Laura Linney (right) and moderator Lynne Meadow
“Tonight, we honor an artist of the highest caliber, Laura Linney.”
With that, Westport Library Executive Director Bill Harmer presented the 2023 BOOKED for the evening guest of honor with her award, eliciting a standing ovation from the capacity crowd of 450-plus who turned out for the 24th edition of the Library’s signature fundraising event — and who made this year’s edition the most financially successful BOOKED for the evening in the event’s history.
It was a stunning evening, replete with a cocktail reception, in-person tributes from former New York Times chief theatre critic Ben Brantley, actor John Benjamin Hickey, and playwright Donald Marguiles, and video tributes from actors Jason Bateman, Ethan Hawke, Mark Ruffalo, and Jeanne Tripplehorn, among others, all celebrating Linney’s life and career.
That was followed by an extended conversation between moderator Lynne Meadow, the longtime artistic visionary behind the Manhattan Theatre Club, and Linney, covering a wide variety of topics that included Linney’s introduction to acting, her process, her love of books, and much more.
“Where the arts and community intersect anywhere, it’s a really powerful and important part of our culture,” said Linney, whose remarkable career includes two Golden Globe and four Emmy Award wins and three Academy Award and five Tony Award nominations. “I think there is a profound need for community and the arts. And I’m so happy to be here and to see so many people here. The arts are essential for culture. They’re medicinal. They help us understand things we didn’t understand before and they make you understand things about yourself that you had no idea of — it’s a profoundly important thing to keep alive.”
Linney emphasized the special place the arts serve not only in her life, but for society as a whole — “Time in the arts is never wasted time,” she said — and how meaningful it was to receive this award from a library, an institution she reveres.
“Books are one of the first aspects of the arts that we all encounter — the small books as a child, things that you have, holding a book in your hand,” said Linney. “So, it’s really a joy to be here. I’ve had, in some ways, my most spiritual experiences in libraries — the library in my college, the library in my high school, the library I created in my home. I love being there. I love being quiet. I love staring at the books and they all talk to me as you remember what you’ve read, what those characters had to say. I find it such a wonderful, calming place to be.”
[Related: BOOKED for the evening 2023 photo album]
BOOKED for the evening 2023 closed with a song from American Idol finalist and Staples High School graduate Drew Angus, who performed a soaring rendition of Time for Me to Fly by REO Speedwagon, and with drinks and dessert in the Hub on the Library’s main level.
“The night was electric,” Harmer said. “It was everything we could have asked for and more. Once again, we realize how honored we are to live in such a vibrant arts community — and in a community that understands the importance of libraries and that supports our mission and goals. That an actress of Laura Linney’s immense talent would feel at home in our space is a testament both to the Library and the people who sustain it.”
“It was, start to finish, a remarkable evening,” said Westport Library Development Director Agata Slattery. “I cannot say enough about the incredible efforts of the BOOKED for the evening committee, led by co-chairs Wendy Brown and Candice Savin, all the Library staff members who have worked for months to make the event come to life, and of course all the patrons who came out to support the Library. We cannot wait to try to top this again next year when we celebrate 25 years of BOOKED for the evening.”
***
Photos: Pamela Einarsen Photography
Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal giving a speech at the Verso Records release party
United States Senator Richard Blumenthal recognized The Westport Library, Verso Studios, and their landmark compilation album, Verso Records, Volume One, in the Congressional Record of the Proceedings and Debates of the 118th Congress, First Session.
“This record is the product of collaboration among local artists and is the first of its kind issued by a public library," Blumenthal wrote. “This endeavor is an example of Westport at its best — the vision and vibrancy of the community and its commitment to artistic achievement, powering culture throughout the State of Connecticut.”
Blumenthal noted that The Westport Library has enriched the community as a leading innovator since 1886, citing the MakerSpace, Library of Things, Seed Library, Cafe and Store, and prized collection of artwork.
"These resources make The Westport Library one of the best libraries in all of America — a 'noisy library,' as its supporters say, and a true jewel of the community."
Verso Records, Volume One can be purchased on limited yellow vinyl and/or digitally via Bandcamp, or at a host of local independent record stores and shops, including Berlinetta Brewing, Best Video, Elm City Sounds, Redscroll Records, Static Era Records, The Telegraph, The Westport Book Shop, The Westport Library Store, and Vinyl Street Cafe.
On the heels of a wildly successful VersoFest 2023 event that featured jaw-dropping performances and knowledge shared from hip hop originators, Legends Beats and Grooves is returning to The Westport Library with another hip hop 50th anniversary afternoon featuring a panel discussion, Q&A session, and DJ performances.
