tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88410297968921260542024-03-14T05:56:50.016-04:00Somerville ReadsBuilding a community of readersSomerville Public Libraryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05985530046122209767noreply@blogger.comBlogger58125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8841029796892126054.post-11960314119867711912012-04-27T11:10:00.003-04:002012-04-27T12:03:43.912-04:00Thanks.....to everyone who helped make Somerville Reads 2012 a success! Farm City was arguably our most popular book ever, and this year's events included some provocative discussions about the role of food in our lives and in our society. To keep the conversation going, here are links to recent articles related to some of the issues raised in this year's Somerville Reads:
Here's the latest on the city'sSomerville Public Libraryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05985530046122209767noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8841029796892126054.post-74673119240444814992012-04-25T11:24:00.001-04:002012-04-25T11:24:10.411-04:00Food Donations DriveJust a reminder: we are still taking donations for the Elizabeth Peabody House Food Pantry. They need canned goods, bottled pasta sauces, mac and cheese mix, canned fish, peanut butter and other non-perishables.Somerville Public Libraryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05985530046122209767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8841029796892126054.post-51265276965193141812012-04-24T18:01:00.001-04:002012-04-27T11:57:32.059-04:00Potluck Recap
Saturday's potluck was great! Approximately 80 people came. Our thanks to the Michael J. Epstein Memorial Library for providing wonderful music! And congratulations to Diane Orf, whose white chicken chili was voted to be the overall favorite. For more pictures of the celebration, click here and here.
Somerville Public Libraryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05985530046122209767noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8841029796892126054.post-32690842913049996132012-04-19T15:39:00.000-04:002012-04-19T15:40:17.712-04:00Potluck this Saturday!This Saturday, April 21! Join us as Somerville celebrates its third “one city, one book” campaign, Somerville Reads 2012, a project that promotes literacy and community engagement by encouraging people all over the City to read and discuss books on the same theme. This year’s theme is food—local, sustainable, and delicious! We’ve chosen two books for discussion: Farm City: the Education Somerville Public Libraryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05985530046122209767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8841029796892126054.post-12331568099166257852012-04-18T10:31:00.010-04:002012-04-18T10:50:49.195-04:00The Mayor's Urban Agricultural InitiativeThis Saturday's Potluck Celebration takes place within the larger context of the citywide Urban Agricultural Initiative. The City is hosting a series of workshops and events to inspire residents to grow food, and to gather gardeners to share knowledge and celebrate the season. You can swap seedlings, learn about urban soil, see a demonstration on container gardening, and even help to create a Somerville Public Libraryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05985530046122209767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8841029796892126054.post-77253112216826195412012-04-13T11:05:00.006-04:002012-04-13T11:11:53.988-04:00Community Storytelling Night at Somerville Public Library a Hit!Shannon McDonough, a stellar library supporter and volunteer, attended Wednesday's open mic event and shared her thoughts. We appreciate her support and enthusiasm.So we hand you over to Shannon:In tandem with my coursework in library and information science at Simmons GSLIS, I am volunteering at the Somerville Public Library and have been attending some excellent programs there lately.Last weekSomerville Public Libraryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05985530046122209767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8841029796892126054.post-64643626893057242662012-04-11T08:53:00.000-04:002012-04-11T09:22:42.485-04:00Report on a Potluck with a Mystery ThemeGuest blogger and long-time Mystery Book Group member Rona Fischman has this to say about the mystery-themed potluck that took place at the Central Library on April 4th:The Mystery Book Group, which generally meets on the first Wednesday of each month at the Central Library, joined into the spirit of Somerville Reads by reading mysteries that had food themes. We had a pot-luck for our April Somerville Public Libraryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05985530046122209767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8841029796892126054.post-89111865122664368222012-04-10T15:00:00.004-04:002012-04-11T09:45:15.106-04:00Hunger Amidst PlentyAs we continue our month-long conversation about food, it's important to remember that the food issues many of us have—what to buy organic, whether to start a home garden, should we stop eating meat—are luxuries. According to the most recent Project Bread Status Report on Hunger, in 