Author: Sawyer Free Library

Sawyer Free Library to host presentation “Gloucester Urban Renewal” by historian Beth Welin

~ Sawyer Free Library

The Sawyer Free Library will be hosting the first two-part series: “Urban Renewal in Gloucester,” presented by Beth Welin, local historian and director of Manchester Historical Museum, on Saturday, October 23 at 2 pm.

See images of old Gloucester and learn about the city’s history and redevelopment. Attendees are encouraged to share personal memories throughout the presentation.

Part two of the series will be Saturday, November 6 at 2pm. Registration is not required but mask are for all that attend.

For more details, go sawyerfreelibrary.org

Sawyer Free Library’s “Global Forum Book Group” welcomes Peter Kiang: UMASS Boston Director of Asian American Studies Program on Thursday, October 21st

~ Sawyer Free Library

Join an important discussion with the Sawyer Free Library Global Forum Book Group when they welcome Peter Kiang the Director of Asian American Studies at UMASS Boston to discuss the book Facing the Mountain by author Daniel James Brown on Thursday, October 21 at 6:30pm at the Library.

In Facing the Mountain, author Daniel James Brown tells the unforgettable story of the Japanese-American men who volunteered for the US Army’s 442nd Regimental Combat Team and displayed incredible courage on the brutal battlefields of Europe. Yet at the same time, their parents were put in camps and stripped of their livelihoods, and an equally brave battle was being fought in the courtroom back home.  This book reveals the all too common failure of democratic ideals in a time of crisis. 

Peter Kiang, director of UMASS Boston’s Asian American Studies Program will join the group to discuss this phenomena as well as the history of Asian-American prejudice on the Eastern seaboard.  

Registration required, space limited. For more details, go to SawyerFreeLibrary.org

Peter Kiang: Director of Asian American Studies at UMASS Boston

Sawyer Free Library welcomes Best Selling Author M.L. Buchman on Saturday, October 16, 2-4pm to discuss his new book “Midlife Crisis on Wheels”

~ Sawyer Free Library

SAWYER FREE LIBRARY is pleased to present Best Selling Author M.L. (Matt) Buchanan, who will share details from his incredible journey by bike across the country and his newly published memoir, “Midlife Crisis on Wheels with Matt Buchman” on Saturday, October 16 from 2:00-4:00pm in the Library’s Friends Room.

USA Today and Amazon #1 Bestseller M. L. “Matt” Buchman has 70+ novels in action-adventure thrillers, contemporary and military romance, 100 short stories, and many audiobooks.  Before becoming a best-selling writer, M.L. “Matt” Buchman dreamed of traveling the world by sailboat or small plane. Not once did he think about doing it by bicycle — not until he lost everything: career, the house he’d been remodeling, for the family he never had time to find, sense of self, all of it. Broke and burned out at thirty-five, he sold everything, climbed on his bicycle Junior, and together they headed out on a journey of unknown duration. His one guide? Following the setting sun west. 11,000 miles through eighteen countries. A voyage of adventure, discovery, and rebuilding a life. But mostly? A journey of discovering hope and the unexpected possibilities of the future.

Presented by the Library’s Gloucester Lyceum, this event is free and open to the public. Registration is not required. Copies of the book “Midlife Crisis on Wheels with Matt Buchman” will be available. Face masks are mandatory for those attending. The Sawyer Free Library is located at 2 Dale Avenue in Gloucester. For more details, visit sawyerfreelibrary.org

Reading Together! Book Clubs at Sawyer Free Library

~ Sawyer Free Library

For those of us to like to socialize, the act of reading can feel a bit solitary. Fortunately, the Sawyer Free Library offers a range of book clubs to help make reading more of a social activity where you can connect with like-minded book lovers!

To join the fun, all you need is a library card! Book clubs’ featured books are available at the Sawyer Free Library’s Main Desk or, for most, download the eBook from OverDrive, Libby, or Hoopla.

Current groups include:

GLOBAL FORUM BOOK GROUP, Thursday, October 21, 6:30 pm at the Library Mezzanine

Join a lively discussion on international relations & history each month, moderated by Librarian Beth Pocock. October’s book is “Facing the Mountain” by author Daniel James Brown which tells the unforgettable story of the Japanese-American men who volunteered for the US Army’s 442nd Regimental Combat Team and displayed incredible courage on the brutal battlefields of Europe. Yet back home, their parents were being put in camps and stripped of their livelihoods, and fighting an equally brave battle in the courtroom. Peter King, director of the University of Mass Boston’s Asian American Studies Program, will join the group to discuss the book and the history of Asian-American prejudice on the Eastern seaboard.

Visit the Library or call to check out the book. Registration required, space limited.