This encore event will take place in the Library’s Trefz Forum on Sunday, July 23, from 3 to 6 pm. The event is free with registration.
"In a festival brimming with exceptional talent, The Legends Beats and Grooves Hip Hop 50th Anniversary was an absolute standout,” said Westport Library Executive Director Bill Harmer. "It was, without a doubt, one of the finest programs I've ever witnessed in a library. The combination of educational elements, an intergenerational community, and the electrifying blend of knowledge and pure fun created a truly magical experience."
Founded in 2013 by Gary of Gee’s Records and Jim Dennis, Legends Beats and Grooves highlights the artistry, history, and fundamentals of hip hop DJ culture. With a mission to galvanize community and educate upcoming generations, Legends Beats and Grooves events have been held from Philadelphia to Massachusetts with icons like Grand Wizzard Theodore, Tony Tone (Cold Crush Brothers), Rob Swift, Minsta Sinista & Boogie Blind (Executioners), DJ Grand Supreme (Lauryn Hill, Rakim), and many more.
“Hip hop is one of the dominating phenomena in our global culture,” said Gary of Gee’s Records and Legends Beats and Grooves. “Gees Records is honored to partner with Verso Studios and their advanced tech to present some of the true innovators of hip hop for education, understanding, and a real fun time.”
The panel discussion for the July 23 event features The Original Jazzy Jay, Cutmaster DJ Cool V, and Connecticut legends Doc. P. and DJ Slick Vic.
Jazzy Jay is a hip hop pioneer and legend serving as the first Technics/DMC DJ Hall of Fame inductee. Growing up in the burgeoning hip hop culture of 1970s Bronx, Jazzy J made his way DJing through the hip NYC clubs of Danceteria, the Ritz, Roxy, and Negril. Jazzy was a protégé of Kool DJ Red Alert and Afrika Bambaataa, becoming an early member of the (Bambaataa led) Universal Zulu Nation, a hip hop awareness group with the mission of sustaining the hip hop ideals of “peace, love, unity, and having fun.” 1984 was a banner year for Jazzy J with the release of the hip hop pioneering film Beat Street, starring Jazzy J alongside the late musician and activist Harry Belafonte. In that same year, Jazzy J teamed up with the now legendary producer Rick Rubin (Red Hot Chili Peppers, Johnny Cash, the Chicks) to create the foundation of Def Jam Records. The pair launched the early careers and recordings of LL Cool J, the Beastie Boys, and Public Enemy, helping popularize hip hop in mainstream culture. J went on to establish Jazzy Jay's Studio in the Bronx, where he produced early recordings by Diamond D, Fat Joe, Brand Nubian, A Tribe Called Quest, and others.
For over three decades, Cutmaster DJ Cool V has served as a heavyweight hip hop producer and mixologist. Born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Cool V has played a part of numerous gold and platinum records by an array of artists, including Biz Markie, Big Daddy Kane, Kool G Rap, and Technotronic. Cool V is one of three DJs who are among the first to command the stage at the historical NAACP Awards. Live spinning credits include GRAMMY afterparties, OSCAR preparties, Will Smith movie premieres, the Magic Johnson Foundation, and more. At the event, Cool V will be selling and signing his book Cool V Never Sleeps chronicling “the good, bad, and ugly behind the making of the landmark album Biz Never Sleeps. The book also includes bonus treats for true Hip Hop fans all over the world.”
The DJ performance portion is as equally impressive, led by Philadelphia innovator DJ Cash Money. The first DJ inducted into the Technics/DMC DJ Hall, DJ Cash Money is known in the industry as a DJ, turntablist, and producer. Cash Money is best known for his pioneering scratch techniques (Transformer Scratch, DJ Cash Money Turntable Style Position), lightning speed, and fierce musicality. Many techniques and styles created by DJ Cash Money have single-handedly revolutionized the technology for DJs as well as turntable design and manufacturing.
Philly-based DJ Doodles (above left) and Connecticut-based DMC World Finalist DJ Creative (above right) also join. The event is hosted by community organizer and DJ Terrible T. with Pzo P.
L to R: Exhibit Curator Carole Erger-Fass, Ellen Naftalin, artist Charles Joyner, Anne Levine, Joan Miller, MaryEllen Hendricks, and Katherine Ross
Patrons who come into The Westport Library probably don’t think about what it takes to mount the rotating art exhibits that grace the walls of its three dedicated art galleries — or maintain the artwork on the walls throughout the building. The Library’s all-volunteer art committee, along with Westport Library Exhibit Curator Carole Erger-Fass, make it all happen.