2010 10.8% of Massachusetts households were "food insecure." To put it bluntly, if you start knocking on doors in Somerville Public Libraryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05985530046122209767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8841029796892126054.post-28953827176286246742012-04-09T11:31:00.018-04:002012-04-09T12:56:57.316-04:00Discussion of Farm CityThe Somerville Public Library and the Somerville Reads team are pleased to introduce guest blogger Sarah Wolf. Sarah is a library volunteer who attended last Thursday night’s book discussion of Farm City, led by Jessie Banhazl. Many thanks to all who attended and especially Jessie and Sarah.I turn you over to Sarah:Oakland, California seems like the last place on earth one might find a farm. InSomerville Public Libraryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05985530046122209767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8841029796892126054.post-21489948672269312782012-04-06T11:06:00.006-04:002012-04-06T16:34:34.812-04:00Want Chickens?For those of you who, like Novella Carpenter, want to raise farm animals, check this recent New York Times article on raising chickens for eggs. Writer and farmer Jennifer Trainer Thompson surveys the advantages and challenges of raising chickens for eggs. It's also worth taking a look at this "Diner's Journal" post in which people who have raised chickens weigh in on what it's like.My Somerville Public Libraryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05985530046122209767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8841029796892126054.post-70764148392462068372012-04-04T17:09:00.004-04:002012-04-04T17:15:14.449-04:00Somerville Voices: What do you think, Somerville?Hello Somerville! Have you been reading Novella Carpenter's Farm City or Paul Fleischman's Seedfolks? Join the conversation by posting your commentary below.Somerville Public Libraryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05985530046122209767noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8841029796892126054.post-14950100964152491132012-04-02T13:39:00.011-04:002012-04-04T12:02:12.153-04:00Just Added: Post-Discussion Drinks at Highland KitchenThe Friends of the Library are inviting anyone who's interested to continue this coming Thursday's discussion of urban farming and Farm City at Highland Kitchen after the Library closes. We hope you'll be able to come!Somerville Public Libraryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05985530046122209767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8841029796892126054.post-91941440326085679702012-03-31T13:05:00.021-04:002012-03-31T13:56:39.293-04:00Discuss Urban Farming and Farm City with Jessie BanhazlWe're getting excited for the first book discussion of this year's Somerville Reads! It will be held at the Central Library this coming Thursday (April 5th) at 7:00 p.m. and will be led by Jessie Banhazl (pictured), co-founder, managing director, and owner of Green City Growers, a Somerville company that installs and maintains organic vegetable gardens for homeowners, businesses, restaurants, Somerville Public Libraryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05985530046122209767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8841029796892126054.post-38551139604524817342012-03-30T10:11:00.015-04:002012-04-02T11:48:43.484-04:00Food-Themed Art by Somerville StudentsThe K-6 students and the art teachers of the Somerville Public Schools have produced a beautiful array of food-themed art that is now on exhibit in the auditorium of the Central Library. It will be here through the end of April, so please stop in and have a look at their wonderful work. There will be a reception on Tuesday, April 10th at 3:00 p.m., and the public is invited to meet the artists,Somerville Public Libraryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05985530046122209767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8841029796892126054.post-67811875485697067252012-03-28T14:16:00.008-04:002012-03-29T15:20:04.321-04:00Got Farm?Reading Farm City may have sparked an interest in becoming an urban farmer yourself, but unlike Novella Carpenter, you probably don't have a vacant lot down the street that seemingly never gets developed. However, even those with the least space have some options. Lifehacker and Apartment Therapy have some tips on growing vegetables in window boxes. Recently I ordered a new book for SPL's Somerville Public Libraryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05985530046122209767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8841029796892126054.post-60137953533187976732012-03-22T10:33:00.032-04:002012-03-22T14:22:50.011-04:00Preview of Somerville CooksOur community cookbook is almost ready! Here's a teaser:Somerville Public Libraryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05985530046122209767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8841029796892126054.post-34834941821644446842012-03-21T11:44:00.005-04:002012-03-21T14:59:26.593-04:00Scheduling UpdateA few changes have been made to the Somerville Reads events calendar. Here's the latest:March 31st-April 30, with reception