Books

Step Inside and Snuggle Up – Vacation Week Reading Event

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Come and spend a cozy afternoon at the Loring Greenough House exploring the world of The Wizard of Oz, Peter Pan and the Jungle Book! Step Inside and Snuggle Up is a special series just for kids (and their grow-ups!) during school vacation week. LISTEN to a reading of the book-of-the-day! Kids can make themselves at home in the front hall for a read-aloud by one of our volunteers. (Grown-ups can listen too or relax in the parlor with their own book.) Readings at 1:30pm and 2:30pm.

Arnold Arboretum

A talk with Robert Thorson, author of The Boatman: Henry David Thoreau’s River Year

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​Thoreau was known for Walden Pond, but in his new book The Boatman, Henry David Thoreau's River Year, Robert Thorson says he was a man of the river. As a backyard naturalist and river enthusiast, Thoreau was keenly aware of the way humans had altered the waterways and meadows of his beloved Concord River Valley. And he recognized that he himself—a land surveyor by trade—was as complicit in these transformations as the bankers, lawyers, builders, landowners, and elected officials who were his clients. Robert Thorson, PhD, Professor of Geology, University of Connecticut, shares a compelling story of intellectual growth and scientific understanding, as Thoreau moved from anger, to lament, to acceptance of the way humans had changed the river he cherished more than Walden Pond. Robert Thorson’s book, The Boatman: Henry David Thoreau’s River Years, will be available for purchase and signing.

Arnold Arboretum

This Ever New Self: Thoreau and his Journal

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Every private journal tells the story of a self, and Henry David Thoreau kept one of the most faithful, thoughtful, and provocative journals in American history. His everyday companion, the journal was an essential tool for mindful living, and grist for one of the world’s most influential books--Walden, or Life in the Woods. Two hundred years after Thoreau’s birth, his thoughts on the value of introspection, simple living, and self‐sufficiency continue to challenge and inspire us. David Wood, curator of This Ever New Self: Thoreau and his Journal, will discuss how the first major exhibition devoted to the life of one of America's most influential citizens will bring contemporary audiences face to face with a man whose life continues to impact our modern world. This Ever New Self, a joint exhibition with The Morgan Library & Museum, New York will be on view at the Concord Museum, September 29, 2017 - January 21, 2018.

Photo of the Day

Sock-Footed Reading Party at the Loring-Greenough House

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JP Reads recently sponsored a "Silent(ish) Reading Party" at the Loring-Greenough House. Here's just one of the photos JP Reads uploaded to the Jamaica Plain News Photo Pool. Read more about the event in this blog post by Debka Colson. This year's selection for JP Reads is "Song of Achilles," a retelling of the Illiad focusing on the love story between Achilles and Patroclus. There's a full slate of discussion groups and kids activities planned.

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JP Reads

JP Reads Puppeteers Cooperative Workshops

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Get ready for JP Reads and Wake up the Earth! We'll be reading Greek mythology, creating a large Trojan Horse Puppet and making Greek masks with the help of The Puppeteers Cooperative! The workshops will be held on three Wednesdays in April: April 15, 22 and 29. Participants are encouraged to march in Spontaneous Celebrations' Wake up the Earth Parade on May 2. Funded by the Friends of the Jamaica Plain Branch Library.

JP Reads

Every Hero has a Great Story!

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Comic mime Robert Rivest leads family audiences on a fun, upbeat journey of everyday heroes, super heroes and heroes from Greek mythology and popular books. This exciting program is highly participatory. Everyone gets the opportunity to learn mime, act out their favorite hero, and help Robert create a new hero and story. Funded by the Friends of the Jamaica Plain Branch Library.  A JP Reads program.

JP Reads

Traditional Greek Music Concert with Revma

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Come hear Revma play soulful and lively traditional music from Greece's ancient mountain regions and islands with a touch of urban rebetika. Revma features Rohan Gregory (violin), Glenn Dickson (clarinet), Sandy Theodorou (vocals, accordion, laouto), John Mitaras (bouzouki), and Fabio Pirozzolo (vocals, percussion). This event is free and for all ages.  A JP Reads program.

JP Reads

JP Reads Flash Fiction Contest

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Turn your ideas into compelling short fiction! After an introduction to the elements of flash fiction, participants will engage in interactive exercises and writing prompts focused on the 2015 JP Reads Flash Fiction Contest theme of "The Reluctant Hero" inspired by Madeline Miller's The Song of Achilles. Come ready to play and look at writing in new ways. Bring a notebook, pen and your imagination. Led by JP Reads Contest Coordinator Debka Colson.