Exhibiting original art is a key part of the Library’s programming and is the direct outgrowth of the town’s rich roots as an artist colony. Dating back to the early 1900s, and continuing through today, the Library has been committed to supporting Westport’s visual artists.
During the many years prior to the transformation of the Library in 2019, the esteemed artistic trio of Howard Munce, Leonard Everett Fisher, and Neil Hardy curated the Library’s exhibits of local artists, working in conjunction with then-Exhibit Curator Chris Timmons. In 2011, while contemplating retiring, the committee members recruited Ellen Naftalin and Anne Levine, both active volunteers at the Westport Historical Society; artist and Westpac member Joan Miller; and Westpac Co-Chair and Art Director Erger-Fass to join their crew. At their first official meeting together, Munce, Everett Fisher, and Hardy revealed their plans and turned over their hammers and nails to their new recruits.
Munce and Fisher were also responsible, along with Shirley Land, for assembling the Library’s 100-plus item collection, Black and White Works on Paper. That, along with many paintings, prints, and photographs, make up the Library’s extensive permanent collection. These holdings, plus the dozen or so yearly rotating exhibits, are part of the art committee’s purview. Prior to the transformation project, all the permanent works needed to be photographed, catalogued, and packed up — a painstaking job that Timmons managed with the help of the committee. And once the rebuilding was complete, the team was responsible for rehanging it all in the Library’s new home.
Miggs Burroughs interviews botanical artist Dick Rauh in the Library's Trefz Forum.
In 2020, just before the pandemic, Timmons announced her own retirement as exhibit curator, and the Library subsequently hired Erger-Fass as her successor. Looking to expand the team, Erger-Fass added artist Katherine Ross, photographer MaryEllen Hendricks, and finally, local artist/legend Miggs Burroughs to the team. These three members are also members of the Artists Collective of Westport, bringing a natural synergy with one of the town’s robust artistic resources.
“As a local photographer, I was so honored to be involved in such a forward-thinking institution as The Westport Library,” Hendricks said. “Being a part of the committee has been such a joy for me. Meeting the artists and hanging their work has been very inspiring.”
The committee meets several times a year to discuss and plan the gallery schedule, and generally books ahead about two years. Their goal is to showcase the diversity of Westport’s art scene, including a variety of media. The Sheffer, South, and the Jesup galleries each have three to four shows per calendar year, which Erger-Fass and the committee curate, install, and ultimately de-install. They also host artist receptions and talks, with each member participating in the exhibit process from start to finish.
“I have been on many volunteer committees over the years, and this is by far the most gratifying,” said Naftalin, a 12-year veteran of the committee. “The artists we work with are a diverse group of Westport’s finest, and we try to continue Westport’s tradition of being an artist’s colony.”
Throughout his basketball career, Chris Paul has shined on platforms big and small, establishing himself as one of the premier point guards in basketball history and entering the zeitgeist through his star turn in national State Farm commercials.
For his next appearance, Paul is coming to a local stage, joining The Westport Library to discuss his life and his new memoir, Sixty-One: Life Lessons from Papa, On and Off the Court, an ode to his grandfather and family, with journalist, podcast host, and FOX Sports anchor Lindsay Czarniak.
The event, to be held on Tuesday, June 27, at 8 pm, in the Library’s Trefz Forum, will be livestreamed and recorded as part of Czarniak’s new podcast, Lunch with Lindsay. Paul will be joining virtually, with Czarniak appearing in person. Registration for the event is free and now open.
After the conversation, members of the audience will have the opportunity to ask Paul questions, with priority being given to kids in attendance. Autographed copies of Sixty-One will also be for sale.
“I can’t wait for people to see this side of Chris Paul,” Czarniak said. “I love uncovering the experiences, things, people that connect us all, and I’m excited to bring this podcast to life for a night and to give kids in the community a chance to hear from someone they look up to. His play on the court speaks for itself, but I’m especially pumped because Chris’ story about his inspiration to be the best basketball player he can be is much broader than sports. It’s about the human connection and inspiration. I think we can all relate to that.”
The event is a partnership between the Library, the Westport Weston Family YMCA, the Y’s Men of Westport/Weston, and the 06880 Blog.
“This is a truly incredible opportunity for the Fairfield County community — and beyond — to hear from one of the true legends of the sport of basketball in our forum,” Westport Library Executive Director Bill Harmer said. “And we’re thrilled to partner with Lindsay, a Westport resident and one of the country’s foremost sports journalists, on this exciting event. We hope to draw kids and adults far and wide for what we hope will be the first of many such conversations.”