on April 10th @ 3 pm—Exhibit of food-themed art by elementary school children from Somerville Public Schools. Central LibraryApril 4th @ 7 pm—Potluck with a mystery theme. Central LibraryApril 5th @ 7 pm—Discussion of Farm City led by Jessie Banhazl of Green City Growers. Somerville Public Libraryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05985530046122209767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8841029796892126054.post-40125362454319916592012-02-23T15:21:00.003-05:002012-02-23T15:31:36.676-05:00Schedule of Events FinalizedSlowly but surely, Somerville Reads 2012 has come together. For a downloadable .pdf of all events, click here. More information on all of these events will be coming soon, so please check back!Somerville Public Libraryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05985530046122209767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8841029796892126054.post-3122570048546295652012-02-16T15:51:00.009-05:002012-02-23T15:12:31.461-05:00Recipes Wanted for Community Cook BookOne of our most exciting projects for Somerville Reads 2012 is the creation of a community cook book! Nothing brings people together quite like food, so we're asking all of our neighbors to share some favorite recipes. Maybe you have a specialty that people always want you to bring to parties, or a recipe for something that the kids ask you to make over and over. Or it might be a treasured Somerville Public Libraryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05985530046122209767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8841029796892126054.post-88173874572319922282012-02-10T11:27:00.010-05:002012-02-10T14:26:28.254-05:00Somerville Reads 2012The book for this year's Somerville Reads is Farm City, writer Novella Carpenter's engaging account of starting and running a farm on a vacant lot in Oakland. The book will be a starting point for a city-wide discussion of food: what we eat, why we eat and what should we eat? We'll talk about what it means to eat sustainably in an urban area in the Northeast.There will also be a strong Somerville Public Libraryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05985530046122209767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8841029796892126054.post-13575592049072845532011-06-03T08:59:00.000-04:002011-06-03T09:02:01.536-04:00Our Second Somerville Reads......is done. Thanks to everyone who participated. Now a question: what do you suggest for next year's Somerville Reads?Somerville Public Libraryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05985530046122209767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8841029796892126054.post-33570906301602045412011-05-26T14:43:00.005-04:002011-05-26T15:42:28.804-04:00Somerville Reads Film: Hester StreetJoin us at the Central Library tonight at 7 for our last film for Somerville Reads, the 1975 drama Hester Street. Jake is a Russian Jewish immigrant living on the Lower East Side who is enthusiastically Americanizing himself. All in all, he's doing pretty well. He's got a job and a girlfriend. But then his wife Gitl arrives in America, bring with her their young son. Not only does Jake have to Somerville Public Libraryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05985530046122209767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8841029796892126054.post-23552167438200385022011-05-24T14:26:00.005-04:002011-05-24T18:07:37.510-04:00The Love of StrangersOne of my favorite passages in The Namesake poignantly illustrates the isolation of the members of the Ganguli family. They love each other, the parents want the children around as much as possible, but in so many ways they don't know each other. One November night Gogol takes the train back home from Yale to spend Thanksgiving with his father, Ashoke (his mother and sister have gone to India Somerville Public Libraryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05985530046122209767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8841029796892126054.post-13101224935337155302011-05-23T16:01:00.005-04:002011-05-23T16:09:21.532-04:00Book Talk: Immigration, India and WomenJoin us this Wed. at 7 pm at the Central Library for a talk by award-winning Brandeis Professor Harleen Singh. She'll discuss the themes of immigration and women's roles in The Namesake and other novels of the Indian Diaspora. It's sure to be fascinating!Somerville Public Libraryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05985530046122209767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8841029796892126054.post-51478443234060056852011-05-18T14:29:00.011-04:002011-05-18T14:52:54.636-04:00Book Discussion and screening of In AmericaTonight you have a choice of two Somerville Reads events in two different venues.At 7:00 p.m., Kevin O'Kelly will lead a discussion of The Namesake at Sherman Cafe (257 Washington Street.) Kevin is a librarian at the Somerville Public Library and a writer. His book reviews appear regularly in The Boston Globe.Also at 7:00, we'll be screening Jim Sheridan's In America at the Central Library. Somerville Public Libraryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05985530046122209767noreply@blogger.com0