BOOKS N’ BREWS, Tuesday, October 19, 6:00-8:00 pm
Here is your chance to get together, have an adult beverage, enjoy a meal and have a rousing discussion about the month’s great read. Books n Brews meets the third Tuesday evening each month, moderated by Librarian Mari Martin.

October’s Book is “The Cold Millions” by Jess Walter. The group will be meeting in person, place TBA. If the weather is inclement, the meeting will be over Zoom. Registration is requested. Email questions to mmartin@sawyerfreelibrary.org.

COOK-A-BOOK, Tuesday, November 9, 1:00 pm
Do you love to cook? Do you love to talk about food? Do you love to share food? If your answer is YES, then the Sawyer Free Library’s Cook-a-Book Book Club is for you! The group meets on the second Tuesday of the month at 1 pm in person in the SFL Amphitheatre or via Zoom if inclement weather.

Check out a cookbook from the Library or use a recipe from home and then get cooking. Bring your creation to the meeting for everyone to enjoy. The group will discuss the different recipes, what worked or didn’t in the preparation, cooking, and delicious things. Register online. Please email questions to mmartin@sawyerfreelibrary.org

Sawyer Free Library also has BOOK CLUBS TO GO!
The Library provides the books and the discussion questions so you can start your own book group. All you need to provide is a group of friends! Each kit contains 10 print copies, a large print copy or audiobook if available, and a reader’s guide of discussion questions. One member of your group will reserve and pick up the kit through our online booking system and distribute the books to everyone in the group. When your meeting is over, just collect all the books and return the kit to the Library. When you check out a kit, be sure to find a 25% discount coupon to use at The Cave so you can bring wine, cheese, and chocolate to your meeting. Go to sawyerfreelibrary.org to see and reserve the full list of titles available.

Local Author and Activist Kate Ranta to Speak At Sawyer Free Library putting a spotlight on Domestic Violence Awareness Month

~ Sawyer Free Library

Local Author to share her story of turning abuse and tragedy into transformation and triumph 

The Sawyer Free Library will present “Killing Kate: A Story of Turning Abuse and Tragedy into Transformation and Triumph,” Thursday, October 14, from 6:00 – 7:30 pm.

Manchester-by-the-Sea author KATE RANTA emerged from a severely abusive relationship to become a national leader in raising awareness about domestic violence. She will read passages and autograph copies of her book, “Killing Kate,” and engage in questions and answers about her first-hand experience of domestic and gun violence and her journey to empowerment in the aftermath. 

This important event hosted by the Sawyer Free Library is free and open to the public. Registration is not required. Copies of the book “Killing Kate” will be available. Face masks are mandatory for those attending. The Sawyer Free Library is located at 2 Dale Avenue in Gloucester. 

For more information about the event or other Sawyer Free Library offerings, visit sawyerfreelibrary.org.  

If you or someone you know may be at risk, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or text “START” to 88788.

CHESS IN THE SAWYER FREE LIBRARY AMPHITHEATER THIS SATURDAY, 10/9

~ Sawyer Free Library

Make the right move and join the fun with CHESS IN THE AMPHITHEATER, this Saturday, October 9 from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm outside in the Sawyer Free Library Amphitheater located at 2 Dale Avenue.

This fun and educational program will run through the month of October. It is open to players of all levels, ages and abilities. Weather permitting, those interested are welcome to gather in the Library’s Amphitheater anytime between 11 am and 1 pm to learn and play chess with the last games beginning at 12:45 pm. No reservations or advanced signup is needed.

The weekly Saturday sessions provide a unique opportunity for people to learn how to play chess in a welcoming environment that emphasizes learning something new and having fun, including the fundamentals and tips for playing a better game. For more experienced chess players looking to play a match, there will be several boards and pieces with time clocks. All chess players will be paired with a partner who will challenge and engage them at their skill level. 

For more information about Chess in the Amphitheater and other programs at the Sawyer Free Library,  visit: www.sawyerfreelibrary.org or like SFL on social media:  Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/sawyerfreelibrary/and Instagram at instagram.com/sawyerfreelibrary/   

Friends of the SFL’s Online ART AUCTION is now OPEN! Let the bidding begin!

~ Sawyer Free Library

The Friends of the Sawyer Free Library Annual Art Auction is now open ONLINE at www.sawyerfreelibrary.org through midnight, Wednesday, October 5th!

Don’t miss your chance to win an original piece of art by both established and emerging artists throughout the Cape Ann community! There are over 50 pieces of art including paintings, drawings, and mixed media, in varying sizes! Check it all out online at www.sawyerfreelibrary.org  

So be sure to bid, and keep bidding, all the while knowing it is a win, win for everyone! You get an exceptional piece of art, and you support the Sawyer Free Library! Be a part of the fun! And start bidding today!