Paul is one of the elite players in basketball history. A McDonald’s All-American as a high school player in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, he garnered national attention when he made a run at the North Carolina high school scoring record, just five days after his grandfather died of a heart attack during a robbery at the service station he owned and just a day after the community icon was buried. Paul’s last attempt before coming out of the game was a free throw that he missed intentionally, ensuring that he would finish with 61 points, the same age as his grandfather, who he called Papa. It was six points shy of the state record.
Paul stayed close to home after high school, starring locally at Wake Forest, where he led the Demon Deacons to the No. 1 ranking his sophomore year and earned All-America honors. He was the fourth overall pick in the 2005 NBA draft by the Charlotte Hornets and has gone on to enjoy a distinguished career with the Hornets (2005-11), L.A. Clippers (2011-17), Houston Rockets (2017-19), Oklahoma City Thunder (2019-20), and most recently, the Phoenix Suns (2020-23).
The 2006 NBA Rookie of the Year was the first player in league history to register 20,000 career points and 10,000 career assists, having since been joined only by LeBron James. Paul also is a 12-time All-Star, 11-time All-NBA performer (including four times first team All-NBA), and has finished in the Top 3 of the MVP voting on three occasions. In addition, the all-world point guard won two Olympic gold medals with Team USA, in 2008 and 2012, and was named to the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team.
Czarniak is an award-winning sportscaster known for anchoring SportsCenter for six years and most recently as a FOX NFL sideline reporter, CBS SRX Racing host, and studio host for NBC’s Summer and Winter Olympic Games coverage.
This year, Czarniak launched her new series Lunch with Lindsay in partnership with Shawn Johnson’s FamilyMade Media network, where she has sat down with icons across sports and entertainment, including country music star Eric Church, NASCAR standout Chase Elliott, and Indy500 champion Josef Newgarden, among others.
Neil Gaiman, the prolific and admired author whose work includes American Gods, Coraline, and the graphic novel series The Sandman, will be this year’s keynote speaker at StoryFest 2023.
The sixth edition of StoryFest, The Westport Library’s annual celebration of reading, writing, ideas, and community, will be held October 20-22.
Gaiman will headline opening night on Friday, October 20, in the Library’s Trefz Forum. The festival will also include panel discussions and additional events on Saturday, October 21, and Sunday, October 22, with scheduled authors Angie Kim, Gabino Iglesias, Stephen Graham Jones, Caroline Kepnes, Eric LaRocca, Josh Malerman, and many, many more.
The free registration for the keynote address will go live to the public on Tuesday, June 20, at 9 am. The complete lineup and schedule for StoryFest 2023 will be announced this summer.
The largest literary festival in Connecticut and one of the biggest in New England, StoryFest drew more than 800 participants and 40 authors to the Library for its 2022 edition — an impressive collection of writers that included New York Times best-selling author Isaac Fitzgerald, Kirkus Prize recipient Saeed Jones, and famed fantasy writer Naomi Novik.
This year’s StoryFest keynote is doubling as the Fall 2023 Malloy Lecture in the Arts, following the spring edition that featured artist and former Psychedelic Furs frontman Richard Butler. The Spring 2023 Malloy Lecture was held in conjunction with VersoFest, the Library’s annual music and media festival.
The Malloy Lecture in the Arts, delivered free to the public since 2002 thanks to the generosity of Westport artist Susan Malloy, highlight individuals who have had significant cultural influence and whose work has enhanced the understanding and appreciation of the arts.
“It is a heady task to deliver both the StoryFest keynote and the Fall 2023 Malloy Lecture in the Arts, but without question Neil Gaiman is the person for the job,” said Westport Library Executive Director Bill Harmer. “Few writers can match his cultural influence, output, and undeniable storytelling skill. Beyond that, he is a captivating and engaging speaker. We couldn’t be happier to welcome him to the Library and are delighted that our community will get to experience his magic in person.”
Renowned for his stage presence and oration, Gaiman routinely sells out large venues throughout the United States. Following his early work as a journalist and biographer, Gaiman achieved fame — and cult status — with The Sandman series, which ran for 75 issues and earned him nine Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards and three Harvey Awards. In 1991, Sandman was recognized with the World Fantasy Award for Best Short Story, making it the first comic ever to receive a literary award.
