October at Thompson Free Library
DOVER-FOXCROFT — October in Maine has a cinematic feel. From the red, orange, and yellow-tinged backdrops to the fallen leaves swirling in the wind to the jack o’ lantern grinning from the porch. One minute a bittersweet Lifetime romance, the next the ominous foreshadowing of “Something Wicked This Way Comes,” before culminating in a tension building scene straight out of “Halloween.” Whatever lens you view the month through, the Thompson Free Library in Dover-Foxcroft has programs to fit your shifting mood as autumn takes hold and All Hallow’s Eve approaches.
To celebrate Teen Read Week, we are looking for teens 13-18 years-old to send in photos of their favorite books through Saturday, Oct. 13. Books can play an important role in every stage of our lives and even though teens may be busier than ever, why not take a minute to share that special book with others? Please message us on Facebook or email it to us at thompsonfreelibrary@gmail.com.
The expressive photography of Abbot resident Steve Maines will be on display at the library this month. Maines will also have a book signing on from 10-11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct 13. He will give an informal talk and sign copies of his book “Dancing with Spirit, Reflections from the Mirror of Life” which will be available for purchase. Don’t miss an opportunity to see these evocative images and hear stories from his far-flung adventures.
Tired of feeling helpless or hopeless when a disaster, small or large-scale, strikes? On Tuesday, Oct. 16 from 4-6 p.m. you can learn about how to help your community as an American Red Cross volunteer from representatives of the Northern and Eastern Maine Chapter of the Red Cross. As Executive Director Caroline King explains, “It’s the power of volunteers that make it possible for the Red Cross to help so many people in our community who are facing emergencies.”
“The Let’s Talk About It” series continues on Oct. 16 from 5:30-7 p.m. with “The Gilded Age” by Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner, a sprawling novel that intertwines several storylines, focusing on age-old themes of love and money and how they can lead to ruin. Historian David Richards facilitates this timely book discussion group.
All aboard the Maine Poetry Express! Everyone is invited to participate in this program from the Maine Humanities Council and the Maine State Library which is designed to bring poets and poetry together at local libraries. Community members will learn to perform Maine poems with guidance from Millinocket poet Paul Corrigan during the workshop at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 17. You don’t have to be a poet or a public speaker to participate!
Then, the community poetry-reading event, with music by North Country Strings, will be held on Thursday, October 18 at 5:30 p.m.
To celebrate the bicentennial of Mary Shelley’s gothic, sci-fi classic “Frankenstein,” and as part of Dover-Foxcroft’s Halloween Boonanza, the Thompson Free Library presents Dr. Frankenstein’s Mad Science Escape Room on Friday, Oct. 26 and Saturday, Oct. 27 from 4-9 p.m. The goal of this 30-minute challenge will be for groups with two to five members to try to get Dr. Frankenstein’s monster’s brain out of a locked box by solving puzzles. The brain is essential to bring the monster to life. Registration for this event, open to ages 10 and up, is required by Thursday, Oct. 25. Please contact Michelle at the library.
On Halloween (Wednesday, Oct. 31) the library’s original front doors will be open from 4-6:30 p.m. to give trick or treaters a free book (while supplies last). So, kids, put on your spooky best and stop by!
What would happen if a holiday classic met an iconic favorite (and its extended family)? Join us on Thursday, Nov. 1 at 5:30 p.m. to meet the cast of the upcoming Center Theatre production of “A Wicked Christmas Carol “written and directed by Bobby Keniston and stay to play trivia based on “A Christmas Carol” and “The Wizard of Oz” series to win tickets to the see the show in December.
This fall the library is the setting for an array of interactive experiences. You can help others, read poems aloud, build monsters, share your favorite books, look at world-class photography, get free books, and preview a mash-up of Dickens and Oz.
For more information, call 564-3350, email thompsonfreelibrary@gmail.com or find us on Facebook.