both in-person and virtual "run on your own" options. Advance registration is strongly encouraged, visit runsignup.com.

[In-person] The traditional 5k event will be held at the library on Sunday, September 22nd at 10 am. A free half-mile fun run for kids will be held at 9:45 am. The 5K course for this race begins next to the library on Greenwood Avenue, turning left onto Main Street and proceeding up Main Street to the West Chop Lighthouse, then returning down Main Street to the library. Registration for the in-person 5k is $30 and includes a t-shirt.

[Virtual] For those who prefer to run the race on their own time, register today, and go virtual -- run or walk a 5k anytime, anywhere, between now and September 30th. Your donation of $25 for the "virtual" option will help the Friends continue to support library programs and services in the coming year.

Thank you to our Race Sponsors: Cape Cod 5, Cronig's Market & Healthy Additions, Donnelly + Co., The Green Room, Island Source, Martha's Vineyard Bank, Miller Sederholm Law Office, andVineyard Grocer