Following Sandman, Gaiman turned to novels, producing The New York Times best-sellers Good Omens (1990), Neverwhere (1995), Stardust (1999), American Gods (2001), and Anansi Boys (2005), as well as the short story collections Smoke and Mirrors (1998) and Fragile Things (2006). American Gods was honored with both the Hugo Award and the Nebula Award, and Smoke and Mirrors was nominated for the UK's MacMillan Silver Pen Awards as the best short story collection of the year.
Gaiman also has written a number of celebrated children’s and young adult books, including Coraline (2002), The Wolves in the Walls (2003), Odd and the Frost Giants (2008), The Graveyard Book (2008), and Crazy Hair (2009), among others.
Coraline won the British Science Fiction Award, the Hugo Award, the Nebula Award, the Bram Stoker Award, and the American Elizabeth Burr/Worzalla Award; Crazy Hair was shortlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal; and The Graveyard Book won the UK's Booktrust Prize for Teenage Fiction and the 2010 UK CILIP Carnegie Medal, as well as the Newbery Medal, the highest honor given in U.S. children's literature, and the Locus Young Adult Award and the Hugo Best Novel Prize. With those honors, Gaiman became the first author ever to win both the Newbery Medal and the Carnegie Medal with the same book.
Unsurprisingly, given their popularity and acclaim, Gaiman’s books have been adapted for film and theater. Stardust and Coraline were both made into feature films, with Coraline winning a BAFTA Award and earning an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Film. Coraline was also adapted as a musical, and The Wolves in the Walls was developed into an opera by the Scottish National Theatre in 2006.
Gaiman traces much of his success back to libraries, of which he is an avowed fan, making him the perfect fit to open StoryFest 2023 and serve as the guest speaker for the Fall 2023 Malloy Lecture in the Arts.
“I wouldn’t be who I am without libraries,” Gaiman said on his website. “I was the sort of kid who devoured books, and my happiest times as a boy were when I persuaded my parents to drop me off in the local library on their way to work, and I spent the day there. I discovered that librarians actually want to help you: They taught me about interlibrary loans.”
Past StoryFest participants include New York Times best-selling authors Mitch Albom and Michael Lewis; National Book Award finalist Jason Reynolds; Pinkalicious author/illustrator Victoria Kann; Goosebumps author R.L. Stine; young adult superstars Nic Stone, Tiffany Jackson, and L.L. McKinney; and Emmy Award winner Sheila Nevins.
In addition to Butler, previous Malloy Lecture programs have featured Philippe de Montebello, director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art; distinguished playwright Arthur Miller; artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude; musicians Joshua Bell and Frederic Chiu; U.S. Poet Laureate Billy Collins; Vartan Gregorian, president of the Carnegie Corporation; author Joyce Carol Oates; cartoonist Roz Chast; actor Christopher Plummer; stage, film, and theater star John Lithgow; preeminent classical dancer Jacques d'Amboise; music legend Clive Davis; author Salman Rushdie; Falsettos: In Conversation; Bernstein on Broadway; playwright, actor, and educator Anna Deavere Smith; and Tony Award-winning actress Kelli O’Hara in conversation with renowned American theater director Bartlett Sher.
Hip hop icon, musician, producer, and artist, Dooley-O holds a signed copy of "Verso Records: Volume One"
Verso Records: Volume One, the debut album from Verso Studios at The Westport Library, got a proper introduction Saturday night, June 3, with 200+ fans packing the Library’s Trefz Forum to celebrate the first vinyl record ever recorded, produced, and released by a public library.
The album is now officially on sale, available at the Library Store, online via Bandcamp, through the Verso Records website, and soon at local record stores around the area. The bright yellow vinyl sells for $22 and includes a digital download. A $10 digital-only version is also available.
“I am thrilled to be celebrating this momentous achievement for Verso Studios,” said Westport Library Executive Director Bill Harmer. “This is a historic snapshot of the current Connecticut and tri-state area music scene. This album is eclectic, powerful, fun, and shows the world what community and vision can do when we band together.”
Harmer and U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal kicked off the event, welcoming the attendees and emphasizing the historic nature of this can’t-miss event.
“This is an example of Westport at its best, Connecticut at its best,” Blumenthal said from the stage, standing in front of the Trefz Forum’s 18-foot videowall, cane in hand as the result of an injury he suffered earlier this year. “I grew up for a number of years in Westport, and there is a quality to the vision and vibrancy of this community, a commitment to artistic achievement and culture that helps power culture throughout the state of Connecticut. … I had surgery about seven weeks ago, but not even a broken leg could keep me away tonight.”
