Wilton, CT – Wilton Library is getting ready for its community-wide reading program Wilton Reads 2023 with a full slate of special events and programs scheduled for April and May. The library invites all community members to join us as we come together to read, discuss, and reflect upon Vigil Harbor by National Book Award winner Julia Glass. With this year’s selection, our town will explore the meaning of community and issues including climate change and mental health through insightful programming and a collaboration with Wilton Public Schools.
To kick off the event, a limited number of paperback copies of Vigil Harbor will be given away at the library free of charge courtesy of Fairfield County Bank. Books will be available on a first-come, first-served basis, one per person, in the library lobby on Monday, April 10 from 10 to 11 a.m. and again from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., while supplies last.
“Every year, Wilton Reads provides a wonderful learning opportunity for all Wilton residents, and this year’s selection builds upon last year’s Wilton Reads discussion of Wilton, Connecticut by Robert H. Russell. Vigil Harbor also addresses what it means to be part of a community, and highlights important issues such as climate change and mental health. We hope our programs and resources will open the door for many insights and conversations for all Wilton residents,” said Caroline Mandler, Executive Director of Wilton Library.
Julia Glass is the author of six previous books of fiction, including the best-selling Three Junes, winner of the National Book Award, and I See You Everywhere, winner of the Binghamton University John Gardner Fiction Book Award. A recipient of fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York Foundation for the Arts, and the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, Glass is a Distinguished Writer in Residence at Emerson College. She lives with her family north of Boston. This is Julia’s second appearance at the library, having spoken about I See You Everywhere in 2009.
For Wilton Reads, there will be something for everyone at Wilton Library to enrich their knowledge – from inspiring music and arts programming to informative presentations about climate change and mental health to engaging book discussions and children’s storytimes.
Julia Glass will visit the library for an author talk on Tuesday, May 9 at 7 p.m. Julia will be interviewed by Wiltonian Joanna Ecke, who taught public high school English for many years and has lead several literary discussion groups at Wilton Library. The author will be presented with the Grodin Family Fine Writers award during her talk. Elm Street Books will be selling copies and Julia will be signing books after the presentation. The media sponsor of Wilton Reads and our author talks is GOOD Morning Wilton.
The following is a list of additional Wilton Reads 2023 programs. Wilton Library is happy to be able to have all programs in-person at the library this year. All details are available on the library’s website at https://www.wiltonlibrary.org/wilton-reads-2023/:
For Adults:
• Tuesday, April 11 New England Coastal Art – From Harbor to High Seas, 7 to 8:30 p.m. This ArtScapades lecture led by Robin Hoffman and Jodi Stiffelman will discuss how artists portrayed the coastline of New England in their works, an area which has been a leading center for artists since the 18th century.
• Wednesday, April 12 Wilton Library Readers – Wilton Reads Discussion of Vigil Harbor by Julia Glass, noon to 1:30 p.m. Professional book discussion leader Susan Boyar discusses our Wilton Reads 2023 selection.
• Thursday, April 13 Climate Change in CT, 6:30 to 8 p.m. Climate change is a wicked problem – one that has many areas that are affected and many solutions. Join Susan Quincy from the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection as we explore the many impacts seen here in Connecticut.
• Tuesday, April 18 Wilton Go Green Community Awards, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Join Wilton Go Green as they honor and recognize the contributions of community members who have been helping to create a more sustainable Wilton this past year.
• Thursday, April 20 Spring Poetry Seminars with Judson Scruton: T.S. Eliot’s “Four Quartets”, 10:30 a.m. to noon. In part three of this four-week seminar series of T.S. Eliot’s poem “Four Quartets,” popular guest lecturer Judson Scruton will discuss “The Dry Salvages,” which features a tie-in to our Wilton Reads selection Vigil Harbor.
• Thursday, April 20 Book Discussion of Vigil Harbor with Susan Boyar, 7 to 8:30 p.m. Professional book discussion leader Susan Boyar discusses our Wilton Reads 2023 selection.
• Wednesday, April 26 Songs of Ships & Sailors, 7 to 8:30 p.m. Please join us in the Brubeck Room for a unique concert featuring arrangements from Songs of Ships & Sailors, a songbook written by the Castlebay Singers, Julia Lane and Fred Gosbee, and published in 2021.
For Teens and Children:
• Tuesday, April 4 Environmental Experience for Elementary Kids, 4:15 to 5 p.m. Kids aged 4-9 can join us for this year’s environmentally focused Wilton Reads program geared just for them. We will read The Tale of the Whale by Karen Swann and do a recycling based craft.
• Thursday, April 6 Milk Carton Flower Garden, 4:15 to 5 p.m. Gardeners in grades K-5 and their families can transform half gallon milk and juice cartons into beautiful flower planters.
• Wednesday, April 12 Environmental Family Storytime, 10:30 to 11:45 a.m. Families with children ages 2 and up can join us to celebrate Wilton Reads! In this interactive family storytime focused on the environment, there will be stories, rhymes, songs, and movement activities.
• Thursday, April 13 Upcycled Art Extravaganza, 2 to 4 p.m. Eco-artists in grades K-7 and their families can turn trash into treasure. Upcycle unwanted paint projects into artworks you’ll want to hang on your wall.
• Wednesday, April 19 Children’s Book Discussion, 4 to 5 p.m. Celebrate Wilton Reads by joining us to discuss Alan Gratz’s Two Degrees.
• Wednesday, April 26 Teen Book Discussion – The Girl From The Sea, 4 to 5 p.m. Celebrate Wilton Reads by joining us to discuss the graphic novel The Girl from the Sea by Molly Knox Ostertag.
• Thursday, April 27 Post-Pandemic Mental Health for Young Adults, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Teens and young adults are facing unique challenges after the COVID-19 pandemic. Join us for a panel discussion and Q&A featuring local mental health professionals.
A full list of programs is available on the library’s website at https://www.wiltonlibrary.org/wilton-reads-2023/. The website also highlights reading suggestions for adults, age-appropriate reading for students, and educational resources.
Wilton Library’s partners for Wilton Reads 2023 are Wilton Public Schools, Fairfield County Bank, Wilton Go Green, The Hub, Turning Point CT, Turnbridge, Silver Hill Hospital, and Elm Street Books. The media sponsor of Wilton Reads is GOOD Morning Wilton.
This is the seventeenth season of Wilton Reads. A list of past Wilton Reads selections can be found at https://www.wiltonlibrary.org/wilton-reads-2023/.
Wilton Library is located at 137 Old Ridgefield Road in the heart of Wilton Center. For more information, visit www.wiltonlibrary.org, call the library’s reference librarians at 203-762-6350 or email reference@wiltonlibrary.org.
