On this page you’ll find events supported or sponsored by the Friends. There are many other events at the library, so you may want to check the library calendar as well.
A flyer for the 2022-2023 First Wednesdays season is available here.
If you have any questions about this page, please email us.
February 2022
Boneyarn: New York Slavery Poems
Presenter: David Mills
Time: February 2, 7:00pm, online
The oldest and largest slave cemetery in the United States is located in the shadow of Wall Street. Actor and poet David Mills reads from and discusses his award-winning poetry collection, Boneyarn, featuring groundbreaking poems about slavery in New York City, a topic rarely addressed.
David Mills holds MFAs from both New York University and Warren Wilson College and is a cum laude graduate of Yale University. He has published two full-length poetry collections in addition to Boneyarn: The Dream Detective and The Sudden Country.
To register for this online talk, visit https://www.vermonthumanities.org/event/digital-boneyarn-new-york-slavery-poems/
Find out more »April 2022
The Poetics of Girlhood and Womanhood in America
Presenters: Diana Whitney, Shanta Lee Gander, Christal Brown
Time: April 6, 7:00pm
Place: Brooks Memorial Library (in person)
Poets and writers Diana Whitney and Shanta Lee Gander join Christal Brown, associate professor of Dance at Middlebury College, in a conversation that explores how girlhood and womanhood in America are manifested across the boundaries of poetry, dance, and lived experience.
Diana Whitney’s edited work "You Don’t Have to Be Everything: Poems for Girls Becoming Themselves" ranges across intersectional, intergenerational, and gender-fluid voices.
In "GHETTOCLAUSTROPHOBIA: Dreamin of Mama While Trying to Speak Woman in Woke Tongues" Shanta Lee Gander navigates between formal and vernacular styles to examine butterflies and female sexuality, vulnerability, classical Greek myths, and more.
Christal Brown’s original dance piece “The Opulence of Integrity” was inspired by the public life and inner searching of Muhammad Ali, boxing’s outspoken superstar.
Find out more »May 2022
The Force of a Story in Parts: Star Wars, Fandom, and Seriality
Presenter: Anne Moore
Time: May 4, 7:00pm
Place: Brooks Memorial Library (in person)
From Dickens to Game of Thrones, stories told in piecemeal style have shown their power to command a reader’s attention. In this apt talk for “Star Wars Day,” author Anne Moore examines how Star Wars’ serialized structure encourages readers to fill the gaps between installments with their own imaginative play.
Anne Moore is the author of After the Break: Serials, Fandom, and the Feeling of Reading, slated for publication by MacFarland Press in 2022.
Find out more »Budget Vote
Come take part in the Friends' Annual Meeting on May 18, 4:30pm (via Zoom*) to discuss and vote on the 2022-2023 Proposed Budget. It will be our biggest budget ever. Highlights include: Adult Programs ($4,000) enabling more programs in anticipation of the library opening up Children's Room ($4,800) same as above, plus more materials Young Adult Room ($1,500) same as above, plus continuing the popular Game Nights with snacks Museum Passes ($2,500) free passes to a wide variety of museums…
Find out more »June 2022
From the Parlor to the Polling Place: Stories and Songs from the Suffragists
CANCELED
Find out more »July 2022
Garden Party!
The Friends are delighted to invite you to this summer's garden party fundraiser on Sunday, July 17th, 3-5:30pm. Enjoy homemade treats in a lovely wooded garden on Meadowbrook Road in West Brattleboro. Tickets are $25. Please call the library at 802-254-5290 to RSVP and get directions.
Find out more »October 2022
Crafting a memoir
The Friends are delighted to support a workshop exploring the craft of memoir writing, conducted by author Shin Freedman. It will be held at the library over three Saturdays -- October 1st, October 22nd, and November 5th -- at 10:00-12:00. The program is free of charge and open to the public, and the venue is wheelchair-accessible. To register, please contact the library at info@brookslibraryvt.org or call 802-490-9289, ext. O. Shin Freedman is a recipient of many writing/literary awards and was…
Find out more »1st Wednesdays
The popular First Wednesdays series, free and open to the public, is back for another season. The lectures are held on the first Wednesday of the month, October through May, at 7PM - see the flyer here. This season the programs will be held in the Main Reading Room of the library, with the exception of the March lecture, accessible via Zoom (click here to register). The series is sponsored by the Vermont Humanities Council, the Friends of Brooks Memorial…
Find out more »November 2022
Basket Raffles
Treat yourself or your friends to one of the many book-themed baskets created by the Friends of the Library (a few of which are pictured above). Raffle tickets are available at the front desk for $2, or 3 for $5. The drawing will be held Wednesday, December 21st, at 3:00pm, and winners will be notified as soon as possible after the drawing.
Find out more »Fall Book Sale!
The Friends Fall Book Sale opened on November 25th, and all remaining items can now be purchased either by donation or for free to those who need them. Stop by for some lovely holiday gifts for yourself and others. The items on sale are still neatly sorted, and you'll find not only fine books but DVDs, music CDs, and audiobooks. The Friends' book sales support many library services -- lifelong learning programs, children’s activities, digital resources, etc. You can help…
Find out more »