And with that, it was on to the music. Five of the bands featured on the album performed: Folk/Americana artist Kierstin Sieser (Middletown) kicked things off, followed by Lulu Lewis duo Dylan Hundley & Pablo Martin (NYC), indie rock mainstay Ports of Spain (New Haven), and hockey rockers The Zambonis (Bridgeport), with The Problem With Kids Today (New Haven) closing out the evening.
Remarks and introductions to the bands were made by a variety of emcees, including record artist Sheneta Nicole, Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth of Talking Heads and Tom Tom Club — Frantz also wrote the liner notes for the record — and legendary drummer and Norton Records founder Miriam Linna, whose label covered the record release in advance of the celebration.
Other outlets to cover the release of the record include Pitchfork, the American Library Association, Yahoo News, The New Haven Independent, and CT Public/WNPR, to name just a few.
"A library with a record label? Shazaam!” wrote Linna. “It took a small town library to make the impossible happen. … Westport Library sets the trend. … Benjamin Franklin got the ball rolling over 200 years ago in the United States, and what a concept they are — vestibules of knowledge, free to everyone, growing with the people, for the people! And the people want vinyl records!”
Verso Records: Volume One culls 12 live tracks from Connecticut and tri-state area artists, recorded by Audio Studios manager and in-house sound engineer Travis Bell at the Library’s Verso Studios.
The record features a diverse array of talent across all genres (rock ‘n’ roll, jazz, hip hop, folk, indie) heralding the oft-unsung heroes of the region. Standout tracks include indie-rock band Daniprobably’s “Cowboy,” produced by Grammy Award-winning producer Peter Katis (Interpol, The National, Kurt Vile, Sharon Von Etten); futuristic hip-hop from MIGHTYMOONCHEW with “Jus Bcuz,” produced by influential hip-hop icon Dooley-O; and Alexandra Burnet & The Stable Six’s lush, ethereal, eight-piece arrangement of the meditative “You’re Okay,” plus many others.
Danielle Capalbo from Daniprobably, Dooley-O, and Burnet were among the many local musicians in attendance to ring in the album Saturday night.
“It’s special to make a record in a library,” Capalbo said on the CT Public show Where We Live, “because you’re surrounded by ideas, surrounded by beautiful words, beautiful concepts. And The Westport Library is a uniquely beautiful space with wonderful, supportive people. … This is the most amplified I’ve ever felt as a musician in terms of the energy and excitement for the project, so kudos to The Westport Library for that.”
Acclaimed author Zadie Smith will be honored in person at The Westport Library on Sunday, November 12, with the inaugural Westport Prize for Literature.
The Westport Prize for Literature is an annual prize established to honor an original work of fiction that explores issues in contemporary society. Smith was recognized this year for The Fraud, described by publisher Penguin Random House as “a kaleidoscopic work of historical fiction set against the legal trial that divided Victorian England, about who gets to tell their story — and who gets to be believed.”
Going forward, the prize will be overseen and administered by a steering committee of Westport resident volunteers, with an independent jury selecting the winner.
“We are over the moon to announce the Westport Prize for Literature and thrilled that Zadie Smith will be our first honoree,” said Candice Savin, chair of the steering committee. “She is an icon in letters and an inspiration to writers — and a delight for readers — everywhere. We could not imagine a more deserving award winner for our inaugural prize. To have her in Westport is an honor for us and a treat for the entire community.”
Smith will be signing copies of The Fraud following her talk. Registration is now open and includes a copy of the book for $29, covering either one or two attendees.
Smith is the author of the novels White Teeth, The Autograph Man, On Beauty, NW, and Swing Time, as well as the novella The Embassy of Cambodia. In addition, she has written three collections of essays — Changing My Mind, Feel Free, and Intimations — a collection of short stories, Grand Union, and the play, The Wife of Willesden, and is the editor of The Book of Other People.
Among her many honors, Smith has been awarded the Women's Prize for Fiction and the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award for Fiction for On Beauty, the Guardian First Book Award and the Whitbread First Novel Award for White Teeth, the National Book Critics Circle Award for Criticism for Feel Free, and the Critics' Circle Theatre Award for Most Promising Playwright for The Wife of Willesden.
She is also a three-time nominee for the esteemed Booker Prize, and just last year was honored with the PEN America Literary Service Award.
“Zadie Smith is one of the most renowned writers of her generation and a voice that speaks to readers around the globe,” said Bill Harmer, executive director of The Westport Library. “To have her in the Library is a truly special occasion. Without question, she is a most-deserving recipient of the inaugural Westport Prize for Literature, and I commend the committee for their inspired selection.”