Online Bidding is OPEN Friday, October 1 – Wednesday, October 5 at sawyerfreelibrary.org

The Friends of the Sawyer Free Library is very grateful for the talented and generous artists who offer their art, time, and talent to make this library fundraiser a success. Each year countless artists donate to this important benefit demonstrating their commitment to the community and the mission of the Library. 

The funds raised from the Art Auction support a variety of special programs offered throughout the year for children, teens, and adults, museum passes made available to the community, and many other Library requests. 

Survivor (Paint Factory) Gloucester by Ray Crane
Dog Dog Dog by Coco Berkman
Our Lady of Good Voyage by Patricia McCarthy

Thanks to the Friends of the Sawyer Free Library’s generosity and hard work, the community has culturally rich and diverse library programs and services that otherwise would not be possible.  For more information of the Friends of the Sawyer Free Library visit: sawyerfreelibrary.org

Half Moon Beach by Katherine Coakley
Low Tide by Ted Bidwell

To bid go to SawyerFreeLibrary.org ! Thank you for your support!

Summer on the Annisquam River by Melissa Aliberte

Dan Connell, Author Talk and Book Signing at the Sawyer Free Library on 9/23 at 6pm

~ Sawyer Free Library

The Sawyer Free Library is pleased to welcome local author, Dan Connell for an author talk and book signing on Thursday, September 23 from 6-7pm at the Library, located at 2 Dale Avenue in Gloucester.

The author will be discussing his book, Against All Odds, which has just been re-released with a new update and a reappraisal. First published in 1993, Against All Odds: A Chronicle of the Eritrean Revolution  is a firsthand account of Eritrea’s 30-year fight for independence from Ethiopia.  Copies of the new edition of his book will be available.

The East Gloucester resident, Dan Connell, a former journalist and aid professional, has reported on Eritrea for five decades for numerous print and broadcast media. He is a two-time MacArthur Foundation grantee, the author of five books on Eritrea, including Against All Odds: A Chronicle of the Eritrean Revolution (1997); Rethinking Revolution (2002); and a two-volume Collected Articles on the Eritrean Revolution (2003, 2004). His reports and commentary have been carried by the BBC, Voice of America, AP, Reuters, The Boston Globe, The Guardian, Le Monde, Foreign Affairs, The Nation and others, and he has consulted for numerous aid agencies and human rights organizations. He is currently a lecturer in journalism and African politics at Simmons College, Boston.

This program is co-hosted by the Global Book Forum and the Gloucester Lyceum.

Click here to Register

Author Dan Connell

Against All Odds is a firsthand account of Eritrea’s 30\-year struggle for independence from Ethiopia, which it won in 1991 with little outside support after defeating successive U.S.\- and Soviet\-backed regimes and overcoming drought and famine while working to unify and reform the society from which it derived its strength. A 1997 Afterword captures the optimism generated by these achievements. But a New Reappraisal recounts its slide into despotism after renewed conflict with Ethiopia and the dark years of isolation and repression that followed, the hopes raised by a 2018 peace pact and then dashed by another round of war. It concludes with reflections on how to break this cycle and begin the democratic transition for which so many fought and died.

Friends of the Sawyer Free Library Annual Art Auction

~ Sawyer Free Library

Have you checked out the Friends of Sawyer Annual Art Auction yet?

If not, come by soon to the Library’s Matz Gallery to preview and bid on the incredible art before the online auction begins on Friday, October 1 and runs through Tuesday, October 5 on www.sawyerfreelibrary.org.

The benefit auction features over 50 exceptional quality works, including paintings, drawings, and mixed media, all generously donated by established and emerging artists throughout the Cape Ann community including Coco Berman, Ray Crane, David Curtis, Carol Loiacono, Peter Tysver, Jeff Weaver, and so many others.

The bidding book available through September 30 in the Matz Gallery. The highest September bids will be the beginning bid for the online auction October 1-5.

All proceeds from this annual event benefit the Sawyer Free Library. The funds support a variety of special programs offered throughout the year for children, teens, and adults along with museum passes made available to the community, and many other Library requests.  

The Friends of the Sawyer Free Library are very grateful for the talented and generous artists who offer their art, time, and talent year after year to make this library fundraiser a success.

So don’t miss it! Come and join the fun! Enjoy the art, bid for those pieces you love and support the support the Sawyer Free Library! It is a Win Win for everyone!

To learn more about the Annual Art Auction, the Friends of the Sawyer Free Library, and how to become involved, please visit: www.sawyerfreelibrary.org.