Starting in 2024, the Westport Prize for Literature will be presented each fall in conjunction with the Library’s annual StoryFest, the largest literary festival in Connecticut.
The Westport Library Adult Summer Reading Challenge returns for its seventh year in 2023, replete with a fresh set of categories to keep you reading from its June 1 kickoff through the end of August.
That means three months — 92 days — to complete the 25 challenges in this year’s contest. (Full list of categories below.)
“Summer Reading Challenge time is my absolute favorite part of the year,” said Westport Library Reference Manager Melanie Kelly. “The best part is reading something wonderful that I might not have picked up if I hadn’t needed to fit it into a challenge category. It is kismet for books! And there is no pressure. You can do all of the categories or only one, or anything in between, just as long as you have fun reading!”
The challenge itself is simple: Fulfill one of the designated categories and then submit your result via the form available on The Westport Library website. (Click here to access the form.) And check back to the running leaderboard to track your progress, see what everyone else is reading, and provide recommendations to the Library’s community of readers.
The only rules are that each category may be fulfilled only once, and each book you read can be used for only one category.
In addition, join the Westport Reading Challenge Facebook group to talk books all summer long.
Westport Library 2023 Summer Reading Challenge
Read a book …
__ about an antihero
__ that blows your mind
__ about a character in disguise
__ about an escape
__ that takes place in an extreme climate
__ with eyes on the cover
__ that was first runner-up
__ about a golden age
__ that haunts you
__ that you heard about at the Library
__ featuring a librarian
__ in which the location is intrinsic to the story
__ with a neurodiverse protagonist
__ with a nonhuman narrator
__ about a podcast
__ that is published THIS summer
__ with a purple cover
__ recommended by a librarian
__ about a road trip
__ that is short
__ that SHOULD be a movie or a show
__ with a star on the cover
__ that takes place during a holiday
__ in which the time is running out
__ that takes place under the sea
Looking for programs to keep your kids active and engaged this summer? The Westport Library has you covered.
Once again in 2023, the Children’s Library will host a series of offerings for all ages and interests, including STEAM programs, summer learning clubs, and, of course, a summer reading challenge.
Camp Explore returns for its fourth year of STEAM exploration, with workshops kicking off June 27 and running into August. Among the courses offered this year are Microbit Makery with Josh Burker for grades 6-8, African Mask Making with Iyaba Ibo Mandingo for grades 5-6, and Matica Arts (circus skills) with Heidi Kirchofer and Joel Melendez for grades 6-8. In addition, there will be a one-day class on jewelry making with the Library’s own Sharon Cooper and a Matica Circus performance on August 8 at 10 am that is fully open to the public, no registration needed.
The Summer Learning Clubs integrate math, literacy, and STEAM activities into a thematic approach, with each class blending inquiry, design, research, writing, and the arts. Taught by certified teachers, this program melds traditional academic activities into a Project Based Learning experience and student-driven study. The Library offers three sessions for kids of all ages: Three-hour classes on Tuesdays and Wednesdays for Grades 1-3, three-hour classes on the same days for Grades 4-5, and weekly sessions on Mondays for middle schoolers.
Both Camp Explore and the Summer Learning Clubs are brought to the Library by the continuing generosity of Roz and Bud Siegel.
“Camp Explore and the Summer Learning Clubs are two of our most popular offerings,” said Youth Services Director Mary Parmelee. “They’re a great way to get kids active in the summer, keep their minds working and growing, and apply many of the concepts they’ve learned in school in a way that is both social and fun.”
The summer reading challenge — Imagine Your Summer — kicks off June 1 and encourages kids to read anything, anytime, anywhere, all summer long. It runs through September 3. To take part, kids can register online and keep track of minutes read. For every 100 minutes read, kids can decorate a summer sun that will be displayed in the Children’s Library. At 500 minutes, kids earn a treat from Shake Shack. And at 1,000 minutes, they get to choose a free book to keep from the Library’s selection of titles.
And, of course, there will be weekly free programming offered throughout the summer, including Miss Lynne’s Summer Storytime, Princess Diana’s Storytime, Ready Readers, Rhythm & Rhyme, Story Fun with Mrs. Olson, Storytime on the Green, and Tummy Time.
On Tuesday, June 6, in partnership with the Connecticut Art Trail, The Westport Library’s Verso University will launch an exploration of the art museum landscape in Connecticut.
Connecticut Art Trail President and longtime Westport resident Carey Weber will present an overview of the organization’s mission and member museums, illustrating the world-class cultural vibrancy that exists throughout the state.
This initial program will take place from 2 to 3 pm on June 6, in the Brooks Place program room on the Library’s main level, adjacent to the Sheffer Art Gallery. Registration is available here.
Verso University is the Library’s lifelong learning and education initiative, serving up year-round offerings of classes, workshops, and lectures designed to further education and learning. Offerings run the gamut of educational opportunities, ranging from one-time lectures to ongoing courses to classes that meet weekly or perhaps monthly.
“This collaboration reinforces our goal with Verso University, which is to provide a valuable regional resource where our patrons can explore new interests and gain insight and knowledge from other members of the local community, the experts among us who have so much to teach — to an audience eager to learn,” said Bill Harmer, Westport Library executive director.
For its latest endeavor, Verso University will bring individual curators and museum directors from the CT Art Trail membership to the Library. Participants will have the opportunity for deeper learning — gaining an insider’s view of the museums, their collections, and history, along with an invitation for an on-site visit.
On July 12, the newly appointed director of the Housatonic Museum of Art, Jennifer Reynolds-Kaye, will present an overview of the Museum’s 7,000-piece collection and upcoming exhibits. (The museum was founded by the late Burt Chernow, a Westport resident and professor emeritus at Housatonic Community College, as well as the husband of renowned Westport artist Ann Chernow.)
Then, on August 2, the director of the The Weir Farm National Historic Site will present an overview about Weir Farm, the only national park service site dedicated to American painting, and the home to three generations of American artists.
The Connecticut Art Trail is a nationally recognized partnership between 23 world-class museums and historic sites, created to promote Connecticut’s rich cultural assets to residents and visitors.
Carey Weber is the Frank and Clara Meditz Executive Director of the Fairfield University Art Museum. She currently serves as president of the Connecticut Art Trail and as the Connecticut representative for the Association of Academic Museums and Galleries.
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Verso University programs are made possible by the generous support of the Nancy J. Beard Lifelong Learning and Education Fund.
Climate change and the fight for racial justice are two of the most pressing issues of our time. And they are not independent events, but interconnected realities that impact how we interact with our natural world and how the changes in our natural world affect people everywhere.
On June 1, Roosevelt Institute Director of Climate Policy Rhiana Gunn-Wright will explore these interconnections between environmental justice and racial justice with the Westport community in a can’t-miss talk held at 7 pm in The Westport Library’s Trefz Forum. (Click here to register.)
In the talk, Gunn-Wright will discuss how to cultivate regional responses to the climate crisis, recognizing that environmental impacts cross town lines.
The event is part of a Lilly Foundation-funded initiative at the Saugatuck Congregational Church to “embrace our coastal community” and is the result of a community partnership featuring the Library, the Congregational Church, TEAM Westport, and Sustainable Westport.
“To reverse the climate crisis, we need to think and live regionally,” said Saugatuck Congregational Church Rev. Alison J. B. Patton, “recognizing our interdependence with neighbors across town lines and learning from those who have been most directly impacted by climate events and environmentally unsustainable practices. How do we ensure that all people and parts of our shared ecosystem can flourish?”
“This vitally important talk was inspired by Westport's commitment to becoming a sustainable, thriving community — economically, environmentally, and socially — and by our ongoing community-based efforts to dismantle systemic racism,” said Harold Bailey Jr., chair of TEAM Westport. “It is a significant opportunity for each of us to build awareness that the sustainability of our most distressed regional neighbors today could easily signal the sustainability of our own community tomorrow.”
Gunn-Wright leads the Roosevelt Institute’s research at the intersection of climate policy, public investment, racial equity, and public power. Along with her colleagues, Gunn-Wright aims to create a body of work that examines the role of economic policy and large-scale economic transformation in catalyzing just and rapid responses to the climate crisis. She also supports Roosevelt’s engagement with the Green New Deal Network and other partners in the climate movement.
Prior to joining Roosevelt, Gunn-Wright was the policy director for New Consensus, charged with developing and promoting the Green New Deal, and the policy director for Abdul El-Sayed’s 2018 Michigan gubernatorial campaign. A 2013 Rhodes Scholar, she has also worked as the policy analyst for the Detroit Health Department, acted as the Mariam K. Chamberlain Fellow of Women and Public Policy at the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, and served on the policy team for former First Lady Michelle Obama.
“We are remarkably fortunate to have such an esteemed expert as Rhiana Gunn-Wright here to discuss how climate justice and racial justice intertwine and impact each other,” said Westport Library Executive Director Bill Harmer. “This is a timely and important event for Westport and the greater Fairfield County community as we all work together to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to grow and thrive — now and for generations to come.”
